Interseting article on the BBC news site. The part about the number of tickets available for public sale for the Katy Perry gig is shocking. What do you think... Live music: How buying concert tickets could be made better
This is basically someone pleading with Ticketmaster to do various things that will make life easier for the audience. Something tells me Ticketmaster isn't about to do these things.
To be fair, pre-sales include "the general public" essentially. I mean, I kinda think I'm "the general public" and I use presales all the time! I get that it looks bad yer Average Joe without the right club membership or email list subscription or credit card doesn't get much from which to choose at the "regular onsale". But presales nonetheless are avenues used by "the general public". I'd be more concerned with how many tickets are marked "VIP" or "platinum" and get sold by TM for well above standard face value.
TM is all about pretending to care about "the fan experience" while making it worse for actual fans. All the hoops we now have to jump through to "prove" we're not scalpers/bots just slow down the process... and do zero to actually stop scalpers/bots. I miss the days when I could just hit F5 to get access to onsales without the inscrutable "virtual queue" and when I didn't have to qualify for a lottery just to have the ability to try to buy tickets.
Pretty good article, thanks. The Katy Perry thing is probably a one-off, if it’s true, at all. But some very nice ideas about remedying the issue.
I don't know what issues occurred with that KP show, but there have been plenty of concerts where a huge %age of tickets went to fan clubs. I remember back in 2003, a massive %age of Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden tickets were through the fan club - and that was the case the rest of the tour, though in lower percentages. Kinda feels to me like selling tickets through fan clubs is a good thing since it's primarily fans who get 'em. Yes, this leaves out the non-members, but anything that keeps tix from scalpers feels like a good idea to me.
I lurked the Leonard Cohen community to get tickets for his final tour, so that worked for me, but presumably scalpers can join fan clubs.
I kinda stick to smaller shows and venues. Just not into the fees, system and gouging. Would love to see Paul Macartney if he goes out. Just to take my folks. But probably could never score tix though the bot infested minefield.
They can, but at least some fan clubs use precautions against them. If you're found to scalp PJ tickets, for instance, you'll get Le Boot from the 10 Club. Membership varies a lot from club to club anyway. Some require paid yearly membership, some are just mailing lists, really. Honestly, I don't think scalpers need club memberships. They have enough tools to not bother.
I liked the days where you lined up....with your body...not your finger on the keyboard trigger, to buy tickets...no fan club requirements, you just walked up...mingled and waited for your turn moving as the line progressed. It could be an event in itself. It sure was for The Stones in '73....party, party, party all lined up ! This ridiculously complicated exclusive process as it's become is absurd.
Wow, that's pretty much how I did it. My first Springsteen, the Edinburgh Playhouse 1981. I had been at a gig there, the night before the tickets went on sale, possibly UFO, and then , on the way out of that show immediatley got in line,on the old Playhouse steps, we sat and waited, drank beer, kept warm, and eventually, at about 9am, or later, got two tickets. It was fun, an adventure in a way. We eventually saw BS and the ESB in May that year. The thing is I don't care about seeing Bruce or any of my favourite artists any more. If the Who come around near me this year, I don't really care , I love the Who, but... I think I'm done with all my great heros. Except, I saw the Cure in Glasgow in December, and they made me feel young again. Robert Smith is the same age as me , so maybe there's hope. Depends on the price.
