Just was curious to see how the hot seats package would work and in Germany on all 3 shows it begins with Row 11 in A2. Euro 310 is quite a price for a gift and a laminate and a souvenir.

they should rename it "Lukewarm seat"

Its gives truth to the old adage that if you rename sh*te as 'chocolate', it doesnt make it taste better

Its like "onstage seating", which was neither "onstage" or "seating" but was basically "above side of stage standing" and in effect little better than the behind stage seats which were the cheapest ticket at $40 on the No Security tour.

If you price something to the level of exorbitancy and dress it up with a fancy name, there will be enough people unaware of the scam or will just assume that at that price it MUST be something special. And how can anything be a "gift" when you have to pay twice as much for the seat as the guy next to you in order to get it?

PT Barnum would be proud!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-24 23:15 by Gazza.

Gazza, I think you should not forget that there are a lot of people out there who would like to see the Stones close, but just don't have the ability due to health or whatever reason to stand for hours and hours. Correct you don't need to purchase the hot seat package, but a lot are quite happy with the seats and stand up only when the show is.
Luckily there are enough shows around Germany where you have open pitch so this time you got the choice also in central Europe and not only in UK.

Rows 1-10 are the "bargain" seats, usually around $100. If you can get them, congratulations. 11th Row is the best of the normal priced tickets.

lodge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Luckily there are enough shows around Germany
> where you have open pitch so this time you got the
> choice also in central Europe and not only in UK.

What choice have we had in the UK for the last two tours? As far as I can make out, there has been no choice for the vast majority of fans who prefer GA. That choice was made for us by the promoters. In the old days you got the choice - you can stand on the pitch or sit on the terraces - entirely up to you what you prefer.

This resulted in a huge increase in the age of fans going to the gig. In general, the only people with a spare £300 to buy tickets are middle age, middle class people who want to rekindle their youth. Nothing wrong with that of course, but there IS NO CHOICE for those younger fans who want to have a good time.

The biggest surprise about the Twicks 1 (2003) show for me was how old the audience had got since Wembley (VL and BT. At Wembley the crowd was really mixed with a significant proportion of young fans (me included) who would give the Stones a go. I don't know anyone below the age of about 60 who prefers to be seated. I got loads of my mates to go to Wembley but I just could not persuade them to shell out the money on the last 2 tours.

Nowadays you can go for a hot dog in Keith's set and still get back to row 1! Believe me, I see this happen.

That is why I am so up for the IOW. Seeing the Stones amongst fresh faced potential fans - the stones will have something to prove to these people.

lodge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gazza, I think you should not forget that there
> are a lot of people out there who would like to
> see the Stones close, but just don't have the
> ability due to health or whatever reason to stand
> for hours and hours. Correct you don't need to
> purchase the hot seat package, but a lot are quite
> happy with the seats and stand up only when the
> show is.
> Luckily there are enough shows around Germany
> where you have open pitch so this time you got the
> choice also in central Europe and not only in UK.


I didnt say I had a problem with them being all seated - merely the implication that youre getting something special when paying 310 Euro for an 11th row (or worse) seat. A figure which - correct me I'm wrong - is substantially in excess of what the category 1 ticket prices are for those shows.

In the US last autumn there were "hot seats" at around $700 or something, which were right next to seats that were priced at (an already high price of) $450 - but theyre deemed to be "hot" because when you ordered them you got some dopey laminate or some other bit of overpriced kitsch thrown in (is that really worth $250? Seriously?).

Charging an extra $250 over face value for a seat and softening the blow by saying that you get a "gift" with it is false advertising, whatever way you choose to look at it. The people youre referring to are getting the same seats as others are for over 100 Euro less as far as I can see.

I agree 100% with you Gazza regarding the Hot seat package. IT's another PR Gag we have to live with.
For me it was never ever so easy to get very good tickets, even with the presale and even if I would have had the chance to pay USD 450 in USA. Even with the legacy membership (which I still hold) I did not have any chance before to get closer than Row 10 which was of course the big bucks ticket.
I think as a lot of traders burnd their fingers last year and in 2003 they did not even intend to purchase at first time as they know they would loose money which was our chance. On the other hand I am pretty sure it will be different for o2