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Yesterday my partner in crime, life, mishaps and adventures, drew my attention to a Groupon offer for tickets to see the Damned play in Glasgow.
The tickets were virtually half price. So a great deal, a phantasmagorical deal for those who hadn't procured them already.
Trump would call it the biggest and best deal ever.
No better deal has ever been offered to punks anywhere.
Not so great if you were one of the good little fans who bought tickets weeks, or months, ago, as we did though.
In fact it's a bit of a kick in the teeth to be honest.
Here's your reward for a bit of fan based loyalty and support. You can pay the premium price while the johnny come lately types and the casual fan gets a sterling offer of a money saving deal.
So thank you. Thank you very much. This feels great.
Of course none of us are blind to the harsh world of economics. We understand the reasoning behind the offer, and most of us can rationalize the benefits.
More people attending an event ensures that it takes place, and the increased volume of traffic maintains the gig economy.
Both are positives, but it still feels wrong on a personal level, on an emotional level.
I can't be alone in thinking this.
Here is a band that I have seen so often that I have lost count long ago, a band that I own every studio release of, a band that I have thrown cash at over the years for merchandise, and a band that I have paid virtually double to see in comparison to a chunk of those who will ultimately attend the gig.
Again, thank you. My heart is bursting with joy as I typed that out.
Of course I used the handy link the site provided and shared the offer with everyone that I thought would have a passing interest in the gig.
I'm not a cnut.
Keeping it a secret would have been churlish.
Just because we lost out on a deal doesn't mean we shouldn't get the word out, but this isn't a situation that has put a smile on my face.
My wallet is of course extremely unhappy with the offer too.
It's not as if my finances are in rude health. I'm sure others will commiserate.
Anyway, hopefully this doesn't set a precedent in punk circles. That's the bigger picture problem.
For the positives mentioned there are also negatives.
The main one being that punk music lovers start to hang about until the last minute before committing to a gig in the hope that they get a better deal.
With this then resulting in gigs being pulled due to the perception that there is a lack of interest in the show.
Not so great when you think about that is it?
Basically I don't consider live gigs to be the same as a lastminute.com offer on a hotel room, or a cheap seat in the back row of a play in a theatre. Maybe that is just me. My perception of it all.
I would argue that club level diy gigs by independent promoters definitely can't follow this example and survive though.
So there is a lot to think about here. Is it a good move, or a bad one?
Still a fan, and still looking forward to the gig, and the free preshow sets from Fire Exit, Shock and Awe, The Media Whores, The Threats and The Red Eyes in Audio, but I'm not going to pretend that I am fine with this.
I'm not fine at all. I just can't be happy today.
