Hey, what are friends for?
So, as you can imagine, I was really excited to hear about your new record Chrome Dreams II coming out on October 16. I know a lot of this is old stuff that you've had lying around for awhile, and was originally supposed to be part of one of those mysterious "lost albums" that never got released of yours called Chrome Dreams, but how can you not get excited about an album that promises titles like the eighteen minute long "Ordinary People," or the eleven minute "No Hidden Path?" You know how I love the long ones, Neil.
I was also thrilled to hear that you'd be touring behind the record, and making a stop in my hometown of Seattle at the relatively intimate Wamu Theatre. Which actually brings me to the real purpose of this letter. It's about those damned ticket prices, Neil. They've got me a little concerned.
Don't get me wrong, Neil — I'll still be there. I won't be making the trip to Oakland where I had planned to see Springsteen (whose tickets top out at $85, a fact you might wanna take note of), but I will be there — sitting dead center in the fourteenth row.
But holy freaking crap, Neil — $172 a pop after Ticketmaster gets their cut? That's not for a pair, that's for a single freaking ticket!
Look, I know that some of the other big tours like The Stones, The Police, and McCartney have gotten away with charging upwards of $300 a ticket, but those are bigtime stadium rock and roll extravaganzas, Neil. Somebody's gotta pay for all those explosions and lasers. Somehow, I suspect we won't be seeing any of those at your show. At least I would hope not.
I also know that we are at least of couple of decades removed from the days when rock artists like Tom Petty would challenge the record companies over things like raising the list price of a vinyl LP to $8.98 — but that was all a lot of idealistic, hippie bullshit, right?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Donald Gibson
Please let us know if Shakey responds, either in written form or with a killer concert.
Great letter.
-Donald
2 - El Bicho
"Don't get me wrong, Neil " I'll still be there."
You just lost your entire argument. The only way he will listen is if you don't show up.
3 - daryl d
$172 for an established rock act like Neil Young is sort of cheap these days. Come on, it's not the 80s anymore when $25 was considered expensive for a tour.
Glen, you also have to take into account how many artists have been hurt by illegal downloading, including Neil Young. Cut him a break! I'm sure he'll give you your money's worth.
4 - alessandro
the point is that these guys seem to take on the corporate establishment - when it works against them. meet the new boss. same as the old boss?
it's like michael moore. he comes to canada telling canadians about how great the public system is (which he has no clue about) but he's the first to shell for private services - in the u.s.
mikey, if it's so good up here why you no wait in the line with all of us suckers?
i digres.
5 - alessandro
digress
6 - JC Mosquito
I was a huge fan of Neil's for a while - still like him on occasion, but for me it's always about the song, and he just hasn't written a lot of great ones for a good long while. I can't think of a recent studio album of his that goes strong from start to finish.
Then again, when he released his first few albums, rock history was only 20 or so years in the making - it would be easy to see how at least on (if not more) of Neil's platters wold be considered to be in the Top 100 rock albums of all time. But another 30 years has gone by since, and there's just been too many superb albums by great artists, and Neil's work has had to bump over and share space or make space as it were.
Like all my aging idols, I hope that Neil pulls one more rabbit out of the hat in his never-ending magical mystery white boy tour. Better to burn out than it is to rust, you know.
7 - Mark Saleski
i'd love to know some specifics for how prices for these things are set. i mean, i sort of doubt that Neil sits around thinking, "ok, i'm really gonna fuck 'em over this time!"
as for his music, i loved both Greendale and Prarie Wind.
8 - Women from the ThreeDeehs Ranch
Mr. Rockologist,
So what do you suppose Neil Young should do? Call the fricken ticket police?
People whine and moan, "Oh pweeze, Neil, do another concert." So he does.
He's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't according to your logic.
What is rockology anyway? The study of being between a rock and hard place?
9 - Tom Johnson
Oh, you people. You all know that the price of these tickets is to pay for all the lasers and dancers at his shows. Come on!
10 - Tom Johnson
By the way, the way I'm reading it on various NY news sites is that the bonus tracks will be merely previews of The Riverboat Cafe disc from the Archives set coming out early next year, not anything particularly unusual that won't be available elsewhere at some point.
11 - Noel
I realy,realy,realy liked THe shocking pinks record when it came out and still pit it on to this day for kicks! "landing on water on the other hand pew -ew!
A good letter but I dont think Neil can have that much control over the ticketmaster corperation???
conglomerate monster??? or should he??
I have just answered my own *&%#$(@*#! question ...thank for nothing NEIl!!!
12 - Donna Saul
Hey! I thought Shocking Pinks was a joke. You mean it wasn't? Rock on Neil!
13 - Eric
I have to say, I'm with Rockologist. I'm a long time Neil Young fan - gone to ALL his concerts. But not this time. I live in Seattle too and these ticket prices are completely bogus. All this BS about downloading and all that - who's hurting economically is the label. Last night I went to the sold out Flaming Lips show in Seattle. 32.00 - OK 50.00 with ticketmaster at the Paramount and I got a kick ass show and I'm sure the Lips didn't do too bad either. BTW I got hooked on Flaming Lips from Limewire. Next month I'm going to two sold out shows by Widespread Panic - guess how much the tickets? 35.00. Neil you are out of touch with your base.
14 - moonraven
I agree that he is out of touch.
He needs to cancel the show--just like Silvio Rodriguez did for his show in Chile when the ticket folks were gouging the shit out of folks.
If not, then I have to diadnosis him with Alzheimers--he's forgotten his values.
15 - dear
How out of touch can he be? Three shows in Toronto sold out in under two and a half hours.
16 - thrasher
Rockologist:
Posted a reply over on Neil Young News.
Your move. Rock on!
Thrasher
17 - Eric Whelchel
Agree with ya Glen. The prices are outrageous.
Eric
18 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
"He's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't according to your logic."
Well,maybe,he should take a lesson from the people he bashes. All of these so-called musicians knock the people who make important decisions about our Nation's safety but this f*cking hack can't control his own ticket prices. OR, maybe its because he knows he can rake in the cash from all the saps that he has roped in with his propaganda.
Practice what you F*cking Preach!!
19 - Michael J. West
What's really unfuckingbelievable is that even at these prices, the tickets will sell out within minutes of going on sale in every major city. If $172 is face value, imagine what the scalpers on Craigslist will be asking!
P.S. Glen, if you hear back from Mr. Young, please pass on a message from me: I'll consider paying these absurd prices if he'll only put Time Fades Away on CD already!!!
20 - Neil & Pegi 4Ever
If you crawl out from under that rock, maybe you'll see how much tickets really are:
Police $245 promenade
Genesis $202 up front
Jimmy Buffet $224 up front
21 - Pico
"Jimmy Buffet $224 up front"
Parrotheads are a pretty affluent bunch. Evidently.
22 - Toppens a Bag
"Practice what you F*cking Preach!!"
Cheap venues are hard to find even for an artist like Neil Young. If he does a small hall, he would have to play 3 to 4 nights per city times every city on the tour to accomodate his large following old and new. That would be exhausting ... and he would still piss off people who weren't able to get tickets because the venue was so small...
I don't think you can have it both ways. And I think your jumping to conclusions about an industry you don't understand or a fan base that is bigger than you think.
23 - Glen Boyd
Thanks to everyone for the comments.
Earlier today, Thrasher linked this piece at his site Thrashers Wheat, which is one of the most well-read NY sites on the internet. He also issued me a challenge to his response, that essentially states that the real reason for the high prices to combat scalping and ticket brokers.
This is my response to Thrasher, as just posted over at his site:
Hey Thrasher,
First of all, good to hear from you again after all these months -- seems like the last time you and I were in regular communication was way back during the LWW shitstorm. Second, thanks for the linky-love on my Rockologist piece for Blogcritics.
So, we should first get one thing straight for your readers. And that is, that I'm not one of those government grade A-holes that likes to bash NY over his politics or whatever. Fact is, I'm a huge fan as Thrasher already knows.
The truth is, I'm probably just pissed because the price of Neil's ticket all but scuttled my plans to fly to Oakland to see Springsteen. So, Bruce if you're reading this -- you'd better play Seattle, Portland, or Vancouver on the second leg.
But speaking of Bruce, Neil could take a cue from his approach to the whole scalping problem. On The Rising tour, Bruce had the tickets held day of show at the venue (at least I remember that this was true in Portland and L.A,) in an effort to reduce the time frame for scalping opportunities. I'm not sure what he's doing this time out, although I do know that the price tops out at $85...something Neil might want to take note of. Bruce also has a General Admission policy for main floor tickets which is actually policed by the fans themselves using a number system.
You and I of course both know that the whole ticket brokering scheme (fostered by sites like ebay) sucks, and that the brokers themselves are essentially scum. But to use that argument as justification for the higher prices just doesn't wash. In fact, all it serves to do is drive the broker's prices up even further. Look no further for evidence of that than the last Police tour, where broker prices regularly topped out at upwards of $1000. a pop on ebay.
Nope, there's just no escaping my disapointment in Neil on this one. Of course, because I am a still a fan (or a sucker depending on your point of view), I'm going anyway.
Maybe thats where the real problem with over-priced tickets lies. The fact that as long as fans like myself are stupid enough to continue queueing up for those seats, regardless of price, the performers and the promoters will continue to feel justified charging them.
Thanx again for the linky-love though Thrasher. Good hearing from you again too.
Glen "The Rockologist" Boyd
24 - gonzo marx
for Glen and Thrasher...
nuff said?
heh...that clip, live from '71
Excelsior?
25 - zingzing
Guppy: "All of these so-called musicians knock the people who make important decisions about our Nation's safety but this f*cking hack can't control his own ticket prices."
so... guppy...
we haven't run in to each other in a while.
you've made a couple of comments lately that make it pretty plain you've got some right-wing streak running through you. i can't remember where i saw the other one...
but yeah. what's up? still being a "music is for virtuosos" nazi?
gawd. if that wasn't bad enough, now your a fuckin' republican.
it's true. neil young's fans are getting screwed with a harsh dildo. why? dunno really. doesn't seem like something he would do. ain't go jack to do with the war in iraq.