Aikenrooster Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I did not go because I hated the set list and the prices were to high. I am sure I am not the only one. Also Geddy said something that really bugged me the other day on an interview. He was talking about the A-B set lists and saying how it's good for them so fans will go to more than one show. I know this is a business and a big one for Rush, but come on Geddy that's some BIG MONEY to not play songs on one date just to bait the fanatic into spending more money. I know you guys are going to kill me on this, but is there any part of your fandom that can see how bogus this is?The prices are not high compared to other(and may I say A LOT LESS TALENTED "musical artists") concerts and sporting events. Also, you understand that a lot of people have to get paid out of the price of your ticket, right? Roadies, truck/bus drivers, the venue takes a huge slice, taxes in the ticket, TICKETMASTER fees(bastards), the CA string ensemble, they gotta pay for fuel to get there, they gotta eat, they gotta maintain their equipment, just to name a few things off the top of my head. People don't work for free. You just can't look at the gross sales and act like Rush is raking all that money in. I'd argue that given Rush's level of expertise, number of years together, number of years playing, and other factors, that they're playing on the cheap. If you didn't like the setlist, then you didn't like the new album. Just admit it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aikenrooster Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 There are probably many factors influencing the "non-sold-out" shows but Michigan and Nevada have two of the highest unemployment rates(forget the official figures, knowing people who live in those states and Ohio, I hear the "real" unemployed levels are about 14-16% there), so I guess that is part of the explanation for those cities being less than capacity.There are a lot of factors. Inflation is rampant for starters. People are borrowing money just to make ends meet, given the high price of gasoline, electricity, and food. I think since a lot of Rush fans have kids now that, if they don't take the kids, then they won't go, because they have to do things with the kids. I think unemployment does play into it. I think there are a lot of other choices, now, obviously, than there were in the 1970s and 1980s. But, the biggest thing was that at a lot of the venues, all of the seats weren't up for grabs. We talked about this during the tour. If you looked at each venue, you could see which seats were available for each upcoming concert/event, and the number of seats up for grabs was different for each artist. I don't know how that is determined, but, in Charlotte, for example, 3/4 of the upper deck wasn't even available to choose from. So, you can't say that the venue has 25,000 seats and they only sold 12,000, so it's a lousy performance, if, in fact, only 12,000 seats were up for grabs to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbirdsong Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I did not go because I hated the set list and the prices were to high. I am sure I am not the only one. Also Geddy said something that really bugged me the other day on an interview. He was talking about the A-B set lists and saying how it's good for them so fans will go to more than one show. I know this is a business and a big one for Rush, but come on Geddy that's some BIG MONEY to not play songs on one date just to bait the fanatic into spending more money. I know you guys are going to kill me on this, but is there any part of your fandom that can see how bogus this is? Oh poor, poor pitiful you. That Geddy, if only he lived in the US so our fearless leader could go after his profits. How dare he make money. He doesn't love you at all does he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eshine Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I would venture to say that the Rush machine had a rather good year and are very pleased with these numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eshine Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 ... but is there any part of your fandom that can see how bogus this is? No. and noone really cares if you skipped this tour, dude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
default236 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 The Vegas show definately looked under capacity, compared to last years show. Nonetheless, the crowd was rockin!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HalfwayToGone Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I'll add to my earlier post (in light of some astute comments after) that any band on tour wants to sell out every show, and if they can fill more seats by getting people to come back for multiple shows, that is just good planning. A band finding ways of motivating people to come to more shows is what they need to do to be a great band with longevity. The Grateful Dead made their entire career on that approach, and Clutch is also well known for having a different band member write the setlist every night of the tour, so it's never the same show twice. It keeps things fresh, and fans not knowing exactly what to expect, it heightens the anticipation and excitement as the show proceeds. It's actually the exact opposite of "bogus." It sucks if you hit a show where they don't play a single song you like, but if that's your problem then maybe you don't understand that bands usually like to write and play new material once in a while, instead of playing the same songs so many times that they start hating playing them. It gets stale and boring, and the emotion is sucked right out of the performance. Most bands can't last more than a few tours and albums, because they get so sick of either the music they have to keep playing over and over, or the people they have to live with on the road for months at a time while playing songs they are sick of playing. It's a cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason—variety is the spice of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tullfan Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I did not go because I hated the set list and the prices were to high. I am sure I am not the only one. Also Geddy said something that really bugged me the other day on an interview. He was talking about the A-B set lists and saying how it's good for them so fans will go to more than one show. I know this is a business and a big one for Rush, but come on Geddy that's some BIG MONEY to not play songs on one date just to bait the fanatic into spending more money. I know you guys are going to kill me on this, but is there any part of your fandom that can see how bogus this is? Oh poor, poor pitiful you. That Geddy, if only he lived in the US so our fearless leader could go after his profits. How dare he make money. He doesn't love you at all does he? LOL. You don't have to get so emotional about it. But I bet the Rush accountants cared that I know besides myself 5 other Rush fans who did not go for the same reasons. That makes 6. Times that by whatever the numbers of disappointed fans and that adds up. Let's face it, Rush sells a want, not a need, so I have no problem with them charging between $120.00 - $300.00 or more for two seats. If people are willing to pay it who am I to say they should not do it. More power to them. I still think the A-B list is kind of bogus. So there. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder Bay Rush Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Other than the handful of the world's biggest bands, like the Stones, McCartney, U2, Bon Jovi, etc, sell out most or all of their shows these days. I'm very impressed that Rush can still (after 40 years) bring 8,000 - 12,000 to see a show. Let's not forget about places like Brazil... 40,000 - 60,000 per show. Who gives a shit if the show is sold out or not? I remember back in the late 70s and early 80s, Rush would sell out thee nights in a row in 15,000 seat venues like MS Garden in NYC, Chicago Stadium, Boston Gardens and The Forum in LA. They also used to sell out three nights at Maple Gardens in Toronto, where I used to see them. But, these are different times and if people must decide between paying their mortage or going to see a rock concert, the decision would be an easy one, at least for normal people. I'm just glad (and relieved) that my favourite band is still playing. If they booked a tour into 2,500 seat theatres, I'd the first in line to buy my seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bathory Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 not even sure how this thread is multiple pages! rush is a big band doing big shows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbirdsong Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I did not go because I hated the set list and the prices were to high. I am sure I am not the only one. Also Geddy said something that really bugged me the other day on an interview. He was talking about the A-B set lists and saying how it's good for them so fans will go to more than one show. I know this is a business and a big one for Rush, but come on Geddy that's some BIG MONEY to not play songs on one date just to bait the fanatic into spending more money. I know you guys are going to kill me on this, but is there any part of your fandom that can see how bogus this is? Oh poor, poor pitiful you. That Geddy, if only he lived in the US so our fearless leader could go after his profits. How dare he make money. He doesn't love you at all does he? LOL. You don't have to get so emotional about it. But I bet the Rush accountants cared that I know besides myself 5 other Rush fans who did not go for the same reasons. That makes 6. Times that by whatever the numbers of disappointed fans and that adds up. Let's face it, Rush sells a want, not a need, so I have no problem with them charging between $120.00 - $300.00 or more for two seats. If people are willing to pay it who am I to say they should not do it. More power to them. I still think the A-B list is kind of bogus. So there. :P Sorry, I was being mean for no reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushfanforever! Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Humm, Indy looked pretty packed to me; they must have curtained off the upper level to make it look full. Chicago was almost full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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