The excitement! Facebook chimes with the sound of a notification informing you that your favorite band is touring, email blasts come through informing tickets are on sale for a show, or your favorite metal news outlet posts an article about a new tour. Rushing to Ticketmaster to purchase two tickets, front row, you wouldn't miss it for the world. Unfortunately, the world doesn't fill your bank account. The total after the tickets, and fees for the two comes to $300.00. "Can I go a week without food?", you wonder. Is it worth it, is the question many have poised to themselves over the years.

It seems as ticket prices keep up with inflation that question gets asked more and more. A person must juggle their financial responsibilities with their love of music. For a long time, metal bands, apart from the well-known ones, still had reasonably priced tickets to their shows. Fans could catch a show for twenty bucks, and if they dared brave the pit, be front row center. However, that seems to slowly be a thing of the past. Concerts across every genre are more expensive, and sadly the shows are not getting any grander. Some bands put on simple shows with some lights and the music, others put on a spectacle. The elaborate shows are sometimes hit or miss, but fans generally come away feeling like they got their moneys worth.

As a couple of examples, the recent PERFECT CIRCLE tour ticket mid-level seats were $62.00. Now that isn't all that bad, until they add in order processing fees, facility charges, service fees that are normally always tacked on to tickets. So, in the end that $62.00 ticket is $78.00. The fees on two tickets could buy one of the cheaper tickets. Floor seats after fees ran up to $100. CRADLE OF FILTH upcoming US tour are $32.00 for general admission, but again after fees a fan is paying $43.37 for a ticket. An upcoming IN THIS MOMENT show for decent seats with fees included are $35.50. Of these three shows the one that puts on an engaging show is IN THIS MOMENT. Most of their shows are like going to a strange theater production. A PERFECT CIRCLE show is the band on stage and the normal light show, with CRADLE OF FILTH's falling in the middle of the two. Ticket price is tied to the complexity of the show, band popularity, and venue but there always seems to be a wide margin for what ticket prices can be.

Fortunately, the band gets the bulk of the money dropped on their tickets. The fees attached to a ticket are taken by the venue and promoter of the event. Normally after taxes, the venue takes around 20% and the band gets the remainder of the base price of the ticket. However, that doesn't mean the bands are living lavishly on ticket purchases alone. The band has many expenses while they are on the road that they must pay for. Their manager, the transportation, roadies, the equipment, and the shows design to name a few. In the end fans have two choices, deal with the ever-increasing price and fees, or not go.

Well actually there is a third option. Metal/Rock festivals have exploded over the past decade. With Chicago Open Air, Rock on the Range, Carolina Rebellion, and Louder than Life to name a few, many fans are turning to the festival scene to stretch their money. Instead of paying over a hundred dollars to see METALLICA in concert, this year a fan could have spent that money on Rock on the Range tickets. There they would have seen METALLICA, KORN, VOLBEAT, PRIMUS, SEETHER, AMON AMARTH, GOJIRA, ATTLIA, IN FLAMES, and a ton more bands. Louder Than Life this year hosted OZZY, ROB ZOMBIE, and PROPHETS OF RAGE as their headliners. Even though this is a better option to see tons of bands for a lower price, it also has it downfalls. First, for those who attend a lot of these festivals over the years they start to see repeat bands, having to revert to single concerts to see the ones they have missed out on. Second, these festivals have started recently offering early bird tickets. Basically, the cheapest ticket price can be gotten by ordering tickets before the bands are announced. Once everyone knows who is attending the price goes up.

When will the price ceiling be hit? How much is to much for a concert ticket? Is it worth it after tickets, gas, hotel, and food is factored in? Why should I have to go in debt to see a show or festival? These are all questions that fans are asking themselves each time they go to click the "Confirm Purchase" button. Bands need to think about their younger fans who probably can't get to their shows because parents are not going to want to buy a ticket for themselves to chaperone at some of these prices. Fans should not have to choose between paying a bill or seeing a show. There should be a happy medium where tickets are affordable, and bands have an incentive to tour. Overhauling the fee structure would do a lot for making tickets more affordable. PEARL JAM took on Ticketmaster in the Nineties over fees and other shady dealings, but even though they lost the battle in court it opened many fans eyes to where their money was going. However, with shows continuously being sold out maybe we haven't hit the breaking point yet.

-Bradley Karr, Metal-Temple