The price of tickets on this tour have honestly soured my thoughts on the band. Inflation and a sagging economy aside, the prices are just plain ludicrous. Part of the justification for the $800 tickets is the limited engagements and the cost of the stage...



I am actually not a big fan of the stage on this tour. Loved every design in the past but I have a soft spot on my heart for the No Security tour. The setlist was a dream come true. The performances were among the best of the 'late' Stones era. The sound was usually pretty decent (although Columbus 99 Johnny Lang sounded great and the Stones were muffled and half the volume of Johnny Lang, and it never got better)...



Do you guys think a stage without the giant tongue/massive screen would reduce ticket prices? The No Security tour was like Wrigley Field compared to Comiskey (or whatever they call it these days). It felt intimate. I really miss that.

I wish they'd just build a stage, hang the lights and the line array, and play. We go for the music, not to watch TV.

And yes, I am well aware that the shows are currently on, and that no amount of whining will change prices or their stage. They built it, we pay for it, its done. If playing a few high dollar arena shows is the way they end, then some of the conspiracy threads on here suddenly have merit...

Never thought I'd long for stadium shows!

No.

Don't believe everything Ronnie says.

No cause it's still the Stones.

the stage at brixton was better,whatever the stage they were going to charge what they wanted to,should have charged same as the 1st gig 1962,stones would got younger
fans.

I doubt it would have changed much to the cost of the seats and I positively love that stage, will never forget the first time I saw it (and took the time to share it live here ) :





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-12-06 00:45 by gotdablouse.

@gotablouse - I followed your live photo gallery throughout the show. Was driving and took a look every time we stopped! I am sure it is amazing in person, but I can't help but echo someone else's thoughts that it looks like a toilet bowl. Ha!

don't flush!

Nope.

Remember it's still the stones.

Like ZZ Top said "I'm bad, I'm nation wide...

The Stones are World Wide...

I doubt the stage has much to do with the ticket pricing. Supply and Demand are the dominating factors because of the huge secondary market.

I would guess Mick and Co. have negotiated to pay for the stage costs and possibly the transportation to the venues with the Promoter footing or at least sharing the setup costs at each event. In that case, an expensive stage would only directly effect the bands profit.

It can easily be said that the large fee the Stones are demanding and the margins to the Promoter based on that fee somewhat set the target price. But with demand so high and supply limited the price will always go up. The initial prices were certainly set high enough to test the market effectively with these 5 shows, imho.

I'm afraid the only way to reduce ticket prices for a Stones show is with a time machine. The Stones business interests compel them to take the most they can get for everyone involved, that ain't gonna change. peace

it ain't the stage - it's the people on it

Yup that stage doesn't cost that much. It is a lot like the outdoor stage on the 78 tour. Like HB said, it is the people on the stage. I like the stage, simple, and classic, and not some big "concept" piece like Steel Wheels and Urban Jungle.

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StonesTod
don't flush!

It's ok as long as you're not in the pit.

I do not think that ticketprices have anything to do with the stage design. They had to optimise the tongue walk as people needed to get inside the Pit.
Although the ticket prices had been skyhigh I think we would have had a very low chance to score tickets during salestime of ticketmaster as the third party agencies have such good software to trick us out of the front row. And the prices via agencies would have been at the same level as they are now from sky high to declining now.

I think less expensive tickets would definitely reduce prices.

I'm not sure what the debate is about?

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StonesTod
don't flush!

lol brilliant!

also: you couldn't have a less expensive stage if you tried. one freakin balloon.

It would be more expensive. Ronnie Wood would say: "You have to understand, this is a once in a lifetime experience to see the Stones on a simple stage"!

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StonesTod
don't flush!

lol again! that makes the fans in the pit literally shidoobies!

[www.urbandictionary.com]

Is it an expensive stage?

To have a stage like this build and designed for just a couple of shows ofcourse is expensive. A production like the Grrr shows cost a lot of money. The more shows you play the more you can spread the costs. Then reducing ticket prices to a certain extend is possible. And why build a stage like this and only use it a couple of times? So dear Stones got on the road next year and do a small arena tour "No Security" style! And please keep ticket prices reasonable. What ever that may be nowadays.

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windmelody
It would be more expensive. Ronnie Wood would say: "You have to understand, this is a once in a lifetime experience to see the Stones on a simple stage"!

><><

I first saw a side picture of the stage which immediatley - reminded me of a Giant Toilet Seat like the picture on my book cover..

This stage is probably not cost effective for just one gig - so more gigs are needed to cover the costs etc and make a profiton shows. Maybe it is designed so that it can be _modofied_ for other future gigs.

The cost of the stage and any other tour infrastructue will also be deducted from any profits later to reduce tax. The stage will also have hidden costs like Labour, Storage, Transport, repair etc which can also be tax deducted.

I would have thought it may be cheaper to build a US version rather than ship it to NYC...

I like the stage design. Never liked the industrial stage design since Steel Wheels but this is okey. Maybe they can fix the toilet seat looking ring to look more like a tongue if they prolong the tour? Wouldn't cost too much...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-12-06 15:13 by Stoneage.

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Stoneage
Maybe they can fix the toilet seat looking ring to look more like a tongue if they prolong the tour? Wouldn't cost to much...

I think they should hang a big roll of toilet paper off the balcony edge.

And that all the pit attendees should swirl around in a circle, faster and
faster, before falling down out of sight.

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superrevvy

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Stoneage
Maybe they can fix the toilet seat looking ring to look more like a tongue if they prolong the tour? Wouldn't cost to much...

I think they should hang a big roll of toilet paper off the balcony edge.

And that all the pit attendees should swirl around in a circle, faster and
faster, before falling down out of sight.

...and while they're playing Jumpin' Jack Flush.

I really like this idea.

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JamesPhelge00

Quote
superrevvy

Quote
Stoneage
Maybe they can fix the toilet seat looking ring to look more like a tongue if they prolong the tour? Wouldn't cost to much...

I think they should hang a big roll of toilet paper off the balcony edge.

And that all the pit attendees should swirl around in a circle, faster and
faster, before falling down out of sight.

...and while they're playing Jumpin' Jack Flush.

there'd certainly be plenty of gas, gas, gas....oh, and how about closing things out with turd on the run?

Honestly, I don't think this particular stage is all that expensive.

Big screen and light shows...well all bands have that to some extent.

A fancy looking curtain...eh the band probably had that in storage anyway

Steel erector set lips.

and not much else


That's not setting 'em back tens of millions, not like they're putting together a Roger Waters "The Wall" spectacle



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2012-12-06 20:00 by chop.

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windmelody
It would be more expensive. Ronnie Wood would say: "You have to understand, this is a once in a lifetime experience to see the Stones on a simple stage"!

I saw Ronnie and Bo Diddley play on a very simple stage - they played on a semi trailer in a parking lot in front of a couple hundred people in Phoenix in 1988.

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hbwriter
it ain't the stage - it's the people on it

Love it when so much is said with so few words. This is the Wiki answer for this one. peace