MCD - Let's talk... (2 Viewers)

[RED(tape)MENACE]

From the Mogwai thread....

Originally posted by pssc
this is from the q+a section on the mogwai site:

Q: The last time I saw you in Dublin the gig was moved from the Guinness Storehouse to the Redbox at the last minute as a sign of solidarity with Guinness Employees on strike. This time around you're selling your tickets through ticketmaster and being promoted by MCD (hiss). Just wondering how you can reconcile the conflicts inherent in supporting striking workers, yet using ticketmaster and the evil nasty money grabbing scene killing mcd when there are alternatives easily available in Dublin. Things like http://www.centralticketbureau.com/ for ticketing and lots of independent promoters like u-mack (http://www.groov.ie/ultramack/) and alpharelish (http://www.alpharelish.com/). Obviously looking for and dealing with independent in it for the kids type promoters and ticket bureaus in every city you play is hassle. At the same time, you obviously do care about anti capitalist in it for the kids type stuff, which is why you changed venue at the last minute last time you played causing lots of hassle for yourself and fans. Anyway, can't wait to hear Happy Music For Happy People, and I've got a nice shiney pair of hologramed ticketmaster tickets with ridiculously ticket no.s on them on my noticeboard, so see you in the village soon. cheers, michael who broke his ticketmaster boycott for you guys

A: Hi Michael. The last time we announced an Irish show we got a pile of e-mails complaining anout MCD but when we tried to found out what they'd done wrong there was a deafening silence. MCD have always promoted our concerts in Ireland and our policy with this is to work with people who have done a good job until they stop doing so. In other places this has favoured small independent promoters but in Ireland the big guys do our shows. I don't see the an inherent conflict with supporting strikers and using a large company to promote our shows when they've done nothing wrong to our knowledge and have worked with us since day one. I did look at the sites you mentioned though and was impressed. Stuart

Now, what I'm wondering ( having never delt with MCD ) is ;
What is it that they've 'done wrong'? I'm wondering if we can figure out once and for all, just what it is that we need to hate MCD for?

 

[Latex lizzie]

I'm surprised at you ! sexy sisky just look at their ticket prices!

 

[Speed Racer]

I dunno......is it very pricey tickets? Why do they hate MCD?

 

[Latex lizzie]

..I've also heard tell of they gazumping gigs that have been put on by smaller promoters, which is crap really. Not everyone is a musician and some people get their jollies by bringing acts they like to dublin and when the corporation steps and kills it well that just aint fair..fin will change all that from the inside though! right fin ..right?

 

[thickaspigshit]

5 yoyo bookin fee on slane tickets multiplied by 80,000 is a nice little earner, when a fuckin stamp costs 50c....

I go out to buy a fuckin cd I dont have to pay an extra 3 quid just so the shop assistant bloke can pass it over the counter.

Sorry, fucks me off... Robin Koontz

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Yeah, but shit - look at the price of a pint...
It's expensive to take a shit in Dublin, never mind put on a gig.

 

[mark]

tomahawk a while ago.

tomahawk in the ambassador - 35euro
" " is a similiar sized venue in amsterdam - 12 euro.

band were getting the same amount for each gig.
mcd = greedy as far as i can see.

 

[Unclealo]

Obscene ticket prices, a monopolies over venues.. the reasons to dislike MCD are manifold...

 

[Ex-User (1487)]

there's nothing wrong with mcd. mcd is a business that's good at making money. it doesn't pretend to be anything else. it's only coz you lot like music so much that they piss you off. if yiz were all amature boxers tryin to put on yer own matches, yiz'd be gripin about whoever the main boxing promoter in ireland is... if the bands you love and want to see don't have a problem being booked by mcd, shut yer holes or give out to the bands, not mcd.

or to put it another way, mcd don't owe you anything, maybe you think certain bands do?

 

[Latex lizzie]

...ergo greed is good.

 

[Lolo]

Well, put it this way, I live in the 2nd most expensive city in the world (London - 2nd only to Tokyo, apparently) and it costs less to see the same bands over here that MCD promote in Dublin.

And on the rare occasions that prices are as high, they're for really posh venues with crystal-clear sound, courteous staff and lovely carpets that look like Stereolab album covers (alright, so that's just the Royal Festival Hall, but the Barbican and the Royal Abert Hall also have the poshness, good sound and nice staff).

 

[thickaspigshit]

tomahawk in the ambassador - 35euro
" " is a similiar sized venue in amsterdam - 12 euro

Tenacious D was the same, 35 yoyos in dublin
10 yoyos in Amsterdam. Same size gig same show (i guess)

Im not in a band, never have , never will. I agree the quality of bands is gettin really good, ive lived here for 3 years (go back home i now) and when I first came here there was no decent festivals, ppl talked about feile or whatever, slane isnt really a festival, just a one day-er with 1 half decent headliner and a couple of bands that didnt sell much (then I mean).
Hardly any big name gigs at all, but now, granted, you have a lot more high profile bands comin here, i wont name drop but you know what i mean.

My personal point is, yes the ticket prices are inflated (extortionately in some cases) but why the fuck do we have to pay a booking fee that is a relevant percentage to the ticket price, im sorry but thats shite. If a gig is around 10 to 15 you pay about 2.75, if its 20 to 30 yoyo you pays 3.50 etc etc (dont quote me on exact figures)

Do they make extra effort when they are selling more expensive gigs, do they fuck, so why should we have to pay.

Thank god for soundcellar, road....respect

 

[Pantone247]

The only gripe I have with MCD is the state of the Ambassador.

The ticket prices are expensive, and I would feel they are benefitting from a monoply, but that would hardly be a unique situation in Ireland... I'd be more pissed at Insurance companies if we're talking about busting up monopolies... but gentlemen, I digress...

It bugs me that I pay 'top dollar' to see bands in a poxy venue with dire sound. These bands (who I've seen in the Ambassador - Stereolab, TFC, Wilco, Steve Malk) tour all over Europe and, we can assume, are well capable of putting on deadly shows, but by and large I've come away underwhelmed from every show there, and largely I'd put it down to the shit venue and dire sound.

And Steve Malkamus's annoying girlfriend.... but thats another thread...

 

[Ex-User (1487)]

if that's how you interpret it...

i don't see where the confusion is. if bands care about their fans being charged insane amounts of money to see them, then they'll make an effort not to deal with people like mcd. if they don't care about this, they'll deal with whoever gives them the best offer. this will normally be mcd because of said monolopies they have over venues.

now, if people have a problem with their favourite bands working with mcd, go to the source of the problem, which is, in my opinion, the band. but the very fact that you might have a problem with this suggests that you feel in some way that the band owes you something. and maybe they do, you've bought their record after all... but maybe the band doesn't feel the same way. mcd is a business, businesses exist to make money and defeat competition. i am not condoning this, it's simply a fact.

 

[Latex lizzie]

..in light of that then (which by the way I think is a fair point) how many big bands actually have a clue that this is the case? I mean wouldn't the larger ones have accountants buisness managers to do all that for them and they just turn up and play? would most band that play in dublin be aware that ticket prices in dublin are way higher that anywhere else? maybe your on to something there lad..? again istead of moaning about it and continuning to pay the prices as with booze and everything else we could do something about it..and the likes of the ballroom and lazybird are one way till they get "bigger" if that's the plan.

 

[Ex-User (1487)]

again, if bands *cared* about this stuff, they wouldn't let it happen. it's hard work to be in a band and tour. if you were offered 2 differing amounts of money to do the job you do, what would clinch the deal for you? where the money comes from or the amount?

personally, i just wouldn't pay over 15 or 20 blips to see a band, ever. it's not worth it. the band might be amazing but i'd be insulted if a band was happy to let me pay a stupid amount of money to see them. i'd see it as them taking the piss or just not giving a fuck either way.

 

[Latex lizzie]

..they are really good principles. And I mean that. If everyone could do that there wouldn't be ticket prices the way they are now. Problem is therer are loads of people with tons of tiger cash who do give a shit about fairness and spent whatever on ticket prices no matter how insane. I used to go to gigs all the time when I was younger..international act like..but I can remember when I went to something "big". local acts(and stuff that people have brought from other countries on a shoestring) are more fun anyhow.

 

[snakybus]

McD:
if it's too pricey you can always go for the value meal

you pinkoes are lucky you've got music at all

back in my day it was No Sweat or Smokie. ah the choices

 

[Ex-User (1487)]

THE TRUTH.

Originally posted by Latex lizzie
local acts (and stuff that people have brought from other countries on a shoestring) are more fun anyhow.

 

[Rimbaud]

Black Dice gig next Friday is an MCD gig - how much are the ticks. for that then??
The first time i heard of people hating MCD - i thought they were on about disliking Murder City Devils...oh how i laughed.

Hate is such a strong word though...(strongly disapprove maybe?)