As we are all aware of...The majority of tickets are coming up as sold out but as we can see there they are...available in Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Diamond, Emerald, Ruby and High Dollar Travel Packages. What pisses me off abouth this, is that very few people that wait in lines at stadiums get tickets...Milwaukee claimed to be sold out in 7 minutes...I live near San Francisco...at 9:15 Pacific Time which is 11:15 Central Time....there were Tickets available in Sec 8 & 14 yet people in line were being told that they were sold out hours earlier...I have been scanning every city just to see how they are playing this...and it is the same old story...If all you have is cash AND NO CREDIT CARD and you go to purchase at the venue you are S.O.L....They really do not want you comming to the show unless you have a C/Card to swipe....Yes they release a few $29.00 and cheapos and YES KEEP TRYING YOU WILL GET IN but if anyone thinks that this is for the Love of the Music..Please Guess Again....Yes we Love the Stones but since Steal Wheels they have become part of Corporate Pig America !!!

That is why the $395.00's have never shown up for sale (at least here in San Diego). If you go and buy tickets, almost all the premium tickets are being held back as "platinum" tickets. I keep pulling the same platinum options over and over again. Whereas, the "normal" priced tickets say "sold out."

Quote
StonesSoCal
That is why the $395.00's have never shown up for sale (at least here in San Diego). If you go and buy tickets, almost all the premium tickets are being held back as "platinum" tickets. I keep pulling the same platinum options over and over again. Whereas, the "normal" priced tickets say "sold out."

Yes...and that is why The Rolling Stones are Englands Newest Travel Agent Ticket Scalpers...

I can't imagine anyone but possibly Mick is truly involved or even aware of the details of the ticket selling fiasco and the obviously unfair practices you describe, so it's hard to describe "the Rolling Stones" (all inclusive) as perpetrators of the "crime". I'd like to think someone like Charlie or Keith wouldn't approve of the process but in their ignorance I guess they could be considered just as responsible.

Here's what imagine each of them would say when confronted with the facts:

Mick: "Well I can't really say, it's all show business isn't it. I don't really get involved with all that, I have plenty to worry about to get the show presented properly and choose the right songs. Do you like the new stage design?"

Keith: "I'm just the guitar player, man (wheeze, chuckle) I'm lucky to get to the gig on time and remember the songs,(wheeze, laugh)."

Charlie: "Why are you asking me a question like that? I have no bloody idea about that stuff"

Ronnie: "What was the question?...Oh I don't know you'd have to ask Mick about it, but that sounds horrible mate. But we're going to put on a great show and I'm looking froward to getting on stage for all these great cities we haven't seen in a while ."

peace

Quote
Naturalust
I can't imagine anyone but possibly Mick is truly involved or even aware of the details of the ticket selling fiasco and the obviously unfair practices you describe, so it's hard to describe "the Rolling Stones" (all inclusive) as perpetrators of the "crime". I'd like to think someone like Charlie or Keith wouldn't approve of the process but in their ignorance I guess they could be considered just as responsible.

Here's what imagine each of them would say when confronted with the facts:

Mick: "Well I can't really say, it's all show business isn't it. I don't really get involved with all that, I have plenty to worry about to get the show presented properly and choose the right songs. Do you like the new stage design?"

Keith: "I'm just the guitar player, man (wheeze, chuckle) I'm lucky to get to the gig on time and remember the songs,(wheeze, laugh)."

Charlie: "Why are you asking me a question like that? I have no bloody idea about that stuff"

Ronnie: "What was the question?...Oh I don't know you'd have to ask Mick about it, but that sounds horrible mate. But we're going to put on a great show and I'm looking froward to getting on stage for all these great cities we haven't seen in a while ."

peace

Good one! ><

The Stones have a contract with the promoter in each case that guarantees them $X for the show. In order for the promoter to be able to pay the Stones their guarantee, a certain number of tickets (apparently quite a large number of "good" tickets) must be sold for way over "face" either through platinum packages or through a pseudo-secondary market from which the profits go to the promoter.

Of course the Stones themselves are not involved in the mechanics. They set their price. That price necessarily means that all of those tickets HAVE TO be sold via packages and fake resellers. So they can then say "I'm just the guitar player" and be insulated from the flak. They set the price, they get the money. Everyone else, except those four men, are simply following instructions.

I'm sure the Stones would in fact all say something like those made up quotes, but are people really ignorant enough to give it any credit? What they would say if they were honest is that it is simply the free-market system -- the tickets go to those who can afford them; the more in demand they are, the more money they go for. Nobody knows this better than Mick, keith, Charlie and Ron, despite the "I just work here" facades.

"If we are all one . . . . " was a long long time ago.

Quote
Rokyfan
The Stones have a contract with the promoter in each case that guarantees them $X for the show. In order for the promoter to be able to pay the Stones their guarantee, a certain number of tickets (apparently quite a large number of "good" tickets) must be sold for way over "face" either through platinum packages or through a pseudo-secondary market from which the profits go to the promoter.

Of course the Stones themselves are not involved in the mechanics. They set their price. That price necessarily means that all of those tickets HAVE TO be sold via packages and fake resellers. So they can then say "I'm just the guitar player" and be insulated from the flak. They set the price, they get the money. Everyone else, except those four men, are simply following instructions.

I'm sure the Stones would in fact all say something like those made up quotes, but are people really ignorant enough to give it any credit? What they would say if they were honest is that it is simply the free-market system -- the tickets go to those who can afford them; the more in demand they are, the more money they go for. Nobody knows this better than Mick, keith, Charlie and Ron, despite the "I just work here" facades.

"If we are all one . . . . " was a long long time ago.

Hard to believe that Mick with his business reputation isn't involved and or aware of the process. Maybe it is as simple as he is involved setting the asking price for the seats in each venue, assuring it is enough for the promoter to profit nicely after the expenses and band's fees are paid. That would be an easy clean negotiation and protect the band somewhat from accusations like the one suggested here. Besides they do make millions more on merchandise over the course of a tour.

But it could be something much more complex that actually allows the band and promoter to split any additional revenue generated by the huge markups for special packages and secondary sales. That certainly seems likely in light of the fact that there is risk to the Stones reputation and "sold out" perceptions associated with these mark ups, the amount of profit generated from these markups is potentially HUGE, and that the Stones themselves are the ones generating the demand and sharing the risk. Therefore they should be the ones sharing the additional profits.

It is an interesting and secretive business in any case, unless you are a fan of modest means and want to see your favorite band from up close, but then again you might just lucky with the Lucky Dip tickets.

My question is do you think the huge number of tickets sluffed off to the secondary marketers are done so at an agreed (significant) markup before any tickets go on sale or are these companies using bots to get their tickets or a combination of both? Since most all the early tickets shown by Stub Hub were good seats I'm afraid people trying for them through normal means were doomed from the start.

peace

Quote
Naturalust
I can't imagine anyone but possibly Mick is truly involved or even aware of the details of the ticket selling fiasco and the obviously unfair practices you describe, so it's hard to describe "the Rolling Stones" (all inclusive) as perpetrators of the "crime". I'd like to think someone like Charlie or Keith wouldn't approve of the process but in their ignorance I guess they could be considered just as responsible.

Here's what imagine each of them would say when confronted with the facts:

Mick: "Well I can't really say, it's all show business isn't it. I don't really get involved with all that, I have plenty to worry about to get the show presented properly and choose the right songs. Do you like the new stage design?"

Keith: "I'm just the guitar player, man (wheeze, chuckle) I'm lucky to get to the gig on time and remember the songs,(wheeze, laugh)."

Charlie: "Why are you asking me a question like that? I have no bloody idea about that stuff"

Ronnie: "What was the question?...Oh I don't know you'd have to ask Mick about it, but that sounds horrible mate. But we're going to put on a great show and I'm looking froward to getting on stage for all these great cities we haven't seen in a while ."

peace

LOL! Great one

Quote
Naturalust
I can't imagine anyone but possibly Mick is truly involved or even aware of the details of the ticket selling fiasco and the obviously unfair practices you describe, so it's hard to describe "the Rolling Stones" (all inclusive) as perpetrators of the "crime". I'd like to think someone like Charlie or Keith wouldn't approve of the process but in their ignorance I guess they could be considered just as responsible.

Here's what imagine each of them would say when confronted with the facts:

Mick: "Well I can't really say, it's all show business isn't it. I don't really get involved with all that, I have plenty to worry about to get the show presented properly and choose the right songs. Do you like the new stage design?"

Keith: "I'm just the guitar player, man (wheeze, chuckle) I'm lucky to get to the gig on time and remember the songs,(wheeze, laugh)."

Charlie: "Why are you asking me a question like that? I have no bloody idea about that stuff"

Ronnie: "What was the question?...Oh I don't know you'd have to ask Mick about it, but that sounds horrible mate. But we're going to put on a great show and I'm looking froward to getting on stage for all these great cities we haven't seen in a while ."

peace

Well yes, they are not behind the marketing of the tickets but it is their guarantee that TM has to meet...And the Stones are the Product...

<<Charlie: "Why are you asking me a question like that? I have no bloody idea about that stuff">>

Charlie: "Well you know 'ow it is. Twenty weeks planning a tour, and five weeks just scalping around."

I can assure you, the $395 tickets for San Diego were available..I got some. Now, they DID go VERY fast. Many people wanted them, so there will be plenty who tried and failed. It sucks, but thats how it goes with a band and a show this popular. Every major event these days is like this. Great seats gone in a flash. If you want to get them at face value you gotta play by the new 21st century rules:

Standing in line overnight "when the box office opens" is over. Those days are long gone.

If you want tickets, you gotta reseach before the presale, have a fast internet connection, be aware of the exact site you need to buy them from, have a high or no limit credit card at the ready, open multiple browsers, AND (very important) be trying and trying again to select the ticket link several min before they go onsale. While 10am may have been the onsale time, the links were active and waiting room open about 10min prior.

Im thinking those that could not get tickets waited until after 10am to try. Those that dont understand the new way this is done or were just unlucky now gotta head over to stubhub and pay more.

Is it fair? Well, is capitalism fair? You don't have to agree but you gotta play by the rules of the game to win.

Quote
Naturalust

Quote
Rokyfan
The Stones have a contract with the promoter in each case that guarantees them $X for the show. In order for the promoter to be able to pay the Stones their guarantee, a certain number of tickets (apparently quite a large number of "good" tickets) must be sold for way over "face" either through platinum packages or through a pseudo-secondary market from which the profits go to the promoter.

Of course the Stones themselves are not involved in the mechanics. They set their price. That price necessarily means that all of those tickets HAVE TO be sold via packages and fake resellers. So they can then say "I'm just the guitar player" and be insulated from the flak. They set the price, they get the money. Everyone else, except those four men, are simply following instructions.

I'm sure the Stones would in fact all say something like those made up quotes, but are people really ignorant enough to give it any credit? What they would say if they were honest is that it is simply the free-market system -- the tickets go to those who can afford them; the more in demand they are, the more money they go for. Nobody knows this better than Mick, keith, Charlie and Ron, despite the "I just work here" facades.

"If we are all one . . . . " was a long long time ago.

Hard to believe that Mick with his business reputation isn't involved and or aware of the process. Maybe it is as simple as he is involved setting the asking price for the seats in each venue, assuring it is enough for the promoter to profit nicely after the expenses and band's fees are paid. That would be an easy clean negotiation and protect the band somewhat from accusations like the one suggested here. Besides they do make millions more on merchandise over the course of a tour.

But it could be something much more complex that actually allows the band and promoter to split any additional revenue generated by the huge markups for special packages and secondary sales. That certainly seems likely in light of the fact that there is risk to the Stones reputation and "sold out" perceptions associated with these mark ups, the amount of profit generated from these markups is potentially HUGE, and that the Stones themselves are the ones generating the demand and sharing the risk. Therefore they should be the ones sharing the additional profits.

It is an interesting and secretive business in any case, unless you are a fan of modest means and want to see your favorite band from up close, but then again you might just lucky with the Lucky Dip tickets.

My question is do you think the huge number of tickets sluffed off to the secondary marketers are done so at an agreed (significant) markup before any tickets go on sale or are these companies using bots to get their tickets or a combination of both? Since most all the early tickets shown by Stub Hub were good seats I'm afraid people trying for them through normal means were doomed from the start.

peace

Yes.....I actually think they are involved...In 99' they came back thru Chicago to test the market for Gold Circle seating starting at $300.00 the purpose as you know was to take it out of the hands of the scalpers, it sold out quick, that was the very first Gold Circle in the industry....I have to believe that they have knowledge and allow it...Yes they are guaranteed...And my guess there is a huge % that they get a piece of...Remember aside from being great musicians they are first and foremost very shrewd businessman...otherwise they would not have lasted this long....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-15 00:39 by 2120Wolf.

The "Official Platinum Tickets" really take the cake, I'd never heard of them before, how long have these "things" been around?

--------------
IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

Quote
lettingitbleed
I can assure you, the $395 tickets for San Diego were available..I got some. Now, they DID go VERY fast. Many people wanted them, so there will be plenty who tried and failed. It sucks, but thats how it goes with a band and a show this popular. Every major event these days is like this. Great seats gone in a flash. If you want to get them at face value you gotta play by the new 21st century rules:

Standing in line overnight "when the box office opens" is over. Those days are long gone.

If you want tickets, you gotta reseach before the presale, have a fast internet connection, be aware of the exact site you need to buy them from, have a high or no limit credit card at the ready, open multiple browsers, AND (very important) be trying and trying again to select the ticket link several min before they go onsale. While 10am may have been the onsale time, the links were active and waiting room open about 10min prior.

Im thinking those that could not get tickets waited until after 10am to try. Those that dont understand the new way this is done or were just unlucky now gotta head over to stubhub and pay more.

Is it fair? Well, is capitalism fair? You don't have to agree but you gotta play by the rules of the game to win.

NO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PLAY BY THE RULES TO WIN...I LEARNED THAT FROM THE BEATLES, DYLAN & THE STONES..... LOOKS LIKE YOU WERE NOT LISTENING VERY WELL.....
I always get in and I get in for cheap...I have seen them 50 times since 75'...always maneuver and get close...Never paid more than the $85's in 2013...The days of waiting are not over ...people waited several hours in Milwaukee...got nothing and Tix were still available on line...My point is the 16 year old with cash cannot get a ticket for cheap...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-15 01:05 by 2120Wolf.

For Milwaukee I never got even in the line for any of the tickets. Mind you even the Packages (which I also did not get in) had only seats for Section 1 and 3. For the Hotelpackage they only ofter the last rows of the first twenty five in Section 1 and 3. The good tickets have been already giveaways to Sponsors and important persons. Some of those and even more of the good tickets will be shown on the secondary market within the next days. It is a clear abuse of panicking fans who dearly whould like to get a ticket and organizations who just squeeze out the money to make even bigger bucks whereever it is possible.

Reading all this, it is all really absurd. It was very much okay the last summer in Europe and one would assume that since they will tour stadiums this time again, it would be no big problem to get good or excellent tictets, only depending on the money one is willing to spend.

The big difference here is, that Europe had standing on the floor and you don't give standing tickets to VIP guests or sponsors and those tickets are not that attractive for scalpers. Plus of course many more people can get closer to the band. Of course, the comfort is much smaller, but which real fan cares?

So when I was right in front of the stage the last year with my 90 Euro ticket, that sounds like a fairytale now. I feel sorry for all the real fans and I hope that in the end the scalpers will have to seel way bellow the face value, that you will all be able to get good tickets and that you will have a great time at the concert...

<<While 10am may have been the onsale time, the links were active and waiting room open about 10min prior.

Im thinking those that could not get tickets waited until after 10am to try. >>

Wrong. While I've experienced that in the past
(& on one occasion even managed to buy tickets via the official seller's link two whole days before they went on sale), no links for any shows I tried for went live till on the dot, despite trying the link from up to 10 minutes and more in advance each time.

Quote
gotdablouse
The "Official Platinum Tickets" really take the cake, I'd never heard of them before, how long have these "things" been around?

I'd never noticed them before either but they must've been round a while. If you google them, you'll find all sorts of complaints about them going back several years.

Ticketmaster's description of what they are inludes this:

"Official Platinum Seats are some of the best seats in the house, set aside for fans by artists and event providers." So someone somewhere has okayed what is theft by any other name.

How they have the gall to define it as offering "equitable access" is beyond belief.

just watch ticketmaster the last two weeks before the show or go to the box office the day of the show. you will end up with great tickets.
if not, you will get in anyway.

getting tickets is a game where the rules always change. they try to sell you something at the maximum price (their right), you try to buy something for the cheapest possible price (your right). i remember going to Frankfurt a couple of years ago and ending up in the 20th row just left of center because of poor ticket sales. that time i did win...

and yes, the band does know what goes on. it's how they pay for their vacation homes in the west indies...

Quote
lettingitbleed
I can assure you, the $395 tickets for San Diego were available..I got some. Now, they DID go VERY fast. Many people wanted them, so there will be plenty who tried and failed. It sucks, but thats how it goes with a band and a show this popular. Every major event these days is like this. Great seats gone in a flash. If you want to get them at face value you gotta play by the new 21st century rules:

Standing in line overnight "when the box office opens" is over. Those days are long gone.

If you want tickets, you gotta reseach before the presale, have a fast internet connection, be aware of the exact site you need to buy them from, have a high or no limit credit card at the ready, open multiple browsers, AND (very important) be trying and trying again to select the ticket link several min before they go onsale. While 10am may have been the onsale time, the links were active and waiting room open about 10min prior.

Im thinking those that could not get tickets waited until after 10am to try. Those that dont understand the new way this is done or were just unlucky now gotta head over to stubhub and pay more.

Is it fair? Well, is capitalism fair? You don't have to agree but you gotta play by the rules of the game to win.

Sounds exhausting just reading it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I don't think too deeply about the types of tix and packages that go on sale for The Stones or any other big name act I want to see.

They all have these Platinum, Diamond , Gold etc. stuff they try to flog.

If they don't get sold to the many, many rich people that can't be bothered to go on line most days looking for a decent tix or two, the tix will eventually go as Lucky Dip or General Sale nearer show day.

The vast majority of concert attendees at any show are fans.
If I was a member of The Stones,The Who , AC/DC etc. I would expect the promoter to try and sell these expensive packages. Plenty of rich people, not even fans, prepared to buy them and go to the gig.
It wouldn't worry me that a few hundred fat cats out of an audience of 50,000+ are paying for vastly overpriced seats and packages.

I would also expect the promoter to sell plenty of LD tix at a very reasonable price as well.

I have personally never paid more than face value for a ticket and something decent has always come up as late as show day.

Quote
gotdablouse
The "Official Platinum Tickets" really take the cake, I'd never heard of them before, how long have these "things" been around ?

Quite a while .... to answer your question. A few years at least.

[ I want to shout, but I can hardly speak ]

My view is that a fair share of all categories of tickets should be on offer at face value to regular non-fat-cat fans from the get-go. Not from two weeks, two days or two hours before showtime, which in any case is much more a matter of a very limited chance of trickle-down. I've obtained tickets that way too but it's all down to pure fluke every time, no matter how persistent you are. It should be a minority of tickets that are linked to a package, not vice versa, and that's indeed how it used to be. I would ideally expect any band to be more fan-spirited than most of them have become, as shown by the contrast between now and, for instance, Twickenham in 2006, when the front two rows were all a straight-up ecstatic-making £60. They would at least earn some respect instead of disdain by making a similar gesture now, even if they still charged an arm and a leg for rows 3 and behind.

Quote
Beast
<<While 10am may have been the onsale time, the links were active and waiting room open about 10min prior.

Im thinking those that could not get tickets waited until after 10am to try. >>

Wrong. While I've experienced that in the past
(& on one occasion even managed to buy tickets via the official seller's link two whole days before they went on sale), no links for any shows I tried for went live till on the dot, despite trying the link from up to 10 minutes and more in advance each time.

For what it's worth, i was in the "virtual waiting room" prior to the start time for every presale as well as the public sale, clicking like mad in multiple windows.

I bought the best ticket I pulled up all week, which is in A12. This was in the Zipcode presale...I didn't get anything near that good in any other presales or the general onsale.

With these ticket "hoppers" bulls**t they have (instead of being able to select your seat) I think a lot of it is luck of the draw. That, and the A3-A6 tickets being held back for VIP, Travel packages, platinum, etc. Hopefully a lot of those go unsold and go back into $395 pool.

Quote
EddieByword

Quote
lettingitbleed
I can assure you, the $395 tickets for San Diego were available..I got some. Now, they DID go VERY fast. Many people wanted them, so there will be plenty who tried and failed. It sucks, but thats how it goes with a band and a show this popular. Every major event these days is like this. Great seats gone in a flash. If you want to get them at face value you gotta play by the new 21st century rules:

Standing in line overnight "when the box office opens" is over. Those days are long gone.

If you want tickets, you gotta reseach before the presale, have a fast internet connection, be aware of the exact site you need to buy them from, have a high or no limit credit card at the ready, open multiple browsers, AND (very important) be trying and trying again to select the ticket link several min before they go onsale. While 10am may have been the onsale time, the links were active and waiting room open about 10min prior.

Im thinking those that could not get tickets waited until after 10am to try. Those that dont understand the new way this is done or were just unlucky now gotta head over to stubhub and pay more.

Is it fair? Well, is capitalism fair? You don't have to agree but you gotta play by the rules of the game to win.

Sounds exhausting just reading it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

NO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PLAY BY THE RULES TO WIN...I LEARNED THAT FROM THE BEATLES, DYLAN & THE STONES..... LOOKS LIKE YOU WERE NOT LISTENING VERY WELL.....
I always get in and I get in for cheap...I have seen them 50 times since 75'...always maneuver and get close...Never paid more than the $85's in 2013...The days of waiting are not over ...people waited several hours in Milwaukee...got nothing and Tix were still available on line...My point is the 16 year old with cash cannot get a ticket for cheap...

Quote
superpenguin

Quote
Beast
<<While 10am may have been the onsale time, the links were active and waiting room open about 10min prior.

Im thinking those that could not get tickets waited until after 10am to try. >>

Wrong. While I've experienced that in the past
(& on one occasion even managed to buy tickets via the official seller's link two whole days before they went on sale), no links for any shows I tried for went live till on the dot, despite trying the link from up to 10 minutes and more in advance each time.

For what it's worth, i was in the "virtual waiting room" prior to the start time for every presale as well as the public sale, clicking like mad in multiple windows.

I bought the best ticket I pulled up all week, which is in A12. This was in the Zipcode presale...I didn't get anything near that good in any other presales or the general onsale.

With these ticket "hoppers" bulls**t they have (instead of being able to select your seat) I think a lot of it is luck of the draw. That, and the A3-A6 tickets being held back for VIP, Travel packages, platinum, etc. Hopefully a lot of those go unsold and go back into $395 pool.

Maybe you are referring to the AXS virtual waiting room? None of the shows I tried for could be purchased vis AXS - and even when you clicked what appeared to be an AXS link (i.e., one that did not say "sold on partner site", it still took you directly to Ticketmaster, which has no virtual waiting room that I've ever seen.