Headliner predictions 2017

[Gucci Piggy]

10 minutes ago, arcade fireman said:

There's a difference between charging a fair amount and what's being offered and ripping fans off. Glastonbury could hike the ticket price up to 350 quid a ticket and it would still sell out comfortably. But plenty of people wouldn't be able to afford it so they don't.

Many acts who could sell out venues several times over could probably charge even more for tickets (and would be much more justified in doing so when there's more of them to share the money) but don't. 

To use your footballer analogy, the Chinese clubs could afford any footballer in the world, but I think you'd find Diego Costa aside most of the best footballers in the world will still stay in Europe for less money so even with them it's not just about the cash. To prioritise your income this much when you're already earning a fuckload, even if it means plenty of your fans can't attend is just greed. And deserves to be called out with artists who cultivate a "nice guy" image like Sheeran does. 

Charging a high fee for your shows doesn't change what you're doing as a job, though. Moving to China takes you away from playing at a decent level of football and removes and competitiveness and chance of glory. If you were earning £100,000 a week at Arsenal and United offered you £200,000 a week you'd probably want to go unless you had an affinity to Arsenal. Twice as much money to be doing the same thing.

As ghostdancer says, if a rival company offered any of us twice as much money we'd most likely be straight out the door.

Yeah he'll already be loaded, but like all of us he probably spends all that money and would love to have more.

[arcade fireman]

2 minutes ago, ghostdancer1 said:

not really a great analogy as China is a completely different way of life.

if Chelsea started offering the same type of money as the Chinese clubs, they'd have footballers all over the UK and Europe lining up to sign with them.

if a rival company offered me double the amount of money for doing relatively the same work, i'd be out the door here ASAP, and I'd imagine most of us on here would do the same too.

Okay then, take Manchester City. Of course their big money changed them completely, attracted bigger names and eventually got them domestic success, but Robinho aside it didn't get them the biggest names in world football overnight. It got them players that wouldn't otherwise come, money is a big factor still. But they needed to build success on top of that, become a team that genuinely challenged for honours to then attract the bigger names. If you gave a League Two club a couple of billion they wouldn't exactly attract big names overnight even if they did offer to double their salaries. 

And I think drawing comparisons between us (most of us I assume are on fairly normal incomes) and those on tens of millions doesn't really compute. The world of possibilities and change in our lives a doubling of money would do to our lives would arguably be far greater than a doubling of money at the higher end of the scale. 

[Gucci Piggy]

Just now, arcade fireman said:

Okay then, take Manchester City. Of course their big money changed them completely, attracted bigger names and eventually got them domestic success, but Robinho aside it didn't get them the biggest names in world football overnight. It got them players that wouldn't otherwise come, money is a big factor still. But they needed to build success on top of that, become a team that genuinely challenged for honours to then attract the bigger names. If you gave a League Two club a couple of billion they wouldn't exactly attract big names overnight even if they did offer to double their salaries. 

And I think drawing comparisons between us (most of us I assume are on fairly normal incomes) and those on tens of millions doesn't really compute. The world of possibilities and change in our lives a doubling of money would do to our lives would arguably be far greater than a doubling of money at the higher end of the scale. 

Yes because moving from a top European club to a League Two club (or City when they first got their money) would again change what you were doing for a job. You'd be playing amongst a worse standard of football; you'd be less competitive for the highest honours. Ed Sheeran doubling his ticket prices brings no downside for him.

[arcade fireman]

8 minutes ago, Will-2609 said:

Yes because moving from a top European club to a League Two club (or City when they first got their money) would again change what you were doing for a job. You'd be playing amongst a worse standard of football; you'd be less competitive for the highest honours. Ed Sheeran doubling his ticket prices brings no downside for him.

Yes but it means plenty more of his fans can't come to his gigs.  Alienating sections of your fan base should be considered a downside if you care about your fan base like Sheeran claims to. 

I think you are confusing the argument here. People are accusing Sheeran of being greedy. Which is entirely fair. Greedy people tend to do things which solely benefit them so I don't see how this negates it.

Fair enough if the costs were reflective of most other gigs charging a similar amount - but they're likely a tiny fraction of that. Sheeran is entitled to charge whatever he wants to charge but your assumption that every single last person in his very, very privileged financial position would do the same is absolutely wrong. Plenty would, but plenty wouldn't. 

And if those that did previously made a show about how they made their ticket prices low for their fans, they should be expected to be called out on their hypocrisy. 

Edited January 26, 2017 by arcade fireman

[Gucci Piggy]

3 minutes ago, arcade fireman said:

Yes but it means plenty more of his fans can't come to his gigs.  Alienating sections of your fan base should be considered a downside if you care about your fan base like Sheeran claims to. 

I think you are confusing the argument here. People are accusing Sheeran of being greedy. Which is entirely fair. Greedy people tend to do things which solely benefit them so I don't see how this negates it.

Fair enough if the costs were reflective of most other gigs charging a similar amount - but they're likely a tiny fraction of that. Sheeran is entitled to charge whatever he wants to charge but your assumption that every single last person in his very, very privileged financial position would do the same is absolutely wrong. Plenty would, but plenty wouldn't. 

And if those that did previously made a show about how they made their ticket prices low for their fans, they should be expected to be called out on their hypocrisy. 

I just reckon the vast majority accusing him of being greedy would do the same in his position. They may think they wouldn't but fame and fortune changes people. They'd be unlikely to give a shit about the people who couldn't afford to go.

You may disagree. That's fair.

[mungo57]

Ed Sheeran and James Blunt at the same gig would likely be enough to force me to rip out my own throat and hang myself with it. The stuff of nightmares!

[mungo57]

I'd also like to point out that Sheeran probably isn't 'charging' his fans directly for his gigs - he would use a promoter who sets the price and sells the tickets for what they think they can get for them right?

promoter + most popular artist releasing new dates at the moment x loads of fans wanting to see him = high prices. 

 

Not that I agree with it at all as I think some of todays prices are ridiculous........

[arcade fireman]

5 minutes ago, mungo57 said:

I'd also like to point out that Sheeran probably isn't 'charging' his fans directly for his gigs - he would use a promoter who sets the price and sells the tickets for what they think they can get for them right?

promoter + most popular artist releasing new dates at the moment x loads of fans wanting to see him = high prices. 

 

Not that I agree with it at all as I think some of todays prices are ridiculous........

I'm sure artists have the ultimate say in ticket prices - theirs must be the biggest cut. Maybe those in the industry can shed more light though. 

[mungo57]

3 minutes ago, arcade fireman said:

I'm sure artists have the ultimate say in ticket prices - theirs must be the biggest cut. Maybe those in the industry can shed more light though. 

Always wanted to know that, I had always assumed the 'metropolis music presents.......' for arguments sake meant that they set the prices. Artists must have a fee which is factored in?

Would love some input from an industry related person, always wondered how pricing works.

[GlastoSimon]

Just now, mungo57 said:

Always wanted to know that, I had always assumed the 'metropolis music presents.......' for arguments sake meant that they set the prices. Artists must have a fee which is factored in?

Would love some input from an industry related person, always wondered how pricing works.

Same, some of the gigs I've been to where the price differs massively for the same sort of set-up at the same venue always makes me wonder what the process is.

[mungo57]

6 minutes ago, GlastoSimon said:

Same, some of the gigs I've been to where the price differs massively for the same sort of set-up at the same venue always makes me wonder what the process is.

I always assumed that that was the promoter bleeding all us mugs dry for the best seats lol

[Quark]

54 minutes ago, fatyeti24 said:

Its market forces. The problem is the people who pay the prices. Other countries don't do it, so I'm not sure why us Brits do. 

Very much this Yeti.  Find it bizarre. Not specifically the Brits thing (didn't realise it was peculiar to us) but in general.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

7 minutes ago, mungo57 said:

I always assumed that that was the promoter bleeding all us mugs dry for the best seats lol

you'd think if they're giving tickets directly to the resell sites, and making millions from that, they could at least make the prices reasonable for the few who manage to nick one in the 'official' sale. Even if only for appearance's sake.

[brettredmayne]

Radiohead £74

Ed Sheeran £82

Foo fighters £60

£216

 

Shows you how good value Glastonbury is 

[evannn]

My girlfriend works at an arts festival. I know it's not the same as your Ed Sheerans, but some highly regarded names nonetheless (Patti Smith e.g.)

 

Anyway, the way it works is that the festival (promoter) arranges the ticket price, or in rare instances the venue. The artists' fee and rider etc is taken into account, so does have an indirect impact but it's not necessarily down to Ed Sheeran or Radiohead if some promotion/mgmt company decides they can squeeze another £20 out of 5,000 pockets 

[Gnomicide]

6 minutes ago, brettredmayne said:

Radiohead £74

Ed Sheeran £82

Foo fighters £60

£216

 

Shows you how good value Glastonbury is 

Hobo Jones £0

St Paul and the Broken Bones £25

Ferocious Dog £15

£40

Shit. I knew I was doing it wrong. 

[dentalplan]

7 minutes ago, brettredmayne said:

Radiohead £74

Ed Sheeran £82

Foo fighters £60

£216

 

Shows you how good value Glastonbury is 

Or just major music festivals in general. It is one of the key factors for a lot of people.

[Quark]

10 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Hobo Jones £0

St Paul and the Broken Bones £25

Ferocious Dog £15

£40

Shit. I knew I was doing it wrong. 

Plus factoring in the time off work afterwards to recover from getting battered in the pit.

[Hugh Jass]

1 hour ago, Will-2609 said:

Yeah he'll already be loaded, but like all of us he probably spends all that money and would love to have more.

How many checkered shirts does one man need?

[Rose-Colored Boy]

 

Edited January 26, 2017 by Zac Quinn

[mungo57]

50 minutes ago, Zac Quinn said:

you'd think if they're giving tickets directly to the resell sites, and making millions from that, they could at least make the prices reasonable for the few who manage to nick one in the 'official' sale. Even if only for appearance's sake.

Agreed entirely. Take U2 at Twickenham for example. Thousands on getmein which ticketmaster were only too keen to push you towards and then only a few mugs seem to have gotten them for a 'fair price'. Makes my blood boil.

35 minutes ago, Scruffylovemonster said:

Im not an industry person, but you are right in principal.

Promoter pays artist x amount to do shows, then sells tickets and makes profit/loss accordingly. Artist has no risk.

However, someone as big as Ed is at the minute would have the power to say to promoter, "I'll only do this gig if you charge under x amount a ticket." He'll sell that many tickets anyway, that the promoter wouldn't say no.

A bit like Radiohead doing their "anti-touting" tickets. It's not the promoter who decides to do that but the band make it a condition of their contract. 

 

40 minutes ago, evannn said:

My girlfriend works at an arts festival. I know it's not the same as your Ed Sheerans, but some highly regarded names nonetheless (Patti Smith e.g.)

 

Anyway, the way it works is that the festival (promoter) arranges the ticket price, or in rare instances the venue. The artists' fee and rider etc is taken into account, so does have an indirect impact but it's not necessarily down to Ed Sheeran or Radiohead if some promotion/mgmt company decides they can squeeze another £20 out of 5,000 pockets 

thanks for the input guys, ran out of upvotes or you'd get 1 each. Good to know it isn't necessarily the artist bleeding us dry like the mugs we are.

[karaseen]

47 minutes ago, brettredmayne said:

Radiohead £74

Ed Sheeran £82

Foo fighters £60

£216

 

Shows you how good value Glastonbury is 

Celine Dion VIP packages START at £275. Such a shame she won't be at Glasto!

[st dan]

1 minute ago, Zac Quinn said:

 

The day he got stabbed in the face messing around with a sword with a member of the Royal family? Average Joe isn't he. 

[ghostdancer1]

is he doing special VIP/golden circle/meet & greet tickets?

if not then that photo/quote isn't really valid.

[Tartan_Glasto]

7 minutes ago, Zac Quinn said:

 

To be fair, I think he's specifically meaning special seats, meet & greets etc here. I think he's trying to say that everyone should have the same experience for the same ticket price. People shouldn't get additional benefits just cause they can afford additional money.