Concerts are ripoffs but I'm going anyway....

[cattlekid]

So I am a Van Halen fan from way back.  Personally, Sammy Hagar was the worst thing to happen to that band ever.  So I am beyond excited that Van Halen is back on tour again with David Lee Roth.  I informed DH that he WILL be escorting me to the concert as payback for all of the Rush concerts I have sat through.

Today is the day that tickets go on sale for Internet pre-orders.  I dutifully RSVPd to the event on Facebook to get the presale code. 

Two minutes after the tickets go on sale and I can't get a ticket for any price.   

So I go on StubHub and lo and behold, there are tons of tickets to be had - for a price.  Where o where are these people getting these tickets?  Does everybody but me have an AmEx card and go through the AmEx presale? 

But being the fan that I am, I coughed up for the tix on StubHub.  It better be worth it. 

*sigh* - I long for the days when you had to go stand in line for concert tickets.  At least it seemed to make the playing field more level. 

[jbeany]

Yup, if you want the best ones, no matter what kind of music you like, you have to get in on the pre-sale, unfortunately.  I ended up joining the local garden and sculpture park just so I could get the pre-sale access to the tickets to the concerts in their outdoor amphitheater.  They offer about about 16 big name concerts every summer and 4 of them sold out during the pre-sale to the members. 

The Prairie Home Companion concert was worth the 60 buck membership fee, though.  (Yes, I'm a geek, I know.) 

[cattlekid]

So I got my tickets from StubHub and found that yep, the person who bought them and is now reselling them bought them through the AmEx presale.  Guess it might be worthwhile to try and get an AmEx through Costco if for no other reason than to get in on a presale every once in a while.

[KarenInWA]

So I got my tickets from StubHub and found that yep, the person who bought them and is now reselling them bought them through the AmEx presale.  Guess it might be worthwhile to try and get an AmEx through Costco if for no other reason than to get in on a presale every once in a while.

I have that AmEx card. I look forward to the Costco rebate every February! 

KarenInWA

[Kitty Cat]

cattlekid I am going to live vicariously through you! I love Van Halen also and to this day wonder why Hagar was ever brought in. To see a concert w/David Lee Roth! Whoo!! Awesome doesn't even begin to cover it!! I'm thrilled you got the tix even though it was a hassle, once the concert happens, please let us know how it was! I'm going to go online and see if there's even a slight chance that they may come around my area somewhere!!

Have an amazing time there!!

[Chris]

I want to se Pink Floyd when they come to Chicago, but could not get tickets last month. I just don't have the patience to track down tickets tho.
 
I play my old Van Halen CD's than the one Sammy Haggar OU812 one I have.

[Poppylicious]

I don't know if the same thing happens where you are, but here in the UK some unscrupulous people tend to buy in bulk just for the sake of reselling at extortionate prices (a thousand, or even two, % mark-up sometimes).  Completely wrong (possibly even illegal), but some people just want to make a fast buck, I guess.  I don't think I could give someone the satisfaction of making a huge profit off me just because I'm a fan of a band.

My one wish was that I could see The Killers when they played here back in 2009.  I was absolutely gutted when they sold out within about ten minutes of the tickets going on sale as I knew there was no chance of it happening.  A few days later Blokey found a genuine chap on eBay selling off two tickets he didn't need for no more than he paid for them.  Absolute gent!  Dream fulfilled. New dream required, please.

 

[Riverwhispering]

Last year I went to a concert that stared Bob Dylan...   The opening act was pretty good, I don't remember who it was but when Bob Dylan's turn came around during his first song Lay Lady Lay everyone was thinking it was a joke and he was messing with us.  By his third song it was mass exit... everyone was leaving and by the time we got to our car the parking lot was 3/4 empty.  Talk about a huge disappointment, his voice was gone totally.

But then again around 13 years ago I did go see Ray Charles and he was quite old but his voice was perfect and it was a great concert.. same with Leon Russel's concert about that same time.

Good luck with this one you're going to

[YLGuy]

My first VH ticket was $9.50. 

[Chris]

I don't know if the same thing happens where you are, but here in the UK some unscrupulous people tend to buy in bulk just for the sake of reselling at extortionate prices (a thousand, or even two, % mark-up sometimes).  Completely wrong (possibly even illegal), but some people just want to make a fast buck, I guess.  I don't think I could give someone the satisfaction of making a huge profit off me just because I'm a fan of a band.

My one wish was that I could see The Killers when they played here back in 2009.  I was absolutely gutted when they sold out within about ten minutes of the tickets going on sale as I knew there was no chance of it happening.  A few days later Blokey found a genuine chap on eBay selling off two tickets he didn't need for no more than he paid for them.  Absolute gent!  Dream fulfilled. New dream required, please.

 

Basically the samething happens here with he big acts or if a sports team is in the play offs and above. I guess t's a unversal thing.