a case for gatekeeping concerts
"where are the real fans?" outpriced
Rich people used to be patrons of the arts. Now, they’re just patronising the arts. And the average music fan can no longer afford to get in.
And when they do, the merch table is overpriced, attendees no longer have decorum, and new venues are ill-prepared. Even the once sacred Boiler Room has lost some of its Je ne sais quoi... It seems that true fans and artists alike are fed up.
So, where did we go wrong?
The dynamics of dynamic pricing
Over the years, we’ve laughed, cried and shared memes detailing the ways that Ticketmaster has personally victimised us:
It’s an issue that spans to the ‘90s with Pearl Jam’s fight against the ticketing service.
As dynamic pricing has taken over, so has the competition. The battle for concert tickets begins at presale, logged in from three different devices. And its not just you, you’re up against assistants of the rich, brand interns and influencer partnerships, credit card companies and unchecked resellers.
In 2000, the average price of a concert ticket for a top 100 music tour was $40.74.
In 2019, it was to $91.86.
In 2023, it was $122.84.
(Not including increases to accommodation, food, merch and transportation.)
While one can argue that ticket buying for any live event will always be a competitive landscape, we cannot deny the increasing imbalance. After all, there’s nothing more infuriating than seeing social media influencers who racked up views badmouthing an artist, just to be seated in the VIP section of that same artist — all courtesy of a brand sponsorship. Just look at the recent disaster that was the Armani x Benson Boone event. After waiting in line for hours, ‘regular’ fans were locked out on the sidewalk, facing a giant ad , while Boone performed for attendees of a specific follower count (yes, this is real and not just a Black Mirror-like episode).
Concert Etiquette (or the lack thereof)
Bras, flowers and the like have been thrown on stage to show admiration for an artist performing. But post-pandemic behavior has proven that many of you came back from isolation with less decorum than you went in with. Too many people have begun throwing things at an artist, in an odd attempt for a parasocial interaction.
Harry Styles injured his eye after fans threw Skittles at him. Billie Eilish was hit with a necklace during her performance of “What Was I Made For?” (my god the timing). Bebe Rehxa needed stitches after someone threw a cell phone at her. And another person threw their mother’s ashes at P!nk at her London concert.
"I don't know how I feel about this" - the singer said.
The overall vibes are ~off (& the artists feel it too)
Speaking of concert etiquette, it used to be that fans would go to concerts for the love of the music, and not for the love of clout (do the kids still say that? 👵🏿). And because the latter is taking over, the vibes are waaaay off. And not just for those in the stands, but for the performers too, like Halsey.
Chappell Roan called out the boring VIP section at Outside Lands for being “too cool” for the Hot To Go dance. A section that cost $1,075+ for one 3-day ticket.
"It’s so weird that VIP thinks they’re so way too cool to do this!"
Charli XCX rightfully called out the LA crowd for not knowing the lyrics to her one of most iconic songs. “Are you guys serious right now?” she genuinely asked the audience.
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If you have any experience performing on any stage, whether it be theatre, music, or public speaking, you understand that the energy of the audience is a major component to the overall success of the show. Simply put, it’s an energy exchange. Especially in terms of music. So what happens when the crowd’s energy is sold out and the front row is? Like what happened at this Steve Lacy show, where ‘fans’ couldn’t sing past a TikTok snippet.
HAPPY TEARS: Will there be a concert resurgence for the music lovers?
It seems that artists are taking action against this growing rift and offering creative, gritty alternatives to get back into the soul of live music. In May, Lady Gaga performed for free to the largest crowd for a single artist in history, with 2.5 million people in Brazil.
The All-American Rejects (my first concert ever at 14 years old) have been performing mini pop-up concerts at random locations at a moment’s notice.
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These two nontraditional methods are not only lending incredible promo to larger, pre-planned tours down the road, but it is, in a way, a love letter to their real music fans. Will we see more of this? Can we see more of this? I’ll never tell.
TL;DR Crashing out over not being able to afford Lady Gaga Mayhem tickets.
Who wrote this?
Thelma is season 3 of SATC years old, living in New York City as a journalist, writer and maladaptive daydreamer.
She just finished writing her first screenplay and currently spends her days brain dumping online.
You can find her on TikTok, Youtube and Substack:
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There’s nothing like a Brazilian crowd 💫 Mayhem at the beach in Rio de Janeiro was truly historic! Sadly, more artists don’t give our fan bases the recognition they deserve.
I too am also crashing out about Mayhem tickets.