yesterday on Dutch tv commercials (Am.express) to stimulate the sales of the two gigs in Amsterdam this summer.
During the LIcks Tour Stones quite easily sold out 2x A'dam + 2x R'dam (+ one indoor gig Ahoy / not to mention Vredenburg). I think it is the first time ever since '81 that sales for the Stones are slow. U2 sold out 3x Amsterdam stadium in a few hours during their Vertigo tour, where sales of Robbie Williams were even faster for his comming summer gigs.
Although Stones tickets are more expensive than for the earlier mentioned artists, I don't think high ticket prices are the main reason. Stones played Holland many times since '89/most people saw them now at least once in their lives, sales of ABB were low and not a real succesfull hit single like U2 had many for the last years here.
Same problem in Japan it seems and Germany I guess. Too much of the same with an audience that does not grow with the band unfortunately. Time to change to indoor venues I would say and play the newer and rare material or call it an end after his tour.

I was really surprised that the tciket sales were that slow this time but after some thinking it is indeed not that strange that most people have seen them over the years. Over a million tickets have been sold since '90 in Holland so it is a good explanation. Let's hop the two shows do get sold out, i think they will though.

Cheers,
Wuudy

I thought the first gig was sold out and some sections of the second too.

I think it's a good thing only people who really love them come to a show. I think it's good many people prefer foot ball. Stones are made for people loving music. They are not only a circus.

Does anyone know how many tickets they have sold (to the Amsterdam shows)?

With these prices and with the so high frequency of the gigs in Holland (a lot of concerts in 1990, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003!!) and Germany, i think the main question about the ticket sales is not "how fast". It is "how many". I'm sure that the gigs will be sold out or near it in Holland- despite the fact that, as we can see, a lot of Stones fans hate Arena because of it's bad acoustics- and in Germany too.

Kees says "time to change to indoor venues"

Can't agree and the fact that i love stadium concerts isn't the only reason. On this tour the Stones will play to more than 5 million of people worldwide (including Rio gig). If their health and their age permit them to tour again, they can attract once again million of people. I suppose the same number, if they'll offer lower ticket prices. Without stadium shows they would need 350 arena gigs...

ticket sales for Stones real slow in Holland
Posted by: kees (IP Logged)
Date: March 9, 2006 15:30

Well I'm not bloody surprised if the sound continues to be as shite as people say it is in the Amsterdam Echodome !! As Gazza pointed out in some thread a few days ago, if you wanted to hear the Rolling Stones three times you'd attend three shows - you wouldn't go to the Amsterdam Echodome once and listen to three shows simultaneously !!

Set list whiners are staying home! Good for them.

Yes indeed, good for them! and me. Now I can spend my money on some good acts in the clubcircuit and enjoy some real music played with heart.I still hope you have a good time seeing the stones. It's not my cup of tea anymore and that's a shame. Wish it was different.

I am a set whiner too, but it is not us who stay home. Just over exposure I guess in Holland + no support from a good selling album/hit single.
Will not see them in A'dam but in Bruxelles and Cologne / fos tickets and combine with some whining/dining.
No high expectations at all from the coming gigs, may even leave after the B-stage set or before Miss you.
Enjoyed by 81 new DAC soundboards very much yesterday and was great to see a good part of the Paradiso 95 gig on a great Stripped DVD. When Ronnie was still rocking and the group challenged their back catalogue those two evenings.

seems they have lost their former big markets holland and germany. They might sell out a 20000 seat arena in countries they didn't play for decades (exception south america). In some countries people have a fine feeling when they are about to get sucked. And paying high ticket prices just to get a tooth nerve drill by Ronnies solos (try Worried About you) really sucks.

Well frankie go join a board where you can appreciate 'good acts in the clubcircuit and enjoy some real music played with heart'..... muppet!

Why don't we let them perform their shows before we start talking about loosing any markets? It's still months until these shows will happen and we haven't seen any crowds there yet, right? Also, you may have personal opinions on how you think individuals are playing but please do not start another campain on this issue. Boring. Time to move on.

Also, if the Stones are so boring, why does Melbourne sell out in 15 minutes? Who does 1,3 million people in Rio de Janeiro show up for their free show? All show so far on this tour have been completely packed and almost no empty seats at all so the reality is they are still able to sell out any venue any time. If the German or Dutch fans decide not to buy tickets then they open the gates and fill up the venue so who cares? Remember Bremen 1998? No worries.

Bjornulf

What happened in Bremen in 1998?????

Slow sales in Holland are also due to the fact that those shows are in the middle of summer holidays. Most Dutch people spend their holidays abroad, so are not even able to attend those shows. I know a lot of people who would go to the Stones (despite of ticketprices, despite of the echo-arena) if it wasn't in the middle of holidays.

I think the prices in combination with the amount of concerts have given in the last decade are to blame. The Stones always sold their tickets relatively easily in our country. And more shows then the that are scheduled for this summer.

Even if the place is nearly sold out this summer, it still is the tour that has sold the least tickets of all since 1981.

Kees said it: overkill and high prices.

mr edward Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the prices in combination with the amount
> of concerts have given in the last decade are to
> blame. The Stones always sold their tickets
> relatively easily in our country. And more shows
> then the that are scheduled for this summer.
>
> Even if the place is nearly sold out this summer,
> it still is the tour that has sold the least
> tickets of all since 1981.
>
> Kees said it: overkill and high prices.

and do not forget the VACATION in Holland...when a small country like holland has summerholiday...and all europeans do know that almost all of the dutch population is on its way through europes motorways till they reach the south for camping and so on...so I guess that several thousands of potential Stones concertgoers are not aible to go this year.

So when does people in Germany have their holidays? In July, after the World Cup is over may be?

Bjornulf

Sorry to insist, but, what happened in bremen in 1998?

Thanks in advance!

Select from the IORR main page: Show revews - 1998 - Bremen: [iorr.org]

For some reason there were few people there and as it was a TV broadcast and they did not want it to be that "emply" they allowed people in extra. No worries.

Bjornulf

mr edward wrote: "Even if the place is nearly sold out this summer, it still is the tour that has sold the least tickets of all since 1981".

So what? Think about all the factors. Incredible number of gigs since 1989 there. Highest frequency of tours - the last one just 3 years ago. A kind of Stones fans campain against Arena because of it's bad acoustics (don't take me wrong, i don't blame them, maybe they are 102% right). The highest ticket prices. World Cup. Vacation. With all these factors i think it's very good to see the Stones selling out Arena twice.

You draw comparisons between 2006 and the past, starting from 1981. BTW, remember that in 1981/82 the Stones played to 3.5 million of people worldwide (according to Rupert Loewenstein) or to a bit more (according to orhers). In 2005/2006 the Stones are attracting worldwide more people than they did 24 years ago. I think that's marvellous!

Sometimes i wonder how the hell we rate the things. During 1989/90 the Stones had attracted 6.2 million of people, but it was the first tour after 8 years. Everyone wanted to see the "legendary and rare act". Since then they did tours very often. In the years 1989-2003 they played to 22 million. It is a legendary but not at all a rare act anymore. But now they'll play to 5 million of people, which in my opinion is miles away bigger "miracle" than the 6.2m of 1989/90 (with the new market named "Japan") or the 6.7m of 1994/95 (with the new market named "South America"). And we are nagging because A'dam Arena isn't completaly sold out months until the shows will happen. We must be a bit crazy...

I don't think this thread was intended to compare ticket sales all over the world but just in Holland.

It is a bit "starnge" to see that they haven't sold out two shows in Holland while during other tours they sold out the Amsterdam arena five times in one day and two time Rotterdam, Ahoy and two times Amsterdam arena in one. So it is sad that there is such a decline in ticket demand in Holland.
So people saying that they play for six million people this tour isn't relevant to this post or BV saying in other threads about the poor ticket sales in Holland that it doesn't matter because they pley a show somewhere else. It is all besides the point. The point is that it really sad that the stones can't sell out multiple shows in a stadium in one day anymore wich concludes that they over exposed in Holland.

Cheers,
Wuudy

stickydion Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mr edward wrote: "Even if the place is nearly sold
> out this summer, it still is the tour that has
> sold the least tickets of all since 1981".
>
> So what? Think about all the factors. Incredible
> number of gigs since 1989 there. Highest frequency
> of tours - the last one just 3 years ago. A kind
> of Stones fans campain against Arena because of
> it's bad acoustics (don't take me wrong, i don't
> blame them, maybe they are 102% right). The
> highest ticket prices. World Cup. Vacation. With
> all these factors i think it's very good to see
> the Stones selling out Arena twice.
>
> You draw comparisons between 2006 and the past,
> starting from 1981. BTW, remember that in 1981/82
> the Stones played to 3.5 million of people
> worldwide (according to Rupert Loewenstein) or to
> a bit more (according to orhers). In 2005/2006 the
> Stones are attracting worldwide more people than
> they did 24 years ago. I think that's marvellous!
>
> Sometimes i wonder how the hell we rate the
> things. During 1989/90 the Stones had attracted
> 6.2 million of people, but it was the first tour
> after 8 years. Everyone wanted to see the
> "legendary and rare act". Since then they did
> tours very often. In the years 1989-2003 they
> played to 22 million. It is a legendary but not at
> all a rare act anymore. But now they'll play to 5
> million of people, which in my opinion is miles
> away bigger "miracle" than the 6.2m of 1989/90
> (with the new market named "Japan") or the 6.7m of
> 1994/95 (with the new market named "South
> America"). And we are nagging because A'dam Arena
> isn't completaly sold out months until the shows
> will happen. We must be a bit crazy...


Like Wuudy stated, the thread was intended to be about the Amsterdam Arena gis this summer. I'm just saying it's not completely weird that for the first time since 1981 the sale is not as fast as it used to be in Holland. Nothing more, nothing less, Stickydion. Offcourse it's great they're still touring.

No nagging, just trying to explain why I think the two Holland gigs weren't sold out in a very short time, like they used to in The Netherlands.

The summer vacation (not holiday - that means 'feestdag') could be a good reason, as well as the upcoming Worldcup. But I think 3 years ago lots of people may have thought it was going to be 'the last time', explaining the ticket sales then. That fact, and combined with this years high prices (and the Dutch are known to be frugal) could be a possible cause for this years slow sales.
But, I could be wrong of course

Wuudy and mr edward,

Yes, supposely this thread was intended to be about Holland, but as you can see Kees himself mentioned other countries (Germany, Japan). I mention what happens now (and what happened in the past) all over the world because sometimes, as you see, some guys draw arbitrary general conclusion when we are discussing about Holland. And we did it often. Anyway...

Wuudy wrote: "So it is sad that there is such a decline in ticket demand in Holland."
I don't consider it as sad, because i see and hear A LOT of serious explanations. Maybe salar, who mention strongly the factor "vacation", has right. If i remember correctly, with the exception of Licks Tour the Stones in the past had never performed in Holland during the period "middle July- middle August". (1982 June/ 1990 May/ 1995 June and last days of August/ 1998 "late" June- "early" July).