I've no idea whether Robbie Williams' management really did sell marked-up tickets to his shows via resale sites as the BBC are claiming.
This I do know. If you're managing a hot act you know that there's a big difference between the price your artist is comfortable with charging and the amount the market will pay. It might be twice as much.
If people are going to pay double the standard price for tickets you can either watch that money go to wicked scalpers (or averagely shrewd members of the public who buy two lots and sell one in order to pay for their evening out); or you can get some of it for your artist.
I'm not saying it's right or desirable but I can understand it.
The NPR podcast "Planet Money" gave an interesting look at the economics of touting a while back: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2013/06/25/195641030/episode-468-kid-rock-vs-the-scalpers Still feels relevant today.
ReplyDeleteI love the Taylor Swift fan who will pay hundreds for a ticket, but doesn't like to think of the money going to her.
ReplyDeleteI like to see live stuff as much as the next, but I won’t pay the prices they’re asking before the touts (“official” or otherwise) get to work. Yep, overheads have to be covered as much as the continuing lifestyle of the “artist,” the management and various passing waifs and strays, but how much does it really cost? And don’t sponsorship and memorabilia help a bit? But then, when was “ a bit” ever enough?
ReplyDeleteI said enough’s enough a long time ago. Hasn’t made a jot of difference, of course, why would it. But, I don’t feel deprived.