$12.25? Go fuck yourself, Tickets.com

I was just about to order Yo La Tengo tickets.

$9.00 service charge.

Weee-ell…okay. Service charge is fine, even if it is nearly half the cost of a ticket.

But then…

$3.25 to HOLD MY TICKETS AT THE BOX OFFICE???

That's out of fucking hand. I can understand a service charge (even one that rivals TicketBastard), and I can understand a shipping charge, but a Will Call charge is outrageous.

Tickets.com: TAKE A FLYING FUCK AT A ROLLING DONUT.

Anybody know how much they charge to buy tickets from the Box Office on the night of the show? Is there a $6 "Pass You Your Tickets" fee? How about a "Hand-Stamp surcharge"?

bilge

For all that whining, one would think you were going to see an emo band. :roll:

You could have taken a ride on the Metro and walked up to the 9:30 Box Office and paid the $1 service charge fee instead of the Tickets.com charges.

Originally posted by Tom Cashel:


9:30 Club: TAKE A FLYING FUCK AT A ROLLING DONUT.

You are in Bethesda? Why not drive to the club. Those fees are probably put in place by the ticket company and not the club (I really don't know), but since you can go there from Bethesda in about 15 minutes, save $10 and drive on down.

Several deep breaths later, I've edited a bit. I direct my ire at tickets.com and not the Club.

Thanks for the 411. A $1 service charge is perfectly reasonable.

I'll do it! I'll drive to the 9:30 Club! :D

By the way…just because I'm a complainer doesn't make that $3.25 chrage any less outrageous.

Your absolutely right Tom. Usually its other people bitching about it but i guess since its someone different then they feel they have to diss you. Those same people will be whining about this in two weeks.

I won't go to a show if I'm stuck with those types of charges. I'm lucky in that I can stop by 9:30 or Black Cat super easily. But when you're looking at paying up to 60, 70% of the ticket price in add-ons, it becomes absolutely ridiculous.

If I start hitting some of these Baltimore shows, I'm gonna be one unhappy camper.

There HAS to be a limit. How can we do something about this?

I live in Columbia Maryland. When I go to Merriweather I can walk if I want to. I have to pay a friggin' parking fee PER TICKET!!! Last time I went (Radiohead) we couldn't park in the lot as it was full. So I paid to park in their lot and couldn't. That is pure evil.

Plus 50% over the ticket price was other "fees".

Originally posted by bags:
There HAS to be a limit. How can we do something about this?

We can stop buying tickets and going to shows, that's about the only way.

I personally have cut down my concert going by about 70% for this very reason. I'm only willing to get shafted by these legal scalpers for shows I absolutely, positively really, really want to see. For example, it was a toss-up wether I went to see Badly Drawn Boy again OR Belle & Sebastian who I've never seen. Belle & Sebastian won out. B&S are almost double the BDB show at face value, which wasn't even an issue for me. Without these fees I would've gone to both shows without question, not to mention all the other shows I've skipped this year that I once would've gone to to check out the band…..it boils down to the simple fact that if we are willing to pay these fees, then it won't stop charging them.

I dont think the 930 situation is that bad……. At least you can by advance tickets there. Its not like DAR or horrible venues where you can only buy tickets the day of the show.

Its a convenience charge, pay for the convenience of getting tickets over the phone or the internet, or save that money by going to the club and getting them. What is the problem with that?

I wonder why 930 didnt go a more simple route say, like the ottobars, where they have a flat $3.50 fee a ticket for advance internet sales? I guess it is because tickets.com supply a better service?

Originally posted by The Pariah:

Its a convenience charge, pay for the convenience of getting tickets over the phone or the internet, or save that money by going to the club and getting them. What is the problem with that?

It's the AMOUNT of the charge you dope!

Originally posted by mankie:

Originally posted by The Pariah:

Its a convenience charge, pay for the convenience of getting tickets over the phone or the internet, or save that money by going to the club and getting them. What is the problem with that?

It's the AMOUNT of the charge you dope!

Nope, its just a service. Use it or not, it is your choice. As long as you can get tickets without paying the charge, I really dont see what the problem is.

Is it more convenent to go to the club and pick up tickets is is it more convienint to pay X amount per ticket for them to mail them to you. Sure if the charge got too much no one would buy tickets that way, but do you see ticketmaster going broke?

Originally posted by The Pariah:

Originally posted by mankie:

Originally posted by The Pariah:

Its a convenience charge, pay for the convenience of getting tickets over the phone or the internet, or save that money by going to the club and getting them. What is the problem with that?

It's the AMOUNT of the charge you dope!

Nope, its just a service. Use it or not, it is your choice. As long as you can get tickets without paying the charge, I really dont see what the problem is.

Is it more convenent to go to the club and pick up tickets is is it more convienint to pay X amount per ticket for them to mail them to you. Sure if the charge got too much no one would buy tickets that way, but do you see ticketmaster going broke?

Read my earlier comment…I buy about 70% less tickets now, and over the years have gone from a season ticket holder to a 10 game plan'er to maybe one or two Capitals games per season for the same reason, so I do practice what I preach…..BUT!~ If it's a convenience charge it really should be a charge per transaction not per ticket….it's not like they mail each ticket individually now is it? I bought Bowie tickets and had to pay $14.50 for UPS shipping for some unkown reason, and I know it cost about $3 to UPS them to me….but this discussion could go on forever so it's somewhat pointless.

Ticketmaster/Tickets.com won't go broke because they feed off the passion of the music/sport event-going people.

Originally posted by mankie:
Read my earlier comment…I buy about 70% less tickets now,

Is that just because you have less free time and more commitments though. Patriot center is a pisser as there is no other way of getting tickets other than ticketmaster.

And that is really what I am getting at, the 930 does a good service keeping the ticket window open a lot of the time.

I will miss you at the badly drawn boy show though…. And B&S is losing out to the decemberists……

Hey Mankie – have you ever listened to the Decemberists?

They could be your token 21st century band. They're really quite good.

Originally posted by The Pariah:

Originally posted by mankie:
Read my earlier comment…I buy about 70% less tickets now,

Is that just because you have less free time and more commitments though. Patriot center is a pisser as there is no other way of getting tickets other than ticketmaster.

And that is really what I am getting at, the 930 does a good service keeping the ticket window open a lot of the time.

I will miss you at the badly drawn boy show though…. And B&S is losing out to the decemberists……

The main reason I've cut down is the service fees, so I make less of an effort to check out new bands. I work out near Dulles airport and live in Aspen Hill and don't get home till 8'ish every night, so "zipping" down to the club is not really an option for me….which brings us back to the service fees.

Patriot center is definately one of the worst venues EVER, and after suffering through Oasis there a few years ago vowed I would never go unless it was a major concert that I couldn't live without…Bowie meets that requirement. Although I admit I was thinking of passing on it because of the venue, but my wife has never seen the man in concert so that was the deciding factor.

I'm bummed about BDB too, but I had tic's for B&S last time but couldn't go….I may break-down at the last minute if it doesn't sell out so I can get tic's on the night for old Damon, but for now I'm not planning on going.

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Hey Mankie – have you ever listened to the Decemberists?

They could be your token 21st century band. They're really quite good.

looks like I'm off to Barnes & Noble sometime this week to give them a listen.

I've been listening to my B&S albums this week to get into that mode….they really are a great band but if he was a friend I'd have togive him a dope slap and tell him to stop his fucking whinging and be a man and pull himself together for crying out loud!!!! :D

Would Mankie, like the decemberists…..

Pitchfork likened them to an American Coral. I bet he would prefer the coral…… But the decemberists are hard to judge from a quick listen of just one song. It took a little while to grow on me. The first album and here I dreamt I was an architect and July July are fantastic. the middle of the album is slower and more awkward.

My verdict is Mankie will like the decemderists only if he buys the album and he wont buy the album if he just listens to the 30s clips.

Instead, if he has not already, he should get the coral.

Originally posted by The Pariah:
Pitchfork likened them to an American Coral.

That's funny – that's a completely accurate description. I think it's the use of atypical instruments like the accordion, and a penchant for mixing indie and traditional musical styles - something both The Coral and The Decemberists do.

I agree that …Architect and July July are the best songs on either album, but I think that the new album is the better album.