Tragically Hip Tickets - $4000.00!

[Black968]

Tried to purchase a pair of Tragically Hip tickets on Friday June 3 for the Kingston, ON show (Last show ever?) through Ticketmaster. Tickets were sold out via computer in less than 2 minutes. I am told there were people standing in line and none of them got tickets. How can this be? Supposedly 99% of all tickets were purchased by automatic computer programs. There has got to be a better way for event tickets to be sold the the public does not get ripped. Face vallue is 60 - 130 CDN. Can someone enlighten me as to how the scalpers are 'beating the system". I am pissed.

[stevej37]

If the scalpers don't get the price they need...they prob won't pay as much next time! Whatever the market supports I suppose.
Liked the video...have not heard of them before.

[zehnd]

I was able to get four tickets for the Edmonton show. They are putting on a second show because the first show ticket sold so well. I think Ticket Master must have a agreement with StubHub!

[GWN7]

The police need to start enforcing the scalping laws.

When the scalpers loose their investment and performers realise that their sold out shows are virtually empty maybe something will be done.

I like the band and I'm sorry Gord has brain cancer but I'm not paying what they are asking to see them.

[devodave]

Pretty popular in WNY, as Buffalo hosted frequent shows. Never did get an opportunity to see them though.

Mentioned this to my wife and see said that the lead singer, Gordon Downy, has been diagnosed with a terminal cancer. Guess the scalpers want to take advantage of the situation. Despicable and greedy. Sounds like Martin Shkreli.

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by zehnd

I was able to get four tickets for the Edmonton show. They are putting on a second show because the first show ticket sold so well. I think Ticket Master must have a agreement with StubHub!

You're not far off.

[MRM]

Four grand a ticket? I can get behind anything. Well, almost anything.

[masraum]

$4000 would buy a CD and a decent helping of speakers.

[john70t]

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/03/hip-fallout-or-how-the-government-made-ticket-scalping-legal-in-ontario.html
But on July 1, 2015, the regulations were changed to allow resellers to make a profit — if the tickets were authenticated.


In the USA, it's illegal in some states unless the internet is involved:
https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/who-needs-tickets-is-ticket-scalping-legal

I once tried to by $99 tickets advertised through Ticketmaster.
It rang up as $150.
"Section sold out, here's another section available".
I logged in again and the $99 tickets were still advertised.
I didn't purchase and sent a letter to the Mich Attorney General.
Bait-n-Switch.

[KFC911]

A band I haven't thought about in a long time....I have what I think is their first release in my collection....gotta go find it . It's great....

[stealthn]

I heard there is an online petition for CBC to broadcast the concert(s) live; I think it's a great idea.

[craigster59]

Awhile back I was going to HOB Sunset Strip to see Gogar and BHTM. They graciously priced their tix at $25 ea. Unfortunately Ticket Master charged a "convenience fee" of $17 per ticket bringing the grand total for 2 to $84, $9 more than face value of 3 tix. I called the HOB box office to see if the fee was charged if bought at the window. They said yes, no way around the fee. Complete BS.

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by craigster59

Awhile back I was going to HOB Sunset Strip to see Gogar and BHTM. They graciously priced their tix at $25 ea. Unfortunately Ticket Master charged a "convenience fee" of $17 per ticket bringing the grand total for 2 to $84, $9 more than face value of 3 tix. I called the HOB box office to see if the fee was charged if bought at the window. They said yes, no way around the fee. Complete BS.

The funniest part is that they charge US $1 per ticket to for the privilege of charging YOU that $17.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by Gogar

The funniest part is that they charge US $1 per ticket to for the privilege of charging YOU that $17.

Should've comped me 2 tickets and I would have spent $150 on merch!!

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by craigster59

Should've comped me 2 tickets and I would have spent $150 on merch!!

Upon which we would have had to pay them $30 commission for the privilege of providing us the table upon which to set the merch.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by Gogar

Upon which we would have had to pay them $30 commission for the privilege of providing us the table upon which to set the merch.

Son of a gun, those guys get you coming and going! Are all venues like that? I remember when Tom Petty and Mudcrutch played the Troubador, tix were face value, 2 per person and you had to show up on the day of the concert to pick up your wristband. Scalpers actually had to drive down to the venue, pick up the wristbands and meet with their "customer". Needless to say there was very minimal scalping.

When the Greek Theater was possibly going to be taken from Nederlander and the contract given to TM/ Live nation there was a heck of an uproar. Lesser of two evils I guess.

[Gogar]

The merchandise commission is variable and differs between cotton goods and music. The cotton percentage can range from 0 in smaller face-to-face situations but (like all business) when hands get in the cookie jar the percentage goes up.

In unionized large theaters or arenas where the merch is sold by Aramark, for example, the cotton percentage hovers right around 35%.

[MRM]

I've always had a special place for Tragically Hip. Like most Americans, I heard them first when I saw BBC series "The Industry" shown on PBS, way back in the early 1990s before our young family put basic cable into the budget. We had the three networks, a couple of independent stations, and PBS. We're kind of boring and had babies back then, so our Saturday evening entertainment usually included staying up late watching The Red Green Show and whatever odd programming PBS put up after that. Some time after midnight, the combination of lack of sleep and PBS programming starts getting trippy.

So it was surreal in a good way when The Industry first came on. The opening credits, with Tragically Hip playing Blow at High Dough was mesmerizing. I knew nothing about the show except we recognized Ranger Ranger Gord (Peter Keleghan) from the Red Green Show playing Alan, the insanely narcissistic CEO of Pyramid Productions. I was addicted from the beginning. I felt quite proud that I had discovered both The Industry (called Made in Canada in Canada) and Tragically Hip before any of my friends.

I watched their career casually over the years and was pleased to see they had good success, if not superstardom. I read they were doing a farewell concert and heard an interview where they laughed with gallows humor that their first thought hearing that scalpers were selling their tickets was that they had finally made it. Their second reaction was that it wasn't fair for scalpers to profit like that, and they were looking into ways to do more concerts or get more tickets out there.

I wish them well and highly recommend watching the opening scene of Season One, Episode One of The Industry (Made in Canada).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycGzFlkbOiY&list=PLK5ZkW-0cJMwniIB6cRPvTPlxr4nRTaKB

[BlueSkyJaunte]

There's a reason they're called TicketBastard.

[Hawkeye's-911T]

I heard there is an online petition for CBC to broadcast the concert(s) live; I think it's a great idea.

Me too. Here's hoping....

Cheers
JB