Stratovarius Ticket Prices

[mtlheart]

30 people? Can it really get that bad? I remember that Blind Guardian packed the house in a club I went to, and it was a Tuesday. Had to be about 400 people.

I don't doubt it. I don't know where you live, but unfortunately not every city is a hotbed of Metal.
When Saxon played Atlanta on their Unleash The Beast tour at the Outer Edge there were 30 people there.
When Savatage played Atlanta at the Outer Edge on the Wake Of Magellan tour there were about 30 people there. When they played the Cotton Club on the Poets And Madmen tour with Fates Warning opening there were about 60 people there on $15 tickets.
When Helloween played the Masqurade on their Rabbit Don't Come Easy Tour with 2 openers including Halcion Way there were less than 100 people there. And those tickets were $20.

It's not suprising that a lot of European bands report losing money on US tours, or don't do them at all. It's heartbreaking to see all the tour dates for bands in Europe, South and Central America, and Asia with no US dates listed at all.

 

[bhcompy]

for america it has to be major metal cities only for some of them, thats the only way to do it. i know the metal scene here in socal is wishywashy and that the current underground scene is 5$ a show and people would rather see metalcore bullshit for 5$ than spend 30$ to see a foreign band

 

[BlackenedDawn]

50$ for Manowar and Rhapsody? wow! I never would've thought prices for this show would be that expensive. I wonder if they are going to come to the MD/DC/VA area, and if it will be any cheaper if they do. If not, oh well.

As for Strato, their show in VA is 30$. My friend questioned the price too, but I figured if Therion tickets are 25$ (30 day of), Stratovarius would be around the same, if not more.

 

[King Lek]

Gee...not so sure what the big deal is. $32.00 to see a show is not that bad. Gee....$12.00 more than a $20.00 ticket to see a band that has been around forever and has never toured the states. I'm thinking it is a pretty sweet deal.

Now I am not sure about cost incurred for Rhapsody & MOW or if they are only doing a pair or three of shows, either possibly effecting the price, but i would see either alone for $25.00 so I do not see the problem here either.

We all have to make a buck at what we do or why bother doing it. All three of these bands are well established within the genre and have nothing to win touring and losing money.

 

[TheWhisper]

I can't believe people. People are always bitching and moaning about bands not touring here then, when one announces a tour, these same people bitch about ticket price. I'm not a Strato fan, but if I were I'd be laying out $32 with a smile. Everyone complains about this kind of music not getting a chance on radio or mtv, yet when you get a chance to show some support for this scene you just piss and moan.

As some else asid, this is one of the top bands in this genre and have never toured here before, I'd think all the power metal fans out there would be falling over themselves to buy tickets to see them. They're not coming over here to do you a favor, "Well, we lost our ass on our first US tour, but we made a few American metal fans happy...isn't that all that counts". If you don't want to pay the money to see'em - don't, but the next time a band says they won't tour here because it isn't finacially viable...don't bitch.

For all you armchair econmists:..."domestic interest rates and the dollar exchange rate are primarily driven by the Fed's monetary policy -- i.e., whether the central bank creates more dollars than the rest of the world wants. It is this excess money that causes inflation at home and sinks the dollar abroad." - Larry Kudlow(a brilliant economist) None of that has anything to do with Stratovarius concert ticket prices, though.

 

[TheGraveDigger]

It is $35 a ticket at BB Kings, $40 day of show and I am not complaining a bit. I will be there with a happy smile on my face. Same with the $50 plus bucks it will cost me to see Manowar and Rhapsody. I'm not gonna piss and bitch that these bands don't come here and then complain when the price is a bit steep. I am more than happy to go out and support it.

 

[DementiaGuitar]

But let's not dig ourselves deeper in the hole, by bitching about people that are bitching. Look, now I'm bitching about bitching about bitching. It'll be neverending at this rate!

Keep in mind that people aren't complaining just for the hell of it; some people just might not have fifty bucks to spare, which can be frustrating when a band finally comes over to the US and then you're simply unable to go.

Personally, I'm expecting the Manowar/Rhapsody show to not sell out, so once my band starts making money from cd sales, I'll have no problem going (so don't anyone think this is some sort of pity post).

 

[bhcompy]

ive always paid that much for a major label band, so i dont see the big deal

 

[booB]

I'm not a Strato fan, but if I were I'd be laying out $32 with a smile.

me too, but... I'm going to ProgPower. That's $100 for TEN bands, one of whom is Stratovarius. Why should I be excited to shell out another $32 to see JUST THEM again? If the ticket was $15 or $20, then I'd consider it.

And that's coming from someone who IS a Stratovarius fan.

 

[angra150]

hey guys, jst to put things in perspective. Here (Spain) strato and any important band is about 20 euros, so multiply that by 1.35 and you get 27, plus the cost of not selling so much as in europe.

32 seems very fair, and I will travel 12 hours by bus just for them....

about the economy, it is due to greenspan that is correct, but when Bush signs the astronomic bills there is no God that can keep the dollar in equilibrium. plus the euro getting more and more a reference currency, big economies like russia and china are begining to change their ressources to euros... that means that the US will be less likely to keep their outstainding deficit as countries are less confident about the dollar. that means problemssss

 

[longshot9]

If they come to the bay area i'll shell out whatever they want, and try to promote the show some too to get more people there. You people want bands like this to play in the US you gotta let them know that by going to the shows.

 

[FatesFan]

I'll be the first one to admit that $ 50.00 is alot of money for me. I support a family of four on my one not so stellar income. Having said that, I understand why a show like Manowar/Rhapsody would cost $50.00. It's a numbers game. Sure everyone here may go see it but guess what.......that revenue wont pay for one show much less a tour. Let's face it, not that many people will se this tour. They can't charge $ 15.00 and expect to break even much less turn a profit. I saw Manowar here in the states and there was only about 75-100 people there. The tickes were $ 15.00. They can't make a living that way. Believe it or not, most bands do this for a living and or profit. Trust me, I hate to part with $ 50.00............but in this case I believe it is well worth every cent. I think that we have become spoiled by the bargain price of the PP ticket.

 

[Pellaz]

I'll be the first one to admit that $ 50.00 is alot of money for me. I support a family of four on my one not so stellar income. Having said that, I understand why a show like Manowar/Rhapsody would cost $50.00. It's a numbers game. Sure everyone here may go see it but guess what.......that revenue wont pay for one show much less a tour. Let's face it, not that many people will se this tour. They can't charge $ 15.00 and expect to break even much less turn a profit. I saw Manowar here in the states and there was only about 75-100 people there. The tickes were $ 15.00. They can't make a living that way. Believe it or not, most bands do this for a living and or profit.

Not just the bands, either. In some cases the promoters or the venue -- who also have to stay in business -- have a tough choice when it comes to setting ticket prices: charge too little, and the show won't break-even, even if it's a near sell-out; charge too much, and the high price will keep more 'casual' fans away and you end up in the red again due to low sales.

 

[TheWhisper]

I'm not a Strato fan, but if I were I'd be laying out $32 with a smile.

me too, but... I'm going to ProgPower. That's $100 for TEN bands, one of whom is Stratovarius. Why should I be excited to shell out another $32 to see JUST THEM again? If the ticket was $15 or $20, then I'd consider it.

And that's coming from someone who IS a Stratovarius fan.

If it were a band that I was a fan of, I would go see them at PP and where ever else they were playing in my town. I've already dropped about $500-$600 for the PP weekend, with GB's and hotel room, so $32 bucks to see a band, who has never toured here, in a town near me is nothing. Seeing a band twice, on their first US tour, is something I would gladly do, if I were as big a fan as most on here seem to be of Stratovarius.

Either people will support these bands, when they do come over here, or we'll be relagted to complaining about how no one ever tours here. If Glenn started losing his ass every year and only filled a third of the venue, I doubt if he would continue to put on PP...out of the goodness of his heart. If these bands lose their asses and play to a handfull of people, when they do come over here, I wouldn't expect to see too many others come. No one is forcing anyone to buy a ticket, but if the support is not there...don't blame the lack of US tours on the bands or radio/tv. It is a business, not a charity.

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

Are all you people here actually going to go see Stratovarius again outside of Prog Power?

They're great......but not that great to follow them around on tour....^_^

 

[TheWhisper]

Are all you people here actually going to go see Stratovarius again outside of Prog Power?

They're great......but not that great to follow them around on tour....^_^

Whether, or not, they're worth seeing more than once on this tour is a matter of opinion. To see them at PP, which someone would've been at anyway, and to see them if they came to your town, really doesn't qualify as 'following' them.

 

[DeathDevil]

it's a little salty...

 

[AngraRULES]

Are all you people here actually going to go see Stratovarius again outside of Prog Power?

They're great......but not that great to follow them around on tour....^_^

If "following" to you means going to their show one more time, then I think most of us will indeed follow them...

In my opinion, going to see the band at Progpower and then once again on tour is not following. Come on, we don't even know if the setlist will be the same or if the show will be exactly the same... Plus, if you like a band a lot you wouldn't mind seeing them again... or would you?

 

[TheWhisper]

it's a little salty...

????

 

[J-Dubya 777]

I'll be seeing them in Chicago...... Why the hell not, I say........