Author Topic: Tired, fed up and ticketless (Read 13312 times)

Muttley · « **Reply #15 on:** February 17, 2006, 11:50:05 PM »

Quote from: jt

:Do you remember Bros the pop band ? They wrote a book i don`t no what its called were they explained how it was that they had sold out tours of football stadiums & not ended up with a single penny.

Actually, Bros go down in the record books as the only band to play Wembley Stadium and NOT sell it out. They had to move the stage forward a lot just so it didn't look too empty. :lol:

Muttley

genocidal tendencies · « **Reply #16 on:** February 17, 2006, 11:56:30 PM »

The only gig I've actually paid to see was dragonforce and mendeed - £9. Awesome gig, aswell.

The prices that are charged for mainstream bands though is ridiculous. The sad fact is, there are people who are willing to pay hundreds for their tickets. The industry (and ebay) can basically name their price, and people will pay it. Sucks for those of us who'd rather buy a pickup than spend one and a half hours listening to a band we like, but there's really no way round it anymore.

willo · « **Reply #17 on:** February 18, 2006, 03:14:51 PM »

It's interesting you say that, jt, I stand corrected! :D So, how do bands make their money then? If its not through touring, and CD sales don't make a great deal, then how do they get their money? I have heard that thing about Bros, but I thought that was a pretty extreme example, I'm sure their managers shafted them royally!

Quote

As for the rise in ticket charges again you`ve missed the point. Name me anything that`s got cheaper in the last 5 years...........exactley you can`t. Nothing gets cheaper the increases are in line with everything & most other bands.

I could be a real smart arse and point something out (computer chips or something), but thats not really the point. I'm not saying that the chili peppers are charging a disproportionate amount compared to other bands, but rather that I think the pricing structure of all large scale gigs is over-inflated.

I do think many record companies take vast liberties with their fanbases these days; I think they exploit them simpy because they know someone somewhere will always buy it - be it a reissued album with new track, a single issued in 3 different formats, a greatest hits with complimentary new half-arsed song. I know that this is the standard these days, but I find it sad that these processes have become so ingrained into the culture of the music industry that we don't even question these things anymore. Is it fair? Is it exploitative? Just because all the other bands do it doesn't make it right, IMO.

For instance, I read on the RHCP forum about those Gold fanclub memberships you could buy for $40. They got you access to the Pre-sale tickets, of which there was a limit of 4 tickets per membership. However, early on the website incorrectly said you could get 6 tickets, and the ticketmaser website menu also allowed you to get 6. So some guys just bought the 6 tickets. Now they're being told that it should only have been 4 tickets so they're either going to have to buy another Gold Fanclub Membership for $40 or give back the extra 2 tickets. Even though this will free up a few tickets for fans like me, I still completely disagree with it. The mistake lies with the RHCP administration, so they are culpable in my eyes. But no! They must get their pound of flesh :(

I'm not meaning to rage specifically on the chili peppers. And I'm not against the music business - I understand that the minute you sign on the dotted line money is always going to be a concern; it's a business after all. But I'm sick and tired of being exploited and taken for a ride by multinational record labels just because they know they can. I will pay my money to see my favourite bands, and I will buy the new albums and singles and all that, but I don't appreciate being taken for a mug by the record companies. If I want to buy an album and it costs £15 - fine. I'm not happy with it, but unfortunately I'm going to have to pay that, aren't I? There's nothing else I can do. But I'm still allowed to retain the right to be unhappy with it.

Now fansites with lyrics and tabs on are being shut down and/or sued. I'm tired of this. If the record companies want to know why a large proportion of today's generation couldn't give a $%&# about profits dropping as a result of filesharing, why we don't believe them if they say they are concerned for the future of music, well they'd do well to have a look at themselves and their millionaire company CEO whose just taken a dedicated fan of a band to court simply because he published lyrics of the songs he loves on a website.

Simply, it stinks. :(

Afghan Dave · « **Reply #18 on:** February 18, 2006, 06:10:35 PM »

Corporate control is all gonna get a lot worse in the next couple of years when "Trusted Computing" is enabled on the new Microsoft Vista operating system.

If you don't know about it I suggest you do a bit of research. In a nutshell all the devices (PCs, Mobiles, PDAs) we purchase will have hardware security as well as software Digital Rights Management.

Legally purchased music / software will never really be under your control. You will be watched by the "Electric Eye"

True freedom is the freedom to do "wrong" and morallity is the personal choice to do "right".

I'm not writing this in support of file sharing and copyright violation, it's an artists work and they have a moral right to get paid.

But remember that "mixtape" or CD you made/recieved from a friend or girlfriend that may have changed your musical tastes and ultimatly led to hundreds of legal purchases. We were/are "breakin' the law" and that'll be a thing of the past.

Effectively this can lock you out of your own system and limit when and what files you access to and for how long.

AMD/Intel/Microsoft/Sony/Nokia/Phillips and many more are all signed up.

The ramifications of this for music distribution are huge and way too depressing to detail here but if you think we're being screwed now...

"YA GOTTA NUTHER THING COMMIN..."

(P.S. - I've been watching the new Judas Priest DVD - can ya tell)

sambo · « **Reply #19 on:** February 18, 2006, 06:15:14 PM »

woah that sounds scary dave...

like the judas priest stuff as well.... nice touch...

btw why 'afghan' dave?

Afghan Dave · « **Reply #20 on:** February 18, 2006, 08:25:27 PM »

Well the Afghan bit is easy, I was born there.

I'm proud to mess with cultural stereotypes and assumptions about what Afghans might be like. I think I was the only Afghan with permed long hair and into Megadeth & Faster Pussycat in 1990 though I could be wrong.

After spending a few hours in a bar kicking back shots and talkin’ chit, I kinda like to drop in my heritage.

I’m grateful for the freedoms which we enjoy in England. Others fought so hard to secure them.

It really bothers me that we are sleepwalking into a distopian future where I can’t have a cigarette and a drink with friends but must carry an ID card.

I’m half Afghan – I’m half Yorkshire-man and I’m proud to be British.

The value of liberty is only understood when it is lost.

sambo · « **Reply #21 on:** February 18, 2006, 08:39:16 PM »

wow that was quite inspirational...

i expected you to break out next with "i have a dream!.."

but no seriously... compelling stuff

Afghan Dave · « **Reply #22 on:** February 18, 2006, 09:04:38 PM »

Thanks.

I'm going out to a bar now to find some titties...mmmm

I love them lady lumps... :lol: :lol:

sambo · « **Reply #23 on:** February 18, 2006, 09:06:11 PM »

hahaha!

there was me thinking you were in deep thought about the cultural problems in our lives...

genocidal tendencies · « **Reply #24 on:** February 18, 2006, 10:26:13 PM »

Well personally it really bothers me that there ever was a dystopian time in which I couldn't even walk down a street without having people breathing smoke into my face.

You can't have the right to fill a place with smoke without infringing upon everyone else's right to have the place not full of smoke. If you want to kill yourself then fine, but do it somewhere where it doesn't bother everyone else.

[/spam]

sambo · « **Reply #25 on:** February 18, 2006, 10:36:00 PM »

well said GT...

dunno what that spam thing means though lol ?!

genocidal tendencies · « **Reply #26 on:** February 18, 2006, 11:02:07 PM »

well, since my post has nothing to do with the thread, it was spam, so I thought I'd mention that. I still had to post it though, people who complain about their rights being taken away without thinking about anyone else really get on my nerves.

sambo · « **Reply #27 on:** February 18, 2006, 11:16:28 PM »

good on ya

willo · « **Reply #28 on:** February 19, 2006, 01:05:13 AM »

Quote from: genocidal tendencies

well, since my post has nothing to do with the thread, it was spam, so I thought I'd mention that. I still had to post it though, people who complain about their rights being taken away without thinking about anyone else really get on my nerves.

I am tired of the hypocrisy regarding smoking, personally. I think it should simply be legal and free to smoke wherever you want, or completely illegal. As the government needs the money from cigarette taxation too much, it has sought to demonise the smoker in order to score easy points with the public.

The idea that smokers breathe their smoke directly into your face is borne of this demonization - the way of phrasing it implies that the person smoking is deliberately and antagonistically breathing into your face...like its a personal 'us V them' situation??

I don't like smoking, and I don't like what the effects of smoking actively and passively have done to various members of my family. But I strongly disagree with the Government's stance on this. I think that people have a right to practise what is a completely legal activity as and when they want to. I mean, of course I can also understand why people would not wantsomeone smoking near them. But I think a lot of everyday people who in the past few years have become more vocal in their opposition of public smoking, are motivated not so much by the health concerns they frequently mention, but rather on a day-to-day basis of the more mundane aspects - i.e. the smell rubbing off onto your clothes. Which frankly is ridiculous, to demonize a whole group of society just because you don't like a minor pastime that they practise. That's of course, not all of the anti-smokers, and fair play to you if you truly are motivated by health concerns. I just think that our society nowadays exists on a basis of Good Vs Evil, and canonizing the 'good' and demonizing the 'bad', when really society is never going to be as simple as that.

That's just my opinion though...

Afghan Dave · « **Reply #29 on:** February 19, 2006, 04:50:38 AM »

I totally agree with anybody who objects to the harm my (passive) smoking inflicts upon those in close proximity.

I also support any effort to protect workers such as bar men and women.

I do feel that it is a direct infringement upon civil liberties to outlaw my hypothetical club venture “Afghan Dave’s Smoke Shack” A bar staffed by adult smokers serving drinks to members who also smoke. Smoking is still legal.

I would have more sympathy it you suggested totally outlawing it. If it’s so wrong let’s not be hypocritical and tax it.

Politicians should stop spending the tax revenue if they feel so strongly and the sanctimonious non-smokers should be prepared to fill the gap in the exchequers revenue will increased income tax.