Ticket prices have been widely criticized across the industry over the past year by both fans and artists. In a new interview, Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows spoke out about the hot topic and its effect on touring.
The heavy metal frontman spoke with YouTuber Bradley Hill, noting that “touring is very hard right now for bands.”
“It’s almost impossible,” Shadows said. “And you’re also having a big downturn in ticket sales right now. People have been blown out by ticket prices, because of the touring, because of the inflation, so every single thing stacks on top.”
No matter the genre, fans have felt the burn of ticket prices over the past year. Amid the use of the infamous ticketing practice known as dynamic pricing — which allows sellers to increase prices based on demand — fans have been priced-out of seeing their favorite artists live in concert.
Shadows said “you’ve got people that are very upset about what ticket prices are, which I get.”
“It’s kind of crazy to go see a couple of bands and it’s going to cost you five, six hundred bucks, or if its country artists, it’s a thousand dollars, if it’s Taylor Swift, it’s $3,200, or whatever it is,” Shadows said.
He pointed to the introduction of dynamic pricing, noting that “the reason dynamic pricing even ever got introduced is because the artist and the management said, ‘Why is the reseller making 10 [times] what the artist that’s on stage is making?”
“There’s this many tickets that will sell for this much, why aren’t we charging that much?’” Shadows continued. “And so what Ticketmaster did is they created a tool that allows artists to opt into this dynamic pricing. Now it’s very clear Ticketmaster created a tool to allow artists to opt into this. It’s not Ticketmaster just taking all the top end. It’s the artists. And artists love to hide behind Live Nation and Ticketmaster and go, ‘Oh. We had no clue. Can’t believe it.’”
| READ: ‘Dynamic Pricing’: The Infamous Practice Listed in Oxford Dictionary’s 2024 Shortlist |
The Cure’s Robert Smith spoke out about the practice earlier this year, assuring it’s “drivem by greed.” Smith also said that artists are quiet on the subject or argue that they “didn’t know” dynamic pricing would be used during their ticket sales.
“We didn’t allow dynamic pricing because it’s a scam and would disappear if every artist said, ‘I don’t want that,’” Smith said. “But most artists hide behind management. ‘Oh, we didn’t know,’ they say. They all know. If they say they do not, they’re either f***ing stupid or lying. It’s just driven by greed.”
Ticket prices are also increasing simply because artists want them to. According to Dave Brooks, senior director of live and touring for Billboard, “tours are finding out they can charge more.”
“Fans are willing to pay more for high-demand shows. They are willing to pay more for the artists that they like and want to see, and they really value that experience.”
| READ: Concert Ticket Pricing Surge Fueled by Artists, Promoters |
Springsteen even stood by the uptick in ticket prices for his tour, telling Rolling Stone that if a ticket broker is allowed to make so much money off a resale ticket, “Why shouldn’t that money go to the guys that are going to be up there sweating three hours a night for it?”
Alongside dynamic pricing, touring costs are also to-blame. Shadows delved into how much a show costs, noting that “there are crazy amounts to get 38 people on a crew that need to be there.” He urged artists to “think macro” regarding touring, considering the current climate of the industry.
“Don’t make yourself miserable,” he said. “Don’t go grind in Europe for six weeks, be away from your family, make no money, maybe lose money, and basically play the same places you played 25 years. You’ve just gotta change the mindset. You’ve gotta free yourself from that and just go, ‘Well, we don’t need that. I don’t care. We’re not doing that.’”
Avenged Sevenfold just celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2024.
The Shadows-fronted group arrived on the scene in 2001 with their debut Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, followed by their sophomore breakthrough LP Waking the Fallen, which garnered attention with “Unholy Confessions.” They continued with 2005’s City of Evil and their 2007 self-titled, featuring “Critical Acclaim,” “Almost Easy,” and “Afterlife.” The band last released Life Is But a Dream… in 2023, which included tracks “Nobody” and “Mattel.”
This year, Avenged Sevenfold is scheduled to perform alongside System of a Down at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
