High NPG Music Club

CORRECTION: Members who buy "Diamond" Tickets will be able 2 attend
the pre-show soundcheck.

PRINCE & The New Power Generation will be playing LIVE in Australia
in October. Members of the Club will have the opportunity 2 purchase
presale tickets within the first 15 rows of each of the following
shows:

Melbourne - Rod Laver Arena - Tuesday 21 October
Sydney - Sydney Entertainment Centre - Friday 24 October
Brisbane - Brisbane Entertainment Centre - Monday 27 October

IMPORTANT: Members now have 3 OPTIONS 4 purchasing presale tickets:

1. ONSTAGE TICKETS for Sydney and Melbourne
Melbourne @ AUD$995.50
Sydney @ AUD$996.00
Brisbane - N/A

Includes the following:
(1) Meet and Greet with PRINCE
(2) 3cd box set: Prince - One Night Alone LIVE
(3) Souvenir On-Stage Laminate
(4) Access 2 pre show sound check
(5) Access 2 pre show party - (includes refreshments)

Purchased thru VIP Experience Hotline at (02) 9266 4817
(International +61 2 92664817). When u call u must give ur Member
Name and the password ***. This hotline will be open exclusively
to NPGMC members from 9am to 5pm Friday 26th Sept until 9am to 5pm
Saturday 27th Sept (please note this is local Sydney time). Space is
limited, there is a 2 ticket limit. Presale ONSTAGE TICKETS r only
thru the hotline, not the website.

All member pre-sale purchases will be screened and verified based on
the member name (what u log in as - example: PaisleyPark9) and the
first and last name. If they don't match, tickets will be denied. So
please make sure u give accurate in4mation and that the correct
member name and the correct first and last name on the membership are
the ones given over the phone along with the password. The names MUST
match.

2. VIP TICKETS
Melbourne @ AUD$392.00
Sydney @ AUD$391.00
Brisbane @ AUD $391.50

Includes the following:
(1) Guaranteed seating within first 5 rows
(2) 3CD Box set: Prince - One Night Alone LIVE
(3) Souvenir VIP Laminate
(4) Access 2 pre show sound check
(5) Access 2 pre show party - (includes refreshments)

Purchased thru VIP Experience Hotline at (02) 9266 4817
(International +61 2 92664817). When u call u must give ur Member
Name and the password "Paisley Park". This hotline will be open
exclusively to NPGMC members from 9am to 5pm Friday 26th Sept until
9am to 5pm Saturday 27th Sept (please note this is local Sydney
time). Space is limited, there is a 2 ticket limit. Presale VIP
TICKETS r only thru the hotline, not the website.

All member pre-sale purchases will be screened and verified based on
the member name (what u log in as - example: PaisleyPark9) and the
first and last name. If they don't match, tickets will be denied. So
please make sure u give accurate in4mation and that the correct
member name and the correct first and last name on the membership are
the ones given over the phone along with the password. The names MUST
match.

3. DIAMOND TICKETS
Melbourne @AUD$171.60
Sydney @ AUD$171.00
Brisbane @AUD$171.50

(1) Guaranteed seating within the first 15 Rows.
(2) Access 2 pre show sound check

Purchased thru the NPG Music Club website in the BACKSTAGE PASS room
from 9am Friday 26th Sept until 5pm Saturday 27th Sept. (please note
this is local Sydney time). Space is limited, there is a 2 ticket
limit.

PLEASE NOTE: we will NOT be selling Member Tickets 2 the Hong Kong
Harbor Fest. Please purchase tickets 2 that event thru the Harbor
Festival.

In4mation can change at any time, please check the U TELL US Member
Forums 4 questions or changes. We hope u injoy ur xperience.

Love4oneanother
NPG Music Club

The FloridaNPG Ya'LL!!! http://groups.yahoo.com/g...loridaNPG/

Peace & Live4Love!

Now thatz pretty sweet! The Aussie fans deserve it!

Blue

Bloody hell, thats a bit pricey.

$ 996,00 ...dayum...

My GOODness!!! I hope Prince sells the tickets like that when he tours the USA... I am buying an onstage pass.

Free refreshments? my lawrd, we didn't get that shit in the U.S.

princess said:

No way?

OMG!
"Meet and greet with Prince"??? $995?? Damn that's expensive, but worth it i guess
BUT it could take away some of the fun for people...you know.. you could get the experience without "planning" it at first. You know how lucky you'd feel!
Okay, i'm just jealous...!!!

Does anybody have info of wether or not Prince has said ANYthing about coming to Europe again?

$995.50 AUD = $671.03 USD

does no-one else think this is really taking the piss? more than $600 dollars PER TICKET for a cd set we already have, and access to the party and soundcheck we got for £65 last year?

yes, you meet him, but $600+??? does that mean he only talks to his fans now if you pay him highly for the pleasure?

But mayb those fees will b exceptionnal, only 4 australia or something. Cuz even if eye would b absolutely delighted 2 get a vip ticket (even if eye don't have that kind of money), WHAKIND OF SHOW IS HE GONNA DO WITH QUCH A LOAD OF MONEY!!! is he going 2 throw diamonds and at the audience, is he going 2 give away a cd recording of the show as audience gets out, is it going 2 b the most impressive and gigantic show ever? What da hell he has in mind?

Wow, so thanks to that change, that now means that a pre-show party and a Box Set is worth $220.00.

But it is very good that he made that correction. Diamond buyers deserve the sound check, and I'm sure the correction was made due to all the complaints

$995.00 to see prince in concert? there is no way in hell i would pay that much money to see any entertainer.i am a huge fan but $995 is a little nonsensical.there is only 1 way that i would pay that price, and that's if i could spend ONE NITE ALONE in bed with him.$995 would be well worth it.

7IS4ME said:

:LOL: :LOL:

hahahahaha

Prince has turned into one of the biggest cunts in music. How can you charge FANS (the ones who put you where you are) to meet you...?

i would really like to hear someone on here justify this to me. this is incredible. even more when he talks about music being free and greedy record companies.

i'm listening of anyone has an intelligent defence..?

he must in financial shit if hes doing this. i also wonder how many vip tix were on sale. i find it all quite distasteful for an artist i admire so much.
for ppl with a lot of money its no big deal...for real "fams" its plain exploitation.
to meet an artist you admire is a big deal...but i'd love to have been in the room when they decided on that value.
why not go the whole hog and have a bloody auction...highest bidder wins a 5 min chat with prince...who will nod and smile at everything you say, with dollar signs in his eyes.

just my two cents

NME said:

Go check out what Aerosmith or Matchbox20 charges fans for the red carpet treatment!! My gf loves Matchbox20 when I told her the price of the go and meet the band deals..she was like fuck that! Its like thousands
[This message was edited Fri Sep 26 16:26:40 PDT 2003 by realm]

Most club members who would pay that price in the USA have had plenty of opportunities to meet him for far less. (Celebration, ONA Tour). I say we hold judgement until we hear from some of the fams who attend the meet and greet.

Actually if you tally airfare and accomodations for members to attend Celebration, 649 US dollars may be a bargain.

Kiss your money good-bye
By GEMMA TARLACH
Journal Sentinel pop music critic
Aug. 24, 2003 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel


Wanna meet the band? It'll cost you, but fans say it's worth it

Aerosmith tickets for $650?!
Meet the Band

Jason White spent $2,000 on a pair of VIP packages for himself and wife Brandy to celebrate his 30th birthday with KISS at the band's recent show in his hometown of Indianapolis.

KISS fan Gregg Aldana poses backstage in Bristow, Va., with members of the band. Aldana shelled out four figures for his VIP experience, and he says it was worth it.

It's a bargain, my friend.

In the emerging world of VIP concert tickets, four-digit price tags are not uncommon for packages that can include front row seats, a photo op with the band and even an autographed guitar. Like Internet pre-sales and dues-charging fan clubs, pricey concert packages are a new way for bands to make a buck off their die-hard fan bases.

While some observers believe VIP packages are purely profit-motivated, other industry experts contend that, in this case, greed really is good - fans get unprecedented access and extra special souvenirs.

"I don't think it's greed. I think there are some bands that may try it out of greed, but the true professionals are doing it for the fans," said John Kunz, executive director of Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, which will host two VIP package-selling bands, Aerosmith and KISS, on Sept. 6.

"Now, instead of the bands deciding who gets to meet them, the fans decide if they want to meet the bands," Kunz added.

And the fans are buying.

Jason White spent $2,000 on a pair of VIP packages for himself and wife Brandy to celebrate his 30th birthday with KISS at the band's recent show in his hometown of Indianapolis.

"The last couple shows, I paid close to that amount to scalpers. Why not get backstage and meet the band, too?" said White.

The "Platinum Experience" package landed the Whites great seats, special T-shirts and laminates, professionally snapped photos posing with KISS and a half-hour of quality time chatting with the band, plus a load of KISS-themed loot.

White said he has no problem forking over cash that would probably otherwise land in a scalper's pocket.

"I'm a businessman, and they're businessmen, too," said White, a general manager at a collision repair service.

"It makes wonderful sense for the bands and I don't blame them for taking advantage of a situation that others have been taking advantage of for years," White added.

The members of KISS have been consummate self-marketers throughout their three-decade-plus career - what other band has marketed its own brand of coffins, credit cards and condoms? Selling backstage access seems like a natural for the face-painted foursome.

Current co-headlining tour mates Aerosmith also have their own "Velvet Rope Backstage Pass."

For $650 per person, the pass - which is available to Aero Force One fan club members who've paid their $35 annual membership - promises a seat in the first 10 rows and a pre-show party, sans band. According to the AeroForceOne.com Web site, however, "though never guaranteed, these packages often include chances to meet band and crew."

The Net highs, lows

That chance to meet the band and crew can amount to high-fiving Steven Tyler as his chauffeured SUV drives by and eating roadie lunch leftovers, however, as Gregg Aldana, 27, learned when he purchased both the KISS Platinum Experience and Aerosmith Velvet Rope packages for the bands' Aug. 9 show at the Nissan Pavilion, outside Washington, D.C.

Aldana posted a detailed accounting of the evening's highs and lows at his Web site (www.foamcube.com/KissAerosmith/KissReview.htm). In an e-mail interview, Aldana reported that despite a few disappointments, it was a worthwhile experience.

"What did it for me was finally getting to take a professional picture with all four KISS members in makeup . . . in addition to great seats and interaction with the band, the picture is the ultimate souvenir with KISS Army bragging rights for life!" enthused Aldana.

Aldana, a software engineer who lives in Alexandria, Va., has seen KISS more than 30 times in concert and met the band backstage informally in the early '90s, but was a VIP package newbie until his Aug. 9 double-header.

Would he pay four figures for another VIP experience with his favorite band again?

"In a heartbeat," Aldana replied.

Base ticket prices for the Aerosmith / KISS bill at Alpine Valley are $128 for reserved pavilion seating, $48 for the lawn. Even those not-cheap "regular guy" seats are selling well for what Clear Channel's Kunz said will be the largest-scale production ever mounted at the outdoor East Troy venue.

Base ticket prices for the Sept. 5 Marcus Amphitheater date on Alabama's farewell tour are more affordable at $10-$50. But the country legend's top-end VIP package sends fans home with one heck of a doggie bag.

For a base price of $1,004.75, the Platinum Bama package includes a seat in the first two rows, backstage post-show pass and photo with the band plus a limited edition, autographed and numbered Epiphone electric guitar.

Most venues on the current Alabama tour have been selling out of the 20 or so Platinum Bama packages. High-end packages for Aerosmith and KISS have all been sellouts.

All three bands also have been doing brisk business with mid-level VIP deals in the $150-$300 range which typically include band merchandise and either a guaranteed seat in a premium section or "first shot" at seats through a special Internet pre-sale.

Ticketing clout

"Everybody is searching to find the top end of the business . . . Fans will do crazy things - and are willing to pay for it," said Gary Bongiovanni, editor of concert industry tracker Pollstar.

Bongiovanni believes VIP packages may be a growing trend. Bands are seeing profits in other areas fall as CD sales tumble and record labels continue their traditional chokehold on royalties.

"The economy of the entertainment business has dictated that even the biggest artists make only a tiny percentage off recorded music," said Bongiovanni.

"But in the concert business, the lion's share of that ticket price goes to the artists. They've realized that's where they have the most clout," Bongiovanni added.

The current sluggish economy hasn't hurt the high-end VIP sales, either.

"There's always going to be that select market, maybe only 10 or 20 people, willing to fork over that kind of money," Bongiovanni said.

In fact, given the economy's current state, the popularity of VIP packages among fans is surprising even industry veterans.

"When we heard that price, we were all taken aback," said Kunz about the Platinum Bama package.

"But what would you do to meet your favorite band?" Kunz added. "I'm a huge Eddie Van Halen fan and if I wasn't in this business, if I could get a signed guitar and meet Eddie, I'd pay it."

VIP packages are unlikely to become an industry-wide standard, however, because they won't work for every band, say experts.

KISS, Aerosmith and Alabama all tend to draw fans who are 30 and older, have disposable income and are willing to pay for good seats - the same fan base that traditionally goes to ticket brokers and scalpers because they don't want to wait in line for tickets or sit in the rafters.

"People want to pay for quality. The person going to that Alabama show is probably only going to one show this year," said Kunz.

"If the band's not going to sell it for that price, the scalper will. At least you get a guitar," Kunz added.

Rising bands and those that attract younger followings are likely to continue to use the traditional free "meet and greet" as a promotional tool. At the Milwaukee stop of the 2003 Vans Warped Tour earlier this month, for example, nearly all of the 70-plus bands performing set up their own booths to sign autographs and press the flesh with punk rock kids during the daylong event.

The VIP package trend may mean the end of traditionally free face time, usually sponsored by a local radio station or fan club, for many established bands with older fan bases, however.

Money-grubbing? Duh, say the fans who are still opening their wallets.

"While I feel KISS is generally known as being greedy marketing geniuses that try to cash in on their fans at every chance, their VIP package is actually worth every penny," noted KISS Army lieutenant Aldana.

At the same time, VIP packages are largely non-transferable, which means scalpers can't purchase them and then resell them for double the price.

The only downside may be the unexpected dose of reality VIP ticket-holders can experience when they fulfill their dream of hanging with the guys who wanna rock and roll all night and party every day.

"It was kind of a family atmosphere backstage," said KISS fan Jason White. "It sort of ruined the mystique of the wild rock and roll party."

Dude, KISS are the worst ones. Don't you know you can buy the KISS coffin?? And you can use it as a beer cooler also! I dig Prince but no fuckin way I'm getting a an NPG coffin. Prolly go to hell with Larry!!!

msserendipity said:

he wont sell many

Do y'all realize that u don't HAVE 2 pay those tickets 2 attend the show? there will b regular tickets. And let's wait and see 4 the prices of the next shows (in europe and stuff).

forget the concerts...i just want to go to the australia zoo..

letsgocrazy said:

Here we go complaining aaagggain!!!

To some people $600 is ass wiping paper. To hang out with Prince for 5 minutes, to some worth it. Prince is one lucky bastard, all that rich Aussie p-ssy all in his face.

I love Nicole Kidman.

cloud9mission said:

HE SOLD ALL OF THE TICKETS OUT!!!

NME said:

DEFENSE?

THE TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT ALREADY, YES THE EXPENSIVE ONES.

Some of you remind me of the office manager at my job who could not figure out why we (a computer repair co.) would charge someone to remove a Virus, because the customer did not mean to get it. What Da Fuck!!???

Prince is still a Superstar and he's has to make money, f your willing to pay. why not?

realm said:

Yes, but KISS have never made any bones about being in it for anything but the money, the sex and the fame.

Prince, on the other hand, is "in it for the music".

Having said all of that, I firmly believe that the ticket is worth what you can get for it.

Period.

He sold it out, so it must be worth the money to enough people...

Supply and demand.

Also: KISS always gives their fans their money's worth and always acknowledge them as the reason for their success. Musically, there's no comparing Prince with KISS, but in terms of giving back and acknowledgemnt, KISS wins. There's a reason that 4 guys with such minimal talent made it so far.
[This message was edited Fri Sep 26 20:51:58 PDT 2003 by herb4]

We should praise him for his willingness to be more accessible. If you don't want to pay it, don't. If you are complaining because you can't afford it, maybe you should spend less time in front of your computer on this meaningless site, and more time WORKING you lazy bastards. As far as I'm concerned, you could add a zero to the price and I'll still pay it.

And I just wonder what he's going to do with that money? Charity? I'm pretty sure you'll be waiting and waiting for ages just to get a smile and a nod from him. If that is worth it... rock on.
I'll be going to the show in Melbourne, paying the standard AUD$99 and wondering why he is charging a premium price when his stardom has been nothing but a bleak shine for almost a decade now.
Don't get me wrong, 99 bucks is nothing, but is still a premium ticket price you'd pay for, say, the Foo Fighters. Catch my drift?