The Clash: Are cheap concert tickets a slap in the face for fans?

Are cheap concert tickets a rip-off for fans who already paid full price? Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

Do discounted concert tickets devalue shows? Chris Schulz and Joanna Hunkin debate the issue...

Chris Schulz says:

You're a superfan. You've got the album. You've memorised the songs, practised the dance moves, and got the T-shirt. Then, when they announced a tour, you bought tickets immediately and spent months looking forward to the show.

You know how this story goes, because, if you're a music fan, it's probably happened to you. It has certainly happened to me. Several days before the gig, you get an email: tickets have been discounted at the last minute - by up to half price, or with a two-for-one deal. Bugger.

If you're feeling ripped off, you have every right to be. As a fan, you did everything right, only to be told you're doing it wrong. It's a situation two of my friends found themselves in last week, when they lost nearly $100 each after buying tickets for an upcoming show at full price, only to find them much cheaper online the next day. I'm certain they won't enjoy the show as much as they would have had tickets not been discounted.

This seems to be a growing trend. I understand promoters want full concerts. They need to make money to keep bringing artists here. And promoting shows is a risky business. But doesn't the practice of cheap ticket giveaways devalue the experience? Aren't you pissing on fans who showed their support by getting in first and paying full price?

Personally, I'd rather be at a half-full show with mega fans than a sold-out show padded out with fence-sitters. So let's stop this ugly practice before things get out of hand.

Joanna Hunkin says:

Here's the niggle: we live in a free market economy - supply and demand rules. So just because you are happy to fork out $200 to watch your favourite band in the world doesn't mean everyone else is.

It happens all the time, with all kinds of things. That shirt you bought in the weekend for 50 per cent off? Someone else paid full price for it two weeks ago.

Those flights you booked this morning could cost more tomorrow. Or less.

Concert tickets are no different. They're an investment in a future asset. Come concert day, that asset could be worth more or less than you paid for it.

And, as any decent broker will tell you, there's no such thing as a risk-free investment.

So it's up to you whether you want to take the risk. Are you prepared to walk away if tickets sell out and double in price? Can you put a price on your personal happiness?

Because I can. I hate to pay full price for anything. I'm willing to risk missing out on something if it means I could bag a bargain. And when I do, it's that much sweeter. The gig/shirt/holiday is better because I didn't pay full price for it. I'll be front and centre, enjoying every second, knowing I worked the system and won.

I'm not a fence-sitter, I'm a risk-taker. A gambler. You win some, you lose some. But I'm never left sulking that I paid over the odds.

- TimeOut