Expecting Rain

Usually I'm not an activist and I didn't even know I had that in me. But 350.- (about 300 euros) is waaaaaaaaay to expensive to see Bob at Montreux, even though I adore him. I have seen "big production" concerts and never paid so much to go to one single concert. Living in Switzerland it makes me sad not to go. I'm lucky enough to have that amount of money in my bank, but come on, COME ON::: It's a shame that Claude Nobs (Montreux jazz festival director in chief) strategy is to attract such big stars as Bob with high salaries. How sad. I must be one of Bob's biggest fans here in Switzerland and I WON'T even go! Let the RICH bank people go and hear them mumble about Bob's VOICE and the high price after the show, they won't get it!... Let also the LOOKING FOR A FREE TICKET girl go
And yes, may NOBS go to hell for this!
The first time I saw him in Montreux was in 2001. He came in a VERY bad mood and slightly drunk. It was also my 1st Bob concert and out of the 15 times I saw him it was the worst I saw. The hardcore fans found it beautiful. Guess I'm not harcore enough. Hope he plays Dont think twice as a second song, at least I wont be there. YURK!
Also hope that EVEN PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY in their bank won't go, as a sign of PROTEST to such high prices. 11 years ago I paid more than 3 times less to see Bob in Montreux and was front row. IT is UNACCEPTABLE that in 2012, in the middle of a financial crisis, we would pay more than 3 times more.
For those of you that want to go and see him, I strongly suggest you buy an easyjet ticket to France or Germany, enjoy your stay in another country and go and see him there. Even then you will save money.

I don't think that anybody who doesn't want to pay the price will consider going.
Also, the three times less price of 2001 was for general admission tickets (but in front of the stage).
The venue also has more than twice the capacity when there is all general admission on the floor. With seats, it's just 1800.

Where does the 300 Euro info come from? As far as I know event and ticket prices are only to be announced tomorrow?

Ah, so more precisely, the ticket prices is 108 CHF and up. 108 is about 90 Euro and precisely the price I was expecting.

90 Euro for a show in Switzerland with 1800 capacity is pretty good actually. You will be much closer than on the 91 Euro Salzburg Arena show seats.

You will still be standing behind the seats.

So what? You'll be sitting in the nosebleed seats in Salzburg for 91,-.

For those of you you think Bob "wants" you in row one: Pay for your ticket and don't complain. For those who just want to be at the show: 90 Euro ain't bad, that's all I'm sayin'.

I don't recall anyone here claiming recently that Bob wants them up front.
Personally, I go to actually see him, I could always get a tape if I just wanted to listen.

Whatta F"*ç&??!
I think you don't get the point here. Please pay 90 euros to be in the VERY back pressed like a sardine (as my friend from Geneva said ), come back on this forum and tell me honestly if you enjoyed the show! Thanx in advance!!
Also, I don't care to know if BOB wants me in the front row(s), I just know that as an appreciator of Bobs concerts I don't want to be too far away from the stage.

For me, it is not a question of boycot this and that. I thought it be great to go to the Montreux concert since I'll happen to be in the area. And of course it is "worth it". It is worth a lot of money to see Bob Dylan. But with hotelroom and food etc. that weekend would cost me perhaps around 900 euros and sadly that is a bit much. But there are a lot of other shows in Europe to catch.

I TOTALLY understand your point of view. I myself will go to see him in France and enjoy my stay there. As I already said I'm not an activist, but I just hope that Mister Nobs wont sell too many tickets for that show thus will understand that a 300-350.- ticket to get a decent seat is WAY too much, even for a Bob Dylan concert. The Montreux Jazz is a "prestigious" festival, and I'm sure that there are other ways of attracting such stars as Dylan to go and play there than just MONEY. As for the other band playing before Bob Dylan, I'm also a fan of blues, but never heard of them.

Oh, the music is the same in the entire room, especially when it's so small. If you come just for the music, the 90 Euro tickets will be just fine. It's crowded in the front as well, if a GA show is sold out. You'll be pressed against the rail etc...

And if you need to have a special seat / position at the show to enjoy it, you have the option to buy a higher priced ticket. I honestly don't see the problem.

Yes, I'd rather see Bob play GA shows for 26 Euro like in Italy, but I don't think it's fair to say "Montreux tickets are 300", because they are not. There are high prices tickets at just about every show these days, but that doesn't mean the regular Joe has to boycott the shows.
No, I don't have the money to pay 350 CHF to see Bob from the front row in Montreux, but the cheap Montreux "seats" are better and closer than the Salzburg ones at the same price. Gotta boycott Salzburg, too?

If Bob's asking price is 300,000 Dollar, just divide that by 1,800 tickets and you'll see it's not a rip off on Claude Nobs' part. Salzburg, well, I'm not so sure who's making the big bucks there...

Of course you can still manage to get a decent point of view if you're there early but for 90 euros, I think you at least deserve a little comfort in my opinion. A few years ago, I went to see John Fogerty there. Status Quo was playing before and I couldn't even get in the hall. I've spent a few minutes on my toes near the door and ended up at the bar watching the concert on a screen. Paying this much money for that is not worth it (and Bob might not allow screens to be turned on anyway).

Not going is just a personal choice. But as a regular attendee of the festival, I can assure you that it's getting worse year after year for the average people who can't afford (or get) top price tickets. I've felt penned like cattle too many times there to try once more.

Anyway, I hope the ones who go will have a nice surprise and a good time. Hurry for tickets because no matter how expensive, it will sell out fast.

THANX for your response. This is just the proof that for 90 euros you won't see a thing and be uncomfortable (and possibly not have a great sound). I'd rather make a good selection of bootlegs on that night and hear my favourite songs with a good sound quality on my stereo (and I will play it LOUD!). As for "hurriing" to see Dylan "no matter how expensive", I don't agree. Music has to be accessible, I'm not saying FREE, artists have to be paid, but come on people, COME ON, 300.-!! (and yes, 90 euros to be in the very back, sorry I almost forgot )

Also don't agree with "the nice surprise" you think people will have. I don't think that his setlist or mood will change very much compared to the other "normal" priced concerts, after a few years of seeing his concerts, I really don't think so. I went to see him at the Roundhouse in London and it was a decent show, but nothing special. Everybody expected a BIG surprise, there was absolutely NONE.

I wished I was in London in 2003 when he completely changed his setlist and treated his fans with a big surprise, even then I don't think the ticket prices were that high, anybody know?. I may be wrong but I don't think it will be the case in Montreux. I'm looking forward hearing the bootleg of that show!

Setlist surprises have everything to do with the mood and nothing with the ticket price or occasion. I doubt Bob keeps the ticket prices for each of his shows in mind even if he knows them.

The nice surprise I'm refering to is not about the setlist. I just hope that those who'll go will find that the festival has changed the way of doing things and that they'll be able to move a little and breathe a little and see a little.

About hurrying, it's just a friendly advice to those who decide to go. Big nights at Montreux are always sold out, sometimes in minutes.

I hope they will give a fair chance to people of buying decent seats and not take out a VIP contingent from the beginning.

Just to defend Montreux a bit:

I don't think it will be SO bad in the back for the CHF 108 tickets. Maybe a bit crowded. They probably won't sell so many of the CHF 320 tickets, which are the seated ones, so there should be a reasonable amount of space. The room is relatively small, the sound is good and you can see a bunch of free concerts around the venue so it's not such a bad experience all in all.

Re VIP tickets, unfortunately they sometimes sell what look like great tickets (row A, B whatever) and then you find they have put in a few rows in front (AA, BB etc).

Is there usually the option to buy from the seating chart for Motreux gigs at ticketcorner?

[quote="Johanna Parker"]Is there usually the option to buy from the seating chart for Motreux gigs at ticketcorner?[/quote]

Yes

Well, I agree that there is something to be said for the possibility to buy a higher priced ticket for a better seat. And I do think it is worth a lot of money for a front row seat guaranteed. Anyway, that said, my eyebrows are still raised at the 350 CHF price. Personally Ive only seen such pricelevels in certain VIP-packages.

That is also very nice

I raise a finger to them and it is not my thumb.

Well, as I said, I do not welcome inflated prices, but we have to face the facts: In the 90s, Dylan's asking price was as low as 35,000 Dollar, these days it's 300,000. He can't make that kind of money in the US, thus he looks elsewhere. Even in Europe he can't that kind of money all the time for regular headline shows, so he turns to co-headlining tours and festival shows where money is no problem. Clearly he's not playing for much less on any of the dates announced so far. I would believe that there's State or Sponsor money involved in Italy.

So if you want to see an artist from the 300,000 rage at a 1,800 capacity venue - what do you expect? Last time Bob played Montreux was before "love And Theft" and the No 1 albums that followed, before the post 9/11 economy crash, and it was 10 years agao, so a (much) higher price is almost unavoidable.

Also, Dylan's 70 now. Many people might think of every new tour as their last chance to see him, which makes it very easy to charge more. We should not be angry at certain shows being expensive, we should rtaher be happy that not ALL of them are in that price range (yet).

Post-"Love And Theft" small capacity venues with prices far from three figure sums include Hamburg Docks '03 (twice), Glasgow Barrowlands '04, and Milano Alcatraz last summer, just off the top of my head. Mind you, they're not layed out in cherry wood....