Rage Against the Machine is ENTITLED – to Charge a Lot for Concert Tickets
There’s been a lot of raging against Rage Against the Machine lately because tickets to their May 3 show at Rogers Place are so expensive. The cheapest seats were $170. Note tense. They’re all gone now.
The nerve!
Now quit complaining because it’s as simple as this: You stole their music from the Internet – so now you have to pay more to see them live. Quid pro quo! Suck it up, buy those tickets, and dial up Bulls on Parade on your free streaming service. You know you want to.
Agreed, the optics are bad. Here we have one of the most revolutionary rock bands to emerge from the 1990s: Raw, innovative, honest, angry, loud, political, with songs about standing up to authority, opposing racism, confronting big corporations, helping the downtrodden, a band that lived up to its name. “Fight the power, feed the poor, and rock the f*ck out,” is their slogan. And now to mark their comeback they’re raking in the dough with a big-ass world arena tour underwritten by the global entertainment corporation AEG.
So what? All the rock stars do it. Some just soak their fans more than others.
This may be a watershed moment for Generation X – as it is for every generation when the band of their generation “sells out” and decides to make a lot of money because they can. Boomers who freaked out when Bob Dylan betrayed his folk roots and went electric barely bat an eye when he sold The Times They Are a-Changin’ for use in a Bank of Montreal commercial.
Why are Rage tickets so expensive? No. 1: Of course they want money. They’re entitled to it, and should stop feeling guilty for being successful. Would you prefer they come out barefoot with some bongos and dulcimers for a $25 ticket so they can all live in poverty like some indie musician? This is exactly the sort of thing that caused the band to break up to begin with.
Now let’s talk about production. We want a big show. The equipment, sound, lights and special effects for your average touring rock show goes for at least $35,000 per day, plus about $12,000 for union crew. The bigger and more elaborate the show, the higher the overhead. The building levies its own fees to the show promoter, including a six-figure one night rental, plus staff, and extra security.
Then there’s the opening act, in this case Run the Jewels, an acclaimed band in their own right. Chances are they were specifically hired and will be paid a fair fee for their service – unlike the disgraceful “Pay to Play” racket in which many modern bands indulge. (Surely not Rage Against the Machine, and if they did, they’re DEAD to me.)
Then there’s catering, agents, insurance, managers, transportation, accommodations, etc. Do the math. I’m too lazy.
That still leaves a hefty profit for the artist. Ballpark estimate from the Department of Nice Round Numbers: $1,000,000 per show, assuming they sell out. Which they will.
People bitch about concert ticket prices all the time. Back in 1993 when the Eagles came to Edmonton on their “Hell Freezes Over” tour, there was outrage over the exorbitant price of tickets: $75 whole dollars for a top seat! You’d be lucky to get a nosebleed seat for that nowadays. Eagles tickets currently start in the $200 range.
More recently, the cost to see acts like Pink or Justin Timberlake was almost double what people are raging about today. Celine Dion’s comeback tour (April 21-22 at Rogers) will run you $243 minimum. All those dancers, costumers and set designers don’t come cheap. Top tickets to classic rock legends like Paul McCartney and Elton John were in the thousands, likewise the upcoming Roger Waters show, expected to be packed with expensive special effects, though he at least offers cheap seats for $75.
To their credit, Rage Against the Machine is taking enormous pains to thwart scalpers – and have figured out a way to give to charity at the same time. A somewhat confusing message on their website states that while 90 per cent of the tickets will be locked down to the buyer (4 per customer, not released until 96 hours before the event), the remaining 10 per cent of seats in random locations will be held in reserve, sold at a higher price, with all money (both base price and fees) donated to charities in each city of the tour. So-called “charity tickets” run $300 and up, “low enough to undercut the scalpers,” they say). Turns out they’re giving away almost 500K per show. Furthermore, all profits from their first three shows will be donated to charity and activism causes.
And there’s the Rage we remember and love!
The message concludes, “We are confident this will help many more fans get tickets at face value and put a big dent in the aftermarket gouging …”
So beforemarket gouging is OK when you’re one of the best bands in the land? Sure it is.
Top photo by Danny Clinch
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