Is live music becoming an exclusive art form that only the wealthy can afford?
As if things weren’t descending into economic crisis already, with many households having to make the ridiculous choice between food and heating this winter, it looks like our future enjoyment of live music is also in jeopardy.
The news came in this week that the highly-sought after tickets to Glastonbury would be the recipient of an eye-watering price hike. The last time tickets to the festival were on sale was back in 2019 and cost £270, including the booking fee. The tickets for next year’s festival have now been confirmed to cost £340, including the booking fee.
While discussing the rise in prices, festival organiser, Emily Eavis, took to Twitter to write, “I wanted to post about the 2023 Glastonbury ticket price, which was announced today. We have tried very hard to minimise the increase in price on the ticket, but we’re facing enormous rises in the costs of running this vast show while still recovering from the huge financial impact of two years without a festival because of COVID.”
Eavis added, “In these incredibly challenging times, we want to continue to bring you the best show in the world and provide our charities with funds which are more vital than ever. We are, as always, hugely appreciative of your ongoing support.”
Yet Glastonbury tickets were not the only releases to raise eyebrows in the past year. The excitement began to bubble to a head when Arctic Monkeys announced a UK tour in support of their new album, The Car. However, that excitement quickly cooled back down to a simmer when the cost of seeing the Sheffield four-piece at the Emirates Stadium in London was revealed to be £85 plus the booking fee.
It’s a strange set of circumstances to be in. Music in Britain is of great importance to its public, yet how can anyone justify seeing Arctic Monkeys for the price of two weeks’ worth of shopping, especially considering the current economic crisis? What’s even more of a kick in the teeth is the fact that several of our favourite bands are reportedly from humble roots. Arctic Monkeys are one for sure, as is the so-called ‘Boss’, Bruce Springsteen, who has recently been on the tail end of a backlash over his radio silence concerning the re-selling of his tickets on Viagogo and other ticket-tout websites.
The primary reasons for the increase in ticket prices are more than understood. Firstly is the natural inflation that occurs over time. I caught Arctic Monkeys back in 2009 for around £25, the time when you could get on the bus for a quid and buy a sausage roll for less than that. The consequence of inflation is that everything costs more, including touring itself. Crew demand more payment, rigging and lighting cost more to set up, etc. It means some of the biggest names in music are currently running close to the red line when they hit the road.
What’s more, artists are not making half as much from streams on YouTube and Spotify as they were from selling physical singles and records during the header days of on-the-road performances. However, perhaps the expectation of being wealthy due to being popular remains, so the ‘losses’ of streaming revenue are subsequently transferred over to ticket and merchandise prices.
But back to the real issue at hand, this glaring consequence is that working-class people are no longer able to see their favourite bands and artists play live anymore. This also results in an utterly dead atmosphere at concerts, with audiences comprised of the affluent elite who only went to the show either because someone from the office was giving away tickets or perhaps because they liked one of the tunes that were featured in the latest Netflix series.
In the pre-recording age of music, only the upper echelons of society could see live orchestral music performed in bespoke concert halls. This is the tragic reality that is beginning to face us now. The working class of the bygone era enjoyed the music of the people, that of the honest folk, and listened to traditional songs sung beside the fireplace in the pub.
Yet perhaps that ought to be where the future of live music heads. Rather than pay Ticketmaster their now widely-accepted booking fee, why not go to the local pub, see a band for free, and then buy them a drink in gratitude? Why not join in unity instead of paying through the nose for an experience that is quickly becoming a sheer mockery of fans, with a phone ridden obscured view of the stage? Because it does not look like things will return to any semblance of affordability any time soon.
