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MBW Reacts is a collection of quick remark items from the MBW staff. They’re our ‘fast take’ reactions – via a music biz lens – to main leisure information tales. The next op/ed comes from Eamonn Forde (pictured inset), a long-time music trade journalist, and the writer of The Closing Days of EMI: Promoting the Pig. His new e book, Leaving The Constructing: The Profitable Afterlife of Music Estates, is out now through Omnibus Press.
There was, inevitably, loads of pearl-clutching outrage when it was found that some – not all – tickets to see Bruce Springsteen on his 2023 US tour would price as much as $5,000 every on the day they went on sale.
There was, additionally inevitably, accusations of gross hypocrisy that Springsteen, the daring balladeer of the blue-collar, was pricing tickets at a degree that labored out at 13.47% of the typical US annual wage of the very folks he sings about.
This real-time, demand-driven, “dynamic pricing” was downplayed by Ticketmaster, which mentioned that solely a fraction of tickets have been going for this worth anyway, keenly stating that 88% of tickets went for face worth and that the typical ticket worth was $202.
Springsteen’s long-term supervisor Jon Landau instructed the New York Instances, “Whatever the commentary a couple of modest variety of tickets costing $1,000 or extra, our true common ticket worth has been within the mid-$200 vary. I consider that in right now’s atmosphere, that may be a truthful worth to pay to see somebody universally thought to be among the many very best artists of his technology.”
A mess of columns and op-eds have been rushed out – typically even by individuals who truly pay out of their very own pockets to attend live shows! – about how stunning and shameful all of it was, the place fandom was being steamrolled within the dead-eyed push for revenue, and why the stay trade had misplaced the run of itself.
An apparent query, nonetheless, went unstated.
Let’s simply droop disbelief about all of it for a minute and ask: if a serious act goes to cost $5,000 for tickets, simply what’s it the fan may obtain to justify such an outlay?
By all means, cost $5,000 (or extra) for a ticket in case you like, however provided that you make certain the client feels that what they’re getting in return is value it.
To get the ball rolling for #GroupBruce, I’ve some concepts that I’ll unveil right here as The Ten-Step Validator Of Worth.
I’ve labored out costs for every part the place the fan can construct their very own $5,000 ticket.
Ticketing firms can justify it as a brand new kind of “interactive” and “immersive” expertise the place the followers must scramble round to seize all of the parts that make their $5,000 really feel like cash effectively spent.
1. Distinctive seating ($1,000-$2,000)
If the typical ticket worth is $202 then it certainly follows {that a} $5,000 ticket have to be precisely 24.75 instances higher than John Q Public and his “common” seat. The most effective seat in the home (the unquestionable $5,000 seat), clearly, is on Springsteen’s shoulders as he grunts and sweats his means via his wonderful hits like ‘Gloria’s Eyes’, ‘Used Vehicles’ and ‘The Large Muddy’. That, sadly, is impractical. So we are going to downgrade a bit and cost $2,000 to take a seat in the course of the stage (seat offered) or $1,000 to take a seat on the lip of the stage (deliver your personal cushion).
2. Entry to superior drinks and snacks ($200 per beer, $941 per bottle of wine, $67 for zero-proof spirits + $30 for mixers; eight sizzling sandwiches for $200)
No $10 flat Budweiser for these guys within the huge seats. It’s solely Samuel Adams’ Utopias or Tusk Property Cabernet Sauvignon being served. For non-drinkers there may be Rasāsvāda. As for “nibbles”, who doesn’t need to see “The Boss” whereas munching on a small sizzling sandwich platter? Nobody, that’s who.
3. Entry to the performer ($2,500)
If somebody has the audacity to cost $5,000 for a live performance ticket, the least they’ll do is meet the one that paid that a lot cash to allow them to look the pop star in query straight within the eye (for upwards of 1 minute of unbroken staring).
4. Knowledgeable movie crew to file random bits of the efficiency ($2,000)
A 3-person movie crew might be beside you all through the efficiency and can movie in high-res any moments within the present (in bursts of 67 seconds) that you simply ask them to. They may assure that they’ll simply miss the bit the place they sing your favorite lyric and can cease recording half means via the refrain. It saves you the trouble of doing it your self and you may put up one recording on Fb after which by no means have a look at the remainder of them ever once more.
5. A legally binding assure that nobody close to you’ll discuss via the present and drown out the efficiency with their inane ramblings or get the lyrics incorrect once they sing alongside out of key ($1,500)
To be truthful, most individuals at most gigs right now would pay for this improve inside three minutes of the act approaching stage as they realise they’ve picked absolutely the worst spot within the venue, with absolutely the worst gig neighbours, however are caught there now.
6. The flexibility to select your entire setlist prematurely ($4,999)
Nobody desires to listen to a “new one” or a minor hit that features a horrible interpolation of ‘Operating Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ (topical). This fashion you possibly can hear precisely what you need within the order that you really want.
7. The choice to skip a tune ($1,500)
Don’t need to blow all the cash on dictating the setlist? You get one hard-pass choice to skip a horrible tune you don’t need to hear, simply as you do on a Spotify or Apple Music playlist. The one clause is it’s a must to hit the “kill” button (utilizing the keypad within the arm remainder of your seat) inside 30 seconds, in any other case it counts as a “play” and the act has to complete it.
8. The proper to get the act to play a tune once more ($1,750)
Acts typically throw their greatest songs away halfway within the set. You may need gone to the bathroom and missed it. Otherwise you simply need to hear it once more. Seize the keypad (within the arm remainder of your seat) and hit “replay”. This feature is just good for one tune to be performed yet another time.
9. A seat on the subsequent board assembly of the ticketing firm, agent or promoter the place you possibly can ask them to do a presentation on why it’s utterly high-quality and regular to cost $5,000 for a live performance ticket (free)
They’re already taking the piss with their pricing so that is the very least they’ll do.
10. A refund when an act performs greater than two hours as nobody – nobody – wants to take a seat via a live performance that lengthy (-$55.55 per minute)
On the finish of the typical Bruce Springsteen present (3.5 hours), he would possibly find yourself owing you $5,000.Music Enterprise Worldwide
