Future Thoughts / Suggestions

[Diabolik]

I hate when people complain about ticket prices.....25 bucks is nothing for 7 bands. It always cracks me up when I see people complain about the high ticket prces at shows but they have zero problem tossing that money with buying drinks or stuff.

 

[dcowboys311]

I hate when people complain about ticket prices.....25 bucks is nothing for 7 bands. It always cracks me up when I see people complain about the high ticket prces at shows but they have zero problem tossing that money with buying drinks or stuff.

$25 is a lot when you are competing with other shows that are cheaper. Plus different people have different value systems. I think it's crazy that people won't put down $25 for a well-done DLP but will go spend $40 at the bar, and there are people who think I'm stupid for spending that money on a dead format. Plus, the fest wasn't $25 at all for out of towners. Obviously I didn't go but I was seriously looking into it, only thing holding me back was a big work conference that I could not miss, but it would have been the $25 + a flight (reasonable) + a hotel (again, reasonable) + a rental car for an under-25 person to even get out to Joliet (FUCKING EXPENSIVE).

 

[dcowboys311]

Also, banning Chris Black is the fucking STUPIDEST thing I have ever heard of. He is responsible for the best band heavy metal in the US right now. Just because people have differing opinions or don't want to donate half their paycheck to a new fest doesn't mean they should be banned, Jesus Christ.

 

[TychoCelchu]

I agree but just to be clear - did they ACTUALLY 'ban' him or were they just talking about it? And is it a physical ban from playing at future fests or was it a cyber ban from their FB page?

 

[skyrefuge]

I hate when people complain about ticket prices.....25 bucks is nothing for 7 bands.

That's like saying "$5000 is nothing for a computer". Maybe it's not in a world where no other computers are for sale, but when I can easily get a pretty awesome computer for $500, then $5000 IS a lot for a computer, and I'll buy the $500 one instead. Competition, baby.

Only 17% of the shows I saw in 2011 were more than $25, so in this market competition, $25 IS on the high-end.

The fact that it was 7 bands isn't particularly relevant, because as we saw, most people aren't interested in all the bands. If the expenses of booking the talent prevent tickets from being priced competitively, then often the wiser position is "this isn't a viable business" rather than "we need to raise ticket prices".

Perhaps if the majority of your audience is traveling in, there is more elasticity in ticket price, because the ticket is just a small part of the total cost, but for locals you pretty much have to compete with the expectations set by the prices of other shows at this scale.

Neil

 

[skyrefuge]

I agree but just to be clear - did they ACTUALLY 'ban' him or were they just talking about it? And is it a physical ban from playing at future fests or was it a cyber ban from their FB page?

I don't know either, but interpreted it just as some emotional smack-talk, with no explicit 'banning', physical or cyber. But regardless of any 'ban', it seemed like they were souring a potentially valuable relationship, which seemed dumb (and since I'm a jerk, funny!) Though who knows, maybe the relationship was already soured!

Neil

 

[Diabolik]

there was no ban....everyone talked and are freinds again and communication is all good.

 

[Ragnarokkrmetal]

WOW!!! The speculation on this forum.......

I could go on for hours but I won't. Few things:

Voltax was a huge draw. I know because I'm on the inside and had an "agent" selling specifically to just the mexican crowd. Bob you knew that. Tons of people came just for them (and with them), then left....many didn't return the next day....eventho they had a two-day ticket. I also know why more didn't come but that's not important either.

Neil was correct about not getting bands without headliners. I won't tell you the details (about bands that HAD to cancel but refused to because they were playing with another band) but you wouldn't have had a fest without them.

 

[Diabolik]

WOW!!! The speculation on this forum.......

I could go on for hours but I won't. Few things:

Voltax was a huge draw. I know because I'm on the inside and had an "agent" selling specifically to just the mexican crowd. Bob you knew that. Tons of people came just for them (and with them), then left....many didn't return the next day....eventho they had a two-day ticket. I also know why more didn't come but that's not important either.

Neil was correct about not getting bands without headliners. I won't tell you the details (about bands that HAD to cancel but refused to because they were playing with another band) but you wouldn't have had a fest without them.

I did say Voltax was a draw. I knew that going in.

 

[nomisofsiman]

I hate when people complain about ticket prices.....25 bucks is nothing for 7 bands. It always cracks me up when I see people complain about the high ticket prces at shows but they have zero problem tossing that money with buying drinks or stuff.

This. People have to realize how many bands this is and for how long a show it actually is that's a damn good deal...even if it is underground metal. I mean, most fests I can think of at a minimum usually is $40, sometimes it goes way beyond that. So, this is pretty damn good. People also have to realize how much money it takes to put on these shows and if they lower the price too much, they'll never make any coin.

 

[Ragnarokkrmetal]

Bob, I meant you knew Mendoza sold a ton of tickets for Voltax only. They were a big draw and surprising to everyone else they didn't draw. Just saying you are arguing about crowd size when you knew going in that they sold a ton of tickets and should have just said that. Where all the mex were....upstairs, outside, passed out from drinking with Voltax all night the night before.

People are forgetting the "party" atmosphere. Not only is it a show, but it brought a ton of people together who only talk online. There were almost as many people outside the venue as inside, just BSing. I think it was under priced for a fest. Maybe over priced for people who wanted to see one or two bands then leave, but this is a fest and should be treated as such. Keep in mind that these are bands you would never see otherwise. Let's say that you wanted to just see Virgin Steele and Wizard. VS played NYC months ago. I think that was the only show. Wizard would have never come to the US. For a guy in Chicago....$200 to NYC + $20 ticket (or the $1000 for 70k tons of metal fest) + $700 to Germany + 15 euro ticket. Compare that to $40, which was the advance price. Pharaoh...they play one live show a decade.

I just got to get the "business" aspect under control. WHATEVER!!! Good show. Break time.

 

[Element_man]

I really wish I could have checked the fest out because it looked absolutely god-damned fantastic. Coming in from Canada is a tricky move when time are tight, but if I were nearer to the area I would have gladly paid 50 or 60 bucks to see both days. I would have paid 40 for Brocas Helm alone. Oh, and I've never seen Voltax but holy shit their latest disk is fucking killer. Voltax and Borrowed Time are two of my favorite new ture-metal acts and that was true before I heard about this fest.

Fight the good fight, gentlemen.

 

[Ragnarokkrmetal]

I have a future thought. People don't get in for free. Numerous people used the bands to get in for free. That will not happen again....ever. I'm still pretty angry about it.

 

[Justin G]

I have a future thought. People don't get in for free. Numerous people used the bands to get in for free. That will not happen again....ever. I'm still pretty angry about it.

If you have the bands selling tickets, they can figure out if it's worth their own money to let their buddies in.

 

[Diabolik]

I have a future thought. People don't get in for free. Numerous people used the bands to get in for free. That will not happen again....ever. I'm still pretty angry about it.

I hate that stuff. My brother used to not answer his phone the day of shows becaus everyone came out of the woodwork to get in for free.

 

[nomisofsiman]

I hate people that do this. One of my friends was like that when we'd go to shows. He was always trying to hook up with bands just to be able to get into free when they came back around.

 

[Wizard_Junkie]

Eh, I got in for free but that's because it was through Massacre Records as a member of the press.

 

[Diabolik]

Eh, I got in for free but that's because it was through Massacre Records as a member of the press.

still a real fan and supporter would have paid. I used to video tape shows all the time for bands and the clubs and I would always pay. I never took freebies. I always wanted and always will support what I like.

 

[Justin G]

still a real fan and supporter would have paid. I used to video tape shows all the time for bands and the clubs and I would always pay. I never took freebies. I always wanted and always will support what I like.

Right. I can pull a press pass too, but on an event like this that counts on every ticket, that just doesn't seem right.

 

[kingdomgone86]

Yeah, I felt bad for getting in for free, but picking up Wizard probably paid for my ticket. I definitely should've bought a ticket anyways. Make me feel bad while you're at it.