Simon & Garfunkel

davros

Ticket prices for the Simon & Garfunkel concert range from €55 to €130. Incredible.

sceptre

I didn't know they were even talking to each other again (though then, I suppose they don't have to talk to each other to perform together - look at the famous Central Park concert)

130 is a little steep. Do you get to shout insults at the tall one for the price of the ticket?

(or even get to ask the short one whether Princess Leia was any good in the sack?)

davros

The Everly Brothers are making a guest appearance in the same concert. They famously broke up on stage and didn't speak to each other for years.

Nice to see everyone is getting along again these days.

deRanged

I bought two of the 55 euro tickets this morning - it cost me 121 euro!
No surprise in that though - ticketmaster strike again.

it's 55 for unreserved standing, 105 for the second lot of seats and 130 for the first lot of seats. madness.

Kersh

Sort of similar is the projected price for the Madonna tickets. c.130 euro. Ridiculous. Im not a fan, I have no interest, but what a price. People should boycott that gig.

Ripwave

Originally posted by Kersh
Sort of similar is the projected price for the Madonna tickets. c.130 euro. Ridiculous. Im not a fan, I have no interest, but what a price. People should boycott that gig.

Aparently, €130 is "what the market will bear".

They don't care if you boycott it - the concert will still sell out. (And if the tickets had a face value of €50, substantial numbers of them would end up changing hands for €100 or more, when the touts got their hands on them anyway).

The Real B-man

was going to buy my ma a ticket but at that price i will by hear the CD

The Brigadier

Tickets in London are £145!!! (eek....RipOff Britain!)

deRanged

Aparently, €130 is "what the market will bear".

I bought the tickets as a present for my parents - two minutes later my sister rang me to say she'd bought the expensive tickets for herself and the b/f. so yeah - the market will indeed bear it.

leonotron

Yesthe market will indeed bear it. I've bought three tickets for me and my girlfriend, fourth row almost center stage. We will laugh at you peasants in the standing area

Ripwave

Originally posted by leonotron
I've bought three tickets for me and my girlfriend,

Is your girlfriend bringing her mother? :-)

The Brigadier

Or, does one of you need two seats?

leonotron

We have a third seat in case we invite anyone else along or else to have more space. the cost is irrelevant to me

MadsL

We have a third seat in case we invite anyone else along or else to have more space. the cost is irrelevant to me

Boll0cks...

Translation:

We bought a third ticket we will try and flog at an inflated price to recoup the silly price we paid for these tickets.

Solution:

Govt pass a law requiring tickets to be printed with full name of the ticket holder. Random checks made against photo ID. Pass laws to make touting illegal and ENFORCE it!

Our man in Havana

Originally posted by MadsL
Boll0cks...

Translation:

We bought a third ticket we will try and flog at an inflated price to recoup the silly price we paid for these tickets.

Solution:

Govt pass a law requiring tickets to be printed with full name of the ticket holder. Random checks made against photo ID. Pass laws to make touting illegal and ENFORCE it!

Unworkable.
What if I cant go to the concert,say I am ill and I want to give my ticket to my mate? That's not touting.

Paddy20

Rip-Off - my arse.

You are damned lucky to have an opportunity to actually see live in concert in Ireland, two of the most talented and legendary songwriters of our time.

Cop yourselves on. What is a priceless experience and memory worth ?...

RainyDay

Originally posted by Bond-007
Unworkable.
What if I cant go to the concert,say I am ill and I want to give my ticket to my mate? That's not touting.

Strangely enough, it is quite workable for Ryanair & Aer Lingus, and many of their unit prices are cheaper than the S&G prices quoted above. Just make the ticket non-transferable. If you don't like that, don't buy it. If you can't go, then you return it to the agent for a refund (less the handling fees of course). The inconvenience would be a small price to pay to be able to push the touts out of the market.

The only downside I can see is the need to bring photo-id to the gig. There are certain gigs where I wouldn't be too comfortable bringing my passport. Maybe the planned introduction of the credit-card style driving licence will solve that one.

Ripwave

Originally posted by RainyDay
The only downside I can see is the need to bring photo-id to the gig. There are certain gigs where I wouldn't be too comfortable bringing my passport. Maybe the planned introduction of the credit-card style driving licence will solve that one.

You're legally required to carry your driving license with you whenever you are driving, whether it's credit card sized or not.

You don't leave your in the car, do you?

RainyDay

Originally posted by Ripwave
You're legally required to carry your driving license with you whenever you are driving, whether it's credit card sized or not.

You don't leave your in the car, do you?

Nah - It's squashed down the back of my wallet, as it happens - though I'd try to avoid driving to gigs where possible.

por

Originally posted by RainyDay
Strangely enough, it is quite workable for Ryanair & Aer Lingus, and many of their unit prices are cheaper than the S&G prices quoted above. Just make the ticket non-transferable. If you don't like that, don't buy it. If you can't go, then you return it to the agent for a refund (less the handling fees of course). The inconvenience would be a small price to pay to be able to push the touts out of the market.

The only downside I can see is the need to bring photo-id to the gig. There are certain gigs where I wouldn't be too comfortable bringing my passport. Maybe the planned introduction of the credit-card style driving licence will solve that one.

You could have a system like some baseball clubs in the US have. Create a ticket re-sell area outside the venue, or in a convenient location, city centre perhaps. The area would be supervised and tickets cannot be sold above face value. Have a law against touting and have strict penalties for anyone trying to sell a ticket above face value or outside the re-sell area.

For the World Cup in 2002 all tickets had names on them, but no one ever checked for ID....

Zoton

The €130 tickets sold out quicker than the €55 ones. Craziness!