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If you think paying $100 - $150 for a rock concert is too much...


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I often hear people complain about the price of rock concerts these days. Not just Rush, but many bands. I heard that U2 was charging $300 for basic seats last year for the 360 Tour. And, Paul McCartney shows go for about $400 - $600 in some venues.

 

Here's a way to make yourself feel a bit better about shelling out more than $100 for Rush or your other favourite bands. First, realize the enormous costs of keeping such a huge show on the road for months at a time. I honestly don't know how they can do it for the prices that they charge... just imagine what Rush's payroll is per DAY (whether it's a show day or not) for their crew. Everyone must be fed (local caterers?) each day... they need a place to sleep, sometimes on a bus, sometimes in a hotel room. Those tour buses must cost a fortune to lease per day. Then, the drivers must be paid... fuel, trucks, security, on and on. That's not even mentioning what is would cost to rent the sound and lighting system... WOW! Don't forget the venue takes a huge chunk of the gate receipts... so does the promotor, agents... managers.

 

Now compare these prices to that of big name stand up comics, such as Larry, the Cable Guy, Chris Rock, Dane Cook, Russell Peters and Jeff Dunham. These guys often charge $80 - $100 a seat. BUT - they don't have a huge stage show, a crew of 40 people, six buses and trucks and food to pay for. They cruise into town with one (1) micophone (I'm exaggerating to make my point), no road crew and no buses or trucks. Very little production other than what is already present in the venue. Dane Cook sold out the hockey arena in Boston... 18,000 people. VERY little expenses to cover.

 

I remember twenty years being dragged into the Pantages Theatre in Toronto to see the Phantom of the Opera. The seats were $120 each. 20 years ago... and they didn't have to tear down, travel to the next city and set up all over again. The place was packed.

 

So, based on my assumptions, who is over charging for their live shows? I don't think Rush is. Or, U2, or the Stones or, or, or...

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Ground zero for this "overcharging" was when the Eagles reunited and got a lot of flack for charging more than $100 a seat. The tour was a smash in spite of what some believed it would be and the rest is history(rumors were Don Henley himself cleared $30 million on that tour).

Some of this breaks down into what overcharging really is. It doesn't mean the same to every one. My wife knows someone who collects antiques and where we see a beat, up ugly sofa, they see something worth $1000. I believe if something is worth it to you, as I feel RUSH is to me, then who cares what you pay.

But what makes me boil is the obvious greed we see from ticket agencies and venues. Fees being collected for no real reason except free money? Parking rates different per who is appearing at the venue? That is the problem I have. Companies have found a way to enact economic terrorism on us and laugh at us while screwing us. That is my gripe with pricing these days. I haven't felt ripped off by RUSH, just all the "external" entities around them.

Edited by jjgittes
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Ground zero for this "overcharging" was when the Eagles reunited and got a lot of flack for charging more than $100 a seat. The tour was a smash in spite of what some believed it would be and the rest is history(rumors were Don Henley himself cleared $30 million on that tour).

Some of this breaks down into what overcharging really is. It doesn't mean the same to every one. My wife knows someone who collects antiques and where we see a beat, up ugly sofa, they see something worth $1000. I believe if something is worth it to you, as I feel RUSH is to me, then who cares what you pay.

But what makes me boil is the obvious greed we see from ticket agencies and venues. Fees being collected for no real reason except free money? Parking rates different per who is appearing at the venue? That is the problem I have. Companies have found a way to enact economic terrorism on us and laugh at us while screwing us. That is my gripe with pricing these days. I haven't felt ripped off by RUSH, just all the "external" entities around them.

 

 

 

YES, good point. It's often the $5 here and $10 there that pisses people off. "Handling Fee" is another term for "free easy money for doing sweet f - all." I once paid $40 for parking to see Rush in Minneapolis. Had I known, I would taken a cab from my hotel. Assholes...

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You forgot about the teamsters. They take a bunch of cash too for basically making things move as slowly as possible during load in set-up and load out.

 

What people also forget is that there's almost no money from music sales anymore. Too many people pirate these days. All the money for the artist comes from touring, merch and royalties from licensing music to tv, movies, games, etc. So ticket and merch prices go up to make up for the big fat nothing (maybe even substantial losses) from music sales.

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I used to go to concerts all the time in the eighties as a teen cause it was affordable. I used to mostly go to the small clubs and see bands before they reached arena stage. My regular club was The Stone on Broadway San Francisco. I remember paying between 10 and 20 bucks for most shows. I saw mostly metal there bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Ratt, Slayer, etc. When I did go to large shows I don't think I spent more than thirty dollars for a ticket.

 

I think that for the best bands the ticket prices are worth it. It's only sad that young people can't see big shows that fit into the budget the way I was able to when I was young. I didn't make much money then (lol still don't really) but was able to go and see bands like Iron Maiden, Rush, Dio, Day on the Green 1985.

 

http://images.wolfgangsvault.com/scorpions/poster/memorabilia/OCS850831-PO.jpg

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I often hear people complain about the price of rock concerts these days. Not just Rush, but many bands. I heard that U2 was charging $300 for basic seats last year for the 360 Tour. And, Paul McCartney shows go for about $400 - $600 in some venues.

 

Here's a way to make yourself feel a bit better about shelling out more than $100 for Rush or your other favourite bands. First, realize the enormous costs of keeping such a huge show on the road for months at a time. I honestly don't know how they can do it for the prices that they charge... just imagine what Rush's payroll is per DAY (whether it's a show day or not) for their crew. Everyone must be fed (local caterers?) each day... they need a place to sleep, sometimes on a bus, sometimes in a hotel room. Those tour buses must cost a fortune to lease per day. Then, the drivers must be paid... fuel, trucks, security, on and on. That's not even mentioning what is would cost to rent the sound and lighting system... WOW! Don't forget the venue takes a huge chunk of the gate receipts... so does the promotor, agents... managers.

 

Now compare these prices to that of big name stand up comics, such as Larry, the Cable Guy, Chris Rock, Dane Cook, Russell Peters and Jeff Dunham. These guys often charge $80 - $100 a seat. BUT - they don't have a huge stage show, a crew of 40 people, six buses and trucks and food to pay for. They cruise into town with one (1) micophone (I'm exaggerating to make my point), no road crew and no buses or trucks. Very little production other than what is already present in the venue. Dane Cook sold out the hockey arena in Boston... 18,000 people. VERY little expenses to cover.

 

I remember twenty years being dragged into the Pantages Theatre in Toronto to see the Phantom of the Opera. The seats were $120 each. 20 years ago... and they didn't have to tear down, travel to the next city and set up all over again. The place was packed.

 

So, based on my assumptions, who is over charging for their live shows? I don't think Rush is. Or, U2, or the Stones or, or, or...

Yeah, we talked about this yesterday. http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?/topic/79984-clockwork-angels-tour-attendance-figures/page__st__20
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Ground zero for this "overcharging" was when the Eagles reunited and got a lot of flack for charging more than $100 a seat. The tour was a smash in spite of what some believed it would be and the rest is history(rumors were Don Henley himself cleared $30 million on that tour).

Some of this breaks down into what overcharging really is. It doesn't mean the same to every one. My wife knows someone who collects antiques and where we see a beat, up ugly sofa, they see something worth $1000. I believe if something is worth it to you, as I feel RUSH is to me, then who cares what you pay.

But what makes me boil is the obvious greed we see from ticket agencies and venues. Fees being collected for no real reason except free money? Parking rates different per who is appearing at the venue? That is the problem I have. Companies have found a way to enact economic terrorism on us and laugh at us while screwing us. That is my gripe with pricing these days. I haven't felt ripped off by RUSH, just all the "external" entities around them.

 

 

 

YES, good point. It's often the $5 here and $10 there that pisses people off. "Handling Fee" is another term for "free easy money for doing sweet f - all." I once paid $40 for parking to see Rush in Minneapolis. Had I known, I would taken a cab from my hotel. Assholes...

 

Agreed. "$10 convenience fee" NO. It's cheaper to run the website than it is to pay a bunch of guys at the stadium to sell tickets for days AND to top it off you can reach people from anywhere on the planet, so a guy who wants to see the show from the other side of the planet can buy the ticket and make travel plans later.

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The price of a RUSH ticket is worth it. The group you LOVE :drool: (or your shouldnt be there) and they play for 3 hours!

 

The Maine comedian " Bob Marley" charges under 50 bucks ! He puts on a really funny act ! :laughing guy:

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I often hear people complain about the price of rock concerts these days. Not just Rush, but many bands. I heard that U2 was charging $300 for basic seats last year for the 360 Tour. And, Paul McCartney shows go for about $400 - $600 in some venues.

 

Here's a way to make yourself feel a bit better about shelling out more than $100 for Rush or your other favourite bands. First, realize the enormous costs of keeping such a huge show on the road for months at a time. I honestly don't know how they can do it for the prices that they charge... just imagine what Rush's payroll is per DAY (whether it's a show day or not) for their crew. Everyone must be fed (local caterers?) each day... they need a place to sleep, sometimes on a bus, sometimes in a hotel room. Those tour buses must cost a fortune to lease per day. Then, the drivers must be paid... fuel, trucks, security, on and on. That's not even mentioning what is would cost to rent the sound and lighting system... WOW! Don't forget the venue takes a huge chunk of the gate receipts... so does the promotor, agents... managers.

 

Now compare these prices to that of big name stand up comics, such as Larry, the Cable Guy, Chris Rock, Dane Cook, Russell Peters and Jeff Dunham. These guys often charge $80 - $100 a seat. BUT - they don't have a huge stage show, a crew of 40 people, six buses and trucks and food to pay for. They cruise into town with one (1) micophone (I'm exaggerating to make my point), no road crew and no buses or trucks. Very little production other than what is already present in the venue. Dane Cook sold out the hockey arena in Boston... 18,000 people. VERY little expenses to cover.

 

I remember twenty years being dragged into the Pantages Theatre in Toronto to see the Phantom of the Opera. The seats were $120 each. 20 years ago... and they didn't have to tear down, travel to the next city and set up all over again. The place was packed.

 

So, based on my assumptions, who is over charging for their live shows? I don't think Rush is. Or, U2, or the Stones or, or, or...

I often hear people complain about the price of rock concerts these days. Not just Rush, but many bands. I heard that U2 was charging $300 for basic seats last year for the 360 Tour. And, Paul McCartney shows go for about $400 - $600 in some venues.

 

Here's a way to make yourself feel a bit better about shelling out more than $100 for Rush or your other favourite bands. First, realize the enormous costs of keeping such a huge show on the road for months at a time. I honestly don't know how they can do it for the prices that they charge... just imagine what Rush's payroll is per DAY (whether it's a show day or not) for their crew. Everyone must be fed (local caterers?) each day... they need a place to sleep, sometimes on a bus, sometimes in a hotel room. Those tour buses must cost a fortune to lease per day. Then, the drivers must be paid... fuel, trucks, security, on and on. That's not even mentioning what is would cost to rent the sound and lighting system... WOW! Don't forget the venue takes a huge chunk of the gate receipts... so does the promotor, agents... managers.

 

Now compare these prices to that of big name stand up comics, such as Larry, the Cable Guy, Chris Rock, Dane Cook, Russell Peters and Jeff Dunham. These guys often charge $80 - $100 a seat. BUT - they don't have a huge stage show, a crew of 40 people, six buses and trucks and food to pay for. They cruise into town with one (1) micophone (I'm exaggerating to make my point), no road crew and no buses or trucks. Very little production other than what is already present in the venue. Dane Cook sold out the hockey arena in Boston... 18,000 people. VERY little expenses to cover.

 

I remember twenty years being dragged into the Pantages Theatre in Toronto to see the Phantom of the Opera. The seats were $120 each. 20 years ago... and they didn't have to tear down, travel to the next city and set up all over again. The place was packed.

 

So, based on my assumptions, who is over charging for their live shows? I don't think Rush is. Or, U2, or the Stones or, or, or...

 

Well that's why I don't go to Comedy concerts.

 

:outtahere:

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I went to see Ron James, a popular comedian up here in Canada. I think the tickets were $55 or so... I have to say it was well worth it. He was so funny I nearly peed my pants... (Actually, I think a little bit of pee actually did come out at one point.)

 

You're welcome....

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Ground zero for this "overcharging" was when the Eagles reunited and got a lot of flack for charging more than $100 a seat. The tour was a smash in spite of what some believed it would be and the rest is history(rumors were Don Henley himself cleared $30 million on that tour).

Some of this breaks down into what overcharging really is. It doesn't mean the same to every one. My wife knows someone who collects antiques and where we see a beat, up ugly sofa, they see something worth $1000. I believe if something is worth it to you, as I feel RUSH is to me, then who cares what you pay.

But what makes me boil is the obvious greed we see from ticket agencies and venues. Fees being collected for no real reason except free money? Parking rates different per who is appearing at the venue? That is the problem I have. Companies have found a way to enact economic terrorism on us and laugh at us while screwing us. That is my gripe with pricing these days. I haven't felt ripped off by RUSH, just all the "external" entities around them.

This is incorrect. Ground zero for the insane hike in concert prices in the early 90s was Barbara Streisand. Tickets went from the 25-30 dollar range to 75-90 overnight after she was the first to hit that level. The Eagles followed very shortly thereafter and no doubt those prices and the subsequent profit was a huge reason (if not the only one) "hell froze over". But do not blame them for starting it. Feel free to blame them for being very fukking greedy cuz they are. But blame goes to that bitch Streisand. BTW, her most recent live shows were through the roof too. I don't remember exactly but I think I read top seats were in the $600 range.

Also, aren't Broadway shows really pricey too?

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Also, aren't Broadway shows really pricey too?

 

Broadway shows were cheap when I went to NYC three years ago, saw Wicked for under $40 although it was in the back row. Your sig pic is awesome at Rush Road, I don't know how many times I have driven by that but I was lazy and just took a pic of the sign from the car.

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Personally, I think a lot of the prices started going way up when scalping became more or less legal! The bands were figuring that if people were willing to pay THAT MUCH for a ticket, and they weren't making that much, so they decided they wanted a piece of the pie!
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And to think that we used to pay $7.50 for a prime seat at the Filmore East - $5.00 if you wanted to sit in the balcony. :)

According to this inflation calculator, that $7.50 in 1970 is about $45 today: still low, but not as low as it may seem. :huh:

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And to think that we used to pay $7.50 for a prime seat at the Filmore East - $5.00 if you wanted to sit in the balcony. :)

According to thisinflation calculator, that $7.50 in 1970 is about $45 today: still low, but not as low as it may seem. :huh:

 

Tommy, thanks for that info. I would have thought it would be more than $45 today.

 

Can you do a reverse one? Can you find out what an average Rush ticket today would have been worth in 1970?

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I remember seeing my very first concert, April Wine for $5.25 in '74 and in 75 Kiss was $6.50. WOW! I can't buy a goddam decent hamburger for that much these days!

 

But then again, minimum wage in Ontario was $2.10 an hour, chocolate bars were a dime and can o' pop was .15 cents. Bread was a quarter... and the "Export A" cigarettes my mom used to send me to the store (when i was 5) for were .65 cents. Oh, and gas - .39 a gallon. Those were the days!

 

I think for Rush in 1976 I paid abot $6.00 or $7.00??? It was at the Ottawa Civic Centre. I guess that makes me old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I must go now because my Depends are full of shit and need changing...

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99% of these forums lament how Rush is at the sunset of their careers and question how much longer Rush will tour and hoping that they'll be able to just go to one more show, and then we get these threads whining about ticket prices. Maybe Rush should just quit now and save everyone their precious Dollars and Euros that will be so damned valuable when they take them to the grave. I'll bet the same people, on here, whining about ticket prices, are driving H3 Hummers, or F350 Diesel trucks, that get about 15 mph, with fuel about to go back up to $4, per gallon.
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Bands who charge $100 or more already are mega multi millionaire superstars who have more money than they'll ever know what to do with and are just greedy. I'm actually glad the shows didn't do as well last year for Rush. It shows that the fans will only take so much as far as high ticket prices go.
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I'll bet the same people, on here, whining about ticket prices, are driving H3 Hummers, or F350 Diesel trucks, that get about 15 mph, with fuel about to go back up to $4, per gallon.

 

In case you were referring to me, my car is 23 years old and I can only put about two gallons of gas in a week. These are hard times for us.

 

In order for me to ever see Rush in concert, I would either have to hit the Lottery, receive a vast inheritance from a wealthy relative, or be given a ticket as a gift (or win one in a contest).

 

The only reason I brought up the price of concert tickets in 1969 (the year I went to my first concert) is to contrast the difference in prices back then to today.

 

If I had the money, I wouldn't hesitate paying top dollar to sit in the first row.

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