Melbourne State Theatre on February 16


Post your concert reviews here.

A great and well informed review from music writer Cameron Adams for the Melbourne Herald Sun:

http://www.news.com.au/en...f36d2f221d

Another great review from Fairfax Press:

http://www.smh.com.au/ent...mvvci.html

Can someone going to any of the shows get me the 2 posters? Please send me an orgnote if you can. Thanks!!!

How does it work with the pre-show sessions for VIP ticket holders? When did it start, how was it and what happened?

Was the wristband issue a problem or did it all go smoothly?

And why is the general thread locked?

PurpleVIP said:

How does it work with the pre-show sessions for VIP ticket holders? When did it start, how was it and what happened?

Was the wristband issue a problem or did it all go smoothly?

And why is the general thread locked?

mine went smoothly.

Basically you go in from the main entrance, you will see the "VIP" experience check-in signs guiding you up the stairs, you will see a registartion table as soon as u get upstairs, they will check your ID and a credit card. The ID checking is less intense than the one for non-VIP, cant imagine why.

Anyway, its a large room, cockatails, canapes, even massurs if you want a pre-show massage.

The host did some trivia questions with small prizes for fans, as well as a singining competition...of sorts lol.

A professional photographer can photograph you and ur guest and then send u a url to your email to retrieve it later.

Oh also, upon entry they gave us both $50 credit to spend on the merch stand for reasons unbeknown but still good to have.

Dont think it was at all worth the extra $$ but whatever....

Sounds like the Melbourne shows were amazing.

I'm new and wanted to post about Sydney ticket seating but this is day 1 of me being allowed to post. (And the other topics are locked, so I thought I'd post here in case it helps understand how the tickets were allocated - so I can plan better next time.)

.

The story of ticketing - based on observing tickets for the upcoming Sydney concerts for Prince at the Sydney Opera House.

Initially 3 levels of tickets were announced with a price value around $400, $200 and $100.
I found it very difficult to figure out which of the original seats were the $200 and $100 ones, but think there were only a handful. (Given seats even up towards the back of the Sydney Opera House were $400, and those on the highest level at the State Theatre were also $400.) [I know other seats and standing room LATER became available for $100 or $200 but for now I'm interested in the INITIAL ticket release on Tues 9 Feb.]

So while the original seats went on sale at 12 noon Tues 9 Feb , it wasn't until late in the afternoon that the "Ultimate" (row 1-5 $800) and "Premium" (row 6-10 $700) tickets were announced and made available. The question is whether anyone was able to buy tickets in the first 10 rows at 12 noon.

If not, then I think what happened was most of the row 1-10 tickets were withheld and not made available until the "ultimate" and "premium" packages became available. However at this point all of the hardcore fans had already purchased other seats, and with this group also hoping to attend a few times and with a friend/partner, it meant that they'd already forked out 2 x $400 or 3 x $400 or 4 x $400 etc - which for many means they'll be doing this instead of having a family holiday this year.

Then when the $800 and $700 tickets became available most of these hard core fans simply didn't have any money left and had maxed out their credit cards.

So that by the next day, when the dust had settled, the organisers suddenly realised they had all these gaps in the first 10 rows, and wanted to sell them, but had been haphazardly announcing "SOLD OUT" [though I think it is standard practice to say "SOLD OUT" when tickets are still available, as it spurs people to action, and is a way of sticking it to the competition - ie other ticket resellers].

And this is why there were some good seats in the first 10 rows on the following days.
Then the organisers realised they need to recoup more money from each concert, which is why the seats behind the stage at the Sydney Opera House became available, as well as other "standing room only" tickets. This was all done to ensure a certain $$ revenue per concert.

[It may also be why some tickets were "double-sold" and some ultimate & premium package people got pushed back to seats 11+ rows from the front.]

-------------------

By the way, when I mentioned Prince and expensive tickets, people said $200 expecting that to be a high price, so imagine the shock they experienced with $400 and hearing I was going to attend multiple concerts - their brains short circuited.

I mention this to say that I think $400 is a very high price to pay per ticket for an Australian, and $800 or $700 falls very far above this.

While the super rich might've gone and seen Pavarotti for $1000 a ticket (which was also part of being in their social clique and living up to that nonsense), but they would've only see him once per tour because he probably stuck mostly to the same repetoire.

In contrast super Prince fans (who tend to be more ordinary people in Aust) are much less likely to be able to fork out $800 or $700 per ticket, and probably maxed out their credit cards just to get the $400 tickets. And this time these super fans were stuck because they were already locked into whatever seats they managed to buy at 12 noon.

And given Prince isn't performing only top 10 hits from the 80s & 90s then this is a concert for the hard core fan and they are the ones who will happily attend multiple events - but a price point of $400 puts it out of reach for many of these fans.

---------------------

I'd be interested to know if between 12pm and 1pm on Tuesday 9 Feb 2016:

-if anyone was able to purchase a $100 or $200 ticket

-if anyone was able to purchase a ticket for what would really be within 10 rows from the front

If you reply, please also note which venue.

Thanks

as01010 said:

I'd be interested to know if between 12pm and 1pm on Tuesday 9 Feb 2016:

-if anyone was able to purchase a $100 or $200 ticket

Yes, I purchased two ~$200 tickets at 12pm at the State Theatre, Melbourne.

I was very fast, having worked out the URL so that the 'allocate best tickets for price' page came up the second the tickets went on sale. Location: front row of the balcony, which I assume to be the best possible for that price tier.

Even as a serious fan, $400 is too much based on principles as much as affordability, which is why I went for the middle tier.

[Edited 2/16/16 19:52pm]

[Edited 2/16/16 20:00pm]

funkylust said:

According to Prince Vault he played A Place in Heaven!? Is that right? Or an error?

Hmmmmm

One thing you'll find with these shows, is that he goes to and from songs while playing the solos on the piano.

Someone mentioned that he played An Honest Man in the 2nd show, but to me, that would've stuck out like dogs balls if it was played, but I didnt hear it.

Who knows, maybe he did play a coule of bars from the song, but it definitely didnt stand out as much as With You, which he played a verse and chorus.

sabaisabai said:

as01010 said:

I'd be interested to know if between 12pm and 1pm on Tuesday 9 Feb 2016:

-if anyone was able to purchase a $100 or $200 ticket

Yes, I purchased two ~$200 tickets at 12pm at the State Theatre, Melbourne.

I was very fast, having worked out the URL so that the 'allocate best tickets for price' page came up the second the tickets went on sale. Location: front row of the balcony, which I assume to be the best possible for that price tier.

Even as a serious fan, $400 is too much based on principles as much as affordability, which is why I went for the middle tier.

[Edited 2/16/16 19:52pm]

[Edited 2/16/16 20:00pm]

Thank you.

You did very well.

First row on the balcony is $400 at Sydney State Theatre.

Thanks

.

---------------------

I'd be interested to know if between 12pm and 1pm on Tuesday 9 Feb 2016:

-if anyone was able to purchase a $100 or $200 ticket

-if anyone was able to purchase a ticket for what would really be within 10 rows from the front

If you reply, please also note which venue.

Thanks

Hi,

I was lucky and able to get 2 x 4th row to the 6.30pm show and then 2 x B Reserve for 10pm show both at SOH. Both bought at 12pm. I went in person super early to the Opera House and so right on 12pm was able to get what I wanted luckily. I think that is what made a difference. I know otheres who went in person also did ok. I didn't want to chance it on the internet as I had a feeling they would sell out. They explained that a majority of the room was $400, and showed a map of the seating categories before they went on sale. Hope that gives some info

[Edited 2/16/16 21:00pm]

Gennibean said:

.

---------------------

I'd be interested to know if between 12pm and 1pm on Tuesday 9 Feb 2016:

-if anyone was able to purchase a $100 or $200 ticket

-if anyone was able to purchase a ticket for what would really be within 10 rows from the front

If you reply, please also note which venue.

Thanks

Hi,

I was lucky and able to get 2 x 4th row to the 6.30pm show and then 2 x B Reserve for 10pm show both at SOH. Both bought at 12pm. I went in person super early to the Opera House and so right on 12pm was able to get what I wanted luckily. I think that is what made a difference. I know otheres who went in person also did ok. I didn't want to chance it on the internet as I had a feeling they would sell out. They explained that a majority of the room was $400, and showed a map of the seating categories before they went on sale. Hope that gives some info

[Edited 2/16/16 21:00pm]

Thank for the info. Glad to know there were actual tickets available at that price point.

I'd be keen to know where the $100 and $200 tickets were - for eg, are they just a few seats right up the back?

(At one point I had a circle 2 N29 seat at SOH and it as $400 - and it is only 11 rows from the back)

Basically (from memory) the last 2 rows or so were C reserve and the 4-5 before that were B Reserve. The rest were all $400. So it was a slim shot for anyone on the internet to get B or C to be honest.

[Edited 2/16/16 21:09pm]

Gennibean said:

So basically (from memory) the last 2 rows or so were C reserve and the 4-5 before that were B Reserve. The rest were all $400. So it was a slim shot for anyone on the internet to get B or C to be honest.

Thank you so much - very good to know.

I haven't tried to buy tickets at the counter for a while cos often the best seats are held or given to the media, so even staying out overnight and being first in could mean being far awy from the front (10+ rows) which is devastating.

xperience319 said:

PurpleVIP said:

How does it work with the pre-show sessions for VIP ticket holders? When did it start, how was it and what happened?

Was the wristband issue a problem or did it all go smoothly?

And why is the general thread locked?

mine went smoothly.

Basically you go in from the main entrance, you will see the "VIP" experience check-in signs guiding you up the stairs, you will see a registartion table as soon as u get upstairs, they will check your ID and a credit card. The ID checking is less intense than the one for non-VIP, cant imagine why.

Anyway, its a large room, cockatails, canapes, even massurs if you want a pre-show massage.

The host did some trivia questions with small prizes for fans, as well as a singining competition...of sorts lol.

A professional photographer can photograph you and ur guest and then send u a url to your email to retrieve it later.

Oh also, upon entry they gave us both $50 credit to spend on the merch stand for reasons unbeknown but still good to have.

Dont think it was at all worth the extra $$ but whatever....

Thanks! Did you get the $50 in addition to a poster and a t-shirt, or dd you only get the $50?

Talking about ticket prices: For the last tour the whole area around the symbol stage was in the $700-$1000 range if I remember correctly. I did quite a lot of research before I decided on tckets and found that he lets people in a particular quadrant up on the stage. I bought this quadrant for two of the shows for that reason and did get on the stage during both of them. So that was very expensive, but worth the money. Also great because it was possible to dance, rather than just sitting in your seat.

This time it is probably not so much value for money.

PurpleVIP said:

Talking about ticket prices: For the last tour the whole area around the symbol stage was in the $700-$1000 range if I remember correctly. I did quite a lot of research before I decided on tckets and found that he lets people in a particular quadrant up on the stage. I bought this quadrant for two of the shows for that reason and did get on the stage during both of them. So that was very expensive, but worth the money. Also great because it was possible to dance, rather than just sitting in your seat.

This time it is probably not so much value for money.

It's not so much a "value for money" equation.

It's more that if you know Prince & love his work and feel you need to attend 2+ concerts because your hoping to hear some of the bigger hits, then it is a big commitment to put aside $400 for each concert, and double that if you want to attend with someone and share the experience.

And I feel for people who would really love to be there but just can't afford 1 ticket.

PurpleVIP said:

funkylust said:

According to Prince Vault he played A Place in Heaven!? Is that right? Or an error?

He played an instrumental song after Little Red Corvette. To be honest I can not easily link it to A Place in Heaven. You can find it on youtube.

On ticket prices, the couple sitting next to us paid $400 per ticket. Twice the price as we paid.

They bought them the day after tickets went on sale, which I assume became available due to the transaction of previously-bought tickets not going through.

IMO I think it's kind of shitty that fans paid twice the price for essentially the same seats. I'm glad that the conversation went in a way that I didn't let them know we paid half what they did.

sabaisabai said:

On ticket prices, the couple sitting next to us paid $400 per ticket. Twice the price as we paid.

They bought them the day after tickets went on sale, which I assume became available due to the transaction of previously-bought tickets not going through.

IMO I think it's kind of shitty that fans paid twice the price for essentially the same seats. I'm glad that the conversation went in a way that I didn't let them know we paid half what they did.

Which day did you purchase yours in comparison?

nd33 said:

sabaisabai said:

On ticket prices, the couple sitting next to us paid $400 per ticket. Twice the price as we paid.

They bought them the day after tickets went on sale, which I assume became available due to the transaction of previously-bought tickets not going through.

IMO I think it's kind of shitty that fans paid twice the price for essentially the same seats. I'm glad that the conversation went in a way that I didn't let them know we paid half what they did.

Which day did you purchase yours in comparison?

I bought ours within seconds of tickets going on sale. So a day before they did.

[Edited 2/17/16 6:38am]

sabaisabai said:

nd33 said:

Which day did you purchase yours in comparison?

I bought ours within seconds of tickets going on sale. So a day before they did.

[Edited 2/17/16 6:38am]

I got mine 5 days after they went on sale for $200/ea.
I checked several times a day from the minute they went on sale and never found any tickets under $400 til then!

Wow

http://www.news.com.au/en...34b66e578e

Sadly, I was a long way from this show--but, happily, I did see some video of the opening 18 minutes--well, the first several minutes were decent video... by the end the only part of Prince you still see is his shadow moving on the floor--but I heard it just fine. I hope something shows up on down the line.

Right now, though, I have a question. The instrumental piece after Little Red Corvette is identified on Princevault as "A Place in Heaven." When I first saw the tracklist, I went, "Really?" expecting the outtake we all know (and as a preschool teacher I roll my eyes at parts of, because I definitely don't think "three years old in control" is a description of heaven), only to discover that instead it's some earlier and apparently instrumental thing he recorded in (supposedly) 1983-84. I'd never heard of such a track, and was wondering if Prince identified it in the concert (the video I saw stops immediately after "A Place in Heaven") or if anyone knew where the identification comes from.

THANKS