It appears that you can add Bon Jovi to the list of artists scalping tickets to their own shows for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars above face value. The New Jersey-bred band, headed by heartthrob Jon Bon Jovi, is currently on tour supporting its top-selling album “Lost Highway.”
TicketNews discovered that within minutes of tickets going on sale this month on Ticketmaster.comfor several Bon Jovi shows, tickets that had not been made available to the public originally were posted on Ticketmaster’s TicketExchange website, often for exorbitant prices. Bon Jovi’s current tour has been a top seller overall, but the band struggled a bit when it tried to sell out a 10-date residency at the new Prudential Center in their home state. Those shows eventually sold out.
Bon Jovi joins Van Halen and other artists in the ticket scalping game as a way of maximizing revenues on their current tour. Band, promoters and venues are now routinely withholding blocks of premium tickets from fans, which they later resell at significantly higher prices through various means, such as StubHub!, fan sites, Ticketmaster or auction sites.
They typically get away with it because the identity of the reseller is not always obvious, but they also face a potential firestorm, as in case of the wildly popular Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus tour, if fans believe they are being duped.
Bon Jovi’s publicist, Rob Shuter of Dan Klores Communications, did not reply a message seeking comment.
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The NJ shows didn’t sell out; a lot of the tickets that had been held back for auctions and the like got dumped back onto Ticketmaster in the week prior to the shows, and fans were able to get even first row in some cases the day before the show.
The Bon Jovi fan club is also participating in the scalping game; tickets are routinely sold at higher prices than the same ticket would cost through Ticketmaster.
You might find these articles interesting:
http://www.antimusic.com/news/07/oct/18Bon_Jovi_Give_Fan_Clubs_a_Bad_Name.shtml
http://www.antimusic.com/biz/07/BonJovigreed.shtml
I was disgusted @ the Bon Jovi/Ticketmaster ploy to gain thousands extra out of fans. When they announced they were opening the O2, London in June 2006, they had suggested they were not going to be touring with the Lost Highway Album. I logged onto the Ticketmaster site a few mins B$ the tickets were due to go on sale & @ 0900 tired to but 2 tickets anywhere in the arena, I was told none were available, it was 0901 by this time. Apparently they sold out in 30 seconds, I just assumed this was ’cause it was the only gig they had planned in Europe with this album. The followig day I tried, just on the off chance some cards had been declined, or some sales had not gone through. I was offered 2 tickets @ £350.00 each on the Ticketmaster site, not the auction site. The reason cited for the price hike was pre-concert drinks @ the Savoy & a cruise straight to the arena. The cocktails were not @ the Savoy, the craft sliped from the Savoy pier, not quite what we expected! I live in Scotland & as this was the day B4 Wimbledon started & Greenwich is v close to Wimbledon flight & train prices were many times more expensive than normal & accom was @ a premium. A few weeks after the tickets had gone on sale they announced on American Idol that they were starting a world tour in Jan 2007. I’m going 2 c them in Glasgow in June & the tickets cost about £35. I feel the band/Ticketmaster have been less than honest with their loyal fans. Jon regularly says he knows fans pay up to a couple of days wages for tickets so he will never shortchange them. I reckon the O2 trip set me back £1500($3000US). I earn a decent wage but that is certainly more than 2 days. If they had said they would tour the following year I wold never have shelled out that sort of money. I really think they misled the fans.
This goes along with Jons new ploy to run for polics. He’s already corrupt!!! THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS ACCUSATION I HAVE EVER HEARD! GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGT!
1. You do realise that the article you have issues with was written BEFORE the 2008 (and later 2007) shows were even announced, let alone put on sale? What else could he compare the prices to other than the NJ shows? Not to mention, why exactly should a run of 10 shows at the same venue, in the band’s backyard no less, cost more than regular tour tickets anyway? They haven’t in the past! When the band played at the famous Shepherd’s Bush Empire venue in London in 2002, a venue which holds less than 2000 people, the tickets were CHEAPER than the subsequent tour.
2. Bon Jovi charged $125 per ticket in the summer of 2006… with fees on top. Tickets went up 45% over the course of six months? Proves the guy’s point wouldn’t you say?
3. I may not like Barry Manilow, Celine Dion or Rod Stewart, but I’d place them at a higher level than Bon Jovi, so you’re not comparing like for like there when trying to prove your point. I only see two dates for Rod Stewart on Ticketmaster too, both at the same venue, so shouldn’t they also be considered “special events” where the pricing is to be ignored, just like you say about the NJ shows?
look everybody, unless your blind, stupid or just have too much money to spend on tickets, fine. but this stuff has been going on for the longest time, the days of purchasing tickets for 50.00 gen admin. are gone thanx to corp. record companies, mp3 downloads, poor record sales, etc. these people have to make their money somehow, so they’re gonna rape us, the fans. sad .
THATS ******** CUZ I SCALPED 3RD ROW FOR 5 NIGHTS FOR A $100 EACH NIGHT.
cAN’T FIND ANY DIRT ON jON OR THE BAND SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE **** UP. SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well let me reply to this for jbjfan80.
1. Ok Bon Jovi’s 2008 tour wasn’t listed yet, but still if you’re gonna do a comparison to bands who did concerts back in 2004/2005, then you should compare them to the Bon Jovi concerts back then also. That’s like comparing the cost of a football game now to 3/4 years ago (which even they have gone up. I also agree with jbjfan80 about the prudential concerts. This was a grand opening, they didn’t ask to play there, they were asked, prudential had alot to do with the pricing also. In your comparison to the concert in London, the size of the stadium really doesn’t determine the cost of the tickets.
2. I’m not for sure what concerts you are talking about, for I went to several concerts including when they ended in New Jersey and they were all the same price.
3.I happen to like Celine Dion and Rod Stewart but I still wouldn’t put them at a higher level than Bon Jovi. I guess it comes down to taste on that. But still they are charging this amount for concerts and they are alot more higher than Bon Jovi’s. So in the end it’s all the same. Also just because only one or two concerts were listed doesn’t make it a special event, like the grand opening of the Prudential Center.
Those comments are very accurate. More and more bands are scalping their own tickets, holding back the best tickets and misleading the public while trying to but the blame on brokers.
What I’m getting at is this..
1. being that he is comparing the Prudential concerts to other bands concerts in the past….for the Prudential concerts was not an actual tour concert..it was a special event. The actual tour concert tickets are alot less.
2. the writer keeps comparing about Bon Jovi’s prices compared to concerts that were 3/4 years ago…where if he’s going to say what Prince tickets cost back in 2004…then he should compare it what Bon Jovi tickets were back then also…..which was this….
2003…Bon Jovi….$67.50
2004…Prince……$75.00
2006…Bon Jovi….$86.50
now when you look at it this way…Bon Jovi isn’t higher than Prince..but pretty well right with them.
3. The writer said Bon Jovi is one of the highest priced concerts right now..but here is a list 8 concerts for 2008…..
Bruce Springsteen….$95.00
Dolly Parton……..$100.00
Toby Keith……….$115.00
Bon Jovi…………$129.50
Van Halen………..$149.50
Barry Manilow…….$175.00
Celine Dion………$185.00
Rod Stewart………$300.00
So as you can see what bothers me is that the writer is comparing a Bon Jovi special event promotion prices to other artists regular concert dates..instead of taking the actual Bon Jovi 2008 concert tour prices and at the same ime…comparing those prices to a Prince concert back in 2004. If he would of been true to his story..he would of compared the right prices and right dates together and then would of seen that for 1 Bon Jovi ticket prices pretty well match Prince ticket prices and at the same time that in 2008 prices yes Bon Jovi has gone up…but there are alot of other artists that charge a whole lot more than they do.
Well in regards to the second link mentioned above….the writer keeps comparing the Newark Prudential concerts to bands that played 2-3 years ago. Now if the writer would of actually checked into it..he/she would of realized that for 1 those prices at the prudential concerts were a special grand opening thing…not the actual concert prices of the actual tours. And secondly back in 2004 and 2005 (as he had mentioned for U2 and another band) Bon Jovi concert tickets were about the same price as theirs. It’s ridiculus for someone to compare ticket prices from bands that played 2/3 years ago to what Bon Jovi is playing now…everything in life has gone up…it’s called inflation..time to stop living in the past and get into the present time.
Also excuse me but I totally disagree with his/her comparison of Bon Jovi to Police and U2…just because they may like them better doesn’t mean the whole world agrees…for I my self would pay $1000 to see Bon Jovi…where I have never even thought about seeing these two bands…wouldn’t even put out $5 to go to one of their concerts.
After I read the article above I have a few questions…Where are the facts? It’s so easy for the media to go and write anything they want…to take a something insignificant and make it this big storyline. So before I believe anything that I read…I wanta see the facts…show me some proof. I know for a fact alot of people buy tickets (not just Bon Jovi ones either) and then sells them right away for a profit. It’s also a very well known fact that all concerts and sporting events give so many tickets to ticket agencies and then they are sold at a way higher price. Heck I myself bought tickets to a Packer football game for $250 when the actual seats were $42….but hey I wasn’t forced to do this…I chose to go through a ticket agency. I have also boughten tickets from these agencies for Bon Jovi tickets and never complained. I guess what I’m saying is that if you don’t have any proof or actual facts to stand by what you are implying…then maybe you shouldn’t be writing. I would really hate to see a two bit writer start a scandal not only with Bon Jovi but other artists and to find out that your wrong. Even minutes after buying tickets people can have them up for sale..it’s actually really easy to do and all Bon Jovi concerts had presales for certain people before they went on sale to the public. I guess what I’m saying is get the facts and proof before you start accusing someone of wrongdoing publicly….tsk tsk on you.
30% over two years? I think not. That, however, is the increase in ticket prices over two years for Bon Jovi shows. If you’re happy to be ripped off that is indeed your choice, but don’t try and justify the crazy prices with the “everything goes up” argument when the ticket prices have gone up WAY above inflation.
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http://www.datatel-networks.com/_bio_event_ticketing.htm and take a look!
I’ll be damned if I’m giving some private company my fingerprint to attend an event. I’d even pass on Journey w/Steve Perry to avoid this.