TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

I'm going to RT's Southend gig in October. When I booked, which was about a month after the tickets went on sale, there was still huge availability.

Earlier this evening I thought I'd look again, and the situation has barely changed. Without a major push, RT will be playing to a Cliffs Pavilion that isn't even half full. The central stalls are 90% sold, but everything else is just a sea of available seats.

Is this down to promoters booking him into too large a venue, or asking too much for tickets (top price £39), or a combination of both?

That's very expensive. He's playing locally for the first time ever on this tour but as I will be seeing him at Shrewsbury , I'm opting to see Baskery at the local folk club. Never thought I'd miss that chance!

or.....people from Southend and surrounding towns have never heard of him?!  :D

Ticket prices are a bit steep I must admit, but that's Thompson prices!!

I'll be there!!  ;)

Thompson prices have effectively doubled in about 3 or 4 years.

Must be feeling the pinch.

Jules

Didn't RT a while ago say words to the effect of "When I'm 70 I'll be classified as a living legend and I can double my fee" ?

He's 69 now, so a bit premature, but...

He's clearly started thinking about his pension.

Jules

Just had a look at the Opera House in Manchester and whilst the stalls are selling reasonably well, there are hardly any tickets sold in the circle or gallery.

I'll be honest I'm not a fan of the Opera House and then £40+ for tickets the Sunday of the Manchester Folk Festival kind of made the decision for me - For the first time in ages I won't be seeing RT on a UK tour.

£20 is plenty, £40 is not - not bothered this year.

Over five years gone since RT played in my town, after years of regular visits.  :(

Someone said he has a new U.S. promoter, who's been getting him lucrative opening slots with Bonnie Raitt and Jason Isbell in lieu of headlining tours.

Weeelllll..... i feel that tonight I just got great value from RT with his band for my £32.50, to see him outdoors at Gawsworth Hall- brilliant show,brilliant location,a real gem--- those prices pale into insignificance beside the prices for "big" acts with a fraction of the talent..........................

But with so many tickets left unsold in more than one venue, someone somewhere has miscalculated either the size of the venues or the price of the tickets or both.

I remember when Roger Waters toured the UK in 2003, for the first time since 1987 (I think), I paid under £40 to sit in the centre of the third row at a packed Wembley Arena.

It's easy to forget inflation, even in a relatively stable economic era (cough).  £40 in 2003 is £61.42 now.

A friend of mine isn't complaining...

Was your friend charged for the conversation?   ;D

I have a ticket for Southend too. His US management seem to think that the price in $ over there equates to £ prices here....

Review of RT @ Gawsworth in today's Observer https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/aug/12/richard-thompson-review-gawsworth-hall-macclesfield

Really looking forward now....great set it seems

And with a bit over a month to go, the ticket situation hasn't changed. The Cliffs Pavilion isn't even going to be half full, unless there's a massive push on local radio etc very soon.

I just saw the video from SFF and he closed with a cover of The Sorrows' "Take A Heart" and it was pure magic.

Birmingham Town Hall almost sold out.

Still huge numbers of empty seats at the Cliffs.

Taken the plunge (well, it will be a boat)
Family holiday for a week, which allows me to go to the York and Hull concerts
See you there?!?

Not two I can get to unfortunately