Right, take a deep breath and sit down for this one, because the price tag nearly sent us backwards into the merch stall.
ยฃ1,600.
To see Harry Styles live.
Not a festival weekend.
Not a European city break with gigs every night.
Not a yearโs worth of sweaty club shows and ringing ears.
One. Single. Ticket.
And suddenly we donโt feel quite so bad about that ยฃ85 arena standing ticket from last year, do we? ๐
WHEN DID GIG TICKETS BECOME A LUXURY ITEM?
We love live music. Proper love it.
Weโve stood in sideways rain.
Weโve queued since stupid oโclock.
Weโve paid daft prices for warm beer and still called it a great night.
But ยฃ1,600 isnโt a ticket โ thatโs:
- A full Download Festival weekend
- Hotel, travel, food, merch, and a Greggs breakfast every day
- Plus change for a hoodie youโll โdefinitely not regret laterโ
Thatโs not gig money. Thatโs โshould I speak to a financial advisor?โ money.
WHAT ARE YOU GETTING FOR ยฃ1,600 THEN?
Because for that price, expectations are high, mun.
Weโre talking:
- Personal handshake
- A guitar string in a little velvet pouch
- Emotional reassurance
- Maybe a quick sit-down chat about life
- And a lift home afterwards
If the artist doesnโt at least ask how your weekโs been, somethingโs gone wrong.
WEโRE NOT HATING โ WEโRE JUST BAFFLED
Letโs be clear: this isnโt a dig at the artist or the fans. If youโve got the cash and want the experience, fair play โ live your truth, butt ๐
But somewhere along the line, live music pricing has wandered off the path and fallen into a hedge.
Rock, pop, metal โ doesnโt matter the genre โ music should feel accessible, not like youโre booking a stag do in Monaco.
THE RIFF REPORT WAY ๐ค๐ฅ
Weโll stick to:
- ยฃ15โยฃ30 club shows
- Sweat on the ceiling
- Bands five feet away
- Pints spilling everywhere
- Ears ringing for two days
Thatโs where the magic lives.
Thatโs where scenes are built.
Thatโs where rock โnโ roll still punches you in the chest.
So yeahโฆ ยฃ1,600 to see Harry Styles?
Weโll give this one a miss, mun.
Catch us down the front at a local gig instead โ skint, smiling, and shouting every lyric ๐ค๐ฅ
Rock should be loud โ not priced like a luxury holiday.
