Rebecca Sayce: Concert ticket price is still worth paying
The weather outside may have been cold and dreary, but as 2020 began I had a spring in my step.
Why? The kings of emo were back. All my prayers to the alternative gods were answered and My Chemical Romance had reunited.
The majority of my teenage years were spent piling on the eyeliner and studded belts as the New Jersey quintet’s sophomore album, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, blasted out of my room, much to the annoyance of my parents.
I couldn’t scroll through social media without seeing many friends of my age equally excited about the news, and speculating about every little detail to do with the impending Milton Keynes dates.
But excitement quickly turned to disgruntled groans for many as the ticket prices were revealed. For a band that I once saw for just £25, it would now cost me almost £100 to sit down and rest my aching back, or slightly over £80 to dance around in the stalls and throw devil horns into the air.
According to the National Arena Association, ticket prices for concerts have doubled since the late 1990s.
In 1999, the average ticket cost £22.58 and rose to £45.49 in 2016 when the survey was conducted.
In 1998 it cost £23.50 to see the Spice Girls at Wembley Stadium, about £39 in today’s money. When the girl power icons brought their reunion tour to the UK last year, standing tickets set fans back a whopping £77, with top tier tickets rising in cost to an eye-watering £291.
It is commonly accepted that in a world where CD sales are declining and streaming platforms reign supreme, that artists make the majority of their income via live shows.
The sale of top-selling albums has dropped 17 per cent since 2017 according to Billboard, while streaming drove a 9.7 per cent rise in music revenues in 2018.
Taking into consideration that big streaming platforms such as Spotify pay less than a penny per stream, and not all of this money goes to the artist, ticket price rises become inevitable as acts scramble to reclaim this lost profit.
However, the realities of ticket price increases are much more complex than CD sales.
Following the Manchester Arena Bombing in 2017, heightened security has been implemented at many venues to ensure fan safety - but the extra staff and high-tech equipment all comes at a cost.
This is without taking into consideration the amount of service staff needed to pull pints and serve food, administration staff controlling the guest list and box office, and the sound, lighting and stage crew ensuring the show runs smoothly.
Shows have become bigger and more extravagant, with many audiences expecting a lot of bang for their buck.
The ticket cost is a reflection of what you are getting to see when you attend a concert, with pyrotechnics, stage props and special effects becoming a staple of arena tours.
Despite this, many artists have managed to provide a spectacular stage show while cutting costs of their own to keep ticket prices low, such as scaling back hotel costs, crew costs, and even the number of guest spaces.
Acts including Muse and Kid Rock have even spoken out in the past about ‘taking a pay cut’ and not breaking even with their tours so that they can keep ticket prices to a minimum.
Ultimately, however, the price of fees levied may largely be out of the artist in question’s hands.
Ticket distribution fees further push up prices, with ticket retailers tacking on hidden additional fees and service charges to make a profit.
On top of this, ticket touts and the secondary ticket market - including sites such as StubHub, ViaGoGo and more - are diverting millions of pounds away from the music industry through ticket resale.
Ultimately, the concert business is booming, with consumer demand driving up the price.
The appetite for live music increases year upon year, ensuring guaranteed ticket sales to all those involved with each show. Because of this, there is no incentive to keep ticket prices low.
Dynamic ticket prices and meet and greet options have opened up a whole new avenue of money-making. Gone are the days where getting close to your idols involved waiting in the freezing cold at the back of the venue - now, you spend hundreds for a quick selfie and a signature.
Despite these rising costs, there are still ways to see your favourite acts while pinching the pennies.
Many pre-sales - available to credit card holders and fan clubs - offer tickets at a discounted rate, while resale site Twickets allows users to sell tickets they no longer want or need for face value or less.
Aside from this, music fans can venture to any number of local pubs and clubs to catch some of the best of the local music scene. Your favourite artist had to start somewhere - Beyonce and Britney didn’t go straight to headlining Wembley.
You probably won’t catch Cher belting out the hits at your local watering hole, but you may just see the next big star before they hit the arena circuit.
It may only save you pennies, but opting for a digital ticket rather than forking out for postage fees and a physical ticket can save some money, and also save the environment.
Whether you feel these fees are justified or not, one thing is for certain – the live music industry shows no signs of slowing down, with new festivals and headline tours hitting cities across the UK every single day, bringing new and exciting music to the masses.
While my bank account may be left reeling after the mad scramble for My Chemical Romance tickets, I am excited to experience their meticulous live show once more.
