Comments on: Bands Seek Cut of Resold Concert Ticket Action

By: Gregg

Gregg — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 05:26:53 +0000

Trish,

Record companies provide a product. If people take that product without paying for it, there will be no product. Yes, people will continue making music, but the individual groups will suffer in recording and releasing that product with the market dwindling. It is true that the major record labels for years have been signing artists to ridiculously one-sided contracts. If the new technology allows artists more control over there product while being able to pay there bills, I’m all for it. The evolution of the music industry may take us in this direction. That’s fine. What I’m talking about is illegal down-loading. If it continues to progress, why would the artist produce music that not enough people purchase? My point is not to play a sad violin for the record labels, just that they, along with individual artists have to have a market for their product or it’s just not feasable to continue recording music. Again, my point is more about people actually paying for the music they desire and not copying it or illegally down-loading it. People will always play music. It just can’t be as cheap live when there’s no real album sales to subisidize income. I hope artists continue to gain control of their music and are able to distribute to paying fans. It would be the greatest thing.

One thing…by “middleman”, I wasn’t refering to music production, but rather the ticket brokers who are buying up mass amounts of tickets and re-selling them at higher prices. This is the extra layer to which I’m speaking. I don’t think we’re too far apart on this.

By: Trish

Trish — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:28:51 +0000

Gregg–
The idea that there is theft involved in music that is downloaded, and that ticket prices are subsidizing it, is sheer nonsense. The only theft involved is by the record companies, and it is the artists and songwriters who are the victims. No one is ever going to stop making music. Music is something people make for the sheer joy of it. It isn’t necessary to be a professional musician to make music, and most musicians never make a profit from it. Far from creating a middleman, technology is now providing the opportunity for musicians to avoid the middleman, and present their music directly to the public.

The recording industry is thoroughly vicious and corrupt. I would urge everyone to read the book Hit Men, by Frederic Dannen. It is an eye-opener.

The musician and the composer/songwriter have always gotten the short end of the stick. That is changing now, thanks to technology. It’s foolish for them not to embrace it.

By: Joe Greenlagh

Joe Greenlagh — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:46:51 +0000

BTW, to tide you over until Lenny’s new CD drops, get on YouTube and check out his halftime show from the recent Grey Cup (Canadian football’s Super Bowl). Good stuff.

By: Jim Stegman

Jim Stegman — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:51:57 +0000

Most recent: Ichthus Music Festival, Wilmore KY, June 2007

Favorite: Ichthus Music Festival, Wilmore KY, June 2006

2006 was the last Ichthus appearance for Audio Adrenaline, my favorite group. They were awesome. Since then they have disbanded and are now taking a more active role in their “Hands & Feet” ministry in Haiti.

By: Jeff Lebowski

Jeff Lebowski — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:35:48 +0000

Most recent- Rush, 9/2/2007 in Columbus, OH. Saw them three times in 8 days on this tour, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Columbus (8/26, 9/1, and 9/2, respectively).

Best- I enjoyed different concerts for different reasons (which I won’t get into here), but here are some of my favorites:

Rush- just about any show I’ve seen. I’m a big fan!

KISS- 1996 reunion tour in full makeup. I was too young to see them in makeup and with the original lineup before then, so getting to see them like that was a treat.

Police- Synchronicity tour (1983, 84? Can’t quite remember back that far). Stewart Copeland is my second favorite drummer (behind Neil Peart of Rush). I missed the reunion tour (darn it all!!).

Def Leppard- Hysteria and Adrenalize tours (1987-88 and 1992-93). I was a big fan back then.

Van Halen- several times. Once with Roth, the others with Hagar. Loved them all. I can listen to Eddie Van Halen play guitar anytime!!

Billy Joel & Elton John when they toured together. Amazing, amazing night. And the backing musicians were really good, too!

By: Mwalimu Daudi

Mwalimu Daudi — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:14:55 +0000

1. Most recent concert I attended: Unless it was in a previous life – never.

2. Greatest concert I ever attended – see #1.

I am afraid that the music industry would have to don dark glasses, find a tin cup, and sit on a corner with a sign that said “HELP” if they depended upon me for their livelihood. Heck – I buy a CD once every two years or so (at most).

By: Rick

Rick — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 17:36:01 +0000

Most recent: Rolling Stones-Bridges to Babylon
Best: Qakland Ca. Colisium, Cira 1972, Beach Boys, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Commander Cody & LPA, Grateful Dead, Started 10 am we left 6pm and it was still going. Each band played and then replayed after the others.
No assigned seating, we sat on the grass behind home plate. Naked people playing freezby, was told people were making love in the higher stadium seats. There aren’t concerts like this any more

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 02:57:27 +0000

Most Recent – Martina McBride, Little Big Town. Martina is awesome.

I’m so jealous of J.the J – seeing Heart – AWESOME!!!

The best – by far The Wiggles & Bob the Builder a few years back – with my kid of course – Just kidding, they were good but Not the Best! Although I’m not a huge Bon Jovi fan – he did look good on stage strutt’n around last year.

By: mj

mj — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 02:11:38 +0000

I rarely go to concerts because I don’t have such money to spend. The last show I went to was Rush, my favorite band, and they always put on a great show. I saw Depeche Mode a couple of years ago and they were also great.

By: Michele

Michele — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 22:55:59 +0000

Most recent: American Idol Tour (never saw the show before this year). It was good but not great.

Best ever: I had the best time ever at a Barry Manilow concert one summer in the mid-70’s. I was 16 and in love, attending with my ‘beau’ at the Universal Amphitheatre in L.A. It was pure magic.

By: Larry

Larry — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 22:19:19 +0000

My two most memorable has to be Luther Vandross and Barry White. Luther sang “If only for one night” the ladies lost their minds! Second, Barry White brought his orchestra with him on that tour, and brought the house down. They are truly missed.

By: Shannon Cosner

Shannon Cosner — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 18:15:59 +0000

Most recent – Seether, Hurt and Red Dec 6. Best ever: Kenny Wayne Shepherd in a small night club in Seattle. I could reach out and touch him – and his singer is delicious!!

By: Gregg

Gregg — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 18:00:56 +0000

We’re essentially creating a middle man with the promoter as the original ticket seller. While most, if not all, of the tickets being bought by second tier re-sellers, forget about the day when the average fan can afford the price. The market will ultimately determine if enough fans are left to support this method. If so, much higher levels of prices will be sustained. Back in the day when you could see major bands for under $10, bands toured to promote their albums, not to make a huge profit from the tour. This just shows that the theft that has taken place with illegal down-loading needs to be subsidized with ridiculously high ticket prices. If there’s not a way to make a profit from producing music, it doesn’t make sense to do so.

To me, the best music is being played at much smaller venues and festivals at this point.
It’s refreshing to see organic music that’s not over-produced.

By: Trish

Trish — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 03:54:39 +0000

I didn’t really answer the question before, so I will now.
Why should anyone get a cut of resold tickets? Nissan isn’t going to get a cut when I resell my van. The artists and venues already have their cut. That’s true whether the tickets are resold or not. Why should they get a bonanza? They sold the tickets for what they believed they would get, and no doubt they were right. (If the face value were higher, they’d sell fewer tickets in toto, and nobody would make out any better.) If someone buys my bracelet, and then sells it for twice what they paid me, I don’t get a percentage. I made my deal. The artists and venues made theirs. If somebody else can profit, too, good for them.

I don’t go to concerts now, for a variety of reasons, but when I was younger I saw many, many artists, in many genres: Neil Young, Steve Forbert, Elton John, the New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble, Tony Carey, Gordon Lightfoot, Rory Gallagher, Koko Taylor, Seals & Crofts, Garth Brooks, Steppenwolf, the Kingston Trio, Keely Smith, and many others.
The most memorable concert I attended was Cat Stevens at Chicago Stadium (since demolished) many years ago, not because of the show, but for a very personal reason. I treated my younger cousin to her first concert that night, and it was a special experience for us both. She died three years ago at the age of 45. It’s a precious memory to me.
I won’t say what was the worst, though I have seen bad ones. Anybody can have an off night.

By: voxoverguy

voxoverguy — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 02:47:14 +0000

1. Kelly Willis at the Rams Head in Annapolis.

2. Best ever: Prince, Musicology tour, August 2004 in DC.