Any concert goer, eager to see his or her favorite bands on tour, might not feel excited to spend money on concert tickets almost a year from that show time. The question at the tip of the tongue is why some tickets go on sale almost a year before the show?
Oh, and just in case one is thinking there is a way around it all - no way. While artists and bands have to plan their concert schedules well in advance, a chunk of money will already have been spent on things like booking the venue, promotion, logistics, etc.
For smaller acts, be it a new rising band or an old act that hasn’t had a hit in awhile, it is all about cash flow as the tour options are often limited enough without significant advance ticket sales. Such acts might be a “one hit wonder,” and so it can be assumed that money has to be made while it is hot.
As for larger bands, the more upfront money, the more the profit is. Think of what cash flow can do in the following situations, and all the things that have to be in place, likely the most costly being the venue rent. When a concert location is booked, maybe an owner will extend to a promoter an offer of a free stage for a percentage of ticket sales. But the bottom line is that the costs are steep relative to what is expected at the gate.
Other considerations are: paying the band and the tour wranglers, staff and others; advertising costs; equipment rental and sound engineers; onstage decorations; printing of the physical tickets; sleeping and eating costs; and last but not least, there are riders, as different as the artists themselves.
Riders cover such things as food and drink desired by the groups as well as quirky/superstitious things individuals require for their peace of mind and comfort. One example might be as simple as a change of socks for each band break on up to bottles of Dom Perignon.
So, if you are a great and true music fan, you might want a spare $100-200 in the bank just in case your favorite band is coming to your town in a year. It is like anything else in life, you get what you pay for and, in this case, a true fan won’t mind, particularly if his or her bank offers interest bearing accounts.
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