Cheap concert seats due after cruel summer of 2010


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101226/ap_ ... ket_prices

This is great news for concertgoers. 2010 was awesome with $10 seats for some excellent shows. Hope that keeps up in 2011.

LOS ANGELES – Concertgoers sick of ballooning ticket prices should have some extra pocket change to rattle with their rock 'n' roll in the new year.

2010 was tough for the concert business as high prices kept many fans at home. Promoters now say they plan to make shows more affordable in 2011. But they'll also try to sell more T-shirts and other merchandise to make up for lost revenue.

Heading into last summer, usually the busiest time of the year, prices were set too high despite the sluggish economy. Managers and promoters believed fans would keep paying for the one or two concerts they see on average each year.

Instead, many stayed home and dozens of shows were canceled. Lots of venues filled seats with fire-sale prices.

Now, rather than charge lots early and offer discounts later, some promoters say they'll offer cheaper tickets from the start, partly because they know fans will spend as much as usual on beer and tchotchkes when they arrive.

ZZ Top, for one, expects to set prices below the 2010 average of $55. Some tickets will go for as little as $10.

"It's time to give the value back," said Carl Stubner, manager of the long-bearded rock band from Texas. "We'll find other ways to make money."

That doesn't mean all acts will be cheap — not even Cheap Trick, whose tickets for 2011 are selling for around $80 with fees. Fans of hot performers including Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga also shouldn't expect to get much of a break.

In related news, TicketMaster announced a new merger-processing fee of $150 per ticket...

I saw an article today where TicketMaster claimed the charge they apply for you printing your tickets at home (you know, the one that saves them from using any of their supplies or paying postage to ship you tickets) is to pay for the 'technology'. The article was about the ridiculous fees they charged for tickets to the alumni game at the WInter Classic - $13.50 in fees on a $25 face value. Never mind that you couldn't get through to their site because it couldn't handle the traffic.

And their site sucks - I tried to get a refund for the postponed Devo show from July (after five months, I don't think it's going to be rescheduled). If it had been canceled, the refund supposedly would have been automatic. But their form doesn't work - it won't process the submit.

Alan

I save money now by skipping bad shows. It's easy as there's so many. Also, if a show I want to see sells out in advance (rare these days) I don't care anymore. I wait until that night and get the tickets with no fees or pay the $10 cheap seats when they get desperate. I almost never use Ticketmaster for anything anymore.

The Jones Beach shows were fantastic for that.....walk up to the box office a half-hour before the show, buy a $10 seat and then proceed to sit in a $50 seat.

I might try that for some Deer Creek shows next year.

Most of who I see usually plays smaller theaters (Beacon, Irving Plaza etc.) and usually sell out, or come close.....so I'm still stuck with Ticketmaster.

Ray Davies, Patti Smith (in New York City), Elvis Costello, The Pogues, Jeff Beck, and (as mentioned in the article) Cheap Trick can mostly fill up places with what they charge.

Paul McCartney will never have $10 seats.

This is more for the acts that play the simmer shed/amphitheaters.