https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-ticketmaster-prices/
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Real shame as Springsteen used to be one of the few big name acts whose ticket prices were reasonable.
This is why I no longer go to shows of big name bands. I can't justify paying the crazy ticket prices for mediocre seats when I can take my family on a nice vacation for the price of a couple of concert tickets.
I would rather go see Govt Mule for under $100 for great seats. YMMV.
@bill_graham Me too. Bruce is and has been a major star in the music business and Gov't Mule likely will never come close to that level of popularity.
But I'd rather see Govt Mule even if the price and seats were good for both bands:)
I think Jaimoe came up with the name Gov't Mule for Warren.
Yes. I count myself lucky; when I first started seeing shows in the 1980s, it was at football stadiums (Dead, Stones, Floyd, Who) or hockey arenas (Rush, the Firm, Iron Maiden, Tull).
However, for the past 2 decades, I have been treated to so many excellent shows in theaters. Gregg, Dickey, DTB, TTB, and plenty others - great seats, great audio, no parking lot madness, etc.
I have been going to shows for 51 years and never once have I paid over $125 for a ticket. And this website carries a lofty tradition on this subject because ABB prices were always under market, although the Beacon towards the end may have gotten a bit up there. But think of the experience of seeing the greatest band in the world in a 2,500 seat theatre. Also, Warren and Derek kept prices down for many, many years. I remember seeing the Mule multiple times for about $30. General admission yes, but so what? That is an amazing price! The Derek Trucks Band was always priced below market as well. I'm sure with a 10 or 11 piece band now Derek and Susan MUST charge more just to pay their entourage.
First of all, I'm genuinely happy for anybody who has $4K to spend on a concert ticket. Happier, yet if they can afford to bring a date at these prices. I don't think there's a bigger Bruce Springsteen fan than myself. I came aboard early (Greetings from Asbury Park - the Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle were my first LPs). I was among that small audience at that first show in Birmingham, AL as well as at the next several shows that were much better attended.
A performer of the calibre of Bruce Springsteen shouldn't be dictated to by a ticket vendor. I am choosing my words more carefully than it appears but I'd think that Bruce has more clout and say-so in this matter than he seems to share.
This issue gets batted around on these pages every so often. Ticket Master is good at what they do - which to my imagination is helping coordinate venues and dates, doing the business legwork of physically selling and distributing the tickets and so forth. I'd also guess that it's actually hard to carry out a concert tour without their expertise (see Pearl Jam). It seems that in this day and age of print-at-home tickets that big artists and acts would be relying less on ticket pimps.
Not a fan, but I saw him once for free - early, early in his career in a college gym in Richmond or Ashland Va. I don't even think he had an album. Think it must've been some sort of test to see if he appealed to high school/college kids beyond NY/NJ. It wasn't too much later that was he savaged by a national magazine for being a skinny, boring performer w/a grating voice - pretty much my sentiments. Fortunately for him, a label took him on, pumped him up, & sent him skyward.
$4k for a floor seat seems outrageous, but so does $2K for an outdoor NFL seat.
Lucky to hear E Street Band with the Big Man a few times…for $60-120.
Likely I am out to pasture anyway.
Lucky to hear E Street Band with the Big Man a few times…for $60-120.
Likely I am out to pasture anyway.
Ticket prices are certainly a factor, but more than anything I blame the Covid Virus for my personal "concert retirement". At last calculation, I am out several thousand dollars over cancelled shows (that might get rescheduled one of these days), shows that I chose not to attend because the virus numbers were so high at show time (but were very low when the tickets went on sale), and due to "friends" who conveniently forgot that I paid for tickets for shows that got cancelled and TM refunded into their accounts rather than mine (it's kinda personal - let's not go there). With the uncertain state of the virus - I just won't buy a ticket to any show scheduled weeks or months in the future. Yeah, I guess you can say that I've been pasture-ized myself. It was huge fun while it lasted.
I guess I would back the truck up on any insinuation (if that was intended) that Bruce is gouging or anything of the sort. If you read this particular article you will see the line about the base starting at $60. Today that is a bargain frankly.
Bruce Springsteen fans experience sticker shock over 2023 U.S. tour tickets cost (yahoo.com)
It was mentioned about how many people Derek and Susan have to pay. I have wondered many times about that and how they can keep their prices so reasonable. Kudos to them for sure!
Well, Springsteen has to do the same thing. How many people are on stage at some of his shows? 15? 20 with backup singers? The overhead for his tours has to be out of the world. I saw him about five years ago and saw the parking lot where they parked. I swear there were over 25 trucks there for the band, touring personnel, etc. Not cheap!
The only time I paid what I would consider an exorbitant amount of money was to see U2. I paid $527 for a pair of great seats at Soldier Field. It was worth it.
I agree about the smaller bands and the prices there. But hey, I wanted to see The North Mississippi All-Stars at a club a few weeks ago and it was $130 for two. So I guess it is what you think is worth paying for.
Finally, ticket fees were mentioned. I do not understand why they are as much as they are now because there is no longer a need to print tickets, mail them, etc. But do you think companies will roll back the prices?
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
@Rusty & @Lee raise interesting issues.
Covid definitely killed live performances for a lot of us. Once gone, some aren't coming back or buying w/caution close to the performance date.
Springsteen doesn't own the rights anymore so all he gets is the performance fees (said to be about $3mm split w/E St.). I don't think he sold his merchandise rights so he still gets that.
The costs of staging plus payroll plus travel must be enormous, but they're probably shared by various entities.
Is Ticketmaster considered the promoter? Otherwise, simply operating the ticket sale business that is pretty much automated anyway shouldn't require such enormous fees.
I recently read an article about Susan's early days pre-Warren & she was quoted as saying she made "no money" even when she opened for the Stones because she had a huge payroll.
Gotta say the theoretical best in music should cost the same as other entertainment like sports. The highest single ticket for the US Open Tennis final next month is $5000 (courtside not floor) w/lowest at $88.
Not a fan, but I saw him once for free - early, early in his career in a college gym in Richmond or Ashland Va. I don't even think he had an album. Think it must've been some sort of test to see if he appealed to high school/college kids beyond NY/NJ. It wasn't too much later that was he savaged by a national magazine for being a skinny, boring performer w/a grating voice - pretty much my sentiments. Fortunately for him, a label took him on, pumped him up, & sent him skyward.
$4k for a floor seat seems outrageous, but so does $2K for an outdoor NFL seat.
his band steel mill use to play the RVA area all the time
“King ain’t satisfied till he rules everything”
I guess I would back the truck up on any insinuation (if that was intended) that Bruce is gouging or anything of the sort. If you read this particular article you will see the line about the base starting at $60. Today that is a bargain frankly.
Bruce Springsteen fans experience sticker shock over 2023 U.S. tour tickets cost (yahoo.com)
It was mentioned about how many people Derek and Susan have to pay. I have wondered many times about that and how they can keep their prices so reasonable. Kudos to them for sure!
Well, Springsteen has to do the same thing. How many people are on stage at some of his shows? 15? 20 with backup singers? The overhead for his tours has to be out of the world. I saw him about five years ago and saw the parking lot where they parked. I swear there were over 25 trucks there for the band, touring personnel, etc. Not cheap!
The only time I paid what I would consider an exorbitant amount of money was to see U2. I paid $527 for a pair of great seats at Soldier Field. It was worth it.
I agree about the smaller bands and the prices there. But hey, I wanted to see The North Mississippi All-Stars at a club a few weeks ago and it was $130 for two. So I guess it is what you think is worth paying for.
Finally, ticket fees were mentioned. I do not understand why they are as much as they are now because there is no longer a need to print tickets, mail them, etc. But do you think companies will roll back the prices?
$60 is a bargain if you don't mind sitting in the upper deck of a stadium where the band look like ants on stage so you need to watch the big screens and the sound sucks.
If all you want to do is get in the door then that is a good deal these days but if you actually want decent seats $60 will not cover the ticketmaster service charges.
@bill_graham This practice just kinda furthers ..."elite-ism". True, dyed-in the wool, diehard fans sitting in the nosebleeds while a bunch of fat cats who pull up to the private parking lots driving Ferraris and McClarens - and who might've purchased the seats merely to impress their dates - take the prime seats. In a capitalistic society happiness often goes to the highest bidder. I honestly understand greed and the whole money-grab thing - it's how America works. I don't know exactly how much influence Mr. Springsteen has but I'm guessing that it's more than he lets on. The irony - so many of his songs are about gritty, hard working/living folks who often find themselves living on the fringes of life - not about the blues of someone with Lamborghini with a leaky oil pan gasket. A few years ago, Roger Waters was sending reps to cruise the balconies to "miracle" less fortunate fans with new seats on the front row. I have a friend in Chicago who was a recipient of such fan-kindness.
$60 is a bargain if you don't mind sitting in the upper deck of a stadium where the band look like ants on stage so you need to watch the big screens and the sound sucks.
If all you want to do is get in the door then that is a good deal these days but if you actually want decent seats $60 will not cover the ticketmaster service charges.
I've seen Springsteen many times, good seats and bad ones. Did the sound suck? Never. I guess he must employ a great sound crew. I know nothing about making a show sound good and I imagine making it sound good in a club vs. an arena vs. a shed vs. a whatever is different. But again, Bruce has always had good sounding shows. I went to a Neil Young/Los Lobos show years ago and the sound for Los Lobos was awful. When Neil played, everything changed. Do they switch crews? Again, I don't know but that was very noticeably different.
Regarding the view, well yeah what are you gonna do? I went to see Bruce at Wrigley Field and the sight sucked but that is not a concert venue. Was never designed as such. I had GREAT seats for a ballgame, right behind the first base dugout. For a concert, it was horrible. $15 for a beer to watch them on screens? No thanks. I have better DVDS at home, the beer it cheaper and the bathroom closer. 😉
I learned my lesson on buying seats for a concert held at a baseball stadium. Unless I am on the field I am not going. When The Dead came here right before COVID started, I got seats to see them at Wrigley. I was in the third row in front of the stage. They weren't cheap but I figured worth it. Well, COVID killed that and I didn't keep my tickets for who knows when they reschedule?
I've seen a ton of arena shows and unless you are side stage (made that mistake once) or behind the stage, the views are always okay to me. Why anyone would sit behind the stage I will never understand unless you just care to hear the show and not actually see it.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
@bill_graham This practice just kinda furthers ..."elite-ism". True, dyed-in the wool, diehard fans sitting in the nosebleeds while a bunch of fat cats who pull up to the private parking lots driving Ferraris and McClarens - and who might've purchased the seats merely to impress their dates - take the prime seats. In a capitalistic society happiness often goes to the highest bidder. I honestly understand greed and the whole money-grab thing - it's how America works. I don't know exactly how much influence Mr. Springsteen has but I'm guessing that it's more than he lets on. The irony - so many of his songs are about gritty, hard working/living folks who often find themselves living on the fringes of life - not about the blues of someone with Lamborghini with a leaky oil pan gasket. A few years ago, Roger Waters was sending reps to cruise the balconies to "miracle" less fortunate fans with new seats on the front row. I have a friend in Chicago who was a recipient of such fan-kindness.
Interesting that you bring up his persona. I've thought about that often and you are right. He certainly comes across as such. You can find pictures and probably video of him during the Born in the U.S.A. era and he wears raggedy blue jeans. He's the average Joe, right? People can relate to him. Plus if you really listen to a lot of the lyrics he writes, a lot is about that kind of life.
However, who can fault a person for hitting it big? Who is going to turn down the fortunes he has made? Robin Hood? 😛 I think he has done a good job making seats affordable for the most part. I have no idea how much pull he has but out of all of the entertainers out there I would think he of all people would be able to control some of the costs and I think he has.
Regarding the elites, you are right. So many seats for a lot events are given to sponsors and corporations. I went to a baseball game years ago at Comiskey Park and I was shocked that it was sold out. So I hung around and this guy came to me from inside the stadium and said he had an extra seat. I asked what he wanted for the seat. $280. I thought he was kidding and he said no. He walks away and after talking to his buddy, comes back and just hands me a ticket. I guess his pal just told him to give me the ticket. I looked at the ticket. Sure enough, the face was indeed $280! It came with a full buffet, seats right behind the plate and waitress service, including a menu. I had to ask the waitress to get me a bag of peanuts because that wasn't on the menu. Only time I ever went to a game and didn't throw my shells on the ground. As of the guys that gave me the tickets, I never saw them. I don't know where they went but they didn't give a crap about a baseball game.
My wife got the same kind of seats a few years ago and we went. And we got there early enough to enjoy the full buffet with carving stations, food out of the world, etc. Better than any wedding I have ever been to. Did we pay a penny? Nope, one of her vendors gave her the seats. The only thing we paid for was tipping our waitress inside the stadium.
I guess that is my long winded reply to "elite-ism". I don't know if it is that as much as it is corporate nepotism in a way. I couldn't tell you how many Cubs games I have gone to for free.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
I see on another rock band website I stock broker in Manhattan has a conflict to develop and can't make the Bruce Springsteen show. So he is letting his two $4,000.00 tickets go for half price if anyone is interested.
But Covid is roaring back and the President even has it. 99.9 temperature. I wouldn't go even with much cheaper $2,000.00 tickets.
@lee I use to do some video editing for a producer who did a lot of music related programs. He's a voting member of the Grammy ... academy (whatever). His position was such that he received a LOT of free CD's and PRIMO concert tickets. Occasionally, he would give me his prime tickets - which were always down near or on the front row. I told him once that a lot of the folks in these seating areas didn't look like the typical fans of the act or band on stage. He laughed and told me that most of the folks in the "gold seats" rarely actually paid for tickets. Instead, they were industry insiders sitting in comped seats. Having been lucky enough to actually score prime seats on a few occasions ("lucky" being the operative word), I know that ALL of these folks weren't on the gift list. But many of them are.
Yeah, it would be a severe case of sour grapes and sore-loserness for me to blame the Boss for taking advantage of his opportunity to further his fortunes. He has certainly earned it. At this point, maybe he should write songs about the blues of having to pay high income taxes on luxurious estates or the high cost of champagne or something. Keep it real, Bruce!
My last comment on this matter:
The seating map for these shows should be labeled to reflect the value of each ticket:
Rows 1 through 10 - The Promised Land
Rows 11 through 20 - Better Days
until you get further to the back and the balconies:
Dress Circles, Mezzanine etc: The Back Streets
Upper Balconies etc: Badlands 😉
his band steel mill use to play the RVA area all the time
Why? Any particular reason?
@lee I use to do some video editing for a producer who did a lot of music related programs. He's a voting member of the Grammy ... academy (whatever). His position was such that he received a LOT of free CD's and PRIMO concert tickets. Occasionally, he would give me his prime tickets - which were always down near or on the front row. I told him once that a lot of the folks in these seating areas didn't look like the typical fans of the act or band on stage. He laughed and told me that most of the folks in the "gold seats" rarely actually paid for tickets. Instead, they were industry insiders sitting in comped seats. Having been lucky enough to actually score prime seats on a few occasions ("lucky" being the operative word), I know that ALL of these folks weren't on the gift list. But many of them are.
Yeah, it would be a severe case of sour grapes and sore-loserness for me to blame the Boss for taking advantage of his opportunity to further his fortunes. He has certainly earned it. At this point, maybe he should write songs about the blues of having to pay high income taxes on luxurious estates or the high cost of champagne or something. Keep it real, Bruce!
I don't blame Bruce or any other artist for cashing in if the market will pay thousands for his concert tickets.
It is a symptom of today's music industry in that artists can't make any money off of their music anymore so they have to get it from touring. I have read even record labels are wanting a piece of the touring revenue in some cases now as there is no money in selling the music anymore.
If fans are willing to pay for these outrageously expensive "platinum package" ticket prices for big name artists then the artists should get it while they can.
For me there are plenty of excellent musicians and bands to go see for less than the Ticketmaster service charge they charge for big name band tickets. YMMV.
I think that's the "story" - because he wrote about the working man & that resonated w/so many that he became so popular, the fans took to twitter to complain that he - if he has any influence - should make the ticket price at the level the normal working stiff could afford.
BTW, I've benefitted from free concerts for most of my career. Entertainment law put me in the business even if I wasn't on stage & yeah, comp tickets are for all kinds of people plus bands play private corp events for the same or higher fees that they'd get from a sold out concert.
in his book bruce says someone named Tinker had connections a university of richmond and because of that could play U of R , VCU and Ashland college campuses for a week or so since they were all so close and they had a place to stay so it became their 2nd base of operations outside of the jersey shore area
Thanks. I had no idea. Someone's dad got free tickets so a bunch of us went to see what we were told was a guy who was cool "up north."
so Tinker was Bruce's original tour manager and promoter. Looks like they actually started playing the RVA area during the short time they were called Child then changed to Steel Mill. Bruce's band name history
The Castilles
Child
Steel Mill
Bruce Springsteen Band
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Not sure why anyone would pay to see Bruce !! HA just kidding....not really. Never got him, probably never will.
I dont know the biz end of this, but not sure how much influence the artist has on this subject.
Bill Graham made some really good points.
I have said this for probably going on a decade now and maybe more. I dont mean to offend anyone, but I blame the people who feed into this beast and pay. Its plain and simple. Dont open your pockets, and they will feel it for sure. Hit them in the wallet and it hurts. Might see a change.
But I guess that's subjective to each individual, your price range and if its worth it to you, and priorities, have to go. I personally think if I am paying 100.00 or over for a 2 -3 hour show, that's getting pretty high and out of my range. Maybe I am just a cheap skate. I don't "need" to see the Stones, Clapton, The Who, Bruce and etc who are laughing all the way to the bank. Like it was mentioned, there are a lot of quality acts out there not charging you a kidney, first born, and a weeks wage.
All of this can be applied to sporting events. As much as I enjoy watching sports and a fan, I do not attend and buy tix's. I might go to local college's but thats about it. What these pro athletes make playing a "game" is nuts.
I still think Govt Mule is one of the best values out there. They are coming here to Indy in about a month. Tix's range from 40.00-84.00
https://wl.seetickets.us/event/Govt-MuleMacAllisterAmphitheateratGarfieldPark/479236?afflky=MOKB
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Well I guess I will have to eat a little crow about my thoughts on Bruce. Tickets for some of his 2023 shows went on sale this morning and I was floored by the prices. I realize he has a lot of overhead like I mentioned but out the door for a pair of seats (albeit good ones) was around $700.
I didn't see any of the $60 ones. Oh well, it won't kill me not to go! 😉
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
... Springsteen doesn't own the rights anymore so all he gets is the performance fees (said to be about $3mm split w/E St.). I don't think he sold his merchandise rights so he still gets that.
The costs of staging plus payroll plus travel must be enormous, but they're probably shared by various entities.
...
I had forgotten (already!) that Bruce and Bob sold their catalogs. I'm guessing that both have to actually pay royalties to the new owners when they play their own songs? Any idea what it costs Bruce for each "Rosalita"?
