I'm in a new situation. I used to never think about the price of concert tickets. They used to seem (usually) expensive, but the price was acceptable. However, with the HIGH (in my opinion) cost of tickets to the madison square garden shows I find myself having gone ONCE but will not go to the Jan 18 show.

I got a good Musicology ticket for $85. I bought scalped tickets to see the show a 2nd time - primo seats... for about $135. Now a seat that is not as good costs $200.

I'm all for a promoter charging as much as they can. And the 1st shows sold out. But I'd see it again for $80... but not for $200.

BUT what I want to know is how many people have decided NOT to go to one of these shows (or bought a 300 or 400 level ticket) because the price is too high.

it was worth double if not triple...but i hadn't seen him b4 this tour

I had a question kind of like that a week ago. I mean, for a struggling person trying to make ends meet with a family. I hardly ever see $200 in my checking account or savings account. Sad huh but true. I work 40 hours a week, not spending my money on anything but bills and trying to save to see if may-be he might come this way but he needs to say something soon b/c I'm trying to save enough for a ticket. My family wants to see me and it would be so bad to have to choose between the two.

[Edited 1/6/11 13:35pm]

Abso-fuc%ing-lutely

I was just at the Garden trying to get inexpensive tickets. They had singles for $80. They probably have some good $200 seats. Definitely worth it if you can afford it. 1/18 has the potential of a classic show if he expands on stuff like Gingerbread Man and the acoustic I Wanna Be Your Lover.

When I bought the tix (2 out of 3 shows in the "most expensive but not VIP" range), I thought I was making a good choice.... The DAY AFTER I bought them, the boiler in my house broke. I had to drop over $500. to replace it.

With Christmas and everything, I started to doubt how good my decision was...

I chose not to go on 12/29, and wasn't going on 1/18... but then my Mom kept saying how she really wished she could have gone to the other ones. So I bought 100-level tix for 1/18.

Yes, the shows were amazing! But "real life" has set in... I shouldn't have spent all that money with a mortgage, a new car, and bills.

I knew that I didn't want to spend more than $100 per ticket. I ended getting the $99 seats in the 200's section for both 12/29 and 1/18 shows. (I wasn't going to go to the 18th show, but since I enjoyed seeing Prince for the first time on 12/29, I gave in and brought myself another ticket for Prince's last show.)

i have mixed emotions about this tour - but I will not be participating ...

the cost is a factor .... like someone else said - for musicology i felt more "involved" with the club and ticket price ... i think I paid 80 for row 4 tickets and then ... maybe 85 for first level .... and I had a blast at both shows ....

however this time .. i just dont feel i can swing it .. and i have other things i would rather buy ...

I wanted to see Elton John, whose highest price point was $177.00 and some change.

I couldn't get tix, so I gave up and decided to put it toward one more Prince concert.... at least now Mom can go!

yes

absolutely not. save your money and get the bootlegs. Not a great show

just do what i do. buy the ticket and worry about paying for it later.

No it's not.

Bands and singers are only charging such crazy prices cause they don't sell records anymore.

Have seen him 3 times in 2010 in Europe ,the answer is Y E S S S !

dandeeland said:

absolutely not. save your money and get the bootlegs. Not a great show

Really?

chocolate1 said:

dandeeland said:

absolutely not. save your money and get the bootlegs. Not a great show

Really?

this had to be one of the ppl who drank way too much or smoked too much of that weed we were smelling.....

well, to be very honest...

200 dollars is much for a 1.30hour show..

in Antwerp i payed 130 Euros = 180 +- dollars for a gold circle and it was a show close to 3hours.

2 days earlier i payed 100 Euros for a pre-show in the Viage, Brussel where he played from 2,40 till 6am! but this show was worth like 500 euros if u ask me!

i'd say that ok.. a prince show is worth lot's and lot's of money but here in Belgium we've got more for our money than you guys in the states...

stupid ny area curfew. what are we teenagers? out on a date? i don't remember hearing philly haven't this stupid curfew

purplemookiebut said:

just do what i do. buy the ticket and worry about paying for it later.

LOL, yes, thank god for credit cards. I'm guilty of this too. Instead of paying off my debt, I've been spending $ on Prince and other stuff.

For me personally it was worth it, because it had been more than 20 years since I went to one of his concerts. The show (Izod 12/17) was tremendous, I loved every minute of it.

It's really puzzling to me that ticket sales were so poor for the Izod shows, yet the MSG shows had no problem selling out. Does anybody have a theory as to why? All I can think is that perhaps people were so absorbed with the Christmas holiday that it just wasn't a good time (7-9 days before Christmas Eve) to see a concert.

I think this mini-tour was a way for Prince to guage the amount of fan interest and how much they are willing to spend. If the fan interest is strong, he will probably return in the near future for an extended tour.

$200 for one ticket?

No.

Unless it's your first and only time spending that much and the seat is unbelievable.

But for this type of stage, $200 is way too much IMO. I've seen him in small clubs, standing about 10 feet away from him and paid $50.

mid week too

It really depends what ticket you get for $200. When I was trying to purchase tickets for that price for the 12/29 show, but the only $200 ticket I was getting was far back in the 100 section. I didnt' think it was worth it. I ended up getting really great $100 tickets that was close to the $200 section. I think it was a good bargain and considering the show was only for 1 hour and 40 min, I felt it was appropriate for the night. I got the most out of the show.

The only way I would pay $200 was if I was really close up front. I think that experience would be worth the money.

Is the concert worth $200 in my opinion? Honestly, nope, I don't think it is. I say that for several reasons:

1) Musicology tour was waaay better all around than this tour is and we only paid $125 (ebay) for floor tickets and got a new album with it and new material was played with the hits.

2) the show ends at 11pm. I don't go to bed at 11pm when I have 2 be at work the next day at 8am pulling a 10+ hour shift so what's with MSG's wack ass curfew? It gets tauted as one of the best venues in the world yet it closes at 11pm? yeah, okay.

3) You're not paying just for Prince which sucks because that's really the only person I want to see. He comes out at around 9pm (if we're lucky) and has to be off the stage by 11.

4) It's in the round so all the seats are good. Monitors are huge and sound is just as good in the higher up sections as it is on the floor. We were in Section 21 on 12/18 and paid $260 (ebay) and then I went solo on 12/29 and sat in the 400s for $95 (ebay again and last minute purchase). I would pay $100 to see this show but definitely not worth $200.

5) It's a hits tour with a setlist that really doesn't change a whole lot. All the highlights u can watch on Youtube for free.

I love Prince, but I can't pay another large sum of money to hear him play the hits on the 2/7. Going on 1/18 and paid $125 for 300s section. He's still the best there is, but I want to see him in all his greatness not see a vegas act which is really how this tour feels to me at times. It's a $125 max tour with VIP seating going for $200 maybe $250 but that's JMHO. If he was actually doing more aftershows that were open to his fans, than my opinion might change.

I brought the $92 tickets that had me in the 300 section and I had me the time of my life. Because the stage is in the round, you still get to have a good view of everything. I can't speak for whether it's worth the $200 cause I haven't spent that much but if you have it, why not? But only if it won't break the bank. Be practical with it.

[Edited 1/11/11 20:28pm]

when i compare it 2 being at paisley park for 7 nights for the same price as this show..OH HELL NO ..plus prince was doing a different type of show back then instead of a "hey remember me i did these songs 20+ years ago and i won't do new stuff"

ur better off spending less and the stage is in the round and giant video screens u can see everything just fine. some have complained about spedning a lot of money and still can't see the stage or prince at certain times.

prince even said 2 those of us in the higher sections 'Y'ALL GOT THE GOOD SEATS CAUSE U CAN SEE EVERYTHING!"

and even if u got closer seats, ur not closer 2 theactual stage cause there is a circle type fence around the stage so fans aren't necessarly closer 2 the stage unless ur a vip

L4OATheOriginal said:

when i compare it 2 being at paisley park for 7 nights for the same price as this show..OH HELL NO ..plus prince was doing a different type of show back then instead of a "hey remember me i did these songs 20+ years ago and i won't do new stuff"

ur better off spending less and the stage is in the round and giant video screens u can see everything just fine. some have complained about spedning a lot of money and still can't see the stage or prince at certain times.

prince even said 2 those of us in the higher sections 'Y'ALL GOT THE GOOD SEATS CAUSE U CAN SEE EVERYTHING!"

and even if u got closer seats, ur not closer 2 theactual stage cause there is a circle type fence around the stage so fans aren't necessarly closer 2 the stage unless ur a vip

Then u have to look up alot. Those VIP tables are super low and the stage is super high.

no

$200 is a lot of money for an artist. I would never pay that for anyone but Prince. I went to 3 of these shows and bought the $100 tickets and had a great time. To me - I don't like the sound at the Garden. I think it's the accoustics - they're just not the best. So if you don't want to spend $200 the cheaper seats are just as good.

Although I would have to say the Musicology shows were WAY better. I had front row to 4 of the 7 I went too.

A great discussion here. I'm happy to see a number of people agree it's not worth $200. Although some think it is.

I tend to agree that for this show a 200 or maybe even 300 level seat is just as good as a 100 level. So some money can be saved.

[Edited 1/15/11 13:38pm]