2012 TOUR VIP Feedback Q&A

[Nitro Express]

They would have to sweeten the deal with some pretty nice whores for me to pay that kind of money.

The prices reflect what the market is willing to pay. Nobody is holding a gun to your head saying see Van Halen or else. Stupid fuck heads who love to get ass raped are willing to pay these prices, so those selling go ok, we can get away with this and so they do.

It's not the band that's fucked or even the promoter. It's the fans willing to buy an overpriced product. They have the right to charge whatever they want and you we have the right to accept or reject that price.

Believe me ass soon as the seats start to empty and the T-Shirts no longer sell, the prices will come down in a hurry.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Seriously....A THOUSAND FUCKING DOLLARS?

THAT IS A LOAD OF FUCKING CRAP!

I mean, if you had 1,000 fans sign up for that over the course of the tour....that is ONE MILLION DOLLARS! And for WHAT?

As much as I love Van Halen, that is a serious case of ass-raping the fans. I do not like that at all. Sure it is nice to have seats in the first few rows, but you could get that through scalpers for half the price!


Van Halen should read this thread and see what Kiss is doing for their fans! That is how it SHOULD be done!

I have said it before, and I will say it again, if it were not for their FANS, Van Halen would not have their mansions, their Lambos, Ferraris, etc.

If it were not for their fans, Ed would not have met Val, and would not have Wolfy either!

Sorry.....this just pisses me off.

No fucking way would I shell out that kind of cash unless it was something marvelous like the Kiss Meet And Greet package. Even if I were a zillionaire.

Absolutely....

And if VH offered everything that KISS was, I'd seriously consider it for a one-time deal....

[Hardrock69]

Hey Nitro, I agree. But if they had some real integrity, I would think they would feel sorry for taking advantage of people like this, and would want to provide them with a REAL "once-in-a-lifetime" experience. A free shirt, 2 free beers, some picks and a laminate are all items that can easily be had elsewhere. Hardly "once-in-a-lifetime".

By the way, VAiN, what was the prize for the raffle? Would they allow you to lick the floor where Ed stood earlier in the day while scratching his butt? And did you have to buy a raffle ticket? Or was it included?

I mean, look.....I can understand wanting to balance the VIP thing against wanting to have their privacy, or whatever. But come ON. Even if you spend one hour a day......and this is only on a SHOW day.....the goodwill towards fans is a priceless asset solely in terms of PR!

Look at what Garth Brooks does...picks some fan, says "Hey you are my one-millionth paying customer", gives the fan a bunch of new tour merch and a brand new Z-28, treats the fan like a GOD for that entire day......not only is that fan thrilled to pieces and has the most amazing fucking experience any Garth fan could hope for.....but look at what is happening at this VERY SECOND! I am typing about this incident!

And YOU...the READER of this post are READING about it.....and we are BOTH thinking to ourselves...."Man, Garth Brooks is a fucking CLASS ACT who treats his fans incredibly well!"


Here is what I found out by Googling this.

On 7/20/96, at a show in Denver, Garth Brooks played to an audience that included the one-millionth ticket-buyer for his three-year-long world tour. Garth celebrated the occasion by giving the ticket holder flowers, tour merchandise and a brand new Chevrolet Z-28 Camaro.

More recently, in 2009, Brad Paisley gave the one-millionth ticket-holder of his current tour a 2009 Chevy Silverado in Jacksonville, FL.

And this, from 2006:

from allaboutcountry.com:

Tim & Faith Honor 1,000,000th ''Soul2Soul II Tour'' Ticketholder


When doors opened Friday night for the second night of a three-day sold-out run of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's "Soul2Soul II Tour" at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, a very lucky fan, was greeted with an unbelievable surprise.

Christine Nevins, was the one millionth ticket to go through turnstiles since the tour launched on April 21st, and Christine, and her husband Eric, were whisked away to a private meeting with Tim and Faith, followed by the unveiling of a special gift: a brand new, Dodge Charger!

"I cannot believe this!", shouted Christine upon receiving her prize. "This car is mine", she told her husband, "and nobody is driving it but me", she added immediately after Tim and Faith autographed the inside driver's side door.

I am of course not saying bands should give new cars to everyone as part of the VIP package,lol.
But the above are examples of artists who realize the PR value of treating their fans not as some kind of generalized ATMs, but as valuable members of their global fan community.

Rock bands should take a page from the "Country Musician's Guide To Treating Their Fans".

Kiss is like that...Iron Maiden is like that......there are VERY FEW bands who care enough about their fans to go out of their way like that to make the fans feel absolutely special.

2 beer tickets? Fuck that fucking shit!

Here is what I would do:

Free booze, before, during, and after soundcheck. If it were my band, I would have a real soundcheck, THEN have the VIP people come in and I would perform 3 songs just for them.
Then meet them and give them picks, and one lucky person would get a guitar. I mean, what the fuck, the price of a single VIP package for that day would cover the expenses of ALL the VIP guests, even with a guitar that would wholesale for 4-500 bucks. I would want to do like Kiss is doing...give them some kind of gold-plated thing, a complete CD catalog, including something rare...like a never released set of demos or some shit. Give them tickets in the first 10 rows. Something just OVER THE TOP KICKASS!

Kiss is doing it right. Hands down. They are giving the fans an experience that is EASILY worth $1250. I mean, fuck....even I would shell out that sort of bread if I had it if I could meet Gene and Paul once in my life. Certainly if I could meet Dave or Ed.

And here is what says it best:

Kiss's VIP package for $300 bucks is STILL (even at only $300) BETTER than Van Halen's $895 'Ultimate' VIP package!

[Nitro Express]

Hey look. Van Halen pretty much treats their fans like shit but for the most part they fill the venues and the albums sell. If you were in their shoes would you care that much? That band has been very lame as far as having any ongoing relationship with it's fans. Be glad this is what you are getting.

[Hardrock69]

I am.

But just because I am does not mean I cannot make observations like the one above, eh?

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Then meet them and give them picks, and one lucky person would get a guitar.

I've been wondering why EVH has been bringing out all of those different Charvel's..... Who knows ??

[Hardrock69]

And YES...if I were in their shoes I WOULD care that much. But that is just me. I am not Ed, or Dave.....

[ZahZoo]

If you're content, of course that's the important thing....

But it should be much, much more for those prices....

Now in terms of whose decision it ultimately was, it may have ultimately been Management's decision, but let's not fool ourselves and try to think that the band didn't have a shitload of input on what would, and more importantly, what would NOT be included in these VIP packages.....

Don't get me wrong, the new album and the tour have been absolutely fantastic, and I'm sure we're going to have a fucking blast in Greensboro next month, but these VIP packages are an absolutely travesty.....

I agree with the album and tour being great... but...

The final decision of what is included has to come from the band... especially any human interaction. The Promoter & management may have the call on trinkets and crap... but look at the KISS package... wholesale net cost for shirts, laminates, picks, a piece of crap gold "plated" ring, etc... even with shipping from China their net expense is less than $100 per pop, probably less than $50...

Meet n Greet, photos. autographs & sounds check... Let's look at the logistics. With KISS those guys have to spend an hour or two getting into make-up/costume. Van Halen... no wardrobe, maybe 10-15 minutes for Dave to do some stretches and pick his opening Matador jacket. Organized... 30-60 minutes for the meet n greet, pictures and autographs tops. Sound check happens every show... what does it matter if there's a handful of folks beyond crew and security present.

So Van Halen chooses to fore go maybe an hour of fan interaction and half the bling... and charge $100-200 less per package... it's not about cost. Definitely not about time... they are at the venue already. Not about wardrobe or make-up...

Boils down to they don't want the fan interaction... be it fear, laziness or some other psychosis that motivates them... who knows. It just blows for the fans and I have no sympathy for anyone who buys a VH VIP package and whines. If you're willing to take it... bend over and smile.

[Hardrock69]

I will say this: They are free to do as they wish. I DO feel lucky they are touring, definitely am thrilled at the new album, and totally stoked that I get to see them for the first time WITH DAVE since 1983! FUCKING 29 YEARS OF WAITING!

WOOHOO!

But I do look at Maiden, Kiss, and other bands and think....man....they could just go that extra mile....

Oh well. Whatever.

[mmrrname]

Pittsburgh and other shows this week are "Closed," not "Sold Out." So, it might be worth trying to buy regular tickets the day of the show, you might get great seats that are released that day. I once saw AC/DC from the 10th row, right next to the ego ramp, when I bought same-day tix.

[ODShowtime]

Pittsburgh and other shows this week are "Closed," not "Sold Out." So, it might be worth trying to buy regular tickets the day of the show, you might get great seats that are released that day. I once saw AC/DC from the 10th row, right next to the ego ramp, when I bought same-day tix.

Yep I just looked Tampa has tickets right now that aren't even on the floor for $333 a pair. Jesus tap dancing Christ! No thanks. Man. Fuck. All these orange-skinned, coiffed CEOs and their latest dime pieces sitting down watching the Mighty Van Halen while I sit outside, too smart to be fleeced.

[GreenEyedMurder]

That's not the point...

The point is that they give you the bang for your buck....

Besides the great seat....

Meet & Greet
Personal photograph
Autograph session
Soundcheck

And all the other stuff they mentioned....

Madison Square Garden for VH VIP was what, $1000 or so ??

And what did you get, a half-assed backstage tour, a couple of picks and a beer or two??

It really hurts me to say it, but VH is absolutely ROBBING their VIP customers, when they SHOULD be bending over backwards for the price they're paying.....

MSG was $1250, I believe.

[scott b]

Doing the VIP thing tonite in Orlando.From what i have been reading i think i might be in for a little disappointment.I will throw my 2 cents in tomorrow about it.

[Panamark]

Fuck that !

If I paid for VIP, I would want all the grog I could swill, at the very least a handshake, smile
and an autograph, a freakin bag of goodies like picks that Eddie actually used in the
soundcheck, good quality tour shirt. AND FRONT ROW CENTER FIRST 2 ROWS !

Look at all the posts here over the years where our posters have casually run into
Van Halen members at Airports, Deli's and even freakin fishing wharfs.

They got to speak to the dudes. How much did that cost ??? Zilch...
And they have a much better tale to tell..

After reading all of this, when they head to Oz, I will seek out good seats,
but screw the VIP package. But hey, you never know, it might change outside
the US. (wouldnt hold my breathe)
For those that paid, have a blast, at least you got guaranteed VIP
seating.

A lot of us here have at some point been involved with the music industry.
One thing I noticed after playing even smaller gigs, once you meet Rockstars
and get over the whole "Oh my god Im gonna pass out, its GOD right here"
and just accept dudes as everyday dudes, the whole "OMIGOD" thing dissapears.

Conversely the "Rockstar" will more than likely have a casual chat
to you... Im not sure I would want to be in a "Speed Date meet and greet"
deal in any case. Awkward, forced and pretentious.

Sucks that the entire details of the VIP package were not disclosed upfront.
Poor Form indeed.

[adena dodds]

Wait, so these fools that paid nearly a thousand dollars to get shuffled around in a single file (miiatery style) line for a handshake and may not even get that much? Been there done that. I had even told my priest after leaving Mass one Sunday that I'm gonna to need more that a hand shake for $500.00 bones. He laughed and said, "I know." I get more out of shaking my priests hand every Sunday than paying for it for nothing. Let's face it, for that kind of money I'm going to need a water bed included in that package deal! A California King to be exact! ha,ha,ha! At least my priest feeds me the body and blood of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and gives me food for thought when preaching The Good News...Something this world needs alot more of and is lacking tremendously...to the point of paying a rockstar $500.00 for nothing. Now who's the one laughing their way all the way to the bank? Thank God I can't afford much. Thank God. I'm glad we did it way back when, when they actually had a party with food, booze and midget bodyguards smoking pot, all for free. Yea we had our back against the record machine and Alex Van Halen tried to finger me from behind when I jumped on his back! Ha,ha,ha! I guess I asked for it! We were all buzzed up from drinking before the show in the hotel bar (at 17 years old) and hiding out from our boyfriends! We actually made a toast that night that we were going to meet Van Halen back in 1984. And we did. Yes, we were blessed with a wonderful childhood. It's a beautiful life!...Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end...La la la la..la,La la la la la, la, la. I'm so grateful for being blessed to have been brought up in the 80's. It is and always will be the best decade ever. There was no other decade quite like it, and as hard as they may try....ya had to be there! No? Looking out of dirty old windows, see the kids on the street go rushing by, I sit here alone and I wonder why. We're the kids in America...everybody live for the music go round...da da da da da hey! We had some cool rocker chicks in the eighties, that's for sure! Fuck Britiney Spears and Christina Agulara! It's all Madonnas fault! Or can we blame it all on Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan? Huh? The question is, is it the joke or the punch line that comes first now-a-days?...I'm still trying to figure it out. Pretty confusing isn't it?

Fuck that !

If I paid for VIP, I would want all the grog I could swill, at the very least a handshake, smile
and an autograph, a freakin bag of goodies like picks that Eddie actually used in the
soundcheck, good quality tour shirt. AND FRONT ROW CENTER FIRST 2 ROWS !

Look at all the posts here over the years where our posters have casually run into
Van Halen members at Airports, Deli's and even freakin fishing wharfs.

They got to speak to the dudes. How much did that cost ??? Zilch...
And they have a much better tale to tell..

After reading all of this, when they head to Oz, I will seek out good seats,
but screw the VIP package. But hey, you never know, it might change outside
the US. (wouldnt hold my breathe)
For those that paid, have a blast, at least you got guaranteed VIP
seating.

A lot of us here have at some point been involved with the music industry.
One thing I noticed after playing even smaller gigs, once you meet Rockstars
and get over the whole "Oh my god Im gonna pass out, its GOD right here"
and just accept dudes as everyday dudes, the whole "OMIGOD" thing dissapears.

Conversely the "Rockstar" will more than likely have a casual chat
to you... Im not sure I would want to be in a "Speed Date meet and greet"
deal in any case. Awkward, forced and pretentious.

Sucks that the entire details of the VIP package were not disclosed upfront.
Poor Form indeed.