Classical concert ticket for a whopping $680...

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

Anyone seen this yet?
The performers are a Berlin-based orchestra who are ranked the second best classical performers in the world. For top tier seats at the Esplanade, tickets are priced at $680! That's about the price of a secondhand MIM Fender Strat. Sistic was quoted as saying that even if they sold out all the tickets for both nights, they might not even be able to cover production costs...
Any comments?

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

tell us what choo think, then the rest will follow.

 

[Azman]

Well,it's been scientifically proven that those who likes classical music have expensive taste and luxurious way of life.So $680 is probably nothing...

 

[dodgethis]

Not surprised at the pricing as the costs can be astronomical but more surprised that the organisers made such a statement publically.

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

I thiink it's absolutely crazy. Maybe cause i'm just a secondary school student who can't dream of this. if i had such cash i'd spend it on gear, cause gear probably lasts longer than a night. THe pricing is way over the top. I'd learnt never to say never, but for now, maybe these five, ten years, i don't think i'll go, partly due to the fact i don't really appreciate classical music.
I agree the costs of bringing them in, setting up, getting the sound dudes, getting the stage ready, renting the Esplanade can add up to quite a bit. but don't you think this is a bit like the World Cup? The telcos bid crazy prices and pass them onto us. That's just my 1 cent worth...
@Azman : True, it may be nothing to them, but all of us have to learn to be prudent. The lesson of learning to save for a rainy day was indeed learnt the hard way by many, when the financial crisis set in, eh?

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

heh, what you see now is from the point of view of a student.

When you are working next time, having a stable job, pays well or at least reasonable enough and really into classical music, the money can get an experience which prolly dont come by easily(wihtout travelling to some foreign countries, festival etc), you might find it worthwhile. Some of us like the physical touch of things that we can hold while others like it as an experience cherish in mind and heart.

oh well, the market for those are pretty much different from folks here as well. Other then individual buying those tics to watch, there might be big company buying such tics for their clients or for socialites to mingle around. 680 for them, is prolly like 68cent.

 

[dodgethis]

I thiink it's absolutely crazy. Maybe cause i'm just a secondary school student who can't dream of this. if i had such cash i'd spend it on gear, cause gear probably lasts longer than a night. THe pricing is way over the top. I'd learnt never to say never, but for now, maybe these five, ten years, i don't think i'll go, partly due to the fact i don't really appreciate classical music.
I agree the costs of bringing them in, setting up, getting the sound dudes, getting the stage ready, renting the Esplanade can add up to quite a bit. but don't you think this is a bit like the World Cup? The telcos bid crazy prices and pass them onto us. That's just my 1 cent worth...
@Azman : True, it may be nothing to them, but all of us have to learn to be prudent. The lesson of learning to save for a rainy day was indeed learnt the hard way by many, when the financial crisis set in, eh?

You said it yourself, you don't appreciate this kind of music, so you cannot come to terms with this kind of costs. A student friend of mine gave up a concert trip to Japan to put the money in this concert. To a person who can appreciate it, yes, it is bloody worth it.

I save and scrimp every year to go to Japan for a two-day concert every August. To another person, I am wasting that kind of money because he doesn't like that sort of music. But hey, I DO! If I were to say, I was attending Summer Sonic instead, that person would say that money is well spent because he likes that sort of music.

Different people, differing perceptions.

Of course, the costs would be passed on to the consumer. You think the organisers are a charity? Bear all the costs? By buying a ticket for any concert, they are already passing on costs to you, the consumer. Business 101. Don't lose money. And honestly, I don't see how you can draw an analogy to the World Cup bidding. The telcos got ripped off by FIFA because of their stupid bidding war over EPL rights. FIFA saw the chance and took advantage of the situation. I highly doubt it's the same situation here. People always say the consumer always benefits from competition between businesses, that is utter bullshit. The ultimate loser is the consumer in the long run, just that most are too short-sight to see it.

 

[jskadiang]

Sistic was quoted as saying that even if they sold out all the tickets for both nights, they might not even be able to cover production costs...

Wait what? That's not very smart. :S

 

[dodgethis]

I can sympathize with them on that matter but I cannot fathom why they made such a statement. PR and common sense tells me that they are trying to incite pity but are going to look bad saying it. They need a new PR department. Can we have a link to the source of that statement?

 

[kongwee]

Why bother to link, the public love to hear not making money.

 

[jbarks]

What does SISTIC have to do with production costs? They just handle ticketing!

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

They are not a charity but by no means should they try to rip us off either. It is the poor marketing departments of Singtel and Starhub that cost us the World Cup. The rececnt survery showed only 1 in 5 football fan subscribing. That is testimony enough that the consumers are unwilling to foot such an astronomical bill, correct?
Likewise, ALL the student/senior citizens/concession tickets have been snapped up (according to The Straits Times) but only a few of the 680 ones have been (the situation may have changed over the last few days though). Is this testament enough to the opinion that it is indeed a bit steep?

 

[dodgethis]

These prices were set according to what their costs are. Then what, make a loss? Don't even try to cover back as much of the costs as possible? You really don't know how to run a business or concert, do you?

Idealism is good when you berate others for trying to make money. But that's what a business' bottom line is, make money. And like what the Joker said in The Dark Knight, 'When you're good at something, never do it for free.'

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

No, what i means is make the prices more consistent. Standard tickets cost about 80 bucks. THe crazy ones are 680. That's a difference of 600. In the past year i bought tickets for Green Day, Killers and Air Supply. Their range was about 30 bucks, not 600.
http://www.sistic.com.sg/portal/dt?...portletAction=RENDER&contentCode=berliner1110
You can see for yourself the price range. Oh no, i may not know how to run a business yet, but i sure know that except for the few who are willing to fork out as much as possible, in this case being 680, the rest of the people would prefer to get the 80, maybe even the 100+ dollars tickets at most.

Edit: Would you pay an extra 300-400 bucks for an average seat which offers a bit of better visibility than the 80 dollar ones?

 

[Flowersamurai]

I think if you got money to buy then buy, no money then don't buy. Businesses are not charities, they are here to make money not to listen to people who keep complaining that they can't afford the good.
It's like, les paul's are bloody ex and im just a student with no income. i don't start petitions boycotting gibson or what not. or how about video games? Games nowadays have higher prices a less content than before. I don't complain, I just don't buy.
On a side note, the people who keep complaining about the world cup are seriously irritating. Can't afford or can't bear to pay? Then don't subscribe lah.

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

Who's complaining? I started this thread to find out what other people THINK about the price of tickets, and to share views, not to complain. Hell, if i wanted to complain why would i post it here? Would SISTIC back off if a single thread on ticket pricing was started on a music forum?

If you want a Les Paul, no one's asking you to buy a Gibson Les Paul. You could buy a Les Paul copy. I'm not even thinking of buying the ticket, i'm just holding a discussion on what others think about the ticket pricings. You can likewise start a thread discussing Gibson pricings if you want to.

Discussion does not equal to complain.

 

[kimura]

Sometimes I wonder if a band's - across genres - 'rankings' are based on ticket sales.

Nonetheless I guess it's subjective, I know of scalpers who've sold Pink Floys tix up to 5times their face value cos there are people out there who will buy.

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

Sometimes I wonder if a band's - across genres - 'rankings' are based on ticket sales.

Nonetheless I guess it's subjective, I know of scalpers who've sold Pink Floys tix up to 5times their face value cos there are people out there who will buy.

Cause the tickets were sold out and these people were out to make a quick buck. Yeah... sad huh.
Ticket sales also depends on area...
Like if it were where the band has a big fan base (think hometown) then the chances of it being sold out there are definitely greater than in another location with only an average fan base.

 

[DeathCubeK]

I wish the company bringing them in all the best of luck in breaking even, maybe they thought people from around the region would snap the tickets up, maybe they thought Singapore lots of ang moh who got nothing better to do with their money, who knows.

 

[biopromax]

Found some logic in these.

A full orchestra can be as many as 70 - 100 people. If everyone in the orchestra are professional, the cost to pay them will be 100x higher than 1 x musician (Slash/jason mraz) each. This is not incl. of the 'tax' to bring their instruments in.

right? hehe.