Edit: Oops, I’m an idiot. Coldplay is apparently having various people front for them across the US and I read Elbow to be at the beginning of the journey not the end, so it actually be Snow Patrol opening for Coldplay in Detroit, not Elbow. Either way, Snow Patrol is terrible in concert and still does not justify the ticket prices.
Recently heard that my future husband Guy Garvey and his band are fronting U2 in the UK and also will be fronting perennial wankfest, Coldplay, on part of their US tour this summer. Coldplay/Elbow are going to be in Detroit one week before my birthday. I thought to myself, “Self! Let’s see how much tickets are so you can go stalk see Elbow play!” I meander over to Ticketbastard and this is what churns out:
Type
2 Full price ticket
Ticket Price
US $97.50 x 2
Convenience Charge
US $14.15 x 2
Building Facility Charge < --- THE VENUE IS OUTSIDE!!!
US $7.50 x 2
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!? I don't know what pisses me off more, the nearly $100 PER ticket for crappy seats or the nearly additional $25 dollars in "fees" that Ticketbastard is adding on (because in addition to the convenience and building charges, there is also an additional traffic fee of $3.00!)!!
We're in a recession.
Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the U.S.
The cost of two tickets and "fees" equals to my monthly car payment.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!? SRSLY?!
Not fucking happening. Even if I had the cash in hand and that this was chump change -- not happening. I could not morally spend that kind of dosh on tickets to see my favorite band even if they are opening up for a third rate knockoff wanker group. I wouldn't pay that if Elbow was playing solo gigs! Just fucking ridiculous.
I'm all fired up about this, so I'll leave a video of Elbow's song "Newborn," because any song that starts out with, "I'll be a corpse in your bathtub..." is okay by me and will sooth the savage beast inside.
I’ll just do this point by point so I can get to bed before TheBrit wakes up:
1. The 30 year anniversary concert was a mess, a disaster and a disgrace to the Woodstock mythos.
2. Live 8 was also a disaster — the concept of “free tickets” (as what Lang wants to do) backfired when they were being scalped. The charities did not get the monies promised, the so called “reduction of carbon footprinting” that Lang also claims he wants to make happen was also a huge disaster for Live8.
3. Which brings me to Live Earth. Someone please explain to me how flying from one far flung location to another somehow makes you globally conscious and environmentally aware? Someone also please explain to me how the so-called green intiative that LiveEarth promised were never followed through? Meaning that stories were cropping up that the waste and trash left behind, most of it was not recycled nor was it disposed of properly.
The Woodstock era is gone. I hate to break it to the Boomers, but it’s gone. Just let it go. This is not an era of free love, radical politics, and stopping a senseless war in Vietnam. This is an era of a senseless and POINTLESS war happening in the Middle East, our economy is starting to resemble that of the Depression era, we have people who are homeless, jobless and hungry. Unemployment continues to grow, companies are going under and you want to fucking fund a fucking “free” concert to help continue on the mythos of the Woodstock era using technologies and methods that have been tried before and failed? You want to waste more money and put stress on a city (NYC) that is barely keeping it together? Are you fucking kidding me? You, Mr. “clearly I’m not out to make a quick buck out of this somehow” Lang can go fuck yourself with piece of charred wood. Use that $10M dollars to fund worthwhile projects like music programs for underprivileged kids or start a foundation or give scholarship money to help for school. Help build community support for kids and teens to build into future musicians, artists and creative sorts. Don’t waggle “free concert” with additional bonuses under our noses — that’s just plain mean and downright rude.
TheBrit and TheYank's theme posts are usually added every other Wednesday. Individual posts are added whenever we feel like. If you have an idea of a theme you would like for us to tackle, email us.
