I just read Prince has VIP seats for $700 . WTF Is this Vegas thing all about the money? I can remember when Prince was Dealing with ticketmasters and would only announce his concerts 1 to 2 months in advance. Let's get real here, I love Prince to death but will not fork out that much money to seee him. Let's just hope this thing passes.. Vegas is tired and old I lived there for 30 yrs and am over it. It's just a bunch of lights , and casinos trying to get all of your money. Remember the city was not built by winners.
[Edited 11/24/06 13:06pm]

then don't go. why get all worked up over it.

he has a right to make money whether you like it or not.

i say just sit this one out until he does a show that you consider is more reasonably priced.

vegas may be tired, but his shows are not tired based on my experience.
[Edited 11/23/06 19:31pm]

wonder505 said:

His shows are wonderful don't get me wrong. But $700 a seat is ridiculous. But on an interview I saw he said it's not about the money but the music. He's all ready Rich . what more does he want.

leeslave2 said:

it's dinner for two plus tickets to the show, plus a great view of the show, in Vegas. what more do you want? i paid $125 for general admission and was able to see Prince one feet away.
[Edited 11/23/06 19:47pm]

wonder505 said:

Yup that's right , i'm going next week both nights!!! A hell of a deal to go see someone of his stature considering other pop stars on his level... other stars at his level a 125 dollars would get you some nose bleed seats.

P2daP said:

I wasn't a member of the NPG Music club for a long time (even though I'm a fan since When Doves Cry), but I got into the Webster Hall show for twenty-five cents.

If Prince were about money, he would have produced less albums, put out less music, promoted it more, and made much more commercial moves than he has. There would have been no Around the World in a Day, no LoveSexy, no Rainbow Children, no One Night Alone, etc, etc, etc.

He may be about a lot of things, but money doesn't seem to be one of them.

Yes it is.

In many respects.

And then... sometimes, when I get a crisis of conscience... I like to think that, no, maybe it isn't...

Then I think of the whole 'name change' debacle.... and, yes, I realise that money is pretty important as far as Prince is concerned - for good or no - and that's a shame... and yet, if he continues producing marvellous music to make us spend our moeny... maybe it's a good thing.

Shit... The circles I go round in? No wonder I'm dizzy.

Prince likes to get paid for his work. He also likes to play live in intimate settings. Look at the Vegas project as a good combination of the two.

I think most people think when artists make their fortune, they should start doing everything for free. I think that Prince is of the psychology that getting paid lots is a sign of respect and his value. After all, he was pretty poor as a kid and you inevitably look up to all the big men with the big money living lavish lifestyles and think, "I'd like a bit of that". Then when you get there you don't want to lose that respect you've gained. I think you must be respecting someone when you're forking over such amounts of money to see them, and that in itself pays off Prince's ego, which is without question huge.

BoySimon said:

Yeah, like changing your name to an unpronoucable symbol and writing "slave" on your face was a great marketing strategy .

wonder505 said:

I agree...P has the right to try and make money...goodness if you can't make this one sit it out.

It's never been all about the money for Prince as far as I have been concerned. The term "all about" definitely doesn't sit well with me. We don't know the inner workings of this deal and there might be certain aspects we're not aware of. I believe Christopher's comment about doing nothing professionally I do only thing for fun. While not making more of a scripted moment than it really was or is I believe there's some truth to that point of view and how it related to how P views his business ventures. If it ain't fun and rewarding in more ways than money it just ain't worth it. As far $700.00 goes it definitely is steep and I got better things to do with it but I am sure some people will happily go and you never know about the proceeds. P has given to good causes in the past and I am sure will continue to do so.

And don't forget that the money isn't just for Prince but pays also for the other people and things involved. It's not cheap to do shows like those.

$700 is not steep. it is obscene.
Yes, we don't have to.
Yes we can have tickets for the music only for `just` $125.
But if a dinner, a table and some seats are just extras (not the main bill, the music), why is the pricing so out of whack?

Listen, Prince nearly went broke for his [coupled with horrendous Business decisions based around his Cock - see Carmen!]. As with any Artist who builds up a stack of hits, the Hits end up being the creators Pension fund. Fair play to him and good luck.

udo said:

There's a deal for dinner, then a table and wine for 2 for $312, add the price of 2 tickets that comes to $562. Unfortunately there are gratuities and tax and various extras not of Prince's making that drive the price upto $694.00 - So that's Dinner/VIP tickets to the performance/table/w/bottle which includes tax and gratuities - for TWO people.

That $700 is for TWO people, so it's 'only' $350 per person. I ain't saying that's not a lot of money, but people seem to think the $700 is for the one person only, that is misleading, it should be for 2.

Every major artist charges a fortune to see them in concert these days...The Rolling Stones,Barbra Streisand,Madonna,etc.That's just the way it is.These artists (along with Prince) have been around for years and they are considered "top notch".Fittingly,their concert tickets are expensive.

metalorange said:

I agree. $700 for two people for a 6-course dinner, show tickets and a table with wine at the show is not bad for Vegas, and I have never even been to Vegas; and the ONLY reason I would go is to see this show. I haven't made plans yet, but if he's still there in 2007, I will be there! Even if I have to go by myself. I would have to get the table because I could not stand for even one hour. If I don't have a guest to accompany me, I'll ask someone from line to join me. That's how much I'm willing to pay to see THE MAN!

Prince is all about the money.

First he wants me to pay for plane tickets to get to Vegas. He probably has some deal going on with Travelocity or something, so that he can get a cut of my plane ticket. THEN, I gotta find a hotel in Vegas, and you just know Prince gets a cut from one of them expensive hotels. THEN, he's taking a cut of the prostitute that 's gonna hook me up before the show, because even though he would probably deny it, Prince is a PIMP. And THEN, on top of ALL THAT, he wants to charge $700 for dinner AND a show?!

He's all about the money. He should get back to making fucking music. Shit, I haven't had a new album in almost nine whole months. Lazy bastard needs to get back to recording and stop stealing all my cash.

metalorange said:

Thanks for pointing that out. It looks like a very reasonable deal to me.

Not to mention the unusual luxury of being able to just pick a weekend and go see him! Not having to wonder where he'll crop up next, and if you'll be able to get tickets at all due to them being sold out in less then 5min. If you ask me he's just made it extremely convenient for people to see him up close and personal ( so to speak ).

Everytime I read a "it's all about the money" post I assume that it's been written by someone who works for free, just for pleasure. Otherwise it would be kind of hypocritical to criticise Prince for wanting to make money from his work..

truly have at least 20 different views on the "all about" the money comment~my eyes r generally drawn 2 under utilized possibilities n that man's world

said on another thread people often don't take N2 account that any time he does ANY thing folks gotta get paid....altho ticket costs have never been a concern 4 B~this one won't B n vegas without the miracle of a personal invitation....ticket costs have soared N2 the 'elitist' range & ain't down with that!! that totally disregards the average individual that might still b interested n supporting his work~how many people get denied the opportunity 2 C him live!!??!! an experience U carry with U & may hold as a standard 4 other artists!! as long as people pay the price Y stop? & doing stuff 4 free.... enjoy the work do~did a show once 4 the phone company=didn't mean could stop paying those bills...my experience is utility companies & the grocery store don't give a Damn about how talented am

now when Oprah announces that she has enough money & will accept no more ~ perhaps then Prince will follow suit

B

metalorange said:

I knew $700 was for 2 people. But some still don't take in account tha Air fare, hotel room. tips , and gaming, I am just hoping it's all for a reason . like gearing up for the next tour. But for those of us on a limited income, it hardly seems fair , to dish out that kind of money, tos ee one of our favorite singers.Yes It's true all the other artists have expensive tickets also. But Prince has been one of the few that had ticket costs down when he's on tour, $30 tickets That's why I have always respected him. But on average to see him now with all expences is way over $1000 I just hope this is a limited engagement.

leeslave2 said:

Then how come you said "I just read Prince has VIP seats for $700 a piece".



I can't imagine a single person doesn't realise that travelling to some city isn't going to cost money! Of course they are going to add it up and see if they can afford it or not before going! Well, people living in Vegas won't have to pay air fare and hotel rooms! If you can afford it, go, if you can't, don't. Prince concerts are not a statutory right; nor are they a charity set upto accomodate some poor sector of society. They are a luxury at the best of times. If you're on a limited income, then maybe you shouldn't be thinking about the luxury of seeing rockstars in concert. You might as well moan because you can't afford a flash car.

Everything points to this Vegas project being a relatively short engagement, meant to appeal to well-off people on a jolly in Vegas. When he next tours, it's back to normal.

I'm from the UK. I can't afford to go. I can't afford to go even if it was a US only tour for $30 a ticket. That you would be able to go, does that make it right? But you don't see me moaning about it anymore than you see me moaning about a million other things that are out of my price range. I just accept it as being aimed at a different audience than impoverished people from the UK. Maybe you should accept it as being aimed at a different audience than impoverished people from the USA.

and there you have it metalorange has laid down the gavel, boom!
What I was trying to get at earlier the title of this thread was implying that Prince is just motivated by just money and I think that line of thinking is just plain wrong. Tell me of another artist that has their own club, and restauraunt to boot and gives you a dinner table, bottle service and up close seats? I am under the impression that no one or at least not many are doing this, am I right? If so it's just plain business he's got bills to pay and people sound like it's some thing that P should always do, have cheap seats. As far I see it it's just an experience that P is going through for now. I would be surprised if he didn't tour next year with the mucicology prices adjusted for inflation.

metalorange said:

If you would have went to school you would know seats is a plural word , I didnot say $700 per seat. I do realize Prince goes through stages . And he is not the only artist that has a club reesturant . Van Halen has the same . Cabo Wabo .

I mean a restaurant in Vegas?! Cabo Wabo? please this is just a step not a permanent fixture. by the way tell me what the vip tix gets you in Cabo Wabo?

vinaysfunk said:

I realize this is one way Prince fans can go and see him on the weekends if they can afford it. I also know it's a limited engagement. At Cabo There are no Vip seatings , but you said what other band has a club resturant and you can see them and I just gave you an answer. Believe me when I say I love prince to death. and also know this is just another project for him. There are better things to come from him. And I can't wait for him to do a real tour .. that's all I'm saying .With love and respect to all.
Leeslave2

leeslave2 said:

Respect back to U. All I was saying is that for an artist as creative as he is this engagement was and is a surprise to most of us. Prince is still the way to go in terms of payback on an artist. Naming another restaurant associated with any other artist is missing the point. Its just an answer but look at the big picture. But seriously respect back to U!

leeslave2 said:

I did go to school thanks, that's why I know such things as the phrase 'If you would have went to school' is bad grammar and tense and should really be 'If you had gone to school'.

Similarly, your earlier bad grammar implies the seats are $700 per seat, 'a piece' refers to something singular, so 'seats for $700 a piece' is another way of saying 'seats for $700 per seat' or '$700 each'. If you had said 'table booths for $700 a piece' clearly that would indicate a single booth for $700, not two or more booths for $700 all in, even though 'table booths' is also plural like 'seats'.

I think you did believe it was '$700 a seat' but because I caught you out, you are backpedalling.