Arcade Fire

[GlastoSimon]

4 minutes ago, D-Low said:

Call me a tight-fisted git but the price of tickets is becoming fucking scandalous. £63.45 excluding delivery is obscene. 2 tickets over £125 . I don't care how good the band is (yes, I'm well aware some artists charge even more).

The band's 2010 arena tour was just £27 for comparison. I know bands get bigger and expect more with all associated costs rising but that increase has made it unjustifiable.

The ticket prices do seem to have kicked off massively over the last 5 years or so. Its a shame cos it means choosing your gigs very carefully at times, which as you say wasn't as required when arena gigs were half the price

[fowls]

13 minutes ago, D-Low said:

Call me a tight-fisted git but the price of tickets is becoming fucking scandalous. £63.45 excluding delivery is obscene. 2 tickets over £125 . I don't care how good the band is (yes, I'm well aware some artists charge even more).

The band's 2010 arena tour was just £27 for comparison. I know bands get bigger and expect more with all associated costs rising but that increase has made it unjustifiable.

With so many other bands increasing prices dramatically over the last few years I have a feeling there are more external forces at play than the band suddenly becoming greedy.  Having the stage in the round pushes things along too - fewer tickets to sell, and more expensive stage set up.

After seeing Radiohead charge £80, I have a feeling it's going to get a lot worse.  Are they gauging what secondary markets are selling tickets for to decide where the optimal price is? Wouldn't surprise me.

 

Feeling nostalgic for the days when arena shows were £20 and festivals were £90.  Starting to feel like that old guy in every pub who says he saw Led Zeppelin for 50p.

Edited July 20, 2017 by fowls

[D-Low]

5 minutes ago, fowls said:

I'd say that's more of an economic crash issue (and possibly declining record sales?) than the band suddenly becoming greedy.  Having the stage in the round pushes things along too - fewer tickets to sell, and more expensive stage set up.

After seeing Radiohead charge £80, I have a feeling it's going to get a lot worse.

 

Feeling nostalgic for the days when arena shows were £20 and festivals were £90.  Starting to feel like that old guy in every pub who says he saw Led Zeppelin for 50p.

Thing is I'm only 27 and I've grown up where normal venue gigs were £10-£17. Arena gigs were typically £27-£35. The past few years prices have seemed to rocket. Definitely don't blame the band specifically as it's a cross-wide trend. Just can't get over how much prices are increasing and having seen most of the band's I've wanted to see now 2-3 times already find myself opting out more and more

[fowls]

1 minute ago, D-Low said:

Thing is I'm only 27 and I've grown up where normal venue gigs were £10-£17. Arena gigs were typically £27-£35. The past few years prices have seemed to rocket. Definitely don't blame the band specifically as it's a cross-wide trend. Just can't get over how much prices are increasing and having seen most of the band's I've wanted to see now 2-3 times already find myself opting out more and more

Oh yeah, definitely. I'm only 30! It's been a seismic shift in the last 5 years or so.

[baggie92]

4 hours ago, Muppetmark said:

Genting is the Barclaycard arena up by sealife center. Its also bog standard. Had a good time though for foals the prodigy and fall out boy

Genting Arena is the NEC on the outskirts of Brum

Barclaycard Arena is the NIA in the middle of Brum

[bocumaroy]

16 minutes ago, fowls said:

With so many other bands increasing prices dramatically over the last few years I have a feeling there are more external forces at play than the band suddenly becoming greedy.  Having the stage in the round pushes things along too - fewer tickets to sell, and more expensive stage set up.

After seeing Radiohead charge £80, I have a feeling it's going to get a lot worse.  Are they gauging what secondary markets are selling tickets for to decide where the optimal price is? Wouldn't surprise me.

With most arenas, wouldn't having seating available on all 4 sides make up the lost standing space with the in the round setup?

The artists can't be absolved from responsibility with ticket prices, but it's more a case of taking what they can get rather than suddenly becoming greedy, and they've probably always charged as much as they've thought they'll get away with. It's a depressing trend but there are too many unknown factors for me to get bothered about it when comparing different bands (overheads etc). 

Was Radiohead £80 before fees, or everything included? Because I guess if the London shows are more then it could end up not far off that with delivery.

 

 

[fowls]

Just now, bocumaroy said:

With most arenas, wouldn't having seating available on all 4 sides make up the lost standing space with the in the round setup?

The artists can't be absolved from responsibility with ticket prices, but it's more a case of taking what they can get rather than suddenly becoming greedy, and they've probably always charged as much as they've thought they'll get away with. It's a depressing trend but there are too many unknown factors for me to get bothered about it when comparing different bands (overheads etc). 

Was Radiohead £80 before fees, or everything included? Because I guess if the London shows are more then it could end up not far off that with delivery.

 

 

The original arena tickets were £80 without fees (£85 with). When they moved to the cricket ground that changed to £75 without fees for front (which pretty much all went to the people with the arena tickets anyway) and £65 for rear.

[efcfanwirral]

I think it's down to bands not really making any money from selling music as well, so the only way to keep it going is the gigs. 

Take the gig prices back down = no more bands we like and only ed sheeran and Taylor swift types. It's probably barely even worth it for anyone much smaller than arcade fire level now. 

The next generation just won't bother with music because it won't be seen as remotely a viable way of making a living

Edited July 20, 2017 by efcfanwirral

[the wonderwhy]

3 minutes ago, bocumaroy said:

With most arenas, wouldn't having seating available on all 4 sides make up the lost standing space with the in the round setup?

 

 

That depends on the arena. They Hydro for example doesn't have a configuration for extra seats to be added. I think the same goes for Wembley 

[nikkic]

I've been revisiting all the past albums and now think I'd put The Suburbs above Neon Bible. Funeral still up top of course. 

I also think that based solely on the singles we've had so far, Everything Now has the potential to be their best album since Funeral. Big call I know, but I'm running with it. 

Edited July 20, 2017 by nikkic

[EighteenSixty7]

So the album isn't out until next Friday but there's sites with reviews up already. I'm confused.

[kaytee...]

3 minutes ago, EighteenSixty7 said:

So the album isn't out until next Friday but there's sites with reviews up already. I'm confused.

Journos get releases real early. I know a few who have already had records through not being released til September. But I suppose it would be a nice surprise if they put the album out sooner

[FloorFiller]

Reviews I've seen seem to be pretty mixed, ranging from glowing 5 stars to indifferent mid-level reviews. Kind of anticipating that it's gonna fall more in the latter park once they're all in*

*although I've been anticipating that since Reflektor's release 

[fowls]

Question is, will they continue with 17/18 song setlists? It's excusable with three records, pushing it with four, but with five and £65 tickets it seems pretty tight. Hoping they push for a 2 hour set.

Edited July 20, 2017 by fowls

[Alan_C]

Considering going to Dublin and making a weekend of it. 

[dentalplan]

4 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

Reviews I've seen seem to be pretty mixed, ranging from glowing 5 stars to indifferent mid-level reviews. Kind of anticipating that it's gonna fall more in the latter park once they're all in*

*although I've been anticipating that since Reflektor's release 

I saw a couple the other day where they praise all the songs and it would look like a glowing review from the language used... and then they slap a 7 or 8 out of 10 at the bottom of it completely voiding the actual opinion and seemingly giving a score for the masses.

2 minutes ago, fowls said:

Question is, will they continue with 18 song setlists? It's kinda excusable with three records, pushing it with four, but with five and £65 tickets it seems pretty tight. 

Yeah this is one major thing that has me scared to miss out. I feel like they're gonna juice up the setlists and start playing two hour sets with all our favourites in tow. Like you said, really inexcusable not to with so many key songs.

[Amy Lawn]

39 minutes ago, efcfanwirral said:

The next generation just won't bother with music because it won't be seen as remotely a viable way of making a living

Show me one good artist who's in music for the money

Edited July 20, 2017 by GETOFFAMYLAWN

[dentalplan]

3 minutes ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

Show me one good artist who's in music for the money

Supergrass?

[Amy Lawn]

Just now, dentalplan said:

Supergrass?

Not even in music anymore pal

[dentalplan]

Just now, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

Not even in music anymore pal

Neither is money. No coincidence.

[fowls]

17 minutes ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

Show me one good artist who's in music for the money

It's facile to try and pin a band's interest to a single factor. Sure, no band who has to graft their way up is in it entirely for the money, and definitely not with as many members as AF, but if a band can become millionaires from music they're not going to give it all away and pay themselves minimum wage for the love of music.  To make a generous living off music and be self-sufficient is certainly a goal of most musicians.

Edited July 20, 2017 by fowls

[Amy Lawn]

1 minute ago, fowls said:

It's facile to try and pin a band's interest to a single factor. Sure, no band who has to graft their way up is in it entirely for the money, and definitely not with as many members as AF, but if a band can become millionaires from music they're not going to give it all away and pay themselves minimum wage for the love of music.  To make a generous living off music and be self-sufficient is certainly a goal of most musicians.

It's facile to say "The next generation just won't bother with music because it won't be seen as remotely a viable way of making a living" and all tho m8

[Hugh Jass]

1 hour ago, D-Low said:

Thing is I'm only 27 and I've grown up where normal venue gigs were £10-£17. Arena gigs were typically £27-£35. The past few years prices have seemed to rocket. Definitely don't blame the band specifically as it's a cross-wide trend. Just can't get over how much prices are increasing and having seen most of the band's I've wanted to see now 2-3 times already find myself opting out more and more

I'm 35 and can remember the days when an Academy sized band on their first album wouldn't be much more than a tenner. I remember thinking that 30 quid for Oasis at Wembley in 2000 was a rip off, and that was before the gig.

[FloorFiller]

27 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

I saw a couple the other day where they praise all the songs and it would look like a glowing review from the language used... and then they slap a 7 or 8 out of 10 at the bottom of it completely voiding the actual opinion and seemingly giving a score for the masses.

They've definitely started to become a band that are cool to hate, but I think this time round it may be kind of justified. I fully believe that they've got a great album(s) left in them and look forward to whenever it comes, but I'm 100% certain this ain't it. In years to come I think the Reflektor/Everything Now disco era of the band will be looked back on as when it went a bit wrong. Sure hope they move away from it next time. 

I'll report back on if I still have this opinion after I've actually listened to the album though as it's starting to sound as if I've already made my decision  

[bocumaroy]

1 hour ago, MattDavies__ said:

That depends on the arena. They Hydro for example doesn't have a configuration for extra seats to be added. I think the same goes for Wembley 

Oh yeah, I believe that's the case with Dublin too (so the majority of these shows), was mostly thinking of all the US/Canada dates they're playing in sports arenas with seats on every side. Not sure it'd make much difference

1 hour ago, fowls said:

Question is, will they continue with 17/18 song setlists? It's excusable with three records, pushing it with four, but with five and £65 tickets it seems pretty tight. Hoping they push for a 2 hour set.

The Earls Court shows were 20 songs and lasted about five minutes short of two hours, so I'd expect similar, maybe with a bit more rotation of the old favourites to make room.