"Rows of Scalpers, Are Bearing Down on Me...."

[U2OnceAgain]

Coldplay could never sell out stadiums in the US. They are just not that big. U2 didn't even come back to Boston for the second leg of the tour because they did not sell out the first 2 shows and we always got extra shows in the past. Coldplay is no where as big a U2 in the states.

[Sugarcube]

Coldplay could never sell out stadiums in the US. They are just not that big. U2 didn't even come back to Boston for the second leg of the tour because they did not sell out the first 2 shows and we always got extra shows in the past. Coldplay is no where as big a U2 in the states.

I think you're missing the point - Coldplay choose not to play stadiums - they prefer playing in arenas to give the fans a better live experience

[sw]

All this is assuming that the scalpers are calling in or getting in line to buy tickets, they are not, tickets are releaed directly to them. That is why they always have the best seats and you can be frist in line and still not get good tickets. I was first in line for a U2 Elevation sale and all that was left was upper section seats. A huge amount of tickets are held back and given to stub hub etc....

I have believed this for MANY years. More than once I was at or near the front of a line for tickets and wound up in nosebleed seats. Even if every Ticketmaster outlet was coughing up tickets at the exact same time, it still defies logic. I'm talking about pre-Internet when you'd go to an outlet, get a wristband and either they'd start with #1, or they'd start with a random number. And no band that I've seen in recent years has ever answered a direct question on the topic in a way that I'd find satisfying.

That's because the individual bands sign a contract for an entire tour with a company like Live Nation to handle what agents used to do with booking concerts through promoters.
All of them are gone. It's all Live Nation type companies now. So many bands are either

A)willfully ignorant

or

B)blindly ignorant

I'll go with a) willfully ignorant. Some may be blindly ignorant but Pearl Jam's experience was a lesson to all.

[imaginary friend]

Coldplay could never sell out stadiums in the US. They are just not that big. U2 didn't even come back to Boston for the second leg of the tour because they did not sell out the first 2 shows and we always got extra shows in the past. Coldplay is no where as big a U2 in the states.

I think you're missing the point - Coldplay choose not to play stadiums - they prefer playing in arenas to give the fans a better live experience

they "choose not to play stadiums" in the US because said stadiums would be half-filled at best in most cities.

[Sugarcube]

Coldplay could never sell out stadiums in the US. They are just not that big. U2 didn't even come back to Boston for the second leg of the tour because they did not sell out the first 2 shows and we always got extra shows in the past. Coldplay is no where as big a U2 in the states.

I think you're missing the point - Coldplay choose not to play stadiums - they prefer playing in arenas to give the fans a better live experience

they "choose not to play stadiums" in the US because said stadiums would be half-filled at best in most cities.

How do you know that? Have Coldplay played in stadiums? No, because they choose not too. Not because they couldn't fill them

[tigerfan41]

Coldplay could never sell out stadiums in the US. They are just not that big. U2 didn't even come back to Boston for the second leg of the tour because they did not sell out the first 2 shows and we always got extra shows in the past. Coldplay is no where as big a U2 in the states.

I think you're missing the point - Coldplay choose not to play stadiums - they prefer playing in arenas to give the fans a better live experience

*facepalm* We've been through this in another thread, so I'm just going to post what I posted there:

Coldplay is not doing a stadium tour because they know it would not be successful. Like I've said, I really like Coldplay's music up to the last album or two, but I know there's no way they'd be able to do a stadium tour. The demand isn't there, especially if they continue to charge upwards of $100 per ticket. There just aren't enough people throughout the U.S. who would pay that much to see'em live. Few artists are capable of doing a stadium tour.

Now if Coldplay teamed up with another really popular band, they might stand a chance of having a successful stadium tour. But not on their own in the U.S.

I liked Coldplay a lot up to their last two CDs. If you want to talk about "selling out" and not caring about the fans, as you've accused U2 of, take a good look at Coldplay. All they make now is pop rubbish just because they want to get played on pop radio. And the concerts? Overpriced. Can anyone honestly say that Coldplay is worth $100+ a ticket to see? Bands who "care" about the experience for their fans aren't going to charge them $100+ a ticket, especially ones who, when we look at the history of music someday, aren't going to even be remembered.

Coldplay doesn't give a crap about playing arenas to appease the fans. They care about money, and they know that a stadium tour would never make them a lot of money. Just as Radiohead and 98% of other bands who cannot play stadium gigs know: the demand isn't there. Maybe it might be in select areas, but not all over the globe. And certainly not in NA.

[Sugarcube]

Coldplay could never sell out stadiums in the US. They are just not that big. U2 didn't even come back to Boston for the second leg of the tour because they did not sell out the first 2 shows and we always got extra shows in the past. Coldplay is no where as big a U2 in the states.

I think you're missing the point - Coldplay choose not to play stadiums - they prefer playing in arenas to give the fans a better live experience

*facepalm* We've been through this in another thread, so I'm just going to post what I posted there:

Coldplay is not doing a stadium tour because they know it would not be successful. Like I've said, I really like Coldplay's music up to the last album or two, but I know there's no way they'd be able to do a stadium tour. The demand isn't there, especially if they continue to charge upwards of $100 per ticket. There just aren't enough people throughout the U.S. who would pay that much to see'em live. Few artists are capable of doing a stadium tour.

Now if Coldplay teamed up with another really popular band, they might stand a chance of having a successful stadium tour. But not on their own in the U.S.

I liked Coldplay a lot up to their last two CDs. If you want to talk about "selling out" and not caring about the fans, as you've accused U2 of, take a good look at Coldplay. All they make now is pop rubbish just because they want to get played on pop radio. And the concerts? Overpriced. Can anyone honestly say that Coldplay is worth $100+ a ticket to see? Bands who "care" about the experience for their fans aren't going to charge them $100+ a ticket, especially ones who, when we look at the history of music someday, aren't going to even be remembered.

Coldplay doesn't give a crap about playing arenas to appease the fans. They care about money, and they know that a stadium tour would never make them a lot of money. Just as Radiohead and 98% of other bands who cannot play stadium gigs know: the demand isn't there. Maybe it might be in select areas, but not all over the globe. And certainly not in NA.

Your opinion of Coldplay's music is totally subjective. How come it's not alright to accuse U2 of caring about money but it is with Coldplay? Coldplay don't play stadiums because they don't want to. There's nothing wrong with that so stop attacking them for it.

[U2OnceAgain]

Coldplay could never sell out stadiums in the US. They are just not that big. U2 didn't even come back to Boston for the second leg of the tour because they did not sell out the first 2 shows and we always got extra shows in the past. Coldplay is no where as big a U2 in the states.

I think you're missing the point - Coldplay choose not to play stadiums - they prefer playing in arenas to give the fans a better live experience

I understand what you are saying but IF they had chosen to play Stadiums they know they would never sell enough tickets to warrant a stadium tour. By chosing not to play stadiums they can sell out an Arenas (maybe). Its all about the apprearence and the money they would make. They can say its not as intimate but if they had the following they would do it or would play 20 shows per city to appeal to all their fans.

[Sugarcube]

Coldplay could never sell out stadiums in the US. They are just not that big. U2 didn't even come back to Boston for the second leg of the tour because they did not sell out the first 2 shows and we always got extra shows in the past. Coldplay is no where as big a U2 in the states.

I think you're missing the point - Coldplay choose not to play stadiums - they prefer playing in arenas to give the fans a better live experience

I understand what you are saying but IF they had chosen to play Stadiums they know they would never sell enough tickets to warrant a stadium tour. By chosing not to play stadiums they can sell out an Arenas (maybe). Its all about the apprearence and the money they would make. They can say its not as intimate but if they had the following they would do it or would play 20 shows per city to appeal to all their fans.

I disagree - why is everyone so against the idea of Coldplay choosing not to play stadiums?

[tigerfan41]

Actually, I'm pretty sure it's less subjective and more representative of what lots of other fans think. Look at what fans have been saying online, not to mention critics as well. If the CDs were good, as a fan, I'd be the first to admit it. But when you're focused on getting hits, the music more often than not is going to suffer.

If I'm attacking Coldplay, you're attacking U2 far more in pretty much every other thread. All I'm stating is something that a LOT of people agree with: that Coldplay could not play stadium gigs and expect to sell 3/4 or even 2/3 of the tickets. I'm pretty sure you'll be hard pressed to find anyone else who disagrees with this.

If Coldplay were truly all about the music and the fans, how do you explain charging $100+ for a ticket that, unless it's close to the stage, is generally quite crappy? How do you explain the safe, hits direction of the last couple CDs? Again, not attacking them, but just pointing out where the argument that Coldplay chooses not to maximize profits by playing stadiums is flawed. If they could, they would play stadiums. They don't because they know it's not feasible.

[Sugarcube]

Actually, I'm pretty sure it's less subjective and more representative of what lots of other fans think. Look at what fans have been saying online, not to mention critics as well. If the CDs were good, as a fan, I'd be the first to admit it. But when you're focused on getting hits, the music more often than not is going to suffer.

If I'm attacking Coldplay, you're attacking U2 far more in pretty much every other thread. All I'm stating is something that a LOT of people agree with: that Coldplay could not play stadium gigs and expect to sell 3/4 or even 2/3 of the tickets. I'm pretty sure you'll be hard pressed to find anyone else who disagrees with this.

If Coldplay were truly all about the music and the fans, how do you explain charging $100+ for a ticket that, unless it's close to the stage, is generally quite crappy? How do you explain the safe, hits direction of the last couple CDs? Again, not attacking them, but just pointing out where the argument that Coldplay chooses not to maximize profits by playing stadiums is flawed. If they could, they would play stadiums. They don't because they know it's not feasible.

Lots of people are critical of 2000's U2 too.

You simply can't argue Coldplay can't fill stadiums because as you rightly point out they haven't played them in some territories. This is because they choose not to not because they can't fill them.

As for ticket prices, U2 charge lots of money for decent tickets. I'm sure both bands are all about the money but Coldplay seem to care more about their fans

[tigerfan41]

What's your proof that they care more? 'Cause I haven't seen it with the always increasing ticket prices. For U2 360, you want to know how much I paid to be close to the stage and within 15 feet of U2 for various points of the concert? $60 for each GA, plus a $50 subscription to U2.com, which averages out to $85 per ticket. Compare that to $100+ for a ticket where I might not be anywhere close to the stage, and it becomes apparent that the $85 ticket is a bargain by comparison.

Thing is, I'm not the only one arguing that Coldplay can't play stadiums. Other people here (and I'm sure on other sites) would point out the same thing. Look at the sales for their tour.....still lots of available tickets for the arena gigs, even in bigger markets. I know there are still tons of them available for shows in the midwest. How in the world does anyone expect them to fill stadiums when they can't even fill arenas?

And yes, I'm aware of the criticism of 00's U2. Chalk that up to different preferences in terms of what direction people want U2 to go in. When a band has done so many different types of albums, it's going to be hard to please everyone. I might like Achtung, but I'm not going to like NLOTH because it's nothing like Achtung...and the same applies to the other CDs.

Point is, though, Coldplay fans overall aren't happy with the band's pop direction of the last two CDs, and their apparent mentality that they need to get top 40 airplay with every single they release. The music has suffered because all they want is airplay. I hope that U2 doesn't make this same mistake as recent interviews have indicated they might.

Once again, Coldplay aren't playing stadiums because they know they can't. It has nothing to do with making the fans happy.

[The Unknown Caller]

I have never understood why some of the arena-zealots who do not merelyprefer arenas but see arenas as vastly, unreservedly and indisputably objectively superior to stadiums in every way imaginable feel a need to project their feelings onto bands and artists by assuming that those artists feel the same way.

Coldplay love playing giant open-air festivals which have terrible acoustics and are full of non-fans of the band. They even debut new songs in said festivals, even though fans sometimes didn't even know that they would be there in advance and thus had no chance to get tickets. That does not suggest that they are a band which loves its fans so much that they craft their entire tours and touring mechanisms around playing them. It suggests a band which, much like U2 or the Stones or basically any other band, values its fans a lot, and also likes playing to the biggest possible audience while remaining financially viable. If Coldplay could sell out a stadium tour, they would, in a heartbeat. That doesn't mean they value their fans any less.

[Sugarcube]

What's your proof that they care more? 'Cause I haven't seen it with the always increasing ticket prices. For U2 360, you want to know how much I paid to be close to the stage and within 15 feet of U2 for various points of the concert? $60 for each GA, plus a $50 subscription to U2.com, which averages out to $85 per ticket. Compare that to $100+ for a ticket where I might not be anywhere close to the stage, and it becomes apparent that the $85 ticket is a bargain by comparison.

Thing is, I'm not the only one arguing that Coldplay can't play stadiums. Other people here (and I'm sure on other sites) would point out the same thing. Look at the sales for their tour.....still lots of available tickets for the arena gigs, even in bigger markets. I know there are still tons of them available for shows in the midwest. How in the world does anyone expect them to fill stadiums when they can't even fill arenas?

And yes, I'm aware of the criticism of 00's U2. Chalk that up to different preferences in terms of what direction people want U2 to go in. When a band has done so many different types of albums, it's going to be hard to please everyone. I might like Achtung, but I'm not going to like NLOTH because it's nothing like Achtung...and the same applies to the other CDs.

Point is, though, Coldplay fans overall aren't happy with the band's pop direction of the last two CDs, and their apparent mentality that they need to get top 40 airplay with every single they release. The music has suffered because all they want is airplay. I hope that U2 doesn't make this same mistake as recent interviews have indicated they might.

Once again, Coldplay aren't playing stadiums because they know they can't. It has nothing to do with making the fans happy.

What's your proof U2 care more?

As for ticket prices, these are scalable. U2 can sell a load of tickets on the floor because 360 was in the round thus maximising numbers. It's folly to think they did it for any other reason. Pile em high, sell em cheap. There were other tickets for 360 that definitely weren't cheap. It's a basic business model.

U2 fans haven't been happy with U2s recent output either. You're just biased because you prefer U2. This bias extends to not accepting Coldplay choose not to play stadiums rather than because they can't. It's folly to think otherwise.

There is no way that recent U2 songs will be as enduring as their older material. Same applies to Coldplay. Most would agree they're probably neck and neck at the moment in terms of creative output.

That said, they're both still massive live draws. Most would agree though that Coldplay play slightly smaller venues because they prefer a more intimate, passionate live experience, not because they can't play stadium sized gigs.

[imaginary friend]

Coldplay could never sell out stadiums in the US. They are just not that big. U2 didn't even come back to Boston for the second leg of the tour because they did not sell out the first 2 shows and we always got extra shows in the past. Coldplay is no where as big a U2 in the states.

I think you're missing the point - Coldplay choose not to play stadiums - they prefer playing in arenas to give the fans a better live experience

they "choose not to play stadiums" in the US because said stadiums would be half-filled at best in most cities.

How do you know that? Have Coldplay played in stadiums? No, because they choose not too. Not because they couldn't fill them

because they can't sell out multiple arena dates in most US cities. It's not opinion. It's simple math that you refuse to understand. If a band can't move 40,000 tix over 2 nights in a given city, what makes you think they can move upwards of 55,000 in one?

I really want to hear your answer.