This is why I've been appreciating the "lower tier" bands lately that still play at smaller venues and you don't buy through live nation. Better overall experience, and cheaper prices. More left over for merch to support the band even more
Totally. That’s why I stopped going to the big stadium thing. Sure I won’t see the big names anymore but at least I did in the past compared to the younger generation. Now I’m lucky to live in a small country with tax advantages meaning that I get to see nice acts (like alter bridge, slash or Gojira with 3/4K attendance max) on the cheap and most importantly without stress to have a nice spot. Honestly I feel bad for the young generation. I’ve seen AC/DC in a stadium seating at the top and it sounded like crap plus you don’t see a thing …
Yeah. I spent about 70 bucks to go see Primus and I was at the front row the whole time and the mosh pit was crazy. It got really quiet and respectful when they did the “Tribute To Kings” set that they were doing for the tour. So I got a Primus concert and the whole Farewell To Kings album in one 70 dollar package. Plus the shirt was like 25 or 30 bucks so all in all it was awesome.
just picked up GA tickets for papa roach, falling in reverse, hollywood undead, and escape the fate for $50 each at a smaller venue here in town, when some of the bigger venues on the tour want $200. it’s nuts.
I remember my dad telling me about his backstage pass experience with Motörhead and the second he walked into the room he got worn underpants thrown at him as a joke. They all laughed and handed drinks to him and the other people that came in. Every time we talked about concerts he brought it up and described it as one of the best concert experiences he had.
I've always heard Lemmy was super accessable to fans even away from shows. Like at Rainbow, he'd talk and drink with fans. You just didn't bother him if he was playing the bar top slot machine 🤣
Big concerts are becoming a privilege of the rich. Happy I went to a lot of shows in the 2000's when it was very rare to pay more than 50 bucks for a ticket for pretty much any band.
Shit I started goin to shows in the early 70s saw Tull thick as a brick 72 Black Sabbath Sabbath Bloody Sabbath & Deep Purple Burn tour in 74 along with Genesis Cooper...most I payed back then was 7.00....bands nobody will ever see again.
You should see my ticket stubs & how much I paid. It's shocking compared to today. Every once in a while, I'll check a show to see how much tickets are. It never fails to shock me. I've said repeatedly that I will never go to a large show again especially through Ticketmaster.
"The Bleeding Me Bank Account" Experiance: $991.00 1 photo with cardboard cutout of Jason Newsted or Ron McGoverny. 1 bus ticket that stops close to arena (excluding Holidays.) 2 refreshments (limited to stadium nachos, no cheese) 1 commemorative surplus tour poster from previous tour 1 ticket that allows viewing of concert on CCTV screen in concourse B. Price to see a greatest hits band that had some good albums three decades ago....priceless.
I've been listening to Metallica since '86. I've seen them in concert in 92 and 97. Listening to all these VIP options and how much it costs, just makes me realize more that I'm ONLY in it for the music. Sad but true. :D
Saw them 12 times 90's going into the 2000's. Heck, my uncle saw them live when Cliff was still breathing. Paid $35 for standing room only and that was non Ticketmaster. $7000? Heck. for that money, Dave Mustaine better be there lol
But what most people do not understand is the cost for big acts. Once an act becomes successful, the expenses for them become much higher. For example, the cost of renting venues, the salary for their crew, their equipment, the number of trucks used to haul the equipment etc. It is not the bands fault, it is the fact that they now have to pay more for everything that goes on behind the scenes. Oh and did I mention that every dollar they get they have to pay their managers, agents, attorneys etc. These bands are literally spending millions to put on shows now, and they need to recoup that money. Nobody seems to think of the expenses. You think every member of Metallica does not have their own manager, agent and attorney? You think rent fees, and lugging around tons of equipment is free? You think having to settle BS lawsuits because somebody got hurt at their show is free? Sure they could just not have a concert set. could fire their crew, fire their managers etc, and sell tickets for $20, but why should they have to do that? Why should one of the biggest acts in the world have to tour like a bar band just to sell cheap tickets?
@@slashmaster2 That is exactly what I am saying. Big acts have huge payrolls and expenses, small time acts do not. It is that simple. Your local bar band does not have a team of stylist, does not have a production team, security team, does not have to rent venues, does not have truckloads of equipment, does not have to pay large insurance premiums etc. Big acts make big money, but they also pay big money to tour. They have to recoup their money, plus make a profit. These acts are not making as much as you think. Allow me to explain. You will see things all the time like 'music act's tour grosses $100 million'. People that lack critical thinking thinks that means that act made $100 million, but it does not mean that at all. So let's say they grossed $100 million on tour. Go ahead and knock 50% off for taxes. That leaves $50 million. Now what were all of their expenses? Managers get 10%, lawyers get a cut, they had to rent arenas, they had to pay their crew, they have to pay insurance, they have to pay to travel and to move their equipment etc. Then if it is a five person band what is left gets split 5 ways. So in the end they might be lucky to end up with more than 5 million each. But the average person does not think about taxes and expenses. Do you goofs not remember TLC having the biggest album of the year, having a huge tour, but being broke? That is one of the best examples of how the music business is not what most people think it is. Another great example is a Tribe Called Quest, who sold over a million albums, but each member ended up making $36 thousand each. Were they ripped off, no, they had expenses to pay, and that is what they were left with after they paid everything. There is a video of Q-Tip explaining how they ended up only making $36 thousand each. So when a music act generates money, it does not mean they get that money. They get a cut of it.
For every normal guy such as you and me will look at that pricetag and think thats outrageous theres propably few rich guys out there that went: "oh thats a no brainer, a private booth in a good spot for me and my homies" and bought that without a second thought. These most exclusive packages were never meant for us regular folk in the first place. Its for the people that buy them and dont even notice the money is missing.
The problem with meet and greets is the chances of getting sick during your tour increases. Getting sick during a tour would suck, especially for a vocalist. I had a chance to meet a touring artist today, but I cancelled, because I’m sick 😂 But if you’d paid a ton for that privilege, I’m not sure most people would miss the chance.
I remember the good old days when you could buy a few cases of beer and sell them in the parking lot for $1 each to buy tickets off scalpers at the last minute. All you had to do to get back stage was have some killer weed. How times have changed.
YES. I'm 55. We were those guys. Would drink a few and sell the rest. GREAT memories. The killer weed gets you a chill sesh with TankTheTech and endless HD concert videos on RU-vid. It could be worse. ;)
I will consider myseld EXTREMELY fortunate that I was able to see Metallica on their Damaged Justice Tour back in 1988, and meet them backstage after the show, all for free. I just happened to go to school with the promoters son of whom I was good friends with. We got in for the sound check before the show, good seats during the show, and backstage after. I was able to get all 4 members to sign the tour book which I still have and will never part with. Seeing the cost of even going to a show now, let alone being able to meet the band, makes my head hurt.
I saw Metallica in 1996. I paid $35. Corrosion of Conformity were the opening act. Would I pay thousands to get this experience? No. I'd rather see newer bands I haven't seen. Orbit Culture and Brand of Sacrifice are at the top of my list. 🤘🏻
@@TankTheTech at the time, I knew little about CoC. I never got into them, although I did learn to play Albatross on guitar. I appreciate you taking the time to engage with your viewers. When the subscriber count climbs to where it should, it'll be a challenge for you 😆
I went and saw Demon Hunter with two other bands in Austin, TX doing a 2 hour set themselves covering their 11 albums, plus meet and greet and a photo with the band, and VIP package with stickers, 7" flexi vinyl exclusive tour single. Two tickets roughly $250 total. 3+ hours of metal at a local venue at it was awesome!
I dunno who the fuck demon hunter is but you get the idea. There are many bands playing many shows that are affordable. These people who are mad that Metallica is too expensive missed it a long time ago, and if you only like the very biggest bands that's on you.
I'm 57 and have been involved in the Metal scene for over 40 years. I'm lucky enough to have friends who are or have played in several major Metal bands and I also had a late friend who was in the vintage guitar business and he was friends with dozens of famous guitarists. So thru those connections I have got to meet and actually hang out with many bands and have all access passes. I can't imagine paying any amount of money to meet some band. I saw Metallica back in the very early days and they were just hanging out at the bar before their show and talking with fans. It's a shame people think that paying to meet bands/musicians is special, they don't want to meet you and they don't care about you. It's just about the money.
You made a fair point that ticket prices are so high now, that to go to more than an one major a year becomes a huge financial burden. You can’t sometimes even go without months of financial planning to the one show. Especially if you are young.
I did a VIP experience for In Flames a few years ago. It’s one of the first shows after Chris Broadrick joined so he wasn’t there,but the other 4 were. When people didn’t ask the same stupid questions that always gets asked in interviews they were a lot of fun. Got an I, The Mask signed poster and lament. Got a photo with the band. The best part was person who was suppose to come with me got sick and was dealing with a serious illness. I ask for a video message and the manager tried to move me along but Anders and Tanner both spoke up and they plus Bjorn and Bryce did a video message and well wishes. Meant the world to me and her. On the flip side, I took a buddy to see Doyle and did the VIP since he loves the Misfits. Awful show. The VIP was afterwards so couldn’t even duck out early. He had someone else ask our names and couldn’t even get those right. They went so fast with the pics they came out blurry. And all the VIP merch was all old leftover stuff from old tours.
@@Mr_jz_12 yeah dude, she’s a disgrace. she blocked me on Instagram for simply saying how that photographer deserved an apology. I stopped buying their shit years ago because she sounds like shit, but the icing on the cake is she’s a joke of a human.
We did the Ghost VIP experience in September. The concert was on my wife's birthday. We had our 11 year old with us. There was a lot of waiting in various lines over several hours. Finally, we got to the photo part with Tobias. We were in the middle of the line. When our turn finally got around, the handler gave us our instructions, and we went into the photo 'booth'. Tobias had us stand on our marks, the picture was taken, and my wife commented that this was "the best birthday present ever". Tobias said, very, very nicely "Today's your birthday? Happy Birthday!" I thanked him for all the work he puts into entertaining us, and he said "You're welcome." I have no idea if he was just going through the motions of yet another meet and greet, or if he was genuinely happy to be interacting with his fans. He certainly gave off the impression that he enjoyed it. There was nothing to indicate he wasn't. It was a pretty hefty price to do, but it was 100% worth it.
Maybe because Tobias didn't go through fame and fortune at a young age and played clubs for over 15 years, he's more humble than the ones who had overnight success and were more self-indulgent and bratty.
VIP is such a ripoff most of the time. You can tell 8/10 bands really don't want to be there. Unless its relatively cheap, it is rarely worth it. Some of the best band meet and greet experiences I have had were free when I just happened to see them around the venue or outside (as you suggested, bands that hang around these spots tend to want to meet their fans)
Exactly. My "Meet and greet" with Cannibal Corpse, Vader, Dying Fetus, Amon Amarth, Obituary, Nile, Emperor, Hate Eternal(Have met Erik so many times he'd recognize me, dudes a master of Ms. Pacman) were completely free.
I saw Unleash the Archers last year in September in NYC. Did the meet and greet for that one and it was only about $60 on top of the price of the ticket. You did have to buy the ticket and vip pass on separate websites which was slightly annoying but aside from that it was awesome. Everyone got a signed posted as well as one or 2 other things. Plus a photo. And you could bring stuff for them to sign as well. And it really didn't feel like we were being rushed at all. I brought the earbook that I bought for Abyss and had the whole band sign it. Then after anyone that got the VIP pass was let in before everyone else so we could buy merch/get a good spot close to the stage.
German well-known hip-hop group "Die Fantastischen Vier" have a service on their tours, a webshop where you can buy a flash drive with your concerts live recording. You don't need a code or anything, you just browse on the site, look for your venue and date and you can buy a copy of the live audio. I was totally mindblown because since then I kind of don't get why (major) artists don't always provide that. It's so cool to have the recording of "my" concert back in 2016 sitting in my shelf, and even the ability to copy the mp3s on my smartphone and dig in to my memories of the concert. It really makes you remember the show more vividly when you can - at least soundwise - travel back and experience it again. Should be standard in the damn 2020s by now, if you ask me. And the VIP service (which should be charged for appropriately ofc) would be video recordings. And yes, I realize that would be even more expenditure on the artist/crew/venue site, hence why I would have that as VIP tier. But the sound recording? That's just dope.
Man, have things changed. In '89 I saw them with The Cult opening for the "Justice" tour; ticket was around $20 and for the price of just hanging around after the show around the buses we got to meet, talk with, and get autographs from James, Lars, Kirk, and Jason.
According to a documentary during the Justice Tour the band would hang around until every fan left to make sure everyone got to meet them despite them being giant at the time already. WAs this actually true because if so that's wild!
@@ThotdFan127 I don't know about everything, but usually those of us who are still there out back by the buses when they came out we're the only ones left because everyone else had gone home so to me it was more like rewarding the ones crazy enough to stay till 2:00 in the morning
Everytime I go see D.R.I for 3 tickets always pay 50 dollars and they usually play at small venues and the signer is selling merch at the table! Such a good guy, he takes the time to talk to everyone
I have a ticket stub from 97 from the load tour and it was nosebleed seats but they were only $35 bucks compared to today where they are probably 2-300 for those same seats.
@@manicmurph for the stadium in Phoenix, the upper deck is $170 total, for 2 nights. When the single night tickets go on sale, it will be more than the $85/night.
As a phish fan, I have been dealing with Ticketmasters BS and the scalpers for decades. It’s about time it started happening to other artists. Live nation is the ultimate monopoly they own the entertainment industry all around the world, and the government needs to step in and break this monopoly up, I say knowing that they won’t.
Seriously. I fucking hate Ticketmaster AND LiveNation. I have a friend who was supposed to play on the main stage and open for Breaking Benjamin and Alice in Chains, but they instead had to play on a pop-up stage and weren't allowed to sell merch. They'd spent a couple thousand on shirts and even brought back an old design that people really wanted, but it was in vain. They were supposed to play at 2:05, but doors didn't open until 2:00, so NO ONE was in the crowd and we missed all but one song out of their 4-6 song set. We caught up to him after he did press near the merch table and I asked him about merch, he explained the whole thing, and also said that LiveNation was making them leave immediately after. I don't know if they stayed, but they weren't the only ones who had problems with this show. They gave our seats away on Day 1 (3 day fest) because they didn't sell enough lawn tickets (it's an amphitheater with lawn seating), so people who paid 25 for lawn seats got OUR 45 dollar seats as an upgrade. We complained, and they gave us better seats for both days, but the seats they gave us were ALSO taken. WHAT THE FUCK LIVENATION. My boyfriend tried to get a refund for how shitty of an experience we had from Ticketmaster, as that's who we bought our tickets from, but all they gave him was $12 ticket cred and a "go fuck yourself pretty much. Fuck Ticketmaster, and fuck LiveNation.
I got a VIP ticket for Spiritbox next year. It was 3x the price of regular tickets, plus the same fees. That said, now in resale the regular tickets are often more than my VIP was.
I had the meet and greet with blackie lawless last month. It was well worth it. He spent along time taking fans questions and he answered them honestly and thoroughly. He was very fan friendly got pictures taken 50.00 off the merchandise table. I had waited 38 years to meet blackie and it was worth every penny. I would've paid double for that experience
my favorite band is Tool - but the last time I was able to afford to see them was in 1998 - the last tour that came through my area the cheapest seats in the nosebleeds were over $100 - anything close was $600 to $2000 - before scalpers got hold of them - many fans are being priced out of seeing concerts at all
Looked into the blink 182 concert coming up in my local town and it was 200-300 dollars for a ticket BEHIND THE FUCKING STAGE. You can't see anything literally.
The biggest show I ever went to was Lamb of God at a smaller sports stadium. It wasn’t even that expensive all things considered; after fees it was $100 to see four bands that all kicked ass and put on a great show. I just cannot justify spending such an exorbitant amount of money on even a VIP experience. At this point, I would much rather support local bands and smaller bands from nearby cities doing weekend tours.
Tickets for the date I'm looking at are $90 for stadium seats and $315 for on the field. Not too bad considering it covers both shows. I've never seen them live before and def expected the GA prices to be closer to some of these VIP prices
I saw that Luxe package when it was released. I'm not making excuses because that is absolutely ridiculous, but if I understand it correctly it's for the entire platform. If you're splitting that with your buddies, that's not too terrible. The most I ever spent for two tickets was just under $1,900 for backstage VIP passes for scorpions on this last tour. It was for my 22-year-old son and I and it was more for the life, father son experience. It was worth every single penny. We each caught a stick from Klaus and after the show he said it was one of the best nights of his life.
I absolutely love Metallica, and I have seen them over 20 times in concert, but the last time I saw them was on their St Anger tour. Actually was front row when they played in Nashville and Lemmy was filming his documentary movie. In fact, we are seen in the crowd in the movie. Even back then, tickets were only like $79 or something like that. I just can't justify going to see any band for that kind of money. $400 for one ticket is just too much. These other packages to get snake pit and backstage are beyond ridiculous as far as pricing. It is to the point to where the middle class people can't even go to shows like this; only the rich can afford those types of packages. Glad I met them all years ago.
Every time John 5 (ironically on the left of the screen as I type this) comes to town I do the VIP package. Several times we've gotten to hang with him for more than just the M&G and I can honestly say he is always VERY excited for the M&G. He loves bullshitting with his fans. Got to hang at a Halloween show with his wife Rita and she's awesome. I've literally seen the venue itself tell John he has to end his M&G because they need to open the doors. He's one of the nicest people I've ever met in the biz. Metallica on the other hand... #itshouldhavebeenlars
I paid 300$ for the meet amd greet in 2019 for King Diamond. King himself didn't have much of a choice to put on a good show, and he did but the band really didn't seem to care much. The heartbreaker was Andy who came off as indignited at having to be there.
Before VIP packages it would take something special to get backstage. In the 90's I was working in a record store and a record label exec had extra passes at the last minute and I got to meet one of my faves. Even with VIP packages, there is one established hit band I have met backstage because they make the opportunity available for a community of fans who regularly attend multiple shows on a tour. However, these people had to wait for the VIP experience to be over, so the band had to put in TWICE the extra time. Somehow, just paying for access takes the shine away.
I got a VIP as a gift once. Wasn’t sure I even wanted to do it but I got to the venue early and I did and got to meet Amorphis, Delain and Anneke Van Geirsbergen. Everyone was so kind and I got a picture from it and the show was awesome
I did a meet and greet with Damageplan for 15 bucks back in 2004. Who would have ever thought that going to a metal show would cost as much as taking your family on a vacation but here we are.
I saw them in Moscow in 2010 and 2019. The price of a floor ticket there were $80 and $120/240 respectively, because in Worldwired they'd split the floor by a certain distance from the scene and a closer section worth twice as much. One could say "but it were different venues", yeah the second one had 15000 more seats (:
I'm so glad I grew up pre VIP package where meeting musicians was a more organic thing. In many cases like my first meeting with Metallica it was through mutual aquaintances. I happened to meet a girl who was dating Cliff at the time and we hung out for a bit after a show here in Vancouver. The second time with Metallica was a similar thing only this time we were friends with the guys in Metal Church and they were ipening fot Metallica so we all hung out after the show. A lot of bands would come to a club we frequented when they were in town. One night it was Iron Maiden. We all had a great night and they invited us tohang out after the show the following night. I had so many situations like this come up and it was better because the cicumstances weren't forced. Everyone was just hanging out and having a good time. I can't imagine paying for it but I get wht bands do it.
Yup, my roommate smokedup Fieldy with a few hits from his bat standing in the lobby in one of the Denver theaters. Can't remember which...saw them at at least 3 different ones. All of the guys in the band were just milling around and being squirrely af. No better shows that seeing bands when they are playing smaller theaters. Especially ones like KoRn.
I remember going to see Papa Roach at a smaller venue back in mid 2000's for like 25 bucks or about 18 quid here in the UK also Trivium prices have been great too in the smaller venues :D plus met Papa Roach and Trivium on both occasions by just hanging around for an hour or two after the end of the gig, cool to get plectrums from Jerry really cool guys those P.Roach lads :D
I don’t get the mp3 download of the show on the vip packages. It really doesn’t mean anything since all shows from the last ten or so years have been for sale on Metallica’s online store for 10-20 dollars. And especially when on the last tour everyone who bought a ticket got the recording for free so it being presented as a premium feature now is ridiculous. Especially because it’s mp3. When paying hundreds of dollars for a single ticket you’d expect you’d get a better quality file like a wav. file instead of mp3.
I think that when you’re in a bigger band, everything is bigger. Demand for quality of show, and demand on their time with other obligations related to the tour.
I love the idea of show downloads. Alice Cooper and Linkin Park have done that even for non vip in the past. I just bought for Bad Omens in September and while I’m looking forward to it I’ll admit it was like 75% just for making my life easier and 25% meeting the band. I’m an old now so it’s a little weird having this kind of fan interaction with people technically young enough to be my kid…Lord knows I’d never wait outside after the show at this point in my life.
I saw them play in a bar, and in a country club the following night on the Ride the Lightning tour, for about $10, so I'm good. Have fun spending the equivalent of a down payment on a house to see your precious idols, I'm sure they appreciate it.
All the best band meet experiences I've had were when bands played small venues. AFI, In Flames, Macine Head and the Misfits were especially gracious as they would hang outside before the shows and after to chill with fans....ok, maybe not Doyle, but Jerry was amazing to me personally. Ticket prices obviously were a normal price back then in tne earllier 2000s. Miss those times.
Without question. Saw KoRn a few times at small Denver theaters in mid/late '90s and they'd all be milling around the lobby after the show. My roommate had some wicked chronic and Fieldy ripped 3 bat-fulls and it put him into a total state-of-confusion. Good fun!
From my vip experience( I did 6 of them), the bands(not top level like metallica), have had similar experiences that normally costs alot, but for me I had to spend either $100 or $200. I got to me Gemini Syndrome in 2021 which had a meet and greet, group picture with the band, an acoustic experience, exclusive vip merchs, a free tshirt of our choosing at the merch, and a schecter guitar signed by the entirety of the band(that was about $200 with the guitar/$100 without the guitar). I got to meet Nonpoint back in 2019, and this was actually cheaper but still had good experience. Same acoustic experience but it was done inside their tour bus, in which we also got a glimpse of the inside, group picture, and vip exclusive merch($80 all together). I got to meet GFM and A Killer's Confession( singer is former member of mushroomhead) and it was $80 as well with same experience. This part however was where it was more than I'm used to spending. This year I got to Meet Fozzy and As I Lay Dying and they both had the exact experience. Meet and greet, soundchecks, Q&A with the band, group picture, exclusive vip merchs, signed tour posters, and vip laments. Its was about $200 for both of those experiences. So yeah from my experience it does feel like the bigger the band is, the higher the prices are for certain vip experiences. This is just from my perspective so I know everyone else's perspective could or is different than mine was.
One of my favourite bands Disciple (Christian sometimes Southern hard rock) do a VIP meet and greet for $75 pp, where a group of fans meet the band for a hangout where the band plays an acoustic miniset, sometimes lets them listen to a new song, gives them a CD of their choice, and does the social media photo. Although one cannot easily deduce the quality from a fb post, it does look like they're having a blast, the band seems to care a lot, and most importantly it is affordable.
For me, I'd rather go see a cover band like The Four Horsemen and support them. Hear the same music, probably a better selection of songs anyway, for a minute fraction of a price, and support people that actually care I support them.
I did a meet and greet for Jinjer last year. The venue treated us like crap and everone working for the club seemed to have a disdain for the fans. Showed up at the appointed time and location only to wait outside across the steet in a parking lot in 40 degree weather with 20 mph winds for several hours. The band was friendly and I got my autographs eventually. I didn't expect much for $100 but I didn't expect to waste so much of my time freezing my butt off.
That's what people used to do outside of airports and hotels and restaurants and back doors of venues and anywhere they saw a parked bus, but they didn't pay to do it. Of course there wasn't a guarantee either.
That's why you find a festival they're at and buy a 1 day pass for the day they're there. Single day passes are usually around $100-150ish and bands like Metallica go to these. You'll get to see them, and up close if you get to the stage during change overs, plus get to see other bands and probably discover a great band you've never heard before. Festivals(good ones by Danny Wimmer, not Blue Ridge lol) are the best value in music imo. Going to see a band in a headlining tour is great, yes, but if you're on a budget, see them at a festival, you'll get them plus 30- 40 something other bands as well for around the same price.
My first big concert was Metallica in Belgrade at Partizan Stadium in 2004. Tickets were 45 euros. The interesting part is that when we got to the stadium a few hours earlier, a group of workers with credentials appeared and they were handing out "pink wristbands, the ones that when you attach them you need scissors to take them off" but they didn't say anything about what it was about. A lot of people refused to take them. Me and a couple of friends took it. After an hour, when no more of those workers were there, it was rumored that whoever has that pink wristband has access to the fenced area in front of the stage where there will be only 2,000 people with wristbands. I can't describe it to you, suddenly everyone is looking for and wants to find those bracelets, but no one was giving them out anymore, nor were there any :). We enter the stadium, all sold out as far as I remember 45 or 50k tickets and as we enter from the top we see down by the stage a really specially fenced area with security, literally in front of the stage, we go there, the security just looks at your hand to see if you have a wristband and lets you enter. I can't describe the feeling when I stood in the middle in front of the stage, a few meters from me the microphone where James Hetfield will stand, I just couldn't believe it was happening to me. A concert and moments that I will remember as long as I live. Of course, we didn't have the option to meet them in person, but they dropped a bunch of unique picks, I caught three, but that's less important to me, as the part that I was literally in front of them. Well, maybe this will be interesting for someone, so if you compare it with the present time, it means that you didn't have to pay extra for that space, but they just distributed those bracelets to random people without even saying what it was about (probably so that everyone wouldn't jump on those workers to steal all their bracelets :D) ... That's my experience with the first big concert.
Years ago at 2 different shows (Tesla & KISS) they sold the live recording of that show at each venue. KISS was an mp3 on a flash drive that doubled as a bracelet. Tesla was abmn actual cd that you bought before the show started and they burned and packaged the cd that you picked up at the end of the show. They were the opening act so that have them a little time. Neither cost more than a cd you'd buy in the store. It's an awesome souvenir but not awesome enough that it should only be included in the most expensive vip.
Paid $50 to see Nightwish and stood front row center in a 2k capacity venue. Paid $20 to see the warning play in a shoebox sized bar. I’ve seen Metallica live about 20 times and all those previous shows combined don’t add up to the price of one of these vip experiences.
Funny, I hung out with them on the Master tour. Didn't cost me a dime and Cliff was there. Although Lars didn't thank me for the Heineken I went and bought. Even James did that. Oh and Lars was wearing an all white leather outfit.
Glad he had an open mind about this. Think about it, all of these prices include 2 nights and a total of 5 bands and never the same song played. For my city alone you have 6 enhanced choices to go along with the floor and gen admin. In my city you get Metallica AND Mamoth WVH (Eddie Van Halen's son and pretty awesome band), PANTERA!!!, Five Finger Death Punch and Ice Nine Kills. You are offered a range of options that vary greatly. Meet the band or don't meet the band, stand in the snake pit or watch from a private platform, and the craziest of all the ability to see every show for one price. Unique items in each price point and if you don't want all of that then you can still get the regular seats (FOR 2 SHOWS!!) at a pretty good price. I chose to go with the Seek and Destroy package. Guaranteed awesome lower bowl seats and unique merchandise item and priority merch stand line. I think it was worth it for me and others might go for more or less. I'm bringing my teen daughter one night and my wife the other. Metallica is actually brilliant if you ask me for offering such a variety and a unique tour. What other bands can you say could actually do this? You are getting all of the production of a first class hall of fame act and some other legendary musicians in the other bands as well. When you break it down it offers something for everyone. I for one can't wait to see them. Now the Ticketmaster charges...... that is a whole other issue.... :(
I bougth tickets in the presale for 120$ for upper level seats for the Friday show. On the Thursday before the show, bought lower bowl tickets for 73$!!!
I stick to bands at Polyphia's level. Very affordable all the way around. There's really not any big bands I haven't seen. I'm in my 40's. So I've seen all the big ones. Many farewell tours and such.
The best meet and greets are at punk/metal shows where you just hang in the alley or out front before or after the show. I’ve met and hung with so many bands just grabbing beers around the show venue. Another easy way…start a band! Spent 15 years in a FL punk/ska band 2003-2018, and had to do the whole baby band business course. I miss the days of bands spray painting their logo on your shirt with a cardboard stencil.
That Lux Platform package is actually a great deal! Because it can be divided over 15 individual persons between two shows, which would bring the ticket price down to $484.80 per person. This is around the same price range as a general lower bowl floor ticket. And it includes all the other perks and your own stocked cooler and exclusive merch plus VIP/Early access. It's like being able to watch a Metalica concert from your own luxury sky box over the stage for the price of a general lower bowl ticket, plus VIP/Early Entrance benefits, merch, and stock cooler... This is as good a value you can get- now a days- for a top tier concert like Metalica... And don't forget about the three (3) free complimentary beverages! If you choose the right alcoholic drink that could be up ward of a $45 value right there- given the price of alcoholic beverages in Arena concerts- now a days...
My mom saw these guys back in the 80s in castle farm in michigan. I would love more then anything to take her again, however her current condition this is about the only way it would ever happen. Thanks for shedding some light on this
I know I'm 6 months late but still wanted to comment on this video. I went to the very first show of this tour in Amsterdam. Now I got lucky and had to pay nowhere near the price of the regular tickets (which was around 100 Euros / 110 US dollars). The overall experience was... mid. There were quite a few sloppy mistakes from the band and crew. The sound quality was very bad, but this was mostly the fault of the venue, and if you've been there before or know the reputation of the venue, you will know this before you buy tickets so I'll just name it but won't judge on it. What I will judge on however is the huge differences in volume mid-song where the volume should be steady, for example in the middle of a verse or chorus. Lights were turning on very late when they started a song and also were turning off very late after a song ended. The band was also starting different sections of the song at the same time and that caused a lot of confusion in both fans and the band. It really looked like rehearsal for both band and crew didn't happen at all or at least not nearly enough. All that aside, I had never seen Metallica live before and now had the chance to get front row seats in the sitting area and a bus ride to and from the venue for only 25 euros / 27 dollars (it was only a 20 minute bike ride to where the bus would be leaving to the venue). They played more old songs than new songs which was nice because I don't really like the new album all that much, and they even played some of my favourites. Do I think it was worth it to see a world famous band for only 25 euros when ticket prices are super high? Hell yeah it felt kinda like a vip experience because it was so cheap! Do I think, after having seen the show, that I would've payed the original 100+ euros? Hell no. The mistakes, even though they weren't non-stop, were too noticeable and there were too many for a top-tier level band that can hire a top-tier level crew. But at least I can say I saw Metallica live in 2023 for only 25 bucks. My quick opinion on the vip packages: if the overall show quality did get better further along in the tour I think the vip packages aren't too crazy in price, looking at the details.
fun fact, Metallica has been doing the MP3 thing for free for years, back to at least 2010 when I saw them. Kinda funny they're putting it on a meet & greet package like its something special.
I wouldn't pay this much for a VIP experience, but I also get it. It's Metallica. The tickets are going to be in crazy high demand. That's what drives prices. And honestly, some of the packages give you a lot more than I'd expect from a VIP package based on the ones I've been to in the past. I didn't end up doing one though. Still paid over $400 for general admission on the floor, which was enough for me for one ticket. lol It's also kinda crazy to me buying my ticket 2 years in advance. My show isn't until Aug 2024.
I'm just here to appreciate this hoodie, HandOfBlood has got one of those as well. Ohh, and in the past I repeatedly got stuck on Völkerball concerts, because I couldn't afford the OG Rammstein shows (or the tickets were gone far too soon to ever claim one). I really didn't mind it though.
THIS JUST IN: If you have to PAY a large sum of money, you are not a "VIP". True VIP's do not pay for special access. You are the exact opposite. You are essentially a "VGC" or Very Gullible Customer. This is an absolute cash grab designed to fleece people who have a large wad of expendable cash.
I have never done a VIP and prob Never will. I don’t personally see any reason to for me. The live experience is what I want. I did meet Daniel and David from Electric Callboy by coincidence at the back of the venue the other week and they were cool. Just wanted to know what time they were on and also if they were playing Download haha. But some of these packages are insane. Crazy money in my eyes. Fair play if i hit the lotto and become rich maybe.
I was able to be in on the initial Pre-Sale for former Metallica Club Members, now called Legacy Members. I purchased 3 tickets on the 40 yard line about 20 rows up from the floor at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (almost 2 year wait...ahhhhhh), and the final cost was almost $1500, so $500 per weekend for 3 people, or $250 per night. The last time I saw them was in 2009 and the tix were about $150 per seat then, so I think I got a good deal at $250 per seat, plus it will probably be the last time I see them. So, I bet that the same seats would go for at least $4500 for all 3 per weekend by the resellers 😡🤬 Thanks for a nice breakdown Tank, look forward to your reaction to Lux Aeterna 🤘
I did that several times when I attended the Metal Female Voices Fest in Belgium. The last time in 2016, it was 140 Euros for 2 1/2 days. The best part about it was access to a backstage area where you could sit down and which was also frequented by nearly all the musicians performing, thus if you were lucky, you could even sit down with them and have a conversation or just a picture taken.
Here in Mexico the VIP package of the most prestigious festival has free tacos on demand, actual bathrooms 8 beverages included, and also good sitting with actual chairs and sofas, is a good deal, mostly for the tacos
Getting to blow the minds of 7-14 friends who LOVE a particular band, is a fantastic gift you can give those you care about, if you are lucky and privileged enough to be in a position to do it (either as a company or as an individual). But, as many others have mentioned here, this is not really a product intended to be sold to regular individual fans/attendees of a band. This is, in my opinion, intended to be a way for individuals to give the gift of a great experience to a whole bunch of other people, all in one go. Not something you all chip in for (although that's a great way to do it too lol).
I'm from Norway and bought tickets on fanclub presale for their show in Copenhagen. Paid 220 USD for the second best seated tickets. Personally I don't think it's too much for the experience I'm getting. Maybe that is biased by both being a fan and also being used to Norwegian prices which are generally pretty high 🤣
I went to one VIP package to get a picture taken with a Hollywood movie star after a viewing of his movie. It was ok. The star was enjoying the fans but my complaint was the excessive amount of fans and the long lines for pic which took a lot of time. My friend had a long ride which I felt bad about as we waited for an 1 and 1/2 hour pic. I wouldn't do it again. It was cool to do once.
In 1990 I Went Back Stage And Was In The Snake Pit Plus ELECTRA Executive Brought In My Camera Bag So I Have The BEST Pictures Of The Band Backstage And My Wife And I Stayed On The Tour for 4 more Concerts All FREE, Since I Worked @ ROCK 104 WRUF-FM.....JASON NEWSTED was The Nicest of All The Band, I Was Even There In The Private Trailers When James Bandages were Being Changed, at The First Show He Played After Being Burned Up On Stage.
NOT paying ANY amounts of big money to see someone who will barely acknowledge my existence!💯I could see so many local bands WAY cheaper and they'll acknowledge my existence WAY better and will probably be a lot happier about the fact I went.💯
Well I'm working as a chef and don't want personal contact with guests too. (Even if they just ask to cheer our team) So I think I understand the struggle with VIP Fans :D
I got a snake pit ticket for two Metallica shows in Finland from The fan club presale it was 750€ a dream come true for me and I am only 18 (to be fair I had to use my savings for it) I think it will Be worth it.🤘🖤
Ticketmaster is a fucking nightmare ticket agency. I wanted to purchase a ticket for the Hamburg show in Germany next year, and prior to the general sale the ticket cost was € 285 (a good seat set a little highter in the arena but still in the front row). Once the general sale started, Ticketmaster bumped the price up to € 400 (I know that this isn't too high for some people, but for the average fan this might be too high). For this price, I could have gotten basically 2 2-weekend tickets if I were to settle with the a lower tier ticket. Thankfully, Ticketmaster is in a bit of competition in Germany with a different company, so you could get away with paying € 285. But still, Ticketmaster is a nightmare and the prices should be set in stone and not vary once the sale has started.
I couldn't get 13 other people to go in with that. The only person I could think of would go is my brother, but we sure aren't splitting $7200, and we're just general Metallica fans.
Last Monday had to go to Aachen in Germany to buy tickets for Nightwish in Dusseldorf on 1stDec, tickets were not available for sale outside of Germany, they did change that after I called the promoter they then opened up the sales to the rest of the world on Monday night. The only tickets I could get with 2 seats together were in Business Class or VIP (€151 and €161) the VIP tickets had personal boxes but we opted for business class and it used the smae VIP entrance and lead to a nice lounge with a hot and cold buffet and waitress service from the bar the "all you can eat" and "all you can drink" was included in the price, and gave us a nice place to await the set changes between the 3 bands, at the end of the concert we spent an hour relaxing and chatting with other fans while we waited for the car park to clear, we were almost the last out the stadium. My wife who is not a Nightwish fan was blown away with the music and the show, as we were driving home she said it was really great value as by the time we had a meal and bought drinks we would be well over the €300 we paid for the 2 tickets. Now she wants to do the same again :)
@@Alicatt1 I'd prefer to pay 10 more and get some "personal boxes" :( Well, I can understand your choice, almost half of my family lives in Scotland lol.
@@dominikaksiazek7177 Being a poor pensioner one has to look after one's drinking vouchers 🍻😉I had looked at the seating online before getting the tickets, the PSD Dome has a "virtual seat" from each of the different areas to let you see what the expected view is, we got front row in the business section and the service in the lounge was exemplary, we got shown in by the general manager of the dome, we were well pleased with the whole experience. With the B word happening I had to make a choice and so now live with my family in Belgium as my wife, kids, and grandkids are from there.
I wouldn't spend a penny on seeing anyone backstage. A Lot of them especially big stars have ego's and don't think they need their fans or giving like them the time of day!! I remember years ago going to my local shopping centre and hearing old David Hasselhoff was in the bookshop doing a signing of his book!! was like wow, I grew up with this man on my telly, being a kid watching knight rider and then baywatch in the 90s, so went a bought a book and stood in the longest queue ever to get him to sign it.. when we finally got there there was a woman you see first, she wrote your name in the book, she then slid it to Dave, who was too busy talking loudly and being cocky joking to his crew/PR's to even acknowledge that I even existed, No eye contact nothing!! signed its so quickly with a scribble and threw it to his other female assistant who then passed the book back to me, I was then pushed by security to leave quickly!!! I've never felt so degraded, worthless and shitty, like I did that day, spend what little money I had on me on his rubbish book as well. Never again do I wanna feel like that by a so called celebrity ever again!!!
I got a meet and greet with Jay Weinberg including photos (taken from my phone) and personally signed signature drum sticks for $30 AUD ($19.95 USD) for their first Knotfest Australia show this year 👌 Metallica out here with 7k packages lmfao
Try being a Canadian fan. You need to add another 20-30% on the pricing. But at least they are actually making a stops in cities other than Toronto or Vancouver, finally.
$500 for floor early access on both nights is a reasonable deal for a big Metallica fan. It gets you pretty much any spot you want plus a few merch items.
People said I was nuts for paying £1600 for a Manowar UFE. I got £200 of free merch, I got to see the whole backstage process, see the gear, stand on the stage, see the FOH desk, meet the whole crew (who added me on FB), got to meet and hang with Manowar, a photo with the band, saw the show, got a singed guitar, and a pair of sticks from the show, then, a free second show and Meet and greet later that year. I still keep in contact with their team, and some of the crew in a purely social way, they always let me know now when they'll be nearby my aera. Not too shabby for that price ngl
We used to get to do ALL of these things for the price of the $25 ticket in the 80's and 90's. Go see Mick who sent you to Tony and voila. Backstage, rip a setlist off the stage and have band sign it along with your tour book, and nick all the wall and door signs the crew puts up. Got booze backstage as well. THAT was Metallica. This new thing is not even Metallica anymore.
Pfff, in '99 i payed approx 60€ for 3 day festival with them as headliner. Got to the front 3 times by crowdsurfing and had a great time (even if it was during the "load & "re-load" day's). Now you almost have to pay a weeks earn and get kicked out of the venue for crowdsurfing 😢
Thanks for the video Tank!! I had purchased the VIP for the US Electric Callboy tour. It didn't include a meet and greet but it did have some special goods that were only available to people who bought the pass. While I do like the idea of having a meet and greet, I'm always a little apprehensive about it for the exact reasons you mentioned. I know not all of these bands really want to meet their fans, they just want some extra money and they know fans want to be able to have that photo of "hey look I met my fave band!!" I bought the EC one because I wanted to help support them. Whenever they manage to get their tour in the states again I will certainly be paying for VIP again. I hope I will actually get to meet them too lmao.
It not so much that they DONT want to meet their fans, it‘s that daily meet and greets just become a part of the job at that point and it can just be another tedious thing to do.
Ticketmaster & people hiking the prices up are going to eventually kill big concerts because the people who would’ve went can’t afford it anymore. Already seeing it happen in concert videos there is completely empty sections in most concert videos now. Gotta remember it’s not just ticket price, fuel to get there & back, parking once you’re there & the inevitable parking ticket even though you’re paid up, snacks & merch. The last concert I saw was at a small venue it was Mayhem & Midnight it was awesome & affordable but those shows are becoming rare.
You're assuming a lot, thinking that the "upto 8 guests" means two different sets of people can go two different nughts, when it's likely that the tickets are printed with the name ofthe holder for each night.
Tank how about making a list of those bands that actually love meeting fans. i would love to know who is like that. i always bet a band like Sabaton must be one of those that really enjoy meeting the fans, but i am curious to know if it is true
