What’s Causing So Many Big Tours to Flop?

[@YouRebelChief]

When you have to pay +$200 for ticket and +$100 for parking and +$20 for a beer! Something was going to have to give!

[@TylerJohnstonGuitar]

And then they wonder why their 65 dollar t shirts aren’t selling.

[@vyrus24]

100$ for parking!?! Where??

[@BassBored]

@@TylerJohnstonGuitar Was at an attila concert recently and Fronz asked how many people bought shirts. Only like 5 people raised their hands in the venue.

[@thesmokingsection2056]

Right! Paid $400 for 2 tickets to jelly roll last year this year went to get tickets and same style seats they wanted 3 times that this time

[@andrewmachado6988]

@@TylerJohnstonGuitar Yeah man, it’s insane what they’re charging for a shirt these days at shows. In Canada it’s anywhere from $55-$65 for a shirt, $100 for a hoodie. It’s nuts.

[@6XXBANSHEEXX8]

Lemme try to save ya'll 7 mins and 48 secs. GREED. They're charging astronomically high prices as if everyone is rich, and fans are done with it.

[@flyinpolack6633]

Yep!

[@thelivingboris]

100% While rent,food,utility services are skyrocketing entertainment companies feels its ok to also skyrocket their prices.

[@mikedavis1476]

Thanks dude this is what I was looking for 🤘

[@AugieRockero]

Prices had already been ridiculous for the past 20 years, especially with Ticketmaster's monopoly. We stopped going to big shows anymore just like we ended going to Disney World, and it looks like the rest of the populace is finally smartening up too. This is how you force them to bring down prices.

[@davehughesfarm7983]

plus Bidenomics and the music blows.

[@johnnyzoom7andthenoisekeep514]

Over priced tickets with high fees, cell phones in our faces, $12 beer, $30 parking and having to deal with people that do not know how to act in public after a pandemic, combined with "are these people even actually playing and singing or is it all backing tracks". No idea why people are staying home.

[@Spring_Forward_Fall_Back]

I saw the Stones in 1997 and found out later that none of them played their instruments and Mick was lip-syncing. Haven't been to a concert since.

[@johnnypk1963]

$12 beers and $30 parking r cheap comparatively. And it’s not just concerts it’s sporting events too. Prices r absolutely out of control and a market reset will invariably happen

[@johnnypk1963]

@@Spring_Forward_Fall_Backwhat’s your evidence of that happening? Nobody was doing that in ‘97 especially the Stones

[@lordcarl4584]

Bro Milli Vanilli was lip singing in 1989-90...musicians fake it all the time!

[@johnnypk1963]

@@lordcarl4584 they didn’t sing on the actual recording so of course they wouldn’t sing live. Totally different scenario

[@georgehernandez2156]

Live Nation is greedy as hell

[@Decimusblack88]

July 1st no more ticket fees in california! New law

[@flyinpolack6633]

@@Decimusblack88 They will just add another tax...

[@AugieRockero]

I would be too with a population willing to pay their entire life savings for a show

[@EnvisionedBlindness]

Im a new employee in their industry and I can confirm that they are unanimously hated by booking agencies

[@GNewcomb-q9v]

Of course they are! What this industry guy for rock feed failed to mention is that it’s only Live Nation bands & acts that are canceling! All non Live Nation bands are touring great without canceling!

[@mikemarkowski7609]

A more complete answer - Bands used to make money by selling records, or CD's, and would tour to promote them. Now there is no money to be made by simply creating and releasing music. The only revenue available is touring and merch. The industry is eating itself. They embraced the digital age and are now paying the price, literally!

[@ignskeletons]

makes one wonder what happens when that last profit avenue (touring) isn't even profitable, what happens then?

[@KushDaddy333]

Amen! Video killed the radiostar. Bring back analog recording!

[@mikemarkowski7609]

@@ignskeletons AI and avatars!

[@brianomoli4]

The digital age is here. There is no putting that genie back in the bottle. The bands have to tell record labels to suck it. They used to serve a purpose. Now they are just in the way taking too much money for themselves.

[@supernaught1963]

Not really. Bands in the 70's and 80's got 10%-20% of their album/cd sales; before costs. That's why they had to hit the road to support their album. That's where they actually made their money.

[@WRCzATL]

Arena shows are expensive, and generally suck. I'm not paying hundreds of dollars to see a band on giant TV screens. Hard pass!

[@karenhunter8095]

Exactly!!

[@flobrez2470]

I agree. Also you don’t know if they’re really singing or playing live or is it a backtrack. Plus everybody’s got their phones out obstructing my view. Attending concerts is not as fun as it used to be.

[@DougCunnington]

Yeah! It’s way too expensive and I’m too old to stay out late.

[@dennism7532]

When they are asking hundreds to see bands that have 0 or 1 original members, nah. I can live without it.

[@davidhogansrevenge4604]

Exactly! They are expecting premium ticket prices for what is essentially a cover band. Foreigner is an excellent example of this.

[@fgoulartadvogados]

That is way Im old and only attend to underground 10 bucks 2hs shows, to see new bands and support the new kids

[@bartsullivan4866]

That and even mid level bands are asking for way to much for tickets that should be 1/3rd the price they are asking.

[@909One92]

Or paying $1K to see Don Henley mime

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

@@909One92 That's a big part of it too!

[@stonecold3697]

Blame Ticketmaster and Live Nation for ruining ticket prices with BS fees

[@lsmola]

And progressive rise if the ticket price...pure extortion

[@lakenneth374]

President Joe Biden recently announced that ticket sales giants Ticketmaster and Live Nation have pledged to provide consumers with full pricing upfront, ending surprise fees at checkout during online purchases. So, it’s a step toward more transparent pricing for concert attendees!

[@lsmola]

@@lakenneth374 He probably forgot about that three minutes later

[@alfgwahigain5544]

​@@lsmola What's the point? Corporate greed isn't going anywhere.

[@lsmola]

@@alfgwahigain5544 Well at some point people will stop going, bigger inflation is right behind the corner. I already know lots of folks that cant/dont want to go to concerts. You can only milk the cow for so long if you know what i mean.

[@DotM68]

You don’t see a band at a gig, just a sea of phones. It’s killing the experience of live music interaction.

[@lookmanostrings]

false.

[@KittyGrizGriz]

Not at the show I just attended, Tedeschi Trucks w/ Joe Purdy.

[@johnathangoldblatt2931]

Because tickets are too expensive. If the monopolies don’t get broken up live music is gonna price itself out of existence.

[@livewithmeterandnomeasureb1679]

Yaaay for small venue artists I guess.

[@jeffcarter3821]

Has nothing at all to do with AXS or Ticketmaster or Seat Geek or whoever the primary distribution is done by. Artists set the prices, and they're way too high.

[@johnporter9073]

@@jeffcarter3821 artists likely do that because no one makes money off album sales anymore. Probably greedy management has something to do with it as well. Management always wants a big cut of money I'm sure.

[@satyadasgumbyji8956]

You can thank computers/Napster/free music! Concert tours were only to promote a record NOBODY HAD TO BUY!!! & often tickets were cheaper than the album. Watch Fast Times At Ridgemont High. The kids are ready to bounce when scalper charges TWENTY DOLLARS to see Van Halen IN THE FIRST 10 ROWS, the biggest rock band in the world at the time! So, enjoy Generation Computer! 🤗❤️ SMGDMFH🙄 🤘🌎❤️

[@CordScott]

@@jeffcarter3821 The fees are too high.

[@tcin10asee2]

Reasons I no longer attend concerts. 1. I'm too old. 2. It's too expensive.

[@aurora6920]

I think a lot of rock concert goers are mostly millennials or older any way, meaning we have more responsibility then we did as teenagers/young adults (like paying for a mortgage) so it's not like we can go to lots of big concerts any more. Plus they charge a ridiculous amount of money then before.

[@mkp3824]

The last show I went to was in 2005. It was Motley Crue. The whole time, I was like, "Yeah, almost 40. Concerts are for your twenties." It wasn't fun at all. I'm 56 now. If someone my age is still going to shows and jumping around like they're 25, something is wrong. I remember when I was 25, Grace Slick said the same thing. I see why.

[@aurora6920]

​@@mkp3824 i'm sure I would still enjoy live music when i'm older (in my 30s currently) but i am more tired out now, especially with kids, so less motivation and exhausted, so i completely get that too. But i hope i can still enjoys things like I did when i was 25 😅

[@mkp3824]

@aurora6920 it's just not the same as you get older. I was 37 when I saw that last Crue show. I just sat there, kinda chilling out. I was away from my friends. I don't drink, so it wasn't like when I was in my 20's, drinking and getting loose. It was a good show. But it just wasn't like the same as it was. I remember seeing Motley Crue ten years earlier, in 96, thinking how the crowd got old. Going to a show at my age, unless it was something like ELO, or the Stones, etc, just doesn't seem the same.

[@aurora6920]

@@mkp3824 I see, aw that's sad to know. I don't drink anyway during concerts, but yeah i will probably have no energy at that age, as i don't have much energy now due to having a toddler, i am going to a concert in few weeks and i'm nervous about to be honest! Want to be at the front, but too tired to stand all day haha

[@jaredmotopnw]

What Robert Smith (of The Cure) did was brilliant. He didn’t allow resellers to sell tix to see him (unless it was for the regular price of a ticket). Meaning, no mark up. More bands should follow. All I know, is that most of the ticket sales aren’t going to the artists.

[@David-tc6rg]

Got to see the Cure last year one of the best shows I’ve seen in the last 10 years I didn’t have to dip into savings and put money away for 6 months to go. I left that night thinking what is going on with all these other bands that they can’t see the disappointment of spending $2000 to see one of your favorite bands and you feel like they just ripped you off. Makes me not want to support them anymore. Just made me a bigger fan of the Cure and 100% go see them again and now my daughter is a huge fan because we could afford to take her and have that experience of seeing a amazing band.

[@alfgwahigain5544]

Ages ago I saw Fugazi at the Palladium in LA for $6 at a time when other shows there were several times that price.

[@neerajbenjamin1919]

Robert Smith is cool...

[@David-tc6rg]

@@alfgwahigain5544 some of the best shows I’ve been to have been under $30 a ticket

[@luigivincenz3843]

Yup. I saw them in L.A. Been a Cure fan since the 80's. What he did should be the template.

[@thedeadmanfan09]

$50-200 for tickets (depending on venue size, festival show, etc) $100-200 for VIP experience $20-100 for parking $15-25 for a beer/watered-down drink Absurdly overpriced food(for example, $18 for 2 plain polish sausages with no option for toppings is criminal) and $45 for a tshirt. Not to mention if you have hours of travel, gas and hotel. Im really selective on my concerts these days.

[@Penelopesyoutube]

I never paid to meet any bands or have " VIP " . Guess I was the real MVP 😂. The fun was waiting after the show & getting to hang out.

[@thedeadmanfan09]

@@Penelopesyoutube the first few concerts I went to (Nonpoint, The Veer Union, Adelitas Way, Ra) they didn't have VIP/meet n greet but I was still able to meet and take pics with them at the merch booths after they played. These were also small bars with stages and not arenas. But as the bands get bigger, you gotta pay for their time, there's almost no chance of meeting the band at the merch booth. But that part I don't mind, as a rock bands VIP is a couple hundred at most, vs Chris Brown literally charging people $1111 to meet and take a pic with them

[@Penelopesyoutube]

@@thedeadmanfan09 I met the biggest bands of the 80s , hung out back stage & never paid a dime. $20 ticket , memories of a lifetime. You guys missed out . Was completely organic. Much more fun

[@thedeadmanfan09]

@Penelopesyoutube man that must have been amazing. Times have changed. I was born in 96 and didn't get into rock until like 2008. I was lateeeee to the party. I just started making enough money to be able to travel for concerts a few years ago, so I can imagine what I missed over the decades

[@mxcope]

Ditto all of that.

[@Gummibri]

Dynamic pricing literally turned me off to going to shows unless they're small venues.

[@XOChristianaNicole]

Nah. Small venues aren’t like they use to be, either. I saw Electric Callboy at Ace of Spades in Sac, and I paid $140 through Seat Geek ($100 for the ticket; $40 in fees). And guess who owns Ace of Spades - what looks like a small, locally-owned venue? Live Nation.

[@wind-inmy-face7949]

Aerosmith used dynamic pricing from what I understand. Last tour, I get it. But sorry, $450 for a cheap seat? Nahhhh, I’ll take a hard pass on that.

[@officialWWM]

It’s pretty simple. Ticket costs are through the roof! $300 or $400+ for a concert ticket is ridiculous. The cost of living is going through the roof, there’s less disposable income than ever and promoters and acts are getting more and more greedy! $100+ for a t shirt at the show, 10 bucks for a beer…it’s ridiculous. I’d rather go to the pub and watch some new band with fresh ideas…

[@markjacobsen8335]

Big reason I don't go to concerts any more. Maybe one per year. It's no longer worth it.

[@twentyoneplusvideo0472]

You are so right! 100%. I will see a smaller/newish band in a less than 3000 seat/person venue for $50 or less. Then I have no problem spending $25 on a shirt. I feel like my money is actually getting to the band.

[@GaryDelabate]

Ticket prices are too high, all of the good bands are dying off, vendors gouge you for food and drink, just fkn sucks.

[@suddenswarm5944]

agree, disagree, agree and agree

[@robertescobar7781]

Ticketmaster. I’m not paying 170 to see a punk rock band and sit in the back. Ridiculous

[@l.salisbury1253]

"Ha! You think it's funny: Turning rebellion into money!" -the Clash '78

[@henrymanzano2201]

Exactly! It's the antithesis of what Punk stands for

[@willie714]

I wouldnt pay 10 bucks to see punk rock and sit in the front

[@residentpotato6023]

Willie174 we know that, you spend all your money loitering at Chucky Cheese.

[@FinalFantasy84Ever]

Starting to think Ticketmaster, Stub-Hub, and Live Nation are all secretly in cahoots.

[@northstar7501]

Miss the feel good days of the late 70’s and 80’s and will cherish the concerts and the good times. Prices were affordable and no cell phone BS.

[@unclebuck5051]

The late 70’s era was the Golden Age of live shows. Zeppelin, Tull, Alice Cooper, etc. Real music, no BS.

[@spiritualhammer392]

@@unclebuck5051 KISS

[@Wizzz28]

it used to be £3 to see The Who! I'd still love to see them again But I'm not willing to pay hundreds of pounds

[@PhantomMagician1846]

and there was a point in the concert where everybody help up a lighter. a very cool point of the show

[@sarahdell4042]

Tool is very strict about no cell phones. Best concert I’ve been to in 15+ years. That was a major factor

[@dillonshropshire2429]

Simple answer the amount of shows I’d like to go see vs the amount of money I’m able to spend these days..

[@PaleVillian]

Nobody has any money to go to concerts. We are more concerned about keeping food on the table and roofs over our family’s head.

[@cmiller6352]

Did you watch the video? Over 100 million tickets have been sold this year.

[@TheNinjaPicker]

Come on now, the dollar only lost 20% of its value in the last 3 years.

[@cmiller6352]

@@TheNinjaPicker Annnnnnd, over 100 million tickets have been sold this year. 🤔

[@bettyyu-h5q]

very true....i have 5 kids and the price of a ticket with my wife can pay for a lot sneakers, t-shirts and food...lol

[@hizzlemobizzle]

I go to concerts I just won't pay 400 bucks for a ticket.

[@charlenemack7040]

I have only been to two concerts in my lifetime. One of them was the Rolling Stones. I was 14 years old tickets were $2.50 and $3.50. Everybody in the stadium was seated I went where the guy was taking tickets and nobody was around but the two of us and he said… would you like to go in and I said yes and he said go ahead. So I got in for free. I’m 72 years old right now. 😊

[@charlenemack7040]

I thought I would add the following the very first album I bought was the Beatles. I’m pretty sure it was called meet the Beatles it cost me $3.57 plus tax I know exactly because I keep the cellophane wrappers on my albums and there’s the price $3.57.😊

[@loiswells3062]

@@charlenemack7040 I remember those days. My parents bought a beautiful new 3 bedroom home for $14,000. You can't compare prices.

[@stewarta5993]

happy birthday and many more. we used to hitchhike to Boston garden and if you waited 20 minutes after the opening they would let you in free a lot of times. 71 here

[@ScottDreyfus]

Tickets are high as hell and the middle class is broke. I’m 42 I don’t have a 4 day festival for 500$+ left in me. Boomers are retiring millennials are getting old, and gen z is broke and doesn’t listen to music anymore.

[@D-Fens_1632]

Now that I'm in my 40s I think about all the older people I met when I was going to weekend campout festivals in my 20s. Who were these people who enjoyed doing this in their 50's?

[@jefflanham1080]

I’m in my mid 50’s and have watched them drain the magic from the industry. You hit the nail on the head and underneath that head is a nail filled with hundreds of reasons nobody cares anymore…..especially about rock. Sad because I remember when the magic was so powerful that it started in the traffic jam! I watched it all collapse in slow motion from the inside of the business and one event that started it (among many) was the death of the mighty BILL GRAHAM in 1991, especially for touring live shows. He invented it and when the huge corporations sucked up BGP along with radio (record companies had already succumbed)…..EVERYTHING started to change and ticket prices and the way you bought tix got ridiculous! Mix everything in with a younger generation that in truth REALLY DOESN’T CARE ABOUT MUSIC (or much else of reality) along with your important points…….

[@jefflanham1080]

….cont’d: as far as venue size, we used to have theaters everywhere! Beautiful and incredible places to see an act. Now, those are all but extinct. Sheds with package tours still work but then there are $$$$problems on both sides of the equation. 25 years ago touring was expensive, now it’s in the stratosphere. Also for good measure, the internet, social media helped kill the magic because it’s too easy to over expose an act. The great managers back in the day knew this with tv. The Col. Famously stopped letting ELVIS on any shows after those early few. Peter Grant and Zeppelin knew and respected this as well.

[@garymartin1045]

2 things Ticketmaster, more like rip. Off master buying tickets on a phone. Just so they can rip you off. Then the politics of these bands are I Nothing but liberal idiots. Don't tell me how to vote. I'm not stupid.

[@ricomajestic]

Funny how you forget about Gen X or are you lumping us with boomers...lol.

[@kevinknabe7252]

People can't afford food. Let alone concert tickets. Going to see a live show is a luxury now.

[@floyd2222]

yup, people are b-r-o-k-e. Also, all of our public spaces in North America are a lot less safe than they used to be. Stay home and stream/watch videos; save money, stay safe.

[@bettyyu-h5q]

yup...and who goes alone? it's usually the wife or gf so double whatever the price is....lol

[@zachsears5719]

spot on

[@JohnBock-nq9lr]

Hundreds of dollars for a concert? Screw these backing track lip syncing posers

[@robwalsh9843]

A mild silver lining is that I'm spending my money on seeing local bands. I love concerts but I'm feeling suddenly at peace being back at smaller local venues again.

[@brubakersflatcakes9755]

Concerts are pretty much at the bottom of the list of priorities. We're at war and broke. Beyond that, ticket prices are insane.

[@WormTownGutturals]

No cash accepted has caused me to boycott all arenas doing this.

[@brightbite]

Wise choice! Somebody is awake!

[@freepressright]

Anyplace down with not accepting cash is morally bankrupt. Legal tender for ALL debts, public and private. Cash is freedom.

[@thomasmann2327]

Life changes and so does the industry. You can take a stand but that's like stopping a flood with a hand vacuum.

[@WormTownGutturals]

That's OK, I know how to swim.

[@clittle1559]

​@thomasmann2327 so just srug your shoulders 🤷🏻‍♂️ that will def fix it

[@gagadreams]

Ticket prices are 10x higher or more since when I was young, I'm not surprised people would rather stay home and watch uploads on KZbin for free!

[@OVERKILL_PINBALL]

far more than just 10x

[@tonygonzales3206]

Yeah I remember the days of staying overnight in front of a ticket master and paying twenty bucks for an amazing show. Man I miss the nineties.

[@someoneunseen5168]

​@@tonygonzales3206 dont we all..

[@chriskelly6559]

My first concert was like 1970, Three Dog Night. Had to drive 30+ miles to the arena box office to get a ticket, no other choice. Ticket for floor seat, row 21, aisle, 6$.

[@desolacapitalpartners]

True, the hell with "the experience" of the concert. I pass!

[@Jon-en3jz]

Ticket prices are outrages. Ticket fees legal stealing. Ticket services buying all good tickets and doubling prices. Why are ticket sales down? Think about it.

[@KarlRock]

Tickets are too expensive and then you have to deal with even more expensive resale tickets. So I started to buy last minute tickets 1-2 days before the show to save money.

[@embertheelder]

yeah... we buy last minute single seat tix. I saw A7X for a hundred that way last fall. We gotta rock out with strangers, but we get to rock out at least.

[@KCBeck]

@@embertheelder I got tickets to 3rd rye blind 28$ each Gen admission

[@rdpillsforall6884]

I just buy them when the show is first announced.

[@JonBoy00GT]

@KarlRock! Love your channel!

[@whois3581]

@@KCBeck You actually paid money to see 3rd eye blind??? Why?

[@jdc4483]

The problem is, if you don’t buy tickets in the first few hours, the secondary market has them for triple the price.

[@charleswidmore5458]

2 tickets - $250 convenience charge they charge you for buying 2 tickets $250 Parking for 3 hours - $60 a 16 oz cup of half flat beer - $15 extremely poorly designed concert shirt if they even have one in your size - $40, $70 for a hoodie the thickness of a heavy tee shit. for $600 dollars I can buy all of their cds and a concert video that I can listen to and watch anytime I want and still have $300 left over. so is it worth $600 for a 2 hour show?

[@frarfarf]

You don't need to buy cds and videos, that's all free on Spotify and youtube

[@charleswidmore5458]

@@frarfarf and what do you have when the internet is down?

[@frarfarf]

@charleswidmore5458 that has happened to me like once in the last decade, for a few hours... wtfru talking about

[@charleswidmore5458]

@@frarfarf it should be rather obvious. either you own it or you do not and you seem to be fine with the 'do not.' that is fine. I would rather own my media, but you do you

[@frarfarf]

@@charleswidmore5458 it should be obvious that you don't choose to pay for something that is free

[@McConaslay]

Gotta pay 200$ for a single ticket, 40$ for parking thats half a mile away(triple the price if its a block away). 10$ for a small bottle of water.

[@jeffmartinaz]

Hey bud. The dollar sign goes IN FRONT of the number.

[@krusher74]

@@jeffmartinaz lol

[@McConaslay]

@@jeffmartinaz does it really matter? Who really gives a fuck? Lmao

[@dannyatx]

@@jeffmartinazwhich is stupid cuz u don’t say dollars 200 you say 200 dollars in real life.

[@V0lk]

Expensive tickets and too many people holding up phones in my face is ruining concerts for me.

[@chrisbergonzi7977]

The cost....AND many "Legacy Bands" being caught not playing "live." Many are caught lip-syncing and playing off tracks...

[@michaeldunagan8268]

Sacrilege to us 1980's heavy Metal Fans when the likes of Motley Crüe were recently busted playing air guitars to backing tracks.

[@chrisbergonzi7977]

@@michaeldunagan8268 100% spot on.....

[@johnporter9073]

Black Keys aren't a hot band anymore. Why were they trying to run arenas? They should just run amphitheatres with another headliner.

[@216trixie]

I can't imagine the black keys playing in an arena and filling seats.

[@joshuafult84]

Not only that but rock as a genre isn't hot anymore in the United States.

[@whitneyryan-ng1cq]

They've headlined arenas for the last 14 years, did arenas in the U.S. as recently as 2022. And most amphitheaters are bigger than arenas anyway.

[@Callingcascade]

Amphitheaters arent bigger than arenas. Theres a reason theyre called sheds in the industry. You can fit a lot more production in an arena.​@whitneyryan-ng1cq

[@MikeBodo]

Black Keys should be playing Casino's and festivals. They're not an arena band anymore. Out of site. Out of mind.

[@blazeofglory450]

i mean Jesus, Blinks last tour cost a total of $400 for NOSEBLEED SEATS! not counting parking, food, merch, drinks etc. Its ridiculous

[@billyshead1339]

And who would go see Blink nowadays anyway.

[@inosuke4708]

I would’ve never paid that. You shouldn’t have either! That price is getting me pit tickets for this fall

[@LRM5195]

The f you seeing blink for? They are absolutely atrocious live. I like some of their music but damn, what a cringe live band

[@bone4579]

What were you thinking ?

[@svenjansen2134]

Just give me that money.

[@cuyazo3624]

In 2020 I got tickets to Iron Maiden, in the area closest to the stage for $89. For this year's tour I paid $79 to literally be in the last row. For reasons like these, the public is stopping going to concerts, today they are simply impossible to pay for.

[@tenacioustravis]

In 1995 Smashing Pumpkins had the #1 album out. I paid 20 bucks for general admission to their concert. With an inflation calculator it's figured to 41.22 today. Greed rules the day now. Case closed.

[@SeanFlaherty]

Their #1 album was a big source of the band’s revenue, so they could make less in the tour. Today, bands only source of revenue is touring, so they have to charge more (along with every thing else being more expensive (travel, insurance, salaries, etc.))

[@timking2931]

It’s because we have lost the concept of what somethings worth. Everything now is so much more expensive than it should be and it affects everyone from the band to management and the consumer.

[@KonkeyDong968]

Everyone virtually has $1500 in their pocket. That's MSRP for the newest cellphone. That's what they cost straight up when you aren't in a multi year contract

[@hellothere111]

I'm so happy to read the comments. Glad to see we all agree that it is getting too expensive.

[@jessehaaland7689]

Ppl need to go to small clubs that you can just walk in or print out tickets and support local bands opening up for good cheap shows!

[@soccerchick1]

Wish this was still a thing supported in my area and you didn’t have to drive hours for it. Public transit isn’t an option around me either smh. Sucks so much.

[@NoCoverCharge]

Yep the problem is those places are few and far between in the 80’s they were everywhere now not so much

[@soccerchick1]

@@NoCoverCharge exactly!!

[@Metallizombie]

People don’t care about live music anymore. Thanks to streaming music as a commodity has zero value. There aren’t any artists or bands anymore providing the soundtrack to their child hood. The only people going to shows are mid 20’s/early 30’s and up. The only tours that do well are things like Taylor Swift that are “status” shows and show you have the money to go.

[@soccerchick1]

@@Metallizombie 100% i couldn’t imagine my childhood without live music it’s crazy.

[@TheOakvilleSouthern]

I totally agree with most of the comments on here. I have been to hundreds of shows in my life and now that my Son is old enough to start going to shows the Emperor Live Nation/Ticketmaster is making it very difficult to afford these events. The other thing that pisses me off is when they hold the good tickets, first few rows or pit tickets , as hostage for the VIP packages. Therefore if I want to be close to the stage I will need to spend $300-$500 for each ticket. How can a blue collar worker justify buying two tickets at that price to see a show. I find myself passing on shows that years ago I would’ve attended in a heartbeat!

[@kurtcobainpizza5606]

Whitesnake played my town 5 years ago and lowest price was $200. Unless David Coverdale was going to detail my car after the show I was no way.

[@tonfan]

hahahaha

[@user-mh2fr7cp1m]

The answer isn’t complicated, ticket prices are too high.

[@yellyman5483]

You have to be a superstar to sell tickets.

[@linjicakonikon7666]

Inflation from Bidenomics sparked the high inflation that has tripled and quadrupled prices on many of our essentials. Trump: $1.89 per gallon of gas Biden: $4.59 per gallon The price of gas drives EVERYTHING up in price.

[@karenhunter8095]

@@yellyman5483 And ticket prices for superstars are astronomical.

[@ClosetoHumanMusic]

Full time musician here. It's interesting to read the comments from a bunch of consumers who don't see the big picture, but let me add a little more context: Nightlife in general has fallen out of fashion. Night clubs, movie theaters and concerts are all feeling the pinch. The causes are manifold, but overall it's the combination of the high cost of living with the easy access to home entertainment and socializing. In the past, people would need to go out in order to socialize, hear new music and *ahem*, relieve sexual tension. With streaming (video & music), video games, social media and porn, that's not the case anymore. A person can stay in and have all their needs met without having to fork out exorbitant prices amidst a serious financial crisis. The high ticket prices are not just the result of corporate greed, indie artists are also faced with touring costs that have doubled or tripled since the world reopened. Back in 2019, a small band could go on tour and break even just with selling an average of 100 tickets per night. In 2024, you need to raise the ticket price and sell double that. Even worse, many of the indie venues bands like mine used to play have either closed or been gobbled up by Live Nation, so we have to compete with corporate bookers and merch percentages. Basically, the costs of touring are up, and overall attendance is down, which puts audiences and artists at odds with each other, which makes the situation untenable.

[@petechau9616]

Thanks for taking the time to break it down for us.

[@ClosetoHumanMusic]

@@petechau9616 I wish more artists (especially ones with bigger platforms) would take the time to lay it out for people.

[@MikePhillips-pl6ov]

I'm mostly with you, but when you said consumers don't have to go out for night life now because they can get it all at home....yes they can. But folks WANT to see live music. They just can't afford it, whatever the reasons or economic conditions.

[@ClosetoHumanMusic]

@@MikePhillips-pl6ov I'm not saying that everyone is staying home because they don't need to leave the house to get what they need, I simply said it was one factor of *many*. Certainly a lot of folks, who would rather go out, stay home only because they can't afford to, but social scientists have absolutely noticed a trend of, particularly Gen Z, of nightlife aversion. It's such a problem in places like South Korea and Australia that governments have tried to enact policies to counteract it.

[@fazdoll]

Hi, there's another thing you might not think of at first, and that's SAFETY. Seriously, in the 80s, kids could cruise the nightlife all they wanted at all hours. Now, the venues are in big cities, which are all unsafe after dark. There are a lot of news stories about shootings at nightclubs, drunken fights, or carjackings in parking lots, or people's wallets and purses being pickpocketed, not to mention dodging and weaving drugged out homeless and gangs on the way home. It's just not safe out there, and people want to stay inside their own four walls where they aren't going to be attacked. Thanks for listening. EDIT -- this applies more to smaller venues and clubbing nightlife with smaller bands or genre music, like catching a blues club on a Friday night, or even a classical concert at the city concert hall. Of course, for a big band on tour, people will go out of their way to attend.

[@chriscurtis1578]

When "EVERYTHING" goes up 20-40% paying a $150-$1000 ticket price just isn't going to happen. A trip to the Dairy Queen will cost $35 for two people now, who can afford concert tickets. Sad times we are living through. Hopefully things will go back to normal, or we're all screwed.

[@scottrobinson9752]

I've been a live sound engineer for 35 years. I did my first tour with a band in 1989. I have also tour managed many tours. The reason cancelations are happening, is strictly due to economics. Inflation makes touring nearly impossible. To take a band, crew, and equipment on the road....is astronomically expensive. Plane tickets, tour bus rental, fuel, hotels, equipment rental, food costs, shipping/cargo, etc....are all far more expensive now. These things have sky rocketed in the last few years. Many skilled production workers left the concert industry during Covid and never came back. There is a massive shortage of skilled and unskilled labor in the live production industry. Those that remain command higher pay now. With the death of the record industry...a lot of those cubicle/office workers have entered the concert promotion world, creating jobs for themselves out of thin air. When you look at the overhead and top heaviness of concert promoting entities like AEG and Live Nation...its crazy. They incur far more operating costs than the days of the independent concert promoters. Then you get into the middle men....managers and agents, etc... who charge larger percentages than they once did. All totalled, its a huge risk taking a band on the road. Many bands finances were gutted during Covid, and they dont have the operating capital to mount a tour, due to all the pre-tour expenses. I quit touring several years ago, but occasionally still help do the advance work in putting tours together. I can take a band that I worked with 10 years ago, and pull their spread sheet from then...and then compare it to what they're facing now, as far as expenses...and the difference is shocking. I've had to tell a couple bands that it wasn't feasible for them to tour, under the circumstances being offered to them. I've seen many bands mount smaller, lesser paying tours...that are closer to home, and cost less to produce...just so they can get out there and try to get a little capital built up. If the band tours internationally, that is an added factor to contend with. International travel is more expensive, and more complex these days. There are more restrictions on airlines, Visas can be more difficult to obtain. Tax laws for performers in various countries can be crippling. The value of currency in a given country, may be prohibitively low...where it may have once been a dependable market for a band. There are so many factors to account for these days....which are all a whole lot more expensive and difficult than they used to be.

[@lindaellen808]

Do they all go first class on planes and hotels should cut those costs to start with and not think they are so above every one else.

[@scottrobinson9752]

@@lindaellen808 ... Only the top of the top level touring acts fly first class. Most average touring bands fly coach. I've done lots of tours where band members/crew members share hotel rooms. Usually we are not in a hotel long enough for it to matter that much (usually you are only there long enough to shower). Sometimes a band will literally rent one hotel room, request extra towels....and the whole band and crew get showers, and its back on the bus and on to the next gig. Then, occasionally, if there is going to be a couple days off somewhere, everyone may get their own rooms (at a Best Western or Days Inn type hotel), just so everyone can get good rest and have some private time. Usually those days are all about getting laundry done, finding decent food, and getting some sleep/quiet time.

[@winstonsyme5899]

Thanks for sharing your experience

[@KansaSCaymanS]

Very good points made here, it’s a wonder that any middle or lower tier band can afford to tour, and God knows they make very little percentage of music streaming revenue.

[@neilopfer5687]

SR9752: Thanks for the insights!! Very interesting!!

[@lionheartroar3104]

Ticket prices, lousy annoying audiences, poor traffic control. My reasons go beyond the economics. I also hate that they have eliminated the ability to print your tickets.

[@crosswalklarry]

Never had a problem printing a ticket.

[@MikePhillips-pl6ov]

All those reasons and especially the "lousy annoying audiences". When I started out going to see big acts in 1980 (first two bands seen that year were AC/DC and Queen, a great start), fans were engaged in the gig, and they sang when prompted to, in the right places. Now, so many of the audiences are talking or filming or (at a Cult gig last year) eating nachos and not looking at the band (called out by lead singer Ian Astbury). Or, they sing non-stop, at the top of their voices, every lyric of every song, out of tune, and right in my ear. I pay to see and hear the band, not everyone around me. Whatever happened to just listening? Singing along is good, when the time is right for it in the show.

[@MikePhillips-pl6ov]

​@@geocam2and it's nice to keep the paper tickets, I have framed all mine from the 1980s to the 2000s and put them up on the wall.

[@kniknayme9865]

the frustration of trying to get a good seat at ticket price before the bots get them.

[@radioclash8175]

I saw RATT and Motley Crue several times in the ‘80s at their height for $16-$18, and the Rolling Stones in ‘89 for $28

[@yellyman5483]

I payed $40 for front row seats to a Paul McCartney show in 2004. When i saw him again in 2016 the price was $200. It still sold out though.

[@troygunter2848]

I stood against the stage, up front at a nightclub and saw ,"the voice of Ratt " Stephen Pearcy for $35 .What a deal. He played 90 minutes. Stephen and the band were GREAT !!! So glad I went.

[@daveprietojazz]

I saw Pink Floyd on the Animals tour in 1977 for $12.50 + $.75 ticket master charge.

[@user-rp8nf3mk8p]

I remember seeing Frank Zappa for six dollars at the Boston opera house

[@petechau9616]

FWIW: I saw the Rolling Stones in Orlando, Florida in 1981 for 15.00 I believe Van Halen opens for them not sure on that though.

[@Gregbaltzer]

Dweezil Zappa recently had to sell most of his gear to raise the $200,000 he needed for start up tour money. He said before when you toured you always put aside a certain amount of profit for your next tour start up. But because artists couldn't tour the 2-3 years during Covid there was no start up money left to even go on tour with, so he was forced to sell his equipment.

[@DerekWhite-yx2ce]

Yep, that with the economy, inflation and Live Nation, l bet that's most of the problem.

[@hankd18]

Poor guy.

[@thevelointhevale1132]

Modern Music is dead ... the atrophy began once Digital downloading took control of the entire mechanism ... Music used to be a complete ART experience ... from head to toe ... Album Art, Sleeve and Liner notes ... lyric sheets that came with the records ... coloured vinyl and limited editions ... then the merchandise and LIVE shows. People consumed Albums as a complete work - now people download songs and have no idea who made it or anything else. The organic greatness that once was has been supplanted by a digital wasteland of empty meaningless nothing ... and as a result ... who cares? I grew up as a musician in a household of professional musicians ... I have toured and done session work from a young age ... I haven't bought ANY music in the last 20 years! I used to buy records all the time ... I no longer care.

[@PamelaD963]

Great points 👍🏻 Same in U.K. too.

[@chriseidam7319]

I'm not disagreeing with you, but the real culprit was the 1996 Communications Act that was pushed by the Republicans and signed by Clinton, who is essentially a big business conservative. Soon after, almost all of the radio stations in the country were owned by one of two companies. They fired all of the DJs and station managers and went to automated programming and one central programmer. So we're listening to someone's musical taste that they decided we should listen to when we turn on the radio. There are only two people who get to make the decisions of all the music we are hearing on 90% of the music radio stations in the United States. And their musical taste is poor. Those numbers are accurate, by the way. If memory serves me correctly, one of the corporations is Westwood One and the other is Clear Channel. Before that was passed into law, most radio stations were locally-owned,reflecting local musical tastes and promoting emerging, new, local bands that would sometimes become national or international bands. The system to develop those bands at a local level has been wiped out by the Communications Act. Additionally, in the past, the music would drive the merchandising. You'd go to see a great band and you might buy the T-shirt or a poster before you leave the concert. Now bands are set up for merchandising, not music. Everything is contrived. I mean, there was always that element of dressing bands up in costumes and having them scowl at the fashion photographer for the photo shoot. But now everything is 100% geared towards the money-making side, with little regard for the artistic side, and zero respect for the harsh economic reality of 70% of the people living in this country. Let's not forget that a lot of musical artists now are putting way too much money into the staging. They're spending vast amounts of money on props and excessive lighting and costumes that I don't need when I'm seeing a band that can play good music. I enjoy a good show, but I don't need all that splendor to tell if the music is good or not. If you told me I could see that show for $50 without all that spectacle, or I could see that show with all the spectacle for $450, which option do you think I'm going to choose? We don't have that $50 option. So I choose to stay home. And about the performance, unless you're seeing an indie band or a punk band, you're probably seeing a band that is using backing tracks and that is lip-syncing to their pre-recorded vocals, which are often modified in the studio with pitch control software. Most can't even sing well. Or at all. Listen to Britney Spears or Jennifer Lopez actually singing, masked by all of the overproduction. They can't sing. They just have a look that sells to some people. Superficial gloss was always a part of American popular music, but never to this degree. The artists were still expected to perform - not pretend - unless it was one of those tacky variety show appearances where they lip-synced to their single that just came out. People weren't buying concert tickets to those TV events. They weren't being asked to pay $2,000 for a front row ticket. If the Black Keys would like to come to one of our local small music clubs and charge $50, they could fill the place and make a decent living. If you happen to see them, could you let him know? PS - A lot of that ticket-scalping is being done by some of the bands themselves. The bigger they are, the more likely they are to be involved in it. It's a dirty little secret.

[@twbl218]

Listen to Billy Strings. He’s the answer.

[@thespacealienssmogandgrog4283]

@@chriseidam7319 Brilliant. Everyone should read what you've written here so that they understand the cultural dystopia we're all living in was caused by the 1996 Communications Act.

[@chris7brook]

No​@@twbl218

[@xeridian]

I mean, it's not difficult to figure out. Inflation, the political climate and Live Nation's dumb ass greed. I mean its entertainment , its supposed to relieve stress, not cause it because you have to take out a loan just to buy tickets.

[@krusher74]

inflation should have raised a 1985 $25 ticket to 2024 $80.

[@DerekWhite-yx2ce]

Exactly, pretty simple.

[@thesynthlord954]

Live Nation's fees are a complete abomination.....you see a ticket price but that's not the real price

[@timothyhayes2935]

The honchos at Live Nation/Ticket master are scorched Earth Capitalists and have no intention of lowering prices and fees.

[@william-uc2oy]

I’m much older but I can name numerous reasons why concerts are having a hard time. I went to them all the time when I was young. Back before. Auto tune. Playback. Excessive costs. Poor mixing. Cramped seating. In my opinion hit smaller venues. Charge a fair amount. Lower the cost of merchandise. Hire good sound people. It’s all just greed in my mind. It’s so out of control. For a couple a higher level talent for two people will run you about $1000 on average. Who consistently has that kind of money? That’s 12,000 a year for a concert a month!

[@time2see192]

OUTRAGEOUS prices! They keep getting richer while the blue collar fans struggle to make ends meet. F those bands! In the 80's, concert tickets were $27.50! In the 90's they were $45.00 Now its $200 give or take! Except for Kid Rock who keeps it real, still only charging $30 a ticket! No respect for their greed! They don't even know what HARD WORK is!!! Boycott the shows till they lower their prices!

[@tonyagrestic]

Most tickets were not even that expensive back then either . I saw nirvana in their prime in 1993 for 20 bux and they were the biggest band at the time.

[@galaxyride4944]

Amen.

[@kristalharrison5757]

Pearl jam in nz atm worst seats are like 400$ starting prices 😤

[@tonyagrestic]

@@kristalharrison5757 that’s crazy

[@00100100bbr]

I remember in the early 2000s tickets still being 15 to 20 bucks for a show and 50 for a festival.

[@TheDarkness1]

Corporate greed and second hand ticket sellers. People line up for hours online to buy a $50 ticket, only to have the show sold out and only tickets left are on the secondary market for $200+.

[@whois3581]

They literally scalp their own tickets. They're in business with those "second hand markets". They've been playing that game for a very long time and people kept buying into it. I have refused to attend any shows from Ticketmaster/LiveNation for over a decade now. Small venues/bars are waaaay better than any big arena show anyway.

[@Stratmanable]

The solution: support your local music scene: A $4 cover charge is way more affordable than whatever a concert ticket may cost, and even if the band sucks, it's still better value for money.

[@christopherdillon7736]

It cost me just short of $700 for two basic ass tickets to Megadeth in August. “Golly gee, why are sales down?”

[@crosswalklarry]

You must have paid a scalper. 🤣

[@freakinElvis]

I saw them in 2011 Dave felt old then

[@zebageba]

I saw 'em for 15 bucks in their prime.

[@joeleone6276]

Price, parking, etc. it's all crazy expensive now. That's why I haven't gone to a concert in a number of years. It's just not worth it. I REALLY wanted to see Aerosmith when they came to my town, but to take myself and my girlfriend and be able to park it would have been nearly $750! That shouldn't be the cost of a concert, that's the cost of an entire weekend or more.

[@MegaTightMike]

I’m from Wales and the price of tickets for gigs is outrageous. How anyone can afford them in a cost of living crisis I don’t know.

[@jerryjerry3045]

We clearly see the greed and paying billion dollar out of touch corporate monopolies. We love the music and artists but hate the corporate fee corruption.

[@pikiwiki]

wedowedo

[@HOLZMANTV]

Janes Addiction is charging $2,700 for front row? Hahahhahahahhahah I'm out!

[@kbusby4824]

If that's the case, I'm glad I saw them in 1991.

[@DerekWhite-yx2ce]

Great band, but no, just no.

[@brinsonharris9816]

And isn’t with a substitute guitar player because Navarro has long Covid? Too bad the original line up will never go on the road again, but I’d still pass because of the gouge even if they did. I paid $1k each for my date & me for 9th row center floor seats in 2017 for Tom Petty, but that’s because I figured it was my last chance. He passed away a few months later so it was, but those same seats wound be $3K nowadays.

[@kbusby4824]

@@brinsonharris9816 Dave Navarro is back after a three year absence due to long Covid. Still isn't worth that price. How fortunate you were to have seen Tom Petty on his last tour. He is dearly missed.

[@brinsonharris9816]

@@kbusby4824 Yep, even at $1K a ticket it was a great, great rock show, one of the best I’ve ever seen. American Girl & Breakdown were all over the radio when I was in 9th grade. Show was in Tampa, so there was a serious homecoming vibe. We loved him and he loved us right back. Band was in killer form too. So JA is now touring w Navarro & Eric A on bass? That was the lightning in the bottle line up back in the day. Too rich for my blood these days, though. Perkins always goes all out. He did a lot of the heavy lifting over the years.

[@philsathrill1285]

I go to a lot of club level shows at smaller venues versus arena shows. Lots of national acts can be seen for relatively cheap ($20-$50), plus you can see the bands up close in more intimate venues.

[@rochskier]

I did this exact thing when I saw Filter play a tour warm up show at what was essentially an overgrown biker bar with a stage for about $30. It was amazing.

[@jennrat2982]

I'm into the smaller venues now myself...👍

[@philsathrill1285]

@@jennrat2982 national bands at small venues are the way to go. However, tickets have doubled in costs over the last five or 10 years, but still much cheaper than the big venues!

[@robertwiles8106]

The Black Keys WAS NEVER, AND ESPECIALLY NOT AT THIS POINT, anywhere near as big as their hype. At their height they were a theater band and they are nowhere near their height anymore.

[@desolacapitalpartners]

Never heard from them, a Compleat unknow band to me. Ni loco pago cientos de $$$ por estos desconocidos.

[@sideshowbob8220]

They're a car commercial band they should stick to making music nobody wants for commercials nobody wants

[@seansmodernlife9823]

At their peak they were headlining Coachella and on tour playing stadiums.

[@robertwiles8106]

@@seansmodernlife9823 Azoff was able to get them on bills with lots of support acts to bring in their own audiences that COMBINED would get you a festival or stadium capacity lineup. But no the black keys were never anywhere close to a stadium act on their own. You don't know what you're talking about.

[@tacticaledc]

Prices are stupid. Fees are insane. Sprinkle in other costs associated with the concert like beverages, parking, merch and it becomes a mortgage payment. Some bands will continue to do well no matter what, but for most I can see them suffering.

[@mattygee5000]

A lot of 'big tours' are aging musicians who have become their own cover bands, not having released any new material in 40 years.

[@BassBored]

It costs so much money to go to shows regardless of if you uber, park, carpool etc. Cost of tickets are insane right now. Something has to give

[@Gregbaltzer]

I think there's a ton of factors to blame. Tour bus rentals are expensive now. Anthrax had to cancel a European tour a year or two ago because tour bus cost was so expensive that they would have lost money to tour. Food is more expensive then ever and it cost a lot to feed everyone you take on tour. Fuel is expensive. Hotel rooms are expensive. Pay for hotel rooms for your crew cost a lot of money. A band stayed at a hotel where I work recently, and they must have had at least a dozen rooms for their crew. It cost a lot of money to haul stage production from place to place, and pay a crew to set it up. Bands make their money from ticket sales now. They don't make enough from music sales. Venues are gauging artists for huge percentage of merchandise sales, on top of the percentage the venue takes from ticket sales. When you don't make money from music sales, and people are taking your merch profits then you have to raise your ticket prices to make a living. In my opinion support small bands, who are their own road crew, and don't have outlandish stage productions if you want cheap tickets. Small bands need support the most

[@JPTyler]

Well put! Thank you.

[@jaredmotopnw]

They’ve made it legal for scalpers to resell tix at higher prices. Find ones the day of the show, and you’ll pay normal pricing.

[@DAISYROSE22]

Sorry, but I'm not running around hunting for reasonably priced tickets to line the pockets of a greedy industry anymore. It's just not that important.

[@firestarter1888]

No need to be sorry. ​@@DAISYROSE22

[@bravesblood]

I'm taking my whole family to see Oliver Anthony this weekend. Four of us for $140 total. Follow his plan and refuse to overcharge your fans which in turn will get you more fans. Play more smaller venues in smaller markets, which fans will love. People are broke, and have to choose their entertainment carefully to have fun and pay bills. Meet them where they are.

[@MrMatthiasSchneider]

Hell yeah! Did he malign poor people for eating fudge rounds? I'm sure a good time was had by all!

[@bravesblood]

@MrMatthiasSchneider A good time was had, and listening to the context of the lyrics is helpful.

[@thicclizzyisamanbaby5316]

@@MrMatthiasSchneider I'm sure he did. As he should lol

[@LocalFoe]

There are no real musicians in your town. Not one busker? Well, a fool and his money are soon parted.

[@MrMatthiasSchneider]

@@bravesblood What's the context of the lyrics? I'm reading the lyrics right now, and it sure looks like he's maligning poor people: "And the obese milkin' welfare But God, if you're five foot three and you're three hundred pounds Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds" Oliver Anthony seems to have a problem with poor people. Don't know how else you could interpret that lyric.

[@Elwood-kq6ld]

I saw the Black Keys last summer in a 2500 seat outdoor venue in Lincoln NE. 40 bucks for a decent seat, free parking. Perfect!

[@lelandstronks319]

I have too say, the last time I saw Paul McCartney, I paid $200.00 to sit in the middle section of the arena. The problem was,there were so many phones with lights on down on the floor. The glair was so bad that I couldn’t see anything on stage.😎💡

[@SteveMeiers]

When I saw McCartney in the 70s, it was flash cubes. Little has changed there

[@lelandstronks319]

@@SteveMeiers That’s interesting, because concerts I saw in the 70s you were not allowed to have recording devices or cameras.😎

[@SteveMeiers]

Watch the videos on KZbin from those years, flash cubes are huge. They let cheap cameras in but not pro cameras. And, everyone snuck things in, from weed and booze to cassette recorders and cameras. ​@@lelandstronks319

[@aaizner847]

It's a few factors, but the ONE new one is that it's not just the bad-and-worsening economy; it's specifically that young people don't have money. That's why pop stars are still selling out arenas - that's parents buying tickets for their spoiled whiny kids. But young adults are chronically broke in America, in a way that the previous generations, just weren't. Our declining empire is the elephant in the room here.

[@jrm2fla]

Tickets were fairly inexpensive … at least they were not outrageous… when I was a teen (16 in 1976)… whether it was Peter Frampton, KISS, Pink Floyd or the Eagles… usually in the old Miami Baseball or football stadium, or at the Jai Alai frontón for Springsteen, Tom Petty, Jethro Tull or Heart…

[@aaizner847]

@jrm2fla yes, before capitalism ate every industry.

[@aunch3]

This ☝️

[@TheLastPirate1973]

If ticketmaster would reduce its fees, that would help sales. People hate paying 50% more than face value just for the privilege

[@silentbeep]

The ticket prices are more outrageous than ever. They are gouging people. It's just not an option for most people anymore

[@sonofradium4835]

People don’t need to see live bands or anything fun like that. You go to work and then you go home and get ready to go back to work. That’s all you get.

[@KadeemG61]

I think it’s LiveNation to blame either concertgoers being scammed or ripped off by the promotion’s lack of ticket prices or something else. It goes to show you that LiveNation just cannot be trusted. They made some boneheaded decisions that damaged the company’s reputation. I haven’t been to a concert before but why are the ticket prices so damn high?

[@flyinpolack6633]

Iheart now owns livenation, which owns ticketmaster. They have bought every angle...

[@charlesbolton8471]

@@flyinpolack6633 Yes, they absolutely own every angle. They even control the tickets to the small venues that holds 100 people and have $10-15 ticket prices.

[@ricks.1779]

Bands like Black Keys suck. Hipster corporate rock that has no real fan base.

[@Gummibri]

So you can't buy tickets without going through a scalper to affordable shows. Bands like creed are charging $50 for lawn seats meanwhile msrp for front row to incubus is $1,000 and these aren't even bands currently making music! Want a hoodie? $100 Want a beer? $15 Want a ticket? You can only stand in the hall unless you get this upgrade and that upgrade. It's too much to think and worry about. I'm there to watch a show and have a good time.

[@MikeBodo]

Great summary. You pretty much nailed it.

[@JohnStray569]

In Atlanta cheap Creed tickets are $160

[@johnporter9073]

I looked recently at Creed tickets. Most of the pavilion seating was sold out. I saw them in 2009. They were giving away lawn seats.

[@sircrush3530]

That last statement by Live Nation is extremely political. Note that they are referring to the NUMBER of cancellations, which is 4%. But what about the money that was lost? Big tours are BIG MONEY so when they get cancelled, the amount of money lost or simply potential sales vaporized is MASSIVE.

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

This is what happens when the cost of living/fuel rises. Concerts sadly are luxury purchases, and the most hardcore music lovers in my experience live the opposite of luxurious lifestyles. ALSO, you can defend Tracks as much as you want but real music fans don't like that shit, especially when it's just miming which WAY too many MFers have begun to do it. I was absolutely gutted when I saw Steel Panther of all fking bands lip syncing, wtf is going on?

[@NunYa953]

The economy is trash. Despite what that clown in Washington says, weve been in a recession for 2 year at least. Add to it that most big cities where these concerts take place are not safe and you get slow tocket sales.

[@charlesbolton8471]

I have to completely disagree with you. I just drove a little over 200 miles last Friday (June 7) to see The Rolling Stones in Atlanta and it was worth every penny. I never felt unsafe one minute in downtown Atlanta. In August, I’ll be seeing Green Day/Smashing Pumpkins/Rancid closer to home in Nashville. A month ago, I saw Neil Young and Crazy Horse. So far this year I’ve also seen Elvis Costello in January, Kenny Wayne Shepherd in February, Sierra Hull (a progressive bluegrass mandolinist) for $12.50 at a small venue (400 person capacity that was sold out) in March, and Death Cab for Cutie/Postal Service in April. All of the shows except The Stones and Neil Young (in Franklin, TN) have been in Nashville and I’ve walked by homeless people on my way to venue and still didn’t feel “unsafe”. For what it’s worth, I went to 15 concerts last year including Taylor Swift.

[@DerekWhite-yx2ce]

@@charlesbolton8471 just because you have money to pay for that, doesn't mean other people do. Gas around 3.50 and food and energy is expensive.

[@DerekWhite-yx2ce]

@@charlesbolton8471 the fact you put Taylor Swift in here, tells me how outta touch you are.

[@chrisflood9205]

Ok red hat explain why parking has to be fifty bucks ?

[@Gary_M]

Yeah sure 🤡

[@kenknight5983]

One thing we're paying for unnecessarily: VISUALS. We're there to see a band, but end up paying extra money for the big LED screens they put up behind them. It means extra trucks/ planes/ ships to transport this stuff which isn't cheap. I think a number of big bands have to set a trend of specifically doing a 'cheap tour'. What kind of a show can you deliver when you strip away a lot of the visuals, and try to give us a ticket that's under $100?

[@XOChristianaNicole]

I’ll agree, though, also, will admit.. When I saw The Black Keys, in 2022 - their visuals were PHENOMENAL. It was such a neat experience; really cool to see. Easily one of the best shows I have been to. However, I paid $25 through Live Nation’s Concert Week - and my tickets were upgraded, due to low ticket sales, even back then. EDIT: Not that I think The Black Keys NEED the visuals. I’m just sayin’ in really added to the show. It made me feel like I was in a music video or somethin’. I watch visuals for, like, Taylor Swift’s tour (as I have watched it streaming, numerous times, to understand why people think it’s such a great show) - and it’s absolutely mediocre, to the visuals The Black Keys had. Whoever did the production, back in 2022, did a really nice job.

[@kenknight5983]

@@XOChristianaNicole It absolutely adds to the show, but we ultimately end up paying for it, in a time when none of us have any money. Awesome as the visuals can be, we're there to see the band first

[@lindaellen808]

@@kenknight5983 Technology has gone like that for shows.

[@michaelsix9684]

service fees for tickets, it's insane, time for a revolt

[@tammystanzione6374]

The greedy music industry has changed. Bands toured to support record releases. That's not happening now. To make it up, tickets have gone through the roof. Including Ticketmaster has a monopoly. Who can afford this? Everything is expensive. It does nothing but allow those with ridiculous amounts of money to see shows. Other fans are shunned. How is that right? Fans being excluded. Is that what musicians want?

[@cameronboden]

Festivals are the only thing selling these days, single artist shows just aren’t in demand post-COVID and in this economy. As for artists like Jack White, Black Keys, and even J-Lo-they’re old, washed up, and haven’t had a hit in years, not surprising they can’t sell ridiculously overpriced tickets.

[@laidoffjournalist]

The cost are unjustifiable. Frankly, I'm offended that anyone would pay these outrageous prices.

[@chipchippahson]

It's inflation, which is at an all time staggering high along with stalemate wages. It really is no more complicated than that. People simply can't afford 300 bucks in ticket prices and tacked on fees for two people to see a concert in the nosebleed section. And that isn't even touching the parking and concession stand fees.

[@krusher74]

google "usa inflation rate" it fell today to 3.3% that is not an "all time staggering high" stop living in a world of propaganda.

[@Job.Well.Done_01]

Sadly, it’s perma-flation. Companies know people will pay high prices. No doubt, they won’t drop prices now.

[@VGKDean]

I remember paying $8 a ticket to see Van Halen in 1981 😂

[@crosswalklarry]

Did you throw any m80s? Bring a bong?

[@VGKDean]

@@crosswalklarry security actually patted you down. You couldn’t get a camera inside.

[@phdep1]

That was an amazing show!

[@charlenemack7040]

In 1965 I saw the Rolling Stones tickets were $2.50 and $3.50. I was 14 years old. I’ll save you the time from getting a piece of paper and a pen… I’m 72 years old.😊

[@sarahdell4042]

We’re sick of high ticket prices and fees that total 50%+ of the ticket prices. $20 waters, $25+ parking. A sea of cell phones constantly in your face. Also, any mild rain and the concert is cancelled (where I live) Totally sucks. It’s usually not a good experience.

[@fumes1541]

The only HUGE BANDS right now, are classic bands. Bands now have a song or two. It's the short attention span generation.

[@curtispavlovec]

This is the truth.

[@kenelder5182]

It’s flat out greed. Some of the ticket prices being charged for mid level acts are prices I wouldn’t pay even if Freddy rose from the grave and took the stage with a reunited Queen. So I’m sure not going to pay it for the Black Keys.

[@vordman]

I saw Queen for $10 in 1984 in Birmingham England. The Works tour. The one with the Metropolis stage set. God knows how much it would cost to see a mega show like that today.

[@vanceharkema5131]

In 1980 i paid 8dollars for a general admission ticket to see prime VanHalen at the Siouxfalls SD arena. All tickets were general admission 8bucks open floor stood up against security divider center stage 12 to 15ft from david lee roth.

[@MerryWeed]

$$$$$$$ Ticket prices are pure greed!!!!

[@Clownmeati8]

In a word, its GREED.. watching someone play music just isn't worth what they think it is.

[@Plowguitarist]

You have 0 clue how much it cost to tour. Absolutely 0

[@monaural2.988]

A thousand dollars on average for a decent seat at a concert. Hmmm…I wonder why people aren’t going to shows like they once did. That’s a stumper! Hmmmm……

[@BrooksFe]

“One of the reasons is poor ticket sales” Um, The ONLY reason is poor ticket sales.

[@zachroberts1988]

In 10 years tickets went from 50 bucks to 500... Nobody can afford that stuff anymore!

[@aurora6920]

It used to be £30-40, 10 years ago, now it's more like over £70+

[@jonncockrell3606]

I went to free concerts in the 60s. Stones, Santana, Airplane etc. We let business people take over and all there is now is "the sound of salesmen".

[@ryanmcdougall22]

Ticket, venue, merch, parking, food, and drink costs are ridiculous these days...