PEARL JAM star EDDIE VEDDER fears he'll have to increase concert ticket prices after years of fighting to keep them low - because fans keep stealing his songs. The rocker was one of the leading voices against high ticket fees - and famously took on Ticketmaster in America - but now he feels downloading is killing music and he'll need to seek profits elsewhere. Vedder says, "A lot of people are getting your music without having to pay, and it's only $12. "I ordered eggs at a little restaurant in Seattle and it was $9.50. I was thinking, 'You can't spend two extra bucks for a record that you put your heart and soul into?' "I think the problem is to charge more for tickets, which is something we've always been abhorrent to do; either that or you're gonna have to start accepting sponsorships, or start selling your music to Viagra. "I'm not sure how we'll do it. I'm glad we gave money away when we did - when it came in from making records. We kind of spread it around and helped people in our community and abroad in different ways."
i have no idea what his eggs have to do with a possible hike of ticket prices
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:48 pm Posts: 4320 Location: Philadelphia, PA
Those comments are taken from Eddie's press pool interviews with Sean Penn at the L.A. premiere of Into the Wild. Here are his comments in full:
IGN: Eddie, what do you think about iTunes being a way for music being distributed today, and Ticketmaster's continued hold over live performances?
Vedder: As of two weeks ago, Ticketmaster is now gone. So there's something about longevity. It's nice to outlast something that's as big and giant and powerful as that. The answer to this is a three or four hour discussion at the end of which there are as many questions as there are answers. It's a bit strange for me that people are weighing in on this record and they've heard it and yet it's not for sale. They got it from being downloaded and that whole deal. As an artist, the problem with not selling records, if that's what we're talking about, and considering that people aren't buying your records because they don't like 'em. I agree with that too, if that would be the case. But I think there are a lot of people getting their music without having to pay you. And it's only $12. I ordered eggs at a little Seattle restaurant and it was $9.50. I'm thinking you can't spend two extra bucks for a record that you put your heart and soul into. I think the problem is that you're going to have to charge more for tickets, which is something we've always been abhorrent to do. Either that, or you're going to have to start accepting sponsorships. That's going to be the normal thing or start selling your music to Viagra commercials, supporting, supporting (laughs), artificial erections. As an artist, that puts you in an interesting position and I'm not sure what or how we'll do it. I'm glad we gave money away when we did when it came from making records. We kind of spread it around and helped people in our community and abroad in different ways. I'm glad we did it when we could. It's different now.
Additionally, here is what he said about the possibility of touring behind the Into the Wild soundtrack:
IGN: Do you have any plans to perform this music live, and/or are you planning a solo tour?
Vedder: I'd like to play I think - there might be a few requests for these songs that might come in. No plans, like I said making this with Sean was I feel like a gift, but I might just take some time off; it's like if you afford yourself to buy a nice chair, what's the point if you never get to sit in it? So I might just take some time with my kid.
The most complete version of this interview is at IGN.
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 5:47 am Posts: 27904 Location: Philadelphia Gender: Male
I'm still not believing this yet. I'd bitch, but fuck it. Instead I'm going to the local diner where I can get 2 eggs, toast and a hash brown for $2.59. Then I'm gonna burn 100 copies of S/T and give them away free, passing them off as my own music.
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Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
this sucks only because I happen to buy pearl jam's records, but in the last three years I've bought maybe 15 cds and downloaded a hell of a lot more, so I can hardly be indignant if artists don't want us downloading their music for free
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Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:48 pm Posts: 4320 Location: Philadelphia, PA
This is a serious issue. Ed wasn't making a point about himself. We can discuss the profit margins made by record companies, but it really comes down to supporting young artists and independent producers. Do we believe that they should be able to make a living at their art, or should they just give it away and have to do "real" work? Should we support talent at the financial level, or should we just pat them on the back and say, "Great job, man?" Even Mozart and Beethoven were paid for their art. They wouldn't have been able to continue doing it if they couldn't make a living at it.
As for the diner comments. Yeah, I can go to the local chain diner that buys ingredients nationally from bulk distributors and get breakfast for $2.99, but the independent diner around the corner from me that buys all local, organically-grown ingredients charges $15.00 for breakfast. When I can afford it, I prefer going to the independent restaurant that cares about what it's serving and in turn supports the local farmers in my state.
if this is serious it's just plain stupid of him. the whole band really. it's great that they've donated a shitload to charity, but maybe he just should have saved a bit more and realize that at some point their multi million income will diminish over time as their mainstream popularity did. To put their second homes' mortgages on the fans is just wrong.
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:48 pm Posts: 4320 Location: Philadelphia, PA
conoalias wrote:
if this is serious it's just plain stupid of him. the whole band really. it's great that they've donated a shitload to charity, but maybe he just should have saved a bit more and realize that at some point their multi million income will diminish over time as their mainstream popularity did. To put their second homes' mortgages on the fans is just wrong.
Do you really take his comments to mean only that he callously intends to lay the burden for his glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle on the backs of the fans? I think that his comments were intended to make a larger point. Do artists deserve to make a living from the performance of their art? How generous a living? We may disagree on this. One thing is certain, for all but a few artists, record sales no longer offset any of the costs of touring.
As for the Ticketmaster issue. Ticketmaster lost its suit against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It can no longer claim exclusive online distribution of tickets to even it's contract venues. It has been fighting similar suits since 1997. We had a thread about this matter:
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 6:14 pm Posts: 3213 Location: chicken shaped country in europe Gender: Male
I've heard before that decrease of record sales translates to increase in ticket sales. Tours cost a lot. I understand the rise in ticket prices. It sounds very bad, but it's true, musicians live of music they need their records to sell. On the other hand cd's are expensive and you are not paying for it unless you really like it except of course if you can afford to pay 12$ for a couple of eggs, which doesn't even cross most people's minds.
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Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 5:47 am Posts: 27904 Location: Philadelphia Gender: Male
My main problem with this quote is not so much that ticket prices will be raised, but the way in which Ed approached his justification of it. I still can't believe he'd say something like that - it's just bizarre. I've been worried that Pearl Jam were becoming sell-outs, and this pretty much confirms it for me. Ed can pull up a seat at the bar next to Lars Ulrich and cry in their $14 beers.
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Joined: Wed May 10, 2006 2:35 am Posts: 18585 Location: In a box Gender: Male
Quote:
But I think there are a lot of people getting their music without having to pay you. And it's only $12. I ordered eggs at a little Seattle restaurant and it was $9.50. I'm thinking you can't spend two extra bucks for a record that you put your heart and soul into.
This is one of the most retarded statement I've heard. I'm not really sure what kind of statement he's trying to make with this.
Come on people, skip a few meals and buy that Pearl Jam record, they've put their hearts and souls into it. It's just as important.
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:36 pm Posts: 25824 Location: south jersey
dirtyfrank0705 wrote:
My main problem with this quote is not so much that ticket prices will be raised, but the way in which Ed approached his justification of it. I still can't believe he'd say something like that - it's just bizarre. I've been worried that Pearl Jam were becoming sell-outs, and this pretty much confirms it for me. Ed can pull up a seat at the bar next to Lars Ulrich and cry in their $14 beers.
they sold out a long time ago, before we had any idea who they were
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Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 5:47 am Posts: 27904 Location: Philadelphia Gender: Male
warehouse wrote:
dirtyfrank0705 wrote:
My main problem with this quote is not so much that ticket prices will be raised, but the way in which Ed approached his justification of it. I still can't believe he'd say something like that - it's just bizarre. I've been worried that Pearl Jam were becoming sell-outs, and this pretty much confirms it for me. Ed can pull up a seat at the bar next to Lars Ulrich and cry in their $14 beers.
they sold out a long time ago, before we had any idea who they were
There's a lot more to selling out than making lots of money from a big record company, Brian.
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Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:50 pm Posts: 1663 Gender: Male
Funnily enough when he makes semi coherent statements about GW Bush everybody says well done. But when he makes a semi coherent statement against something WE all do its a different story.
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Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:36 pm Posts: 25824 Location: south jersey
dirtyfrank0705 wrote:
warehouse wrote:
dirtyfrank0705 wrote:
My main problem with this quote is not so much that ticket prices will be raised, but the way in which Ed approached his justification of it. I still can't believe he'd say something like that - it's just bizarre. I've been worried that Pearl Jam were becoming sell-outs, and this pretty much confirms it for me. Ed can pull up a seat at the bar next to Lars Ulrich and cry in their $14 beers.
they sold out a long time ago, before we had any idea who they were
There's a lot more to selling out than making lots of money from a big record company, Brian.
yep, liking being in a commercial
seriously though, that was a stupid comment. the only people who would compare buying a cd to buying food are people who have enough money to eat.
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Joined: Wed May 10, 2006 2:35 am Posts: 18585 Location: In a box Gender: Male
FloydTheBarber wrote:
Funnily enough when he makes semi coherent statements about GW Bush everybody says well done. But when he makes a semi coherent statement against something WE all do its a different story.
Just for the record, I think he sounds like a slightly retarded scene kid whenever he starts going off on politics.
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