Posted on 06/30/2006 7:26:11 AM PDT by PajamaTruthMafia
Just call her money girl - Streisand tix demand off as price skyrockets By Scott Van Voorhis Boston Herald Business Reporter
Friday, June 30, 2006 - Updated: 07:35 AM EST
The days of being the music world’s top-priced ticket may just be memories now for Barbra Streisand.
The 64-year-old crooner with a taste for trendy, lefty causes earlier this month rolled out grand plans for a 20-concert tour, her first in 10 years.
But after taking a look at her ticket prices - including $5,000 deluxe packages - even Babs’ die-hard limousine liberal fans may be having second thoughts.
And in the biggest shocker of all, Babs is even bombing in Boston, the heartland of blue state America.
While Boston was slated for two shots of Streisand, for now, anyway, we will have to settle for one on Oct. 22.
It’s the same story across the country, where Streisand had hoped for lucrative double shows in a select list of major markets.
Instead, Streisand’s grand - and possibly final - tour is down to 14 shows, with doubles only in New York and south Florida.
What’s to blame?
The culprit, industry insiders say, may be the evil that liberals like Streisand just love to blast: greed.
Streisand’s ticket prices average $300 and quickly escalate to $750. That’s even before you get to the ticket packages.
Those start at $1,000, and top out at an oh-so-economical $5,000.
For that sum fit for a princess, you get a room at a five-star hotel, transportation to and from the arena, a pre-dinner reception and a souvenir to remember the night by.
It’s prices like these that have made Streisand the most expensive act ever to hit the road.
Even Madonna, the most ruthless of the ruthless in the corporate music world, tops out with ticket prices of $350.
But Streisand and her promoters could teach Madonna a few things or two when it comes to business tactics worthy of a corporate raider.
In talks with venues, Streisand’s promoters demanded a $6 million guarantee per show, one executive noted.
But it’s not just the money that can be a headache for arena managers.
Streisand is also known for demanding things like wall-to-wall carpeting and chandeliers.
But if Streisand’s early ticket sales are any indication, some fans may be tired of being milked.
The promoters of her tour have held out the possibility that second shows will be added in cities like Boston.
However, it’s now three weeks and counting since tickets went on sale, an eternity in the hyper-paced concert business.
You only need a day or two to figure out whether you have that kind of demand, one industry executive noted.
It’s not that Streisand hasn’t tried to tug at the heart-strings - as well as the purse strings - of her legion of fans.
She pledged to funnel millions from her tour to - what else, the Streisand Foundation - to “combat dangerous climate change” and other causes.
“The public speaks and at some point these ticket prices get stupid,” noted Paul Munick, senior vice president for sports and entertainment at Mohegan Sun, which considered booking Streisand.
Whenever the Democrats start that "It's for the children" crap, someone should ask: "Where ARE the children?"
How about the children that Err America stole money from?
Streisand is the most over-rated singer ever.
IIRC, she and Cher both have had numerous 'farewell' tours.
But they keep coming back [when the bank account runs low].
"As far as tix prices go--I've paid as much as $300 for Kiss (and will do $1K for a meet and greet next time), and about $200 for Alice Cooper (Front row, "We're not worthy!)"
I guess I'm jaded from working in the music industry, but I can't see dropping 1K to see any show, let alone to meet them. If it's important to you, go for it, but I just don't get it.
PS - I HATE front row. The lights are in your eyes, you're in front of the PA so you don't get good sound, and I don't know about you, but I've seen Alice up close and personal recently, and it's not pretty. Give me halfway down the front section, near the middle, or near the mixing desk so i can hear what the soundguy is.
"But even Madonna is seeing a drop off in ticket sales, isn't she? It's not just politics and ticket price, it's also the market place. Streisand is no longer pop, the core of her audience are now senior citizens. Kudos for her for touring, but she's no longer culturally relavant."
Ticket sales are off for everyone, as ticket prices have skyrocketed past the 'WTF?!??!!" point into the "Oh, HELL no" range.
When you take the BASE prices of a couple hundred, add in the ticket agency premiums, parking, vastly overpriced concessions, $65 t-shirts, for a cold, small hard seat in a vast concrete box with horrible sound, it's just not worth the experience anymore.
Gone are the days where $20 would get you a general admission ticket to Van Halen, and have enough left over for the t-shirt. Grumble. I have old tickets stubs for bands like Rush in the early 80's where the face value was under $10 bucks, for reasonably good seats on the floor.
$65 floor seats for Faith Hill & Tim McGraw. They can actually sing. Why would anyone pay $300 to see Babs?!
Further proof that Barnum was right.
Where's Robert Smith when you need him?
"Actually, how else can these areana managers recoup their investment? You know you'll have fewer people...so you charge more per head...Sounds like good, albeit crisis management, business."
The arena managers are paid up front most of the time. They're not the ones who set ticket prices. They just provide the venue and support staff and concessions (which makes them the most money). They also get 100% of the parking, which is why you rarely see free parking anymore.
The ticket prices are set by the promoter, or the act - usually it's a collaboration between the two. The ticket costs here can be firmly laid on Bab's shoulders, it's her greed that's causing this. It's obvioulsy her last chance to put a few mill in her retirement. These prices were set months ago. NOBODY raises ticket prices mid tour to cover bad sales, when that happens, you cut shows. This is not crisis management, it's Bab's trying to make a grab at a huge chunk of cash, period.
The cost of using a venue is a base price, with percentages of concessions up for grabs, sometimes. The act then sells merchandise, which is generally 100% profit, and the ticket sales are split up between the promoter and the act.
The article mentions that Babs gets a guarantee, which means she gets paid a set amount that's based on projected sales, and if the sales don't match that number, the promoter is screwed. The extra cash for the 'premium" ticket packages goes right in her bank account...er, "Foundation" (ie. her tax-free trust she'll live off the rest of her life).
Many promoters have been driven into bankruptcy by guarantees and tours that don't sell, and many acts have been ripped off by promoters who saw bad ticket sales, and split before the show is over with the ticket cash. Concert promotion requires big money backing and nerves of steel and a good feel for the business, as you can get burned, and burned badly, very quickly.
I'd hate to be the promoters on this tour, with ticket sales sluggish, their profit is shrinking, and you know her rider (demands that the promoter must supply each night) is astronomically expensive, they mentioned wall-to-wall carpet and chandeliers. I'll bet there's a lot of Maalox and Rolaids being consumed over this tour, and a lot of rearends being covered in advance of some serious fighting over the small profit they may make. Tours like this are nothing but a buffet for lawyers for all involved.
I am happy to say I can't name a single song that she sings. Maybe I would recognize one if I heard it...
True Dolly Parton story: Right after she split from Porter Waggoner, a lot of people didn't think she'd make it on her own. She had an appearance scheduled at the Heart of Texas Colosseum in Waco, which is huge (converted WWII aircraft hanger). About fifteen people showed up. Her manager was saying to her, "just give them their money back and let's go home." Instead, she turned her band loose, called all of us down to the floor, and sat on a stool with her acoustic guitar, and did an hour and a half concert for us. She signed autographs for everyone and was extremely gracious. Dolly Parton is a very classy lady.
I was a kid then, and it never occured to me that she had to be terrified that night that her entire career was about to crash and burn. When she was young, Dolly was gorgeous, and her voice was fantastic.
Anymore, if something is popular enough to charge $100, it's too crowded for me to want to go.
Even if tickets were only 50 cents I wouldn't waste my time going to hear this old bag of hot air.
Thanks for the insider insight.
So, what I gather is that the promoters were insane to imagine that BS would pull the sort of numbers that they need to cover their rears. What could they have been thinking?
I think of her as an elderly, grossly overweight Dixie Chick.
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