9:45 a.m.
I sit, poised at my computer watching the countdown on Ticketmaster waiting for Bon Jovi concert tickets to go on sale.
I, like so many other fans, have waited for this moment for three . . . long . . . years.
The clock turns 10:00. Tickets are now on sale. It takes me a minute to get my bearings on Ticketmaster, which wasn't the vehicle used for purchasing Fan Club tickets on Bon Jovi's last tour. My whole body is shaking with the stress and excitement of trying to be one of the first fans on to Ticketmaster with the hopes of getting an oh-so-coveted seat close to the stage. My fingers are trembling as I try to locate the perfect seats. Yeah, I'm in my mid-forties, and I know how ridiculous that sounds.
Unfortunately, however, it doesn't take long before the trembling stops as I realize I'm not going to be buying a ticket today. Not because I wasn't fast enough on the draw to get the seat that I wanted, but because ticket prices are so exorbitantly high this tour.
Let me put this in a bit of perspective for you. I've been married to the same man for 22 years. We're a middle class family, with three children who are involved in a lot of positive things through school and the community. All of those things cost money--a lot of it. I know this already, so I've spent the last year-and-a-half saving for this Bon Jovi tour. I've set money aside when I could, and truthfully, even when I shouldn't. I've said "no" to girls-night-outs, and that pair of jeans I wanted to buy, so that I could set aside even more money for this very tour. And truthfully, I've been happy to do so. I've done it before. There is nothing--NOTHING--like sitting close to the stage at a Bon Jovi concert. It has been my joy through the pain of saying "no" to other things that I wanted to do or have for the shining moment of purchasing these tickets. This isn't the first tour for which I've done this, and I've never regretted it.
Are the tickets really that much money that it's worth blogging about, you say? Well, for Bon Jovi's 2013 Because We Can tour, I went to two shows. I know that there are some of you who travel the world to see Bon Jovi, and I am truly happy for you. I, however, don't fall into that category, and frankly, there are many of us who don't. And I would like to think that we're not 2nd rate fans. I've listened to Bon Jovi since 1985, pre Slippery When Wet days. If Bon Jovi has released something, I've bought it. And yes, I see them when they tour. In fact, for those of us who have had to penny-pinch for these concerts, doesn't that show a level of dedication in some ways beyond those who don't have to save for each tour?
For the record, I am NOT trying to say that one type of fan is better or more dedicated than another. I would like to think that, for the most part, we are one big happy "family." I absolutely LOVE the FANTASTIC people who I have met through Bon Jovi, that I would not have met otherwise. And, yes. I do know people that get to do many Runaway Tours and travel the world to see Bon Jovi, and they're GREAT people. The point I'm trying to make, is that just because I and others like me can't go to as many shows as some, doesn't make us less of a fan or less dedicated. We just bank roll differently. LOL!
So let's get down to actual ticket prices. For the Because We Can Tour, in July at Soldier Field in Chicago, I purchased the Backstage with JBJ package for 4th row PIT for $900. It was pretty awesome. Aside from the fourth row tickets, we got things like a Bon Jovi bag, a journal, the backstage tour (the backstage tour is awesome fun), and a pretty sweet dinner/drinks party with other fans before the show. (I included a pic of me with Jon's white mic stand.) The same basic package for fourth row this year costs 982.75 (not including taxes and Tickmaster fees which will put the package over $1,000). Ok, so it's the same package with a bit of inflation. I can understand that. Also, there is not PIT this tour. That's OK. I get that things change.
Here's where I take issue. Fourth row through 15th row for this tour is the Silver package, which carries the $982 price tag. That's pretty steep the further back you go.
For the Because We Can tour, I also purchased a 5th row Fan Club PIT ticket only (without the package) for the October Chicago show for approximately $400. This is the type of ticket I planned on purchasing this tour, understanding that there would probably be a bit of an increase in price. These type of tickets have been available to fan club members for some time. Unfortunately, there is no option this tour for a floor Fan Club ticket without the package. The closest ticket a Fan Club member can get without a package is for lower bowl, starting at $375. If you'd like to purchase a 4th row ticket, without a package, and you're not using the Fan Club, but just using the presale, a 4th row ticket will cost you $1050. WHAT? Seriously? What happened to work for the working man, Jon?
I have saved for and planned on spending anywhere between $500-$800 on a floor ticket without a package for a good seat somewhere in the fourth to sixth row. Which, based on tickets for past tours, was a reasonable amount to figure, even with planned inflation.
You may think I am just some big complainer/hater. Not so.
I absolutely LOVE Bon Jovi. I am a fan. I am also a consumer.
Bon Jovi is a band, which is a corporation, of which Jon Bon Jovi is the CEO.
If I, as a consumer, feel that I am unhappy with something, I have every right to speak out and say so. It is the American way. It is the Bon Jovi way. We weren't born to follow . . . .
At best, I feel snubbed by the band that I love, that I have sacrificed for . . . .
I have not purchased a ticket yet for this tour. I will not sit in the back or in the side bowl. I don't enjoy myself in those seats. I am not complaining, I am simply making my voice heard on this issue.
If you feel the same, please feel free to share this blog.
Better still. Make your own voice heard. Call, email, tweet Bon Jovi. Please do so with respect, but please do so.
