Concert tickets, etc....AARRGGH!

[smokelaw1]

Most of the music (ok, ok, all of the music) that I like is usually showcased in very small venues, where tickets are general admission. My wife, however, like really popular crap. When tickets go on sale (I mean the figgen MINUTE they are available online), she is there with three browsers open trying to get good seats. Anybody know how or why they are always already sold out? One minute later they are on Stubhub or ebay for 10X list price, so SOMEBODY is able to get their hands on them....my question is....HOW?????
I am sick and tired of 1) her being dissapointed, and 2) me spending $1,500 bucks so she and her mother can be in center orchestra for "So you think you can dance" on tour.

 

[greenlight]

That's a lot to pay for a ticket to anything *(except France).

 

[smokelaw1]

Well, that is for TWO tickets. The online folks (Ebay and Stubhub) are both chargeing about that per pair for an upcoming show.

 

[baterija]

Some of the ticket resellers use automated software to mass buy tickets as soon as they go up for sale. I seem to remember Ticketmaster suing one company that made software that got around their security measures to limit ticket sales. I never heard what happened though.

So while your wife is trying with 3 windows multiple automated tools are banging away even faster to get the tickets she wants.

 

[Lightraven]

I'm pretty sure with some acts--Van Halen comes to mind--there are special ticket promotions directly from the band, long before Ticketmaster enters the scene. Being part of a fan club or tracking the band seems to help, but I've never bothered.

I just got the best seat of my life to The Police in San Diego--orchestra pit center, maybe six rows back. That was $250, the most I've ever paid. I was online to Ticketmaster the minute the tickets went on sale. That never helped before, but I never paid $250 before, either. The show was basically sold out.

 

[chmsam]

Used to be (and I don't know whether or not it still is) a common practice for groups to reserve a few seats at almost any concert for whatever purpose. Those seats that are unused get sold the day of the show. Very risky to be sure, but I have several friends who have repeatedly gotten front row (or real close to it) seats the day of the show and at regular prices.

The few concerts I have been to lately with big name acts were ruined by butt heads who had to talk through the whole show, use their cell phones, constantly get up to get something to shove in their face, etc. And my family and friends sort of get upset when I stomp on somebody's phone. You'd think they'd be used to it by now, but no. :sigh: I guess that a guy just can't have any fun anymore. So, even if a bot scraped up all the tickets and they're going for way over list, I don't care. Most of those concerts wouldn't interest me even for free, not because of the music but the people in the crowds. But if you can get $1500 worth of tickets for your wife and mother in law, I'd say it was a darned good trade.

Now, I should say that I don't really care for top-40 anything and much prefer discovering new music of almost any type. I see a few acts each year and most don't even cost $10. Benefits from that are smaller, more personal venues, less "tragically hip" crowds, no crowds to fight through or traffic jams after the show, etc. Also, no $5 bottles of water, $10 8-ounce cups of beer, etc. I see a lot of acts before they become famous and have a pretty good track record of doing that (everyone from R.E.M. when they only had an EP out to Brad Paisley before his first radio hit). Fortunately, low cost or even free festivals and city sponsored concerts are big around here and that helps a lot, too, and it's a very good way to get to see a lot of bands of any stature.

 

[Brock]

It's some of everything. Most ticketing outlets can set how many tickets can be purchased in a single transaction. Most presenters hold seats for media and artist holds. That is where you get a lot of the "last minute" seats. The band rolls in and we go ask for the comp list (list with names on it to be given tickets for free) and then they release the rest. The problem is those go on sale when the band decides to get their list together. Usually promotional or media holds are settled a day or two out so if they have any tickets left they go back on sale. Groups are also a big deal; they can typically be purchased before they go on sale to the general public and are typically set up to be an every other situation, where every other row or two rows on and two off can be held for groups.

More and more we are seeing acts requiring the first 10 rows to be held and only go onsale at the box office window, sometimes they do the same sort of thing and only sell odd numbered rows online and even numbered at the window.

As Lightraven mentioned most bands do a private "onsale" to their fan club a day or two before the general public, again these are usually a limited number of seats.

Bottom line there is no set standard and when Jerry Seinfeld says do it this way, we just do, and a lot of acts change things around.