Live Music Suffers Rare Slump

Powerage

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Money spent on tickets in 2010 falls for the first time in a decade

According to the NME the amount of money spent on face value rock and pop gig tickets fell for the first time in a decade last year.



Figures released by The Performing Rights Society (PRS) For Music state that music fans spent 12% less on face value tickets in 2010 compared with 2009.


The slump has been largely attributed to the fact that bands such as the Rolling Stones and Take That did not tour last year, while acts such as Rod Stewart and Kings Of Leon took their tours around arenas rather than stadia.


The report says:


"It would be very tempting to look at these numbers and jump towards a knee jerk reaction that the live music bubble has burst. We should not. Instead, we should develop a broader understanding of the dynamics at play in the market."



It's extremely likely that 2011 will be substantially better than 2010 in terms of ticket revenue, with some major tours already having taken place so far (not least that record breaking set of Take That stadium dates) but it's interesting to see that despite rising ticket prices revenues are perhaps not quite as strong as the music industry would hope.


The news comes not too long after the PRS reported that the money going to musicians in the UK from music royalties fell by £7 million in 2010. It's the first time a drop had ever been recorded.


(NME)

Planet Rock

Last year I did 2 big festivals and cut back on the headline shows, but quite simply tickets are too expensive, and now with fuel prices in the UK being sky high, it's only getting to get worse unless Promoters start bringing down the prices.
 

ANF

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I blame it on rock star greed. Concerts are supposed to be a fun night out, not a weeks paycheck. In the 70's and 80's you could see the biggest names on a few hours minimum wage, now you better have a really good job if you want to indulge, and I think its wrong. Inflation does not excuse why $20 in 1990 is $200 now. In 1984 people acted like The Jacksons' Victory tour was overpriced as hell with $30 tickets. Even with inflation that'd be $50-60 now... I don't think anyone would complain about a superstar of MJ's stature offering tickets that CHEAP now.

And before people blame downloading, this crap was taking effect before people started downloading music, I remember Barbra Streisand charging $300 in 1994.

When I see newer artists like Bieber and Gaga charging $100-200 for their concerts, makes me want to see them crash and burn because they are way too new to be commanding those sorts of prices, they are not U2 or Paul McCartney.
 

Lynch

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^^^ u2 doesn't have the right to charge that kind of money either. McCartney? Perhaps. Pop stars? u2 (well, I guess they are basically pop stars now too, aren't they)? Whatever. $200/ticket is bullshit.
 

Slip'nn2Darkness

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Isn't ticket prices related more to the management of groups?? I mean I don't really know who sets the prices but if you take into account how much money is spent now on huge stage shows with all workers involved to run the shows, isn't that a reason ticket prices have sky rocketed??

Maybe if they went back to just playing music instead of putting on expensive Pyro and lighting shows things could be more affordable for the fans..
Just my two cents comment..
 

Lynch

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Slip, that's exactly what causes a good portion of the higher ticket prices. The amount of money that gets spent on every show, which also includes the transportation costs of the gear from one gig to the next (with gas at nearly $4 a gallon in the US, it adds up quick).

But it certainly isn't all of it.

Those of us that are older remember some pretty cheap concerts, and the biggest reason for that aside from reversing inflation over the years, is that most bands got on stage, played their gig and left. The road crew wasn't as massive because the setup wasn't as massive as it is now. I just saw pictures of the U2 gig in Minneapolis last month and it looks like something out of a freakin' space ship.
 

LG

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The exorbitant ticket prices are also the main bread and butter for artists now, they depend on them for the bulk of their revenue.

Back in the day when Lynch and I were young...:D...concerts were "loss leaders", the labels and sponsor's picked up the costs to promote selling more albums.

Add to that the huge shows as Slip mentioned and you see how easily things got to where they are.

With the economic collapse underway as I write this, I don't think 2012 is going to be a good year for any band to tour.
 

Magic

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Sad to say, but I think the slump is more a sign of economic times than anything the bands and promoters are doing wrong.


People just can't afford any luxuries, and this includes going to concerts.


The times are changing, everyone is feeling the economic pinchers on their wallets, including the big music industry!!!
 

ANF

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^^^ u2 doesn't have the right to charge that kind of money either. McCartney? Perhaps. Pop stars? u2 (well, I guess they are basically pop stars now too, aren't they)? Whatever. $200/ticket is bullshit.

Well U2 are now at the 30 year mark, I do think they have proven their value, although I'd rather watch a DVD of them live than pay $200 to see people the size of an ant on the stage who may or may not be Bono and The Edge.
 

ANF

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Sad to say, but I think the slump is more a sign of economic times than anything the bands and promoters are doing wrong.


People just can't afford any luxuries, and this includes going to concerts.


The times are changing, everyone is feeling the economic pinchers on their wallets, including the big music industry!!!

This is true, but I do think the rock stars demanding us to fork big bucks because of their lifestyles don't help either. There was a huge recession in the early 80's but artists like The Stones on their Tattoo You tour and other acts (AC/DC, Van Halen, Rush, etc...) did well because people could find it not too stressful to part with $15-20 to see those artists live... but parting with $100+ when you're on a budget isn't the same. Concerts are supposed to be a night out of entertainment similar to going to the movies or going out to dinner... not something that you need to really work around your budget just because you want to see your favorite musician.
 

runningshoes

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I always thought artists were grossly underpaid for what they did live back in the eighties. I don't mind forking out a couple hundred bucks or more to see a good act.
 

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