# General > Music >  £35??

## Gizmo

£35...to see Smokie, playing in the Waterfront, have the owners of The Waterfront gone stark raving mad?, and is anyone actually daft enough to pay that amount of money?, to put it in perspective, earlier this year i paid £10 more than that ticket price to see one of the biggest selling bands of all time in the Glasgow SECC. so £35 for a niche market act like Smokie, in the Waterfront...of all places, is one of the daftest things i have read in ages.

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## jumbledrainbow

i know its a lot of money but have you thought that thousands more people can fit in to the glasgow SECC then they can in the waterfront. 

The people who own the place are still paying the same amount for the band as the glasgow place would maybe even more for the distance they have to travel to get up here so they have to charge that price to make up for the costs...

i would look at it like it was a rip off from the glasgow SECC they would make ten times more profit then the waterfront would.

Also if you went to glasgow you have to pay your travel costs if you go to inverness to see someone again travel costs. I think its about time people supported places like the waterfront otherwise nothing will come up here and there wont be any entertainment. if people support smokie who knows who would come up next year. it has to start somewhere.

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## Julia

£35 is absolutely outrageous!

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## im behind you

concur 
are they still the original band from way back or have they come and gone

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## Metalattakk

> concur 
> are they still the original band from way back or have they come and gone


It's only Terry Uttley that remains from their '70s peak.

I think the promoter has made a big boo-boo with this one.

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## Gizmo

> i know its a lot of money but have you thought that thousands more people can fit in to the glasgow SECC then they can in the waterfront. 
> 
> The people who own the place are still paying the same amount for the band as the glasgow place would maybe even more for the distance they have to travel to get up here so they have to charge that price to make up for the costs...
> 
> i would look at it like it was a rip off from the glasgow SECC they would make ten times more profit then the waterfront would.
> 
> Also if you went to glasgow you have to pay your travel costs if you go to inverness to see someone again travel costs. I think its about time people supported places like the waterfront otherwise nothing will come up here and there wont be any entertainment. if people support smokie who knows who would come up next year. it has to start somewhere.


That's not the point....it's Smokie, for goodness sake, they don't play huge venues like the SECC.

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## Kevin Milkins

Smokie and the bandits now then.  ::

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## jumbledrainbow

i think you will find smokie play all over the place. in big and small venues. unfortunately they still have to be paid for so it is the point. the amount of people who can fit into the waterfront paying that price probably pay for the band.

i think that my points are pretty valid why not complain about the secc taking so much profit for bands they have on? they dont need to make that much money with the amount of people they have going they could charge less especially as you have to pay for travel.

its a good fun night something different. i love reading the org for threads like this which is basic moaning for no valid reason. if you dont like smokie and you dont want to pay the money dont. but get over it, someone is doing something for your town, trying to get it on the map as a place for bands to come up to. it might only be smokie to start off with but if its supported and works out it could get better and if it gets better and more people go it probably would get cheaper.

where i am from they had the same sort of venue and it took a couple of years of more expensive bands that were not so well known to come but recently they had oasis there. but they had the support of the locals and they had people in there town who were more about having fun and less about what money they have to spend to do it!

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## Kodiak

You can get a Great Smokie from the Fish Shop for a LOT Less than £35, YUM!!   ::

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## butterfly

> It's only Terry Uttley that remains from their '70s peak.
> 
> I think the promoter has made a big boo-boo with this one.


 
Agree,i think it's a rip off!

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## Jeid

Gonna have to give it one of these...

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## Tubthumper

This argument is getting boring. A couple of questions for Gizmo, Blast and all those shimfing about the price of tickets:

Being reasonable (ie not Oasis or U2), what bands would you like to see up here?What would you say was a reasonable ticket price for a band you'd like to see up here?What are you doing/ have you done about getting bands to come and play here?How do you propose the situation be improved?

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## Gizmo

> Gonna have to give it one of these...


Mmmm...pretty pointless when you're the only one that knows what the facepalm is being applied to

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## bigjjuk

Well if you say 200 people go see Smokie,

Thats £7000

Is that what they charge????

just imagine 300 go ( a real Possibility)

Then thats £10500 thats not bad for one night, dont forget drinks on top

That is why people are moaning, not the fact that the waterfront is trying to bring up good bands. Good for them.

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## Gizmo

> This argument is getting boring. A couple of questions for Gizmo, Blast and all those shimfing about the price of tickets:
> 
> Being reasonable (ie not Oasis or U2), what bands would you like to see up here?What would you say was a reasonable ticket price for a band you'd like to see up here?What are you doing/ have you done about getting bands to come and play here?How do you propose the situation be improved?


1) I can't answer that question without being 'unreasonable'
2) £15 max
3) Nothing, i'm not stupid enough to put money into a band playing in Caithness, we simply do not have the population to make anything a great success or money spinner.
4) Quadruple the population

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## Tubthumper

> 1) I can't answer that question without being 'unreasonable'
> 2) £15 max
> 3) Nothing, i'm not stupid enough to put money into a band playing in Caithness, we simply do not have the population to make anything a great success or money spinner.
> 4) Quadruple the population


Oh well, fair enough

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## FutureMix

I got my tickets and I am looking forward to going!!!  :: 

Good to see someone with who is willng to make the effort to make a go of things in Wick rather sitting at home moaning.  ::

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## telfordstar

Be a dear night out that say for 2 tickets at £70 plus drinks!!!! If i was a smokie fan id rather sit at home listen to a cd that pay all that. Thats lek a weeks shopping just to see that. mental.

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## Invisible

> Be a dear night out that say for 2 tickets at £70 plus drinks!!!! If i was a smokie fan id rather sit at home listen to a cd that pay all that. Thats lek a weeks shopping just to see that. mental.


Smokie have fans!!!??  ::

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## Gizmo

> Smokie have fans!!!??


Ask your Granny  ::

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## joxville

> concur 
> are they still the original band from way back or have they come and gone





> It's only Terry Uttley that remains from their '70s peak.
> 
> I think the promoter has made a big boo-boo with this one.


They've had a couple of changes over the years. Alan Barton, (of Blacklace~Agadoo fame), replaced the original Smokie lead singer. Alan Barton went to the great Smokie in the sky in mid-90's, I think the tour bus crashed if I recall correctly. I don't know who the lead is now.

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## Gizmo

> They've had a couple of changes over the years. Alan Barton, (of Blacklace~Agadoo fame), replaced the original Smokie lead singer. Alan Barton went to the great Smokie in the sky in mid-90's, I think the tour bus crashed if I recall correctly. I don't know who the lead is now.


Everything you need to know can be found on their Wikipedia page.

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## Thumper

I think £35 isnt that bad,we dont get that many good "famous" bands up here after all! I paid £28 for the Saw Doctors 2 years ago and wasnt complaining at that either,I cant wait for Smokie!x

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## joxville

> £35...to see Smokie, playing in the Waterfront, have the owners of The Waterfront gone stark raving mad?, and is anyone actually daft enough to pay that amount of money?, to put it in perspective, earlier this year i paid £10 more than that ticket price to see one of the biggest selling bands of all time in the Glasgow SECC. so £35 for a niche market act like Smokie, in the Waterfront...of all places, is one of the daftest things i have read in ages.


I agree with you. I paid £27 to see a popular singer at the SECC Auditorium last year-every seat was the same price so it was a first come, first served basis.

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## The Pepsi Challenge

Am just surprised Wickerman hasn't been on here already to chastise you all for having the indecency to question the price. For what it's worth, Smokie's show in Dundee is £22.50.

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## joxville

> Am just surprised Wickerman hasn't been on here already to chastise you all for having the indecency to question the price. For what it's worth, Smokie's show in Dundee is £22.50.


So the further north they go they dearer they get? On that basis when they come to Basingstoke or Reading I'll only pay £1.50 to see them.  :Smile:

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## im behind you

> Smokie and the bandits now then.


 yes nice 1 although the 3rd was a bit of a flop

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## scorrie

Chaos descends in DR Simpsons as the price of the tickets to see Smokie is revealed:-

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## EDDIE

> Be a dear night out that say for 2 tickets at £70 plus drinks!!!! If i was a smokie fan id rather sit at home listen to a cd that pay all that. Thats lek a weeks shopping just to see that. mental.


£70 is not dear if u enjoy listening to them some people smoke that in a week or drink it on a friday night.
Imagine if u was a smokie fan and they were playing in inverness only look how much that would cost to drive down and back up plus the hasstle of driving.
In this day and age if a couple can go out for a nights worth of quality entertainment for £100 thats reasonable in this day age with the cost of things

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## Gizmo

> £70 is not dear if u enjoy listening to them some people smoke that in a week or drink it on a friday night.
> Imagine if u was a smokie fan and they were playing in inverness only look how much that would cost to drive down and back up plus the hasstle of driving.
> In this day and age if a couple can go out for a nights worth of quality entertainment for £100 thats reasonable in this day age with the cost of things


Eh...to a lot of people, especially in this area, that IS a lot of money, it certainly would be to me.

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## lister

> Agree,i think it's a rip off!


Aye i agree Butterfly it s a rip off,anyway i thought smokie was banned indoors?? ::

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## Jeid

> Mmmm...pretty pointless when you're the only one that knows what the facepalm is being applied to


Kinda like this thread.

It's £35, get over it. Typical Caithness, damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Don't wanna pay, don't go. Simples.

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## unicorn

I had to google them  ::

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## Gizmo

> Kinda like this thread.
> 
> It's £35, get over it. Typical Caithness, damned if you do, damned if you don't.
> 
> Don't wanna pay, don't go. Simples.


I was never behind it to 'Get over it', the original post was merely my opinion and observation on something that makes no sense to me, i wouldn't be going if it was free, or even if Smokie were paying me a tenner to attend, but that doesn't mean i can't voice my opinion on the ridiculous price for a ticket.

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## KEEP_ON_TRUCKIN

it's a shame it's so dear - i'd have loved to have gone but again by time you pay £70 for 2 tickets it's a very dear night.... got other priorites for that kinda money right now

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## EDDIE

> Eh...to a lot of people, especially in this area, that IS a lot of money, it certainly would be to me.


Yeh but its not as if u are wasting £100 every week whats wrong with giving yourself a treat now and again

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## Brodar

Think £35.00 is a bit steep.Ocean Colour Scene are playing in the Assembly rooms next year and tickets are only £28.50.
If i really wanted to see Smokie then i would pay the £35.00 as moaning about it on here is not going to bring the price down!!!!
Hopes everyone who is going has a great night.

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## gemma89

I am looking forward to going! Aged 20 should be a good ngt out, it's what ive been brought up listening to!
It's been advertised for long enough, so the price to me isn't a big deal . The way I look at it, it's on our doorstep so you have no digs, travel or food to pay for (+ your day shopping in the city  :Wink: )along with your drinks which would work out a lot more expensive!
Really looking forward to it and a lot of people I have spoken to will be there!

Good on Robert for giving it a go and bringing something different to Caithness!

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## Invisible

> Eh...to a lot of people, especially in this area, that IS a lot of money, it certainly would be to me.


I agree with you for a change £70 is far more than you would need for a "good time"

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## joxville

> £35...to see Smokie, playing in the Waterfront, have the owners of The Waterfront gone stark raving mad?, and is anyone actually daft enough to pay that amount of money?, to put it in perspective, earlier this year i paid £10 more than that ticket price to see one of the biggest selling bands of all time in the Glasgow SECC. so £35 for a niche market act like Smokie, in the Waterfront...of all places, is one of the daftest things i have read in ages.


To paraphrase one of their hits:

I understand your moaning, Why the prices aren't low, 
I guess they have they're reason, Though you don't need to go,
But for 24 years they've been drinking out of a chalice,
Chalice, what the........




 ::  <door, slam>

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## George Brims

I might pay that kind of money for a ticket for A BAND I CAN ACTUALLY REMEMBER FROM THE 70S. Smokie appear to have slipped out of the memory banks completely. Anyway for that kind of money I could get some of the Beatles re-mastered CDs.

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## joxville

> I might pay that kind of money for a ticket for A BAND I CAN ACTUALLY REMEMBER FROM THE 70S. Smokie appear to have slipped out of the memory banks completely. Anyway for that kind of money I could get some of the Beatles re-mastered CDs.


Who are the Beatles?

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## MrsK

> Who are the Beatles?


Some Sixties band, I think.

Anyway, although I can see where Gizmo is coming from (£35 for a not exactly brilliant venue), if you think about it, you could soon knock up £35 per head just going out for a meal.

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## telfordstar

> £70 is not dear if u enjoy listening to them some people smoke that in a week or drink it on a friday night.
> Imagine if u was a smokie fan and they were playing in inverness only look how much that would cost to drive down and back up plus the hasstle of driving.
> In this day and age if a couple can go out for a nights worth of quality entertainment for £100 thats reasonable in this day age with the cost of things


 
Sounds lek you have plenty of money then!!!!

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## EDDIE

> Sounds lek you have plenty of money then!!!!


I wish i had but i dont i just think a lot of people are making a mountain out of a mole over £35.

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## purplelady

I donot think it is dear and if i was not working till late i myself would have gone really liked smokie in the 70s x

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## Scorpio12thNov

You have to ask yourself _why_ the tickets are £35.

Firstly the bands fee, how many are in the band, how far are they travelling, are they staying the night, meals...??? They may also be there early in the afternoon doing sound checks.

Then there's rent and rates, advertising, staff & the list goes on really...

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## Invisible

> You have to ask yourself _why_ the tickets are £35.
> 
> Firstly the bands fee, how many are in the band, how far are they travelling, are they staying the night, meals...??? They may also be there early in the afternoon doing sound checks.
> 
> Then there's rent and rates, advertising, staff & the list goes on really...


according to the Courier, its £35 for Smokie and the Disco, and £7 for the disco only. so assuming my math is correct you are only paying £28 for smokie. But you can't just buy a £28 ticket

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## zzzzzzz

Just to let you know the people who think the Waterfront is chargin that much to make a profit I would say ur wrong I rekon the Waterfront will be lucky to break even I heard the band is costing £20,000 plus they get food, drink and accomodation then the waterfront have still all the usuall bills to pay on top of it and you are right about SECC they can fit alot more in than  the waterfront can i rekon what maybe a 1000 in th Waterfront so that doesn't give much if they were to charge less. I personally can't wait I love smokie and I'm in my early 20ies I think it'l be a good mixture of people and ages and from what I hear scotland Smokie r only playin 2 gigs in Scotland and hearing about it on the radio made me think great Caithness finally gettin some talk about it. Anyway I hope its a good night and busy when I got my tickets they told me there wasn't many left so I can't wait and also I've knowen about it for so long I managed to be clever with my money and save up for it it's not like you just found out about it .

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## Metalattakk

> I heard the band is costing £20,000


There's not a chance in hell that they're charging £20,000 for one performance. Not a chance.  ::

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## theboss

> There's not a chance in hell that they're charging £20,000 for one performance. Not a chance.


Nope, no way. If they're charging £20k and getting it then there's something far wrong. That's rubbish.

Who cares how much it is. As Jeid said, if you don't want to pay £35 to see them, don't go.

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## The Pepsi Challenge

Not sure if this is of any use or measure, but here's a list of some band fees circa 2005 (in $ dollars)...


Andrew WK 10-12.5K
Audioslave 100K+
Bad Religion 25K
Badly Drawn Boy 10-15K
Barenaked Ladies 150K
Basement Jaxx 10K
Beach Boys 75K++
Beck 75K
Ben Folds 35K (plus piano rental)
Billy Corgan 15-20K (theatres only)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 10-12.5K
Bloodhound Gang 17.5-25K
Blur * 35-40K
Cardigans, The 7-10K
Counting Crows 50-80K
Green Day 100K+
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion 20K
Keane 35-50K
Kings of Leon 15-20K
Lenny Kravitz 150-200K
Moby 40-50K
Polyphonic Spree 15-20K
Queens of the Stone Age 75-100K
Rancid 20-25K
Weezer 125-150K

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## Jeid

Quite interesting, Who'd have thought Weezer would be one of the top paid bands on that list?

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## Invisible

> Quite interesting, Who'd have thought Weezer would be one of the top paid bands on that list?


I wouldn't have but either River's is a weird chap, once fined his band mates for being out of tune. I bet he has a strange rider and odd demands

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## buddyrich

Regardless of price, the entertainment value of the posters that have appeared around town that feature the band have made their journey north worthwhile.

Hilarious does not adequately describe the sight.  It's like seeing what def leppard will look like in five, maybe ten years.  Hell, i wouldnt be surprised to see that treacherous scumbag Vivian Campbell appear on stage at the waterfront with smokie.  He'll peddle himself to the lowest bidder without a second thought.

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## buddyrich

> Weezer 125-150K




Ye gods.  I wonder if they'd lower the fee if they didnt have the warbling cretin on vocals.

Issuing a fine to his unfortunate bandmates for being out of tune has a special irony.  He's flat on every single thing i've heard of theirs.  

Spend half their fee on the beach boys and get a lesson in singing in key!

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## Gleber2

I hear there's a band called 'James Brown Is Jesus' playing in Thurso this weekend and the admission if free!!! This an outrageous ticket price for a band of no real position or past hits!!!!!!

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## The Pepsi Challenge

Shocking, isn't it? Though I wholeheartedly concur.

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## Jeid

Actually, now that I see what those bands get, I feel bad for asking for £80 when we played in May supporting Yashin, clearly our fee is too high

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## Gleber2

> Actually, now that I see what those bands get, I feel bad for asking for £80 when we played in May supporting Yashin, clearly our fee is too high


Indubitably!!

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## fingalmacool

> Indubitably!!


 
Lets not go there, but could this be,,,,,,,,,Living next door to Malice ::

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## Gleber2

> Lets not go there, but could this be,,,,,,,,,Living next door to Malice


Aye, Im only getting -£50 from the Comm and Scottie pays the customers £35 to come in. Malicious indeed!!!!!!! :Grin:

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## buddyrich

> Actually, now that I see what those bands get, I feel bad for asking for £80 when we played in May supporting Yashin, clearly our fee is too high


You're in the wrong genre dude.  Get a bit of tartan about you and the cash will roll in.

I think im going to write a sequel to The Manual.  It'll tell the story of how to attain wealth and fame becoming the new Andy Stewart.

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## Scorpio12thNov

Donald where's yer troosers? :: The Rock n' Roll section in the middle is just brilliant!

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