My heart goes out to people who think that DMB has anything worth listening to, but I see your point. I'm STILL waiting to see if I get more for my $100 at the end of the year with NPGMC than I would at Wherehouse Music.

Wasn't the whole concept based around the idea of being free to release as much music as you want to? So...

...where is all of this music?

I'm waiting.

If there was no club at all,

Would you have bought TRC cd, the ONA cd, the Days of Wild (i got cha money) cd? And any other cd he will release in 2002?

Yes.

If Prince played a concert in your town, would you go?

Yes.

Would it cost you around $100 - $125.

Yes.

Would you go to the aftershow, if there was one?

Yes

Even if there was a cover charge?

Yes

If he charged to get into the rehearsal, would you pay?

Yes.

If you would do all of this, what is the $100 for?

He does not play in my town all year, that fires is out (thanks 7200)

I paid for each cd released, thats out.

So now I guess my club dues give me a premium membership and access to a Rainbow Children Mug, Mousepad, Rave remix cd, baby tees, larry graham cd, chaka cd, Peace cd single, hats, skull caps etc. that should be sent to your house for free because thats what its worth.


Just asking you to think.

jthad1129 said:

I hear you. The thing that remains the wierdest part of the whole NPGMC experience, to me, is that he could throw together 10 CD's of unrealeased stuff, live material, remixes, bullshit, semi-polished "vault" material, demos and God knows what else and charge us for ALL OF IT, in addition to our membership fee, and most of us would line up to buy it. I know I would, yet so far, all of this "freedom" he has found translates into LESS music than we're used to recieving, at a higher cost...

Go figure.

We can debate till the sun comes up about what the 100 gets you and if its worth it...

But can anyone explain why the CDs arent costing less than retail? Why should they be $15-$25 depending on how you look at it, if Prince has eliminated the middle man?

It only costs $1-$2 to press a CD.

I've seen new albums at Best Buy for under 10 bucks. These are artists such as (Plastikman? if memory serves right) who are releasing their stuff through a middle man and still turning a profit with a reasonably low price.

Its been said before that CDs bought retail are already overpriced.

If Prince were to sell the 4 albums this year through the site individually, what do you think he would charge for them?

No matter how you argue this someones gonna say "the reharsal was worth the 100 bucks so the CDs are actually free!".

Tom said:

It's called supply and demand. If you'll pay $100 why should he charge you $30? Sure out of the goodness of his heart he could, but altruism doesn't pay the bills. Anyway, at the end of the day it's all relative. What's pocket change to some is overpriced to others. My advice, if it ain't worth it to you, don't buy it.

Those who r missing the point need 2 shut-up and take a test n understanding comparisons. He's not comparing the two artists, he's comparing the fanclub qualities. I am an obsessed Prince fan if u read my profile, but the man's got a point bout what is out there 4 the fans 2 have something 2 grasp. We shouldn't, as fans, have 2 pull teeth 2 get a hat, t-shirt, or great memoribilia. I think its a great topic.

the real kat - with the real brain!!

you got it sweetie! You win the prize!!! I should send you something.

Tom and Herbthe4 got it too!!!

go 'head ya'll

oops, for got universaluv in my shout outs.

Yep...would have bought all 4 CDs at a cost of $60 had there not been any music club...you're right.




Agree there, too...


I agree here, too...an aftershow without the club would cost me $20 to get into...so yes, I would have paid for that as well...


Very true here, too...so let's say the charge for the rehersal is half the price of an aftershow--$10...Yep, without the club, I would have paid for that, too...


Well, let's see...without the club, I would have paid a grand total of $90 for everything you mentioned...with the club, I pay $100...so, what is that extra $10 for, you ask??...It's to be able to get tickets in advance, access to special recordings, fan gatherings, and mechandise...in other words, all the same things I have to pay $30 for when I join DMB's club...


And I would ask you to do the same...

jthad1129 said:

And I thought I was unforgettable!

Personally, I agree with you that the club could definitely be better, although access to more Prince merchandise doesn't really appeal to me. Got all the keychains I need, thanks. More music would be nice, and I can't tell from your description whether the DMB fanclub offers more tunes in comparison to NPGMC.

For me, with the music and the advance tickets/aftershow I've already gotten, I've already received my money's worth. Others here obviously haven't. Some never will.
Buyer beware I guess.

Tom said:

Bottom line: they shouldn't be, which is what they are for anyone living in a city in which Prince did not tour this year. In other words, $25/CD (the first of which was barely over a half hour long, containing shit we already downloaded last year) for some poor bastard living in Jacksonville, FL or, for that matter, Philadelphia, PA.

Wasn't the whole idea to release MORE music, at a lower cost, eliminating the middle man and delivering the art directly to the consumer? WHERE is the tangible manifestation of the "freedom"?

Brace yourself for Wellbeyond and the other "defenders" and P.R. specialists who would give Prince $100 every year just to breath the same air he does. Mind you, I live in Atlanta and GOT MINE; front row seats, an aftershow and a chance to speak to Prince personally, so he can have my $100, but if I lived in Wilmington, DE, I'd be wondering why I paid $100 so far for "Silicon", ONA, and "1+1+1 = 3", when so much more was envisioned.

"Music should be free anyway" - Prince.

herbthe4 said:

Amazing...can't dispute the logic, so you dispute the person using it...nicely done...

wellbeyond said:

WB

wellbeyond said:

There he is!

Damn, I get tired of being right.

I wasn't "disputing you". I hadn't even read your response, I was simply agreeing with JTHAD1129, and I don't see anything inaccurate in my statements.

Like I said, I got MINE and it's all good, but I refuse to belittle the opinions of those that DID NOT. Why did you eliminate my entire post? The logic therein seems self evident to me. I've read you before, even going so far as to nominate you for a position on Prince's marketing/PR staff (and I'm SERIOUS), so I know how futile it would be to suggest to you that there MIGHT POSSIBLY be a way to spend $100 and get a better deal.

To that end, I'm not going to engage you here. I'm VERY happy that you're satisfied with your membership. I am too for that matter, but my points remain valid. I have not seen much tangible evidence of the "freedom" Prince sought, and later found, expressed through an increase in released recordings, made available to his fans at a lower cost. Was this not the dream? The goal? The whole issue with WB?

I just spent $15 (plus shipping) for FIVE CD's of material I never heard by Prince, and it's all better than One Nite Alone. I'd rather give my money to Prince directly, but oddly enough, he won't LET ME!

"Slave"...?

I could not blame anyone, RIGHT NOW, who did not get the ONA tour, for feeling a little bit slighted as far as the reality relates to the ambition.

That's all I'm saying. I wasn't "disputing your logic". If you want, I'll break down MY return of value this year; and, like I said, I'm satisfied.

herbthe4 said:

"Brace yourself for Wellbeyond and the other "defenders" and P.R. specialists who would give Prince $100 every year just to breath the same air he does."

No, that's not disputing me at all...just saying you agree with someone else...yep...I see that now...


I haven't belittled anyone, either...not sure what you're getting at here.


Has nothing at all to do with that...it only has to do with comparing two different music club concepts to gage which one is better...that's what I do in my job, actually, compare concepts...I just apply the same logic I get paid to use at work on here...

For example, imagine both concepts were being considered by the Dave Matthews Band...that they posted on their website to vote for which club concept you as a fan would prefer: Concept A, where for $30 you get advance concert tickets and access to exclusive merchandise and fan events...or Concept B, where for $100 you get all of the above, plus 4 brand new CDs, free entry into soundchecks and free and guaranteed entry into aftershows...which would fans be more likely to find desirable??...

That's the only logical way to look at this realistically...not whether Dave is better than Prince or vice versa...not whether ONA is a good or bad album...not whether some 14 year old girl in Scandinavia can get access to all the club benefits...

That's what I'm doing...I can't help it if nobody else is.

dumbass said:

---
Dumbass-

You strike again with your wacked out responses!!!

DMB may be providing their fans with more value because they have a big fat juicy recording contract!!! In case you had not noticed Prince does not. I think he is running his music club according to his income level. In order to bring his prices down he would have to partner up with some corporation.
You cannont compare DMB to Prince because they are worlds apart.DMB has young fans who buy t-shirts and posters. Prince fans are usually between 30 and 40 years old if not older. I am not interested in t-shirts. I am interested in music and concerts. I am also a marketing major and Face is correct Prince is targeting his audience and doing the right thing. I would like to see the prices lower for the music club but,I am not sure the club would survive if he lowered the prices and his fan base seems to have the economic means to pay the prices.
As far as the price of the CD until recently I have gone to record stores and found some CD's as high as $18.00. Realize that the store discount the CD's for promotions and can return unsold product for credit. Prince is really selling his CD for a few dollars more.

Let not all live in some economic fantasy world. Prince is going to try and make as much money off of this club as he can.

Universaluv said:

Thank God some else said it!!! "If you'll pay $100 why should he charge you $30?"
Prince is going to make money off of this club. The man has bills just like everyone else.

"Do You Know ... Where Your Going TO?"...

jthad1129 said:

---
I got to let you know I paid $50.00 a ticket when Prince came to Washington D.C back in March.

Vagina said:

Do You Know Where You"ve Been??? I"d like to Show you, I'd like to Show you the way... Oh, baby I Do, I Do!

If you love somebody why are you talking bout money? Money isn't an object. If you love somebody money is secondary. The music is first and you shouldn't quibble about an Artist and his worth or the price of concerts or cds. Stupid Ass MFers!

laurarichardson said:

and once again, laura, your responses always say more of your ignorance and general unintelligence than they do of mine. bravo, for once again displaying how asinine you truly are. I swear, your logic must be regulated by your anus, because your posts always sound like shit.

laurarichardson said:

This is actually an excellent point...Prince and DMB are most likely approaching their clubs much differently...for a band like DMB, the club is not going to be a major source of direct revenue...it's only an addition to their already established and primary source of income, which is albums sales and concerts...the club is really more of a marketing tool which doubles as a revenue stream...Prince, however, is attempting to make his club a primary income and revenue source...which will not be happening if he thinks on a small scale...he'll need to think much larger than $25 yearly club fees and selling caps and mugs...

Vagina said:

That's because we don't love him, other than in a general way in which we love all people...we love his music...I love the food at the local restaurant, but that doesn't mean I love the chef who made it...so, yep, I get to question whether or not he's charging me too much.

wellbeyond said:

laurarichardson said:

---
Thanks Wellbeyond !!!
I hope fans can see that Prince may be charging the prices he is charging to make the club profitable. If he cannot make a profit off of the club he will have to close it.

if Prince fans are not interested in such items as t-shirts and posters, and of which you could include the novelty items he sells in his retail section such as mugs and mousepads into the same category, why does Prince sell those items if they are not part of his plan, and why did most of the TRC items sell out quickly when they first went on sale?

obviously, Prince fans do want these things. that is where you are wrong, Laura. don't think just because you don't want them means nobody wants them.

dumbass said:

---

I just responsed to your rants about the value of the club.
You feel it is not worth the money!!!
You feel that DMB club is a better value

I just explained the DMB and Prince are in two different places in their carreers and the the price of the two clubs cannot be compared.

There is nothing ignorant about my statements. You have still have not mastered the art of reading since our last exchange!!! How sad !!! Please take your Prozac and try reading Wellbeyond's additional comments.

Universaluv said:

I remember back in '94 Prince was on the cover of Vibe in handcuffs complaining how he has all this great music that can't be released because of the big bad record company.

Well for 8 years now I've been soaking my money into all his little endeavors, from Kamasutra shit to Perfume, to NPG Magazines, Preordering the Crystall Ball, etc etc etc. And have been let down repeatedly with extremely late shipments of the products, things not being what they were advertised (earings, jerseys, etc.), and stuff like Kamasutre and that NYC Live cassette which just downright sucked.

I and many others have supported almost all his little endeavors and put up with a load of his shit, with very little of this fantastic music to show for. Instead I have a pile of stinkers like "Chaos & Disorder" and "NewPowerSoul" collecting dust on my shelf.

Regardless of it simply being a business and him being in it for the money, I guess Im wondering if Prince has even an ounce of respect for his fans who continually support him.

What the hell you buyin' Prince perfume for??... :O