PunBB

Axis Wrote:

Dark Canuck17 Wrote:this all started because people are stealing the music.

That's crap. This started way before people could steal music but record companies just refuse to wake up to the new normal. I've bought every CD the hip ever released, but this telus garbage, the itunes pre-sale, the fact that you have to buy a ticket to get live from the vault 4 on CD, it's kind of pushing the limits of my loyalty. I mean seriously, can anyone explain to me what I have to do to get all the tunes that they're putting out there?

As far as the ticket prices go, I can't really blame them. That's gotta be their bread and butter now, and the fact is they could probably sell out 2 nights at ACC and make more $$, or for that matter charge $200/ticket at massey and still sell out.

I don't know, the live show is on a different level for me. You're paying for that experience that's happening right then and there. But the recorded stuff....., when its soooo easy to get it all for nothing, you almost feel like a chump to jump through all these hoops and pay all this extra dough to get it all.

Great post.

I actually am kind of like Lizard in the fact that I've seen The Hip before and just don't feel like shelling out big bucks to see them again. If it were my first show, I might pay the big bucks, but I've been there and done that. Of course I'm overreacting a bit in here with some of my posts, but that's life. :lol:

I still think the band has to have SOME SAY in the prices. They can refuse to play the shows unless ticket prices are reasonable, IMO. I don't think they are just sitting back and are completely clueless as to how much tickets are going for. They have the right to ask for a lot of money, I suppose. I just am not a big fan of it, myself.

tigerthelion Wrote:Well, I paid about $40 maximum for the Evening Shows in 2000 if my memory serves me correctly . You're telling me the band is worth DOUBLE THAT since the year 2000? $40 is fine. I'd gladly pay that.

Hehe I fixed my post. Ticketmaster is quoting 69-89 actually, not 40. There has been some inflation since then... well about $8-9 worth and those shows were in big arenas which most of these aren't. Some would argue that they were a bigger act back then though.

Mooseheadbeer Wrote:

tigerthelion Wrote:Well, I paid about $40 maximum for the Evening Shows in 2000 if my memory serves me correctly . You're telling me the band is worth DOUBLE THAT since the year 2000? $40 is fine. I'd gladly pay that.

Hehe I fixed my post. Ticketmaster is quoting 69-89 actually, not 40. There has been some inflation since then... well about $8-9 worth and those shows were in big arenas which most of these aren't. Some would argue that they were a bigger act back then though.

I saw them at the Metro Centre. Like I said, I'm pretty sure the tickets were $35 plus tax, or somewhere thereabouts. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Smaller shows sound great, but I still don't feel like paying over $90. We'll see. I wasn't going to go to the 2007 Charlottetown show, but I eventually relented. I can't see that happening this time.

Dark Canuck17 Wrote:I don't know I think you guys are getting a little worked up here. Go buy it support your band that we all love, every band around is doing the same thing and this all started because people are stealing the music.

They have been letting us tape/record their shows and share there music forever as well as giving us outstanding shows for great prices! You can't go to any bands concerts for any less than what The Hip are finally asking. Not to mention they have been giving us incredible music for over 25yrs do you think we can cut them some slack.

We should be celebrating this time it is not their fault the economy is shit that's our/your governments fault! :nooooo

Nobody is going to disagree with you that they've been doing great things over their career. But people on this forum have every right to get a little pissed and I'll tell you why.

It's completely out of character for this band. They've done great things for their fans, they were on the internet before most people knew what the internet was, they threw us a few bones. We all TOOK PRIDE in that. That "our" band was different, that our band WASN'T out to screw you over. That they valued us enough to kick something our way once in awhile.They clearly valued the relationship they have with their core fans, the fans that go to more than one show, the fans that are on this site, the fans that buy every album, the fans that boot their shows and share it with other fans.

But now after all that, this happens? This is just like every other band out there. This isn't the 'Hip. This is UN-Hip. People were doing the bonus track garbage when WC came out, and wouldn't you know, there wasn't a bonus track or multiple WC versions. If I had to guess, looking at their track record, what WATS would entail, I would guess a normal CD release, the album on iTunes and maybe a couple B-sides on this "Giftshop" portion of their site they recently opened.

But that's not what happened, theres an iTunes bonus, theres a TELUS bonus. Telus? What the crap is this? When was the last time The Hip were in bed with The Man? Ticket prices are way up, jeez, the first time I saw them I paid 50 bucks and was in the second row! That was FOUR YEARS ago! Just FOUR! They doubled in value in 4 years?

See and thats another thing that's out of character for them, that's another thing that we've prided ourselves about our band. The cult-like following of going to multiple shows, or trekking across the country to tape them. But now, they're just like every other band, charging exorbitant amounts of money for shows.

People ARE right when they argue against people like myself and say that I shouldn't give the BAND a hard time per se, and really, I think that's a misguided argument because that's not my intent. It's not my intent to say it's the band's fault, the actual members of the band who are screwing us. It's probably not, it's probably a manager or their label somewhere down the line. But we need to direct our dissapointment/anger somewhere, and calling us out for all of a sudden having a hate-on for the band is just misguided. I'm not going to say "their management/label/agent/distributor/whatever" is to blame and the boys are immaculate virgins every time I have a point to bring up, I'm just going to say "the band."

And well, really, can they not accept PART of this dissapointment shared by myself and others? Other artists have backlashed against their labels. Are the Hip too nice to do that, do they not want to tarnish their image? Are they maybe, somewhat complicit? I don't know. But there's tons of artists out there that have taken a stand and maybe the Hip should have in this case. And jeez after all this time, theyre still on a major label? Can't they get rid of that old baggage?

Drunk post removed.

Not trying to stir up bad feelings here, and I'm not defending their actions, but trying perhaps to understand them?

They've decided this year to do smaller, more intimate venues, in an effort to be closer to the fans. When you get 10,000 people into an arena, at $40 each... and then do 3 nights in Ottawa at the NAC with, say, 1,500 people in the audience... do the math.

Are they trying to gouge us? Maybe. But, and again, I'm not defending bands or concert ticket prices. But with the illegal music downloading that goes on, concerts are one of the last methods of bands to truly "earn" their money. Yes, diehard fans will buy the albums legitimately, but sales are down so much...

The music industry isn't what it used to be. Not so much in rock music, but look at dance/R&B acts. They get discovered, quickly put out a "generated" single featuring Jay-Z or Z-Lo or Sweet 'N' Lo, shoot a video with dancing girls and Lamborghinis, throw together an album and try a tour all within months. If they make it, they may get a second album. If not, they're done. From nothing, to limos and superstardom and back to nothing. No wonder thousands of people try out for American Idol... they want their 15 minutes...

Kinda off topic there. But the point is, The Hip have had their 15 minutes for 20 years now, and have earned their stripes. As fans, we can enjoy their music or not. We can buy their albums or not. We can attend their concerts or not. But to get mad at them, because they're making it hard for us to enjoy their music... I don't know...

I personally want to hear this 'Skeleton Park' and 'Hush' before I make any rash statements.

All this venom......

I agree that is sucks the full "bonus track" ball is now in play. But I bet the band is held hostage by the record company. We all say "they must have pull to stop the BS", but I bet they don't. Or at least not very much.

This isn't the Fully, Completely days where they sold tons of records, had tons of airplay, and tons of videos......
If Universal comes and says "we want 3 bonus tracks for our various outlets, and if you don't agree, no album for you!" I don't think they have much say in the matter.

It's the new reality, as has been echoed on here. Look at DVDs. You can find a billion different "collector" sets depending on where you go buy a hot new release from.

Do people have a right to be upset, frustrated, and that the band is digging in the knife? Sure. But I bet they have an even bigger knife dug in their back already.......

As for concert tickets.... I bet they (the band) take home only a little more then the do on their last tours. Guess what? it takes tons of money to put on shows these days. Unionized workers, transportation costs, fuel, lodging, management, yadda yadda yadda. It's not like Gord and the boys are in their top secret lair smoking hundred dollar bills.......

Everything is more expensive, including entertainment. You can either go, or not go. Vent, if you must, but the only people who are screwing us, are every other people including us.

Gangrel Wrote:All this venom......

I agree that is sucks the full "bonus track" ball is now in play. But I bet the band is held hostage by the record company. We all say "they must have pull to stop the BS", but I bet they don't. Or at least not very much.

This isn't the Fully, Completely days where they sold tons of records, had tons of airplay, and tons of videos......
If Universal comes and says "we want 3 bonus tracks for our various outlets, and if you don't agree, no album for you!" I don't think they have much say in the matter.

It's the new reality, as has been echoed on here. Look at DVDs. You can find a billion different "collector" sets depending on where you go buy a hot new release from.

Do people have a right to be upset, frustrated, and that the band is digging in the knife? Sure. But I bet they have an even bigger knife dug in their back already.......

As for concert tickets.... I bet they (the band) take home only a little more then the do on their last tours. Guess what? it takes tons of money to put on shows these days. Unionized workers, transportation costs, fuel, lodging, management, yadda yadda yadda. It's not like Gord and the boys are in their top secret lair smoking hundred dollar bills.......

Everything is more expensive, including entertainment. You can either go, or not go. Vent, if you must, but the only people who are screwing us, are every other people including us.

What the f*ck are you talking about? cratch:

Maybe the band could leave Universal. That wouldn't be the most difficult thing in the world to do, would it? :rambo: Sure, they can stay with them and have every right to stay with them, but I don't want to keep hearing about how The Hip are such a "fan's band" anymore. Boy, that "Hipclub" thing really worked great, didn't it? Such a treat to the fans. :roll:

tigerthelion Wrote:What the f*ck are you talking about? cratch:

Maybe the band could leave Universal. That wouldn't be the most difficult thing in the world to do, would it? :rambo: Sure, they can stay with them and have every right to stay with them, but I don't want to keep hearing about how The Hip are such a "fan's band" anymore. Boy, that "Hipclub" thing really worked great, didn't it? Such a treat to the fans. :roll:

What the f*ck I mean is that everyone wants more money. If someone offered you more money to do your job, would you not take it? If you felt you were underpaid, would you not ask for more? It costs more to run a show these days..... THAT's what i'm talking about. People like you and me that work at the theatres, that drive the trucks, that set up the shows ALL MAKE MORE. Therefore, the money must come from somewhere. So, it comes from us.

As for leaving Universal, do you think there are tons of other labels with Universal's world wide exposure ready to snap up the Hip? I doubt it. They are all looking out for the "next big thing."

Would you stay with a boss that paid you while "screwing" your customers, or quit outright and possibly not find another place of employment?

I'm not saying people don't have the right to get angry at the ticket costs and all that. I'm not fond of paying it either, but I choose to because they are my favourite band. You have chosen not to, and voted with your wallet. You have every right to.

I'm just saying all this talk of the band "screwing" us has probably many more levels to the idea (and people involved) then we think or know.

tigerthelion Wrote:I don't want to keep hearing about how The Hip are such a "fan's band" anymore. Boy, that "Hipclub" thing really worked great, didn't it? Such a treat to the fans. :roll:

Gangrel makes some good points. I agree the HipClub was a total failure. But since MAv took over the webmaster duties, I think things have been much better. Personally I've had nothing but good experiences with past presales, and the "Live From the Vault" series is easily the coolest thing they've ever done. I'm just as pissed off as anybody regarding the crazy ticket prices for the Canadian shows, but unfortunately ticket prices for any big band or entertainer are faily high these days. Even the fan-friendly Pearl Jam were charging up to $85 for tickets to their last arena tour in '06/07, and a buddy of mine just paid $75/ticket to see the comedian Russell Peters. The Hip don't sell as many records as they used to, but they're still arguably the top concert draw in this country as far as rock bands go. I'm sure that the more intimate venues combined with the extra-long "evening with..." sets have something to do with the ticket prices as well. If they were playing a regular 16-song set with one or two encores, the ticket price would probably be much cheaper, as they were the last time they played soft-seaters back in '02. Anyways, despite being ticked off about tickets and all this crap with the bonus tracks, I'll live with it. I still love this band as much as I ever have. I'll most likely be buying tickets to one of their California shows this summer. Tix for those shows are roughly $30 U.S. and I'll get a road trip out of it. Right now I just wanna get my hands on the new album. I'll download the damn bonus tracks eventually.

Ahaha this is kind of dramatic, folks.

I dunno if its the hip or their management, or the record company or what, but its fair enough that they charge more money for their product. And bonus tracks? So what - download it if you're not with telus. Whats the big deal? I'm sure the band would understand. Seriously.

Consumer surplus, they (whoever it is that hiked the prices) are looking to capture it. Fair enough...I understand that its out of character, but that does not mean that its not justified. They are still our band and still very good to us. This record has been the longest wait between new releases...a whole 2.5 years! Morning moon streaming form their website. MAv and the backstage sneak peaks they've showed us. We've been spoiled. Complaining about 99cents to buy a bonus track that you'll be able to download free by April 8? please.

I mean, really, its not THAT bad. You can still see the hip for 50-60 bucks...just not front row at Massey hall.

I bet prices will go down at the next leg of the tour.

Sorry guys I know this ain't a popular view...and believe me I have the utmost respect for you all, but I really don't think its THAT bad.

I've had some time to digest things...

The ticket prices are high, but not compared to the market. And I paid full pop to get tickets to 4 shows so far. I can afford it. Not everyone can. If the economy was in better shape, perhaps some of the grumbling would be reduced.

I'm still ticked about the multiple outlets with varied exclusive tracks, and different ordering options.

I ponied up and pre-ordered on iTunes - got LIAF, and will get Hush and the rest of the digital version as soon as it is released. I also ordered a hard copy + Live From The Vault with one of my ticket purchases. I'm not with Telus so I'm going to have to "steal" that track.

Lizard King commented that The Hip should put out CD Singles - Oasis have done it with great success, why can't our beloved Hip do it? Well they used to, but they were hard to find, and in the later years they rarely contained anything of interest aside from just the single track.

I'd buy the singles.

And lastly, I'm sure that TicketMaster are willing to take more money to create a Hip Club ala Ten Club. Let's get'er done. I'll take member number 1 to prevent any arguments.

chris Wrote:I've had some time to digest things...

The ticket prices are high, but not compared to the market. And I paid full pop to get tickets to 4 shows so far. I can afford it. Not everyone can. If the economy was in better shape, perhaps some of the grumbling would be reduced.

I'm still ticked about the multiple outlets with varied exclusive tracks, and different ordering options.

I ponied up and pre-ordered on iTunes - got LIAF, and will get Hush and the rest of the digital version as soon as it is released. I also ordered a hard copy + Live From The Vault with one of my ticket purchases. I'm not with Telus so I'm going to have to "steal" that track.

Lizard King commented that The Hip should put out CD Singles - Oasis have done it with great success, why can't our beloved Hip do it? Well they used to, but they were hard to find, and in the later years they rarely contained anything of interest aside from just the single track.

I'd buy the singles.

And lastly, I'm sure that TicketMaster are willing to take more money to create a Hip Club ala Ten Club. Let's get'er done. I'll take member number 1 to prevent any arguments.

I think most of us have been pining for a "ten-club-type" Hip Club for quite some years. I hope it materializes at some point.

I hate to say this, but the Hip have lost the allure they had over me for almost 20 years. The high ticket prices, these stupid bonus track options, Gords screaming rather than singing on recent tours ...they just don't cut it for me like they used to. I dunno...I'm going to 1 Calgary show so hopefully that will restore my faith.