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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Are bands just greedy these days?

104 replies

Bustop20 · 27/09/2023 18:05

Presale for take that today. People bought the album in the belief they could get tickets this morning using the special code, many found the ticket site crashed or couldn’t cope with demand.

The tickets from the presale this morning are already being advertised in places online for three times their face value.

It’s the same story for every major band

Are bands like Take That just greedy and using the idea of a presale to boost album sales?

AIBU to wonder why we can’t ban the resale of concert tickets? Instead, introduce the concept of taking out insurance incase you miss the gig? You can’t resell your aeroplane tickets nor your train tickets, why can you sell on your concert tickets?! Obviously this wouldn’t work in the favour of big ticket resellers online or the bands getting extra publicity and album sales from fans going to any length to get tickets but it make sense to me.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 27/09/2023 18:08

The issue here is with the ticket touts surely not the bands?

The official websites have tried to put in measures to stop them but I guess where there’s a will there’s a way!

Gymmum82 · 27/09/2023 18:11

You didn’t need to buy the album
to get the presale code. However the cost of tickets was a joke £120 for a decent seat. Complete rip off. I’ve never missed a tour but I’m not going to this one

Original poster
Bustop20 · 27/09/2023 18:11

But the bands are making money out of their fans misery are they not, by offering a presale code to those buying their album in advance?

OP posts:
Original poster
Bustop20 · 27/09/2023 18:17

Presale does nothing to stop resellers as evidenced by tickets appearing so quickly on resale websites. What it does is generate publicity for the band and allow them to sell even more albums, as if their concert ticket prices weren’t enough. A cynical way to exploit even more money out of the misery of their fans.

Im disgusted by it all and am going to go to smaller gigs from now on with artists who appreciate their fans.

OP posts:
megletthesecond · 27/09/2023 18:19

They don't make money from music anymore though. Years ago when we bought music (I was happy to continue paying £1 per download) the tickets were cheap. Now we can't buy tracks tours are expensive.

LadyGAgain · 27/09/2023 18:21

Venues are mega expensive. The marketing and the staffing.
In 2004 £60 would now be £120 due to inflation.

Sirzy · 27/09/2023 18:22

I doubt take that need much help to sell albums.

but on the whole at the moment the industry makes it harder than ever for bands to make money from their music

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 27/09/2023 18:24

Find small bands to like instead of big dumb „products“ (no offense to take that) - you get to see them much more affordably, you can interact a bit more with them, and you’ll be supporting hard working musicians rather than multi millionaires

Moonmelodies · 27/09/2023 18:26

Take That? A band? Which one plays the drums?

Frabbits · 27/09/2023 18:29

Moonmelodies · 27/09/2023 18:26

Take That? A band? Which one plays the drums?

🙄

Sirzy · 27/09/2023 18:30

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 27/09/2023 18:24

Find small bands to like instead of big dumb „products“ (no offense to take that) - you get to see them much more affordably, you can interact a bit more with them, and you’ll be supporting hard working musicians rather than multi millionaires

And it’s perfectly possible to do both!

IncomingTraffic · 27/09/2023 18:31

You can’t blame the artists for the shitty behaviour of touts.

In fact, you’d be better blaming the people who buy from the touts because it only happens because people will pay 3 times the actual price.

But, the actual problem is the touts - who make a lot of money and are very good at evading the industry’s attempts to thwart them.

The artists don’t benefit in any way from the tickets going to secondary markets where others make loads of money.

Surely you didn’t only buy the album so you could get concert tickets.

KrisAkabusi · 27/09/2023 18:32

Sirzy · 27/09/2023 18:22

I doubt take that need much help to sell albums.

but on the whole at the moment the industry makes it harder than ever for bands to make money from their music

Have you completely missed the streaming phenomenon? Nobody buys albums any more. There aren't even any shops to buy them in!

CurlyhairedAssassin · 27/09/2023 18:33

Years ago it was so simple to get tour tickets. There was only one place to get tickets and that was the venue, either in person (some people queued overnight to get a ticket), or phoning the box office. You were limited to so many per person. Then you got your ticket sent through the post. Job done. The only reselling that got done was by the ticket touts on the night of the event or if you couldn't make it you'd give/sell your ticket to a friend.

I hate the way it's done now - all the different ticketing companies, presale stuff, ripoff "gold tier" tickets which are a load of shit etc etc. Bring back the old days!

OnAFrolicOfMyOwn · 27/09/2023 18:36

KrisAkabusi · 27/09/2023 18:32

Have you completely missed the streaming phenomenon? Nobody buys albums any more. There aren't even any shops to buy them in!

Show quote history

Bollocks. I bought one last Saturday at HMV!

kitsuneghost · 27/09/2023 18:37

The high original cost. Blame Spotify. They get paid next to nothing on Spotify so tours are the only way to make a profit.
Do you have Spotify OP?

For presage it means that more committed fans get first dibs.
This can be buying the album or joining a fan club normally. I feel this is justified

As for resale sites, the band makes no extra money from this. This is a simple buy, sell mark up. You can 100% blame people that buy the resale tickets for this one.

Fiddlersgreen · 27/09/2023 18:38

Resales would not be a problem if selling websites made sellers stick to face value.
I’ve bought and sold tickets on Twickets before which is face value only.
if a concert sells out, you can usually get tickets closer to the time on Twickets when people realise they can no longer attend.

Bands do not make much money from album sales, the presale idea is usually for album sales to get them to number one/go platinum or whatever, not for the money.

Original poster
Bustop20 · 27/09/2023 18:38

But the question remains, why not ban resale? Make photo ID mandatory and bring out some kind of insurance incase you can’t make it?

That would end up with some empty seats on the night. However; arguably so does ticket reselling…not all the greedy resellers are going to be successful and some of them might not even live anywhere near the gig.

OP posts:
Pollyannamex · 27/09/2023 18:38

The UK live music industry has been trying to ban secondary ticket markets for years. The government won’t do it. not only do the artists not see any of the money, but people are turning up on the night with fake tickets, or the same E-ticket that’s been resold multiple times and so only the first person to use it gets access to the venue.

Many artists, even the smaller ones, use live presale codes and access to instore performances etc to boost first week album sales.

tickets are now expensive because touring is now more expensive. Venues charge more for power, fuel for trucks and tour busses, brexit/visa costs etc. a lot of touring crew and supplier staff like security quit in the pandemic and didn’t return so they need to pay more to attract them to come back. Audiences expect more, gone are the days of sticking up a backdrop with your name on it and a few dance routines. You now need pyro, video screens etc. all of which must be hired, trucked and staffed.

easylikeasundaymorn · 27/09/2023 18:41

you're conflating several different things

  • bands don't have control over websites crashing and people re-selling, they probably think linking pre-sale codes to albums is a fairer way of doing it (as the idea should be that fans get first pick), it's not their fault if it doesn't work out
  • surely if you like someone enough to spend £100+ seeing them live you'd buy the album to support them anyway
  • in most cases you can swap train/flight tickets to another date/time for a small fee (and you can also change the names on flights, or just give a train ticket to someone) so that's not really a good comparison
  • I completely agree re-sale of tickets should be stopped though, or at least a law put in so they can't be resold for more than the initial purchase price. Pretty much everyone apart from the touts are unhappy with ticket issues so no idea why nothing's been done about it
  • concert prices are really high but costs are expensive and it's also the only way most bands make any money at all now they get so little from streaming revenue
Pollyannamex · 27/09/2023 18:42

Bustop20 · 27/09/2023 18:38

But the question remains, why not ban resale? Make photo ID mandatory and bring out some kind of insurance incase you can’t make it?

That would end up with some empty seats on the night. However; arguably so does ticket reselling…not all the greedy resellers are going to be successful and some of them might not even live anywhere near the gig.

I think you are aiming the question at the wrong people…the live music industry does want to ban reselling. The government won’t do it.

https://amp.theguardian.com/money/2023/may/11/touts-to-remain-rampant-on-resale-sites-after-uk-government-avoids-crackdown

photo ID is difficult because parents often buy tickets for children, people buy for gifts etc. look at the fuss when ticketmaster said the cardholder had to be at Taylor Swift shows. It’s unworkable.

Touts to remain ‘rampant’ on resale sites after UK government avoids crackdown | Ticket prices | The Guardian

Campaign group backed by artists including Ed Sheeran criticises decision not to prevent bulk buying and speculative selling

https://amp.theguardian.com/money/2023/may/11/touts-to-remain-rampant-on-resale-sites-after-uk-government-avoids-crackdown

Musiclover234 · 27/09/2023 18:42

I got tickets this morning for £130 each using the pre sale link from buying the album. Yeah tickets are quite high in price and the vip packages are a rip off but I’m sure our 2019 tickets were around the £90-100 mark ( may be wrong!) I justify it cos it’s only once every few years.

Many arena/stadium gigs are high priced nowadays. The cost of putting on the show will have risen like everything else. I go to other gigs that are cheaper in different venues but are usually smaller artists with less ticket demand.

As for the resellers, blame the promoters, ticket sellers etc for not having a work around to stop them being resold on those sites. The band or artists aren’t seeing that extra revenue from tickets being resold by touts.

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 27/09/2023 18:43

Some shows do have "No ticket resales" on the tickets

It doesn't stop people trying to resell the same tickets 3 or 4 times over, causing issues for the venue

Sirzy · 27/09/2023 18:43

If you bring in insurance for people who can’t make it your just going to push the ticket prices up even higher though to cover that so I don’t think it’s the magic answer your hoping for.

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