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DonFan
10-24-2008, 09:45 AM
Bob Lefsetz wrote a column about Irving's new deal, and after Irving called to talk to him in detail about it, Bob wrote a companion column. Here is an excerpt:
******************

"Does Irving want to deliver music with tickets? OF COURSE! Does he insist on album-length opuses? NO! Does he believe ticket prices need to come down? ABSOLUTELY! He's not going to militate, not going to insist it be his way, but wants to sit down with all the players and come to agreements. And, if there is no consensus, he believes business can continue to function the way it always has. Not that he wants it that way.

As for Front Line... He wants to continue to sign new managers and their acts. The company is already making money, so this is not a fantasy build-out. And, he claims he is interested in breaking new artists. What about the present Ticketmaster infrastructure? Is it up to the task? Is there any dead wood? How the hell does he know, he hasn't gotten inside the building yet!

It's the irreverence that charms you. And Irving is charming. This is not a man who hates the fans. This is a man who got rid of fan clubs because it pissed consumers off. Went to the upscale package deal instead. He once told me to cruise the boards, find someone pissed that they paid $250 to get a good seat, a laminate and a chance to go backstage and meet the band. I couldn't find a complainer. People were THRILLED! Because that's what fans want, good seats and access!

And Irving wants to deliver it to them. New products sold with new technology. And he wants to have a lot of fun. He's already having fun. You remember fun, don't you? When you lived to go to the gig, felt privileged to work in this business, when music was the most happening art form, when you needed to listen to the record to know which way the wind blew? Those days are coming back. If Irving has his way.

He says it's a new Irving. Forget the past. Do I believe him? Do you believe him? We can debate that. But one thing we can't debate is Irving is the act's number one champion. No one has done more for acts than Irving Azoff.
*****************************

A couple of quotes stand out immediately to me:

"Does he believe ticket prices need to come down? ABSOLUTELY!"

EAGLES ticket prices?

"He once told me to cruise the boards, find someone pissed that they paid $250 to get a good seat, a laminate and a chance to go backstage and meet the band. I couldn't find a complainer. People were THRILLED! Because that's what fans want, good seats and access!"

Backstage access to the EAGLES?

Granted, the Eagles are the "Holy Grail" of Irving's stable of performers, but come on! It seems to me that Irving has one set of rules for the Eagles and another set of rules for everyone else.

Brooke
10-24-2008, 11:27 AM
I agree, DF.

Btw, when was the last time someone went backstage with The Eagles? (Ok, hold up your 3E buttons ladies!) :laugh:

Seriously though, the VIP could include a visit from ONE of them for the price they ask. :rolleyes:

DonFan
10-24-2008, 12:01 PM
Btw, when was the last time someone went backstage with The Eagles? (Ok, hold up your 3E buttons ladies!) :laugh:

Seriously though, the VIP could include a visit from ONE of them for the price they ask. :rolleyes:

True. And of course, when Don tours solo they sell tickets offering backstage M&Gs, and I am thankful for that.

Freypower
10-24-2008, 06:34 PM
Unfortunately it seems to me that three of the members of the Eagles could possibly be persuaded to do backstage stuff with fans. One of them, however, won't. And if he won't, that means the rest of them can't. I make no further comment.:scowl:

Ive always been a dreamer
10-24-2008, 11:56 PM
Unfortunately it seems to me that three of the members of the Eagles could possibly be persuaded to do backstage stuff with fans. One of them, however, won't. And if he won't, that means the rest of them can't. I make no further comment.:scowl:

I'm not sure I understand why one Eagle not doing M&G's would stop the others. Obviously, you couldn't do an 'Eagles' M&G with all four if this were the case, but any of the individual band members could certainly do them. I think this happens now occasionally.

However, it will be VERY interesting to see how Irving becoming Ticketmaster CEO turns out, and what the impact will be on ILAA. It seems to me that ILAA has recently been competing with Ticketmaster for the prime tickets, so I would bet there will be some changes to ILAA as we know it.

sodascouts
10-25-2008, 05:09 PM
I wonder if we'll see any improvement in Ticketmaster's practices now? I'd hate to have the frustration and ill will I feel when dealing with Ticketmaster spill over onto Irving Azoff!



"Does he believe ticket prices need to come down? ABSOLUTELY!"

EAGLES ticket prices?


"He once told me to cruise the boards, find someone pissed that they paid $250 to get a good seat, a laminate and a chance to go backstage and meet the band. I couldn't find a complainer. People were THRILLED! Because that's what fans want, good seats and access!"

Backstage access to the EAGLES?

Granted, the Eagles are the "Holy Grail" of Irving's stable of performers, but come on! It seems to me that Irving has one set of rules for the Eagles and another set of rules for everyone else.

AMEN, DF. I thought these very same things.

Also, the "fan clubs piss people off" bit - only POORLY RUN fan clubs piss people off. Perhaps that's the kind Irving's used to.

Lefsetz wouldn't have to cruise too many boards to find dissatisfaction with ILAA... but then again when folks pay $800 and the only backstage access they get is an alternate entrance to the room with the buffet...

Lefsetz's piece sounds like a big ad for Irving. Unsurprising.

DonFan
11-11-2008, 04:46 PM
Here is today's latest column from Lefsetz on Irving:

As go the Eagles, so goes the business.
The Eagles charged sky high ticket prices for an in-demand event, their first reunion tour, after hell unfroze.
Other acts followed suit. Unfortunately, many without the status and cachet of the Eagles.
The Eagles sold fan club memberships with the right to buy good seats.
Every superstar act seems to still be doing this, other than those managed by Irving.
Because Irving realized this created fan unhappiness, and therefore he invented the premium ticket. A lot of bucks for a great seat, a laminate and access. You might think these are a rip-off, but the people who buy them LOVE THEM! Rather than dealing with a broker or a shady reseller, they're going straight to the act and getting more and paying less.
Now Irving is removing Ticketmaster fees from Eagles dates... Trickle down might not work in the economy at large, but it certainly does in the music business. What the stars do first, the mid-level acts, the wannabes, do next.
The problem with ticket fees is as much the unknown as the final price. You're thinking of going to the show and you have no idea what it's going to cost you. It's like going to buy a car and finding out there's a 15 to 100% premium, after you think you've made a deal. You definitely want the car. But you feel raped, and your anger does not inure you to the dealership, you tell everybody you know not to go there. You storm out of the showroom. You buy the car somewhere else at close to the same price, but you dread ever buying an automobile again. Which is why many people buy cars online today. My nephew is a Lexus salesman. He rarely gets any dumb customers. Everybody does research. They know comparable prices before they get to him.
The fan knows he's being screwed. But nobody in this business seems to care about this.
Michael Rapino says he does, but his ticketing operation hasn't gone live yet. And we don't know if it will work. And if all the tickets he sells will be sans fee or not.
Irving just stole Rapino's thunder.
I don't give a shit if there's a kickback to the act, the promoter or the star's girlfriend. Just give me a final price. When I buy a candy bar, I don't have to pay a kickback to the cocoa grower, and the retailer's profit is built in.
You might claim that so many industries have add-on fees today. I'll ask you to find someone who likes ANY airline. But you're forced to make a choice or stay home. An act has to entice its audience, has to treat it nicely. The heat doesn't last forever.
The labels are at war with their customers. Promoters and acts blame it all on Ticketmaster and the fan gets fucked. This is a reasonable business model?
Don't underestimate Irving. What he's built with Front Line and now Ticketmaster Entertainment is leverage. He now does it HIS way. He doesn't have to worry about the label, only the act. He can effect change. It's his world and the rest of us just live in it.

sodascouts
11-11-2008, 07:08 PM
No Ticketmaster fees on Eagles tickets - wow! Perhaps I've been too cynical when assuming Irving would do whatever he could to squeeze the most money possible out of Eagles fans. I give him props for this!

One complaint: I wish Lefsetz would admit that not everyone who's bought ILAA absolutely LOVES paying $800 bucks for great seats, dinner, a laminate, and a bag of useless crap. Since Lefsetz has his lips permanently attached to Irving's hindquarters, however, I doubt we'll hear anything negative about anything he does.... except for maybe some softball criticism like when he complained about the Eagles having "myspace/eaglesmusic" instead of "myspace/eagles" as their MySpace URL. Um, yeah, BIG issue there.

DonFan
11-11-2008, 07:14 PM
One complaint: I wish Lefsetz would admit that not everyone who's bought ILAA absolutely LOVES paying $800 bucks for great seats, dinner, a laminate, and a bag of useless crap.

Maybe we should enlighten him, Soda!

sodascouts
11-11-2008, 07:22 PM
I've thought about it, but honestly... not sure I want to take the chance of it getting back to Azoff that the girl from GlennFreyOnline.com (http://www.glennfreyonline.com) is making noise! Of course, one would hope he wouldn't have a problem with the expression of free speech...

sodascouts
11-13-2008, 01:50 PM
BTW, did you guys realize that Azoff Music Management is no more? It's now simply part of Ticketmaster Entertainment, according to LiveDaily (http://www.livedaily.com/news/15215.html). That's right, the Eagles are now managed by Ticketmaster.

Wildthyme
11-13-2008, 02:04 PM
BTW, did you guys realize that Azoff Music Management is no more? It's now simply part of Ticketmaster Entertainment, according to LiveDaily (http://www.livedaily.com/news/15215.html). That's right, the Eagles are now managed by Ticketmaster.

Let's hope something good regarding ticket availability and pricing comes out of it... not going to hold my breath though.

DonFan
11-13-2008, 03:30 PM
Okay, I just put in my purchase for the highest-priced regular tickets to the Birmingham show for a flat $195, NO FEES ADDED (for the first time) so Irv has already made some changes for the better. Thank goodness.

Prettymaid
11-13-2008, 04:18 PM
Okay, I just put in my purchase for the highest-priced regular tickets to the Birmingham show for a flat $195, NO FEES ADDED (for the first time) so Irv has already made some changes for the better. Thank goodness.


That IS great news!

Brooke
11-13-2008, 05:05 PM
So, usually the best tickets were $185. Looks like they raised the price to cover! :rolleyes:

DonFan
11-13-2008, 07:09 PM
So, usually the best tickets were $185. Looks like they raised the price to cover! :rolleyes:
Yeah, I noticed that too. Oh well....:brickwall:

Brooke
12-15-2008, 04:21 PM
They didn't reduce prices any for Columbia, MO. In fact, the price was $184.00 each and if you chose "standard mail", add $4.00.

I could have printed them myself for free, but I like the real thing.

The prices really are terrible. After all, they are millionaires. What in the world can they possibly do with all of it? But here we are, all ga ga over it! And I'm as bad as anyone! :rolleyes: :laugh:

sodascouts
01-18-2009, 09:42 PM
No Ticketmaster fees on Eagles tickets - wow! Perhaps I've been too cynical when assuming Irving would do whatever he could to squeeze the most money possible out of Eagles fans. I give him props for this!

Ha!

I'm not going to the Chicago show in March, but I thought I'd check out prices now that there's "no fees." The price, without any fees, is $216. I paid $185 at the venue for mine back in November.

And we're supposed to thank Irving for this?

Only if we're SUCKERS.

Prettymaid
01-19-2009, 03:24 PM
I can almost picture him rubbing his hands together saying, "If they paid that, then maybe they'll pay THIS!"

TimothyBFan
01-19-2009, 03:52 PM
I can almost picture him rubbing his hands together saying, "If they paid that, then maybe they'll pay THIS!"

:-x What a picture that paints!

TimothyBFan
01-27-2009, 10:25 AM
I still haven't gotten over the "no fees" for Eagles tickets! That's why this concert in Indy is going to cost me more than the last 2 I went to-that is if I had payed face value for them. I would like to :steviesmack:Irving right upside the head!!

MikeA
01-17-2010, 10:33 AM
I've already gone on record (no pun intended). I've been to my last financial RAPE and that was back in 2005 when Eagles played Vegas.

I don't know how long these guys will continue. I thought that they had all kicked their habits. But it seems to me that they are as addicted to the Dollar as any of them were to their drug of choice. They have made their fortunes so the money they are demanding now isn't for putting bread on the table and cars in the garage. I think it has to be a game they are playing and Money is just the way they are keeping score.

Well, it falls on US the FANS. It isn't Azoff making the decisions. It isn't Don or Glenn making the price decisions. It is US. We have driven the prices UP by being willing to let our loyalty to them justify to us the price of attending their concerts! Azoff and the Eagles Ltd. is just taking advantage of supply and demand. They could choose NOT to do that. But everything I've read and heard about the Eagles suggests to me that they were all about money from the beginning. I don't see them lowering prices out of the goodness in their hearts.

I guarantee that if all their fans quit paying for ridiculously priced tickets, it would result either in the prices coming down or the secession of the Eagles concert tours and probably what's left of their recording careers.

They have their place in history already!

It doesn't impress me at all to know that if this group puts on a concert and charges $500 a ticket, that some swampland in Texas is going to benefit. If I felt that strongly about that marsh, I'd send a check commiserate with my concern about the project, to the foundation directly. My point is that in these economically disastrous times with people losing jobs and in the process their houses and everything they've worked a lifetime for, paying exorbitant prices for concert tickets just doesn't make any sense at all.

MikeA
01-17-2010, 10:37 AM
Whew...Did I get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning or WHAT! <LOL>

Ive always been a dreamer
01-17-2010, 01:11 PM
Okay Mike - I'm glad you got that off of your chest. :lol:

I agree with you about this in theory. However, it's the practice part where I have a problem. :wink: As you said, it is all about supply and demand and the fact of the matter is ... there is still plenty of demand. For all kinds of reasons, people want to see these guys perform, myself included. For me, I think it is partially driven by the fact that I never got to see them live until 2004 so I feel like I'm kinda of making up for lost time. Then, there is also the knowledge that they will probably only be touring for a few more years so I want to see them as many times as I can before the 'supply' runs dry. Now, obviously, I am part of the demand - a hardcore fan who loves these guys and their music, and am willing to pay handsomely to see them. However, I totally respect and understand people who don't feel the same way as I do. But, since there are enough people out there like me that continue to "feed the fire", I really don't think that anything will change as long as the band wants to tour. It does appear as if they are going to be cutting back significantly on the number of shows that they play though.

Now, I'm thinking that this is a topic that may generate a lot of discussion. If so, we may want to move these posts to the Eagles forum.

MikeA
01-17-2010, 01:25 PM
YUP, I do agree with you IABD....they ain't gonna have to stop touring because of a lack of ticket sales any time soon.

I never expected anyone to forego Eagles concerts just because of my opinions posted in that rant <LOL>. But those are the reasons that I'll not be attending any more of them. That could change....Hell Has Frozen Over once before.

Nor do I condem or criticize those with a different "take" on the concerts. I might think differently if I had NOT seen them before (many times). And to some who might have gone to virtually EVERY concert and are lining up for more...more power to you! Seriously!

Thank GOD we each have the option to choose how to invest our money!

I mean good grief, to some, including the majority making up the membership here on The Border, owning a Les Paul would have less attraction than having Fruit Loops for breakfast rather than Frosted Flakes!

It's a personal decision (paying ticket prices) that each must make. I'm glad we have that freedom.

Freypower
01-17-2010, 06:11 PM
The last time I saw them the 'Diamond' ticket prices were A$550. From where I sit the American prices don't seem very expensive. I don't know what the average price for concert tickets is in the States. They come here so rarely that I will pay what they demand. I can understand it to some extent that Americans don't want to pay that much.

TimothyBFan
01-17-2010, 08:16 PM
I've already gone on record (no pun intended). I've been to my last financial RAPE and that was back in 2005 when Eagles played Vegas.

I don't know how long these guys will continue. I thought that they had all kicked their habits. But it seems to me that they are as addicted to the Dollar as any of them were to their drug of choice. They have made their fortunes so the money they are demanding now isn't for putting bread on the table and cars in the garage. I think it has to be a game they are playing and Money is just the way they are keeping score.

Well, it falls on US the FANS. It isn't Azoff making the decisions. It isn't Don or Glenn making the price decisions. It is US. We have driven the prices UP by being willing to let our loyalty to them justify to us the price of attending their concerts! Azoff and the Eagles Ltd. is just taking advantage of supply and demand. They could choose NOT to do that. But everything I've read and heard about the Eagles suggests to me that they were all about money from the beginning. I don't see them lowering prices out of the goodness in their hearts.

I guarantee that if all their fans quit paying for ridiculously priced tickets, it would result either in the prices coming down or the secession of the Eagles concert tours and probably what's left of their recording careers.

They have their place in history already!

It doesn't impress me at all to know that if this group puts on a concert and charges $500 a ticket, that some swampland in Texas is going to benefit. If I felt that strongly about that marsh, I'd send a check commiserate with my concern about the project, to the foundation directly. My point is that in these economically disastrous times with people losing jobs and in the process their houses and everything they've worked a lifetime for, paying exorbitant prices for concert tickets just doesn't make any sense at all.

:bow::bow: Well spoken and exactly how I feel also. Now to stick with those convictions is the problem. It p*sses me off that I want to go see them so much that I will do anything to justify paying that $$. I have also said they have seen my last $$ if they are demanding that kind of money. Seeing Timothy in Chicago for a whopping $22.00 was an absolute dream come true. Never ever ever have I had a better concert deal and the fact that it was for my fave artist ever--well it brings a tear to my eye to think about it. :faint:

Larry just saw in the paper a few minutes ago that Styx is coming back about an hour away from us in February and the most expensive ticket is $67.00. I will be getting those tickets for sure and I know I will get more than my moneys worth there. Like I said in my review of the concert of theirs I went to last year--they were throwing out Styx EVERYTHING including cds and tshirts during that concert and posing for pics and even taking peoples cameras up on stage and taking pics of each other and giving them back. Now that's a group that is doing this for the love of their fans, not the ol' mighty $!!! JMO.

MikeA
01-17-2010, 10:29 PM
I don't know what Henley and Frey are charging for solo performances. You've mentioned exceptionally reasonable prices for TBS and Styx. I saw Joe and the Jame's Gang a few years ago at Mandalay Bay and I think the price was $75. The Freakin' James Gang!

Those are prices that Fans can afford. Just about ANY Fans. But that just isn't the case with the Eagles any more. One has to be either rich or willing to make a budget killing decision or plan it out far in advance like it was a once in a lifetime goal to see them live any more.

But it IS worth that sort of commitment for a lot of people as attested by this past tour. I recon as long as the band can keep it up at that level, they surely will.

Prettymaid
01-18-2010, 11:37 AM
As I've said a couple of times, I feel lucky to have seen The Eagles twice, both during the LROOE tour. It was a dream come true, a bucket list item scratched off. Given the price of their tickets, that's enough for me.

sodascouts
01-18-2010, 11:57 AM
Look, I don't like to pay the big bucks any more than anyone else, but I guess I can see it from their side. I'm gonna play devil's advocate here - nobody get mad!

Look at it this way. They're not the only businessmen who price their product at the maximum the market will bear. We like to think, because we've connected to them on an emotional level, that out of the goodness of their hearts they won't charge the most they can get, that they'll reward us for our loyalty by charging less. Is that fair though? What do we want them to do, calculate the amount of money that they have to charge to break even and stop there? Or stop at a 1% profit? 2%? Do we expect a carpenter who makes a table for $50 to charge $51 for it?

Some people complain about the degree of the profit margin. Well, what is acceptable then? Fleetwood Mac fans are outraged they pay $150. Stevie Nicks fans are outraged they pay $125. I've heard some Lindsey Buckingham fans complain if he charges more than $60. Yeah, I guess most of us would be happy if they charged like $30, but I don't think that would even cover their touring production costs.

If you don't want to pay more than $100 for a ticket, ever, that's your right. Some don't want to pay more than $75 for a ticket, ever. Some don't want to pay over $50. Again, that's their right. But the Eagles aren't bad people because they charge more than some folks' self-determined maximums.

Plus, many of the acts we laud for charging less do so because they CAN'T charge a higher price and still sell tickets. They charge less because they've got a lower market value, not out of the goodness of their hearts.

Finally, I believe these guys no longer really understand what the value of a dollar is to most people. $200 is nothing to them. They see the seats are filled, so they figure people must be able to afford their prices. It's as simple as that.

Where I get upset is the deceptive practices, the lip service given to lowering prices without any follow through, the bait-and-switch "no fees but higher prices overall" tricks, the under-the-table deals, the sanctioned scalping that takes prices into the thousands....that's what pisses me off.

TimothyBFan
01-18-2010, 01:13 PM
I know what you're trying to say Soda and agree with your last couple of paragraphs definitely!! BUT as far as the whole "they don't know the value of the dollar", I find very hard to believe if for no other reason than the fact that they claim to be so up on politics and worldly events that they would certainly know that the "common" folk are struggling right now and the dollar isn't going near as far as it used to. And if they are aware of that, wouldn't it be nice to think enough of their fans who are struggling, losing their jobs, taking pay cuts, etc that they might actually want to give their fans an affordable show just to give them a few hours of fun and excitement of seeing their favorite band where they don't have to think about all the things that are going wrong in their lives right now? It's hard for me as a huge fan to sit and listen to interviews with Don (not picking on him) where he wants to cut down the politicians for excessive spending and tell us all the things they are doing wrong to the "common" people of which he seems to claim he knows so much about and then see the price of their tickets that most people can't afford.

I don't think it would be fair to ask them to take a $1 profit, of course not but I'm fairly sure they are making a hell of a lot more of a profit than that at these prices. I totally agree with the whole hidden cost thing--- if a ticket is $195.00 then it should be $195.00 not $222.00!! And if tickets go on sale at 10 am on a Monday morning and I am on the ticketmaster sight at 10:01, I should be able to pull up a decent ticket instead of one that is 100 rows back in third tier. They DO have control of that and yet nothing is ever done about it.

I can sit and b*tch about it all I want but if I'm still paying those prices I'm enabling them to keep doing it. I hope I have enough will power not to give them anymore of my money at those prices anyways.

PM--I must say I am very impressed with the fact that you can say your point short and sweet without carrying on and on like I have several times in this thread. I could take lessons from you! :hilarious:

Fan_For_Life
01-18-2010, 03:20 PM
There's only 4 bands I will ever pay big bucks to see. Fortunately for me only 2 of them charge big bucks.

Stars
01-18-2010, 06:24 PM
I have to go along with your thoughts, PM. I feel so grateful to have seen the Eagles several times during the LROOE tour. I did pay the big bucks to see them, and I don't regret a single moment. But that's it for me-I just can't see paying the big bucks again.
I am going to see Wilco next month, and tickets were only $27! They will be playing in Philadelphia in April, and those tickets were only $35, so I'll be seeing them again. Now those prices are more my speed!:thumbsup:

Maleah
01-19-2010, 02:25 AM
I wholeheartedly agree with Mike and Willie (and PM with the short and sweet ;) ). I also wholeheartedly disagree that the Eagles have to charge more partially because of their touring costs. Have you ever seen a Kenny Chesney show? If he can tour the way he does and still charge under $100 per ticket, there is NO WAY that a group like the Eagles couldn't do that too. The Eagles have a nice setup, don't get me wrong, but there are a lot of other artists with a lot more extravagant (sp? lol) stage setup that charge a heck of a lot less for their tickets.

I guess the part that annoys me is when Don (God bless him, I love him dearly) howls about how politicians are greedy, blood sucking, sticky fingered individuals who prey on the common man (ok I may be paraphrasing ;) ) and then the band sits there (and Don definently isn't cheap solo either!) and charges so much that the common man, for the majority, couldn't afford to breathe the same air outside the auditorium as the Eagles. And Don's not the only one....all of the guys are pretty outspoken politically and so on....he just happens to be the one who speaks out about it most frequently and more boldly than the others.

It's a vicious cycle, sadly. The fans are afraid they'll never see the guys perform again and the guys, I think, are quite aware of that and partially take advantage of it. But then what the heck, it's all just my opinion ;)

sodascouts
01-19-2010, 03:44 AM
So guys, all this talk about ticket prices made me curious as to whether or not they've raised prices for the California shows.

As Carol-Lynn posted in another thread, here's the ILAA prices.

ILAA 5 star:


A choice of a ticket in the front row, or a ticket in rows 2 thru 4
Pre-show party, including dinner & drinks
Exclusive Eagles gift
Hassle-free entrance to venue
Crowd-free merchandise shopping
5 Star commemorative laminate
On-site ILAA host
Parking

5 star VIP Ticket Package Price: $ 795.00 - 995.00


ILAA 4 star:


An Eagles ticket in rows 6 & 7
Exclusive Eagles gift

4 star VIP Ticket Package Price: $ 595.00


Now, some info that hasn't been posted here yet. Here are the prices for the Hollywood Bowl shows... but I can only hope the top price is inflated because of the venue and that they are not going to keep charging this!

Hollywood Bowl ticket prices:
$45.00 - $275.00

TimothyBFan
01-19-2010, 08:23 AM
I really must stop reading this thread-my blood preasure just rises every time I do! :enraged::hilarious:

Maleah--EXACTLY!!! Well written!!

MikeA
01-19-2010, 09:08 AM
5-Star VIP $1000 (okay exaggeration...$995)

That didn't even include a M&G did it?

What that does do though is make the $275 Hollywood Bowl tickets sound like a bargain!

:blueblob:

What it makes me think though is that these "Tours" have become the prime income and the CDs that the Tours used to promote have become non consequential.

It would be interesting to see the gross from the Ticket Sales for concerts and the gross from the Music itself compared.

I do recall that in late 1976 when they started touring to promote "Hotel California", they played a few of the old hits, but the majority of the concert was taken up with tracks off of "Hotel California".

How was it with the LROE tour? Mostly old staples or was it a majority of music off of the Double CD LROE?

Don't know where I'm going with this but I can't help thinking in terms of "numbers".

TimothyBFan
01-19-2010, 09:31 AM
OK Mike-I'll bite because I really want to see where you're going with this. ;)
Here's the setlist from the last couple of years-of course we usually didn't get the first encore. 9 songs from LROOE.
[Set 1]
How Long
Busy Being Fabulous*
I Don't Want to Hear Any More
Guilty of the Crime
Hotel California
Peaceful Easy Feeling
I Can't Tell You Why
Witchy Woman
Lyin' Eyes
Boys of Summer
In the City
The Long Run

[Intermission]

[Set 2]
No More Walks in the Wood
Waiting in the Weeds
No More Cloudy Days
Love Will Keep Us Alive
Take It to the Limit
Long Road Out of Eden
Somebody
Walk Away
One of These Nights

[Band Intros]

Life's Been Good
Dirty Laundry
Funk #49
Heartache Tonight
Life in the Fast Lane

[Encore 1]**
Rocky Mountain Way
All She Wants to Do Is Dance

[Encore 2]**
Take It Easy
Desperado

sodascouts
01-19-2010, 10:24 AM
Well, never thought I'd say this, but if that price continues I'll be glad I "only" paid $185 for my Chicago ticket!

tbs fanatic
01-19-2010, 11:57 AM
So guys, all this talk about ticket prices made me curious as to whether or not they've raised prices for the California shows.

As Carol-Lynn posted in another thread, here's the ILAA prices.

ILAA 5 star:


A choice of a ticket in the front row, or a ticket in rows 2 thru 4
Pre-show party, including dinner & drinks
Exclusive Eagles gift
Hassle-free entrance to venue
Crowd-free merchandise shopping
5 Star commemorative laminate
On-site ILAA host
Parking

5 star VIP Ticket Package Price: $ 795.00 - 995.00


ILAA 4 star:


An Eagles ticket in rows 6 & 7
Exclusive Eagles gift

4 star VIP Ticket Package Price: $ 595.00


Now, some info that hasn't been posted here yet. Here are the prices for the Hollywood Bowl shows... but I can only hope the top price is inflated because of the venue and that they are not going to keep charging this!

Hollywood Bowl ticket prices:
$45.00 - $275.00


Ye Gods!! :thud:

MikeA
01-19-2010, 12:58 PM
This reply really has nothing to do with how much Eagles are charging to see them live on the LROE or any other tour. On second thought, it actually might have everything to do with it!

I'm wondering if the emphasis of this tour (LROE) is more to make their bundle off the concerts rather than making it off of music sales!

Consider:

What are they getting for the CD at WallyWorld? $14? Very much in line with the price of new double CD releases...maybe even lower in price. I don't know if the CD has broken any sales records.

Are they offering it anywhere on-line as a "download" (i.e., like through iTunes?) That is really where the market is for the "today generation".

Point is, WHO are they targeting? Their longtime Fans or are they seeking a new youngblood following? Evidence seems to be that they are targeting their loyal longtime Fans. People who might most likely be the ones who could afford the price of admission. Looking around at those in attendance at the concerts I've been to relatively recently, there is a vast majority of 40+ youngsters in attendance!

I would like to see a breakdown on the net to them between Concert income from the LROE tour and the net from CD sales. Not that that will ever happen...but I'm just curious.

I would think that if it was CD sales they were most interested in, they would have included far more than a 1:2 ratio of new material off of LROE on the concert set-lists. I know that in the Seventies when I was attending concerts, the majority of material played on tours was the latest release the band turned out.

But because they are weighting the tour set-lists far more to the "Oldies", it would surely seem that they are more interested it charging EVERYTHING the market will bear and then providing that Audience with what they want to hear.

Young People as a rule, are more interested in the "latest and greatest" rather than the "Oldies but Goldies". And since the Recording Industry has always depended on the younger folks to make up the majority of the Record Buying Public (okay, CD buying public) and these days, the Electronic Digitized Download iTune arena....the Eagles would seem to be relying on their long time and loyal Fans to pad their pockets.

Of course I emphasize that all of the above is conjucture and may be totally off the mark.

sodascouts
01-19-2010, 01:06 PM
Well, I read a bit of music industry news, and I have read several industry analysts report that for acts like the Eagles whose most popular music was released years ago, concert revenue dwarfs that of album sales. It's true that LROOE went to No. 1 when it was released and the Eagles' inclusion of new songs gives them artistic credibility which I think they needed to maintain a sense of professional "legitimacy" and personal pride. However, it's not where the money's at and the album's promotion is not the main reason for their touring.

MikeA
01-19-2010, 01:12 PM
So, are the Eagles now considered a "Nostalgia Act?" I've never considered them to be that. When I think of that nitch, I think of an act who cannot deliver like they once did. In that respect, the Eagles are as good as they ever have been.

Maybe what they need to do is have "Senior Rates" <LOL> for concert goers. Show a little appreciation for the Fans who not only put them in the position they are in because of OUR appreciation of their talent, but have kept them there all these years. It doesn't hurt that they have continued to produce great performances.

Hope you know I'm being facicious here!

sodascouts
01-19-2010, 01:16 PM
P.S. Mike, BTW, Stevie Nicks once said that Fleetwood Mac never played more than a few new songs on their tours, even for the Rumours tour! I think maybe an average of five or six is what she said. A quick glance at the setlists on my old Eagles bootlegs shows that they played about that many new songs, too, on average.

tbs fanatic
01-19-2010, 01:21 PM
Okay, let's play 'Beat This Ticket Price' -

John Mayer - Sprint Center, Kansas City Section 116 Row 30 $1,009.00!!! Who would pay that?:headscratch: I like John Mayer but I don't like him that much :hilarious:

Yep, beat that one!

TimothyBFan
01-19-2010, 01:29 PM
tbsf-is that an actual face value? Are you kidding me? A lot of people, I dare say, don't even know his music. Or am I wrong?

Mike-those nostalgia acts aren't filling stadiums either, at best, they are filling small clubs or casino rooms.

Prettymaid
01-19-2010, 01:33 PM
Maybe what they need to do is have "Senior Rates" <LOL> for concert goers.

:rofl: That would give Glenn more fodder for newer jokes!

sodascouts
01-19-2010, 02:31 PM
I always considered a "nostalgia act" one who had no new material, who toured solely working from their back catalog and included nothing original in the set that was less than ten years old. Indeed, many nostalgia acts don't play any original songs less than THIRTY years old! Thanks to LROOE, the Eagles are not that.

Regarding iTunes and revenue from downloads, here's a 2008 quote from the Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121987440206377643.html) :
"Irving Azoff, the manager of numerous high-profile acts including the Eagles, says that a few years ago he presented the band with a financial analysis showing that their royalties to date from iTunes sales were far lower than anyone expected.

Guitarist Glenn Frey did some back-of-the-envelope math of his own. 'His comment was that it amounted to 39 minutes on stage in Kansas City,' Mr. Azoff recalls with a chuckle.

Though Mr. Azoff didn't disclose the royalty figure, Mr. Frey's off-the-cuff analysis implies the band had received less than $500,000 from its iTunes sales at that point. The band's iTunes income has increased since then, Mr. Azoff adds. Nonetheless, he says: 'I'm underwhelmed by the number of sales I see on iTunes for the classic bands.'

That sentiment was a factor in the Eagles' decision to sell their latest album, 'Long Road Out of Eden,' only through Wal-Mart."

Ive always been a dreamer
01-19-2010, 03:40 PM
I have read several articles in the past few years that indicate that, unlike the ‘old’ days, touring is where the money is rather than record (or download) sales these days. But, either way, we fans have to pay for our commodity. I guess the music industry could lower ticket prices, but then, we’d probably see a significant increase in the cost of a CD or download.

Like everyone here, I don’t like the cost of Eagles tickets either, but I do think that they are proportionate to the band’s ‘status’ as one of the top bands in the world. The bottom line is that the price that we have to pay for any type of entertainment today is way out of control. I guess the argument here is that it is not a necessity so, by and large, the public chooses to pay these prices. Again – back to the supply/demand thing. I know many of you don’t agree with me, and I appreciate that, but I don’t blame anyone in the entertainment industry for charging the maximum price that the market will bear, especially since the commodity is a ‘want’ rather than a ‘need’. Most all of us do the exact same thing in our personal lives, albeit on a much smaller scale. If I want to purchase a home or a vehicle, I want to pay the lowest possible price. On the other hand, when I look for a job, I try to demand the highest possible salary.

Now, as soda mentioned earlier in this thread, what I do think is scandalous is the practice of selling tickets in the so-called ‘secondary’ markets. As far as I am concerned, this is scalping your own tickets and is beyond being unfair. I’ll just repeat what I said in another thread - Irving can claim as much as he wants that Ticketmaster does not "give brokers any preferential access to tickets", but how is it that the best tickets ALWAYS end up in their hands. When was the last time any fan brought up a 1st row ticket the moment the tickets went on sale? And don't hand us this crap about how 1st row seats are held and not put up for sale to the general pubic - if that's the case, how do they get in the hands of brokers who turn around and resell them (in some cases through TicketsNow) for thousands of dollars a piece???

And while I'm on my rant, I may as well bring up ILAA - Irving's other pet project. It turned my stomach to see those 5-star packages with the signed guitar and M&G with Joe being sold for + or - $5.000 last year. The only good news is that it apparently totally flopped. I’m betting that these 'Joe Walsh experiences' won't be offered in the future. The public put their foot down and said ‘no way’ – a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Free enterprise – you gotta love it! :grin:

MikeA
01-19-2010, 04:12 PM
And that was exactly what the point was from the beginning for me ILBAD. When ticket prices exceeded a Quarter of a Grand, I decided that as much as I like the Eagles, it was not worth it to me to see them again...especially from binocular range in the seating (and that's all I could afford).

They are trying to sell their car for WAY more than it's worth to me. I wish it was a car...I might be able to sell it at some point and recoup some of the purchase price. But there will always be folks who can afford and do desire a Maserati. I might have a Maserati appetite but a Chevy budget.

Brooke
01-19-2010, 04:32 PM
I don't know how I can add anything that hasn't already been said, but that I agree with you that these ticket prices are just 'out of control'.

I'm still kicking myself that I spent over $1600 for 2 tickets in September 2008! Yes, I enjoyed every minute of it, sitting on the front row, but guilt over that still creeps in every once in a while. Not even a M & G was included with even one member! Yes, I saved up for 2 years especially for that 'experience'. But when it was actually time to buy, I hesitated, feeling that twinge of guilt over spending money that could/should go for something else. So, for me, it was once in a lifetime experience. I'll never forget it, but wish that I would have played the game like Soda does so often and comes up with very good seats. But even those tickets are too high for me now. I won't do it again. The Eagles have gotten their share of my money. As much as I love their music, I'll be going to see some other bands that I've always wanted to see next time and it may be from nosebleed if their prices are jacked up, too.

Super Frey
01-19-2010, 04:47 PM
I spent $195.00, and I was still really close to the stage, in the lower level, But my dad thought they were high, but I'm like there the Eagles.:bow::bow::bow: I wanted to spend as much as the ppl in the front on the floor, but I'm glad I didn't.:nod:

MikeA
01-19-2010, 04:49 PM
Brooke,

Robert A. Heinlein stated in "Time Enough For Love":

"Everything in Excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks."

While I may come off as one of the "Monks" (and I admit that I'm pretty chincy with money), I think Heinlein had something there. Life isn't JUST about necessities. There needs to be some Excess to give life some flavor. Heaven knows we get enough of the OTHER stuff!

Okay, so the sensible person evaluates the "Excess" and determines whether or not it is worth it. I see no need for anyone who pays these ticket prices to feel any sort of "Guilt" about it as long as school keeps and the hogs are slopped. You walked away from the concert with memories that you will keep with you forever. Would there have been anything else that would have left you with that kind of memory?

I have spent a LOT more on Eagles tickets than you did. I went to 15 of those freakin' concerts over 3 years earlier this century and I do not regret it one whit! Add in the cost of the travel, the food, the hotels and of course the tickets and I could have bought a very nice car. No regrets. I might still be going if they had not kicked their prices up out of my reach!

Ive always been a dreamer
01-19-2010, 05:06 PM
Life isn't JUST about necessities. There needs to be some Excess to give life some flavor. Heaven knows we get enough of the OTHER stuff!

Okay, so the sensible person evaluates the "Excess" and determines whether or not it is worth it. I see no need for anyone who pays these ticket prices to feel any sort of "Guilt" about it as long as school keeps and the hogs are slopped. You walked away from the concert with memories that you will keep with you forever. Would there have been anything else that would have left you with that kind of memory?

Well put, Mike!

Brooke, put that 'guilt' thing behind you, girl. It was something you worked for, you could afford it, and it left you with many happy memories. YOU DESERVED IT!

That's exactly why I have decided that I want to go to more shows. When I was young, I never could afford to go to concerts. But I've been responsible and worked hard most of my life, so now I can afford it (well, within reason). I am not going to mortgage the house to go to an Eagles concert, but I don't have any regrets for 'treating' myself to the ones I have been to - it has added some 'flavor' to my life. :thumbsup:

sodascouts
01-19-2010, 05:22 PM
I don't regret a single show I've been to! They were terrific experiences - great music, great performances, great friends to share it with me - it was worth it to me. The Eagles ROCK!!

However, if the price remains at $275, I'm going to have to swallow the bitter pill that many already have - that of being priced out of going to another show. It's not that I even find the price morally objectionable - as I said before, it's understandable that they charge as much as they can get - it's just not affordable for me.

If they change up the show enough so that I really want to see it, though, I'll get me a cheap seat. Hearing them from a distance is better than nothing if they've got some new surprises. I'll just bring those binoculars!

MikeA
01-19-2010, 05:38 PM
Hearing them from a distance is better than nothing if they've got some new surprises. I'll just bring those binoculars!

WORD!

And for me, hearing them on a CD or DVD is about as close I'm going to be to one of their concerts....and that suits me just fine

:yay:

TimothyBFan
01-19-2010, 05:49 PM
I know exactly how you feel Brooke and I spent less than that on 4 tickets combined. I still feel that way every once in awhile. I don't begrudge myself the experience, loved every minute of it and wouldn't trade either show, but still feel guilty about it. Now if all the bills had been paid OFF and had gazillion $$s sitting in the bank-I wouldn't have felt even a twinge. ;)


I wanted to spend as much as the ppl in the front on the floor, but I'm glad I didn't.:nod:

You know what SF--I played the Soda game for the Cincinnati concert and ended up with seats right in front of Timothy-couldn't have been better seats and were on the aisle. The people sitting right next to me had bought one of the packages and told me they spent $700.00 per seat. The only thing they got more than I did was a chicken dinner (that I would of been to excited to eat anyways) and a couple of cheap trinkets. Big Deal!! Because I held out, I only paid $40.00 over face value of a regular ticket for each of our tickets from a broker. Not to shabby and still proud of myself for being so patient. Thank you Soda for keeping me in control and sane while I waited with your encouraging words! :rofl:

sodascouts
01-19-2010, 06:00 PM
Thank you Soda for keeping me in control and sane while I waited with your encouraging words! :rofl:

Thank goodness it worked out or I would have felt awful! I was really sweating it myself - so happy to luck out and get a last-minute 5th row seat for face value.

Here's something interesting - we see the whole "touring is where the money is, not album sales" as a change from the past. Indeed, it's a change from the past decades, but before the phonograph and radio became popular a musician made his money almost solely from performing live and touring. Maybe this "new" trend is really just the music industry returning "back to basics" - as in 1910 basics!

"You know, 100 years is a long, long time - who knows where it goes? Got together with my friends the Eagles... did a few shows!"
- Don Henley, "Millennium Rap" from "Funky New Year" (Live)

;)

Freypower
01-19-2010, 06:07 PM
5-Star VIP $1000 (okay exaggeration...$995)

That didn't even include a M&G did it?

What that does do though is make the $275 Hollywood Bowl tickets sound like a bargain!

:blueblob:

What it makes me think though is that these "Tours" have become the prime income and the CDs that the Tours used to promote have become non consequential.

It would be interesting to see the gross from the Ticket Sales for concerts and the gross from the Music itself compared.

I do recall that in late 1976 when they started touring to promote "Hotel California", they played a few of the old hits, but the majority of the concert was taken up with tracks off of "Hotel California".

How was it with the LROE tour? Mostly old staples or was it a majority of music off of the Double CD LROE?

Don't know where I'm going with this but I can't help thinking in terms of "numbers".

Some of us still think the high prices (according to Americans) would be far more justified if more new songs were played. A majority from LROOE? I WISH.

sodascouts
01-19-2010, 11:40 PM
Well, it should be noted that U2's highest priced tickets are $250, so the Eagles aren't the only ones! Kept me from going to see U2 this year. My friend and I tried to get cheap seats but those sold out very quickly. Seems very few seats are sold at the low prices.

TBF, John Mayer's ticket prices top out at $66 if you're going by face value. Once you get into the secondary market or ticket brokers/resellers/scalpers, all bets are off. Ticket broker prices for the Eagles' Hollywood Bowl shows go up to $1420 apiece (before fees) on TicketsNow (http://www.ticketsnow.com/InventoryBrowse/The-Eagles-Tickets-at-Hollywood-Bowl-in-Los-Angeles?PID=924593), which is in partnership with Ticketmaster.

Can we blame that on the act? It's hard to say. Obviously Azoff is working with TicketsNow and taking a percentage of their sales, some of which will go to the act. However, he claims it's all above board and no seats are held back for the brokers. He says if the tickets are going to get resold anyway for a higher price, why not have at least some of the extra resale revenue go to the act?

Found this interesting article:
"Concert Bookers Face Sinking Economy with One Hope: 'We're an Escape for People in Tough Times'" (http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2009/01/concert-bookers-face-sinking-economy-with-one-hope-were-an-escape-for-people-in-tough-times.html)
With CD sales cut by more than half since 2000 as Internet file-sharing expands, it’s more essential than ever for bands to tour to generate revenue. But the big question facing local concert venues amid a declining economy in 2009 is, How many fans can afford to see them play? Chicago talent buyers are wrestling with that question as they fill in their calendars, and many are dialing down their expectations.

“There are less people going out on a regular basis for sure,” says Bruce Finkelman, who owns the Empty Bottle and books about 150 shows at nine venues citywide. “The economic situation has certainly shrunken the party pool. People just need their cash for more important reasons.”

The good news is that the concert industry really didn’t have that bad of a year in 2008 even as economic conditions worsened. Overall, revenue was up 7.8 percent to $4.2 billion, though ticket sales dropped 3 percent. The revenue was sustained by record-high ticket prices: an average of nearly $67 a ticket for the 100 top-grossing shows. Overall, ticket prices have more than doubled in the last decade.

Can the trend continue? Scott Gelman, vice president of Live Nation, the country’s biggest concert promoter, says the Midwest market continues to look strong.

“We’re an escape for people in tough economic times,” Gelman says. “The big shows will continue to sell out.”

He says ticket prices “will remain constant” and that the big acts are getting “the right ticket prices.” He has high hopes for upcoming tours by the Dead, Phish, Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles, as well as “at least two” major shows at Solder Field.

But some prominent artists have stiffed at the box office. A Neil Young concert last month, with tickets topping out at $250 plus service fees, played to a more than half-empty Allstate Arena.

“The general-admission floor for an adult artist was probably an error,” Gelman says. “A 50-year-old adult doesn’t want to stand for four hours for three bands, especially when the support acts weren’t as strong as in other markets.”

Nick Miller, vice president at Jam Productions, cautions bands and booking agents to avoid overplaying markets.

“Because bands don’t make all that much money from recorded music, their primary source of income is the road, and they need to tour more frequently,” he says. “They look at Chicago, and they plug it in every three to six months, and that’s where we will see attendance fall off.”

Miller sees the biggest impact on Baby Boomers: “If you had a 401K that just died and you are thinking about retiring in 10 years, you’re going to pull back on entertainment.”

Colleen Miller, who books shows at the Old Town School of Folk Music, saw a serious dropoff in attendance in the early autumn of 2008, but says business has perked up since then. She has become more cautious, however, in the kinds of acts she can afford to book.

“We can’t take too many chances, and that is really challenging,” she says. “I’m looking at a couple of great shows for next November of artists making their U.S. debuts, but I can’t book them because if they don’t sell we lose $5,000 each, and we can’t afford that.”

The Empty Bottle’s Finkelman agrees. “There is still a real excitement about familiar music,” he says. “Stuff that people either know about or that they deem is a sure thing. It’s like looking for comfort food in music.”

Old Town’s Miller came up with a similar analogy in explaining why enrollment for music classes is actually expected to top last’s year 6,500 attendance for the winter session.

“We’re like alcohol,” she says. “People need music, social activities, hanging out with people in their lives right now to get their minds off what’s happening in the economy.”

MikeA
01-20-2010, 07:54 AM
I guess that article you posted Soda, pretty much restates what we've been saying about the economy and ticket prices...quite a conundrum. People DO need release..an escape! And, to be honest, paying $1,000 for a ticket to the Eagles concerts is better than getting hooked on crank!

Plumeting CD/Album sales is not going to repair itself. No doubt that is a big influence on the necessity of groups like Eagles having to charge more for live performances if they wish to tour and make a profit in a very difficult industry to make a profit in (witness the debate on copyright issues in another thread here on The Border).

But it does seem that there should be some compromise that would be more favorable to those of us who have supported them (i.e. favorite artists of the 70's) for these past 40 years. I guess that audio/video is going to be the compromise....buy a resonably priced CD/DVD and listen to our hearts content and augment it by attending the concerts vicariously through the experiences of fellow Borderers who did attend.

I can live comfortably with that and be thankful for it.

TimothyBFan
01-20-2010, 08:36 AM
And here's what I posted 2 days ago. Kinda what that article says also...


wouldn't it be nice to think enough of their fans who are struggling, losing their jobs, taking pay cuts, etc that they might actually want to give their fans an affordable show just to give them a few hours of fun and excitement of seeing their favorite band where they don't have to think about all the things that are going wrong in their lives right now?

I think Mike hit it on the head also when he said-


"But it does seem that there should be some compromise that would be more favorable to those of us who have supported them (i.e. favorite artists of the 70's) for the last 40 years."

Exactly--A little consideration for us fans that have made them what they are today and are struggling to stay afloat in an economy that has tanked!

I NEED my music!! Let me enjoy myself for a few hours because I truly do believe ...


“We’re like alcohol,” she says. “People need music

Fan_For_Life
01-20-2010, 05:31 PM
When I saw the Eagles last year I paid $95.00 for a seat that was 3 tiers up right at the stage. If I remember right even the seats that were on the far side of the arena were just as expensive if not more expensive depending on which tier you were in. I don't mind paying a pretty penny for a good seat but wouldn't have paid that much for the seat if it hadn't been right next to the stage because I don't like sitting on the far side of the arena when it comes to my faves. I would rather pay $200 to see them at a fairly close distance than to pay $100 to see them from a seat that is on the far side of the arena and can hardly see the facial expressions without looking on a big screen.

AzEaglesFan
01-21-2010, 02:52 AM
I wonder if one of the reasons that Eagles need to have the big buck is because there are a LOT of people on the stage. Then they each have managers, techs and who knows what else. Takes a lot of buses, food, hotel rooms to move all of these people from city to city. Plus I can't see any of the band members putting the stage together so even more people that you never see from in front of the stage.

MikeA
01-21-2010, 09:05 AM
It does take a lot of money to put on a concert. But if you have a sellout 30,000 seat venue and have royalties coming in from merchandise sales and you are charging just $100 a ticket, you are bring in a LOT of money and will net a good chunk after expenses. Obviously, you are going to get a lot more if the tickets are $500 or $1000 <LOL>

Oh, I don't know how many the average venue seats on the last LROE tour.

sodascouts
01-22-2010, 01:40 AM
Bob Lefsetz blogs about the Eagles not selling out the Hollywood Bowl (http://www.lefsetz.com/)

sodascouts
01-22-2010, 04:01 AM
First off, the positives. Of course I'd like the Eagles to do discounts. Of course I'd like them to embrace Twitter as Timothy has. They did good to get an official MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/eaglesmusic) back in 2007, but by the time the Eagles boarded that train, it was already running out of steam. Now MySpace is out, as we talked about in another thread. I'd love to see them on Facebook or Twitter, but since Henley has trashed both social networks, I imagine it is unlikely. This is especially true since they no longer have a brand-new album to promote, which is the only reason why they did the MySpace.

Offering a free live download is actually a pretty clever idea, although if you're going to do a "limited time only" deal you shouldn't limit it to just one day. The promotion would be over as soon as it began and before the word could really get out. Not everyone follows Eagles news as closely as we do! At any rate, it's not exactly an original idea; other bands have done this successfully. The Eagles could do it successfully as well - if they wanted to put the effort into it. Unfortunately, they probably figure that even without a sellout, they're making so much money they don't really need to change anything.

There are a couple things that annoy me about Lefsetz's piece, though. First, the most obvious. I know Lefsetz lusts after Henley and is continually brown-nosing Azoff, but to not even mention Glenn? To call the Eagles "Henley and Company"? I think he's letting his "man-crush" get out of control.

Second, once again, Lefsetz displays his ignorance about ILAA when it comes to the Eagles. The band has never sold platinum packages that included true "backstage access" to any of the members.... unless you count the "$5000 to talk to Joe Walsh for 20 minutes" fiasco they attempted before a few shows last year. That went over like a lead balloon, for good reason.

I have no idea why Lefsetz claims Henley won't do any meet'n'greets. You'd think he'd know enough about the subject of his fascination to realize that Henley has done them in the past. Perhaps Lefsetz thinks that saying Henley wouldn't deign to meet the plebes is some weird way of paying Henley a compliment, raising him above the rest? If so, the nature of Lefsetz's adoration of Henley is even more messed up than I thought!

All these gimmicks to sell tickets... here's a radical thought. If you're not selling 'em, maybe it's because you overpriced 'em. I think Henley found that out the hard way in November when he did his mini-tour. Henley is a great talent, but the market will only bear so much. Perhaps that's what the Eagles are finding out as well.

The question is - do they make more money selling out a venue with lower prices, or having some empty seats but charging more for the ones that are filled?

TimothyBFan
01-22-2010, 08:21 AM
With you Soda--some good ideas and points there but he sure does focus on Don as if all decisions live and die by Don's word.

GREAT point you made--do they make more money selling out a venue with lower prices, or having some empty seats but charging more for the ones that are filled? I wonder which they would make more money on. I like to think the before mentioned rather than the latter. Any thoughts here folks?

BTW--Love the reference to Styx and Tommy Shaw. I've been pushing those tickets value to everyone who will listen as you all know. Which reminds me they go on sale at 10 this morning. Do I try or wait ....hmmmm....

Freypower
01-22-2010, 05:52 PM
I am so bored with this man and his apparent belief that the Eagles only consist of Don Henley that I cannot take this seriously. Also the band has always been called 'Eagles'. I don't know what Glenn did to him for him to airbrush Glenn out of existence. Glenn doesn't play games with people like Lefsetz, I suppose.

sodascouts
01-23-2010, 11:50 AM
I think you might be on to something, FP. Azoff and Solters are apparently happy to use Lefsetz for PR purposes. Henley apparently thinks enough of him to invite him to MusiCares, after which Lefsetz proceeded to write a column that made him look like an arrogant, sexist, fan-hating jackass.

I bet Glenn doesn't give him the time of day.

Ive always been a dreamer
01-24-2010, 06:17 PM
Well, soda, I agree with most of your observations here, especially about Lefsetz and his 'man' crush on Henley. I also get the feeling that Lefsetz has no such 'relationship' going on with Glenn, and therefore, just ignores his existence most of the time. As I've said many times, as much as I love Don, I hate it when fans and/or media portray the band as "Henley and Company" or "Henley and some other guys". Not only is it irresponsible, misleading, and untrue, but it is very demeaning and insulting to Glenn, Joe, and Timothy, IMHO.


The question is - do they make more money selling out a venue with lower prices, or having some empty seats but charging more for the ones that are filled?

Now, since we don't have the numbers to do the math here, I hesitate to guess which option is the more lucrative for the band. On one hand, it seems like the more people that attend a show, then the higher the sales on programs, t-shirts, etc. However, I don't know if these increased sales are high enough to make up the difference???? :headscratch:

Glennsallnighter
01-26-2010, 05:46 PM
Unless youre a sucker like me. In Dublin hubby handed me €200 ion front of the merchandising stand. I won't tell you how much I bought but his comment a few minutes later was 'I was expecting change from that' :roll: Not to mention that I had already bought stuff in Belfast 2 days earlier as well. :wink:

sodascouts
01-28-2010, 01:02 PM
Put this in the Phoenix thread - but I just saw that for that show, the best seats are on sale for $180.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E00443BA6B0A3B9?artistid=734977&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

Ive always been a dreamer
01-28-2010, 07:05 PM
:yay: :yay: :yay:

Good grief - I never thought I'd be happy about paying $180.00 for a concert ticket, but, at least, they aren't raising the prices (yet).

carol7lynn
01-29-2010, 12:11 AM
Put this in the Phoenix thread - but I just saw that for that show, the best seats are on sale for $180.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E00443BA6B0A3B9?artistid=734977&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1


Same price range for San Jose and Vancouver. Makes me glad that I passed on the Bowl. Yeah!

Carol-Lynn
SoCalGal

sodascouts
03-23-2010, 04:14 PM
Tickets haven't even gone on sale yet for Chicago and look what you can already find on Ebay:

http://tickets.shop.ebay.com/Event-Tickets-/16122/i.html?Event%2520Type=Concerts&State%252FProvince=Illinois&_nkw=eagles%20tickets&_catref=1&_dmpt=US_Tickets_all_in_one&_fln=1&_sc=1&_sop=3&_ssov=1&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282

Brooke
03-23-2010, 04:38 PM
Where did they get those? :shock:

sodascouts
03-23-2010, 05:02 PM
I don't know - maybe they took some cues from the brokers - look what they've got available already!

http://tickets.oakwebworks.com/ResultsTicket.asp?sortcol=retail&evtid=1334619&sortord=desc#ticks_group1

At least those top out at "only" $900!

luvthelighthouse
03-23-2010, 05:21 PM
I thought the AMEX pre-sale was avail for Chicago, no? I "thought" I heard that on the radio.

In any case, how do the brokers get the "good" seats when the General Public can't? So, this is just another case of the TM/LN being in bed w/the brokers. It makes me so angry.

Wouldn't it be nice to actually get a center section, fifth row tix for face value on the day tix go on sale. Again, HOW is it legal to hold back those tix? How? How is it legal to work w/brokers (resellers) for multiple times face value? How??? I'm telling you, one day, I see class action lawsuit...

Prettymaid
03-23-2010, 05:33 PM
I thought the AMEX pre-sale was avail for Chicago, no? I "thought" I heard that on the radio.

In any case, how do the brokers get the "good" seats when the General Public can't? So, this is just another case of the TM/LN being in bed w/the brokers. It makes me so angry.

Wouldn't it be nice to actually get a center section, fifth row tix for face value on the day tix go on sale. Again, HOW is it legal to hold back those tix? How? How is it legal to work w/brokers (resellers) for multiple times face value? How??? I'm telling you, one day, I see class action lawsuit...


I can't begin to tell you how much I agree with your statement, LTL.

TimothyBFan
03-24-2010, 08:30 AM
Oh Yeah... Now I remember why I said I wasn't going to any more of these shows! That just p*sses me off in such a big way. I can actually feel my blood pressure rising.

Stars
03-25-2010, 11:16 AM
TBF, I am with you-I'm not going to any of the shows either. I just found out yesterday they will be playing at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, which is only about a half hour drive from my home. But the combination of the high ticket prices and the fact that the place is enormous, is going to keep me away, which does sadden me.:-(

Prettymaid
03-25-2010, 11:23 AM
But the combination of the high ticket prices and the fact that the place is enormous, is going to keep me away, which does sadden me.:-(

We'll just have to live vicariously through everyone here who does go. :nod:

TimothyBFan
03-25-2010, 01:41 PM
Me too Stars!!!

I had a real laugh this morning while on Facebook. The sidebar has an advertisement for the Eagles/Dixie Chicks/Keith Urban showfrom a broker. It said, and I quote, "buy low-priced, hard to find Eagles tickets". Isn't that hysterical!!!:hilarious:

luvthelighthouse
03-25-2010, 02:38 PM
Me too Stars!!!

I had a real laugh this morning while on Facebook. The sidebar has an advertisement for the Eagles/Dixie Chicks/Keith Urban showfrom a broker. It said, and I quote, "buy low-priced, hard to find Eagles tickets". Isn't that hysterical!!!:hilarious:

I saw that too! I clicked the link... and am still trying to figure out who thinks $800 is low priced!:headscratch:

Stars
03-25-2010, 04:46 PM
I guess $800 must seem "cheap" to some people, compared to those tickets that are going for over $1,000!:stunned:
PM, I think you are right-we are going to have to live vicariously through those who are going!:nod:

MikeA
04-20-2010, 05:45 PM
Read an article in Rolling Stone last night (or my wife did and told me this). Basically, Don Henley stated that having the two other acts touring with them would let them fill up stadiums EVEN IN THESE TOUGH FINANCIAL TIMES.

I'm sure that is a true statement, but man, can I see nothing but $$$ in his statement!

I know, I know, they are in it for the Money and there is nothing wrong with that. But to rub our faces in the fact...just hit me the wrong way.

ed: Don't know who moved this post, but I appreciate it. I realized I'd posted it in a completely unrelated thread but didn't have the time to go back and fix it at the time.

TimothyBFan
04-21-2010, 07:39 AM
Read an article in Rolling Stone last night (or my wife did and told me this). Basically, Don Henley stated that having the two other acts touring with them would let them fill up stadiums EVEN IN THESE TOUGH FINANCIAL TIMES.

I'm sure that is a true statement, but man, can I see nothing but $$$ in his statement!

I know, I know, they are in it for the Money and there is nothing wrong with that. But to rub our faces in the fact...just hit me the wrong way.

ed: Don't know who moved this post, but I appreciate it. I realized I'd posted it in a completely unrelated thread but didn't have the time to go back and fix it at the time.

But it doesn't surprise you he'd say it either does it?

I know we had this discussion in another thread where it was pointed out that some of us are a bit judgmental about the things he says but I maintain, it's because of statements like these!!! My Mom always told me "think before you speak!" Wise advice I say!

Prettymaid
04-21-2010, 07:48 AM
Is there any way somebody could post this article in the appropriate thread so we are not just getting bits and pieces of it?

MikeA
04-21-2010, 07:57 AM
Nah Willie, it doesn't surprise me. It just sort of caught me the wrong way when I heard it. I need to go back and read the entire article to get the context.

Actually, there are two ways (probably more) to take that comment. One is that the motive for the combo tour is strictly MONEY, like how are we going to entice maybe millions of people to spend more money on something that many of them might otherwise think was not a wise choice. That's the way it hit me and while I don't really find fault in the quest for more money, I found it rather crass to come out and state it like he did.

The other way to look at it is to infer some insecurity on the part of the Eagles. Do they really think that they can't fill a stadium on their own?

I just think that there might have been some better way to acknowledge the presence of the Chicks and Urban on this next round of the tour.

TheOtherOne
06-07-2010, 04:15 PM
I usually just read the posts and never post anything but this thread caught my eye.

He's probably not on the radar of most Eagles fans, but Trent Reznor posted an excellent piece on his forum last summer when the discussion came up about scalping and people getting tickets before they go on-sale.

He ran his ticketing system perfectly for the past several tours. Register (for free) on his site, purchase great...and I mean GREAT seats...for $45-60 and minimal service charge at a "fan club-only" presale. The tickets are held at the venue and are picked up the day of the show. A NIN representative runs a separate will-call window. Once you get your tickets by providing a picture id you are made to enter the arena immediately. There is no chance of scalping the seats. The past five times we've seen NIN perform using this system we've never been further than the 7th row. The last tour he even allowed us to bring in digital SLRs and detachable lenses as long as they were under 20" extended.

Here's the link to his explanation of how a lot of bands and promoters handle ticketing:

http://forum.nin.com/bb/read.php?59,548515

sodascouts
06-07-2010, 09:10 PM
Welcome, TheOtherOne!

Thanks for that link. Very informative and revealing. I'd seen it before, but it's good to have a refresher on it.

The truth is, if the Eagles wanted to put the effort and time into it, they could control scalping as NIN did... but they choose not to. Heck, Ticketmaster PARTNERS with scalpers now. I guess you can't blame them for wanting to make as much money as possible. That's capitalism!

Kind of makes you wish you were a NIN fan instead, though.

Ive always been a dreamer
06-07-2010, 09:23 PM
Welcome from me too, TheOtherOne. Glad you found us. I appreciate and respect the stand that Trent Reznor has taken, and wish more acts would follow his lead. However, it's a viscious circle. You would hope that Ticketmaster/LiveNation would implement measures to stop the practice, but instead they participate. As Trent said in his comments, the only thing that is going to stop the scalpers once and for all is if fans just stopped buying these tickets. However, that's not likely to happen because the demand is there for those seats. My personal feeling is that more legislation needs to be passed to regulate these practices.

TimothyBFan
06-08-2010, 07:29 AM
WAY TO GO TRENT!!!! (and yes TheOtherOne---I am one of those rare Eagles fans that also love groups like NIN, Marilyn Manson and Tool to name a few).
Kudos to Trent for stepping up to the plate to do this for his fans. He obviously cares a great deal for his fans despite the ol' mighty $$$$!

Said it before and will continue to say it...It sickens me the way Azoff has Ticketb*stard and Live Nation running with the scalpers. And you are right in saying it will continue because people will continue to pay those prices from scalpers. I for one will never do it again! Might not make a difference in their sales and most definitely will go unnoticed but I will pat myself on the back and assure myself I'm doing the right thing. I will continue to see concerts where I don't have to pay those amounts. There are LOTS of groups out there to see that don't have those asking prices. I've seen quite a few of them and have come away feeling extremely happy with the experience!

The only thing that continues to hurt is the fact that the Eagles are my favorite group of all time for 35 years now and to think I will never see them again live because of the greediness (and I truly believe that is what it is!) saddens me.

TheOtherOne
06-08-2010, 08:18 AM
Thanks for the welcomes.

I've been reading just about every section of this board since we bought tickets for the Raleigh show. My wife and I have never seen the Eagles live and decided to bite the bullet and get tickets for this tour. We almost didn't get them because of the price.


(and yes TheOtherOne---I am one of those rare Eagles fans that also love groups like NIN, Marilyn Manson and Tool to name a few).

Heh, I knew there was at least one other person out there like me. :)

Prettymaid
06-08-2010, 01:11 PM
Welcome TOT. Hope you continue to enjoy The Border. What kind of seats were you able to get?

Brooke
06-08-2010, 01:22 PM
Thanks for the welcomes.

I've been reading just about every section of this board since we bought tickets for the Raleigh show. My wife and I have never seen the Eagles live and decided to bite the bullet and get tickets for this tour. We almost didn't get them because of the price.

Welcome to The Border TOO! Glad you found us!

Enjoy the show. Since you've never seen them you are in for a treat! Be sure to report back here and tell us what you thought about it. We love hearing about all their shows from the fans! :thumbsup:

TheOtherOne
06-08-2010, 02:36 PM
We have seats about halfway down the side and maybe around a quarter of the way up the section. I don't have the tickets in front of me but I'm sure we're in that vicinity.

We definitely would have liked to get a little closer but couldn't justify the extra cash.

Brooke
06-08-2010, 03:31 PM
I know what you mean. I'm going to the St. Louis show at Busch Stadium and I'm on the field, but behind the first section. :-( But for less than half the price of the first section tickets ($225), I'm pretty happy. I just hope that the tall people are behind me!