Attend Madonna concert or feed family this week? (Thanks, Live Nation!)

ANNE SIRREL Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 09:39 AM EST

U.S.A'S NAVIGATOR

ANNE SIRREL "JOY" BRADY. Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 09:39 AM EST

U.S.A'S NAVIGATOR

ANNE SIRREL "JOY" BRADY. Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 09:36 AM EST

TRY WALTON BEACH ALABAMA MANGERS WITH YOUR HOT STARS! THIS TIP IS WORTH SOME MONEY FOR YOU! AS A NVIGATOR I CAN SAVE YOU!

ANNE SIRREL Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 09:33 AM EST

I DO AGREE THAT THE TICKETS ARE TOO HIGH AND I DO ATTEND AND PAY FOR LESS LIVE SHOWS THAN I DID YESTERDAY! THE PLACES ARE ALREADY PAID FOR AND HOW MUCH DO THE STARS WANT TO MAKE A HOUR? THEIR MANAGERS WANT TO MAKE MORE THAN THE STARS! (MAYBE)YOU CAN STAY HOT LONGER STARS WITH LESS CHARGES! THURS. FEB 5, 09.

ANNE SIRREL "JOY" BRADY. Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 09:33 AM EST

I DO AGREE THAT THE TICKETS ARE TOO HIGH AND I DO ATTEND AND PAY FOR LESS LIVE SHOWS THAN I DID YESTERDAY! THE PLACES ARE ALREADY PAID FOR AND HOW MUCH DO THE STARS WANT TO MAKE A HOUR? THEIR MANAGERS WANT TO MAKE MORE THAN THE STARS! (MAYBE)YOU CAN STAY HOT LONGER STARS WITH LESS CHARGES! THURS. FEB 5, 09.

tnsmoke Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 07:58 PM EST

I don't mind paying the few dollars extra fee Live Nation charges because with Live Nation I can PICK my own seats. That is a big plus.

David Nelson Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 01:32 PM EST

Hey Mike and others...you do realize that Ticketmaster and Live Nation do not set the prices for a show right? And that they do not pocket the entire convenience fee and it fluctuates on how greedy promoters and venues are? Or that you can avoid the convenience charge by going to the box office? That printing tickets at home is a technology that millions of dollars were invested in and isn't "free"?

I swear, the misconceptions about this industry are incredible. I understand the general public's misunderstanding, but not to reporters that cover the industry.

gw Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 08:30 PM EST

If you enjoy going to shows then consider working for the companies that produce them (you will save thousands every year).

Matt Sun, Jan 11, 2009 at 10:11 AM EST

Ticket sales have dropped over the last two years - 2007 dropped 20% over 2006, and 2008 dropped another 2% over 2007. The only reason it was less of a drop last year is that there were a lot of big acts touring. The prices are too high - especially for acts that aren't established yet. I have paid $300 to see Madonna, $165 to see U2, well over $100 to see Elton John and Bruce. But these are acts with 30, 40, 50 Top 40 hits to choose from - true legends. Killers - yeah I'd pay $70 (once you add in surcharges) to see them but a lot of people won't. I'd love to see Rihanna or Kelly Clarkson in concert, but even their tickets can go for $75 or $100 with surcharges. Forget it for that.

Rich Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 11:33 PM EST

Madonna is one expensive *itch! I have been to 4 concets. Unless my 350 dollar ticket is a floor seat, and within close range to the stage, live nation can shove the 350 for a lower arena.

The Dancer Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 10:48 PM EST

EW and Mike Bruno are both pathetic. The headline states in relation to attending a concert "or feed family this week?" and then proceds with there being a $13.50 additional cost. Is that all? 13.50? Grow up Mike Bruno. Report on something of value, and to EW, you are just as bad for letting this be published. Sad Sad Sad that you don't have connections to print something worthwile like your competitors do.

Meredith44 Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 09:58 PM EST

I used to go to concerts all of the time (back when I was in college and just out) when I had little money, but the tickets weren't bad. Now, I only go once a year or so, and that is to see someone I really like. (This year was Sugarland, and it was worth every cent as they gave a tremendous live performance.) Thus, I'm spending a similar amount of money, but seeing fewer concerts. And even then, I'm spending less than $100 a year. I would love to see more, but I couldn't possibly justify spending more, although others here apparently can. The system won't change as long as people are willing to pay the money.

Sassy Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 09:34 PM EST

MikeinSJ, Alex & Jared - Madonna is worth every penny of a $250+ ticket??? I'm sorry you have never been exposed to good music. When she started out she was tolerable, but she can't sing. I don't care if she has a different outfit for every song or if monkeys rain from the ceiling, you can't make up for boring lyrics and shoddy vocals. Well, obviously you can TRY & scam people at the same time, since people such as yourself pay to see her.

MereP Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 08:56 PM EST

And that's why I refuse to see anything but small indie/local bands live. There are very few concerts worth two weeks worth of food and a gym membership! Skip the big names and support the little guys....That might teach everyone to reduce the cost of their tickets!

mk Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 08:11 PM EST

Clarifying my earlier comment. Madonna shows are not about actual singing and/or playing instruments. You are charged outrageous prices to pay for her over the top theatre shows. Maybe she could justify those prices if the performance were in a real Broadway theater. But in an arena with 10,000 or 15,000 people?

Scarlett Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 07:12 PM EST

The Jonas Brothers are coming to Detroit to perform an auto-show charity concert. Those willing and able to pay $400 get to attend the concert. Apparently, the arena was not filled up with wealthy Detroiters (believe me, there are none) so they sold the remainder of the tickets to the public for $49.50 (before all the service fees). That's right - spend $60 a ticket for the last row in the nose bleed section or a partially obstructed view. They were even selling seats BEHIND the stage! Greedy b******s!

Tarjay Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 07:08 PM EST

Ticketmaster sux! I went to see Justin Currie--former lead singer for Del Amitri. He was playing the Fine Line in Minneapolis--which is a small venue where you generally stand to watch the show--only a few tables with seats. His tickets were only $20, which I was glad to pay, but freakin' Ticketmaster charged $7 per ticket. For what? Their computer system didn't reserve me "seats" and I printed out my own tickets, so they charged $7 for basically nothing! I realize most folks think--what's the big deal--it's only $7 compared to the double-digit charges for larger acts, but that's almost a 50% mark-up! It's absolutely criminal!

Joe in Philly Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 06:22 PM EST

The music industry as we've known it for the last 30-plus years is dying, and that will take care of this problem. The biggest artists who charge the highest prices will eventually fade away and die. The artists of today, attempting to replace them, won't have the same fan base because everything has become singles-based and downloading songs for free is so rampant. So there won't be demand to see them, because they're just some people who had a few records that got played on the radio a lot, and they're a dime a dozen. That will cause ticket prices to finally drop.

I don't have as huge an issue with the amount of the ticket so much as I am appalled by the fees charged by Ticketmaster and their ilk. When THEY charge YOU to print out your own ticket instead of mailing it to you, something is dreadfully wrong.

MikeinSJ Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 05:35 PM EST

I'll attend the Madonna concert, thanks. By the way, she's not the only one on Live Nation, so why are you singling her out (as always). I'm so tired of the bias that is EW.

Jessica Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 03:18 PM EST

I've noticed a few commenters proclaiming that some "artists" put on Broadway-type performances and, due to production value, should be able to charge ridiculous amounts of money. My take? These so-called musicians aren't talented enough to pack seats without added theatrics. What happened to seeing musicians stand on stage, playing and singing their hearts out?

I was lucky enough to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 2006 for only $30 (service charges/taxes included). I had fabulous seats and my favorite concert-going experience ever. In addition I saw Incubus that same year and paid just over $30 to stand 5 feet from the stage:) I also just saw a great acoustic show featuring Natasha Bedingfield, Gavin DeGraw, Colbie Caillat, and David Cook for a little under $40-less than $10 per act!

I will continue to support live music as long as the ticket prices are reasonable.

blah Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 01:53 PM EST

jeesh, the main problem isn't 360 degree contracts, it's that people keep buying them. if prices are too high for you, don't go. it's that simple. if enough people don't go, then they'll be lowered. if not, then start saving for next year.

Liva Bird Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 01:41 PM EST

I'd rather support the new artists - awesome music, affordable fun. The last concert I was at was Jill Barber & Royal Wood at a old, acoustically perfect church. No hymnals, just a great time. On the other hand, the last big concert I was at had really bad sound, was hard to see and was at least a day's wage. Go indie!

MarkG Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 01:24 PM EST

I agree it's supply and demand (though it still sucks). There have been a few times a group I liked was playing and I did not purchase tickets because of "convenience" charges making the tickets rediculously expensive. The higher ups at tickmaster don't care if you are a fan of ticketmaster as long as you pay for the tickets. I do agree that the Tickets Now thing seems shady. I wouldn't be surprised if some class action lawsuits pop up in the future.

Jared Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 12:36 PM EST

Madonna was WORTH every penny of the $375 I paid. I'm not a fan of the addidtional costs ticketmaster and now livenation charge,it would be easier if it was just added into the initial price and we just didn't know about it....

jes1 Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 12:25 PM EST

It's not just concerts; sporting events and Broadway-type theater is too expensive. I don't go to any of those because of the price, unless I can snag a seat from season ticket holders I know. Local theater is relatively affordable if you are lucky enough to live in an area with a decent local theater company. Perhaps with the recession fewer people will be willing to shell out that kind of money (especially for fees ) for these events and the prices will go down.

Stephanie T. Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 11:12 AM EST

What we can do is to see bands that are just starting out or are not as popular in the united states as they are in other areas of the world. I have seen VNV Nation a few times, and I wound up spending 15-25 dollars rather than 60 dollars. I mean, ok. I am not going to lie, I am seeing Fleetwood Mac in March and I spent 45 dollars. However, that's because a friend of mine's birthday is around that time and she likes the band.

Stephanie T. Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 11:06 AM EST

A concert should be about a group or singer relating to their audience. Madonna does these ridiculously over the top theatrical shows that are way too expensive to produce. Hence, not only is the person buying the ticket paying to see her, they are paying to fund that show! Plus, she looked much better when she was not so buff. Now she looks scary!

Arkeshia Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 10:03 AM EST

I mean I guess it is the only way artists can supplement the loss they endure with downloaded music. No one is buying CDs these days really and it is so easy to burn.

Arkeshia Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 10:03 AM EST

I mean I guess it is the only way artists can supplement the loss they endure with downloaded music. No one is buying CDs these days really and it is so easy to burn.

mk Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 09:58 AM EST

Madonna doesn't do concerts. She performs Broadway shows. And yes, it is expensive to set up these productions in different cities. So the audience is paying more and more $ for production costs, artist, legal,agency, and venue fees and don't forget profit margins for the ticket sellers.

Andy Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 09:24 AM EST

The artists don't care - and in most cases probably don't even know. They get paid for the event - they don't set ticket prices, they pay no attention to that. They just show up and do their job. There were many concerts I would've seen this year but couldn't afford the prices. Sadly, other people will continue to buy them so the prices will never go down. Only up.

mario Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 09:07 AM EST

Personally, I think the prices are fine. It can be a pain for different people and its understandable but paying 350.00 for a Madonna is worth it to me...but then again, she's the only act I have paid and will continue to pay for since 1985. She's the best onstage in my opinion.

Kel Varnsen Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 08:30 AM EST

I don't know I guess it is expensive, but at the same time it isn't that bad. Say you go see The Killers for $55 bucks a ticket. But at the same time how often is the average person going to have a a chance to see a band they really like? Once a year maybe, it is not like most people go see concerts on a weekly basis? If that is the case than your yearly concert budget works out to only 15 cents a day.

mk Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 08:26 AM EST

Greedy performers and near monopoly on ticket sales for large to medium venues (livenation/ticketmaster)equals higher and higher prices.

Alex Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 07:47 AM EST

If it is a Madonna ticket, the price will never be outrageous. For all other tickets, I agree! Madonna is soooo adorable! She deserves all!

Nix Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 10:39 PM EST

But these are huge spectacle extravaganzas, not musicians playing music; and priced accordingly.

LizLemon Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 10:22 PM EST

IDK...I spent boatloads on music this year. Tickets & travel/board for out of town shows. Totally worth every penny to me.

What's the difference between this and the money people pay to go to sporting events - and those are less rare!!

Zachary Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 10:14 PM EST

What can be done? Stop buying the damn tickets. If they don't sell, prices come down. If you bought tickets at outrageous prices, then they were worth that much to you. If they weren't, you wouldn't have bought them. There are still cheap(er) tickets to be had for great live bands, so it's your own choice to be shelling out the big bucks to see watch a big video of your artist.

njgirl Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 09:16 PM EST

You think that's bad - tickets for Robin Williams - that's right Robin Williams were $250 in Atlantic City. That was the cheapest ticket price. Are you freakin kidding me?!?

psb1962 Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 08:58 PM EST

i refuse to pander to this blatant obscenity and insult.. i will not go to concerts in the future if i have to sell a vital organ to afford the event...

Aaron Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 07:50 PM EST

This isn't going to change unless it has to - it's a business model, let's remember, it's about money. If there's one good thing to come out of the recession, it will be that this model can't be sustained for too long. We talk about the recession not affecting things like this, but let's remember that on the whole, we're yet to really feel the recession. It's going to be a loooong year, where we'll realise how rather fortunate we were during this time when we started whinging without really feeling it. You'll see the prices drop, once people finally start having to make financial changes to their lives. So it's one good thing to come out of this, at least, because without the recession, this would be the future of the music industry who are looking to recoup from what downloading has done to sales of actual music.

franko Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 07:41 PM EST

It's not just concerts, either. I recently bought tix to take the kids to Disney on Ice and still paid twenty some dollars in service charges. Feed the greed, I guess.

CV Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 07:37 PM EST

The symphony, at least in my town, is far cheaper. $175 for Elton John & Billy Joel? $125 for the Eagles? And that's before "charges" and parking. It's insanity.

MSR Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 07:02 PM EST

Yeah, usually I don't go to a concert thanks to the cost of tickets. It's sad that a fan can't get the chance at decent tickets due to pricing. The tickets for the Britney concert proves that - $115 or something for SEATS! And then the $250+ for the floor. No thanks. Some concerts are reasonably priced, such as Jewel or Alanis, and those I attend.

Jane Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 06:14 PM EST

Oh yeah, it pisses me off! Ticketmaster has its own ticket gouging service now. Within 5 minutes of Phish tickets selling out on ticketmaster that had them on "tickets now"(owned by ticketmaster) for a 300% markup. Can someone say conflict of interest? I'm surprised more artist aren't speaking out about this. Where's Eddie Vedder outrage? I'm just a poor dirty hippie, I can't afford those prices.

Cricket Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 05:58 PM EST

Between the cost of cds, show tickets, etc...the industry wonders why Napster was so popular back in the day. I was looking for to seeing Motley Crue a year or so ago...until I saw the general admission lawn seating price. $55 for sitting on the ground is unacceptable.

lemmy Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 05:42 PM EST

Yes! Your comment about the blame also falling to bands is right on.

Theresa Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 05:35 PM EST

I totally agree. Prices are completely out of hand and I thought the whole point of Live Nation branching out was to do away with service charges. How are people supposed to afford these shows? Only people with a ton of disposable income are wanted at these shows? And even when a ticket price is listed at $25 you still wind up paying $40 after all the fees.

But, your question remains, what can we do about it?