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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | bob <segarini@rogers.com> |
| Subject | Re: The Police Fan Club - Police/Elvis Double Bill |
| Date | Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:17:20 -0500 (EST) |
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Here's what Lefsetz has to say about this...
bob
Why don't they just make the concerts free!
Okay, if I want to go to the show, I've got to get not only a
Citibank card, but an Amex. And I've got to join the fan club too. So in
this rolling wave of pre-sales, maybe I can get a seat. Which won't
be too close to the stage, because those seats NEVER go on sale to the
general public!
And Live Nation is rebranding all of its smaller venues "Fillmore",
to trade on the good will of the man who helped build this glorious
business. Bill Graham is rolling in his grave. Live Nation doesn't
give a shit about the public, and neither do the Police.
As for the band, rather than leave a good taste in the public's
mouth, they want to eke every last dollar from the landscape with a
scorched earth policy. And if you believe this is the band's last tour,
then you're betting that one of the three croaks in the dead pool.
Because money will bring them back. Are you aware of Sting's OVERHEAD?
And the other two, while not homeless, can't make a dollar on the
road without Mr. Sumner.
We need a concertgoers bill of rights. What can it contain?
Well, let's start off with a seating plan that illustrates which
seats never go on sale, so people won't buy fan club memberships in hope
of buying these ducats.
A rebate if the final tour is not. Or guaranteed seats up close and
personal if the band goes back on the road.
No t-shirt over $25.
No parking fee unless you're in an urban center. Even if the lot is
paved. Unless space is at a premium, parking is free!
Fan club fees must guarantee a seat within a certain area of the
building. So people know what they're getting.
One on sale date. No rolling dates based on privilege. Isn't this
what's wrong with America? The division between the haves and the
have-nots? Not everybody can afford an American Express card. Not
everyone QUALIFIES for a Citibank card. Even if you have the cash, you
might be shit out of luck. You end up sitting in the back no matter
what.
No seat over $125. I'd say $100, but the industry would freak out.
As for prices higher than that, those seats must be auctioned from
the get go. The act can reap the reward of the upside, but it must be
clear what seats are auctioned and how many of them there are, so the
fan can make an informed decision.
But Live Nation doesn't give a shit about the fan. Live Nation is as
bad as radio. Live Nation is playing to Wall Street, not the
concertgoer. Just like Clear Channel is playing to Madison Avenue, despite
lip service to the listener. Hell, did you see that Clear Channel
is increasing the number of minutes of advertising on the radio? Why
not turn every station into an infomercial. Make the whole CHANNEL
an ad!
And you wonder why terrestrial radio is dying and the concert
business is a minefield. Grosses might be going up, but the key is to get
people in the habit of attendance. That's how you grow the business.
But we've got the labels not wanting any more people to own music
than in the CD days. New technologies allow more people to own more
music at a lower price? FOUL! We're married to the old business
model!
The music business is fucked up. If you' don't believe this, you're
part of the problem.
http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3i76778d3ae0efdedc146b890288340641
http://www.privatepass.citi.com/site/main.aspx
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120295626450067289.html?mod=todays_us_nonsub_marketplace
Randall J Paske <rpaske@kc.rr.com> wrote:
There is also a presale for Citi Card credit card holders--because Citibank is a tour sponsor--that starts on Feb. 18. And fan club presales don't start until Feb. 20. What's up with that? How do they apportion these tickets, anyway? And didn't someone say the tickets from the fan club presale weren't so swell?
Randy
--
Mark Bacino wrote:
As soon as I deactivated that sneaky 'auto renewal' function on The
Police fanclub site, they go and announce the last leg of the tour!
With Elvis C opening! Now if I re-up my membership for $100, I become a
'legacy' member allowing me to buy shitty seats 2 hours earlier than
'new' fanclub members. And if you're not in the fanclub, well you might
as well set a lawn chair out in the parking lot as the general public
sale begins days later.
Bastards. every fiber of my being is telling me to forget this.but ma,
it's The Police and Elvis
See ya, yeah, I have to go renew my membership (sigh).
-mb
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