[Slowhand] Re: A measure of success ... ?

[ToeKneeF]

John, you were right to end your subject line with a question, because 
it certainly leaves some room for discussion. One could see some merit 
in your argument - ticket sales = relative popularity - if not for the 
fact that it is simplistic and totally ignores other possible issues 
that are just as important to ticket sales. If you were to examine an 
audience at most major artistic/sports events, you would find at least 
3-4 different profiles. 1) The die-hard fan. 2) The casual fan 3) The 
corporate freeloader (they're there because they got comped tickets 
(that's how I get my Yankee and Giants Tickets), they may not 
necessarily be fans but are more like the following.........4) Not even 
a fan but has to be able to say they were at this event.........I'm sure 
you could come up with a few more yourself. Just as different 
motivations drive these people, different issues will have an effect on 
their acquisition of tickets. So, how could these people's buying 
behavior be affected? For most of these profiles economics plays a big 
role. Promoters, people who couldn't find their noses with a magnifying 
glass, have been complaining for some time that their business is 
suffering and attendance is down across the board. It doesn't take a 
genius to see that ticket prices have escalated to obscene levels. I 
long ago made a decision that I would not waste my time seeing the 
Stones live. I saw them in '69 and that was, as far as I am concerned, 
their musical peak. My last Stones show was mid-70's after 3 
disappointing tours. A close friend, on the other hand, is a DIE-HARD 
Stones fan, he has seen every tour since '69 and always comes away 
satisfied. Did he see them on their last 
tour..........NO.............not at those prices. It would have cost him 
over $700 for 2 tickets. What does this have to do with our 
discussion..........even die-hard fans have a limit and if ticket prices 
go beyond that point, don't expect sell-outs, no matter who you are. A 
casual perusal of industry sites and magazines shows that there is 
significant concern, on the part of promoters, for the peak touring 
season here in the US. There are a lot of acts out there competing for, 
what is becoming, a limited pool of disposable dollars. It's no secret 
that the US economy is in the dumper and many people are being much more 
conservative with their purchasing behavior, concert tickets are no 
exception...........................T

-- 
"Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted;
the indifference of those who should have known better;
and the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most;
that has made it possible for evil to triumph."
                       ------ Haile Selassie (The Lion of Juddah)

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