Concert Prices

Post 5

Sorry Mr Ford for the lack of content yesterday but I am finding myself in need of a nap in the early evening these days and it's since I started taking my anti-siezure meds. Don't know if the two things are linked but I can only assume that they are. Even after a good nights sleep and a reasonably easy day in the office (no driving around to meetings for me at the moment) it's still the same so I may turn this daily post into a whenever-I-feel-up-to-it post. Maybe it's just old age catching up with me and punishing me and my body for years of abuse. No, that can't be it. I mean we drank a fair bit at university but that was 20 years ago and it was pretty watered down ale to be honest. And anyway, since then, my capacity for drinking in those volumes has reduced to somewhere on the wrong side of half a pint so it can't be that. The biggest problem though is not the unnatural tiredness but my enforced inability to drive. It's killing me. That used to be my time to listen to my favourite tunes, particularly the stuff that Tracey doesn't like which is pretty much all of it. Try listening to The Fall now. Not only that, I shouldn't really be left on my own either so I can't listen to "my music" in the house.

One thing I can do, though, is go to concerts, just as long as I go with someone who likes it too. Tracey and I went to see Coldplay the other week. We paid $70 each for tickets that the singer, Chris Martin, described as "suicide seats" when he saw them towards the end of the concert. And out tickets were the cheaps seats. Give them there due though, they gave away a free live CD as we left the concert. This was a nice thought but a) you can apparently download the CD from the interweb anyway so it's hardly unique and b) it probably retails for around $10 so we are still paying a lot of money to see a show from very high up in a hockey arena. It was, however, a great show.

We are also taking the whole family to see U2 this October at the big stadium in town. They have mandated that every show will have 10,000 at around $30...so we bought 4 of them...but we are behind the stage. It's a 360 degree stage so we should see something but the stage is up at our end of the pitch so the majority of the audience will be infront of the stage so that's where the band will be facing for most of the show I'm guessing. I will let you know.

Compare all this to the Raconteurs. I took Josh to see them last summer in the big park in Vancouver, Stanley Park and the tickets were around $30 each. It was Josh's first concert and he thoroughly enjoyed it but at least it was more affordable. And he can say this was his first show when he gets older and not be embarassed like his Dad: Hot Chocolate at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh when I was 10.

It's all very different from when the Incredible Richard Ford and I used to go to concerts when we were at university. 20 years ago the bands we like were playing live for 5 - 10 pound, or $10 - $20. These are the same types of bands that are playing in Vancouver now for $30. Not a huge increase when you think about it. So it's just the big shot bands and artists that are demanding the big prices and their promoters (Live Nation) and record companies that are probably taking the majority of the proceeds.

Everyone should come to the dark side and start listening to proper music instead of the only the mass (over) produced crap that makes all the big money for the record companies. I just hope that these artists are getting their fair share of the profits but I suspect not, hence the long line of artists that have filed for bankruptcy.

Here's some recommendations for my dozens (I wish) of followers out there. Records that should be considered by bands or artists that are not multi-millionaires. The Faces included Rod Stewart who definately is a multi-millionaire, but the rest of the surviving members are not.

1. Ogdens Nut Gone Flake by the Small Faces
2. Bryter Layter by Nick Drake www.brytermusic.com
3. Your Arsenal by Morrissey www.itsmorrisseysworld.com
4. Screamadelica by Primal Scream www.primalscream.net
5. A Nod's As Good As a Wink...To a Blind Horse by The Faces www.the-faces.com
6. Hour of Bewildrbeast by Badly Drawn Boy
7. Surfa Rosa by The Pixies www.4ad.com/pixies
8. Rings Around The World by Supper Furry Animals www.superfurry.com
9. Heavy Soul by Paul Weller www.paulweller.com
10. The 3 E.Ps by The Beta Band www.betaband.com
11. The Las by The Las

Happy Listening.