Paying for band "meet-and-greets"
Any of you gals who are music fans, how do you feel about this?
One of my favorite bands ever just came off a "hiatus" and announced a tour for the 10th anniversary of one of their albums. I'm kind of annoyed actually because they made this big to-do about their "farewell tour" less than 2 years ago, which I flew to another city for, and now they are back touring again. They're charging an extra $27 for a pre-show meet and greet and acoustic show.
I've always been into the culture of hanging out by the buses or merch tables to meet a band, not pay for it, and all the bands I've met for free have been happy to sign something or take pictures without money changing hands. My theory has been that I've already supported you by buying a ticket to the show, and I still buy CDs as well, so an autograph isn't much to ask for. I met this same band at the farewell tour by hanging out by their van, and they were super sweet and awesome, and even cried while they played their last song, so it is kind of astounding to me that they are suddenly charging to meet them.
Soooo, I was like "Fuck no, paying to meet and hang out with a band", and then I remembered I'm a stripper, and that's essentially what I do for a living, charge people to be in my company and be entertained for 3 minutes/$10.
I'm trying to wrap my head around this as being acceptable, since I feel it's almost hypocritical not to be, but I can't help but get this feeling that they ran out of money and that's why they've come back to touring... especially to randomly celebrate an album's "anniversary", it wasn't a chart-topper or anything special in their discography... Maybe I'm just reluctant to unromanticize the idea of playing music and wanting to meet your fans, and not wanting to think of it as a business like it eventually turns into.
Thoughts?
Re: Paying for band "meet-and-greets"
You can play music and want to meet your fans and still need/want to make money. It's also possibly/likely that the paid meet & greet didn't come entirely from the band, but rather their label/producer/agent/tour manager/countless other people who make money off them.
Re: Paying for band "meet-and-greets"
Yeah, I do understand that it is expensive to tour and all. I'm trying to think of it as a business so that I can be okay with it... It's just interesting because they have been around for 15 years and never done this stuff.
I always attributed meet-and-greet cheesiness to people like Aerosmith or Britney Spears, and viewed it as "I am so awesome that you have to pay to shake my hand", so that's part of my thought process.
Re: Paying for band "meet-and-greets"
^I would definitely attribute it to external pressure to host a meet and greet than it coming from the band then! I wonder if it's still possible to just hang out by the bus or merch table and meet them anyway? Or maybe their handlers would make sure there are no opportunities for contact outside the meet and greet so that fans who paid to meet them won't complain about others getting to do so for free. If you end up going, I'd be curious to know if that's the case or not!
Re: Paying for band "meet-and-greets"
It's a different world now than it was even a few years ago in the music industry. Bands make pretty much all of their money on the road and paid M&G's are part of that just like VIP seating and merch. Don't be disappointing if you do go and the atmosphere isn't quite as casual or warm and fuzzy as you remember it. Most of these things are run pretty mechanically nowadays...
Re: Paying for band "meet-and-greets"
If I go, it'll be to the normal show on a $20 ticket.
Makes me sad how everything has to be mechanical and run for sheer profit these days.
Re: Paying for band "meet-and-greets"
I used to be part of a fan community for a band that does this. Most of my friends (for awhile I had several close friends because I met them through this group)did the meet and greet and paid hundreds to meet them or to get good tickets. For me I got good tickets through radio station presales, and as it turned out I met the group after a show AND got front row tickets through a friend who knew them. There are tricks to meeting groups and one is finding out where they stay in town.