£55 for Ocean Colour Scene at the New Civic. Pre new Civic it would have been £30. Hell I only paid £45 for The Charlatans and Johnny Marr in Halifax at the Piece Halls.
my first gig ticket (aston villa leisure centre, 1991) was £8.50. Civic gigs then were £6 or £6.50 in the main.
Prices have gradually spiralled upwards (see also the ST thread) and it seems bands have little say in the final prices, so it's hard to see who is skimming off the most tbh.
James May tour is £55, but they are bringing a 22 piece orchestra and choir, so fair do's I guess. But if me and mrs jelly decide to go to a gig now, we're looking at at least £100 for a pair of tickets, and that's before travel, parking, refreshments etc, meaning any merch is waaaay down the list!
Feel for many artists, especially those in smaller venues, as touring and merch was pretty much the main way for them to make their living viable. That's now becoming much tougher, especially with streaming paying them so little.
If you're an established band/artist, you can probably make consistent good money, and have the existing exposure. If you're small though, fuck me it has to be tough. Bands/artists used to make their name through their live performances. SM clips don't have the same impact, and music, especially live music *should* be a communal experience.
