40 replies to this topic

[Danosaur]

though, as inner ear says, it's not relevant to the topic because ticketmasters' fees are not going to anyone playing music, i wanted to politely disagree.

anyone in arizona making music is doing it for the 'art'. maybe there are exceptions like calexico or jimmy eat world. (JEW probably no longer lives in AZ.) if they were writing riffs for money, they'd move to LA, New York or Portland or Seattle. i mean i guess one could argue that the only reason one would live in phoenix is to make a living because who the fuck would want to live there full time? unless you have a terminal phobia of cold weather and parallel parking, but i won't go there. anyways, though i think hunter is right: paying more than 15$ for a show is dumb, and paying more than 10$ for a local show is silly, i can also see the other side. it was 5$ to see a punk show in 1981. how much was gas in 1981? a dollar a gallon? probably less than that. i can understand a band with the pull raising the door price to their shows. and i don't think it necessarily reflects poorly upon them. (and one of my all time favorites is fugazi).

now what ticketmaster does has nothing to do with this and they should probably just die.

JEW is still local in that they still live here, all of them. I would not consider them a local act anymore, but they work hard for the money they get from their record label. Jim Adkins is one of the hardest working musicians I know.

[psykosteve]

anyone in arizona making music is doing it for the 'art'. maybe there are exceptions like calexico or jimmy eat world. (JEW probably no longer lives in AZ.)

Two things. First every one in Jimmy Eat World still lives in Phoenix (Some still in Mesa).

Second if Calexico or JEW were in it just for the money they would do things very very differently. JEW have more "diy" cred than just about any other artist in Phoenix. Playing art spaces in front of no one does not make you DIY. Anyone who knows anything about how JEW has conducted their business would know that they have had one of the most respectable careers of any "artist" anywhere.

Look how many bands from AZ they have taken on tour (Minibosses, Dear And The Headlights, The Stiletto Formal, Five Speed, Reubens Accomplice ect). I guarente if they did not care about the "art" side of what they do they would have found very diffrent bands that would have made more sense finacialy.

[bob]

anyone in arizona making music is doing it for the 'art'. maybe there are exceptions like calexico or jimmy eat world. (JEW probably no longer lives in AZ.)

Two things. First every one in Jimmy Eat World still lives in Phoenix (Some still in Mesa).

Second if Calexico or JEW were in it just for the money they would do things very very differently. JEW have more "diy" cred than just about any other artist in Phoenix. Playing art spaces in front of no one does not make you DIY. Anyone who knows anything about how JEW has conducted their business would know that they have had one of the most respectable careers of any "artist" anywhere.

Look how many bands from AZ they have taken on tour (Minibosses, Dear And The Headlights, The Stiletto Formal, Five Speed, Reubens Accomplice ect). I guarente if they did not care about the "art" side of what they do they would have found very diffrent bands that would have made more sense finacialy.

that's cool. i remember how many records 'wooden blue' put out when JEW first got signed. and calexico support tucson immensely. and they're both 'good' bands. i was half talking out my ass, (look at my super dumb 'living in phx' crack) but i just meant that these types of bands are perhaps not included in this 'so very heated' debate of door prices and ticket prices and processing fees. i mean maybe it's possible to see these bands for less than 15$, but i doubt it. but i was also, besides just saying that any band in arizona has at least somewhat pure intentions (even the huge ones, i guess), just pondering out loud if 15$, even for a local show, if you can pull it off, and not have yer loyal fans pissed that you're ripping them off, if that's not a fair charge. given gas prices, and the fact that everyone that likes you is just pulling your songs off the interweb for free, besides your three luddite friends who go to stinkweeds to get your overpriced album. so anyways, i wasn't trying to say anything too harsh about these bands, except to be subconsciously jealous of their successes.

[raubhimself]

1. Fees that Ticketmaster applies go to Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster only. I think oftentimes Ticketmaster strong-arms venues into not selling tickets from their own box-office or whatever, because it's going to be a better price than through Ticketmaster. I can't confirm this or anything but I believe that is the case.

2. I don't know what the hell you guys are talking about with your "no more than $15" crap. A good show is a good show. Some cost a lot, some cost a little...

3. This "business vs. art" thing is crap too. You can have both.

Ticket fees do suck though. I've pretty much accepted it as part of the cost of the ticket, but it still sucks. I spent $150 on tickets to see Yes this summer. The tour got canceled, and my money refunded. Except the fees. So I lost some money on something that wasn't my fault.

[unluckycharm]

i do it all for the money. f**k art.
thank you all for my millions.

[Tony]

i do it all for the money. f**k art.
thank you all for my millions.

that's the guy that stole my eyepatch!

[glitterbot]

i know i am not a musician, but i don't understand what this whole "money v. art" discussion means. people who create art become successful (ie:rich) all the time. just because you "make it big" or whatever doesn't mean you are not an artist, or creating for the love of your art form. (Whatever that may be.) If people love the "art" you create, and buy it, thus making you tons of money, that means you are no longer an artist? seems silly to me.

i also hate paying a ton of money to see a show, and have passed on a lot of shows i might otherwise have seen because of the ticket price. (the last Cure tour being the most recent...I wasn't about to shell out that much $$ to see a band I had seen in the past for like $18 or whatever.) BUT, I am not under the illusion that touring is cheap. It is a personal choice how much $$$ one wants to spend to see a show. I paid $150 a ticket to see a show once, and never regretted it for a minute. Right now, there just aren't that many bands that are getting me excited enough to want to really PAY to see them play.

[psykosteve]

1. Fees that Ticketmaster applies go to Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster only. I think oftentimes Ticketmaster strong-arms venues into not selling tickets from their own box-office or whatever, because it's going to be a better price than through Ticketmaster. I can't confirm this or anything but I believe that is the case.

That is not the case. Most larger promoters and venues get kick backs from Ticketmaster. It is a way for the promoters to get money from the show off the budget from the show so they don't have to share that revenue with the acts. For most large acts (anyone at an Arena or such) can get as much as 90% of the door, Jimmy Buffet gets 110% of Gross Ticket Sales (Yes he gets paid 10% more than the ticket sales). At rates like that it is impossible to cover costs for the venue without getting revenue from other sources (Parking at the Staple Center in LA is $25). Ticketmaster pays some venues and promoters as much as $6-$12 for every ticket sold on top of the ticket price which is how you get to $15-25 in fees.

[Tony]

i didn't mean to start a money vs. art throwdown. i was just saying that a $9 "convenience fee" on a $40 ticket is fucked, especially if you're going to charge me another $5 to "process" the order. it's a web application - i didn't even talk to an agent. you're telling me that it cost twenty dollars for your web application to handle my order? it's insulting. did they think i wouldn't notice? now i'm all riled up again.

on the other hand, if they called it a $9 "ass-raping" fee, i'd probably be more obliged to pay it because at least it would make me laugh.

[dharma_bum]

who really gives a shit. one day, yer dead. end of story.

[Quezo]

who really gives a shit. one day, yer dead. end of story.

Oh now Jimmy don't forget to drink your Metamucil fiber drink, ok?

[dharma_bum]

who really gives a shit. one day, yer dead. end of story.

Oh now Jimmy don't forget to drink your Metamucil fiber drink, ok?

actually, it is Naked's Blue Machine and plenty of home made chili.

[Quezo]

who really gives a shit. one day, yer dead. end of story.

Oh now Jimmy don't forget to drink your Metamucil fiber drink, ok?

actually, it is Naked's Blue Machine and plenty of home made chili.

Thanks for the mental visual. (retch)

[bob]

actually, it's not art until someone buys it. and if you can get a processing fee on your art, that makes it extra special art.

[Kristopher]

How anyone can make money playing original music in this town is beyond me. Worst business decision anyone could make IMO.

(And ticket fees are fucked.)

-Mr. Happy