Like tens of thousands of you, I sought to buy Rage Against The Machine tickets on Thursday. But unlike most of you, I succeeded. And no, this post is not to brag, or even celebrate seeing the most influential band on my life, its to address the "scalper" issue and every last whining voice blaming the scalpers for missing out.
Know Your Enemy
A quick check to eBay will show several tickets going at incredibly inflated prices. And I'm sure most of you will realise that most of them are joke bids. There is no-one in their right mind who is going to pay $4000 a ticket to see a band (maybe there are some who are truly out of their minds), and the panic about missing out it seems is causing otherwise sane people to still spend several hundred dollars to scalpers just in case its their only chance. But here is the simple truth.
* Scalped tickets made up a very small percentage of the total tickets sold
Its true. There were ~20,000 tickets sold in the space of 5 minutes. And how many of them are up on eBay. Would be surprised if 1,000 of the total will be scalped in the end. If 1,000 tickets are scalped, that is still only 5% of the total number sold and almost everyone you see at the gig will be a legitimate patron who bought the tickets with their hard earned money without dealing with the scalper scum.
* Even without scalpers you still would have missed out
Unless you were the first in line not to receive a ticket or you logged onto Ticketmaster at 9:01, there really would have been no difference in the outcome of your venture. Just one less person to blame for failure. (to those who had tickets online which the system screwed up on, you can blame Ticketmaster)
* The real reason you missed out was because demand far outstripped supply
Its a hard truth to swallow, but its a grim reality you must face. 12,500 tickets to Sydney and 7,500 tickets to Melbourne was no-one near enough to keep everyone satisfied. My guess is the BDO is going to sell out in record time and well so be ready for a shitfight for tickets. RATM are just that popular. There was a reason people camped out for 34 hours you know.
Calm Like A Bomb
For the record I think scalpers are scum. Seeing people who exploit the desperation of others is just a horrendous thing to do. Opportunistic to no end, its akin to rubbing salt into an already gaping wound. As we move into a digital age where the practice becomes easier, more anonymous and incredibly profitable, there is a growing need to stamp out this practice.
I can see why there is such an outrage off scalpers. When they can get away with charging 5 times the cost price, there is going to be that gut-wrenching reaction. Its ripping people off plain and simple. Now in a capitalist society that is fine to do (and I won't delve into the irony of RATM tickets being auctioned off), though there is a reason why it feels so wrong. There is no regulation, there is a huge profit margin - which retail stores could only dream of passing onto the consumer.
Now I'm one of those people who would pay hundreds to see RATM. Love the band, absolutely worship Tom Morello, and if the money went to them, or to a charity, or to any real cause, I'd gladly pay a huge amount. But when 80% of the cost is taken by some retard profiteering of other peoples hard work, there is no satisfaction in it. Anyone who paid a scalper is paying dirty money. And anyone who complains about scalping while purchasing tickets at well above cost price should shut the fuck up because you are the people who are keeping their business afloat.
Take The Power Back
Now here comes my pathetic attempt to act positive and offer some solution, as we all need some hope in these supposedly dark times. So here are my suggestions for ways to stop this scourge on the concert goer. Please try these options before bitching about the practice anonymously on the Internet.
* Complain to your local member
Occasionally we should remember that we live in a democratic society, one where there are rules which we need to abide by. It doesn't have to be "fuck the system" to get the social justice that RATM promotes in its music, because if there is one thing I have learnt from the religious right, its that if you decide to play the game, you can use the system very well. Talk to your local member, complain about how in a time where it was made illegal to scalp ashes tickets that it wasn't made illegal to scalp concert tickets. Complain of eBay profiteering, complain of lack of regulation, complain of people ripping fellow Aussies off. There are 2 levels of government to try, as well as potential candidates looking for your vote in an impending federal election...
* Contact the promoters directly
Not all promoters are evil and there are some who are actively taking a stand against scalping. The people who run the BDO (and are promoting RATM) took a massive stand last year, only for eBay to turn around and sue. So there are promoters on our side. But its not enough for one or two to go at it alone. Alert as many promoters as possible, raise your concerns, make sure they understand how bad the practice is. Tbh, I don't think this method would achieve anything but it needed to be said.
* Place fake bids on eBay
Sounds nice in theory, register an account, put a huge bid to inflate the price beyond anyone buying it, wait for auction to end, scalper relists, process gets repeated, in the end the scalper offers it cheap so you stop harassing them. In reality its a minor distraction and way more effort than its worth. Channel your anger and frustration some other way, something far more useful instead of just trying to band-aid the problem.
* Don't buy from scalpers
Ok, we exhausted all proper channels, now its time for the people power social justice channel all you young RATM idealists have been waiting for. Its a very simple concept really, just don't buy off scalpers unless they sell it at cost price. If people stopped paying a premium on tickets for these whores to sell to you, they could no longer turn tricks for money. If you know anyone who pays a scalper, make sure they know that they are dealing with scum. Avoid them at all costs yourself, even if you miss out to your favourite band, don't pay the premium. Its dirty, that ticket has been tainted with the bad blood. Now if only those anti-piracy ads could be extended to scalping "Scalping causes terrorism"... Nothing like moral panic to stop a practice.
Unfortunately that method requires restraint from everyone, and that is the problem in the first place. So in the end, the is no easy solution, just a series of diversions that may stop the practice. We can't rely on the government to step in and make it all better, bunch of bureaucratic bastards waiting for re-election so they can keep cashing their six-figure salaries. We can't rely on promoters, as they have to work within the confines of the system. We can't rely on each other either, as we keep paying huge amounts for tickets to whores.
I'd be interested in hearing ideas for what can be done, but I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR THE REASON WHY YOU MISSED OUT WAS SCALPERS. You missed out plain and simple because there weren't enough tickets to go around. See RATM at the BDO, their set will probably be the same, they aren't The Cure after all.
Sunday, 30 September 2007
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
NIN @ Sydney, September 2007
Like everyone else, I was absolutely pissed off when Trent postponed the gigs in May, it was going to take a mammoth effort from the band to make up for that delay...
...and boy did they deliver!
Saturday 15/09 @ Luna Park
Luna Park isn't my favourite venue in Sydney, it really has no personality at all, not to mention it can sound terrible if not mixed right. The White Rose Movement really did sound terrible on the night, and it was not helped by the singers microphone technique. Decided to hang outside until Nine Inch Nails graced the stage. It was interesting seeing the crowd and there were a couple of "holy shit" moments, especially the obese goths wearing skirts and showing as much of their huge cleavage as possible, and the 30somethings in fishnet stockings.
Anyway to the show...
Positioned myself right in the middle about halfway back from the stage, turned out to be a great vantage point. Hyperpower was a solid opener, The Beginning Of The End sounded great, and the crowd just went off when Last began. It was a nice moment during March Of The Pigs when Trent apologised "And doesn't it make you feel better? I feel a lot better now, sorry for the delay", the track being as brutal as it was performed on Halo 17.
Apart from the always haunting Something I Can Never Have, the set kept its brutal intensity for the first hour, with strobe lights during Closer adding to the visual mystique. With the conclusion of Gave Up, the metal grid lowered and laptops were brought out for what I can only describe as "Kraftwerk gone wrong". The two Year Zero tracks came off surprisingly well live and the visual backdrop was just intense. Hearing Eraser live was just sublime, its even more intense than on the CD (if that is possible). And what they have done with Only live sounds really cool.
After the screen ascended, the show continued in much the same way as before. The inclusion of Down In It was a great surprise, as was the only two tracks played off The Fragile - No, You Don't! and The Day The World Went Away. Finishing with Hurt was a nice touch and the screen behind him was surreal.
Technical: Technically the show sounded and looked great. Very stripped back production, but still had a lot going for it visually. And aurally, they got every little bit of acoustic they could from the venue. Songs sounded fantastic, they have a real edge live that is missing on the CDs. Aaron North especially has really contributed a hell of a lot to the NIN live sound.
Performance: Performance wise, it seemed a little flat. Apart from Trent's enthusiasm, they all looked quite tired and seemed to be just going through the motions. There was still that energy, just not as much as you would expect from a NIN performance; Jeordie White seemed especially lethargic. Trent talking to the audience was great, talking about the bandmembers futures was a nice thing to do (though I was unaware at the time that this would be their 3rd last show together ever)
So in the end, it was a great show, I rate it on par with their Sydney gig in 05. Last and Eraser made my night and everything else was just icing on an already very sweet cake... Now onto Sunday
Sunday 16/09 @ Hordern
I don't think I've ever seen a band twice in 2 days where the 2nd day was better than the first. Then again, I had never seen NIN live twice... There was something different about the Sunday show, more energy in the performers, a bigger venue and crowd, everything just seemed to click.
Watched White Rose Movement this time, their sound was a lot better than the night before. Didn't blow me away but I did enjoy it on a certain level. They are the kind of band I'd watch during the day at a festival.
Even though the Hordern is essentially a Cowshed with speakers, it is a much nicer venue than the Big Top. Decided to go seated and watch rather than jump around which was a good decision, though I did feel the urge to mosh during a few tracks.
Same opening as last time, Heresy instead of Last was a worthy replacement. The Frail / The Wretched instead of Something I Can Never Have was also a great choice. Ruiner being played after Closer made my night, absolutely love that track. Also had Terrible Lie, Piggy and Reptile to add variation to the Saturday set. And I never thought there would have been a point in my life where I was so happy to hear Starfuckers, Inc. What a great way to finish the show, especially seeing it was here 2 years ago where we fucked up the clapping. Trent exercising his demons perhaps?
During The Day The World Went Away I shed a tear at Aaron North's guitar work as the realisation hit me that I wouldn't be hearing it again.
Technical: It was very much the same as the night before, though early in the performance the keyboards were a little down in the overall mix. Aside from that, no complaints about the visual or audacity of the gig.
Performance: A big improvement on the night before. Aaron and Jeordie were both a lot more energised, Aaron was everywhere, doing his moves. A highlight was him smashing his guitar right at the start of Head Like A Hole, then not being able to get a new one because of his vocal duties. Everything just seemed on about this gig, Josh Freese was at his technical best, and the little I could see of him, he was really putting on a show behind the drums.
Leaving the show I was lost for words. There weren't any adequate superlatives to describe what I had just witnessed. Possibly the best gig experience of my life. Amazing, just amazing.
Setlists
Saturday: (In order)
Hyperpower
The Beginning Of The End
Last
Sin
March Of The Pigs
Something I Can Never Have
Closer (The Only Time)
Survivalism
Burn
Gave Up
Me I'm Not
The Great Destroyer
Eraser
Only
Wish
The Good Soldier
No, You Don't!
Suck
The Day The World Went Away
Dead Souls
Down In It
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like A Hole
Hurt
Sunday: (In order)
Hyperpower
The Beginning Of The End
Heresy
Terrible Lie
March Of The Pigs
The Frail / The Wretched
Closer (The Only Time)
Ruiner
Survivalism
Gave Up
Me I'm Not
The Great Destroyer
Eraser
Only
Wish
The Good Soldier
Reptile
Piggy
No, You Don't!
The Day The World Went Away
Hurt
The Hand That Feeds
Starfuckers Inc.
Head Like A Hole
...and boy did they deliver!
Saturday 15/09 @ Luna Park
Luna Park isn't my favourite venue in Sydney, it really has no personality at all, not to mention it can sound terrible if not mixed right. The White Rose Movement really did sound terrible on the night, and it was not helped by the singers microphone technique. Decided to hang outside until Nine Inch Nails graced the stage. It was interesting seeing the crowd and there were a couple of "holy shit" moments, especially the obese goths wearing skirts and showing as much of their huge cleavage as possible, and the 30somethings in fishnet stockings.
Anyway to the show...
Positioned myself right in the middle about halfway back from the stage, turned out to be a great vantage point. Hyperpower was a solid opener, The Beginning Of The End sounded great, and the crowd just went off when Last began. It was a nice moment during March Of The Pigs when Trent apologised "And doesn't it make you feel better? I feel a lot better now, sorry for the delay", the track being as brutal as it was performed on Halo 17.
Apart from the always haunting Something I Can Never Have, the set kept its brutal intensity for the first hour, with strobe lights during Closer adding to the visual mystique. With the conclusion of Gave Up, the metal grid lowered and laptops were brought out for what I can only describe as "Kraftwerk gone wrong". The two Year Zero tracks came off surprisingly well live and the visual backdrop was just intense. Hearing Eraser live was just sublime, its even more intense than on the CD (if that is possible). And what they have done with Only live sounds really cool.
After the screen ascended, the show continued in much the same way as before. The inclusion of Down In It was a great surprise, as was the only two tracks played off The Fragile - No, You Don't! and The Day The World Went Away. Finishing with Hurt was a nice touch and the screen behind him was surreal.
Technical: Technically the show sounded and looked great. Very stripped back production, but still had a lot going for it visually. And aurally, they got every little bit of acoustic they could from the venue. Songs sounded fantastic, they have a real edge live that is missing on the CDs. Aaron North especially has really contributed a hell of a lot to the NIN live sound.
Performance: Performance wise, it seemed a little flat. Apart from Trent's enthusiasm, they all looked quite tired and seemed to be just going through the motions. There was still that energy, just not as much as you would expect from a NIN performance; Jeordie White seemed especially lethargic. Trent talking to the audience was great, talking about the bandmembers futures was a nice thing to do (though I was unaware at the time that this would be their 3rd last show together ever)
So in the end, it was a great show, I rate it on par with their Sydney gig in 05. Last and Eraser made my night and everything else was just icing on an already very sweet cake... Now onto Sunday
Sunday 16/09 @ Hordern
I don't think I've ever seen a band twice in 2 days where the 2nd day was better than the first. Then again, I had never seen NIN live twice... There was something different about the Sunday show, more energy in the performers, a bigger venue and crowd, everything just seemed to click.
Watched White Rose Movement this time, their sound was a lot better than the night before. Didn't blow me away but I did enjoy it on a certain level. They are the kind of band I'd watch during the day at a festival.
Even though the Hordern is essentially a Cowshed with speakers, it is a much nicer venue than the Big Top. Decided to go seated and watch rather than jump around which was a good decision, though I did feel the urge to mosh during a few tracks.
Same opening as last time, Heresy instead of Last was a worthy replacement. The Frail / The Wretched instead of Something I Can Never Have was also a great choice. Ruiner being played after Closer made my night, absolutely love that track. Also had Terrible Lie, Piggy and Reptile to add variation to the Saturday set. And I never thought there would have been a point in my life where I was so happy to hear Starfuckers, Inc. What a great way to finish the show, especially seeing it was here 2 years ago where we fucked up the clapping. Trent exercising his demons perhaps?
During The Day The World Went Away I shed a tear at Aaron North's guitar work as the realisation hit me that I wouldn't be hearing it again.
Technical: It was very much the same as the night before, though early in the performance the keyboards were a little down in the overall mix. Aside from that, no complaints about the visual or audacity of the gig.
Performance: A big improvement on the night before. Aaron and Jeordie were both a lot more energised, Aaron was everywhere, doing his moves. A highlight was him smashing his guitar right at the start of Head Like A Hole, then not being able to get a new one because of his vocal duties. Everything just seemed on about this gig, Josh Freese was at his technical best, and the little I could see of him, he was really putting on a show behind the drums.
Leaving the show I was lost for words. There weren't any adequate superlatives to describe what I had just witnessed. Possibly the best gig experience of my life. Amazing, just amazing.
Setlists
Saturday: (In order)
Hyperpower
The Beginning Of The End
Last
Sin
March Of The Pigs
Something I Can Never Have
Closer (The Only Time)
Survivalism
Burn
Gave Up
Me I'm Not
The Great Destroyer
Eraser
Only
Wish
The Good Soldier
No, You Don't!
Suck
The Day The World Went Away
Dead Souls
Down In It
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like A Hole
Hurt
Sunday: (In order)
Hyperpower
The Beginning Of The End
Heresy
Terrible Lie
March Of The Pigs
The Frail / The Wretched
Closer (The Only Time)
Ruiner
Survivalism
Gave Up
Me I'm Not
The Great Destroyer
Eraser
Only
Wish
The Good Soldier
Reptile
Piggy
No, You Don't!
The Day The World Went Away
Hurt
The Hand That Feeds
Starfuckers Inc.
Head Like A Hole
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