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OK...you've just got home and reading the paper in the evening, find out that Paco de Lucia and his band/troupe are appearing at a concert hall in your home city in just two months time!
No travelling involved more than a 30 minute drive.
So, just how much would you pay for a "minimum entrance" ticket, before you thought..."Hey hang on here..." and just decided to let others watch the show while you stayed at home with your CDs?
The question came to me after Henry said that he didn't mind paying the $200+ Paco was looking for to see his Warsaw concert.
Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
RE: Hypthetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
i voted for 300
first of all because, exchange rate of $ -> Euro is excellent at the moment
second, because i don't have to pay train ticket, etc. if he would play in my town. i mean, he is coming to berlin soon, and train ticket to berlin (and back) would be 200 - 250 for me
RE: Hypthetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
Depends where the concert is.... I paid a lot to see Paco in london when I lived in England because ticket prices for everything are expensive. 200+ for a good seat in a sold out concert might be Ok. Last time I saw Paco in Spain the ticket was 40 euros. I have never paid more than 50 euros to see anything in Spain so there is no way I would consider 200+ here.
Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
oh, and another reason is , because i was never on a concert from paco, and now that he is touring, it might be my only chance to see him at least once live....
Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
Well I'm going to sound like an old skinflint, but I really wouldn't pay more than 100, especially if it was a big venue (which his gigs normally are, at least here). I mean I know he's an amazing player and musician but how much pleasure can one gig give you? Unless you were up close in a small venue, that might be different. I just like flamenco up close and personal
Years ago when I was into ballet I went to see Margot Fonteyn, who was just a goddess for all girls learning ballet. I guess she was the first really famous ballerina. But it was in the Royal Opera House and I was sitting up the gods. She was no longer at her best. It was a huge disappointment.
Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
I rarely have time to attend concerts, these days. If my schedule would allow it, i would spend up to $500 dollars to see him and listen to him "live".
With Arash, it is Paco De Lucia, after all. [almost like saying, Zorro, Sharlock Holmes, Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan !!]
Posts: 533
Joined: Jul. 16 2003
From: Toronto, ON, Canada
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
F.Y.I. Supposedly, this is the lineup for the upcoming tour:
Nino Josele, Alain Perez, Antonio Serrano, Pirana, Cristo Heredia, David de Jacoba, and unconfirmed Farru (brother of Farruquito). I like Cristobal's tone for bulerias (and broads might find him attractive) but I don't know if I hear the anguished cry of a Duquende there:
By the by, I've seen Paco's show in its recent form (which has been going on a long time) enough times, and never paid over $75 Canadian for good seats, once 12th row at that price, perfect, so... if he changes his show or comes out with a new cd that's good and ACTUALLY tours the new material (instead of just "Antonia" and a couple new bulerias falsetas/letras...) or at least plays 'new' old material, I would definitely go, but in its current form it would have to depend on the place, too. When it was in Toronto, people were a little uptight, or to be kinder, ignorant, but it was still very good (although in 2001 with the original sextet was slightly better). And when it was Montreal, it was phenomenal, great enthusiastic, respectful, educated crowd = Paco et al. play much better and longer (three encores). But for me there aren't many artists that can fill a large venue with flamenco or guitar, which should be enjoyed intimately, as Ailsa said. I don't come to see Paco Pena and rarely any other troupes who tour Canada for this reason, and most of them seem heavily dance weighted usually.
HOWEVER... if you have not seen Paco, I do recommend it, let's say maximum $200, IF INDEED it is his last tour, about which nowhere it has been yet confirmed, to my knowledge. But he can still knock your sockets off sometimes.
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Conrad)
I think I should have made an option for $50 or under!
Actually, I'm with Ailsa on this one.
Big concerts are actually a pain in the butt. It's a hassle getting there. They are usually on midweek after you've had a hard day at work and are feeling tired. You've got to wait in line and then hang around in your seat for half an hour since they usually start late.
Whether you have a good seat or not depends on luck, or you get some 6'6" guy sitting right in front of you, or a snogging couple of lovebirds who can't keep their hands off each other, or some chatty couple sitting next to you, commenting on the dancer's dresses etc. The sound if you are lucky, is at best adequate and if not, the cajon or bass player's 4 X 18" cabinet speakers are 5 metres away from your ear.
The performers may be in good form or maybe uninspired and just going through the motions. They might play stuff you like or might not.
If there is an interval, everybody rushes for the lavs at the same time, or you spend the whole time in line waiting to get a drink at an inflated price which you then have 30 seconds to consume as the performers are coming back onstage.
After the show, everybody pours out on to the street at once and fill the local cafeterias so you can't get a cup of coffee, or fill up the buses or grab the taxis so you start worrying if you are going to make it to the station in time for the last train home.
The next day, you can only really remember the general "buzz" of the concert and none of the detail.
On the other hand, you could buy a DVD of a good live performance and sit and watch it whenever you want, in the comfort of your own home, with drink and snacks to hand with great sound and good close-ups of the action.
Pause it whenever you like, repeat parts of it, skip parts, even slow down parts that you might want to learn.
To be honest, these days I would rather watch an Encuentro DVD than bother going to a big concert!
Small venues, like 200 seater affairs are much better, more reasonably priced and you can usually have a few words with the artists afterwards, so I'd still go to them.
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
I saw Paco for 80 DM in 2002 its around 40Euros. I was lucky....but this time I thought its pretty much...
Because Paco plays the same for years...and I saw around 1000 videos where he played exactly the same... I wouldnt spend more than 100$ to see him. If he would have a new program I would pay also 300$ to see him (travel-costs included, for a ticket alone I would never pay more than around 80Euros. And that is already very much..IMHO).
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
quote:
Big concerts are actually a pain in the butt. It's a hassle getting there. They are usually on midweek after you've had a hard day at work and are feeling tired. You've got to wait in line and then hang around in your seat for half an hour since they usually start late.
Allow even more time now, so Security can double check you for exploding underpants.
(Were getting into Spike Milligan territory now! The guy was a future seer! )
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
Well, I'm not sure yet. (I'm highly allergic to the sounds of flutes and harmonicas and have to factor that in.)
He is playing about a 15-minute walk from my house in May. The tickets range from $130 (there is even a seat in the first row still available at that price) down to about $55.
If I go, I'll probably pay $100.The venue here looks like it would fit about 800-900 people.
In the other style of music I particularly like, I'm quite used to paying about $150-$200 for a three-day festival with 60+ bands, music going on multiple stages for 15 hours a day. So when you compare those prices, it does seem kind of expensive. But his tickets here are cheaper than those for Diana Krall (jazz-ish pianist vocalist I guess she is - I bought a ticket for my wife as a present).
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
Hey bursche! I think we met in past but didnt know each other.
Did you see Pedro Sierra in the area of Krefeld or around (2-4years ago)? I dont remember the place exactly. It was a alte Zeche I think. Pedro was almost not able to play because it was so ****ing cold on the stage. He asked the audience for a lighter to warm his hands..^^And the best was...the organizers hired some "local gitanos" for palmas and jaleos. A ery old guy and old lady.. Both looked a bit damaged and the woman drank continuously on stage and half hidden behind the stage-cotton beer... haha.. And they were almost every time out of compas... and ..drunk..^^ But because they were so old..it was funny..even Pedro smiled about that. I was there carrying my guitar with me...and you may st right in front of me. I remember a guy looking like you with long hair, young and very enthusiastic about the flamenco.. This young guy started clapping with the bulerias. I remember that all the audience around him was annoyed, but nobody said a word.. ^^LOL...
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to bursche)
quote:
ORIGINAL: bursche
quote:
Tomatito "only" 27.
so you will be at his upcoming concert in Cologne?
Yeah, row 6 seat 24... "fretboardview" Ron, the biggest flamenco i attended to was (of course) Paco, together with 2000 others. The only bad thing was that the tickets were so expensive i could only afford the cheapest seats (still 45 Euros...) and the distance to the stage felt like 200m... but that changed after the break and i moved to the 4th row or so. Really lots of empty seats were there. The sound was amazing, they had speakers everywhere. You must have had bad concerts, the organisation and everything were all ok. The germans are generally very good at such things...
oh, what really shocked me at that Paco concert was... there were no palms on stage . There was NOTHING on stage except 5 or 6 chairs.
RE: Hypothetical Christmas Poll (in reply to Ron.M)
I think I paid $100 bucks to see Neil Young with a couple of other side acts (wife bought the tickies) and sorry but Neil is above Paco in my line-up. So I voted $100 but more like $75 bucks is what I would expect to pay.
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