Bard

Vapor Trails is the only one that I really can't stand the sound of. Even the remix is annoying with that bass drum slapping like a running fat lady's boobs.

 

Liked for the analogy. I like the album, but that made me lose it :laughing guy:

 

It's strange to see so much dislike for Counterparts.

 

Probably their most underrated album.

 

By the band, too. They NEVER play shit off that album live!

 

Too bad.

 

I agree it is underrated. A blast to listen to :haz:

 

They represent it fairly well. They played 2 songs off of it on the Time Machine Tour, and I expect we might get at least one song this tour. Crossing fingers for Cut To The Chase.

 

CTTC would be epic live, yes. :)

Troutman,

 

Getting away with it does not justify it. You're in someone else's space (assuming seats are sold).

 

It is not whatever. It's common decency.

 

Exactly. It's pretty basic morality here. Some people think concerts are a free-for-all no matter what.

 

They're wrong. Unless they're at Coachella, or some other festival where it literally is a free-for-all.

 

I can't stand mass GA shows. So I'm always good with reserved seating through and through. It makes for a more flowing and cohesive sensory experience. :)

If you're standing next to someone in the aisle, in a 'non' - seat area, you are already breaking the boundaries of the person in the seat to your left/right.

 

The boundaries are crystal clear at concerts. You stay in your assigned seat. Period. :)

 

People who push those boundaries are what they are, but to try and justify stretching those boundaries isn't going to wash to any degree. You're breaking the rules and potentially ruffling feathers of fellow patrons.

 

It's really not rocket science.

 

And Goose already made his position clear. He said, 'The people who paid for the seats, need to lighten up.'

 

To which I would reply, the people who didn't pay for those seats, need to mind their manners. Or risk getting tossed out and missing the show entirely. Either I'll move 'em or I'll have security do it. :)

 

If it seems like I have a thing about moving up front without paying for it, I do. People like that need to hit general admission shows. Shows with reserved seating, you know what you ought to do and should respect protocol to serve the greater good of all.

 

What ever dude,

 

You're as pure as the driven snow. Your telling me you have never tried to get a closer view of a concert?

 

BTW, I have never once had a person give me a hard time about stolling down the aisle just to to get a closer view. Its not like I am wasted drunk off my a** causing trouble and end up in a fight or being thrown out. If security comes up to me and asks me to go to my seat I do.

 

That's great, man. So you're a 'nice' section crasher. It still makes you someone who's disrespecting others. Good for you.

 

Not even once have I tried to crash a section I didn't pay for. If I paid for a seat in the upper bowl or last terrace, I stay there and enjoy the show from afar. Once you pay for your level, that's where you resign yourself and prep yourself to attend in that manner. And me and my buddies, we've done that a million times, and watched from the nosebleeds and drank beer and had a great old time. We didn't try to sneak up. Not because we're pure as the driven snow, LOL. Because we know it ain't right. Other people paid more money - or got luckier - than we were willing or able to do. It was never worth pissing off others who are only there to enjoy quality tunes without interruption nor invasion, and it DEF wasn't worth getting thrown out by security.

 

Have I tried to get closer at a general admission show? Of course. Every time. Rush ain't one of those shows. Why do you think it is that they never have a GA pit up front?

 

You're saying you're an aisle person, sure, I know those guys. They try to get away with lax security 'letting it go,' and sometimes it works. That doesn't mean you're not irking people around you just because they don't say anything. And just because you've gotten away with it in the past doesn't mean it's okay.

 

LOL, some of you seriously need some concert etiquette refreshers, it seems. Go to general admission shows if you want free reign in your position. Otherwise, stay in your seat and think about others before yourself. Duh.

It's strange to see so much dislike for Counterparts.

 

Probably their most underrated album.

 

By the band, too. They NEVER play shit off that album live!

 

Too bad.

Well, of course I certainly advocate for truth in advertising. But I live in a world where more often than not, that just isn't the case. So what to do?

 

Work the system best as you can, and leverage your attendance accordingly without skipping a mortgage payment.

 

As long as the market tolerates said behavior, it will continue. And people are not going to miss their favorite artists (who are all aging and will be dying off in the next twenty years soon enough) to combat the system.

 

So see the people you wanna see now. Time is not our friend. :)

If you're standing next to someone in the aisle, in a 'non' - seat area, you are already breaking the boundaries of the person in the seat to your left/right.

 

The boundaries are crystal clear at concerts. You stay in your assigned seat. Period. :)

 

People who push those boundaries are what they are, but to try and justify stretching those boundaries isn't going to wash to any degree. You're breaking the rules and potentially ruffling feathers of fellow patrons.

 

It's really not rocket science.

 

And Goose already made his position clear. He said, 'The people who paid for the seats, need to lighten up.'

 

To which I would reply, the people who didn't pay for those seats, need to mind their manners. Or risk getting tossed out and missing the show entirely. Either I'll move 'em or I'll have security do it. :)

 

If it seems like I have a thing about moving up front without paying for it, I do. People like that need to hit general admission shows. Shows with reserved seating, you know what you ought to do and should respect protocol to serve the greater good of all.

A fair amount, LOL

 

CoS

Kings

Hemispheres

Power Windows

Hold Your Fire

TFE

VT

Feedback

 

The rest I pretty much listen to on a regular basis. The ones I listed, it's been many years since I gave them a spin...well, I guess I listen to side 2 of Hemispheres for La Villa.

Not at all. The problem is the people who actually paid for seats there.

I agree that the problem is people who paid for those seats. They need to lighten up.

 

I had front row and some dudes poached the space between. They were cool, I could still see. The only guy that was douchey was a security guy who deliberately stood right in front of me to block my view. I flashed my pass and he moved, but it was still a dick move at that point in the show.

 

I say uou get the first half of the show in peace, but when the lights go down the second time, there's gotta be leeway. It's rock and roll, after all.

 

Your 'leeway' is another man's douchebag.

 

Basically you're saying "I'm too cheap to pony for up front, but I'll gladly try and bully, weasel, or mooch my way up there on somebody else's coattails."

 

Rock and roll has nothing to do with it. You're either a scab, or you're not.

 

Seat crashers are the worst kind of concert scum. Worse than stage rushers.

 

I see it in sporting events quite a bit. Of course in Baseball/Football there are often a lot of empty seats, even when sold out.

 

Empty seats are different. Squeezing in occupied spaces just because of 'hey, it's a concert, relax' mentality (translation: I'm a cheap f**k and I could give a red rat's ass about respecting your place) invites hostility.

 

Which I'm happy to reciprocate in fashion accordingly if need be. I always feel sorry for the folks who cave and slide over. It ruins the whole show for folks. :(

 

I don't believe Goose is implying its ok to be rude and steal a seat. I know I would never do such a thing.

 

I might want to get a closer look but it would be some thing like walking down the aisle and trying to hang out until security said some thing to me.

 

It's exactly what he's implying. Seen it thousands of times. If it's not general admission, protocol says you stay where you got your seat.

 

If it's GA, it's no holds barred and you can try and get as close as you want. If it's not GA, you didn't pay to be up close in a reserved seat, so it's not nice to mooch a free view when all the people in that section paid for that view. Furthermore, you're disrupting those paying folks' concert experience by being where you're not supposed to be. It's distracting, and more often than not, it's rude and presumptuous.

 

Sigh, I just don't get people who think they can have something for free that others had to purchase. And that they'd show so little respect for fellow concert attendees. Testing the bounds of security or fan tolerance is the same thing as: "I don't care about these other people at the show and how I might interfere with their experience, I'm in this for myself."

I don't go to many events. As I have gotten older fewer concerts, live sporting events etc.

But when I go. I do the research. I do the planning.

Rush is one that I have my bases covered.

But last year, the wife and I really wanted to see a particular football game. Where did we go?

Stub Hub. 10 rows up, 50 yard line, with a parking pass. Now we paid more than we could have but sitting in prime seats cost us more.

If I am only going to 1 game every few years, I don't mind paying extra.

I look at Rush the same way. They don't tour every Summer; I will pay the extra needed and get my tickets from whoever or wherever I need to.

Free Market indeed.

 

Exactly. One of the unsaid aspects of the ticket debacles is exactly what you said. There's ONE great benefit about secondary market services. You can literally find the exact seat or section that you want to sit in. That's why they thrive. Because people don't have to pull the trigger on a general sale and hope they get lucky. They can pay to sit where they choose. And while the prices are exorbitant usually, it all depends on how one chooses to burn their disposable income. And if they don't have said income, that's okay, everyone can still get in the door usually. Especially at arena gigs.

 

I was just talking with the wifey about this last week. There are VERY few shows I need or want to use a broker for anymore. Other than Rush, the last time I used a source beyond general sale on TM or LN was the Police reunion in '07/'08. (one of my top three bands, never thought I'd see 'em live ever, was a must see with the best seats in the house, period). It burned some, yes, to spend that kinda money. At the same time, how much is that once in a lifetime experience really worth? Priceless, right? Now if I didn't have the dough (I didn't, I just leveraged some credit card and took a couple years to pay it off) then I would've resigned myself to an upper bowl position just to ensure I see them.

 

Rush, however, is a band I prefer to see up close. And no matter how hard I've tried (and I am no slouch at the TM-Live Nation frenzy at 10 am), the last two tours (Time Machine and Clockwork) I failed to come up with anything near what I preferred. In '07 at the Hollywood Bowl Snakes tour, I lucked out and landed 5th row pit - Hollywood Bowl is $$$$$$$$$ anyway - for 350 a pop. That was general sale pricing. Granted, it had the usual Hollywood Bowl markup. No secondary market needed. So for Time Machine (two shows) and Clockwork (one show) I ended up 2nd row pit center, first row pit center, and first row pit Alex's side.

 

Did I pay? Yup. Did the experiences warrant the cost?

 

Yup.

 

And I shelved disposable income in other places accordingly to balance it out. I wish I was wealthy enough to do it for any show I please. But I'm not. So I have to pick and choose.

 

And I always prioritize Rush over all over shows, since R-30 anyway.

 

So it's confusing when people grumble and complain over concert pricing, when they take vacations to Hawaii or buy a new truck or upgrade a sound system. Their everyday 'costs' are my disposables. My 'Rush' is your 'Grand Canyon vacation with the kids.' It's all about prioritizing what you need to burn, as opposed to what you WANT to burn.

 

And Rush's last tour, probably?

 

Yeah, I'm gonna sit where I want to sit, and I'll def try and get those seats for as cheap as possible. But I'll allow for the markup as well. Been doing this ticket grind for 30+ years. It's never been easy to get the good seats, and I've always had to pay more if I didn't land any good stuff on the general sale...or overnight in line...or from street scalpers.

Not at all. The problem is the people who actually paid for seats there.

I agree that the problem is people who paid for those seats. They need to lighten up.

 

I had front row and some dudes poached the space between. They were cool, I could still see. The only guy that was douchey was a security guy who deliberately stood right in front of me to block my view. I flashed my pass and he moved, but it was still a dick move at that point in the show.

 

I say uou get the first half of the show in peace, but when the lights go down the second time, there's gotta be leeway. It's rock and roll, after all.

 

Your 'leeway' is another man's douchebag.

 

Basically you're saying "I'm too cheap to pony for up front, but I'll gladly try and bully, weasel, or mooch my way up there on somebody else's coattails."

 

Rock and roll has nothing to do with it. You're either a scab, or you're not.

 

Seat crashers are the worst kind of concert scum. Worse than stage rushers.

 

I see it in sporting events quite a bit. Of course in Baseball/Football there are often a lot of empty seats, even when sold out.

 

Empty seats are different. Squeezing in occupied spaces just because of 'hey, it's a concert, relax' mentality (translation: I'm a cheap f**k and I could give a red rat's ass about respecting your place) invites hostility.

 

Which I'm happy to reciprocate in fashion accordingly if need be. I always feel sorry for the folks who cave and slide over. It ruins the whole show for folks. :(

This topic is so pessimistic.......it's making me sad........

 

I hear you...

 

When I started this thread I just wanted to get the general public opinion on this topic..

The reality of what MAY happen after August 1st is definitely saddening.

 

But...back on topic. After nearly 50 votes now, the trend has stayed the same...and this is coming from a very knowledgeable and dedicated fan base.

 

Over 50% of us believe that, for the R40 Tour dates at least, this is it.

And half of those fans believe that, this is it, for touring altogether.

 

I know most have wishful thinking of some future recordings and maybe some random live performances.

 

The true reality is, we just don't know...and not knowing is not a very comfortable feeling, at least for this fan.

 

I've been listening to Rush and trying to perform their music since I was 13yrs.old (50 now) and just the thought of them not touring anymore is devastating.

 

Although...if the retire while still at the top of their game, opposed to awkwardly fading away like some other bands, I'm okay with that. I'm sure they could still pull off some magic in studio, even if the have no plans to tour further.

 

Regardless of their eventual 'path of retirement'...I've got 20+ albums and the memories of a soon to be 26 live shows seen, to make it easier.

 

Perhaps a little relativity would assist many with acceptance of the pending reality.

 

The truth is, we are ALL extremely fortunate that Rush has even existed since the millennium. We all thought the band was over and done after Neil's tragic life circumstances. In most realities they would never have returned, given how tight they are.

 

We are lucky that Neil found new purpose, and especially new Light and Love.

 

Otherwise, Rush was over in 1997.

 

So count yourselves a lucky turn in the fates for having any post-milennium Rush whatsoever, much less the bounties we've received with R30, Snakes and Arrows, and Clockwork Angels albums and tours.

Hi!

 

I don't go to a lot of concerts and this is my first time on the floor for a Rush show - row 10. SO EXCITED.

 

Any advice on how to get the most out of the evening?

 

I'm 5'5" - how much heel do I need to be able to see?

 

I want to hear everything (of course) but people will wear ear plugs, right? Do you guys have advice on a brand or decibel rating?

 

Thanks!

 

Def bring ear plugs. The foam ones work fine, you just adjust them accordingly when you find a decent decibel mix for your preference. Tinnitus sucks. You don't wanna get that from your first show. Rush shows aren't bad like harder rock arena shows, but they can still be pretty loud. Depends on where they position the speakers in your venue.

 

10th row floor are good seats, but not necessarily for shorties. In your particular case, you have to hope you have shorties in front of you. Otherwise if it's too frustrating, you can ask venue staff if they can find you seats in the lower bowl loge (with tiered rows) where you might find an empty seat with unobstructed views. Going to shows when you're a shortie (like me), you generally never want floor seats unless you're in the first three rows, or if the band has a significantly elevated stage setup (usually not the case). :)

 

Don't drink much. Nothing's worse than getting wrecked so much you miss enjoying the essence of the magic of the symbiosis between caliber artists like Rush, still the best power trio on the planet! and the audience. :) Rush crowds are an entity unto themselves.

 

And DON'T try to seat crash up front. You didn't pay for those seats, it's not nice and generally security will either boot you back or you'll get ejected from the venue outright. Plus, it's bad concert karma.

 

First show Rush! You must be excited. :)

Hi!

 

I don't go to a lot of concerts and this is my first time on the floor for a Rush show - row 10. SO EXCITED.

 

Any advice on how to get the most out of the evening?

 

I'm 5'5" - how much heel do I need to be able to see?

 

I want to hear everything (of course) but people will wear ear plugs, right? Do you guys have advice on a brand or decibel rating?

 

Thanks!

At 5'5" you should be able to get on some guy's shoulders. As a female, security will probably let you cheat forward too!

 

I wouldn't count on that.

 

Yeah, that seems... unlikely. On the CA tour, I had great seats up the side and it was AWESOME but I couldn't stand up without blocking people and my neighbors were some loud fellows talking *over the songs* about lawn care. This time I wanted to get on the floor so I could stand and rock out a little. I assume most people up front will share my enthusiasm. (Right?) Do people really "cheat forward"? Would you say the atmosphere is generally friendly or aggressive (if you're a woman)?

For the second set, people move forward to stand in the aisles and against the stage...or have at every show I've attended.

 

Not at Rush shows they don't. You're reachin' dude. YOU do that. Rush shows are pretty controlled and regulated per band request.

Cheap Trick is a great show. It sucks that Bunny is gone, but Rick's kid on the skins isn't a bad substitute.

Rush opening for Kiss. That just ain't right.

Adding another leg doesn't make sense when they've made it clear they are going to scale down live appearances.

 

Doubtful that they will.

 

They'll play again, I'm fairly sure. But only at their discretion.

 

Global tours are over. And good for them.

 

Well,

 

I agree on the scale down part. But I just don't see it this tour. Places like Cleveland ect. want and should be added at some point.

 

They've pretty much said it without denying anything outright. Of course they're going to leave themselves open to possibilities. They're not retiring.

 

But they approved the term 'tour of this magnitude' for press and promotion.

 

Which they have never done until now.

 

It kinda speaks volumes, coupled with our common knowledge that Neil's pretty close to being completely done with the tour thing.

Adding another leg doesn't make sense when they've made it clear they are going to scale down live appearances.

 

Doubtful that they will.

 

They'll play again, I'm fairly sure. But only at their discretion.

 

Global tours are over. And good for them.

Heh. It's interesting how many people want to believe it's all a big conspiracy, a corporate sham. Of course that could be true.

 

But to me, it's far more likely that Rush is simply more popular than ever, and with the whispered notions that it might be their last tour, coupled with their increasing popularity even in their last era, I think it's just a matter of more people, casual fan and Rush nerd, wanting to go see Rush.

 

Is it not possible that Rush is at their highest demand, their peak, even now?

 

I think so. :)

 

But sure, yeah, ticket brokers are bad, duh.

 

Still, that doesn't explain how the heck SOME people actually have VIP gold tickets and pit seats for face value. :)

 

I'm sorry...and I mean this in the nicest way I can, but this all sounds very delusional.

 

If you truly believe that there is no shady stuff going on with TM, LN, etc...then I don't really know what to tell you.

 

But in the end, it doesn't matter that they are more popular than ever (which I obviously agree they absolutely are). This whole thing goes well beyond Rush. Personally, I've been buying tickets for various concerts, sporting events, etc. through TM for years now...and I've seen the same thing for all of them. This is not only about Rush...they just happen to be the example we're all talking about here (of course).

 

I've said this before...a person is on TM for 10am SHARP...Public on-sale time, and yet, cannot find ANY tickets. No Floor, No Lower Bowl, and not even any Upper Bowl. Does this make any sense whatsoever? As "popular" as they are, I highly doubt Rush sells out 15,000 tickets within seconds of release. Sorry...don't buy it.

 

'Platinum Seats'...is this not essentially legalized scalping? Pretty sure it is. They take all the top seats...then put them on this "Platinum" page and charge a premium price for them...BEFORE anyone ever gets the chance to purchase them at face value.

 

Another common theme I've seen a lot...and I find it funny because it has happened to me multiple times in the past (again...not just for Rush, but other shows). I have tickets for some pretty good seats (at least the best at that time)...start going through the checkout process, where it proceeds to "crash", and those tickets are gone.

 

(Sure...you could likely argue that "it's the Internet", and "tons of people purchasing at the same time", so "it crashes". But it's interesting that every single example I've heard of this happening is when the people had their best seats by far.)

 

Again...I'm sure you think I sound like I'm complaining about conspiracy. But there are way too many factors that point to ridiculous and shady garbage happening with TM.

 

Like I said...in the end, I'm just going with the flow. I opted to purchase two upper bowl tickets for a show, and intend to enjoy the show. Would I have preferred to sit down on the Floors? Absolutely. But money is a factor, sadly. Throwing down a mortgage payment on a concert...even for the greatest band of all-time, is too difficult for this fan.

 

In no way am I saying the state of affairs in the ticket industry is acceptable as it's evolved.

 

However, I have been one of those folks who's landed premium seats right at 10 am on the general sale, and I'm also one of the folks who didn't get offered jack diddly, even in the upper bowl nosebleeds. It's a total crapshoot. It depends on the scarcity of the artist at hand and demand, once again. High profile shows will overload TM's ridiculously slow and antiquated servers, for sure. Do I think TM is monopolizing the ticket industry by buying subsidiaries like TicketsNow and setting aside premium seating to mark up Platinum prices at 750 a pop? Of course I do. But I also think you'll have little difficulty getting seats on TM or LN for low profile artists and tours.

 

Premium product - premium price.

 

My point this whole time has been noting posters' apparent frustrations in what they seemingly believe to be a recently manifested difficulty. In my 30 plus years of ticket buying, I do not remember a time when it was easy to get good seats, and when good seats were offered, more often than not they cost more than not as good seats. A floor seat on the Coliseum floor in 1988 was more expensive than a third level terrace seat. One had to pick and choose according to budget and preference.

 

So what seems to be the main sticking points for a lot of folks is that (1) they'd like equal opportunity access to ANY level of ticketing, and (2) they'd like the premium levels to be priced with fair business practices in mind.

 

Does that sound like reality to anyone? Because it's just not, LOL. For any business. Not just Ticketmaster.

 

Haha, I'm not defending the ticket agencies and their various outlets in how they distribute seats at a ridiculous markup. Don't get me wrong. But it isn't a new practice, I've been subject to it for 30 plus years, with varying rates of inflation.

 

I think about the times I lucked out, though. Catching a pit seat on general sale face value. Scoring a couple VIP packages through the mess that is 10 am super fan presales. Landing a meet and greet where only 30 were offered and 20 thousand folks were trying to get all 30 at the same time. And so on and so forth.

 

It just isn't that surprising to me, because I've been dealing with the pitfalls of ensuring concert attendance for a long time. Are prices higher? Yup. So is milk. Bread. (currently not gasoline for some odd and suspicious reason :) ) Organic foods. Produce. Sunglasses. Health care. Quality sound systems. Cars.

 

In the end, what we're really lamenting is that our 'nerd' band is more popular than ever. And that results in two things when it comes to attendance. 1. More people are going to take those opportunities you may have had open to yourself when you were making sure you would get tickets to the TFE or VT tours. :) and 2. The ticket companies, upon realizing or estimating demand, are going to adjust prices accordingly.

 

I'm not condoning the practice. But I'm not surprised. It's been this way for as long as I can remember. And those of you that protest and claim it used to be easier, TM didn't have such a lock, well, sure, of course internet subsidiaries like StubHub and TicketsNow didn't exist a while back, but then again, neither did your internet-wide access to all sources of tickets. And back then, rest assured, there were plenty of scalpers and runners who worked for a guy who scooped up a lot of premium seating and did it the old fashioned way. I know because I used to have to use those guys to get in the damn door. :) And again, if you're remembering a lot of times when you got premium seats with ease, or without much hassle or cost, you probably are a lucky person. Me, I'm about split down the middle in my ticketing history. Sometimes I got lucky. Sometimes I had to pass. Sometimes I found a way to pay. Perhaps I've been more unlucky in general sales than many of you.

I'm thinking about Mike Damone, from Fast Times at Ridgmont High......for the Van Halen tickets.

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7AymEzZXCk

 

Per Mike Damone: Don't Like the Price?

DON'T BUY THEM!!!

 

LOL. See, what some folks seem to be saying, is that resale vendors ought to offer their wares at reasonable prices.

 

Well, sure, I'd like that Bentley to be 10k instead of 100k. I'd like that autographed Eddie Van Halen guitar to be 1k, not 25k. I'd like that first edition signed Hemingway to be a buck, not five hundred bucks.

 

What is reasonable, and what is reality in a free market, are two different things.

 

I'm just talkin' about how it's been a reality long before TM was a monopoly, long before there was an internet to bitch on.

 

Nothing's much different except inflation and the cost of living. Welcome to the 21st century.

Not at all. The problem is the people who actually paid for seats there.

I agree that the problem is people who paid for those seats. They need to lighten up.

 

I had front row and some dudes poached the space between. They were cool, I could still see. The only guy that was douchey was a security guy who deliberately stood right in front of me to block my view. I flashed my pass and he moved, but it was still a dick move at that point in the show.

 

I say uou get the first half of the show in peace, but when the lights go down the second time, there's gotta be leeway. It's rock and roll, after all.

 

Your 'leeway' is another man's douchebag.

 

Basically you're saying "I'm too cheap to pony for up front, but I'll gladly try and bully, weasel, or mooch my way up there on somebody else's coattails."

 

Rock and roll has nothing to do with it. You're either a scab, or you're not.

 

Seat crashers are the worst kind of concert scum. Worse than stage rushers.

I'm thinking about Mike Damone, from Fast Times at Ridgmont High......for the Van Halen tickets.

 

I have dealt with weasels like Damone, LOL. Right outside the venue, and also in greasy WeHo offices en route to SoCal venues.

 

That was always fun too, because you had to bring a wad of cash, and drive 4 hours round trip, to crapshoot a possibility.

 

And I remember the extended protocol back then too, how folks would say, 'hey f**k those scalper guys, all ya gotta do is just wait 'em out until the band starts up, maybe you miss the first one, two, three songs, then they'll cave and sell it to you for face value cause recoup is better than outright loss.'

 

And while that was a fair method of beating them at their own game, it was always : "uh, yeah, but I missed the opening of the show to get in."

 

Pass on that. Here's your extra fifty bucks, Damone. :)

Heh. It's interesting how many people want to believe it's all a big conspiracy, a corporate sham. Of course that could be true.

 

But to me, it's far more likely that Rush is simply more popular than ever, and with the whispered notions that it might be their last tour, coupled with their increasing popularity even in their last era, I think it's just a matter of more people, casual fan and Rush nerd, wanting to go see Rush.

 

Is it not possible that Rush is at their highest demand, their peak, even now?

 

I think so. :)

 

But sure, yeah, ticket brokers are bad, duh.

 

Still, that doesn't explain how the heck SOME people actually have VIP gold tickets and pit seats for face value. :)

 

I'm sorry...and I mean this in the nicest way I can, but this all sounds very delusional.

 

If you truly believe that there is no shady stuff going on with TM, LN, etc...then I don't really know what to tell you.

 

But in the end, it doesn't matter that they are more popular than ever (which I obviously agree they absolutely are). This whole thing goes well beyond Rush. Personally, I've been buying tickets for various concerts, sporting events, etc. through TM for years now...and I've seen the same thing for all of them. This is not only about Rush...they just happen to be the example we're all talking about here (of course).

 

I've said this before...a person is on TM for 10am SHARP...Public on-sale time, and yet, cannot find ANY tickets. No Floor, No Lower Bowl, and not even any Upper Bowl. Does this make any sense whatsoever? As "popular" as they are, I highly doubt Rush sells out 15,000 tickets within seconds of release. Sorry...don't buy it.

 

'Platinum Seats'...is this not essentially legalized scalping? Pretty sure it is. They take all the top seats...then put them on this "Platinum" page and charge a premium price for them...BEFORE anyone ever gets the chance to purchase them at face value.

 

Another common theme I've seen a lot...and I find it funny because it has happened to me multiple times in the past (again...not just for Rush, but other shows). I have tickets for some pretty good seats (at least the best at that time)...start going through the checkout process, where it proceeds to "crash", and those tickets are gone.

 

(Sure...you could likely argue that "it's the Internet", and "tons of people purchasing at the same time", so "it crashes". But it's interesting that every single example I've heard of this happening is when the people had their best seats by far.)

 

Again...I'm sure you think I sound like I'm complaining about conspiracy. But there are way too many factors that point to ridiculous and shady garbage happening with TM.

 

Like I said...in the end, I'm just going with the flow. I opted to purchase two upper bowl tickets for a show, and intend to enjoy the show. Would I have preferred to sit down on the Floors? Absolutely. But money is a factor, sadly. Throwing down a mortgage payment on a concert...even for the greatest band of all-time, is too difficult for this fan.

 

In no way am I saying the state of affairs in the ticket industry is acceptable as it's evolved.

 

However, I have been one of those folks who's landed premium seats right at 10 am on the general sale, and I'm also one of the folks who didn't get offered jack diddly, even in the upper bowl nosebleeds. It's a total crapshoot. It depends on the scarcity of the artist at hand and demand, once again. High profile shows will overload TM's ridiculously slow and antiquated servers, for sure. Do I think TM is monopolizing the ticket industry by buying subsidiaries like TicketsNow and setting aside premium seating to mark up Platinum prices at 750 a pop? Of course I do. But I also think you'll have little difficulty getting seats on TM or LN for low profile artists and tours.

 

Premium product - premium price.

 

My point this whole time has been noting posters' apparent frustrations in what they seemingly believe to be a recently manifested difficulty. In my 30 plus years of ticket buying, I do not remember a time when it was easy to get good seats, and when good seats were offered, more often than not they cost more than not as good seats. A floor seat on the Coliseum floor in 1988 was more expensive than a third level terrace seat. One had to pick and choose according to budget and preference.

 

So what seems to be the main sticking points for a lot of folks is that (1) they'd like equal opportunity access to ANY level of ticketing, and (2) they'd like the premium levels to be priced with fair business practices in mind.

 

Does that sound like reality to anyone? Because it's just not, LOL. For any business. Not just Ticketmaster.

 

Haha, I'm not defending the ticket agencies and their various outlets in how they distribute seats at a ridiculous markup. Don't get me wrong. But it isn't a new practice, I've been subject to it for 30 plus years, with varying rates of inflation.

 

I think about the times I lucked out, though. Catching a pit seat on general sale face value. Scoring a couple VIP packages through the mess that is 10 am super fan presales. Landing a meet and greet where only 30 were offered and 20 thousand folks were trying to get all 30 at the same time. And so on and so forth.

 

It just isn't that surprising to me, because I've been dealing with the pitfalls of ensuring concert attendance for a long time. Are prices higher? Yup. So is milk. Bread. (currently not gasoline for some odd and suspicious reason :) ) Organic foods. Produce. Sunglasses. Health care. Quality sound systems. Cars.

 

In the end, what we're really lamenting is that our 'nerd' band is more popular than ever. And that results in two things when it comes to attendance. 1. More people are going to take those opportunities you may have had open to yourself when you were making sure you would get tickets to the TFE or VT tours. :) and 2. The ticket companies, upon realizing or estimating demand, are going to adjust prices accordingly.

 

I'm not condoning the practice. But I'm not surprised. It's been this way for as long as I can remember. And those of you that protest and claim it used to be easier, TM didn't have such a lock, well, sure, of course internet subsidiaries like StubHub and TicketsNow didn't exist a while back, but then again, neither did your internet-wide access to all sources of tickets. And back then, rest assured, there were plenty of scalpers and runners who worked for a guy who scooped up a lot of premium seating and did it the old fashioned way. I know because I used to have to use those guys to get in the damn door. :) And again, if you're remembering a lot of times when you got premium seats with ease, or without much hassle or cost, you probably are a lucky person. Me, I'm about split down the middle in my ticketing history. Sometimes I got lucky. Sometimes I had to pass. Sometimes I found a way to pay. Perhaps I've been more unlucky in general sales than many of you.

Ah, there's the rub. So the fault lies with the people who pay the premium price for a premium product.

 

If that's so, then blame 2 thousand years of human commerce, LOL. Not some recently manifested corporate boogaloo. :)

 

It's always been this way. The only reason it seems more exacerbated now in modern times is because of the InterWebs, we have access to information we previously did not. Like checking when somebody buys a premium ticket you were eying yourself. :)

Heh. It's interesting how many people want to believe it's all a big conspiracy, a corporate sham. Of course that could be true.

 

But to me, it's far more likely that Rush is simply more popular than ever, and with the whispered notions that it might be their last tour, coupled with their increasing popularity even in their last era, I think it's just a matter of more people, casual fan and Rush nerd, wanting to go see Rush.

 

Is it not possible that Rush is at their highest demand, their peak, even now?

 

I think so. :)

 

But sure, yeah, ticket brokers are bad, duh.

 

Still, that doesn't explain how the heck SOME people actually have VIP gold tickets and pit seats for face value. :)

 

 

Arena Rock is almost dead, having been replaced by Arena Pop, for the most part, and that's fine with me. The best "must see" bands are still thriving, on a much smaller scale.

 

This.

 

Arena rock only has a few big players still in the game. Otherwise, rock is playing amps, sheds, and casinos from 2-10k capacity.

 

20k arenas, or 90k stadiums, a handful at best can properly play those venues anymore.

I'm just stating t's business as usual. Nothing unusual.

 

Conspiracies about ticket agencies have been around since the sixties. It's all true. But again....it's only fueled by supply and demand. If there are people out there willing to pay x amount a ticket...the business of secondary markets will thrive. And there are, and there always have been, and always will be.