Originally Posted by
GuitarGeek
I think it's more complicated than that. I think the actual cost of going on tour, regardless of the size of venue has gone up. I'm talking about things like union regulations, insurance premiums (especially following the Great White Rhode Island debacle), etc have served to raise ticket prices. Also, I thikn there's a higher standard of thigns like employment benefits for road crew and such. Back in the 70's and 80's, you went on the road and you paid your roadies a per diem and that was it. But now, I believe it's become common that they're treated like employees of any other large company, i.e. you have to have a 401 K, worker's comp, etc lined up.
I've also seen some venues charging a "restoration" fee, like if you're playing in a theater or hall that's been there for 50 years or more, the venue owners charge a fee that's theoretically going into a fund to keep up the restoration of those old buildings.
Also, the high ticket prices exist in the bigger venues too. Now, back in 2003, I saw The Other Ones (surviving original members of the Grateful Dead) play Gund Arena for, I believe $43. I reasonably certain I paid at least 20-30 bucks per show for each of the other shows I saw at Gund Arena during the two or three years on either side of that one, which would include Roger Waters (1999), The Who (2000), Kiss (also 2000), Rush (2003, I believe), and Peter Gabriel (also 2003).
But then, The Other Ones didn't have lasers, pyro, or a human sized hamster ball. They had a relative simple lighting rig, with a projection screen that showed a liquid light show. That was about it. I imagine transporting all that extra equipment for the purposes of presenting "a show", not just "a band performing music", along with hiring the techs and other crew people who are needed to deal with that stuff, and once again the insurance also adds to ticket prices.
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