Off the topic of Ticketmaster (although I’m sure they got their cut, too):
I saw Sade in 2000 for, I believe, 70 or 75 a ticket… At the time I couldn’t believe how much ticket prices had gone up (and that was for an outdoor concert*). The last time I’d gone to a big concert like that was to see Bowie in '87, and I think I might’ve paid $30 or $35 apiece.
I understand that prices have gone up with inflation, but $35 in 1987 and $75 in 2000 were not large fortunes (nor, really, even small ones), nor can I believe they’re equivalent to $500 today.
Meanwhile I’ve just paid $15 to see The Cookers (though Instantseats took almost another 50% on top of that).
(Previously)
*Theretofore, my experience with outdoor concerts was that they were substantially cheaper than indoor shows, e.g. $10 per carload
