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Kiss
tickets can cost $300, by Sunanda Creagh - 4th May
2004
(Credit:
The Sydney Morning Herald)
Concert ticket prices have soared in the past decade,
with tour promoters pinning the blame on a weak Australian
dollar and higher artist appearance fees.
If
tickets to glam rock band Kiss indicate the trend,
punters should be worried. A ticket to the band's
1995 appearance at the Sydney Entertainment Centre
cost $46.80; a ticket to this month's show at the
Hordern Pavilion can cost almost $300.
Promoters
also cite the GST and higher production costs as causes
of the ticket price explosion.
"For
a straightforward arena show you are now looking at
something in the region of $70 to $85. They were more
in the realm of $50 or $65 about five years ago,"
said Roger Field, manager of ticketing and sponsorship
at tour company Michael Coppel Presents.
"Five
years ago you would have paid $25,000 for a decent
production set-up. Now it's $50,000 or $60,000,"
said Michael Chugg, head of the company bringing acts
such as Radiohead and The Who to Australia. "Backstage
catering used to be $4000; now it's $7000 a show."
Michael
Gudinski, head of Frontier Touring and founder of
Mushroom Records, said Australian ticket prices had
to be compared with American concert costs. "The
Australian dollar has significantly gone down and
American ticket prices have significantly gone up,"
he said.
"If
the act can make a lot more money in America, then
why would they come to Australia?"
Competition
between promoters also drove up artist appearance
fees, said Mr Gudinski. "It's become so competitive
and there are too many promoters who are desperate
and offering stupid money. An act can normally walk
out of a gig with up to half the gross."
A
spokesman for the Australian Consumers Association,
Norm Crothers, said there were no controls on concert
tickets.
Mr
Chugg said fans would pay what promoters asked. "I've
probably overpriced one or two acts in the last year.
But if they really want to go and see the act, they'll
pay anything."
Links:
Official
websites
Promoters
Michael
Coppel Presents
Michael
Chugg Entertainment
Frontier
Touring Company
Bands
KISS
Venues
Sydney
Entertainment Centre
Hordern
Pavilion
Ticketing
Ticketek
Ticketmaster7
Articles
The
Great Aussie Promoters, by Greg Tingle
The
Great Yankee Promoters, by Greg Tingle
Can't
stop the music
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