Fan Club Tickets Info

[Smokin Joe]

After sleeping on this info I thought I would post again. Last year, I bought my tickets on Ebay, 7th row, center section for a little more than face value. I thought that they were excellent seats. They were right on the isle so I had a lot of room to stand for the whole concert (by choice--not by necessity.) Now we are looking at row 30 through the fan club? I think NOT. $500 for a chance at rows 1 through 5? Not only no, but, HELL NO. This has really been a big disappointment for me as I have always had faith that they would do things right for us. As far as I am concerned they have flunked the test. I can no longer support the non-existent efforts of a marketing company that only wants to pacify us by making us spend more money and make us think we are getting something. How ignorant do these people think we are? Still no calendar/letter, generic emails and now this. The hole gets deeper and deeper by the day. I can't invest in tickets only to find out 2 weeks before the concert that I don't like where I am going to sit. I will continue to use the means that has given me a decent success rate as far as seats go. $500 X 50 is $25,000. At $95 face value for the tickets, where is the other $20,000 going? 50 laminates, 50 trips backstage, 50 Autographed tour books, a $25 gift certificate to their store, and, a t-shirt. We have all worked hard for our paychecks and I really don't think we are going to grasp at the little carrot they are dangling in front of our faces.
Good luck to those of you that are going to use the presale. I hope it works out for you all. Personally, I need something more concrete to work with.

[ShangriLaTroubl]

I don't mind the ticket prices really...but some of the things this fan club has the audacity to offer, outrage me....they think people are dumb enough to pay 500 bucks for row 1-5 and some other stupid perks...but the sad part i guess is some people WILL PAY for these packages...

Chris

[sparky]

Originally posted by enibs78
I never thought I'd say this, but the new fan club is worse than the old one. Ya wanna get good seats? Here's how. Ya gotta PAY THROUGH THE NOSE! Read it and weep!

There are two offerings for fan club members for this show...

Bronze Presale Tickets - this is presale only and ends on Friday, February 12th at 10amPT/12pmCT/1pmET.
* Price - face value of a price level one ticket plus a $10 service charge.
* Location - Rows 1 - 30
* Limit four Bronze Presale Tickets per person

Platinum Package - these packages are available until soldout.
* Only 50 per show
* Price - $500
Includes:
* One price level one ticket, location rows 1 - 5
* Exclusive Platinum Ticket Package t-shirt
* Exclusive Platinum Ticket Package VIP laminate
* Autographed Tour book
* $25 coupon good in the official Fleetwood Mac fan club online store
* VIP Backstage tour - NO meet and greet
* Limit two Platinum Packages per person

Well, considering what you'd pay a scalper for a ticket in rows 1-5, which is about 300 bucks, this really isn't all that bad. IF you have the money. When you consider a tour book 30 bucks, a t-shirt, 35 bucks, 25 bucks in the store...that's about a hundred bucks, plus the face value of 150 or so. They're making 200 - 250 a person for the paperwork, and a backstage tour. 500 bucks is a lot of money to a lot of people, but how many of us spent 2 -300 just for a ticket, parking and 10 dollar apiece drinks on the last leg. They know people will pay it, so they are offering it. When I heard of this new leg, my first reaction was "Well, they are backing up the Brinks truck." Why not ? People will pay, and pay, and pay.

P.S. I WON'T BE ONE OF THEM.

[ShangriLaTroubl]

First off I havent and never will pay that for ONE ticket...it's ridiculous...when you can get a ticket almost always on Ebay for 350 - 400 bucks for TWO tickets....and half the time you can get a great ticket from ticketmaster for face value...IMO it's a rip off offer...and people WILL pay the 500 bucks for one ticket, and a stupid backstage tour...meet a couple of roadies, get a laminate....whatever....I'll get my tix on my own, and If I do get screwed and end up with row 25...then whatever, atleast I will know ahead of time whats happening...

Chris

[dissention]

Originally posted by strandinthewind
Vaht - They should do it for free

Although I think they are alot of $$$, FM concert sales prices are in line with other acts of their status (Eagles, Stones, etc.). I mean Simon and Garfunkal (sp.?) is a two person deal and they charged as much. So, FM is not openly and solely gouging and the market clearly is paying it. I say good for them if they can get it.

That's not the point. The point is, this band was once about the music, not just money. That isn't the case anymore. And comparing their pricing and behavior with that of other acts is ridiculous. The fact is, they want as much cash as they can get and will spare nothing to get it, even the integrity they have left. We all heard Liddy Buck's cheesy explanation about ticket prices and that screamed of absurdity.

They can go ahead and charge the amounts of money that they do, but it doesn't mean that their fans aren't going to question their integrity and motives. They can put ****s like Toad in charge of their endeavors, but they should expect to come under fire from fans who feel cheated. We're simply cows being milked.

I have more respect for artists like Tom Petty who appreciate their fans for putting them where they are and making tickets affordable for them. They are to be commended, whereas FM needs a slap in their collective faces. I do not blindly worship these people and will not buy into the mentality that they do this "for the fans" because they don't. If Stevie cares as much about the fans as she says she does, why screw them over so much? I think I know why. Someone has to pay for the private jets and the diamond dog collars, so it might as well be us, huh?

Any band that treats fans so badly doesn't deserve any more success, IMO.

[dreams]

I sat in 4th and 2nd rows at the 2 shows I attended. Face value. I got the best I could at the outset, then traded up when Ticketmaster released better ones days before the show. I took the risk of having to sell the first tickets, but it worked out and I didn't eat any tickets. So it is a no-brainer to me. I realize I was incredibly lucky, and it may be different with the outdoor venues, but that is the way I'm goin. f*** fanclubs or presales!!! I don't have to deal with the anger or disapointment either!

[EnchantedSLN]

Originally posted by dissention
Ha! I was disappointed a year ago, what's taking you so long, doll?!

I know; a lot of people were. I was plenty annoyed with the fanclub a year ago. The difference now is that I feel the whole band is pretty aware of everything, whereas I don't think that was the case before (I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt, at least). I could be disillusioned with the club, and Jonothan Todd, and Mick... and that didn't bother me. But I suddenly don't care as much about seeing Fleetwood Mac this summer. That bothers me. I guess I ought to take a number ... I know a lot of fans passed that point a long time ago.

[ShangriLaTroubl]

While I disagree with your opinions on the band Dissention, I am not blinded by this band or any band....I simply get enjoyment out of their music, and it is something I really enjoy....I feel like it makes my life happier, and better..

I don't mind paying a lot of money for an experience I will really enjoy....BUT I will not pay more money than the general public just so I can act like I'm getting special "members only priveleges." Face it, most fan clubs are crap.....it's all a big money scam..a scam think I believe is done by these companies like Signatures and Sabremark...not by the band. I fell into it like a lot of people, will I do it again? Hell no.
We need to realize that our band does not get into the little details like how much a t shirt will cost, especially Stevie....the promoter makes the ticket prices, and yes the band could take a pay cut for lower ticket prices, but it's not going to happen...like it or not..if you don't like it just buy the CD's and say screw the concerts...
And if you DO want to still go to the concerts, try to use your best options, which is NOT the fan club presales..

[dissention]

Originally posted by EnchantedSLN
I know; a lot of people were. I was plenty annoyed with the fanclub a year ago. The difference now is that I feel the whole band is pretty aware of everything, whereas I don't think that was the case before (I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt, at least). I could be disillusioned with the club, and Jonothan Todd, and Mick... and that didn't bother me. But I suddenly don't care as much about seeing Fleetwood Mac this summer. That bothers me. I guess I ought to take a number ... I know a lot of fans passed that point a long time ago.

I know, it is pretty sad. I was so excited to see them last year and everything, but because of the way they treat the fans, it makes me want forget about them and whatever they do in the future because I don't want to support such blatant greed, you know? It kind of sucks when a band that you've loved for years and years does things to make you feel that way.

Oh, and Tiff?

"SHE BANGS!"

[dissention]

Originally posted by ShangriLaTroubl
While I disagree with your opinions on the band Dissention, I am not blinded by this band or any band....I simply get enjoyment out of their music, and it is something I really enjoy....I feel like it makes my life happier, and better..

I don't mind paying a lot of money for an experience I will really enjoy....BUT I will not pay more money than the general public just so I can act like I'm getting special "members only priveleges." Face it, most fan clubs are crap.....it's all a big money scam..a scam think I believe is done by these companies like Signatures and Sabremark...not by the band. I fell into it like a lot of people, will I do it again? Hell no.
We need to realize that our band does not get into the little details like how much a t shirt will cost, especially Stevie....the promoter makes the ticket prices, and yes the band could take a pay cut for lower ticket prices, but it's not going to happen...like it or not..if you don't like it just buy the CD's and say screw the concerts...
And if you DO want to still go to the concerts, try to use your best options, which is NOT the fan club presales..

I didn't mean to imply that you blindly support anything the band does, that was not my intention.

While I agree that these clubs are scams, the comapnies that run them are not to blame: the bands and artists who put their names on them are. They endorse it because they know the fans will buy into it, even if it is a shady deal, as both FM clubs have turned out to be. The artists are the one who put their names on the products and if they're crappy products, they need to be held accountable. No one is forcing them to do these things, they CHOOSE to do so. it says a lot about FM and its members if they endorse two ****ty clubs that scam fans, dontcha think?

While I still love the band and love seeing them live, these kinds of things make me want to just listen to the stuff I have and enjoy that, not support their ongoing greed. That's all.

[gldstwmn]

I just checked inot the Champaign presale and the tix for the bronze package and the price is $138 per ticket for a guarantee of rows 1-30. I think we all know what tickets we go when we were last promised this type of thing.

[ShangriLaTroubl]

Yes I see your point Dissention...it's hard to support such a pricey band....peoples' money means so much to them, they work for it...they need it (most people anyway)...and the band SHOULD realize that when we DO shell out 125 per ticket that we do it because we really DO support them, and want them to have success, and want them to appreciate us, and simply enjoy them.....I dont know if they do know (them being multi-millionaires and all) how much that 125 bucks does mean to someone......I hope they do , I dunno...

A lot of us fans have given up a lot for this band...cancelling classes, not buying this or that, all this for that show.....it is a big deal, you are right, and they should appreciate it...I guess I just hope somewhere there they do appreciate it, and are naive as to what goes on...

Chris

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by sparky
Well, considering what you'd pay a scalper for a ticket in rows 1-5, which is about 300 bucks, this really isn't all that bad. IF you have the money. When you consider a tour book 30 bucks, a t-shirt, 35 bucks, 25 bucks in the store...that's about a hundred bucks, plus the face value of 150 or so. They're making 200 - 250 a person for the paperwork, and a backstage tour.

You're using retail price on the shirts and tourbooks though. Those items don't cost them anywhere near that. I'd be willing to bet there's about a 300% mark up on that stuff. So I think they're making a lot more than that.

[sparky]

Originally posted by ShangriLaTroubl
the promoter makes the ticket prices, and yes the band could take a pay cut for lower ticket prices, but it's not going to happen...

There is some truth to this, but it isn't that simple. I've learned a lot about how the tour business works in the last few months. One of my best friends is a talent buyer and has worked in the business for decades as a manager, booking agent, and club owner. The entire pricing structure is based on one thing, and one thing only - the "price guarantee". Basically, this is the amount of money the band demands per show. So, if a band will play for 50k a night, you divide that price by the number of seats, determine the break even point for the venue, factor in the percentage of seats you think you will sell, and set the ticket price from there. The venue has a set rental fee, the band has their set fee. The promoter pays the band, the venue rental fee, and the other incidental costs, and the rest is gravy.
But, this is all based and predicated on what the band demands to be paid. If a band demands in the range of 4-600k a show, which I am sure FM does, a promoter cannot risk losing money when a show only sells 60-70% of the house. They can't get in a situation where they can lose their shirt, because that is a hell of a shirt to lose.
Way before a tour is booked, the artist and their managers decide how much they want per show. This is probably more complicated with FM, as there are separate "artists" who have separate management. Rest assured, the amount of money they demand is definitely affected by the manner in which they travel. The private jets, four star hotels, personal assistants, chefs, massage therapists, and the like all add to the overhead and influence someone's asking price. The band does not set the ticket prices, but their "asking price" certainly influences the face value of the tickets.
Understanding all this doesn't really change my attitude about how much I want to see a band. It comes down to what a night of entertainment is worth to you. On one level, I don't blame them for traveling the way they do. If I were pushing sixty (or dragging it) and hauling my butt all over the country, I'd want to travel like royalty as well. Especially if I didn't HAVE to go out there for the money. My attitude just might be, "Okay, I'll do it, but it better be worth the wear and tear of it all."
It's a pretty complicated situation, but that's my view of the pricing and the reason why it is what it is.
The fan club, as always, is another issue entirely.

[sparky]

Originally posted by gldstwmn
You're using retail price on the shirts and tourbooks though. Those items don't cost them anywhere near that. I'd be willing to bet there's about a 300% mark up on that stuff. So I think they're making a lot more than that.

You're right there. Those shirts cost them maybe 10 or 12 bucks when bought in that kind of bulk. But, this fan club stuff has to support itself, and part of that profit is going to pay for staff and overhead for the "club" itself. It's all about 100% or more profit. No doubt about that.