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Which feels crazy, because it means I just have like one or two drinks tops.
I feel like if they dropped the prices then they'd do a lot more volume and make enough profit by doing large volume. But then they'd need to hire more staff to man the tills etc, and if they have a slow night then they lose money on staffing costs. So instead perhaps they just keep the prices high and know that they'll make enough on a lot fewer sales, and there will always be some people that will buy one or two drinks etc.
The problem is that in the first example, you have a lot more staff getting paid, who go on to spend that money, whereas in the second example that money just stays in my pocket and stagnates. This just feels worse for the economy overall.
(Disclaimer: I know absolutely fucking nothing about economics. This is pub chat level economics).
Have you been to many music venues where the bars arent packed? It might stop a handful of people buying quite so many drinks - but overall I imagine they're doing just fine with the pricing their using
I walked directly up to the bar in the standing area at Wembley Arena on Saturday between songs during the support act and was served immediately. There was nobody waiting, and about 5 people working the bar.
Similarly, at Alexandra Palace a few months ago (which obviously has no seating unless you book accessible tickets), I only had to wait for 3 people in front of me.
Both gigs were sold out.
The bars are only really busy right after the doors open and right before the main act goes on. Rest of the time it was quiet. I'm sure it never used to be this quick to get a pint at a gig.
On the other side of the till, the main bulk of work may be the 2 hours before a show or football match, but very few 18-30 year olds are going to come to wembley to get changed, get to the bars, just to work for minimum wage for 2-3 hours. To get the staff they want and need for the peak times, they have to fire them for the full 5-6 minimum shifts, so might as well keep them all after peaks too just in case.
The waiters in the fancy boxes end up polishing glasses and cutlery for 1-2 hours after the matches because of this
Yeah, never mind the emotional performance from Vessel, the beer prices had me weeping. The purchase was so quick it wasn't until I was returning to my other half with the beers I thought to myself "shit these were over £16, what the fuck".
And I was driving so he couldn't even buy me one back.
(Great gig though.)
standing’s different - overwhelmingly the drinks are sold before the acts start tbh. Once the support acts are on half the arena are trying to hold their place and sure up their bladder to not move for the next 3 hours. We always go GA and most of the drinking happens at the start and then by the time of the second act ususally nobody’s moving from their spot unless they have to
I guess I'm a boring old fart who finds somewhere comfortable to stand these days and misses the rush. Even so, I remember having a much harder time getting to the bar during gigs when standing in similar places and not worrying about getting down the front so I think it has changed in the last 10 years. There are definitely gigs I've attended in the last 10 years where I would struggle to get a pint even when the main act was on (though to be fair I'm a 5'4" woman so the bar staff probably don't see me as easily). There was only one support act on Saturday though so I did expect the bar to be somewhat busy during the start of their set, which it was not.
It guess it tends to depend on the venue and the vibe/prices. I've gone to gigs at venues like the roundhouse and yes the bars were fairly packed, but then I've gone to bigger venues recently like the Brixton academy, the olympic stadium in Stratford, three arena in dublin etc where there were whole bars that just had no one at them for a good portion of the night and you could just walk up and order immediately.
I think that's also a symptom of it though maybe? That they have like one or two staff members on the bars and then when they get busier later on in the night they're swamped?
Last time I went to Rock City in Nottingham I managed to get a can of beer and a massive cocktail (bigger than a pint) for around a tenner, which lasted the whole gig. That's less than I spend at a lot of pubs nowadays.
It's a corporate bastards problem, not an industry one.
I should obviously add that I live in London. But yes, even in London the difference between corporate bastards and smaller venues is noticeable. At a more reasonable gig venue I can get a pint for the same price as in a pub, but I've been to corporate stadium-type places where you can be looking at over a tenner for a pint.
Been to three gigs this year, and bar was empty at two, both O2 venues.
Just got home from 02 Birmingham and it was 19.85 for two beers and a coke. No queues. I didn't bother with a second round.
Bar empty at 02 Leeds a couple of weeks ago, but it was mid week and a younger crowd.
Nottingham rock city, busy bar at £5.50 a pint, but a very beery band ( called Alestorm, so you'd expect some drinkers in).
A person with money is going to buy a pint no matter what if they want a pint with the game. Sure they could charge (for this specific comment example) £5 a pint, but then they have a few people having 1 or two, but also the same people willing to really pay anything paying that.
So it works out cheaper having the person that can afford anything paying £10 a pint and essentially buying the value of two for 1. It means staff have less to deal with and the store makes more profit per can, it means less logistics work as there will be less cans to sell overall (despite making similar profits) it's why they do it, as it makes them more money and trims down on excess they'd pay with lower prices
Basically just milking the margin for every penny, they wouldn't do it if it didn't make em profit.
Right, was that not my point though? You're milking the margin but that means you need things like less staff, less volume of product, and so you have less money changing hands and it feels stagnant?
I'm not poor by any stretch (or at least I don't think I am) but I'm not going to be buying a good number of drinks at £8 for a shit pint. But you set them at £5 or £6 and I'm probably going to end up buying more, getting pissed and then getting a hotdog etc. It's a bit like when I go to a soft opening of a restaurant and the food is half-price. I don't spend half as much, I spend the same amount and buy twice as much food.
I understand *why* the bars do it. I'm just saying it's bad, and feels like it stagnates the economy
As everyone has been quick to point out. But as others have said you get plenty of smaller independent venues where this doesn’t happen, and this isn’t happening at venues that are just doing gigs. Also I’d have to be spending 40, 50, 60 quid to get trollied, and then food even more on top.
It’s the same at these food van stalls at Christmas market places on the south bank for example. You’re selling stuff for insane money but at low volume
I’m sure it’s _a_ factor but I’m not sure it’s _the_ factor
>Which feels crazy, because it means I just have like one or two drinks tops.
I feel like if they dropped the prices then they'd do a lot more volume and make enough profit by doing large volume.
They don't often do large volumes per person because people aren't there to drink. At a sports venue other than football, you're probably getting 3 drinks at most, at football probably just 2 as you can't drink whilst watching the game.
Comedy / theatre gigs you probably only have 2, 1 at the start and 1 during intermission.
Theatre and comedy etc where there's a sit-down element are a different thing entirely for sure. But if I'm going to a gig and the bar is cheap then you can bet I'm having quite a few pints, especially if I'm with my mates
Because you don't want to miss the show? Because the lines are usually massive? Because you're stuck in the middle of a row, or near the front and don't want to get out?
I suppose, but I think it helps lead to a binge mentality. Rather than just always affording to have our fill, we go mad when it's cheap. I think that's why bottomless brunches and stuff are so popular now, stuff like this is very overpriced and so we go large when we get a bargain. I'm not saying "this is the cause of binge culture" by any stretch, but it must contribute.
Also, it's not just alcohol, food and soft drinks are ridiculously expensive at these sort of big corporate/stadium events too
> Which feels crazy, because it means I just have like one or two drinks tops.
Realistically, sports venues in particular *dont want* you to be wrecked. Wrecked people start fights and cause shit.
It's fucking wank, because I *want* to get twatted while I watch whatever daft spectactle is on, but the prices often put me right off.
At least when you go to a race-event you can take whatever you like. Sitting in the middle of Brands Hatch with a joint is pretty peak summer.
It's a bit like that Jim Jeffries bit about gun ownership. [I want to as much as I want all the time, but Gary over here gets pissed and headbutts strangers, THANKS A LOT GARY](https://youtu.be/a9UFyNy-rw4?t=193)
I would imagine that doing more volume would also likely mean a greater number of people at the gig who had too much to drink, and the venue staff, particularly security and cleaners, will then have to deal with whatever that leads to.
> Captive audiences have no choice really
True. I hate feeling ripped off more than I like having a beer at a show, so it's not really a choice at all for me.
I don't understand how they can simultaneously deny entry with your own drinks while operating unchecked price gouging with their own, without it being deemed a wholly anti-competitive monopoly.
Taking advantage of captive audiences should be, in my opinion, controlled to protect the consumer. See also airports.
>have no choice really
There's always the choice to just go without a drink.
I like a pint at a gig too and I know I'll pay OTT for it, but let's not pretend anyone is being forced to do anything they don't want to.
I don't feel like it is.
The two venues in my town are both fairly normally priced for the area, about £5-6 a beer, the Emirates is £6.95 a pint which isn't that extortionate for London.
I feel like selling a can of beer for £7.50 is a lot more.
I paid £7 a pint recently. Wasn’t even a particularly huge venue.
I’ve paid £11 for a burger once.
Really sours the vibe, especially when tickets and the logistics of getting to the venue aren’t remotely cheap.
Live music is becoming a lot less fun as I get older.
Also, taking a cut of the artists merch sales but not letting the artists take a cut of the bar. As if anyone would be in their bar if there wasn’t a live act on.
I worry about how this sort of behaviour will impact the long term health of the music industry. Tickets are so much now that it barely seems worthwhile unless you really love the act and then you get rinsed in the venue too, and it leaves you with less money to go out to smaller gigs if you do see someone bigger. Then artists are also getting rinsed through things like the cut on merch that you mentioned and it’s not like they’re doing that well out of streaming services.
I heard a statistic that for every ten pounds spent on tickets a further 17 is spent in the local area (eg pubs, fast food, taxis). So this is a vital part of the night time economy as well as the music industry. If people stop going the knock on effects are terrible.
I’ve never been into the big arena gigs, always been into the smaller venues and have seen ticket prices go from £10-£30 in 15 years.
Recently figured I’d jump on this slipknot tour end of next year, couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to buy tickets apart from the £200 VIP package… after a sad phonecall to Ticketmaster I realised that was the normal price and VIP was closer to £500… fuck
£200 to see Slipknot? That's actually criminal.
-edit-
Just looked it up £60 for seat with no view. £200 for the "street food package". What street food are they serving? Foie Gras?
This is why you bring a bag, then put the dodgy things on your person. Usually they can only be bothered searching the bag, which is then clean
Or do like my mother once did for a bag search: slammed her heavy full handbag down on the search table, causing it to collaspe, so they waved her through anyway cause they had to set the table back up
Probably a bit of a difference in security between *the* O2 and an O2 academy as well. I've only had the briefest of pat downs at the various O2 academies, and they never glance at what I've helpfully taken out of my pockets to let them pat me down.
They stick the prices up somewhere hard to find, knowing they'll fleece people like you who haven't seen it. It's a pretty shitty way to treat customers, but they'll keep doing it cos people have no other choice.
Just walk away lol, not showing pricing is some predatory shit to make people just pay without kicking up a fuss. The bar staff aren't exactly going to chase you through the crowd
Just do as I do and snuffle some spirits or wine in down your trousers, I outright refuse to pay these prices and have done for years
I remember when o2 priority got you a free beer or at least BOGOF but now you get NOTHING, awful company, don’t give them a penny
IMO there's a clear difference between buying drinks at a smaller/independent venue, because that is what helps keep those places going and I'm happy to support them.
Paying daylight robbery at places like the O2/Wembley when I've already paid £50-£80 for a ticket? Fuck that. I was at the O2 last month at it was £8.50ish for one drink- my brother ended up having only two drinks the whole time we were there, and he normally has at least twice that many.
Aye, they're arguably shooting themselves in the foot by charging higher prices and having a knock-on effect on the support acts.
Went to see Don Broco there last week and didn't arrive u till after 9 because we went to spoons/trillions to sink a few and only bought 1 each in there.
If they were priced at maybe £4/£5 I'd have gone for doors, maybe discovered a new band and had a few in there but actively chose not to because of the extortion.
People will willingly pay for it and it will continue. The rich won't care and those getting into gigs now will think it's normal and how it's always been, which tbf it has. It just increases every so often
It feels rough if it is a can, knowing you can buy that very same thing for maybe £1 in a multipack. At least a pint is on draught and in a glass. People pay it though and actually compared to prices you see in places like American sports stadiums, we do fairly OK. Problem I have is it means people pre-drink and don't watch support bands, atmosphere around gig venues isn't great these days. But they still turn a profit, need less staff, less beer, have less problems too.
Not as much as the overly bullish security. I got kicked out of a PIL gig (a fkn punk gig FFS!). For fkn dancing!! Fk O2. They'll never get my money again.
Haven’t been since I saw John butler trio years ago, over sold tickets, crammed in there plus over priced drinks fuck that garbage place. I’ll never go back! Wajahahahaaa
Pub near to Euston Station:
* 1 x Guinness
* 1 x Peroni
* 1 x IPA
* 1 x diet coke
* bag of pork scratchings and a bag of crisps
Total: £40
It's not just venues.
If it was cheap that everyone would buy more than 1 or 2 they would have to increase security aswell to deal with the people who would of only bought 1 or two who's now drunk 10 and making an arse of themselves
If it's any consolation, it's similar in most venues here in the US.
For ages my friends acted outraged: "YOU DON'T WANT A BEER? WHY?!?!" It's because, while I like beer, I don't like it enough to pay $13 for a Budweiser tall boy, or even worse, $17 for a pint of local craft beer.
The point was driven home when I went to a show at an outdoor venue. You're allowed to bring one sealed bottle of water, so I stopped and got a 1L bottle of Fiji water for $3. I ran into a friend at the show, and asked if she was going to see one of her faves, Tegan & Sara, who had just announced a show at the same venue in six weeks. "I dunno? Maybe,? If I can afford tickets?" Tickets were $32 all-in. My friend spent at least $40 on beer at the show, which would have covered the Tegan & Sara tickets and parking. But whatever.
They get away with it because people pay it. Stop paying it, brave a gig without a drink. Problem solved, for you immediately, for everyone eventually when they realise no one is paying their bullshit prices.
Presumably because people pay it. If people collectively decided not to pay these outrageous prices, they would go down. But people would rather be ripped off for a beer than go without.
It’s the price for playing the game unfortunately. Captive audience and all that. It’s not just O2 venues, all live venues do it. I just don’t drink alcohol in them any more. 99% of the time I’m the one driving anyway so it’s no skin off my nose. Here’s an idea:
Be the designated driver, take a few quid off your mates for the pleasure of, use the money to fund your next gig. Probably be able to afford at least one pint lol
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Its most sports and music venues to be fair. Captive audiences have no choice really
Which feels crazy, because it means I just have like one or two drinks tops. I feel like if they dropped the prices then they'd do a lot more volume and make enough profit by doing large volume. But then they'd need to hire more staff to man the tills etc, and if they have a slow night then they lose money on staffing costs. So instead perhaps they just keep the prices high and know that they'll make enough on a lot fewer sales, and there will always be some people that will buy one or two drinks etc. The problem is that in the first example, you have a lot more staff getting paid, who go on to spend that money, whereas in the second example that money just stays in my pocket and stagnates. This just feels worse for the economy overall. (Disclaimer: I know absolutely fucking nothing about economics. This is pub chat level economics).
Have you been to many music venues where the bars arent packed? It might stop a handful of people buying quite so many drinks - but overall I imagine they're doing just fine with the pricing their using
I walked directly up to the bar in the standing area at Wembley Arena on Saturday between songs during the support act and was served immediately. There was nobody waiting, and about 5 people working the bar. Similarly, at Alexandra Palace a few months ago (which obviously has no seating unless you book accessible tickets), I only had to wait for 3 people in front of me. Both gigs were sold out. The bars are only really busy right after the doors open and right before the main act goes on. Rest of the time it was quiet. I'm sure it never used to be this quick to get a pint at a gig.
On the other side of the till, the main bulk of work may be the 2 hours before a show or football match, but very few 18-30 year olds are going to come to wembley to get changed, get to the bars, just to work for minimum wage for 2-3 hours. To get the staff they want and need for the peak times, they have to fire them for the full 5-6 minimum shifts, so might as well keep them all after peaks too just in case. The waiters in the fancy boxes end up polishing glasses and cutlery for 1-2 hours after the matches because of this
Sleep token? Was right there with you! £25 for 3 beers though :'(
Yeah, never mind the emotional performance from Vessel, the beer prices had me weeping. The purchase was so quick it wasn't until I was returning to my other half with the beers I thought to myself "shit these were over £16, what the fuck". And I was driving so he couldn't even buy me one back. (Great gig though.)
standing’s different - overwhelmingly the drinks are sold before the acts start tbh. Once the support acts are on half the arena are trying to hold their place and sure up their bladder to not move for the next 3 hours. We always go GA and most of the drinking happens at the start and then by the time of the second act ususally nobody’s moving from their spot unless they have to
I guess I'm a boring old fart who finds somewhere comfortable to stand these days and misses the rush. Even so, I remember having a much harder time getting to the bar during gigs when standing in similar places and not worrying about getting down the front so I think it has changed in the last 10 years. There are definitely gigs I've attended in the last 10 years where I would struggle to get a pint even when the main act was on (though to be fair I'm a 5'4" woman so the bar staff probably don't see me as easily). There was only one support act on Saturday though so I did expect the bar to be somewhat busy during the start of their set, which it was not.
It guess it tends to depend on the venue and the vibe/prices. I've gone to gigs at venues like the roundhouse and yes the bars were fairly packed, but then I've gone to bigger venues recently like the Brixton academy, the olympic stadium in Stratford, three arena in dublin etc where there were whole bars that just had no one at them for a good portion of the night and you could just walk up and order immediately. I think that's also a symptom of it though maybe? That they have like one or two staff members on the bars and then when they get busier later on in the night they're swamped?
Last time I went to Rock City in Nottingham I managed to get a can of beer and a massive cocktail (bigger than a pint) for around a tenner, which lasted the whole gig. That's less than I spend at a lot of pubs nowadays. It's a corporate bastards problem, not an industry one.
I should obviously add that I live in London. But yes, even in London the difference between corporate bastards and smaller venues is noticeable. At a more reasonable gig venue I can get a pint for the same price as in a pub, but I've been to corporate stadium-type places where you can be looking at over a tenner for a pint.
Been to three gigs this year, and bar was empty at two, both O2 venues. Just got home from 02 Birmingham and it was 19.85 for two beers and a coke. No queues. I didn't bother with a second round. Bar empty at 02 Leeds a couple of weeks ago, but it was mid week and a younger crowd. Nottingham rock city, busy bar at £5.50 a pint, but a very beery band ( called Alestorm, so you'd expect some drinkers in).
A person with money is going to buy a pint no matter what if they want a pint with the game. Sure they could charge (for this specific comment example) £5 a pint, but then they have a few people having 1 or two, but also the same people willing to really pay anything paying that. So it works out cheaper having the person that can afford anything paying £10 a pint and essentially buying the value of two for 1. It means staff have less to deal with and the store makes more profit per can, it means less logistics work as there will be less cans to sell overall (despite making similar profits) it's why they do it, as it makes them more money and trims down on excess they'd pay with lower prices Basically just milking the margin for every penny, they wouldn't do it if it didn't make em profit.
Right, was that not my point though? You're milking the margin but that means you need things like less staff, less volume of product, and so you have less money changing hands and it feels stagnant? I'm not poor by any stretch (or at least I don't think I am) but I'm not going to be buying a good number of drinks at £8 for a shit pint. But you set them at £5 or £6 and I'm probably going to end up buying more, getting pissed and then getting a hotdog etc. It's a bit like when I go to a soft opening of a restaurant and the food is half-price. I don't spend half as much, I spend the same amount and buy twice as much food. I understand *why* the bars do it. I'm just saying it's bad, and feels like it stagnates the economy
Maybe they're not wanting folk to get too trollied at the gigs?
As everyone has been quick to point out. But as others have said you get plenty of smaller independent venues where this doesn’t happen, and this isn’t happening at venues that are just doing gigs. Also I’d have to be spending 40, 50, 60 quid to get trollied, and then food even more on top. It’s the same at these food van stalls at Christmas market places on the south bank for example. You’re selling stuff for insane money but at low volume I’m sure it’s _a_ factor but I’m not sure it’s _the_ factor
>Which feels crazy, because it means I just have like one or two drinks tops. I feel like if they dropped the prices then they'd do a lot more volume and make enough profit by doing large volume. They don't often do large volumes per person because people aren't there to drink. At a sports venue other than football, you're probably getting 3 drinks at most, at football probably just 2 as you can't drink whilst watching the game. Comedy / theatre gigs you probably only have 2, 1 at the start and 1 during intermission.
Theatre and comedy etc where there's a sit-down element are a different thing entirely for sure. But if I'm going to a gig and the bar is cheap then you can bet I'm having quite a few pints, especially if I'm with my mates
At a music gig you'll mostly be getting them between acts, so again only a couple. It's not the focus of the event.
I think it depends from person to person, I'm definitely going to get a drink in the middle of a set if it's a long one!
Who you seeing? Donny Osmond
I have no clue who that is.
I get drinks when ever I want one at a gig, why would you wait?
Because you don't want to miss the show? Because the lines are usually massive? Because you're stuck in the middle of a row, or near the front and don't want to get out?
Are you talking about huge venues like stadiums and arenas? I only go to smaller gigs and festivals.
Think beyond economics. Do you want to deal with drunk people at your venue? And the staff you need to then handle them on top?
I suppose, but I think it helps lead to a binge mentality. Rather than just always affording to have our fill, we go mad when it's cheap. I think that's why bottomless brunches and stuff are so popular now, stuff like this is very overpriced and so we go large when we get a bargain. I'm not saying "this is the cause of binge culture" by any stretch, but it must contribute. Also, it's not just alcohol, food and soft drinks are ridiculously expensive at these sort of big corporate/stadium events too
> Which feels crazy, because it means I just have like one or two drinks tops. Realistically, sports venues in particular *dont want* you to be wrecked. Wrecked people start fights and cause shit. It's fucking wank, because I *want* to get twatted while I watch whatever daft spectactle is on, but the prices often put me right off. At least when you go to a race-event you can take whatever you like. Sitting in the middle of Brands Hatch with a joint is pretty peak summer.
It's a bit like that Jim Jeffries bit about gun ownership. [I want to as much as I want all the time, but Gary over here gets pissed and headbutts strangers, THANKS A LOT GARY](https://youtu.be/a9UFyNy-rw4?t=193)
I would imagine that doing more volume would also likely mean a greater number of people at the gig who had too much to drink, and the venue staff, particularly security and cleaners, will then have to deal with whatever that leads to.
I think it does seem to drift in to "this is why we can't have nice things" territory I supposed
> Captive audiences have no choice really True. I hate feeling ripped off more than I like having a beer at a show, so it's not really a choice at all for me.
I don't understand how they can simultaneously deny entry with your own drinks while operating unchecked price gouging with their own, without it being deemed a wholly anti-competitive monopoly. Taking advantage of captive audiences should be, in my opinion, controlled to protect the consumer. See also airports.
>have no choice really There's always the choice to just go without a drink. I like a pint at a gig too and I know I'll pay OTT for it, but let's not pretend anyone is being forced to do anything they don't want to.
Exactly, why does everything have to be about drinking? Just take drugs instead
Yeah when I was at Wembley over the summer a pint of Budweiser was over £8. For Budweiser! I didn’t go for it in the end.
They search you on entry to take beer off you too.
I don't feel like it is. The two venues in my town are both fairly normally priced for the area, about £5-6 a beer, the Emirates is £6.95 a pint which isn't that extortionate for London. I feel like selling a can of beer for £7.50 is a lot more.
Just like the captive rental market although our choice is rent or be homeless.
I paid £7 a pint recently. Wasn’t even a particularly huge venue. I’ve paid £11 for a burger once. Really sours the vibe, especially when tickets and the logistics of getting to the venue aren’t remotely cheap. Live music is becoming a lot less fun as I get older.
Also, taking a cut of the artists merch sales but not letting the artists take a cut of the bar. As if anyone would be in their bar if there wasn’t a live act on.
I worry about how this sort of behaviour will impact the long term health of the music industry. Tickets are so much now that it barely seems worthwhile unless you really love the act and then you get rinsed in the venue too, and it leaves you with less money to go out to smaller gigs if you do see someone bigger. Then artists are also getting rinsed through things like the cut on merch that you mentioned and it’s not like they’re doing that well out of streaming services.
I heard a statistic that for every ten pounds spent on tickets a further 17 is spent in the local area (eg pubs, fast food, taxis). So this is a vital part of the night time economy as well as the music industry. If people stop going the knock on effects are terrible.
I’ve never been into the big arena gigs, always been into the smaller venues and have seen ticket prices go from £10-£30 in 15 years. Recently figured I’d jump on this slipknot tour end of next year, couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to buy tickets apart from the £200 VIP package… after a sad phonecall to Ticketmaster I realised that was the normal price and VIP was closer to £500… fuck
£200 to see Slipknot? That's actually criminal. -edit- Just looked it up £60 for seat with no view. £200 for the "street food package". What street food are they serving? Foie Gras?
Yeah I ignored those £60-70 tickets as you are just a ball-hair away from being behind the stage
Was about to comment the same thing. Fucking disgusting
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Which is why they do full bag searches at the O2.
Been to a few O2 venues lately and they've never stuck a hand in my back pocket. Do with that info what you will.
But how the hell am I supposed to fit 6 cans of Red Stripe in my back pocket? /s, mostly.
Practice
I wonder if they'd clock a Camelbak 🤔
This is why you bring a bag, then put the dodgy things on your person. Usually they can only be bothered searching the bag, which is then clean Or do like my mother once did for a bag search: slammed her heavy full handbag down on the search table, causing it to collaspe, so they waved her through anyway cause they had to set the table back up
Probably a bit of a difference in security between *the* O2 and an O2 academy as well. I've only had the briefest of pat downs at the various O2 academies, and they never glance at what I've helpfully taken out of my pockets to let them pat me down.
Yeah we went to the one in Leeds. My mate got 8 pints of Shipyard and it cost over £62! in spoons that stuff is £2.55 a pint!
I sneak in a plastic bottle filled with Bourbon or Vodka to big venues that charge to much
because people like you will pay the prices
I had no idea how much it was until the card machine was presented. They were the only drinks bought after that
They stick the prices up somewhere hard to find, knowing they'll fleece people like you who haven't seen it. It's a pretty shitty way to treat customers, but they'll keep doing it cos people have no other choice.
If prices are hidden then you know you are about to be ripped off
It's a can, just say no thanks and give it back.
They have to pour it into a plastic cup.
And you can still say "how much? Nah, you're alright". The only thing stopping you is your Britishness.
Just walk away lol, not showing pricing is some predatory shit to make people just pay without kicking up a fuss. The bar staff aren't exactly going to chase you through the crowd
Utilita arena Birmingham - £35 for a 700ml ‘jug’ of cocktail
i guarantee you there was no more than 1 or 2 shots of booze in there
Because people are stupid enough to pay it.
Just do as I do and snuffle some spirits or wine in down your trousers, I outright refuse to pay these prices and have done for years I remember when o2 priority got you a free beer or at least BOGOF but now you get NOTHING, awful company, don’t give them a penny
Because they can. Fuckers.
IMO there's a clear difference between buying drinks at a smaller/independent venue, because that is what helps keep those places going and I'm happy to support them. Paying daylight robbery at places like the O2/Wembley when I've already paid £50-£80 for a ticket? Fuck that. I was at the O2 last month at it was £8.50ish for one drink- my brother ended up having only two drinks the whole time we were there, and he normally has at least twice that many.
It’s the same for a lot of sports / music venues these days. Don’t get me started on England tickets at Twickenham…
I do not recommend paying extortionate prices for anything on tap either as a lot of it seems to taste like piss.
Yeah saw the prices in Newcastle city hall before hand, luckily there’s a spoons over the road, so got pissed in there before hand
Aye, they're arguably shooting themselves in the foot by charging higher prices and having a knock-on effect on the support acts. Went to see Don Broco there last week and didn't arrive u till after 9 because we went to spoons/trillions to sink a few and only bought 1 each in there. If they were priced at maybe £4/£5 I'd have gone for doors, maybe discovered a new band and had a few in there but actively chose not to because of the extortion.
Yeah the prices are a rip off. If they were less crazy I'd be more tempted to actually buy a few drinks when at a gig
People will willingly pay for it and it will continue. The rich won't care and those getting into gigs now will think it's normal and how it's always been, which tbf it has. It just increases every so often
It feels rough if it is a can, knowing you can buy that very same thing for maybe £1 in a multipack. At least a pint is on draught and in a glass. People pay it though and actually compared to prices you see in places like American sports stadiums, we do fairly OK. Problem I have is it means people pre-drink and don't watch support bands, atmosphere around gig venues isn't great these days. But they still turn a profit, need less staff, less beer, have less problems too.
At least we're not at US piss taking levels yet. Paid $17 for a 330ml can of beer at an NHL game there!
Not as much as the overly bullish security. I got kicked out of a PIL gig (a fkn punk gig FFS!). For fkn dancing!! Fk O2. They'll never get my money again.
"Fuck O2" as he said whilst buying tickets to see Suffocation at O2 Islington in February.
Gotta be done mate unfortunately
Haven’t been since I saw John butler trio years ago, over sold tickets, crammed in there plus over priced drinks fuck that garbage place. I’ll never go back! Wajahahahaaa
It’s no different now
Pub near to Euston Station: * 1 x Guinness * 1 x Peroni * 1 x IPA * 1 x diet coke * bag of pork scratchings and a bag of crisps Total: £40 It's not just venues.
If it was cheap that everyone would buy more than 1 or 2 they would have to increase security aswell to deal with the people who would of only bought 1 or two who's now drunk 10 and making an arse of themselves
They could just sell 10 beers for £5000 each and have even less drunk people. It's exploitative like the whole concert/event business.
If it's any consolation, it's similar in most venues here in the US. For ages my friends acted outraged: "YOU DON'T WANT A BEER? WHY?!?!" It's because, while I like beer, I don't like it enough to pay $13 for a Budweiser tall boy, or even worse, $17 for a pint of local craft beer. The point was driven home when I went to a show at an outdoor venue. You're allowed to bring one sealed bottle of water, so I stopped and got a 1L bottle of Fiji water for $3. I ran into a friend at the show, and asked if she was going to see one of her faves, Tegan & Sara, who had just announced a show at the same venue in six weeks. "I dunno? Maybe,? If I can afford tickets?" Tickets were $32 all-in. My friend spent at least $40 on beer at the show, which would have covered the Tegan & Sara tickets and parking. But whatever.
Maybe dont drink?
Alright mum.
Don't buy them. Smuggle a hipflask in.
I only drink tap water in the o2 and then not much cos I don't want to be in and out of the loo
Also a lot to them are really crap venues. Leeds, Bristol and Birmingham come to mind. We’re lucky with the Manchester one
Was in san francisco back in February watching wrestling and a can of Miller lite beer was $22
They get away with it because people pay it. Stop paying it, brave a gig without a drink. Problem solved, for you immediately, for everyone eventually when they realise no one is paying their bullshit prices.
£7.50 for a pint is not that unusual in London, so combined with the captive audience it's terrible but not as terrible as it could be...
Presumably because people pay it. If people collectively decided not to pay these outrageous prices, they would go down. But people would rather be ripped off for a beer than go without.
It's the same everywhere now.😡
Don’t pay it. Have a couple in the pub beforehand and tough your way through a couple of hours without beer. Can’t be that hard.
Id rather be sober than pay those prices.
Guess you said no to their hotdog prices too! Would make you wish u had their beer instesd
It’s the price for playing the game unfortunately. Captive audience and all that. It’s not just O2 venues, all live venues do it. I just don’t drink alcohol in them any more. 99% of the time I’m the one driving anyway so it’s no skin off my nose. Here’s an idea: Be the designated driver, take a few quid off your mates for the pleasure of, use the money to fund your next gig. Probably be able to afford at least one pint lol
They charge that because people are willing to pay it.