Pre-sale ticket buying and fan clubs

I'll second that, Rick. I've often thought that the longest serving (not meant to sound like a prison sentence  ) and loyal fans get a rough deal in ticket sales. Yes ok, they may get to see an artist when he's still playing small venues and the benefits of being up close, but once they reach the big time it's "join the back of the queue with the other million who want to see them". At the front of the queue are often the touts and scalpers who somehow manage to get the best seats. You only have to look on ebay to see the number of front row tickets on sale at extrortionate prices. Just how do they get these tickets?

In the "old days", it was possible to queue at the box office on the day tickets went on sale and I well remember travelling to London to buy tickets at the Rainbow. The RAH is one of the very few that has retained this method of selling tickets - thankfully.

I suppose one could argue that the internet has made tickets available to all, but it's still far from a level playing field.

Three cheers for Tom Petty.     

Phil

I'll give my seats away sometimes and sit at the back and still be witness to excitement.  But no objections to this type of idea and of course would perhaps be taking advantage of now and then... But ya'll better not be bitchin' about the LOUDNESS!   

Rock ON & Keep the Faith and the Hearing Protection Handy,
Rocket

"He still doesn't charge for mistakes! "
http://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/
"Everybody wants ta get inta the act!"
“Now, this isn’t your ordinary party crowd, here.  I mean, there are professionals in here.”

I don't think it's necessary but it IS a very nice option.  However, I don't think anything except SOME seats should be offered up, NOT the choice ones all the time.  The new fan(s) who is (are)  greatly anticipating an upcoming first time (especially) or first chance show should get a chance a great locations also.  IMHO.
Where else, I do not know Brack, I am too tired myself to think any more right now... ZZZZzzzz

Rock ON & Keep the Faith,
Rocket

"He still doesn't charge for mistakes! "
http://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/
"Everybody wants ta get inta the act!"
“Now, this isn’t your ordinary party crowd, here.  I mean, there are professionals in here.”

Yes Rocket - I agree about new fans should also get a chance for good seats, but also feel that us "long-termers" should also have a shot at the great seats IF WE WANT THEM. If I have discovered a new artist that I really like I will join his forum, website, mailing list, facebook page,or if they have it a fan club -  whatever (it seems to be very established artists that have fan clubs, especially paying ones, and they have to offer some kind of a perk to entice people to join.) Since I'm a photographer I like having close seats - loud is good.  One of the best parts about the Tom Petty deal is having to pick the tickets up in person at the show, also there is a four-ticket limit for presale.

Brack - they have actually been doing some presale sales of Joe's concerts since last year.  It is a nice option to have, and especially for the artists that are big-time (i.e. the one the scalpers tend to go for).  I believe faithfulness and supporting your artist should have it's rewards.

Sandy

I see there has been a lot of talk on the forum about ticket prices etc. etc.  I wasn't exactly sure where to post this, but I am sick of the ticket scalpers!! I want to see Bruce Springsteen and not pay ticket scalpers price.

Years ago I had an American Express, then got rid of it.  I remember when I purchased tickets to see Steve Winwood & Eric Clapton at MSG, I got an American Express just so I could get the best pre-sale tickets and I was a member of both Winwood's and Clapton's fan clubs. When you think about it, the youthful music fans out there typically would be eliminated from pre-sales in the prime of their concert going years if the band they wanted to see did an AmexEx only pre-sale.

Anyway...

Thumbs up to John Mayer for at least attempting to do something.
http://johnmayer.com/tour/new-ticket-policies/

I read about this from my daily Bob Lefsetz's e-mail.  Its not up on his site yet. So, here's his take. And his site. http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
1. No pre-sales

Just like the rest of America, concertgoing has turned into the haves and have-nots. If you have an American Express card, like your average teenager, you can buy early. The scalpers can't get these cards, so they're shut out.

Huh?

The pre-sales are all about taking money for "advertising" that goes directly to the act's bottom line. It's as fan-friendly as those underpriced $35 t-shirts.

One tier of ticketing is necessary to solve this problem. We're all in it together. Isn't that what we claimed in the sixties?

But it hasn't been that way for eons. The acts want to be like the fat cats, but both won't admit that without the hoi polloi, without their fans, they're nothing.

2. Paperless

To fight paperless is to fight health care.

WHOA! I just stepped in a pile of doody.

Since people know as much about health care as they do about ticketing, let me just say the anti-paperless people are those who are scalping tickets, they're the problem, not the solution. As for you who buy more than you need and use StubHub to resell... Screw you. Buy what you need and leave the rest for your brethren. Come on people now, smile on your brother, love one another right now.

If you can't go to the show, you can...

Sell on TicketExchange as Mayer allows you to do. With no more than a 20% markup.

3. Getting in is a hassle

But so is going to the show. The traffic, the parking.

If you can't deal with a wait to get inside, STAY HOME!

4. Acts are afraid of paperless

Because once you mess with the scalpers, you deal with true demand, which may be less than believed. Did that many people really want to see Kraftwerk at MOMA? No, a bunch of enterprising scalpers felt they could charge more for the tickets.

Let me not confuse you.

Miley Cyrus went out paperless after that famous tour where the mommys cried they couldn't get their kids in and...she didn't sell out.

And her live business hasn't been the same since.

So, you can allow scalping and give the illusion you're a hot ticket or...

Go paperless and find out...not that many people want to see you.

5. Acts must make fair deals

Otherwise they incentivize the promoter to cheat/scalp.

6. All-in ticketing

Do they break out the taxes in bold numbers at the pump? Do you drive past the Exxon station and see a sign for $2 gas and then pump it and find you were charged $4? If you're not for all-in pricing, you're scum, you're part of the problem, not the solution. Everybody on the inside knows the fees are profit, and without promoter and venue and ticket provider profit, you've got no touring business. You acts refusing to go to all-in ticket pricing just want to place the blame on everyone but yourself.

We could have some light shed on this problem in America, but nobody wants it, not the acts, promoters or venues. They like things the way they are.

It's gonna take the acts to solve the problem. They must all sign a pledge not to break the code above.

Let's see what happens.

Give Mayer credit for making this step.

Like I said yesterday, change starts with an individual.

Frequently, that individual pays a price for opening the door for everybody else.

Let's hope John Mayer does not pay that price.

http://johnmayer.com/tour/new-ticket-policies/

P.S. The promoters are not innocent. But change starts with the acts. They bring the people in, no one wants to go to a Live Nation show without a headliner. Acts must use their inherent leverage to right the wrongs in this business.

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