Neil Young

[cryptique]

On Wednesday I scored fourth row orchestra pit for Detroit (thanks to a certain VCer who tipped me off to a presale).

 

Wasn't even sure I was going to buy tickets, but when I saw the seats I could get, I took the plunge.

[Vacant Horizon]

I wish we could find out if it's gonna be the same show as before. if it was gonna be purely acoustic and at least 20 songs, i'd go.

 

as an aside, it is just EVIL that concert tickets are more than $50 after service fees. Utterly ridiculous.

[Vacant Horizon]

saw this over on the web 0.0 rustlist...

 

"On the Hippodrome website, it states with every two Ticketmaster tickets

purchased, fans can choose a free copy of "Le Noise" or "A Treasure".

Interesting, I guess we know now what the next release will be, Some live

Harvesters!"

 

interesting.

[Wild Frank]

saw this over on the web 0.0 rustlist...

 

"On the Hippodrome website, it states with every two Ticketmaster tickets

purchased, fans can choose a free copy of "Le Noise" or "A Treasure".

Interesting, I guess we know now what the next release will be, Some live

Harvesters!"

 

interesting.

That sounds interesting. What's the story regarding 'a treasure'? It's not an album that I was aware of. Is there a tracklist (real or rumoured?). I was thinking we would get the Chrome Dreams/Homegrown/Countryside/Budokan next.

[Doug C]

Maybe this is the wrong thread and if so, my apologies to those insisting on strict adherence to protocol. I know very little, hell, nothing, about the financial intricacies of touring but do Neil's tickets have to be that expensive? This is likely to start another class war debate but what would happen if Neil decided to take a very small profit to keep ticket prices low? Is that possible? Maybe he has serious financial difficulties that I am not privy to or maybe he feels a moral obligation to make as much money as possible in order to make charitable contributions. Is it possible for an artist, especially a very wealthy one, to say, "Fine, go ahead and make your crazy profit, Ticketmaster/promoter/manger/venue/etc. I am taking a modest fee to do what I love and keep it affordable for average fans". Is his fee already modest with the current ticket prices?

 

I am not trying to be a smartass or start an argument. I would honestly like to know. We wanted to see him a few months back when he was in town but could not afford it and would not carry a credit card balance.

 

If someone has some insight, I would appreciate it.

[tinnitus photography]

i would think that some of it has to do w/ the pretty small theaters he's playing...hell, last electric show i saw in an arena had GA tickets for about $75. that's still a lot, but i certainly didn't feel cheated after the show.

 

another part might be trying to beat the scalpers...had he priced floor seats at $100, i bet you'd find a lot of them at stubhub...as it is, what's the markup for a $250 ticket gonna be? probably not many people willing to pay more than that.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

I just bought my ticket. $58. Granted, I went to the box office and skipped Ticketmaster fees, but still. I really don't think it's that much. Music legends in small theaters are never gonna be cheap, and expecting that is a bit ridiculous. If NY goes on a tour like this and prices tickets at $30, scalping becomes even worse and people will complain about that. At least this way you're more likely to get real fans in the seats.

 

I've only paid more than $50 for two non-festival concerts before this: Gorillaz and Them Crooked Vultures. But both were more than worth what I paid.

[Doug C]

Thanks, ya'll. So if scalping is the major reason for enormous ticket prices, then why isn't scalping simply circumvented? Technologically, again I am talking out of my ass here, it can't be difficult to devise a system where only the original buyer can use the ticket. This is off the top of my head but when the ticket is scanned, the buyer's name comes up. The ticketholder has previously been instructed to have picture ID ready. The ID is checked and you walk in. How much extra time would such a thing add, logistics-wise? And I am sure that better minds could/have already devised far better systems than my feble attempt. It seems as though that 'the powers that be' don't want to seriously hinder scalping due to the profit involved. So for me, it comes back, at least somewhat, to the artists not minding gouging the fans. Maybe I am naive and living in a fantasy world.

 

Thanks again for the replies.

 

I know that a fan may need to resell their ticket if they become ill, etc. In that case, there have to be ways to accomodate such situations. Again from my ass, maybe the venue/original seller/artist could resell the ticket using the same anti-scalper safeguards and the original buyer would only get their money back if the tickets sold?

[rockinrob]

I think the idea is to get real fans in the seats. If they were $40 tickets, everyone that heard heart of gold one time would be interested in going, and he would have to play an arena, which is what happened with Greendale.

 

Then when Neil pulls a neil and doesnt play his greatest hits, but instead does a theatre production with crazy horse about the media and the current state of things, or in the case of le noise, a bunch of slightly weird new tunes played on solo electric guitar, he doesnt have to listen to those people booing.

 

Many of the greendale shows resulted in a bunch of pissed off people, and I think he learned something from that.

 

 

Now he has fans that are angry they had to pay so much, and rich people that heard heart of gold one time and think they are about to see james taylor.

 

 

Neil has also never denied being capitalist. Through the years he has proven to be a pretty shrewd businessman at times.

 

I think the main goal was to play these shows in intimate settings, for people that will most likely get the message.

[Doug C]

Many of the greendale shows resulted in a bunch of pissed off people, and I think he learned something from that.

We saw Greendale. Loved it and I see your point. Rather than charging over $500 incl. fees for the best seats, couldn't he have learned to simply have it clearly stated in the tour advertisements that this show will consist of the new album in it's entirety followed by a smattering of older songs?

[Wendy]

Fox Theatre in Detroit: Seat prices (excluding service fees) are:

 

45, 65, 85, 125, and 175.

 

So IMO, in Detroit anyway, it seems he is employing tiered pricing to thwart scalpers, plus I noticed he is utilizing will-call for the highest price seats.

 

 

 

 

Edit: Doug - that system exists. Tom Waits used it (in conjunction with Ticketmaster) on his tour a few years ago. I saw it in Columbus and all you presented at the door was the credit card you used to purchase the tix and your driver's license. Slick. I have no problems with that concept, even in the event I couldn't make it, that would be a bummer but not the end of the world.

[rockinrob]

We saw Greendale. Loved it and I see your point. Rather than charging over $500 incl. fees for the best seats, couldn't he have learned to simply have it clearly stated in the tour advertisements that this show will consist of the new album in it's entirety followed by a smattering of older songs?

 

Didnt say it was the best way. we are dealing with neil here!

 

your way probably makes too much sense

 

I am very glad he hasnt become part of the oldies circuit, even with the expensive prices

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

couldn't he have learned to simply have it clearly stated in the tour advertisements that this show will consist of the new album in it's entirety followed by a smattering of older songs?

He's done this for these dates. The press release clearly states he's playing Le Noise songs and some older songs done solo electric and acoustic.

[Doug C]

He's done this for these dates. The press release clearly states he's playing Le Noise songs and some older songs done solo electric and acoustic.

Then so much for rockin rob's theory!

[rockinrob]

When the tour began it wasnt even out that he was going to have a new record, and I didnt see an official announcement that said that was what was happening.

 

My tickets from clearwater have "Neil Young: Solo Acoustic" on them. It was not solo acoustic!

 

 

I think the real answer is because he can. In 2007, he played small theaters with similar prices, and they all sold out. He can sell 3k tickets for an average of $150 a seat or whatever, so he is doing that.

 

 

 

I am waiting for the living room tour

[knotgreen]

I just find the ticket prices to be a bit greedy, but more so alienating. You really cut off a portion of your fan base when you set prices that high. An average/casual fan can't afford $250+ to attend a concert.

 

I'm a huge Tom Petty fan, and encountered something similar last summer. You pay $50 or so to be part of his fan club to get preferred seating, then suffer through $150/ticket prices. As lame as it sounds, I was really offended by the prices, as Petty has always been vocal about not wanting to play for "golden circles" or corporate VP folks who inherit the best seats. Coming from a guy who once championed for lower record prices, this really felt like salt in the wound. I'm sure Neil and Tom are strapped for cash

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

But that's missing the point that cheap Neil Young tickets would almost certainly be bought up and scalped at a higher price than the cost of already expensive Neil Young tickets. It's a sad reality, yeah, but I bet it plays a role in price setting decisions. Obviously I'd rather spend $30 or so, but not if it means I have to fight the tons of scalpers that cheap tickets would draw. I'll just pay up to whatever I feel it's worth, and if not, oh well. If I'm paying closer to $100 for a Neil Young ticket, I'd rather that money, whatever his cut is, go to NY and not a scalper.

 

There's also the fact that these shows aren't starting at $200. Like I said, I got a good balcony seat for $58 today, and from what I gather, that theater has plenty of seats priced at $55. So it's not like your only option to see Neil Young is $200+ tickets. Especially in these small-midsized theaters, a $50 seat isn't much further away from the stage than a $200 seat.

[Vacant Horizon]

 

 

Now he has fans that are angry they had to pay so much, and rich people that heard heart of gold one time and think they are about to see james taylor.

 

 

 

 

dude, that's funny. one of my biggest pet peeves is people who get music info wrong (title, artist, etc.) and don't care! sometimes i try to correct them, but it takes a lot of explaining. people just don't want to hear it. that's probably the problem we have with politics in this country...willful ignorance.

 

ftw, concert tix are way too high, especially neil, i don't care what the excuse. paid $15 to see autumn defense a few months ago. utterly amazing and would've paid $30. high prices do alienate fans and it's those who usually can't afford to go that go and are in the hole...all for neil young, inc.

[Vacant Horizon]

A Treasure is supposed to be a live release of neil with the international harvesters circa 84-85. hope it has Grey Riders. great song from that period.

[sonicshoulder]

I read Shakey a few years ago and the one thing that stood out for me from his entire musical career was his disdain for the music business's corporate faction. He always bucked the system right when they were trying to capitalize on him to an unacceptable degree in his eyes. One could see this as his way of keeping the music where it should be, for his fans. One could also see this as keeping the money where it should be, in the artist's pocket. Either way I'm not dropping $200 on a show out of principle. $58 in a heartbeat but $200 in a 5000 seat venue no way. I don't see it as anything but supply and demand. If he couldn't sell $200 tickets he wouldn't.

[cryptique]

Neil's opener will be Bert Jansch!

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Neil's opener will be Bert Jansch!

One more reason I don't think the ticket prices are all that ridiculous. I've only heard a few of his songs (I intend to get to more, don't worry), but he's a talented dude. Psyched to see him play.

[Vacant Horizon]

he opened the last tour. still not worth $200 though. however, if they can get away with it, they'll sell anything for the most they can get.

[Doug C]

Edit: Doug - that system exists. Tom Waits used it (in conjunction with Ticketmaster) on his tour a few years ago. I saw it in Columbus and all you presented at the door was the credit card you used to purchase the tix and your driver's license. Slick. I have no problems with that concept, even in the event I couldn't make it, that would be a bummer but not the end of the world.

Thanks, Wendy. Since such a system exists, then the high tickets prices of not only Neil Young but in general, are not to thwart scalpers. Since technology exists to easily stop scalping but is rarely used, then all that says to me is despite all of the lip service, none of the myriad entities involved are serious about stopping scalping. That suggests greed, as do the seriously high ticket prices. Folks here are correct in saying that artists will charge what people will pay. Nothing wrong with it, simply economics at work. It is disheartening though. We have passed on several shows the last few years due to being unwilling or unable to support such greed. C'est la vie.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

I find it hard to believe that so many of the people complaining about ticket prices wouldn't take the same opportunities to make more money. If I could sell out theaters at 50-200 a seat, I won't even pretend for a second that I wouldn't. It doesn't mean you have less artistic integrity, it's just business. Which even art is in today's world.