Empty Seats High Ticket Prices Bad Economy

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I'd question how voluntary that was. Seems to me most and certainly all I know of did it because it was do that "voluntarily" or have no job. But, there could be rare instances, which was not my point. My point was few people would do it voluntarily when they did not have to.

Obviously people don't do that sort of thing happily, but sometimes you do what you have to do in view of the times. I was just agreeing with jwd that I knew people who had experienced that too. But the fact is, given that people have supported this band for years and made them millionaires it might be nice if the band showed a little gratitude towards their fans by lowering their prices a little, as other big name acts have. It's just my opinion of course and I'm sure their luxurious lifestyle is more important to them than whether or not I attend a concert, it's just that considering Mick Fleetwood acknowledged how times were hard for people and he hoped people would still come see them (in a UK TV interview last year) I thought that maybe it would be reflected a little in their prices. Obviously I'm still going to see them when they come over but where before I would have gone to multiple shows this time I'm just going to one and I know I'm not the only one.

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I think many if not most acts their size are charging similar prices for the last few years, to wit from 5/08 :

In my experience, as someone who goes to gigs at least once a week, Fleetwood Mac are one of the most expensive out there at the moment, while other acts who used to charge more have dropped their prices a little of late. That's just my experience though. Also considering that article is from a year ago, I would be interested to know if that's still the case with those artists. I know Clapton was charging at least £20 less for his recent Royal Albert Hall shows here in London last month. Maybe it's a UK thing.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

. . . I thought that maybe it would be reflected a little in their prices . . . .

I think they think (and rightly so IMO) that the $25 or $50 seats in, roughly, a third of the arena (in some cases more) is them catering to those who cannot afford the more expensive tickets. In an interview in the past, I believe Stevie said there are always cheap seats for the college kids, etc. So, they are not screwing the fans in that sense. They are only saying that if you want to sit on the floor, etc., it costs more. Yes, I wish those floor seats were cheaper, but that is different than the issue of them screwing their loyal fans with high price concert tickets - which goes back to my point that people are just complaining that they cannot afford a better ticket/seat, not that they cannot attend the concert at all

Again, I, too, wish the floor seats were cheaper, but if i could not afford them, I would get a cheaper ticket, be thankful for it, and enjoy the show from a little bit more toward the back.

[David]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Obviously people don't do that sort of thing happily, but sometimes you do what you have to do in view of the times. I was just agreeing with jwd that I knew people who had experienced that too. But the fact is, given that people have supported this band for years and made them millionaires it might be nice if the band showed a little gratitude towards their fans by lowering their prices a little, as other big name acts have.

"Fans" is an unclear word. In Fleetwood Mac's eyes, we are customers. The band may use the term "fan" in its press, but it doesn't mean anything more than "person who buys a ticket or a CD."

Of course, even customers get a gift from a business now & then: restaurants give free meals after ten paid meals, my auto repair shop gives me a "loaner" car to drive around while my car is being worked on, etc., all in the name of give a little short term so that you'll recoup long term (in customer loyalty & return patronage). Fleetwood Mac doesn't offer "rewards" (like the grocery store cards).

Maybe one day Fleetwood Mac will do something like that. Hasn't happened yet. Maybe one day, horses will turn carnivore.

[Nikolaj]

Two topics by various writers within this thread made me realize how the perspectives of ticket buyers can really vary, a lot! Hmm, i don't think being short of cash is even an issue- tickets in many (most?) cases go on plastic... so you can pay as much or as little per month as you want, no? Of course, there's interest fees, what have you- but it's not like most of us part with $174 per ticket or whatever when purchasing them... I think the only way the concert industry is surviving at all is because people use their credit cards, which of course isn't actually coughing up the cash, exactly.
Not that it's wise, but it may be possible that I'm still paying off some of the five SYW shows i saw 5 or 6 years ago, but I got to do what I wanted to do. So, if I'm still paying the price, and I may not be, then atleast I saw the shows I wanted to see. 'Short on cash'-- who isn't? Keep up with your credit card payments, and watch your credit limits get extended to where living within your means no longer means anything!
The other opinion, by a writer here I always enjoy, was about the concert being 'perfectly sequenced'- and boy, my perspective really varies from that opinion! I thought the 'Unleashed' concert was horribly sequenced...so damned predictable. I'd like almost everything changed in that regard! Open with 'Gold Dust Woman' or 'Go Your Own Way'... most definitely save 'Dreams' for the closer or encore, it is so dull near the beginning of the set where it has been since almost forever. I swear 'Dreams' stops a concert dead just as it's getting started, build some anticipation for it! 'Unleashed' to me was an enjoyable experience. But it was so predictable due to the sequencing of the songs- I also think 'The Chain' would work much, much better mid-way in the set, it's an exciting track (or used to be) but the band doesn't seemed warmed up enough, or something, playing it so early on, it comes across sterile, for me, now.
Also, this tour was much touted as the 'ultimate hits' tour, and they open with 'Monday Morning'-- not a hit, and actually quite a dull opener, imo.