Ticketmaster and Live Nation have destroyed the concert experience. But it didn’t use to be this way. Today, Oasis and Taylor Swift tickets might go for thousands of dollars, but back in 1955, you could see Elvis Presley in concert for less than the modern-day equivalent of $20.
I saw Metaliica for around $24 in 2004. From then on, I was on every gig of theirs in my country, until this year. This year I couldn’t afford to see them. It was fucking ~$320 (without the road to the venue, hotels, food and stuff)! It’s depressing.
They weren’t exactly new at the time, but I still paid less than $20 to see both P. Funk and They Might Be Giants in the 90s.
I saw King Missile for free because they said anyone who brought a vegetarian potluck dish could come to the show for free.