the new ticketmaster/livenation still blows

[jabumbo]

the past two years they've been trying for this merger, the big thing was how it will reduce fees and overall ticket prices for the consumer.


just out of curiosity, i checked the prices on a amphitheater show this summer:

ticket base price - $30.50
facility charge - $6.00
convenience fee - $12.85



so wtf? a 42% fee on top of the ticket price? you've got to be kidding...

i mean, i can live with a facility fee, since i know it goes towards the local venue for parking, employees, etc. but that kind of a fee on top is just ridiculous

[nodanaonlyzuul]

Yeah, I got tickets to a show that was $35 bucks and the convenience fee was $12 for each ticket.

That's a shitload, man. That's getting close to another ticket in itself!

[Echewta]

I'm curious to know if they had convenience fees when I use to stand in line outside of MusicPlus to get tickets, later to get wrist bands. If they did, that blows because nothing was convenient about sitting on gross sidewalk at 5:00 a.m.

[NicRN77]

it is maddening how bad the ticket world is nowadays. I paid $7 in convenience charges to a show that costs $20. it almost makes you want to risk paying at the door the night of the show....

[jabumbo]

i've resorted to just buying everything at the box office anymore.


most of the live nation venues suck anyway, and only host the overly expensive acts.

[NicRN77]

most of the live nation venues suck anyway, and only host the overly expensive acts.

Live Nation has bought out so many iconic venues...everything is corporate nowadays.

[yeahwho]

I wonder if Live Nation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Nation) realizes how depressing their name being attached to a live show is? They have prostituted the music industry into a brand name corporate whore of which Live nation is the brand name pimp.

They suck.

[RobMoney$]

I'm curious to know if they had convenience fees when I use to stand in line outside of MusicPlus to get tickets, later to get wrist bands. If they did, that blows because nothing was convenient about sitting on gross sidewalk at 5:00 a.m.


Truly glorious times we grew up in, wasn't it?
I actually miss camping in line overnight for tickets.
It was like a pre-concert.

[cosmo105]

I remember working at a record store that sold tickets through Ticketmaster, and their whole system was the most rickety old piece of crap ever (even at the time, about 6 years ago). Customers would sometimes be charged twice because things wouldn't go through, and the servers were sooooo slow that you would sell out of huge events before the 3rd person in line got a chance to even step up.

I did always get first spot in line whenever I wanted to buy tickets for something, though :cool:

[NicRN77]

Truly glorious times we grew up in, wasn't it?
I actually miss camping in line overnight for tickets.
It was like a pre-concert.

the whole wristband thing was so cool. the first time I saw the Beasties in 1994 we had to stand in line at the local record store.

[Caribou]

Even in The Netherlands everything is owned by Ticketmaster and it's just terrible...
For most gigs you're no longer able to buy your ticket in shops, but have to get them online, which means that fuckwits can buy hundreds of tickets at once and sell them for triple price.
Gigs are sold out at record speeds (Flight Of The Conchords within 1 second! That's just wrong!) and the magic of queueing at the postoffice with other real fans and getting in as one of the first and actually holding your ticket is now gone.
Also ticketmaster asks 4-10 euro's 'administration costs', but what fucking administration? We have to print the tickets ourselves!

Btw, I wonder if there's a problem with chatting audiences in the rest of the world or if that's a typical Dutch thing? People just don't seem to care and have constant loud conversations even at the quietest of gigs.
I've seen bands getting really angry over it and I agree. If you don't want to hear the band, go and sit in the bar. Have respect for the artist and for the people who have paid to hear the music.
Last month tindersticks walked off halfway through their gig, which triggered lots of protest groups, like this one: www.respecttheband.nl

[NicRN77]

Ticketmaster is the US charges $2.50 to print your tickets at home vs FREE for them to print and mail them to you. I don't understand that.

That is one of my biggest pet peeves when people talk through a whole show. It's like someone talking through a movie. They obviously don't give a shit. I really do enjoy going to certain shows solo...get so much more into the music and don't have to worry about keeping my concert buddy entertained.