Boycott Nick Cave gigs? (1 Viewer)

[Keeror]

As you know, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are to play two shows at The Olympia in April.

Tickets are priced IR£32.50(Stg£26.40), IR£33.50(Stg£27.20), and IR£37.50(Stg£30.40)

At the Brixton Academy, London, tickets are priced Stg£20(IR£24.60)

So in Dublin we must pay, on average, 40% more than Londoners!

Why?

Ask Nick's record company, Mute:
[email protected]

 

[Vinnie]

Just mailed 'em and awaiting response. I suspect that this is essentially an MCD matter though. Bastards pandering to nouveau riche sensibilities with a crowd who would be equally at home at the Roxy Music reunion gig (£40) or supping Mule in Nasdaq, The Bar.

 

[cyclotron]

Boycott it sure. Don't show up, don't pay in. Loads of others will. Stage a protest outside the show(s) ? On what grounds ? Greedy MCD making a profit from people who are all too willing to be suckered ? I guess one of the things that could be done is demanding a breakdown of the costs of the gig... but why should MCD provide this more than anybody else who charges well over the odds for a public service ? It's obvious that MCD stink. But I'm just trying to think of any concrete ways that we can make people understand this via the act of boycotting...?

 

[Keeror]

Well, posting your opinions here is a start...
Then mail MCD, and mail Mute, and mail anyone else you can think of - the ombudsman or something. In other countries (in this one too?) investigations have gone on into the pricing of CDs & the indutry has been made look very bad - something similar could happen here re. concert pricing. What's the point of being in an economic union with the rest of Europe if we still get screwed?

 

[Keeror]

MCD can be harangued at:

[email protected]

 

[pete]

afaik the ombudsman will only look into complaints about government departments and semi state bodies the esb and whatnot

try

http://www.odca.ie - The Office of The Director of Consumer Affairs

or

http://www.rte.ie/tv/streetwise/ - RTE's consumer affairs programme

or

ring the sunday world and tell them you've got a ready made story for them

or

try http://www.2fm.ie/ryanshow/ (the gerry ryan show) - he might be able to get you a freebie ticket

or

just don't buy a ticket.

 

[ommo]

A Roxy Music reunion gig!!
If thats true can someone tell me the details please.
For forty quid, pricey, but I'll be there...
I'm not in Ireland at the mo, but as for Nick Cave, I'd be right in thinking that the thing is probably sold out, as did the gaity thing and the guinness brewery thing... people are buying the tickets , it's sick what MCD are doing, but people are still buying the tickets. And quite honestly if I was in ireland I'd probably buy one myself.
Im wondering though if Nick himself is aware of whats going on , which I doubt. Anyone going who might have the balls to shout up to him and tell him how much the tickets cost... He dosent strike me as the type of guy who would stand for that kind of behaviour from MCD. anyone who saw the documentary movie "The road to god know's where" might agree with me.
Just a thought...

 

[Anthony]

The problem with boycotting the gig is that music is an emotional thing and when you're a fan sitting at home or outside a venue when some music you love is in the same town is just not an option. I'm not just talking about Nick Cave here although it is a good example. I've seen Nick do spoken word and the baby gig in the gaeity. To see a full Bad seeds gig is something a lot of people will just not want to miss. 'self included. What's my point? oh yea , we're screwed. We're being completely taken advantage of and we know it.

So for now it looks like buying a mad priced ticket but try to make a stink about it sounds like a good idea. See pete's suggestions above. Let's get emailin'

 

[nj]

please everyone click on keerors link and email this one of many wankers associated with MCD,it probably won't make a difference but it could.

 

[Anthony]

There's also a feedback section on the MCD website. It gives loads of fields to fill in. I just had a wee rant. Couldn't resist filling in the "who would you like to see play?" field though. That was probably stupid of me.

 

[pete]

http://www.mcd.ie/ubb/Forum22/HTML/000005.html

probly be gone tomorrow - after 6pm seems to be a popular time to post to the MCD board

 

[pete]

Re: the MCD feedback thing - i really don't think they'll pay any attention. I know I wouldn't

So, in advance of the link i just posted being deleted tomorrow morning, here's a screenshot. p247 - get writing to the irish times

 

[pete]

Dublin, Sunday 4th March 2001.

The Live Entertainment Industry Association, represented by Aiken Promotions, The Point Theatre, MCD and Ticketmaster, is taking the threat of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease very seriously. The Association is in ongoing contact with the relevant government authorities, specifically the OPW and the Department of Agriculture and is taking their advice regarding preventative procedures.

All scheduled events are proceeding as planned and the Association’s venues have implemented stringent disinfectant procedures, in accordance with the preventative procedures set down by the Department of Agriculture. This will entail the placement of disinfectant mats at all venue entry/exit points and spraying of cars and buses in car parks controlled by the Association’s venues.

The Live Entertainment Industry Association will continue to act responsibly and maintain close consultation with the relevant authorities. Should this situation change in any way, a further statement by the Association will be issued.

 

[Keeror]

I got a reply from Niall Muckian of MCD:
"The Brixton Academy holds 4500 people while the Olympia holds 1600 and Nick Cave needs to generate this fee to cover his overheads. The alternative was to play the Point which isn't suited".

So it's all the bands fault. I knew it.
Except....
how come the Bad Seeds are playing the Glasgow Barrowands (capacity 1900) for Stg£17.50 (IR£21.62) i.e. two thirds the price of the cheapest ticket in Dublin?
And has it not always been the case since time immemorial that the bigger the venue, the more the tickets cost? By Niall Muckian's twisted logic, U2 at Slane should cost aout 50p in, whereas Oxes at Whelan's should cost £100.
And also, Darragh Purcell claims that the "industry standard" is for headlining artists to take 80% of profit from gigs - they don't work off fixed fee guarantees, oh no - so how can Nick Cave demand a particular fee to "cover his overheads"?(what overheads? a Pink Floyd style light show? A Pete Frampton style inflatable pig?)
[Aside: this 80% "standard" is why poor MCD can't afford to pay support acts properly]

So MCD, please stop lying to us. Or at least get all your employees to tell the same lies.

 

[Keeror]

Notes for anyone wishing to send mad cranky emails:

Streetwise is off the air at the moment, so they can't do anything for now, but they recommend you contact the European Consumer Centre on 01 8090600 or at [email protected]

Mute don't have anything to do with concerts, generally, but they will pass on your messages to both the Bad Seeds' management and MCD. So be careful what you say about Mr. Purcell when contacting them.

 

[Keeror]

http://www.odca.ie - The Office of The Director of Consumer Affairs

This just in from Carmel Foley, Director of Consumer Affairs:
"We will be glad to examine the matter.
Thank you for bringing it to our attention".


This is fun, isn't it?

 

[pete]

Don't you have any WORK to be doing?

 

[Lolo]

ommo (03 Mar, 2001 12:50 a.m.):
A Roxy Music reunion gig!!
If thats true can someone tell me the details please.
For forty quid, pricey, but I'll be there...

It's in the Point on June 8th, and no, Brian Eno's not playing with them. I'm going - I guess that makes me a bourgeois nouveau riche bastard. It also makes me a hypocrite, seeing as I'm not going to Nick Cave in protest at the price. But.... Roxy Music haven't played together since well before my gig-going days, and it's not as if they're betraying their alternative roots, 'cause they don't have any. That's my excuse anyway. It's the most I've ever paid for a gig by far, and I won't be doing it again in a hurry.

By the way, if Thumped readers are only familiar with Roxy Music's 80s AOR hits, check out their first 4 albums form the 70s. It ain't exacly punk rock, but they were an influence on the early punk scene.

Also, Nasdaq on Wexford Street attracts more people from the nearby council flats than nouveau rich bourgeois bastards (like me).

 

[Vinnie]

But won't Roxy Music be doing a Greatest Hits package and generally avoiding all the Eno stuff? They might even do some Ferry solo stuff (Ugh!!!).

 

[Vinnie]

Also, why don't people make the MCD Bulletin Board Administrator's life a little more difficult by following the link Pete provided above and getting some constructive yet mischievous debate going? It could be a lorra lorra fun........