Was to a concert once. Too crowded, too loud, too inconvenient, too expensive, too not the seltlist I would have chosen. Listen to my playlist of well produced studio tracks is what I want.
My local live music Venue is /was the Paramount in Huntington on Long Island in New York. It was an earthy crunchy venue called the Intermedia Arts Center before that, where I saw Timbuk3 when Belew was still with King Crimson the last time around.. The place was dated and needed work, and when the new ownership took over and gutted the place and made the gorgeous and trendy venue that is now the Paramount, it attracted bigger and bigger acts as a place to come play a pro venue with a more intimate crowd.. They handled tickets outside of the monopolies, but they have finally sold out to LiveNation and I am pretty sure i won't be seeing anyone there again for all the reasons that Fran mentions. And this is in my small suburban hometown. Sad, reallly.
I saw Kraftwerk in 2009 here in Detroit. I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with them after the show, at a Sushi / Techno club downtown. Florian Schnieder went walking the city with me and my friends. It was an out of the body experience! Wolfgang Flur and Karl Bartos have been gone from the band for years now. Ralf is the only original member left. I know he and Florian were the co-founders, but still. With these prices I think my Kraftwerk concert going days are over.
And if you've seen the videos by Fil (Wings of Pegasus), many major artists and groups are now lip-synching or using backing tracks in concert. Today, a "live performance" doesn't actually mean they're singing or playing live -- it just means they're physically alive and on the stage.
Same in Germany, at first I learned the words "meet and greet". When my daughter wanted to see some german prom, and this "meet and greet" had to be paid extra, just to say "Hello" to that "superstar", then i knew. I even forgot the name of this act. Some year later, I saw Manfred Mann's Earth Band, still touring today, and after the show, go to the stage or merch, Manfred signs about 30 LP's for a collector with a short excuse "Well, he helped to buy my house". And everyone in the queue is having a polite and nice time, waiting patiently having his "Hello", photo or signature. For no extra money, needless to say..
not a smartphone person,, bought tickets for a show using my PC via some company called DICE, only after i bought the tickets did they say the ticket is stored in an app that you have to install on a smartphone. there is absolutely no reason why they couldnt email me a ticket number or some such, but no, there is now discrimination against people who can't use or choose not to use a touchscreen device. i have complained to them but they so far have not really come up with a way to guarantee i will get in to the concert. ORWELLEAN technocracy. There should ALWAYS be an analogue option.
Some companies would email the tickets in PDF format with a barcode inside. You could either print the ticket or show it on your phone which could be scanned at the venue.
Back in the day I would go to the ticket counter at my local department store, buy 2-8 tickets and find a bunch of buds to go to the concert. I think the service fee was like 50 cents per ticket. This is when there was an actual person selling you the ticket!
I also don’t go to those gigs, they’re for rich people, I’m not one of them. I go to gigs for regular people, in dive bars. Much as I’ve loved Kraftwerk, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, since I was a child, I’m clearly not the audience anymore. I miss all those shows. I feel like a lot of people have list the plot, artists and punters, it’s perverted
It isn't that scalpers buy up the tickets. It is that the ones selling the tickets from the beginning price and sell in ways that are more underhanded than scalpers could ever hope to be. Ticketmaster does this regularly.
We took our niece to see Cirque du Soleil's "Echo" two weeks ago in Vancouver. Great show but around $220 a ticket through TicketMaster and your jammed into the seats. I remember seeing Depeche Mode at the Verdun Auditorium (4000 seats) back in 86' for $12.50 a ticket.
It's better to support local artists you like and are friends with in real life by going to bars and venues in your area to see them. Most in my area charge 10 dollar cover to get in if a band is playing at their venue. You'll support friends and people you will likely become friends with and you will be able to routinely go to local venues to support bands and artists you will get to know in person. It's fun and can become an integral part of your social life. If you buy some of their merchandise (band T shirts, CDs, pins, posters, etc.), that amount you spend will be far less than going to a concert and you will be supporting people you know and like.
I remember tickets for a Madonna concert back in the 1980's costing about $10($25 for 2025 inflation) for the cheapest seats to $60($140 for 2025 inflation) for the most expensive. 40 years later and Taylor Swift's Eras concert was going for $1300 for the cheapest seats to $11000 for the most expensive.
Haven't been to a live concert for 30 years. Saw the Moody Blues. My aunt and uncle ran the electronic message board at the venue and got us tickets. and also saw Peter Paul and Mary a different time. Saw Trans Siberian Orchestra one year in mid 2000's. Got tickets from PBS station. No venue BS or electronic ticket nonsense then. I remember back in the 60's -70's when big names would come to the county fair and you could see 2-3 shows each day for the cost of fair admission. That ended in the early 90's when you couldn't get name bands in for less than $500,000. The fair organizers used to complain when some bands wanted $15,000 (yes, FIFTEEN thousand dollars).
and now the music industry is all-you-can-eat on spotify, all the greed destroyed the music. and the top 40/top100 is all same-same now - all songs fall into three or four "types", all the variety of the 1980s is gone, and garage bands form much less because actually being good at playing instruments and singing doesn't pay well due to autotuned/pitch corrected people dominating the charts.
I started going to concerts with Cat Stevens in 1972 and finished with Keith Richards in 1993, after that the venues got greedy, prices went up and conditions got worse, plus I'd seen almost everyone I wanted to see ....... between 1972 and 1983 I went to hundreds of gigs, I even did 4 in one week once, but enough was enough.
Fran, you are a gift to the world. Exemplary human - informative, funny, smart, articulate, cute, oh, you get it. I'm happily enjoying my later years and new habit of falling in love with people's brains. Keep rocking!
The last concert I paid for was to see B.B. King back in early 1995 at the Jubilee in Calgary. The prices for tickets are out to lunch anymore so I do not go to concerts these days.
I saw PJ Harvey a couple months ago for $75 at the Greek. That's about the limit that I'm willing to pay. Ticketmaster should be illegal. They are straight up racketeers.
This "venue companies" will soon make deals with Middle schools and High schools for 'managing' tickets and charge $800/seat for parents to see their kids play.
Agree with Fran. On the other hand, we can now see the bands, often the full shows and sometimes in 4K, from our toilet. Is it the same? No. Is it free and convenient? Yes. 📺🚽
My first rock concert was Heart in Seattle, 1980 ($8.50). My most recent concert was Heart in Denver, 2010 ($110.00, but it was a front row seat). I'm not rich enough to retire and do all the fun things I've been waiting for. Maybe get a quarter at the dispensary, a bottle of wine, and listen to records.
I was at that concert in 1980. I think the warm up band was Head East, was it not? Also got to see Cheap Trick and Kansas play together in Seattle. They always tag you for parking in the city up the nose, so there is another cost, even back then.
@@zulumax1 In 1980 there were two back-to-back shows in Seattle; the one I attended was opened by Firefall. Later in the year they released the Greatest Hits / Live album, which featured a cover of Led Zepplin's 'Rock and Roll' from one of the earlier Seattle concerts.
Been a Kraftwerk fan since the 70s, respect their massive influence on some of the best modern music. Saw them in NYC in 2007 (or so) and it was forgettable. There is no reason to see their prerecorded A/V show that is decades passe.
Same thing with Lerwick and the Mareel concert hall, those ticket agencies keep scamming us for stupid reasons and see the likes of tribute bands, recently I was wanting to see ABBA tribute band, not at £60-70 + VAT and an extra £40 for a bed for a night. Or £200.00 for a taxi home, Ticket Master, Eventbrite etc charge some terrible prices. The worst part is that Edinburgh, Glasgow and other locations are also asking people to pay to lock up your mobile devices. I have no love for the people who can’t see price gouging and frankly even the musicians are actually saying this is not right, it’s unaffordable for me post COVID and I find myself not wanting to go out to see concerts, plays and National Scottish opera and Scottish National Orchestra or the BBC Scottish Orchestra, concerts.
Agree 100% with what you are saying. I saw Kraftwerk back before all this ridiculousness and I don't feel the need to see them again with these situations going on. I have a rule I abide by now. If I have seen the band to its fullness, especially if they aren't touring on a new album, I don't go. I only will see new bands that I enjoy that need the support OR concerts that will most likely NEVER happen again from bands I didn't get a chance to see back then i.e. Soul Coughing ( that show was amazing). The newer bands tend to play small venues which I enjoy much better than arenas anyway. I fortunately live in an area that has smaller venues.
Thanks for your perspective, Fran. I was giving some thought to seeing Kraftwerk when they come to Portland this year, but as you noted, it won't be as much fun as it used to be. I've been a fan of Kraftwerk since high school (50+ years!) and I don't have too many years left. However, with my mobility issues, limited income, and other factors, it just doesn't seem like a good idea. And now that both Ralf and Florian are no longer with us, it seems even less worth the effort. Ah, well. Thanks again Fran, for everything you do!
Independent (read: failing) musician here.... It really wasn't that long ago that I used to think of $50 as the absurd ticket price. There are just so so few artists that I enjoy enough (and haven't already seen) to pay the prices they ask anymore ($150-$200+). Music (as an art form) just aint what it used to be. Friggin sad.
Going to concerts today isn't the same fun experience as it was in the 70's through the early 90's. I go to local venues these days, where I can see an up and coming talent for 30-40 dollars and have a fun experience. The last big act concert that I attended was Van Halen in 2004. It was too loud, too hot (an outdoor event), and I had to deal with totally obnoxious people throwing up or urinating on themselves. No thanks. I'd rather spend the money on back catalog music.
I've never got to see them anytime over the years, wish I had of. I agree with you on this about the "fee's". Totally agree on all the points you made.
"convenience fee" is such an obvious lie. I'm glad you got to see them with Florian, and that you saw Dick Dale many times. I saw him once 10 years ago at North Star, it was incredible!
I'm with you on this one... ticket prices are insane even in the midwest. It leaves me wondering this is going in the future, if young adults are priced out of live music and don't go, the music industry around live shows will die out with us Boomers.
I think it has already suffered a few cardiac arrests. I'm a sound tech and used to do major outdoor events up until the 90's, but then something happened where the sound became compressed and thin on bottom end, and mixes started becoming intolerably bad (to me anyway..) as if there was no proper sound check and they spend half the show fumbling levels and messing up the sound even more. It seemed to coincide with digital mixing, digital voice augmentation (Autotune, lip syncing, melodyne etc) and class D amplification, as well as digital time alignment for FOH. So many major names now have been exposed as faking it live I'd never spend money to risk watching a mime show that sounds awful as well.
Same, always been a big concert goer but it's *demeaning* now at the bigger venues, and I've been boycotting them. Same thing happened to the EDM scene in my town circa 2000 and prices killed that scene. BTW you didn't mention parking fees, or "printing" fees if you want a real ticket 😅
My wife was going to buy tickets for me to see Kraftwerk in Manhattan for this tour and the tickets with all the fees were like $400! No thanks. Das Rip-off.
Landis Theater in Vineland … had Wishbone Ash on world tour twice in recent years …less than $50 great seats ..easy parking (not crazy like Philly) real good experience..
For sports tickets from Ticketmaster in Boston they don't let you print them out, you have to install an app on your phone, then you have to go through security like it's an airport
And they force the bands to fork over a cut of the merch. T shirts, records, CDs etc, Causing the prices of the merch to go up by 50% or more. This is why I stick to underground shows at small venues. And as an aside, I'm the same age as you more or less. So I saw a lot of those 90's bands when they were small. I did sound for Rancid, AFI and Green Day when they were nobody. I saw Primus play for free, right when their first demo came out. Same for Mr.Bungle, Sleep, Melvins and High on Fire. Probably a hundred other bands I'm forgetting. I've noticed that the small shows at venues with a capacity of 500 sound better than the massive venues. Even if the PA is garbage, you are hearing the instruments, not a microphone or an amp sim. Maybe the vocals suffer a bit in smaller venues. But I like the immediate feeling. And not paying Live Nation a fucking red cent. And I saw Dick Dale at the Cotati Cabaret in California, great show! That guy has the right hand of a demon.
If you would go to Toronto Canada, March 8th at the famous Massey Hall, you might not end up with a reseller. But still pricy though... 118 to 300 CAD. The CAD is a bit weaker than the USD.
Seen them live 4 times .. first in AZ in 2015, then Dallas in 2023, then twice during the Disney philharmonic show last year. It was the same show every time with no variation. They were influential on me but I kinda got the point
I saw Peter Gabriel at Kent State University on his second album tour. Walk up ticket, 8 bucks. Folding metal chair seating, Great! I still wonder if Fripp was hiding behind the curtain.
These days I just show up at the venue when the opening band begins and go to the box office and take my chances. I saw The Melvins below ticket price that way but there was a high chance that they would have told me it was sold out and I would have to go home.
I saw kraftwerk once, in brixton, back in 1991. we had a choice that night- kraftwerk or miles davis. miles was dead a few months later, but even if he was still among us now, I'd still be kicking myself. the hell with kraftwerk, & the hell with the gig-gouging that you describe. awful.
I attended a lot of concerts in the 1960s and 1970s. It was simple to buy a ticket then. You could either use the phone or just go to the venue or a few other places and buy it in advance. The cost was also reasonable. Ones I really remember were Black Sabbath, Creedence Clearwater RevivaI, Bloodrock, and Grand Funk Railroad. I feel sorry for people today that want to attend concerts having to put up with this nonsense and ridiculous prices. There has been talk of government anti-trust action with regards to these practices but with the Orange Man soon to take power, I wouldn't hold my breath.
i went and saw infected mushroom there at the TLA. ticket price was ticket price back then there. saw VNV Nation over at the Union transfer... same thing .... since the pandemic, it's been fees upon fees... massive attack at the met was absolutely insane at $398 per seat, PLUS the Ticketmaster fees and scalping
So I'm no fan of the whole tour/ticketing/venue conglomerate duopoly... but I kinda call BS on some of this, too. GA tickets to Kraftwerk in Philadelphia are still easily available direct from retail, without going through scalpers. Even with the fees and adding the upgrade to skip the line, they come out to $89 and change. Adjusted for inflation, that would be $38 in 1990 dollars. Is that really so drastic a change? I remember paying similar amounts for concerts then, and having to stand outside in lines to buy tickets at the box office if they were going to sell out fast.
Fran, I feel you! I quit going to any concerts like this 20 years ago. I’m a Kraftwerk fan as well. Back in 1982 my friends and I went to see U2 when they were social protest rock. They totally sold out. So it’s certainly the ticket companies but also the bands. I listen to different things now.
I lived to go to concerts throughout the 70's 80's when they were affordable and accessible. The 90s as well I suppose. I refuse to tie myself into knots or go through the wringer just to see a show. My concert days are over but my heydays were fantastic!
Of all the "old school" bands that are still around, the only one I'd pay to see in 2025 is Duran Duran. I saw them in 1982 when they were just starting to make it big. I've love to see them again. As for newer performers, Taylor Swift (Seattle N2) was the first big concert I'd been to since 1992. Not cheap, but an absolute blast.
$40? I stopped going to big shows when they got past around 20 to 25. In the 70s in Cleveburg , I saw great cheap shows at the "little Agora" as I put it. There were some promotional shows that partnered local bands with recognized up-and-comers in the five dollar range...
Huh. I thought they did still maintain an actual box office. At least locally in Providence, I thought you can still walk up and get them at the major venues to avoid fees. (And yes, this being LiveNation/Ticketmaster)
Saw them on their 3-D tour in NYC with my kid. The 3D made up for what looked like a presidential debate set to music & slides. Kraftwerk have become the Tim Cook of Apple. No new produkt (in KW case since 2003), churning out the same thing every other year with a different shiny case. I’ll stick to the badly filmed RUclips concert vids.
I'm of the same opinion on the new Oasis tour, I've been a fan of theirs since day one and went to see them back in 97, for an acceptable price. I am not prepared to pay todays concert prices to see a band that isnt even in their prime any more. Along with all the associated fees and bs that is part of todays concert experience.
Do you have no smaller venues in range? I was super lucky to see Kraftwerk in Cincy for $50 a ticket in a pretty small place. It was the most amazing concert I've been to. #2 was at the same place, Ween, which was a similar price. The venue isn't in Ticketmaster's clutches. AXS seems to be representing it and so far, have been reasonable.
YEP! I will not go to any of these last concerts because they are still alive and around... I agree with Ricky Nelson, "IF MEMORIES IS ALL I SING, I'D RATHER DRIVE A TRUCK."
Franklin music hall is alright,I'm more of a smaller venue goer like kung fu necktie or Underground Arts Union Transfer or Johnny Brenda's.FMH was way too big for my taste.Thought about Kraftwerk there but,nah not the same and same reasons you mentioned.🛸📡
Some artists actually care about the fans and don't charge too much, was standing in the second row (the floor standing was not split into anything so if you got there first you got closer) to see Scooter at Wembley Arena and paid just under £60 all in, OMD and Howard Jones at the O² Arena about 6 or 8 rows back was just over £60. Both great nights. So tickets can be affordable if the band/label wants to.
Ticketmaster killed live shows. My last one was Jamiroquai for the LED hat tour. That was almost 10 years ago. I was so salty to pay >100€ I swore it off for good.
so yeah, this is why its worth the effoprt to curate your Spotify feed. There are some absolutely fabulous bands out now, even if they aren;t getting the billion streams of the T.Swizzles. And these guys play small venues. Case in point: You Tube favorites Sungazer. Or Knower. 8) and these are in *every* genre and most of them don;t play arenas - they're all playing club dates. I genuinely believe an artistic renaissance is coming. But like the man said: The Revolution will not be corporatized...
The Cure made Ticketmaster refund ticket holders anything they paid above £25. They made it for the fans. Good for them.
Was to a concert once. Too crowded, too loud, too inconvenient, too expensive, too not the seltlist I would have chosen. Listen to my playlist of well produced studio tracks is what I want.
Yes. Yay!
I pretty much only go to local live music shows anymore. Support local live music! 😉
Cheap but with a two drink minimum
My local live music Venue is /was the Paramount in Huntington on Long Island in New York. It was an earthy crunchy venue called the Intermedia Arts Center before that, where I saw Timbuk3 when Belew was still with King Crimson the last time around.. The place was dated and needed work, and when the new ownership took over and gutted the place and made the gorgeous and trendy venue that is now the Paramount, it attracted bigger and bigger acts as a place to come play a pro venue with a more intimate crowd..
They handled tickets outside of the monopolies, but they have finally sold out to LiveNation and I am pretty sure i won't be seeing anyone there again for all the reasons that Fran mentions. And this is in my small suburban hometown. Sad, reallly.
I saw Kraftwerk in 2009 here in Detroit. I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with them after the show, at a Sushi / Techno club downtown. Florian Schnieder went walking the city with me and my friends. It was an out of the body experience! Wolfgang Flur and Karl Bartos have been gone from the band for years now. Ralf is the only original member left. I know he and Florian were the co-founders, but still. With these prices I think my Kraftwerk concert going days are over.
And if you've seen the videos by Fil (Wings of Pegasus), many major artists and groups are now lip-synching or using backing tracks in concert. Today, a "live performance" doesn't actually mean they're singing or playing live -- it just means they're physically alive and on the stage.
Thank you for the channel advertisement
Alive performance 😅
It’s not Kraftwerk without Florian.
Same in Germany, at first I learned the words "meet and greet". When my daughter wanted to see some german prom, and this "meet and greet" had to be paid extra, just to say "Hello" to that "superstar", then i knew. I even forgot the name of this act. Some year later, I saw Manfred Mann's Earth Band, still touring today, and after the show, go to the stage or merch, Manfred signs about 30 LP's for a collector with a short excuse "Well, he helped to buy my house". And everyone in the queue is having a polite and nice time, waiting patiently having his "Hello", photo or signature. For no extra money, needless to say..
not a smartphone person,, bought tickets for a show using my PC via some company called DICE, only after i bought the tickets did they say the ticket is stored in an app that you have to install on a smartphone. there is absolutely no reason why they couldnt email me a ticket number or some such, but no, there is now discrimination against people who can't use or choose not to use a touchscreen device. i have complained to them but they so far have not really come up with a way to guarantee i will get in to the concert. ORWELLEAN technocracy. There should ALWAYS be an analogue option.
Some companies would email the tickets in PDF format with a barcode inside.
You could either print the ticket or show it on your phone which could be scanned at the venue.
Back in the day I would go to the ticket counter at my local department store, buy 2-8 tickets and find a bunch of buds to go to the concert. I think the service fee was like 50 cents per ticket. This is when there was an actual person selling you the ticket!
I remember that. There used to be a store in my town where you could buy tickets from the person at the desk.
Yes, "AutoBahn"! We used to rarely hear the whole song on the radio in the 1970's ... I've got it in Vinyl somewhere around here ...
To quote from "Going Postal" (from memory): "The real goal of business is not to provide the best service, but rather to provide the only service".
I also don’t go to those gigs, they’re for rich people, I’m not one of them. I go to gigs for regular people, in dive bars. Much as I’ve loved Kraftwerk, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, since I was a child, I’m clearly not the audience anymore. I miss all those shows.
I feel like a lot of people have list the plot, artists and punters, it’s perverted
It isn't that scalpers buy up the tickets. It is that the ones selling the tickets from the beginning price and sell in ways that are more underhanded than scalpers could ever hope to be. Ticketmaster does this regularly.
That's why I call them Ticketmeister.. they are the scalpers.
We should really demand artists to boycott company’s like live nation and Ticketmaster
I used to think $30 was a lot for a concert ticket. I haven't seen anything in years, the prices are just bizarre.
We took our niece to see Cirque du Soleil's "Echo" two weeks ago in Vancouver. Great show but around $220 a ticket through TicketMaster and your jammed into the seats. I remember seeing Depeche Mode at the Verdun Auditorium (4000 seats) back in 86' for $12.50 a ticket.
It's better to support local artists you like and are friends with in real life by going to bars and venues in your area to see them. Most in my area charge 10 dollar cover to get in if a band is playing at their venue. You'll support friends and people you will likely become friends with and you will be able to routinely go to local venues to support bands and artists you will get to know in person. It's fun and can become an integral part of your social life. If you buy some of their merchandise (band T shirts, CDs, pins, posters, etc.), that amount you spend will be far less than going to a concert and you will be supporting people you know and like.
"Live Music Is Better bumper stickers will be issued..."
I remember tickets for a Madonna concert back in the 1980's costing about $10($25 for 2025 inflation) for the cheapest seats to $60($140 for 2025 inflation) for the most expensive. 40 years later and Taylor Swift's Eras concert was going for $1300 for the cheapest seats to $11000 for the most expensive.
Over a thousand for the nosebleeds?!
Haven't been to a live concert for 30 years. Saw the Moody Blues. My aunt and uncle ran the electronic message board at the venue and got us tickets. and also saw Peter Paul and Mary a different time. Saw Trans Siberian Orchestra one year in mid 2000's. Got tickets from PBS station. No venue BS or electronic ticket nonsense then. I remember back in the 60's -70's when big names would come to the county fair and you could see 2-3 shows each day for the cost of fair admission. That ended in the early 90's when you couldn't get name bands in for less than $500,000. The fair organizers used to complain when some bands wanted $15,000 (yes, FIFTEEN thousand dollars).
and now the music industry is all-you-can-eat on spotify, all the greed destroyed the music. and the top 40/top100 is all same-same now - all songs fall into three or four "types", all the variety of the 1980s is gone, and garage bands form much less because actually being good at playing instruments and singing doesn't pay well due to autotuned/pitch corrected people dominating the charts.
I started going to concerts with Cat Stevens in 1972 and finished with Keith Richards in 1993, after that the venues got greedy, prices went up and conditions got worse, plus I'd seen almost everyone I wanted to see ....... between 1972 and 1983 I went to hundreds of gigs, I even did 4 in one week once, but enough was enough.
Fran, you are a gift to the world. Exemplary human - informative, funny, smart, articulate, cute, oh, you get it. I'm happily enjoying my later years and new habit of falling in love with people's brains. Keep rocking!
The last concert I paid for was to see B.B. King back in early 1995 at the Jubilee in Calgary. The prices for tickets are out to lunch anymore so I do not go to concerts these days.
kraftwerk aint been kraftwerk since Flur and Bartos left.
I saw PJ Harvey a couple months ago for $75 at the Greek. That's about the limit that I'm willing to pay. Ticketmaster should be illegal. They are straight up racketeers.
I'm in total agreement with you, I don't go to big venues anymore, and wouldn't pay more than £30 to see an act.
I agree 100%. Concerts have gotten too expensive. I wanted to see the Beat tour, but I wasn't going to pay $200.00 a ticket.
This "venue companies" will soon make deals with Middle schools and High schools for 'managing' tickets and charge $800/seat for parents to see their kids play.
Agree with Fran. On the other hand, we can now see the bands, often the full shows and sometimes in 4K, from our toilet. Is it the same? No. Is it free and convenient? Yes. 📺🚽
My first rock concert was Heart in Seattle, 1980 ($8.50). My most recent concert was Heart in Denver, 2010 ($110.00, but it was a front row seat). I'm not rich enough to retire and do all the fun things I've been waiting for. Maybe get a quarter at the dispensary, a bottle of wine, and listen to records.
I was at that concert in 1980. I think the warm up band was Head East, was it not? Also got to see Cheap Trick and Kansas play together in Seattle. They always tag you for parking in the city up the nose, so there is another cost, even back then.
@@zulumax1 In 1980 there were two back-to-back shows in Seattle; the one I attended was opened by Firefall. Later in the year they released the Greatest Hits / Live album, which featured a cover of Led Zepplin's 'Rock and Roll' from one of the earlier Seattle concerts.
@@greeleyman Dog and Butterfly album
So many things have been ruined by other people's stupid ambition. Too many people suck. Tedious.
I always say that a Human Being is worth more than a Human Doing, because those ambitious moe fletchers require constant watching.
Been a Kraftwerk fan since the 70s, respect their massive influence on some of the best modern music. Saw them in NYC in 2007 (or so) and it was forgettable. There is no reason to see their prerecorded A/V show that is decades passe.
Just think, If it were not for these money grubbing grifters placing them them self's in-between art & access, we could all be rocking it.
Culture should not cost you and arm and a leg! Greed, nothing but greed.
Same thing with Lerwick and the Mareel concert hall, those ticket agencies keep scamming us for stupid reasons and see the likes of tribute bands, recently I was wanting to see ABBA tribute band, not at £60-70 + VAT and an extra £40 for a bed for a night. Or £200.00 for a taxi home, Ticket Master, Eventbrite etc charge some terrible prices. The worst part is that Edinburgh, Glasgow and other locations are also asking people to pay to lock up your mobile devices. I have no love for the people who can’t see price gouging and frankly even the musicians are actually saying this is not right, it’s unaffordable for me post COVID and I find myself not wanting to go out to see concerts, plays and National Scottish opera and Scottish National Orchestra or the BBC Scottish Orchestra, concerts.
Agree 100% with what you are saying. I saw Kraftwerk back before all this ridiculousness and I don't feel the need to see them again with these situations going on. I have a rule I abide by now. If I have seen the band to its fullness, especially if they aren't touring on a new album, I don't go. I only will see new bands that I enjoy that need the support OR concerts that will most likely NEVER happen again from bands I didn't get a chance to see back then i.e. Soul Coughing ( that show was amazing). The newer bands tend to play small venues which I enjoy much better than arenas anyway. I fortunately live in an area that has smaller venues.
Thanks for your perspective, Fran. I was giving some thought to seeing Kraftwerk when they come to Portland this year, but as you noted, it won't be as much fun as it used to be. I've been a fan of Kraftwerk since high school (50+ years!) and I don't have too many years left. However, with my mobility issues, limited income, and other factors, it just doesn't seem like a good idea. And now that both Ralf and Florian are no longer with us, it seems even less worth the effort. Ah, well. Thanks again Fran, for everything you do!
Ralf Hutter is not dead.
Ralf Hutter is still alive and fronting the band.
Yeah, I'm probably never going to see another concert. It's just more than it's worth now.
Independent (read: failing) musician here.... It really wasn't that long ago that I used to think of $50 as the absurd ticket price. There are just so so few artists that I enjoy enough (and haven't already seen) to pay the prices they ask anymore ($150-$200+). Music (as an art form) just aint what it used to be. Friggin sad.
I used to enjoy Kraftwerk.......
We did sewing, knitting, embroidery, made patchwork blankets, scarves, a tea cosey, it was great fun.😊
I think that Fran means Knots Werks.
Ba dump, tish!
agree 100% with you Fran!
Going to concerts today isn't the same fun experience as it was in the 70's through the early 90's. I go to local venues these days, where I can see an up and coming talent for 30-40 dollars and have a fun experience. The last big act concert that I attended was Van Halen in 2004. It was too loud, too hot (an outdoor event), and I had to deal with totally obnoxious people throwing up or urinating on themselves. No thanks. I'd rather spend the money on back catalog music.
I've never got to see them anytime over the years, wish I had of. I agree with you on this about the "fee's". Totally agree on all the points you made.
Ticket master and the record companies stopped me from going to concerts .
"convenience fee" is such an obvious lie.
I'm glad you got to see them with Florian, and that you saw Dick Dale many times. I saw him once 10 years ago at North Star, it was incredible!
"Convenience fee" suggests that there's some other, less convenient option without the fee. So what's the alternative?
Thanks! Its a good point. I appreciate your perspective. 👍👍✌️
Three Dog Night, September 4th, 1970, third row center, $5.
I'm with you on this one... ticket prices are insane even in the midwest. It leaves me wondering this is going in the future, if young adults are priced out of live music and don't go, the music industry around live shows will die out with us Boomers.
I think it has already suffered a few cardiac arrests. I'm a sound tech and used to do major outdoor events up until the 90's, but then something happened where the sound became compressed and thin on bottom end, and mixes started becoming intolerably bad (to me anyway..) as if there was no proper sound check and they spend half the show fumbling levels and messing up the sound even more. It seemed to coincide with digital mixing, digital voice augmentation (Autotune, lip syncing, melodyne etc) and class D amplification, as well as digital time alignment for FOH. So many major names now have been exposed as faking it live I'd never spend money to risk watching a mime show that sounds awful as well.
Same, always been a big concert goer but it's *demeaning* now at the bigger venues, and I've been boycotting them. Same thing happened to the EDM scene in my town circa 2000 and prices killed that scene. BTW you didn't mention parking fees, or "printing" fees if you want a real ticket 😅
My wife was going to buy tickets for me to see Kraftwerk in Manhattan for this tour and the tickets with all the fees were like $400! No thanks. Das Rip-off.
Landis Theater in Vineland … had Wishbone Ash on world tour twice in recent years …less than $50 great seats ..easy parking (not crazy like Philly) real good experience..
For sports tickets from Ticketmaster in Boston they don't let you print them out, you have to install an app on your phone, then you have to go through security like it's an airport
My first concert was Black Sabbath at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, I paid 12 dollars for that ticket.
And they force the bands to fork over a cut of the merch. T shirts, records, CDs etc, Causing the prices of the merch to go up by 50% or more.
This is why I stick to underground shows at small venues.
And as an aside, I'm the same age as you more or less. So I saw a lot of those 90's bands when they were small. I did sound for Rancid, AFI and Green Day when they were nobody. I saw Primus play for free, right when their first demo came out. Same for Mr.Bungle, Sleep, Melvins and High on Fire. Probably a hundred other bands I'm forgetting.
I've noticed that the small shows at venues with a capacity of 500 sound better than the massive venues. Even if the PA is garbage, you are hearing the instruments, not a microphone or an amp sim. Maybe the vocals suffer a bit in smaller venues. But I like the immediate feeling. And not paying Live Nation a fucking red cent.
And I saw Dick Dale at the Cotati Cabaret in California, great show! That guy has the right hand of a demon.
If you would go to Toronto Canada, March 8th at the famous Massey Hall, you might not end up with a reseller. But still pricy though... 118 to 300 CAD. The CAD is a bit weaker than the USD.
we have a venue in Clearwater FL called Ruth Eckerd hall the only place you can get tickets is from Ruth Eckerd hall
Seen them live 4 times .. first in AZ in 2015, then Dallas in 2023, then twice during the Disney philharmonic show last year. It was the same show every time with no variation. They were influential on me but I kinda got the point
Pretty done with concerts for exactly this reason. When the "convenience fee" costs more than purchasing a band's complete discography, I'm not going.
Yes Fran, they’re playing in Milton Keynes here in the U.K. but the prices put me off too. … but I’ve seen them many times before …
Kraftwerk's music is still great. I won't be able to go see them either.
I saw Peter Gabriel at Kent State University on his second album tour. Walk up ticket, 8 bucks. Folding metal chair seating, Great! I still wonder if Fripp was hiding behind the curtain.
Das Modell ... made them famous in the early 80s here: Sie ist ein Mädchen ...
Visit the power station instead - literal translation of Kraft-werk .
"Five bucks for Greg Kihn! Who does he think he is?" I still chuckle when I remember that cry of dismay that I once heard, long ago.
These days I just show up at the venue when the opening band begins and go to the box office and take my chances. I saw The Melvins below ticket price that way but there was a high chance that they would have told me it was sold out and I would have to go home.
This is why I attend music festivals in the summer instead of concerts.
I saw kraftwerk once, in brixton, back in 1991. we had a choice that night- kraftwerk or miles davis.
miles was dead a few months later, but even if he was still among us now, I'd still be kicking myself.
the hell with kraftwerk, & the hell with the gig-gouging that you describe. awful.
old technics back there? 215? does it run?
I saw the 3D tour like 12 years ago. Was pretty good.
I think tickets were probably $75 Canadian, at most.
The only musician I'd pay to see live at a Ticketmaster/Live Nation show would be Jimi Hendrix.
I never got to see Kraftwerk, so I bought tickets for the Vegas show on April 4th. There's a 50$ Service Fee, for each ticket.
I attended a lot of concerts in the 1960s and 1970s. It was simple to buy a ticket then. You could either use the phone or just go to the venue or a few other places and buy it in advance. The cost was also reasonable. Ones I really remember were Black Sabbath, Creedence Clearwater RevivaI, Bloodrock, and Grand Funk Railroad. I feel sorry for people today that want to attend concerts having to put up with this nonsense and ridiculous prices. There has been talk of government anti-trust action with regards to these practices but with the Orange Man soon to take power, I wouldn't hold my breath.
i went and saw infected mushroom there at the TLA. ticket price was ticket price back then there. saw VNV Nation over at the Union transfer... same thing .... since the pandemic, it's been fees upon fees... massive attack at the met was absolutely insane at $398 per seat, PLUS the Ticketmaster fees and scalping
"Intolerable Grift" pretty much sums up the entirety of existence in the good ole US of A
So I'm no fan of the whole tour/ticketing/venue conglomerate duopoly... but I kinda call BS on some of this, too.
GA tickets to Kraftwerk in Philadelphia are still easily available direct from retail, without going through scalpers. Even with the fees and adding the upgrade to skip the line, they come out to $89 and change. Adjusted for inflation, that would be $38 in 1990 dollars. Is that really so drastic a change? I remember paying similar amounts for concerts then, and having to stand outside in lines to buy tickets at the box office if they were going to sell out fast.
Fran, I feel you! I quit going to any concerts like this 20 years ago. I’m a Kraftwerk fan as well. Back in 1982 my friends and I went to see U2 when they were social protest rock. They totally sold out. So it’s certainly the ticket companies but also the bands. I listen to different things now.
I lived to go to concerts throughout the 70's 80's when they were affordable and accessible.
The 90s as well I suppose.
I refuse to tie myself into knots or go through the wringer just to see a show.
My concert days are over but my heydays were fantastic!
Of all the "old school" bands that are still around, the only one I'd pay to see in 2025 is Duran Duran. I saw them in 1982 when they were just starting to make it big. I've love to see them again.
As for newer performers, Taylor Swift (Seattle N2) was the first big concert I'd been to since 1992. Not cheap, but an absolute blast.
Saw Kraftwerk 3D at Moogfest. Also Pet Shop Boys. A couple of years ago I did take my son to see Kraftwerk when they were in DC.
bands should say something.
$40? I stopped going to big shows when they got past around 20 to 25. In the 70s in Cleveburg , I saw great cheap shows at the "little Agora" as I put it. There were some promotional shows that partnered local bands with recognized up-and-comers in the five dollar range...
Huh. I thought they did still maintain an actual box office. At least locally in Providence, I thought you can still walk up and get them at the major venues to avoid fees. (And yes, this being LiveNation/Ticketmaster)
Saw them on their 3-D tour in NYC with my kid. The 3D made up for what looked like a presidential debate set to music & slides.
Kraftwerk have become the Tim Cook of Apple. No new produkt (in KW case since 2003), churning out the same thing every other year with a different shiny case.
I’ll stick to the badly filmed RUclips concert vids.
rich people get to keep living normal lives
Best these days to go to more underground shows in smaller clubs.
Since 2019 the number of 'smaller clubs' in Philly has reduced to just a few. Dozens have closed.
I'm not seeing them either. I'm quite happy with the music, it's enough for me.
Amen.
by the way, which one's Pink ?
I'm of the same opinion on the new Oasis tour, I've been a fan of theirs since day one and went to see them back in 97, for an acceptable price. I am not prepared to pay todays concert prices to see a band that isnt even in their prime any more. Along with all the associated fees and bs that is part of todays concert experience.
Do you have no smaller venues in range? I was super lucky to see Kraftwerk in Cincy for $50 a ticket in a pretty small place. It was the most amazing concert I've been to. #2 was at the same place, Ween, which was a similar price.
The venue isn't in Ticketmaster's clutches. AXS seems to be representing it and so far, have been reasonable.
And many bands will probably be using auto correct and miming these days. Which in my eyes is a scam.
YEP! I will not go to any of these last concerts because they are still alive and around... I agree with Ricky Nelson, "IF MEMORIES IS ALL I SING, I'D RATHER DRIVE A TRUCK."
Nice to hear that. HG Wells was deep.
Franklin music hall is alright,I'm more of a smaller venue goer like kung fu necktie or Underground Arts Union Transfer or Johnny Brenda's.FMH was way too big for my taste.Thought about Kraftwerk there but,nah not the same and same reasons you mentioned.🛸📡
Though to be fair, Union Xfer is not really a small venue.
Yeah it's pretty big,I prefer those than any concert.Remember when I went to a Stones concert in Syracuse ages ago and that was just ridiculous.🗽🛸📡
Some artists actually care about the fans and don't charge too much, was standing in the second row (the floor standing was not split into anything so if you got there first you got closer) to see Scooter at Wembley Arena and paid just under £60 all in, OMD and Howard Jones at the O² Arena about 6 or 8 rows back was just over £60. Both great nights.
So tickets can be affordable if the band/label wants to.
Ticketmaster killed live shows.
My last one was Jamiroquai for the LED hat tour. That was almost 10 years ago. I was so salty to pay >100€ I swore it off for good.
Buy the album/DVD.
so yeah, this is why its worth the effoprt to curate your Spotify feed. There are some absolutely fabulous bands out now, even if they aren;t getting the billion streams of the T.Swizzles. And these guys play small venues. Case in point: You Tube favorites Sungazer. Or Knower. 8) and these are in *every* genre and most of them don;t play arenas - they're all playing club dates. I genuinely believe an artistic renaissance is coming. But like the man said: The Revolution will not be corporatized...
Much love
Autobahn was life changing for me. Must have played it 400 times. Newer music less so, too clinical for me
It's not even 'real' Kraftwerk, nothing but a covers band that use the name at this point. Zero original members and no new material.
One original member, but point taken.
One doesn’t have to watch Legacy bands. There are unknown bands out there, playing bars.
I stopped going to concerts in the 90's, and the only shows worth going to then were festivals, never pay more than 5 bucks a band on average.
Preach Fran