Had a great time at the show last night as always, but I have to spew my 5 cents... 80. Dollar. Tickets. UNBELIEVABLE. I've paid 70 dollars to see Ozzy Osbourne (twice). I've paid 70 dollars to see Pearl Jam (multiple times) and less than 80 for Our Lady Peace, for Rob Zombie, for Collective Soul, for The Chilli Peppers... The list goes on. I immediately regretted paying 80 dollars for GBS. It's waaaay too expensive. If it was any other time then GBS on St. Patty's day I wouldn't have even considered it. You know what happens when you charge 80 dollars for GBS playing in a tent? You get rows 4, 5, 6, and 7 at dead center empty... I don't think the film crew took many panning shots of that spot...

 Anyways like I said  the boys were great (as usual) and me and my friends had a great time, but the band should be ashamed for charging that much coin for a frickin show in a casino.. (The fanclub tickets were even more!)

 BTW, if anyone really wants to see some pics I'll post the ones I took before the picture nazi showed up...

signed, 

Happy broke fan.

Film crew??

I really want to see some pics please!!

Canada's best known secret.  At that price and no Juno(yet)!!

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We belong to the sea
To the waves you and me
Living in the ocean so blue
Aqua

As much as I complain about the ticket prices in Canada compared to the US for Great Big Sea, I somehow doubt they have a huge say in what the prices will be and shouldn't be attacked personally for it.

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"I see you in the front row, bouncing up and down, you're ripped and ready for a night downtown." ~ Margarita
What's wrong with a little flirtation?

Monster Tee

I absolutely disagree. I think they absolutely have say over what fans get charged for one of THEIR OWN SHOWS and they should absolutely hear that their long time fans are not happy about paying thru the nose for a concert that only cost half that price last year. (phew, that was a lot of absolutely(s)...)

You let me know when they start selling out Madison Square Garden back to back and I'll think about 80 dollars a ticket. 

I don't think you'll get many people agreeing with you here. I've paid many different prices for tickets for GBS, as well as other bands. Sometimes it does have something to do with the artist, like Sting, for whom I paid $100 for a ticket to see him 8 years ago! But the bigger the venue, the more the tickets are. Seems silly, doesn't it...'we can seat 10,000 people, let's charge more!'  The ampitheatre in Toronto is the highest priced tickets for GBS every time. I saw them 3 times in 2006 (Brantford, Toronto and Hamilton) and Toronto was the most expensive and has been the last three times we've seen them there. If it were up to the boys completely, then wouldn't they charge the same ticket price for every show? I'm not sure how it works, but I know it isn't completely up to the boys, if at all.(I doubt they're sitting around thinking of ways to rip off the fans, especially when they've recently done two free shows.) I've paid as little as $25 to see them here in St. Catharines at our wine festival and I'm paying $70 to see them at the ampitheatre. And I'm sure if they play Hamilton Place, the tickets will be at least $20 less. But it's not their doing and they shouldn't be blamed for it. Remember, they don't get ALL that money...the venue has to be paid, crew, managers, etc.

One thing I will say that I don't understand is this...over the years, I haven't thought much of U.S. ticket prices being so much less than Canadian, but now that our dollar is stronger or at par on any given day, why are we still paying more?

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

My guess on the higher ticket prices is that the tix in Canada are more because they are more well-known there. I have played as little as $10 to see GBS here. I am not counting the free shows they've played. And I thnk the most expensive tickets were $45. DOn't quote me on that. Mostly, the ticket prices here are between $30 an $40, atleast where I've been. Karen has paid much more for KISS tickets and Natalie MacMaster shows are more too now. Heck, Karen paid $120 to see Bob Dylan and she cme home very disappointed from that one due to lack of energy or audience interaction during the show. SHe said GBS has spoiled her where audience participation is concerned.

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And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

For me here in the NY area seeing GBS the tickets have been in the $25-30 range which is quite a deal because thats almost how much it costs to see a movie in NYC!! (well maybe not that much!!! lol)  A concert ticket under 50 dollars anywhere is pretty rare and I know that seeing my other favorite band The Allman Brothers tickets for them are now over $100.00. If I had to shell out $80 from time to time to see GBS,  what I consider one of the best live acts around today, I would have no problem.

 

John

Hey I paid $160 to see the frickin Eagles too but that's kindva once in a lifetime thing... I've seen GBS probably 6-7 times in the past 4-5 years (feel free to withhold all the posts of seeing them 48 times in one year or something lol), twice at Rexall which is a much bigger venue than "tent city" at the Casino... I know there are fans on here who would pay good money to follow these guys around the country and around the globe. I don't have a problem with dishing out to see an artist you truly love to see perform.. But too me, when you see 4-5 empty rows in front of the guys and you know that they're empty because the seats are over priced, it's a little disheartening... Also raises the questions of "why am I in row 8 when the 5 rows in front of me are empty?" Anyways, I thought the matter deserved a little attention and what better place to raise it?

...and no I'm not so clueless as to not realize how much work goes into a show and how each and every member of the crew must all see their share.

 To be honest, I think the fact that it was at Edmonton's largest new "money suck" also puts a bit of a bad spin on the matter with me.

But don't get me wrong, I still love my Great Big Sea!

OK, can we have less talk about ticket prices and more details about the show itself?  Pretty please?  Details, people!  Details!!  And Pictures (before the onslaught of the picture police)!  I'll take whatever ya got!

Thanks!

Kim

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live simply - love generously - care deeply - speak kindly - leave the rest to God

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24852843@N08/

 My work browser is kinda restricted so I can't post them but you can check out the link above...

Not great pics, but you get the idea.. ;)

Great shots! Thanks, labradorian! They are wearing the same clothes they wore on Friday. I hope they had time to wash them!

Anne

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And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

I'm terrible for setlists.. but it was the usuals Lukey's boat, consequence free, acoustic S.O.N.Cares, Mari Mac, When I'm up, Excursion around the bay (which I can't recall hearing too many times myself), Sean did that old Irish tune Danny Boy (is it?), ummm plus two new songs I believe which both seemed pretty catchy to me... Like I said I'm terrible for setlists... Captain Kidd, Charlie Horse, (I'm checking my Ipod for songs now...), helmethead, Patty Murphy, Old Black Rum, runaway..

Picture Nazi's for sure... lol... I didn't even bother to take my camera out of my purse... Nice pics...

Tix prices... well last Edmonton show was FREE... ya steep this time round... but heck I'll pay to see them...

I loved the show a usual... front row Murray is an excellent place to be... I mean Murray was RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!! you knew it was going to be a good show when the wine glasses and corona's came out before the boys even got on stage... lol... part of the set up!!!

They were in fine spirits that was for sure... Sean was really dancey... and seems he is every "Alberta" date... Bob well was in fine form... as always... Alan was very happy and a few times cuz he was laughing so hard had to restart verses... over and over and over again... We got Danny Boy... and as much as I don't care for that song... when it is just the Shanty man... up on stage belting and I mean belting it out .. it is amazing... then he comes down from the stage to go on the speakers and just sits there singing... very nice... very well done... We got Clearest Indication which surprised me a little... I have not heard that song in awhile... as part of the first encore... along with Murray coming on stage with the WHOLE bottle of wine... drinking it right out of the bottle... lol... I just have to say... TONIGHT is my fave song off the new album... I LOVE IT... and Walk on the Moon... They didn't do Straight from Hell and well that song I think is gonna take me some time to get use to... there is always some funny banter...  Mari Mac was one of the bes Mari Macs I have ever heard... We sang them Happy Birthday... had a sociable with that... it was great... really really great... The new CD is coming out in June and set for it to be the 24th... they will do summer festivals and start the tour in the Fall... Excellent news... and they said they will be EVERYWERE for the new tour... =) which is fab news... for everyone!!!

Chatted with Murray after the gig...

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~Is a downtown girl cuz I like waking up with my hair messed up!!!

Labradorianfarfromhome:

Had a great time at the show last night as always, but I have to spew my 5 cents... 80. Dollar. Tickets. UNBELIEVABLE. I've paid 70 dollars to see Ozzy Osbourne (twice). I've paid 70 dollars to see Pearl Jam (multiple times) and less than 80 for Our Lady Peace, for Rob Zombie, for Collective Soul, for The Chilli Peppers... The list goes on. I immediately regretted paying 80 dollars for GBS. It's waaaay too expensive. If it was any other time then GBS on St. Patty's day I wouldn't have even considered it. You know what happens when you charge 80 dollars for GBS playing in a tent? You get rows 4, 5, 6, and 7 at dead center empty... I don't think the film crew took many panning shots of that spot...

 Anyways like I said  the boys were great (as usual) and me and my friends had a great time, but the band should be ashamed for charging that much coin for a frickin show in a casino.. (The fanclub tickets were even more!)

 BTW, if anyone really wants to see some pics I'll post the ones I took before the picture nazi showed up...

signed, 

Happy broke fan.

 

This may (or may not) make you feel better... but I was one of the folks who saw them on both Friday and Saturday night before they came out to Alberta. The HoB ticket was about $40 and the Shamrockfest was $15, so that seemed like an ideal way to see them twice in a weekend. I drove down from Erie, since AC is only about 500 miles away and it still seemed reasonable. I forgot to factor in certain other things though, so my idea of a $150 weekend quickly ballooned into: 4 tanks of gas (to get from Erie -> AC -> DC -> Philly to drop off my friends and then -> Erie again) = $150.00; two nights in hotels split between 3 people and 5 people = $50.00; one meal at the HoB = $20; one meal at SRF = $12.00; drinks (I'd say they're not a necessity, but who am I kidding) for the weekend = $75.00; money to pay for respite care = $240.00.

If they ever play Erie I'd happily shell out up to $150.00 to see 'em ;o)

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"In this beautiful life there's always some sorrow... It's a double-edged knife but there's always tomorrow... It's up to you now if you sink or swim... Just keep the faith that your ship will come in..."



Wanna be my friend? C'mon over: www.myspace.com/leprrkan

Not really... lol

It's like I said, I know people will pay thru the nose to see their favorite bands sometimes and follow them to the ends of the earth... Don't ask me what I'd pay to see Pearl Jam in a venue of that size. lol But when you overcharge the masses you get empty seats and no one wants to see that... I was all pumped to try and snag fanclub tickets until I saw the 85-90 dollar ticket price. (Mind you diehard fans paying for premium fanclub tickets is a different matter..) For a casual fan like myself who has seen his share of Edmonton concerts, those tickets were just too much... Plain and simple. And I think they didn't get a packed house because of it...