Ticket broker StubHub published their Concert Ticket Annual Report today and Phish is all over it. I recently started a Facebook fan page for my other blog, YEMblog, and I wrote a note explaining my take on the report. Not only did Phish score a spot in the Top 10 Concert Tours but certain shows were listed on the most and least expensive concert tickets lists.
Here’s a brief excerpt of what I wrote…
First, you’ll note that Phish was ranked #3 by the ticket broker for Top Concert Tours Based on Gross Sales. If I’m reading this correctly, that means that U2 and Springsteen were the only artist with more tickets sold than Phish on StubHub.
Also of note is that the first two nights of Hampton each made the Highest Average Priced Concerts for concerts with a minimum of 1000 tickets purchased. Read that again…”1,000 tickets purchased.” The venue holds 13,800 and at least 1,000 tickets changed hands through just one broker. On the plus side, Phish scored all five spots on the Lowest Average Priced Concerts with a minimum 1000 tickets purchased, meaning that lots of scalpers took a bath on these concerts:
$29 – Phish on 11/18 at Cobo Arena
$44 – Phish on 8/11 at Toyota Park
Head to the YEMblog Facebook page for the entire essay.
6 Responses
“If I’m reading this correctly, that means that U2 and Springsteen were the only artist with more tickets sold than Phish on StubHub.”
More ticket revenue, not more tickets? Either way..good for them.
I feel the feeling I forgot. Thank you all so much the memorable journey back into Phish history. My brother and I started http://CashForYourExtra.com as our grassroots donation to the idea of FAIR TRADE TICKETS within the Phish community. In February after being passed over for Hampton tickets we joined forces with all of you to create a FACE VALUE TICKET resource, and it has been a success. From Fenway to MSG we set up a bulletin board for folks to trade and sell tickets at face. Help share in the groove and preserve the idea that a fair market place starts with us. Rise up, and embrace the face! c u in Miami, feel feel feel the heat.
Yeah, fans took a bath alright. Phish Tickets by Mail (or however one wants to refer to Phish official ticketing) really screwed over the fans, especially on fall tour. They distributed thousands of crap seats, which people turned around and sold for a loss b/c they found better seats. If they have some sort of minimum $ sales figure they want to hit for each show they should just charge more for premium tickets. I’d rather pay $85 at one time for better seats directly to Phish, than to pay $50 to Phish first and $50 or more again to Stubhub. There is no way they should be dumping crap seats on pre-ordering fans.
DotheSteelers – I don’t think Ticketmaster would be agreeable to letting Phish take all the good tickets leaving them with the shitty ones. I think the tickets get split pretty evenly between Phish and TM, so unfortunately both services get their share of shitty tickets. If you don’t want to risk getting a bad seat, wait for the Ticketmaster onsale so you can actually pick and choose where you want to sit.
I don’t understand how it’s “screwing over the fans” to fulfill orders even if they aren’t good seats. I would hate to see Phish move to a tiered pricing model.
“I’d rather pay $85 at one time for better seats directly to Phish, than to pay $50 to Phish first and $50 or more again to Stubhub.”
F*ck some 85 dollar tickets. Just because you didn’t get good seats isn’t a reason to bitch. You win some and you lose some.