Hey,
Not sure if this one has been brought up, but why the f*ck would
Ottowa top out at $299, and Calgary at $350? CANADIAN! CAD is
at 78 cents USD, so that's almost a 25% discount on top of considerably
lower pricing. Is this to save Michael Cohl from getting trashed
in his home country? Maybe I should take a quick holiday up to
Vancouver for the show to try to justify being ripped off so
blatantly here in the USA. Any thoughts?
Mike (Who knows that Las Vegas will cost more than anywhere!)

Because here in Canada, we get paid in Canadian dollars! Seriously, I would think that any shows in Mexico or South America would cost less than US tickets, too.
As far as taking a trip to Vancouver, there's no announcement of any show (yet), although you should come here because it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world!!

US ticket prices are always the highest. No matter what band or singer you would like to see it is always topped to all other countries, except perhaps UK. I went also way back from stage to get a cheaper ticket for Anaheim. However for Seattle and Portland I might not resist as both are arena type shows.

Well, I do know that you guys do make less in a straight comparison to USD.
(And yet a higher standard of living, but that is a different conversation...)
My main point is that there is a HUGE discrepency between $299 CAD and $450 USD,
Can somebody else do that math? I seem to have had a U.S. education. Ottawa and
Calgary are not like doing shows in Mexico City or Rio. It seems pretty wacky to
me, that's all.

Don't expect that Ottawa will not be charging more for the Gold Circle seats. Just because TM says $299 now doesn't mean it can't go up by the time they go on sale.

As for the difference in pricing, I agree with a previous comment. We get paid in Cdn dollars so the exchange rate is totally immaterial.

Because the last time they played Ottawa was in 1965!!!
And because Canadian fans are not as consumingly fanatical as U.S. ones. And yes as DGA said.

[p207.ezboard.com]

Michael....lets just see who is being ripped off.

First...the US is the biggest market and it would follow that it is those shows that will be used as the base for other countries. Others are constantly reminded that the US is the wealthiest country in the world...share the wealth...consider the differential aid to Canada (OK the last sentence is an attempt at humor).

Second....the vast majority of Canadians live close to the US border and will be taking in US shows for areas not locally covered. For this we pay big time, $350 plus exchange. So my $300,00 Licks ticket and $45 membership cost me $570 US last time and I'm sorry but the dollar difference and wage differential does not cover this.

I'm not sure I agree with the wage argument. I reaserched moving to the US at one point and could not afford the reduction in pay nor was willing to take the drop in the standard of living. We, I believe actually get payed more but we are heavily taxed and what appears as takehome pay may be less because of the tax structure ( I have 9 deduction catagories per paycheck). A US paycheck may appear higher because you get more say on wether you want things like health insurance or not.

Third....we have expenses you do not, exsessive airfare for one. I would love to hear comments from fans taking in multiple shows in Canada and what the airfare would cost you. I live on Vancouver Island and it works out cheeper for me to travel by car or ferry to Seattle as it does to fly to Calgary.

Lastly...and most sad, is I actually contacted Ticketmaster over the same issue for the licks tour. Seems it is as simple as the production company was aware of the difference but did not care.

My advice then is the same now, if you are American and live on the border take in a Canadian venue and let the dollar and production values work for you. If you are a canadian try and take in a canadian date, if not, as in my case, be prepared to shell out some extra bucks.

DGA35 is correct...Vancouver is good for the soul. Spent a lovely weekend last month down at Granville Island (voted most livible neibourhood in the world) sipping beers on the deck of a sailboat.

All points taken, Mark.
Vancouver is actually the one place I would like to live- growing up
in Seattle, we were always envious of it's culture and great food.
I believe I can remember seeing the late, great Divine herself at a
wicked funky club called Faces. I think we snuck 8 in a room at the
Granville Island Hotel for that roadtrip. But I digress, I think I
remember paying about even exchange for the Bowie shows way back in
1983. I suppose I just started a weird thread to vent about ticket
prices that cost most people a months rent...

I'm not into rainy weather, but I guess the English would like it. Canadian shows for us Canucks...any Europeans coming over?

[p207.ezboard.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-05-18 00:32 by Miss U..

Hi Miss U
YES ME to Calgary and then down to Seattle, Portland and Anaheim.
I still hope to get tickets for Seattle and Portland.

And back to Calgary in X-Mas for my January Snowboarding season in the BC Rockies.

Michael.....when it comes to Stones tickets I bite my tougne and bear with it. The girl friend and I are already looking forward to making a nice weekend in Seattle out of the tour. Either side of the border in this area is a win win....except for that damm dollar.

I must say I was particularly disappointed that after complaining to both Ticketmaster and the Stones production company last time they did it again, but then again who am I. Venting is good especially when it's over a production oversight like the kind of dollars we are talking about.

Hope to see you in Seattle!