Pink Floyd ticket prices

[Gilmourisgod]

https://www.ft.com/content/4ec59f8f-...6-93b47dfc3e01

[MrFender]

Blocked behind a paywall.

[DesertRat]

For those without access, the letter notes that to see Pink Floyd perform in 1977 at New Bingley Hall in Stafford, the ticket price was £3.50. Earl’s Court in 1980 £8.50, Roger Waters solo in 1984 £10, and Waters this year £254.

The author then (reductively) states that were ticket prices linked only to inflation, the cost would be £35 and says “nice work if you can get it”.

I wasn’t around in ‘77, ‘84 (or even ‘94 for that matter) so the world of thruppenybit concert tickets is a bit alien to me, though Waters’ ticket price now is a bit silly but people pay it so why not charge it I suppose.

[Anredeon]

Pink Floyd ticket in 1994 was approximately 30 pounds. In 2016 I paid for both Gilmour Shows in Vienna around 240 pounds. But I paid that gladly. It was a dream coming true; because how many many times I strolled through the mystical Schönbrunn Park (at the castle where the show took place) listening with my walkman to countless hours of Pink Floyd.
Am I offtopic? Anyway.

[vince666]

and here in Italy, in 1994, ticket was 50000 Lire (about 25 euros at the ratio exchange between italian Lire and Eur)

[sb33334]

In 1994 here in the US, I paid approx $81 for tickets half way up the side at Giant's Stadium, first night. I recall being appalled at the cost, but felt it was still worth it.

[}{eywood]

I paid $40 for tickets in 1994. Went to all 3 Toronto shows because they were cheap enough.
That being said I have no problem with paying huge ticket prices because that's how I believe musicians should make money: live performance. Records should be free, promotional tools for live shows. Because of torrents I no longer have to pay for recorded music, so it's only right to support the artist by buying $100 concert tickets.

[MrFender]

I paid $22 in 1988 for 4th row of the outfield seats in Denver and $28 in 1994 for Minneapolis Metrodome upper deck, 2nd row. We thought they were gouging at the time but again, it was Floyd!

Browsing through some of my old tickets:

The Smithereens 1990 - $13 (GA)
Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular 1990 - $10
Queensryche 1991 - $17 (GA)
Guns & Roses 1993 - $23 (17th row)
Blues Festival 1996 - $18/2 days
Paul Mccartney 2005 - $252 (Row F, I didn't pay for it)
CSNY 2006 - $200 (Row T, didn't pay for it)
Dylan 2006 - $50 (GA)
Dylan 2007 (w/Elvis Costello) Floor - $175
Bodeans 2011 - $30
George Thorogood 2011 - $45
Roger Waters 2022 lower level - $100

Blame the Eagles with their 90s reunion show. They were the first that I remember that found out that people would pay that kind of money.

[Grilo do Demo]

that's how I believe musicians should make money: live performance. Records should be free, promotional tools for live shows.

Couldn't disagree more. A record has immense value. Many bands do the same in studio and live, but many others don't. Many things that can be done in studio are simply impossible to replicate live. And think about all those solo projects (or not necessarily solo — Darkthrone comes to mind) that are devised as studio-only and never intend to tour. Even a band as important as the Beatles during the last part of their career. Studio and live are two different worlds.

If no money was made out of records, artists would be forced to tour non-stop, which maybe some of them wouldn't want to do, so they would just find a different job and their albums simply wouldn't exist.

Or else, all albums would be live albums, so much easier and cheaper to produce...

Sorry, I find so many problems with that statement.

Because of torrents I no longer have to pay for recorded music, so it's only right to support the artist by buying $100 concert tickets.

Totally valid as a personal preference. Again, definitely not mine, but some labels seem to agree with you. At least there's a label with lots of bands here in Hungary, Gold Records, who don't seem to like printing records — I guess they get all their income from streaming, but the consequence is that I cannot buy albums from their artists simply because they don't exist, and my only options are YouTube, Spotify or digital downloads. It's a bit frustrating that I can't store a nice CD on my shelf and look at the booklet, the photos and the lyrics from time to time without the need of a screen. But I do understand that in this case, if their business works well this way, all I can do about it is shout at a cloud...

[Mark45]

I believe that up to some point in the late 90s, early 00s, bands would set up tours, and price tickets to ensure that cost would be covered, and 'reasonable' profit would be guaranteed. With the rise of ticket sales through internet, it became much easier to recognize how many people were willing to buy tickets, and also how the public responded to inflated ticket prices. I believe nowadays, many bands price tickets as high as possible they think they can charge, and even then, many big concerts get sold out within minutes. Which in my opinion means that we have not even reached the top of ticket prices. Unfortunately......

[surfling]

I believe that up to some point in the late 90s, early 00s, bands would set up tours, and price tickets to ensure that cost would be covered, and 'reasonable' profit would be guaranteed. With the rise of ticket sales through internet, it became much easier to recognize how many people were willing to buy tickets, and also how the public responded to inflated ticket prices. I believe nowadays, many bands price tickets as high as possible they think they can charge, and even then, many big concerts get sold out within minutes. Which in my opinion means that we have not even reached the top of ticket prices. Unfortunately......

I think you nailed it.

[Journey Man]

Australian Pink Floyd, Sheffield City Hall November 2023, front stalls, £138.90 each.
Nick's ASOS, Sheffield City Hall, April 2022, front stalls, £47.50 each.

Admittedly, Nick's tickets did go on sale in 2019 but even so, nearly three times more for the tribute show has put an end to me buying them. I was also interested in Geddy Lee's In Conversation Book Tour In December at the same venue until I headed for prices to find front stalls tickets are £126.95...and that's obviously without many of the costs associated with putting on a full band show.

And used ticket stubs have become just as exorbitant; I’m 'watching' the crumpled stalls TT44 stub for 22nd December 1970 listed for £315.00.

[bunga33]

Hey, went to 6 Pink Floyd shows in 1988 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre..
3 of those shows were front row.. regardless where you sat , all ticket prices were the same..
$37.50 Aud…
One of those shows I had ticket number 1!!!

[ILuvHoney]

For those without access, the letter notes that to see Pink Floyd perform in 1977 at New Bingley Hall in Stafford, the ticket price was £3.50. Earl’s Court in 1980 £8.50, Roger Waters solo in 1984 £10, and Waters this year £254.

The author then (reductively) states that were ticket prices linked only to inflation, the cost would be £35 and says “nice work if you can get it”.

I wasn’t around in ‘77, ‘84 (or even ‘94 for that matter) so the world of thruppenybit concert tickets is a bit alien to me, though Waters’ ticket price now is a bit silly but people pay it so why not charge it I suppose.

Roger Waters shows are indeed prohibitively expensive if you want floor seats (and for the past tour I don't see the point with that at all), but normal seats are not particularly expensive compared to shows with any other big names. They are at least still a far cry from the insane prices that have been demanded for some US Bruce Springsteen shows with so-called "dynamic pricing"!

[Ivan Dobsky]

Nick's tickets at £50 in small venues are well worth it. A civilised price.

Roger's £200 tickets in massive arenas are extortionate. And kinda ironic when he wrote songs like Money and of the greed of the music industry. How many millions does that man need to retire with? Yeah, we know that the original Wall shows were a loss... but surely he's paid that debt off by now?

A £200 ticket means I now can't go to these shows. Especially when you add cost of travel, maybe overnight stay, etc.

The Springsteen tickets made me laugh... it shows how out of touch these musicians are now getting with their grass roots supporters.