So dear reader, tickets have gone on sale this morning for the next Rolling Stones tour.
Well I say “tour” but it is actually just two dates. HOw can that be a tour? And half of them didn’t even know about this until last week. Or maybe they did but are just too senile to remember.
The “Fifty and Counting” tour. You might think that the fifty in that statement relates to their ages. Or even the number of years they have been performing. But as far as I am concerned it relates to the cost of the tickets. And actually it should be called “The taking the piss” tour.
For these tickets start. Yes start. At £95. Each. And if you have ever been to the O2 you can imagine which seats they are. The ones on the sides, up in the gods where you are literally looking straight down. Vertically. They are awful seats in which to sit and watch a concert.
And how much are the top price tickets? £375 and that includes ALL standing tickets. You want to stand it will cost you over £375. You don’t even get a sodding seat.
This takes the proverbial. Seriously. Oh but it gets better. If that wasn’t enough when you book your ticket Ticketmaster want to charge you £30 booking fee PER TICKET.
Per ticket.
So in reality your £375 ticket ACTUALLY costs you £406 each. To stand.
This is disgusting.
True fans who have followed them for years, bought their music are now being ripped off in spectacular fashion. And quite frankly it stinks.
That means that each concert will rake in close to £10 million for what will be two hours on stage.
Blah blah security and all the technical stuff associated with a concert. Don’t give me that old guff. They are also going to make an obscene amount from all the merchandising.
And as for Tickermaster charging between £11 and £31 a ticket?! For what exactly? And why is it not a set fee? Does it cost more to process my credit card when you are ripping me off for three times the amount? No it doesn’t. Ticketmaster’s fees are the same regardless of ticket cost.
And don’t get me started on the fact that yesterday afternoon BEFORE THE TICKETS WERE EVEN FOR SALE Seatwave had them for sale at three times the face value.
How have they got those tickets? Where have they got them from? Selling the worst seats in the house for £350 each, plus an extortinate booking fee.
Buying tickets for concerts in this country now is a joke. Real music fans can no longer see the bands they love and support.
And that makes me very angry. Very angry indeed
This is a post for Ranty Friday.
Please look at other rants from fellow bloggers who have linked up below:
The tickets were on sale for American Express users from Monday, which I guess is how Seatthingy got them. I tried. I had a weird moment of utter lunacy and tried to go for some at about £230 each but they were on Level 4 (which comes with a vertigo warning) and quite near the back. Lev. 4 near the stage is do-able but more expensive. I could have got something a teeny bit better for over £400 but saw a bit of sense. The Stones have had plenty of my money over the years and I think anyone with a bus pass should get in free, frankly.
One of the Stones’ excuses was that it ‘isn’t a cheap venue’. No it isn’t – but does the cost to the bands vary that much when they book it? Doubt it. Dolly Parton, Eagles, L. Cohen etc filled the place for several nights, charging masses less per seat.
Was listening to a piece on You & Yours yesterday in which the ever-rising price of seeing a football match was discussed. To see Arsenal from the best seats is now about £120. I emailed them to say that compared with the Stones it was top value. Stones best seats being £2,000 and you don’t even get a pie.
Rant over. Shall go and get dressed now…
Wow what a rip off. Really disgusting. The most I’ve paid for a concert was £165 and I was in a great place to watch the concert and had a really memorable night. I justified spending that amount, but what the Stones are charging really is farcical and I hope they don’t sell out.
Well blummin said! I paid £100 to see the Stones about 7 years ago and even that price was a stretch for me. There’s just no way I’d pay to see this new “tour” and I’m a big fan. (I flew all the way to Italy once just to see my absolute music hero – Tom Waits and even that cost less!) There’s no excuse really is there?
Appalling rip off. I had no idea the prices were that high!
I 100% agree, I’m sat with my two laptops waiting for 9am to buy the tickets (the up in the gods £95 ones I might add!) as my Mum is a massive Stones fan, and it just so happens to be her birthday on the 29th Nov – the date of the concert.
I’m very angry to see LOADS of the decent seat tickets already up on eBay marked up times a trillion… I know there was presales but presales generally offer you the rubbish seats…so where are people getting them from?? Some state they can no longer attend the gig they have 6 front row tickets for and are charging a grand each to take them off their hands. Wish ticketing was more regulated. My Mum is a massive Stones fan and has supported them her whole life, I fear come 9am we will be out priced…
I have linked up. Enjoy!
Share your thoughts – Obscene pricing!
Shan’t be going myself.
A couple of things:
Price is “what the market will stand” and
Rolling Stones DO gather moss,
I agree it’s a total rip off. If I wanted a decent seat for me and hubby I’d have to pay over £400 each. Then on top I’d have to find a hotel for overnight plus travel costs from South Wales.. £1k for a night out?? Don’t think so..
The most he paid for tix was for Rod Stewart and had to pay from a ticket reseller to get them. Was worth it..
I’ll settle with my Script tix for LG arena next March!!
@soosieboo!
What a total rip off! Those seatwave seats are not always guaranteed either – sometimes they are let down by the seller and you end up with no ticket at all on the day!
My brother was desperate to see U2 when they were playing in London. He, my Dad and I spent ages on the phone trying to get tickets, and I even walked up to Twickenham stadium, to queue to see if we could get some. Eventually we managed to get 2 tickets at nearly £200. That was a lot. He went and had a great time, but I don’t think they were very good seats, certainly not value for money. We live on a tight budget, with me being at home. I can’t imagine stumping up that much for a ticket, because now I work by comparing everything to our household costs. How do they get away with charging so much….
Oh this is good – I’ve got plenty to harp on about at the moment – will hopefully join in!
Oh that is ridiculous. Ticketmaster are totally ripping people off with their fee and that should most definitely not be allowed. Processing a transaction takes literally seconds so where do they get £30 from? And why the hell should you have to pay a fee anyway?!!!
The Stones should be ashamed. I’m not a fan but I know people who will be fans probably will be just as upset about that as you. You’d have to be pretty desperate to pay that sort of money. Robbing gets.
CJ x
Major rip off. There should be a cap on ticket prices!
Glad to have found Ranty Friday (via Crystal Jigsaw)… I love a good rant!
Booo! Good rant!