Sunday night rock nyc just about exclusively reported that Mumford And Sons were playing a secret concert today at le Poisson Rouge and twelve hours after we broke it everybody else realized and the result was somewhat predictable. Le Poisson Rouge’s website crashed.
Now, that is no scoop at all because if you are trying to get a ticket you are well aware of the situation.
I blame Mumford And Son. What they should have done is, yes, send the information to there newsletter subscribers but put them on sale immediately, a band as big as M&S and a room as tiny as LPR and the results were sort of self-evident.
When the website finally went on line, the show was, of course, sold out. However, if you did get a ticket you might be less than amused to discover you aren’t allowed to bring you cell phone in with you… That’s pretty different right but I guess it is one sure way of making sure only the pros fget to tape it.
Who knows how that will work itself out… . Fortunately for me I have a cold and so, also fortunately for me, I didn’t get a ticket and so don’t feel obliged to spread my germs all around the world but still, it would have been nice to see them, even half dead. But give up my cell phone?
Meanwhile, ticket purchasing is so Wild West in 2015 that it is game to get a ticket into itself. Right now many bands have simplified it all the way to where if you pay an extra $20 or $50 you get first crack. Madonna, U2 and Brian Wilson have all pulled a variation on it this year.
If the name of the game is money, it isn’t a terrible idea. If bands can’t make bucks off recordings they must make bucks off touring and really, I don’t see Tidal helping any one or changing anything. Even Bey, Re Re and Jay Z, even with exclusive content, are not enough to get people to invest $20 a month.
So I hope you enjoyed Mumford And Sons and are grateful I didn’t get a ticket.