| reply to TCub
Re: RIAA is a joke. Your understanding of concert economics is flawed. The biggest driver of ticket costs, these days, is show insurance. The premiums for insurance for one show, in one venue, have climbed to the astronomical.They get even higher for bands that are perceived as having "unruly" fans or are "inciteful". Add to that all the other expenses that go into putting on a show(lots of trucks and busses need lots of expensive diesel fuel) and most bands are break-even on shows that take place in arenas and stadiums, when you look at the gate. Where they make their money is merchandising. A lot of cash money moves at the merchandising stalls for big bands, and even after the house and the merchandising contractor take their cut, the band makes a healthy sum, in a lot of cases the only profit they make on the road.
Also, the IRS has cracked down on bands for going out on the road for two years or more and hiring all their crew as contractors. It has been a dodge used on the road for years and the IRS has determined that it has been abused. So that means even more costs to the band.
But let me repeat myself: the single biggest driver for ticket costs is insurance.
And yes, I do know what I am talking about. |
