How much does it cost to see a band these days?
Purely in terms of ticket prices etc (with booking fee). Not beer pennies, train fares and whatnot. I don't live in the UK now and more or less stopped going to gigs in about 2007 so I'm out of touch and can't remember.
What's the going rate for:
a) a toilet circuit band (typical venue: Camden Barfly),
b) A middling band (typical venue - University unions / typical stop-offs for the NME awards tour)
c) A relatively big hitter or overachiever (Tame Impala at Brixton Academy for example)
d) Arena show.
I realise I could easily look this up but I'd rather have first hand answers from your experience.
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a. 5-8 quid
b. 10-15 quid
c. 15-20 quid
d. 25 plus quid (more for the really big ones I guess)
This is about right
but there is some overlap across b, c and d.
b. 10-20
c. 15-35
d. 25 plus
There's a certain degree of crossover between b&c and c&d in my recent
experience...definitely some 'optimistic' ticket pricing out there!
and a&b as well
^ works for Ticketmaster
Plus a premium for reformed bands
e.g. ATDI and Orbital both charged over £35 for Brixton with fees. And as to question d. - Muse charging between £50 - £100 for the Emirates stadium, Rihanna charging over £100 for Wembley Arena...
A) Runs to £9 plus booking these days. Any new American band playing first dates in London is around this mark.
B) 10-15. Would expect the lower end of this for Uni dates, top end for places like the Electric Ballroom. This is the general price bracket for indie darlings who don't sell as many records as they should, or who are playing venues that are too large for them that they want to sell out.
C) 16-35. This is Koko/Forum/Sherpherds Bush/Brixton territory. Theoretically any band playing these venues charge these prices. Premium paid for reformation/greed.
D) 35-100+ High end stadium productions, or bands that shouldn't be playing venues as small (Ex: Soundgarden at SBE/Blur pre Olympics tour). There is no top end for these prices, imagine a never-ending string of numbers. The last four digits are Rod Stewart's PIN. These tickets are guaranteed tout bait, and often sell for less than face on eBay once the seller realises the extra 6 tickets that they've bought for friends that just can't make it will be worthless pieces of paper in less than 48 hours.
Cheers
I don't work for Ticketmaster, obviously, I'm just interested because I'd expect these things to have skyrocketed in recent years.
How much is a Reading weekend ticket? Last time I checked, it was about 120. Also, has the NME crossed the 2 pound barrier yet?
35 pounds for At the Drive In is ludicrous.
I remember buying a Reading weekend ticket for £55, halcyon days!
I also paid £35ish quid for ATD-I and don't regret it at all...it's about what I'd have spent on an entirely inconsequential midweek drinking session.
NME is £2.40, and has a circulation of something like 16,000.
Reading is near enough £200 now I think?
Then £100 on Groupon 2 weeks before the event
Also, 16,000? Fucking hell.
Some of the bigger punk/hardcore fanzines used to exceed that. Won't be long now.
Which will go first?
HMV or NME?
Too close to call...they'll likely both go online only at some point!
A: There are still some good ones at the £6-8 price.
B: I'd say £12-20
C: can get above £40 (Ben Folds Five at Brixton is 42, Happy Mondays at Roundhouse 38, so is James at Brixton (although with Echo and the Bunnymen) I'm not seeing many Brixton gigs below £30.
D: Cheapest I've seen is Pogues at the 02 for £32-45.
joe satriani is charging £40
for a gig at Shepherds Bush Empire
hilarious