Are DBT tickets too cheap?

[Gaetzi]

I feel like the majority of us here see a lot of live music and everytime I buy a concert ticket it's almost always more than a DBT ticket, even for smaller and less popular bands.. And knowing how hard these guys work, I wonder why they don't charge an extra $5 or something.. Don't get me wrong, I love that the band keeps their shows so reasonably priced but that extra $5 isn't going to detour people from going and that $5 could really add up for the band. Curious what others think.. I know no one wants to throw their hard earned money out the window but relative to all other music, DBT tix seem underpriced.

[beantownbubba]

It varies by market and I don't know all the markets, but on the whole, from what I've seen in the cities I'm familiar with the answer is yes.

Having said that, I do wish the band would go back to offering discounts for multi-nite ticket purchases (in the same city/venue). Doesn't apply to a lot of cases, but it was a nice and very helpful extra and a very "dbt kind of thing" to do.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I recently paid in excess of $30 to see DBT which I thought was a bit pricey, especially considering I've paid $25 to see Steve Earle and Robert Plant within the past year. Then again, with more success comes larger venues, more costs to cover, etc. so in that sense $30 is a steal considering what one might pay to see a shed, arena or stadium show.

[brett27295]

The ticket prices are in line with other acts that play the same venues. DBT tickets are cheap if you consider the value you get for your dollar, but other than that they seem to charge the "going rate" for the level they are at.

[Gaetzi]

I may not have the best gauge of who is more popular than who these days but for example: DBT tickets for the Fillmore show were $27.50 with a $3.50 service charge.. $32 all in. I'd be shocked if any other band playing the Fillmore was under $50 with fees.. Rock shows have gotten spendy!

Last week I bought Gogol Bordello tix- $35 plus a $10.50 service fee= $45.50 all in.. while I think that's a lot for Gogol thats way more in line with what a concert ticket costs these days.

[Barely_Oakely]

I've wondered this a few times. I'd like to see the boys make more money, but for the places I've seen them the ticket prices are "on Par" ~$20-$30... I think I paid $22.00 for the First Avenue, and $26.00 for the Barrymore. I don't think I'd notice an extra five bucks, but 10 would start to keep me from buying as many tickets as I can and then giving them away. For us die-hards paying more money would be a no brainer, but as the prices creep up I think it would dissuade new comers to some extent.

Personally, cheap tickets encourage me to buy merch which is where the band makes the real money.

All of that said, I shelled out $65 a pop for 4 VIP tickets at the Crossroads in KC and that was worth every penny.

[Barely_Oakely]

A few years ago the Who came through here so I dropped a few hundred for me and my dad to go to the show. It was good to see them because there won't be too many more chances to do it, but when I was buying the tickets I kept thinking to myself "I wonder how many DBT shows I could see for this..."

[Zip City]

considering The Avett Brothers are now charging close $50 (pre-fees), I'd say yes

[beergut]

NO! They are not too cheap.

The venue makes up the cost in beer and liquor sales.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Really too difficult a question if you ask me. Some markets probably yes, and some definitely no. Because it's right at that line I think, as others have mentioned, the band and the venues most likely both benefit from holding prices low in the form of merch and liquor sales respectively. Usually you can answer this question by the prices of the tickets on the secondary market but two things make that a non factor here; 1) Secondary ticket sales are actively discouraged among not only us here at 3DD but throughout the fanbase in general and 2) They don't sell out every show which discourages the investor faction of the secondary market.

Oh and when you're looking at ticket pricing you should never take the fees into account. Those are nearly always set by the ticketing company be it the big monster that is Ticketmaster or the independents. It certainly needs to be considered in a budget, but not necessarily in pricing.

[tinnitus photography]

I recently paid in excess of $30 to see DBT which I thought was a bit pricey, especially considering I've paid $25 to see Steve Earle and Robert Plant within the past year. Then again, with more success comes larger venues, more costs to cover, etc. so in that sense $30 is a steal considering what one might pay to see a shed, arena or stadium show.

on what planet has Robert Plant tickets for $25?


i can't recall what the recent House of Blues ticket was, but i think it was $25 or so...seems fine to me. they didn't sell enough tickets to have the 3rd floor open but the rest of the place was comfortably full.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I recently paid in excess of $30 to see DBT which I thought was a bit pricey, especially considering I've paid $25 to see Steve Earle and Robert Plant within the past year. Then again, with more success comes larger venues, more costs to cover, etc. so in that sense $30 is a steal considering what one might pay to see a shed, arena or stadium show.

on what planet has Robert Plant tickets for $25?

Tickets for his show at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, NC last summer evidently weren't moving too well (not sure why, maybe it was poorly advertised) so they ran a special for lawn seats, 2 for $50 with no service charges. Totally unrelated but it reminds me of when Page & Plant went out on tour in support of Unledded in the mid-90's and purposely priced tickets at around $35-50 (at least for the show I saw at the Omni in Atlanta) as a direct reaction to the Eagles, who were just beginning their Hell Freezes Over tour where tickets were $100 and up (with the exception of lawn seating at the sheds).

[tinnitus photography]

ok, special rate lawn seat tickets is far different from what we're talking about here.


when he played House of Blues a few years ago i think face value was $85 and it sold out fast.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

ok, special rate lawn seat tickets is far different from what we're talking about here.

True but prior to those special rates, lawn seats were $50, reserved seats were $65 which are fairly reasonable, considering that a lot of folks charge a lot more. And, when I saw Steve Earle last summer, tickets were $25 but he was playing the Lincoln Theatre so it was a much smaller venue than he usually plays. This was a full band show too, btw, not the solo acoustic thing he does on occasion.

[RevMatt]

I actually had a conversation once with a member of DBT's crew regarding ticket prices. He said they are priced lower to encourage more of the casual fans to come out, the people who might make the decision to attend within a few days of the show. This works out especially well in college towns.

[Tyler]

I've seen then creep up for yure. 2 or 3 years ago they were usually like $18-20. This last tour, the 4 shows I went to ranged from $30-35.

[OkieinTexas]

Just my opinion, but as long as they play theatre venues that is much as they can charge. I really hope they make $ off liquor and merch. I wish they could sell out venues like the KFC Yum Center, Banker's Life in Indy, etc. but they probably wouldn't be the band we love at that point. Think Kings Of Leon. (Although their first two albums are great, and then they decided to be rock stars).

[Rocky]

I believe the bands get the door and merch and the venue gets the liquor sales.

I have always thought DBT tickets were a steal for the amount of not-mailing-it-in rock you get for the money.

[RoyHandcuff]

Considering I just shelled out 900 dollars for me and my girl to fly out and see the boys in Dublin, I'd say they could charge me a couple of extra dollars if they came through Stockholm.

[tinnitus photography]

I believe the bands get the door and merch and the venue gets the liquor sales.

there are definitely places (and House of Blues is one of them) that take a percentage cut of merch sales, sometimes as high as 30%.


the first time i saw Mogwai (Olympia Theatre in Dublin), Stuart told the crowd there were no merch sales that night because of the cut the venue was going to take.

[gerg]

I actually had a conversation once with a member of DBT's crew regarding ticket prices. He said they are priced lower to encourage more of the casual fans to come out, the people who might make the decision to attend within a few days of the show. This works out especially well in college towns.

I figured this plays a big part in their model. DbT fans tend to be for keeps once on the hook, so it's more important to get more new people a taste of the rock show than it is to make as much money as possible right now. It's a more sustainable, long-game idea I suspect. But yeah, I'd pay $50+ and just about always feel like I got my money's worth.

And yeah, the booze sales obviously play a big role in the economics of a Truckers show.

[beantownbubba]

Are folks assuming that the band gets a piece of the bar revenues? I didn't think it worked that way.

[Rocky]

there are definitely places (and House of Blues is one of them) that take a percentage cut of merch sales, sometimes as high as 30%.

Damn! Like they're not making enough from watered down drinks already.

I think Rev. Matt spoke once in one of these threads somewhere how the economics worked for touring bands. Somebody get him on the bat phone.

[Tyler]

Are folks assuming that the band gets a piece of the bar revenues? I didn't think it worked that way.

Probably not for a band like DBT, but it happens for much smaller acts... e.g. they get half the cover and 5% of the gross or something like that.

[beergut]

Are folks assuming that the band gets a piece of the bar revenues? I didn't think it worked that way.

No.

Pretty sure they get one set figure, but venues are able to make up for lower priced tickets with booze sales.

[tinnitus photography]

which is why GBV (and their alcoholic fans) are a good band to book.

[Kevidently]

Basically I'm paying $35 for an opening band (a sometimes phenomenal opening band like Blitzen Trapper), and a full two-hour rock show. I'll pay about $10 less for Blue October, but they don't play nearly as long. I'll pay a whole bunch more for Springsteen, but even his $135 is nowhere near what most "classic rock arena/stadium" peers are making. Plus, he's Springsteen and he plays 3+ hours.

Basically what I'm saying is that I think I'm getting my money's worth for the shows I'm seeing it.

[Gaetzi]

A good friend brought me to the Stones in Boston last summer, $650 face value. My first thought was "I could go to 21 DBT shows for that much money!"

But what RevMatt said makes sense and answers my question. Essentially, DBT tickets are on the low end of what they should be and the reason being they want the randoms to come last minute. Every time I go to a Truckers show I drag along a few randoms and they never have an issue with ticket price. And all of them leave knowing they're coming back next time the band is in town.

[RevMatt]

there are definitely places (and House of Blues is one of them) that take a percentage cut of merch sales, sometimes as high as 30%.

Damn! Like they're not making enough from watered down drinks already.

I think Rev. Matt spoke once in one of these threads somewhere how the economics worked for touring bands. Somebody get him on the bat phone.

Yes commissioner.

Merch sales are the big money maker for bands because most items have really good markup. Some venues ask for a percentage of merch sales while others charge a flat rate for renting the space.

If you were to call a booking agent to book your favorite artist they will quote you a certain amount of money. However, that fee is negotiable. Most of it is a guarantee against the door. However, say a band is booking a tour and they have a Fri. and Sat booked in a certain city where they always draw well (think Washington or Richmond in the case of DBT) and their next show in a city where that band traditionally draws well is the following Wednesday. (Let's pretend that city is someplace in the midwest -- Chicago -- more than a day's drive away.) Those shows will bring in maximum revenue. However, the Sunday, Monday and Tues dates will be open. (Let's assume the band in question already played the major northeastern cities during the days leading up to the two night stand in DC, so NYC, Boston, Philly, etc... are out of the equation.)

Now, the most direct way between DC and Chicago is through Pittsburgh and Cleveland. If the agent can get shows in those towns it will be a home run. But lets pretend that the agent has a bad relationship with one of the promoters in Pittsburgh and the other promoter he works with is committed to another show that night. Now what do you do? The bus is going to burn up the same amount of gas driving between DC and Chicago whether the band books shows or not. (A bus gets about four miles per gallon of diesel fuel.) Lets pretend that the band books a Tues in Cleveland. Now they have two open dates but nothing available on the most direct route. The consequence is that venues in between those cities can negotiate better rates because 1) Sunday, Mon and Tues shows are not as well attended as weekend shows and 2) He or she knows he is only competing against venues in other cities in between DC and Chicago and Pittsburgh is out of the equation. So the venue will negotiate with the band's agent and may get a significantly lower guarantee against the door. Sometimes a band will get lucky. Maybe they will have a fan who is on the student activities committee at a college that is along the most direct route between DC and Chicago and he or she will book them on one of these nights. College gigs, private corporate functions and, I believe, festivals are a guaranteed rate regardless of attendance. If they aren't lucky the only open nights might be in theaters in smaller, secondary markets in between DC and Chicago that are not on the most direct route. Perhaps the best the agent can do is Sunday night at a theater in Syracuse but, unbeknownst to the band and agent, The Orangemen are playing Duke at The Carrier Dome earlier that day. (In a situation like this the contract between the band and the venue may have a clause where they can cancel the show within a certain period of time if advance tickets sales are bad.) Then, perhaps the band gets a Monday off before playing a gig on a Tues in Cleveland. DC to Syracuse to Cleveland to Chicago is not the most direct route, costing them extra gallons of fuel. The band will be under a whole lot of pressure to draw in Cleveland and, a month before the show, might add a stronger opener who can boost ticket sales in that city.

Now, with a Sunday show in Syracuse that is iffy as far as ticket sales go the band can either take Monday off or try to book a show that is sort of along the way -- Toronto or Buffalo. The promoters in those towns know the band does not have as much bargaining power. The Syracuse show is hit or miss, the money for the more popular opening act will come out of their end if ticket sales in Cleveland on Tues aren't at a certain level. They can cancel the Syracuse show, saving on gas by going a more direct way to Cleveland but this will give them two days off. Or they can add a date in Buffalo on a Tues night for a lower guarantee against the door.

Adding those nights means an extra $1200 in fuel costs and some risk involved if the ticket sales are weak, especially the Syracuse show where the question of whether the basketball game earlier that day will enhance sales or hamper them.

*BTW, this is a hypothetical band with a similar size following as DBT, not DBT.

The interesting thing about DBT's tours in the past year is that they have much more established opening acts on longer legs of the tour, especially in major markets. During 2010 and 2011 the openers were often artists without much drawing power like The Henry Clay People. In the past year they have gone to bands like Blitzen Trapper and The Old 97's who have a stronger fan base.

[RevMatt]

Now here is the real rub in my above hypothetical.

Let's pretend that our band has been around since 1993 when they were picked up by a major label during the great grunge rush of the early 90's. In their heyday they played arenas and were on Lollapolooza. Now they play large clubs and small theaters. They are a five piece but only two of the five are original members. The other three came on in the past five years. In a situation like this the original members are paid differently than the newcomers. The newcomers get a flat rate per show regardless of whether or not the show makes money. They won't get rich but they know how much money will be in their pockets at the end of the tour. Each crew member also gets paid a certain flat rate per show. The two original members, however, split the profits 50/50. This can be very lucrative when you consider merch can have as much as a 100 percent markup. But if a tour loses money the loss comes out of their end, not the other musicians and crew.

Now imagine our above scenario. The two original members believe that adding the two upstate NY shows would be risky in the middle of winter. They are in favor of two days off before Cleveland. The rest of the bus -- band and crew -- want to play as many shows as possible. They are on the road and away from home for three weeks regardless of whether they play 21 shows or 14. If those two shows are cancelled things can get a little tense on that bus, especially if there are already a number of off days on that tour. If the bass player bails a month before the tour because there are too many off days in the schedule the band has to bring on somebody else.