Concert tickets across the board are much more expensive than they used to be. There are a variety of factors at play. First off, artists don’t make the money they once did on physical album sales, so they need other streams of revenue to make ends meet. Inflation and the higher cost of touring also play a role.
Anvil singer Lips Kudlow recently explained in detail to the Metal Voice podcast why concerts by Metallica or AC/DC cost so much to attend. “Everybody’s got their fingers in the pie,” he said.
“It’s all about the merchandise. It’s all about t-shirts. I could give a rat’s ass whether the record company is giving me money or not – I make all my money from merchandising and playing live. That’s how you do it. It’s the only way to do it. It’s the way all the bands do it – including the biggest bands in the world. Why do you think Metallica have pop-up shops before they go play? And what’s a pop-up shop? That’s so that they can sell their merchandise before the show – because at the show, it’s double the price because they have to split all the take to the promoter.”
“Now, let’s say they’re hiring Metallica for the night – it costs the promoter a million bucks. Well, it cost Metallica a million dollars to put the show on – because they’ve got like 180 f*cking roadies and 18 18-wheeler trucks, and it takes 24 hours to set up a f*cking stage. So yeah, no kidding – it costs a lot of money. That’s the way it works.”
“Or with AC/DC, they manufacture the horns, and they sell them for 15-20 bucks – and they cost 50 cents [to manufacture]. And that’s how AC/DC…pretty much anybody who walks into that show buys a pair of those horns, and they make all the money from the merchandise. That’s their own pocket money. They still walk out with a few hundred thousand dollars each.”
Insurance polices for larger bands also play a role in high ticket prices according to the Anvil singer/guitarist.
“Insurance policies that these guys have to pay – just to put a show on,” Lips said. “It’s not about cancellations. It’s about if something happens to anybody in that crowd – for any reason – the band can become responsible. So the band has to pay a fortune in insurance – to just go play the show. So that’s why I’m saying they get a million bucks but it just cost them $40,000 to ensure the show. People are wondering why it’s $200-300 for a ticket. Well, there you go – everybody’s got their fingers in the pie.”
- Setlist & Video: AC/DC Is Back On The Road - May 17, 2024
- Slayer’s Kerry King Isn’t Much Into New Iron Maiden Music - May 17, 2024
- System Of A Down Singer Reveals Why He Wanted To Leave Band - May 17, 2024
