We’ve all experienced the pangs of jealousy.
Watching fans at a concert decked out in limited edition merch, shiny lanyards, front of stage, in pole position to catch an artist’s discarded, sweaty towel.
They post their meet-and-greet selfie on social media and despite the vacant look in the artist’s eyes, we deem them the lucky ones, ignoring that luck had nothing to do with it and the experience was a financial transaction, something they paid for - and the artist was paid to do. Rock’n’roll baby!
More and more often, musicians are selling VIP concert tickets with added layers of access and experiences. But are they actually worth the money fans fork out?
Tomorrow night, American heavy metal band Metallica will play at Eden Park for the first time.
Tickets for the long-awaited gig are sold out, but those who did nab them will be clambering for a spot as close to the stage as possible, just to feel the bass of Enter Sandman.
If you happen to have a spare $4000 though, your experience might look very different, and you’ll be saying Nothing Else Matters as you rub shoulders with the band backstage.
Metallica’s “Snake Pit Experience” is advertised at $3,998 and gives lanyard holders access to an exclusive standing section during the concert, a meet-and-greet and conversation with two band members and an official photo with them.
You’ll also get a tour backstage, a photo on stage and party with other fans pre-show with free drinks and canapes and priority lanes at the venue. To take home, you’ll get some exclusive merch, an audio file of the show.
If that’s a bit lavish for your tastes, for $998 you can get a ticket to the Snake Pit standing section, pre-show party entry, slightly less merch and the audio file, but no interaction with the band.
And for the bottom tier of Metallica VIPs, priced at $495, you’ll get a GA floor ticket with early entry, a YETI Metallica drink bottle or cup, one free beverage, early access to the merch stand and a priority lane into the venue.
While Metallica commands the highest VIP premium currently on sale in Aotearoa, the Tool VIP Experience Upgrade at Spark Arena on November 23 requires you to also buy a show ticket (ranging between $120-$250 currently) and then add the upgrade for $525.
For this, you’ll get to watch part of the band’s soundcheck, have a photo with some members of the band, get an exclusive piece of merch, gain early entry to the venue and go home with a Tool VIP laminate and lanyard, plus any merch you purchased with your early access to it.
But not every artist is willing to include a meet-and-greet as part of the experience. For Doja Cat at Spark Arena on November 18, prices range from $450 for VIP Early Entry to just under $900 for the Ultimate VIP Lounge Experience.
The most expensive package offers a ticket to the show, photo opportunities on the stage “where Doja Cat will be performing”, photos with a VIP backdrop, drinks and snacks and some commemorative items. But none of the experiences include “artist participation” or any involvement from Doja Cat herself.
According to Jessica Davidson, who saw Eminem perform in Wellington in 2019 at the then Westpac Stadium, the answer is clear: VIP experiences are absolutely worth the price.
“I paid $500 for VIP standing [tickets] to see Eminem,” Davidson tells the Herald, adding that, despite not getting to meet him as part of the package, and lots of logistics and waiting, it was the experience of a lifetime.
“We lined up early in the morning and got given a card with a number. Then we came back in the afternoon, and they lined us up in number order and walked us out in a line to the front row. We had to stand in the same place for four hours before he even hit the stage.
“But it was worth every dollar and [it was] mind-blowing.”
Layton Lillas, president of the New Zealand Promoters Association, agrees paying such big prices is absolutely worth it for some “die-hard fans or high net-worth individuals who now want to maximise their concert experience”.
“It takes the discomfort out of it. Both the star and the fan know what the transaction entails,” he explains.
Lillas says while fans get a special encounter, for the artist it’s about the money, “nothing more, nothing less”.
“If the band has more control, they will curate it more cleverly for their fan base, and it will be a well-honed operation.”
If the event is run by the show’s promoter, Lillas says the the experience is usually set up a bit differently.
“[They] will generally be sharing the profits 50/50 with the artist, and then it’s usually just things [the promoters] can control - maybe an item of merchandise, maybe early entry to the venue, VIP bar in the venue.
“Generally with higher priced [tickets], there is... a meet-and-greet for a pre-determined number of fans.”
Lillas says he’s watched these types of experiences be executed both incredibly well and incredibly poorly, but ultimately for audience members, “it is putting a price on an encounter with your favourite band”.
“[But] I’ve seen some [acts] who clearly are displeased; it’s part of their daily routine, and they can’t wait to get backstage and for it to be over.”