Decker

Okay, two-part question :
1) What is the most money you've ever spent per ticket on a concert you've attended? (Face value or secondary market)?

2) What (hypothetically but realistically) is the most you could ever see yourself paying for a concert ticket (keeping in mind you'd probably be buying two tickets)? -- Let's try to keep it to acts that still exist and will or theoretically could still play a show together (i.e. not The Beatles)


For me :
1) I've gone as high as I think $350 for really good tickets for Billy Joel several years ago (face value) - his top ticket price has come down since then and most recently was about $200. I've bought some good but not great U2 tickets for their 2009 tour that were around $300 face I think.
*I "misremembered" the price of the Billy Joel tickets. Think I had such sticker shock about paying $350 for a pair of seats, that I later convinced myself that was the price of each ticket. U2 was actually the most expensive ticket I've purchased, I think. That or the $250 I spent on a single Rolling Stones ticket last tour.

2) I could see myself spending as much as $500 each for a pair of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band tickets if they were good. I would only go higher than that for that Led Zeppelin reunion show they had in 2009. If that had come to Vegas, I would have probably gone as high as a grand for good seats.

Jason

In before the "no show that costs more than ten bucks is worth seeing" crowd.

The most I ever paid was around $150, and I can't really see myself ever going over that again. For one thing, the number of bands that I am willing to pay arena prices to see can be counted on one hand. I did try to get the higher priced floor tickets for The Rolling Stones this summer, but that was more for investment purposes than any thought I really need to be that close to them.

Was considering the VIP package for around $350 when Rush came around on the Clockwork Angels tour but there was no guarantee of seating except "in the first fifteen rows". I found regular tickets in row 17 for right around $100 during the presale.

Why So Blu?

Back in 2004 I spent $250 for tickets to see Kiss/Poison at Irvine Meadows. We had terrific seats and it was great. This past NYE I spent $125 on Banks tickets but those were VIP (seating) and there was an all you could eat buffet along with a champagne midnight drop. I was with the GF, so it was a bit more special than just the normal GA experience.

I don't think I'll do that again, though.

islandclaws

I dropped $150 twice - once for KISS at the Pond, the other for Van Halen at the Pond, both floor seats.

The most expensive ticket I've ever received was for Rage Against the Machine at the Palladium in '09. Tix were about $400/ea. since the guy got them on Stub Hub. But he was loaded and didn't care, so he just gave me my ticket.

Mike86

I can't remember the exact amount but I want to say around $320, maybe $330 for a pair of tickets to see Conan O'Brien during his Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television tour. The seats were back a ways on the floor of a theater but the place isn't very large and most of the seating is really pretty decent. Plus it was worth it since that tour was really kind of a one off thing and it was cool to experience. Other than that I spent $153 for myself and another $99.50 for my dad to go see Paul McCartney last year. I wasn't able to get tickets together but had a ground seat.

Ky-Fi

I think I paid over $100 for Springsteen at Fenway Park a couple years ago. I had never seen him before, and am a reasonably big fan. That's extremely rare for me, though. Most of the bands I want to see are well past their commercial heyday anyways (or aren't massively popular in the first place), so virtually every show I go to is between $20-$45.

Giles

I've dropped close to $200 for a Madonna tix.

inri222

1) What is the most money you've ever spent per ticket on a concert you've attended? (Face value or secondary market)?

$75 to see Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden.

2) What (hypothetically but realistically) is the most you could ever see yourself paying for a concert ticket (keeping in mind you'd probably be buying two tickets)? -- Let's try to keep it to acts that still exist and will or theoretically could still play a show together (i.e. not The Beatles)

$100 to see The Smiths

tommyp007

I've topped out at around $100 for Prince a couple of times. That's really about my upper limit. If I were to spend $300 or more on a concert, I not only want killer seats, but I want to provide the setlist!

Mr. Flix

Paid more than $100 to see Simon and Garfunkel with my future wife. That's probably the most I'd pay to see anyone.

cdollaz

$160 for U2 on the How To Dismantle tour. We went to the venue without tix, walked up to the window, and they had just released some tickets. We pretty much had to decide on the spot so didn't have time to talk myself out of it. At least they were good seats, somewhere around the 8th to 10th row.

I don't spend more than $50 these days, so that takes me out of most of the large shows. There are plenty of club shows under $50 to keep me busy.

I've seen pretty much all the active artists that I want to see at some point, but There are a few I would probably pay $100+ to see. Talking Heads, Genesis w/Gabriel, Zep.

Chrisedge

$350 per ticket face value, plus fees for Madonna on the Confessions Tour. 2 of them.
$250 U2 at Rose Bowl in 2009

printerati

I don't think I've ever spent over $30 on a concert of any type. I don't think I would go higher than that for the venues and acts I normally go for (until $30+ becomes standard pricing, anyway), but I would probably go higher for a symphony/orchestra performance.

The Black

Paid around 130 British pounds to see Kate Bush and Led Zeppelin.

Would spend 1000 euro's for a reunion of Guns N' Roses.

Toddarino

I paid a little over 100 for Fleetwood Mac a few months ago.

I'd pay a couple hundred for David Bowie or Neil Young. If Dave Edmunds ever came back to the US I'd drop everything.

BDB

350 to see prince in a small venue. Would absolutely pay it again in a heartbeat.

I like the fact that U2 do GA tix cheap - Love that..

Mikael79

Around $100 to see Bob Dylan. That's probably the most I'd pay, since I've grown so tired of the concert experience (other fans).

mndtrp

If you want to count the VIP/Meet and Greet experience (an extra $300/2 people), $453 for Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction. Tickets were $65 a piece without the VIP.
If not, Roger Waters on The Wall tour was $294/pair.

I suppose I would consider roughly the same price for a Gilmour/Waters tour of Floyd tunes. At this point, I've seen about everyone I want to, at least artists that are still alive. Of the ones I still want to see, or would see again, they aren't charging astronomical prices. Typically around the $30 range.

The Infidel

I spent $200 not long ago for a front row ticket plus VIP package to see Barenaked Ladies, Violent Femmes, and Colin Hay this summer. That's the most I've spent, and probably the most I would ever spend. I wouldn't have done it if it was just one group or artist.

sauce07

I spent $150 for night 2 of Phish's 2003 reunion run at Hampton Colosseum. Don't regret it at all. I'm lucky that my company has a box at the Verizon Center in DC, get free tickets for shows that way. That's how I saw Roger Water's The Wall, all the seats around me went for $250. After it was over, I could definitely justify spending that much to see the show again, it's just hard to lay down that type of money up front.

Pointyskull

1) $80 - Elvis Costello @ Park West, Chicago a number of years ago. Easily one of the best shows I've ever seen - so money well spent.

2) I regret not dropping triple digits to see Roger Waters 'The Wall' tour when it came through Wrigley Field a couple of years ago. If he tours it again - no hesitation this time.

dex14

I spent about $150ish for The Stones, bucket list. I pay $115 regularly for Springsteen, have seen him 20 times. I would probably pay $200 to see Bowie. Otherwise, tickets I get are usually $45-$85ish.

Michael Corvin

I don't recall exactly, but I want to say $120-ish for Summer Sanitarium tickets.

auto

I spent $175 on Stones tix today. Crazy. I used to say I'd never see them live because they were past their prime and that was twenty years ago! Like someone mentioned, it's a bucket list concert and I'm excited.

I'd pay that much to see Bowie again.

VHS?

Most ever paid was $200 for Pink Floyd in '94