Presale Ticket Discussion

[Tango]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

I find it ironic that so many people (on here) seem all too willing to accuse FM of being greedy, yet they do so only because they somehow feel entitled to pay $25 for front row tickets - that sounds decidedly gluttonous/selfish to me, ne c'est pas? The band does not set the prices; the promoter sets the prices. And ultimately ticket prices, as well as pretty much everything non-essential we buy/consume in our everyday lives, is dictated by the market: supply vs. demand. So...

1. For some shows, the "official platinum seats" are upwards of $2500 for a front row ticket. Does that suck? Absolutely. But guess what? You don't have to buy them; somebody else will. With one or two exceptions, pretty much every show on this tour has ticket prices that start below $50, which is comparable (if not less expensive) with pretty much every touring act on the arena circuit. Is that affordable for everyone? No... but FM is not a charity for their fans. They do need to make money and the promoter needs to make money so that they will be willing to support more FM shows/tours in the future.

2. High ticket prices for the best seats in the house are reasonable. Back in the day, concert tickets in an arena were all pretty much set at a single price; the front row was the same price as the back row of the nosebleeds. That was all fine and dandy in theory... But in reality it was virtually impossible to score really good seats since there were no financial incentives for people to choose to sit farther from the stage. In addition, shows sold out much faster and more completely, which meant that often times it was simply impossible to get in the door, let alone get a decent seat. Premium pricing helps to ensure that more good seats are available for sale... if you are willing to pay for them.

3. High ticket prices help to discourage scalping. Let's say FM sold all of their floor seats, including the front row, for $50. Does that change the fact that somebody somewhere is willing to pay $2500 for a front row seat? Probably not. So the end result is that Fleetwood Mac/the promoter gets paid $50 for that seat while the ticket scalper clears a hefty $2450 profit, which is totally inappropriate. I would much rather see Fleetwood Mac receive $2500 for that seat (since they are the ones doing the work!) than some scumbag ticket scalper. My understanding is that the "platinum premium seats" are for the benefit of the artist/promoter, so at least the money is going to the appropriate recipients. After all... they must have done something right in their careers if someone is willing to pay that much money to see them up close. They deserve the fruit of their labors.

4. Fleetwood Mac is a brand as well as a business. This is why tickets to a Stevie Nicks concert are $100 and tickets to a Lindsey Buckingham concert are $50, yet tickets to an FM concert are $200. The numbers don't lie- the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And chances are, a "Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham featuring Mick Fleetwood and John McVie" tour would not be anywhere near as lucrative/eventful as a "Fleetwood Mac" tour, even though they are the exact same thing. So preservation of the Fleetwood Mac brand is essential for their touring strategy. If Fleetwood Mac starts charging $50 for tickets and playing small theaters, they potentially damage not only the FM brand, their solo careers would also take a hit as well. For example, would people be willing to pay $15,000 for a Hermès Birken bag at Bergdorfs if they can buy the same thing at Walmart for $150? Would Hermès be a coveted premium international luxury brand if they sold their wares at KMart, JC Penney and Sears? Would a Fleetwood Mac tour be less of an event if they played shopping malls, state fairs and auto dealership openings? Most likely: yes and yes. Let's face it... Fleetwood Mac is a premium brand. Definitely not in the top echelon along with The Rolling Stones, The Eagles... or even Coldplay. But they are still highly respected/desired- probably similar in stature with Neil Young and The Who. I see no reason why they should not maintain their stature in the world of music.

I appreciate what you have to say in your post--I don't think the fans here expect front row seats for $25.00 and many of us over the years have spent 100 times that cost for tickets. However, I'm not sure if the Fleetwood Mac brand of late is exactly haute couture; in fact, a lot of it has been "same old." Just my opinion. It's a lot of money to be asked from fans just before/during the holidays as we go over the "fiscal cliff." Again, as you suggest, no one is holding a weapon to your head to force you to purchase.

[mutato]

A friend sent this to me,


An Evening With
Fleetwood Mac
Madison Square Garden
April 8, 2013

Rock and roll legends Fleetwood Mac play their 1st tour in 3 years and will hit Madison Square Garden on April 8!

Presale tickets are available starting TOMORROW, Friday, December 14 at 10AM through Sunday, December 16 at 10PM, before they go on sale to the general public Monday, December 17 at 10AM.

USE PROMOTIONAL CODE: FMAC

[FMlex]

Originally Posted by APerfectLie

Apparently Houston is having a radio presale Friday too in addition to the Live Nation one. Anyone know what the password is?

Okay, finally tracked it down. The Houston radio presale password is: EAGLE. (Like The Eagle classic rock radio station in Houston...) Hope that helps!

[APerfectLie]

Originally Posted by FMlex

Okay, finally tracked it down. The Houston radio presale password is: EAGLE. (Like The Eagle classic rock radio station in Houston...) Hope that helps!

Awesome! Thank you so much! I'm hoping they have better presale seats reserved than the Live Nation presale. *fingers crossed*

[Neal]

Ugh, presales are such a joke. I always let myself get excited, and every time I'm disappointed. Consistently, the "best" seats available are the worst of the highest price tier.

If I'm going to pay $150 to sit in the back row, at the far side of the arena, why not save $50 and move up a few feet to the upper level? Same view, right?

I've been on Ticketmaster all day using every presale option and have been getting (literally!) the same 4 seats in the same row. Over and over and over...

/rant

[HelloMonster]

The presale code for Sprint Center in Kansas City: FOX

[Nathan]

Any information on a Tacoma presage?

Thanks guys.

[MacMan]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Any information on a Tacoma presage?

Thanks guys.

Live Nation Pre-Sale code for All Fleetwood Mac shows starting today is: 'HARMONY'

[AbbiJoy78]

I have all 3 Phila area presales open and two of them are saying to come back after 10....it is 10:08!!!!!!!! Help!!

[Nolastorms]

trying for pittsburgh and there is a premium seating presale...but I don't have the password....anyone help?!

[KindOfWoman90]

man almighty, i have been waiting for 20 minutes... i'm supposedly in a queue to access the Philly presale... fml

[AbbiJoy78]

I am in all the quues, and guess what happens? A "gateway timeout" happens...and then i HAVE to refresh my screen to get it to come back to the Wells fargo screen, and thus lose my placed in line. I have NEVER seen this before and fans no longer have a shot. It all goes to brokers and i feel hopeless. This is not a good system and i can't believe i will probably have to go thru Ebay or StubHub to get good seats now.

[Regina]

Crap seats for Philly and NY. Big shocker. Philly is actually offering "Premium" seats in the presale--but, you have to order 2. And, they are FAR from cheap. NY is ridiculous.

[WildHearted]

I tried probably 2 dozen times and never pulled up any floor seats at all for the Atlanta presale. I refuse to spend nearly $200 per ticket to not have somewhat decent seats. Sorry.

I guess now I'll wait 'till the general sale and hope something better pops up, and if all else fails I'll wait until June and if I still haven't gotten anything, I'll buy some cheap (relatively speaking) nosebleeds and bring some binoculars. If my seats are going to suck anyway I might as well save a little money.

[Eugene]

Originally Posted by Regina

Crap seats for Philly and NY. Big shocker. Philly is actually offering "Premium" seats in the presale--but, you have to order 2. And, they are FAR from cheap. NY is ridiculous.

Philly Platinum pricing and location:

Best Available $249.00 - $1250.00
Floor 2 Row 1 $1250.00
Floor 2 Row 2 $875.00
Floor 2 Row 3 $795.00
Floor 2 Row 4 $695.00
Floor 2 Row 5 $649.00
Floor 2 Row 6 $645.00
Floor 2 Row 7 $565.00
Floor 1 or 3 Row 1 $995.00
Floor 1 or 3 Row 3 $799.00
Floor 1 or 3 Row 4 $794.00
Floor 1 or 3 Row 5 $749.00
Floor 3 Row 6 $699.00
Floor 3 Row 7 $695.00
Section 114 or 124 Row 1 $565.00
Section 114 or 124 Row 2 $499.00
Section 114 or 124 Row 3 $465.00
Section 124 Row 9 $349.00
Section 101 or 113 Row 1 $365.00
Section 101 or 113 Row 1 $325.00
Section 101 or 113 Row 2 $299.00
Section 101 or 113 Row 4 $295.00
Section 101 or 113 Row 5 $265.00
Section 101 or 113 Row 6