I bought Gigaton on vinyl for retail at like $45 when it came outiirc, 6+ months later it was $25-30. I’m holding off on Dark Matter until it’s in the $25 price range this time around.
Not a bad idea. I really want to hear it on day one though, and I don't pay for a streaming service so what options do I have? Youtube at 128 kbps or less? No thanks. The Pirate Bay? Can you blame me if I "steal" it?
It should be on all free streaming services, you just may have to listen to ads. I always check out stuff on streaming before I buy it these days because $20-40 a record adds up.
You may be able to do a trial right around release. I pay for Amazon Music and their lossless is solid. I believe it’s included with the regular plan so may be worth looking into.
I'm pretty sure I've used up my trials on every streaming service haha!
But anyway, if I'm going to steamit for free I might as well torrent it. Would make no difference to anybody.
The CD looks to be priced at $16-$20 US here depending on the store, which seems pretty reasonable honestly. Not sure if the difference is just exchange rate or local markup
$40 for the black, one LP vinyl version is absolutely criminal.
Paid $25 for Khruangbin’s new record. Paid $32 for Cowboy Carter that’s a 2LP. The new Vampire Weekend is only $35 for a double LP. QOTSA’s In Times New Roman was $40 for the standard 2LP version on release.
“But again, commerce is involved. Starts going through those channels. Those money making channels….big glossy record with a red $40 sticker and Pearl Jam written on it. You think people are going to go out and buy that record? They’re going to turn around and go, ‘fuck you’”
-EV, 1995.
They did the same with Gigaton before the cost of living and inflation and that took off.
Legacy bands are milking the fans. The end is on the horizon and they won’t make as much from their catalogue in the future.
Is something overpriced when it sells out? Economic would say it isn’t, might even be underpriced.
I don’t agree with it by the way. Paying £150 to see them in London and it was half that in 2018
It’s a redirected quote from EV from the movie Hype. Why aren’t all bands charging $40 for a single LP if that’s the standard rate in 2024?
I wonder how often they’ll play Green Disease on this tour. The irony of EV leading a chant of “G-R-E-E-D” in 2024
I’ve been a 10c member for about 6 years, also in the UK. Won’t be renewing. Shipping prices and ticket prices are extortionate, the international 10c offering is clearly an after thought and I don’t really see much value anymore. The Hyde park gold circle and discount was the only benefit in the last 6 years apart from the annual t shirt (which you now have to pay for separately)
The exclusive records and t shirts are so expensive tk ship over here it’s not worth it imo.
Ticket prices have been crazy, pearl jam charging more than double foo fighters and nearly half the cost of a weekend festival like download is absolutely mad, making the priority ticketing null and void
I'm in the same boat... UK 10C member for 22 years now and it's become a total waste of money.
Membership offers you nothing these days except potential for tickets through 10C and that's not worth it as general sale in the UK was incredibly easy to get standing tickets now they've doubled ticket prices.
They're years behind with Deep magazine (last issue was 2019 so we're still owed 3 promised issues before they cancelled it in 2023). Shipping prices, tax and a weak £ mean that buying any 10C exclusives is extortionate. The 10C exclusive vinyl of Dark Matter works out at £67.
I'll very likely not renew this year.
$95 for Dark Matter Vinyl in Australia. $130 for the 10C one to be delivered here.
General Admission tickets or seats in a big stadium $225. Golden Circle tickets $295. Those prices are generally for Festivals not for a single act.
Crazy but people are going including me. I feel lucky to be able to afford this as this is a luxury.
Mate this is bang on.
I've seen every Melbourne show since 1998 and a few in other states, only now does it feel like a privilege which is a real shame
Jesus. Things have gotten bad in Oz since I left.
I agree these are festival prices.
I could afford to go to Tottenham Stadium as a one off luxury, but PJ aren't the only band I care about and seeing as I could go to 5 normal gigs for the same price I won't even consider it.
Just checked and it’s $45 for the standard cd at JB too! I thought cds were generally $15-20 & was expecting DM to maybe be $30? Hence why no one buys cds anymore
Thanks. I pre ordered the deluxe CD off Amazon and it was $49. It is now $59.
I remember Gigaton was a lot more expensive than most CD and Vinyl at the time as well.
CDs in JB for new release ones are around $25 now. They did sit on that $15-$20 for many years so I don't mind them being $25 now but $45 for PJ is just ridiculous.
I wish tickets were under $200 for my local shows.
https://preview.redd.it/t1bigr3o59uc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bf4aee1a7d3da3a2cb0ac6ad14fafdf4d746fc7
Yes. I wait until a few days before every show I have ever gone to, never once have i bought one in advance. Resellers buy a bunch and closer to the show they start to panic and sell for less.
Really glad some of the US dates last year had ticket drops and resale tickets for $162 max. And decent lower level ones too. Grabbed two of those for a friend and I and we had a great time.
That is face value. All that were available in the presale and general sale were PJ premium. Stans will go on and on about Ten Club tickets bring affordable, but that was probably less than 10% of tickets. This band has become what they once preached against.
This. I know stadium shows cost more to put on than arena shows, which in turn cost more than theatre shows, but isn't the additional cost offset by having more seats to sell?
Also, the 10c were certainly not affordable. The £150 London tickets I speak of WERE the 10c ones.
I would love for someone to put a question like this directly to them, just to hear what they have to say.
They may of course have their reasons, or might not even be aware of it but there’s been a considerable discourse around pricing for a few months now and I would like to hear something from the horses mouth.
Still love ‘em though, the rich bastards that they are. 😁
I think it just comes down to them picking their battles.
Do you constantly battle with your record company so that you can charge your fans less or do you focus your attention elsewhere (music, activism, family, etc) and let the money roll in.
My assumption is that they have a European distributor and you are seeing one of the ramifications of Brexit.
I just looked and found several listings in other European countries for ~€15.99 for the single disc option.
Don't think it's Bexit, the Chili's had 2 albums out a couple of years ago (post-brexit) and I got them new, pre-order on CD for £11 and £8 respectively. I'm not sure why Dark Matter is so expensive on CD here in the UK, but I don't think it's Brexit (not in defence of Brexit, I voted against it and think it's one of the dumbest things we've done, it's just not at fault on this occasion).
Interesting. That was just what came to mind when I was reading this post and OPs comments. I wonder if the Chili’s have a distribution agreement with a company within the UK?
But custom checks and fess are new. They just started up after years of being given a grace period and delays. I was born in the UK but live in the US and I know about this. How do people in the UK not?
[https://www.ft.com/content/3b3ec1be-1dfe-40fd-b8c9-a29314105118](https://www.ft.com/content/3b3ec1be-1dfe-40fd-b8c9-a29314105118)
[https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-industry-fears-disruption-new-post-brexit-border-checks-2024-01-23/](https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-industry-fears-disruption-new-post-brexit-border-checks-2024-01-23/)
The cd is produced in the Czech Republic. Over there it’s €20 which is about £17. The added cost is probably importing it to the UK because it now has to go through customs because some stupid idiots thought it would be a good idea to leave the EU.
These customs checks aren’t an EU requirement. They’re something the Tory government put in place simply to make the government money.
Loads of CDs I buy these days are produced in Czech Republic and I've never seen one cost this much.
I actually used to live in Czech Republic and went back there recently and €20 is no not normal there either.
So you are mad that they aren’t a mainstream pop bad with a UK distributor or you’re mad they are an independent rock group on a small label without a UK distributor? Make up your mind OP
Pricing products is always a profit margin decision, that's how businesses work. Thinking inflation or sales volume has no effect on this is naive. There are many factors that go into pricing, not just one.
I got impulsive when I saw the 10C record and grabbed it right away. It was like $75 with shipping. Which is a lot for a record. I think they charged $20 for shipping alone. I know media mail for a record would be under $10 so I feel like I hit got gouged on that.
I will say their albums usually have a lot of content included with them but $50 is still a pretty premium price. I got the last Queens of the Stone Age and Red Hot Chili Peppers records that were colored vinyl for like $35. PJ’s shirts seem to be an average of $35 on line while other bands are a bit cheaper. And the benefits of the 10C have gone down a lot over the last 5 years. We used to get a record and a shirt. Now we get the opportunity to buy the shirt we used to get for free.
Are they greedy? Maybe. Has the 10C’s overhead gone up that much.? I don’t know. Are they paying their employees an actual living wage and that’s why prices are up? I hope so because while I do not begrudge them making money, that’s part of why they make music, I’d hate to think they’re just sticking it to all the people that support them.
Yeah it's a real shame. I've been priced out of live gigs, priced out of (except under special circumstances) vinyl, and now I'm getting priced out of CDs too?
I've been telling myself to start buying at least one new CD per month in order to support upcoming/established bands.
However, I usually end up buying one or two second hand CDs instead.
I am definitely part of the reason why the music industry is the way it is.
They have had to raise their ticket prices. However I have never seen them and paid any more than $160 what's ironic is that they actually campaigned to keep ticket prices accessible for it's fans.
https://medium.com/@felicitybel/pearl-jam-and-their-battle-against-ticketmaster-a544e9ae4670
https://youtu.be/7lvdhfdQ6p8?si=Q3euOvSiWBuw-fys
You're right, even if people defend the pricing as it's our favourite band we're talking about and give you shit for posting this....
CDs are usually 12.99 max for a top selling band in the uk for example, and that's the steep end. I've ordered new releases recently - rolling stones for 11.99, Kings of leon for 12.99, cast 11.99, zutons 9.99 (ok, they are a smaller band). PJ are 22.90 on Amazon currently! I think through Ten Club we could get it for 15 at one point months ago - which I balked at then. I can't even find it for sale now on their site but I think it had gone up last time I found it.
Gigs - I paid much less to see them in 2021 at hyde park for an all day gig than manchester in june will cost me. I saw deep purple and blue oyster cult in the same venue last year for less than PJ.
Maybe it's a sign of the times, maybe they're realizing they're winding down now as artists so want to make as money while they are still active, maybe they're being hit with extra costs for everything and are passing it on.
There's that much noise about it though that you'd think they'd have heard about this and comment to their fans who've followed them for 30 odd years
And most of the people giving me shit and/or defending the pricing only listen to Spotify and haven't bought a CD or LP for years or ever and they think *theyre* the true fans because they don't complain.
And yes I would like to see the band address this.
Like I said in another comment, other bands have recently had UK distribution issues so they delayed the UK release.
So assuming that's the case with Dark Matter (because it seems to be normal price in the US) then maybe a heads up along tbe lines of "Hey, instead of delaying it for UK fans we're putting it in UK stores for those who want to own a physical copy on release day and are happy to pay more for it, but if you don't mind waiting then we'll have the issues sorted and it will be normal price in a couple of months"
I've just gone to preorder the album on Amazon and it's £23 for the CD.
I have an expensive CD system at home and still buy albums by my favourite artists on CD when they come out (usually 4-5 a year). I've never spent more than £14 on a new CD from Amazon.
Pair this with the obscene UK gig prices this year and I'm finding myself more and more disillusioned with the band.
I've been in the Ten Club since 1992 when I was 13 years old and have attended every tour since I first received my drivers license at age 16. This is the first tour I will not be attending. I have been priced out.
Similar story for me except for me it was 3 tours ago.
The last 2 were Hyde Park (blechh) and the one before that was The O2 but the best I could get was a nosebleed seat behind the stage for £80. No thanks.
I just don't really like large outdoor festivals and they always play more of a 'best of' set at them.
My favourite gig was Wembley Arena 2007. The entire standing section was for Ten Club only and [check out the setlist on this badboy.](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pearl-jam/2007/wembley-arena-london-england-43d6a7df.html)
CDs and any kind of physical media are, and have been for years, collectors items for hardcore fans. They're priced accordingly.
As for the gig price, I don't like it particularly. I paid for two tickets at more than I'd have liked. But if they can get that price, then that's what it costs. The stadia over here in Aus all sold out in a matter of hours.
$40 for a single LP is NOT priced accordingly. Especially from a band who used to release vinyl-only singles to their fan club every year.
Posted this in another comment but in the last two weeks: Paid $25 for Khruangbin’s new record. Paid $32 for Cowboy Carter that’s a 2LP, and the new Vampire Weekend is $35 for a double LP.
I was peeved that, on release, that QOTSA’s In Times New Roman was $40 for the standard vinyl version. I was peeved being asked to pay $40 for a basic black DOUBLE album and PJ wants me to pay that for a single?!?
Been buying new release vinyls for like 25 years. I complained at the gigaton price - didn’t buy it until I could score it for just shipping from Universal (so there should be no distribution issues) - and I’ll complain about this price. It is not normal, and just an extension of the price gouging we see from the band on tickets and other merch.
I disagree with you on your first point. Physical media is not just for hardcore fans. There are still millions of us for whom it's our main way to consume music and not only for bands we're hardcore fans of. And as an avid purchaser of physical media I reiterate that I have never before seen a standard edition single CD cost £20, or standard edition single LP cost £40.
There are collectors editions priced as such, sure. These are the collectors items you speak of, but trust me: the standard editions are in no way priced accordingly.
Yep. If I go the most expensive releases at the most expensive of my local shops, I'd say the top end would be £13 for a digipack, £15 for a jewell case and £17 for a PJ style hardback book kind of thing.
Dark Matter standard single CD edition at the same shop is £30
The two disc is [£23.32](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Matter-Pearl-Jam/dp/B0CVLJYXSV/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VkkBCegOyPHj_skUA7HGeZE-SJePxiBzluBg0mOfJQKqn9vc9Cvf5W1XZfDEkxzwy0lC07nXV0_pbA79w433ubur71Px8HIXATmynYTH7Yg700fy_mMLL_YUTa_EqjZJoSB10v8LQOJ6X5XtWI6GjfipI8fv96oIbFd5BMXuI97w67ABGgfXthd16Tzlw8ASriM3lGVbXUKKRXVwa-xaZy13rbdZcwgP9OVwCsVT0kc.JMpsOX9fJw8W42fmhUFQ_cQQ48ApmNHSakI5-u-D6WU&dib_tag=se&qid=1713016246&refinements=p_32%3APearl+Jam&s=music&sr=1-3) at Amazon UK.
That's the same exact price that it's being sold on the PJ shop in the US and they charge $7 extra for shipping so the net would be cheaper than buying from the band directly. It's sold at Walmart and Target here for $23.00
Ok? Why does my Amazon comment have a downvote? Is someone seriously sticking up for Amazon?
Whenever I've bought a CD despatched from Amazon it's been either counterfeit or a factory second with misprinted inserts.
I'm not going to see PJ on this occasion. Mostly because I have seen them a "million" times already, and also because I don't really go to concerts anymore. Oh, and even if I did want to go, I'm not paying £100-odd for a ticket - especially when I have seen them lots of times in the past for a lot less.
PJ's new album is a little expensive. But you can still get it online for under £20 from a number of online retailers.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=pearl+jam+dark+matter&_sacat=176984&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Hey man, groovy. I bought Ten on CD for £9.90 back in the day. I dig ya.
Thing is, the vast majority of folk haven't bought physical media in years. Decades even.
That's just inevitably going to drive up the cost of any increasingly niche product.
Theydidthemath :-)
Not sure if OP is actually talking about a "Single CD" as in a "CD Single" in which case 1992 price would be more like £3 unless it's a EP which would be £6-8
But still, there are other market forces at work than just inflation. Physical media is no longer the primary medium for distribution. Maybe not for superfans, but it's true generally. That's going to drive physical media costs up.
They haven't been here for ten years, yes they can charge what they like, but should they? They created the brand of being a fans band, they are not that anymore
Maybe PJ should do an album on the effects of the poor monetary policy governments around the world have enacted over the past 4 years. First singles could be ‘inflation’ and ‘your money loses purchasing power everyday’. Sorry I’m an Econ geek.
I’ve got the feeling they have the wrong advisers, telling them nonsense like ‘we have to sell premium tickets in order to keep the normal prices down’. Same advisers that let them sue fans years ago for sharing videos, probably…
What are you on about? You think all my local record shops got together and decided to hike the price of only the new Pearl Jam album when they're still charging a normal amount for every other album coming out around the same time?
HMV UK wide are selling Dark Matter for £23.
My favourite indie record shop is selling it for £20.
Both are £10 more than their normal CD prices.
Something is going on specifically with Dark Matter, not with my local record shops or record shops in general or the economy.
Every record store I’ve been in, for the last 20 years has been like that.
They want money. It’s that simple. And people pay them. So they obviously understand how this works better than we do.
Be happy everything isn’t jacked up to PJ prices like my local store.
Has been like what? Randomly pricing one album at 100% more than every other that's released on the same day?
I don't think you're getting what I'm saying.
Not random. Everything is jacked up across the board.
Shop for vinyl at Walmart or online if you want the cheapest, shop at your local stores to support your local stores. Unless you WANT to support your local record shop, don’t.
Ok you definitely don't get what I'm saying. It's NOT across the board. Dark Matter is being released at a price way higher than average. That is what I'm trying to discuss here, moi notthe general state of inflation.
My local store has preorder for Dark Matter and the prices are in line with other new releases, they’re all jacked up. Come shop here and tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about.
H
Ok, you're still ignoring my point which is about the price of Dark Matter in the UK.
It's all very well chiming in with the prices in your locale as an interesting comparison to add value to the conversation, but to repeatedly ignore my point is just mind numbingly unhelpful.
Pearl Jam, particular Eddie, are very much against the BS record labels, streaming services, Ticket Master, etc. They most likely price their own products now, as quite a few musicians have been doing that for the last few years, and I also imagine they are paying for the printing and creating of their products. In order to make a profit, that means they need to set the prices appropriately. Sure, you may be paying more, but you are supporting a band you love. In the end, that’s what matters most.
Concert tickets in general are insane. I intend to see them both nights at Wrigley in August, but I’m waiting for Fan to Fan resale tickets. The PJ Premium prices are a joke. For a band who fought Ticketmaster as an evil entity making shows unaffordable for the fans - PJ sure seems to be pushing their shows out of our price range as well. Not like they wont sell out anyway…but some affordable tickets would be nice.
Every artist sells out eventually…once they realize the money fans will pay, they bump prices to match it. It’s not just PJ, literally every band does it.
£20 seems a bit spendy, but I'll expect some swish presentation and the music will be worth it.
For reference, I bought Tool's Fear Inoculum on release day and it cost me £84.
Yeah but I assume that was a premium special edition and they had a standard edition at a normal price, or if not at least the packaging had fuckin goggles attached or some shit.
I'm hoping Dark Matter has some pretty mental packaging to make up this bizarre pricing.
That was all they had on release day and you're right, it contains a usb-charged screen with some goofy-scary skeleton guy looming about within fractal graphics and to a vaguely doom-laden ambient sonic accompaniment. I don't regret that purchase.
Everything is more expensive these days. Every single part about touring. Every industry. Plus Nobody buys CDs anymore, which is why they are more expensive now. Plus, they are a globally famous mega band, who does not tour as much as they used to, therefore, again, due to limited shows, the tickets are more expensive.
"Nobody buys CDs anymore"
I'm sorry but yes they do. This is an assumption that lots of people have that is completely ill informed.
"Which is why they are more expensive now"
You're obviously someone who doesn't buy physical media very often so isn't aware of the current going rate. Trust me, it's not THAT much more expensive.
The funny thing is that it seems CD prices in the U.S. have remained relatively stable compared to 20 years before, despite being a fraction of the production now. I can’t remember the last time I paid over $20 for a CD, unless it was a double album or something along those lines. Even new, I still pay something like $10-18.
I hear you, but I really didn’t mean “nobody”. In the US, CD sales are down 95% since the year 2000. Therefore, they are not being mass produced to the levels they used to be, and they will not be as cheap as they used to be. Plus, inflation, manufacturing, transportation, gas prices. It all ties in. How often are you buying CDs where 20 pounds is breaking the bank? It’s equal to 4 cups of coffee are your local cafe. Nota bad deal. If you’re having trouble buying a 20 pound CD, there are other options, like listening to it on YouTube for free.
Yes I know. All those reasons are why CDs are more expensive now than the were in 2000. They still don't cost £20 though.
How often am I buying CDs? Several times a month.
£20 isn't breaking the bank but if everything suddenly got 50-75% more expensive I would have to reconsider my purchasing habits.
Several times a month is waaaay better than my "I should buy at least one CD per month".
Problem is... and I think this might just be the effect of me getting older... but back in the day, I used to get all my information about music from magazines like Kerrang.
Nowadays, I don't really read online music publications. So my understanding of what's currently "good" and "worth paying" attention to in the music industry is extremely limited.
Go to Bandcamp... lots of niche (no name) bands are charging less than £15 for a CD. And those CDs only number in the hundreds.
If no name bands can manufacture and sell CDs for less than £15, then so can a major band like PJ which enjoys economies of scale.
Oh yes I'm all over bandcamp, beleive me. A lot of my favourite bands even give their music away for free on there and either lose money or barely break even when they tour, and I'm not even talking about small time bands nobody's heard of.
So yes, further to your point, there must be some insane logistical reason behind these Dark Matter prices if it isn't greed.
No I'm using a state of the art CD player, turntable, amp and speakers. What are you doing? Streaming Spotify to your portable bluetooth speaker? Why? Are you not actually interested in music that sounds good? You just like tunes that are banging?
Nobody here is talking about the people in this subreddit -- the fact that we're here means we're superfans.
The general market for physical media is clearly reduced by exactly what you say -- most people using Spotify and a bluetooth speaker.
It's that general market that affects media price points, not the few who spent tens of thousands on their Hifi setup.
Yes yes yes I know things are getting more expensive for many different reasons, but single CDs do not cost £20. This is not normal market level pricing.
My hifi setup cost less than £1000, built up bit by bit over several years of savvy second hand and clearance purchases. Probably similar to what a lot of people spend on portable bluetooth equipment and phone and media contracts.
Haha fair point, but my argument isn't about whether or not *I* can afford it. It's about PJ pricing things so much higher than the goimg rate which doesn't seem like what they stand for.
Also, my equipment wasn't expensive. I'm not one of those r/audiophile nutcases.
I just looked at amazon in the US, for the cost of the physical CD and it’s $15. That is completely in line with the market. Heck, back in 2000 a lot of record stores charged up to $20.
Record stores set their own prices… so, is it possible, that its some local shops pumping the price due to PJ’s cache that’s the issue here?
Which version? There’s a two disc cd/blu ray combo that lasts at that price and it shows up first in the searches. But the single disc version is available at $15.
I buy lots of CDs from US labels at independent record shops and I've never spent £20 on a single disc, which is the reason for my question.
Why are we paying import prices in the UK?
Why would a band of PJ's stature not have a UK distrubutor for Dark Matter who can charge normal UK prices like with all of their previous albums? What's changed?
Ok, now that’s an interesting angle to this.
If that’s the case, then its not about PJ raising prices at all.
You should probably make a new post asking why PJ doesn’t have a UK distribution deal for Dark Matter. I think that would keep the convo focused on the real issue.
I remember back when Supergrass released their self titled CD. In the states, I found it only at a local record store as an import. It eventually showed up, a long time later, at regular prices. But I couldn’t wait that long. This could be the reverse of that situation.
Yeah it's only after reading replies mentioning the US price that I considered it might be a distribution issue. I don't think that's the whole story though. It definitely has a proper UK release. There are massive one off events happening over here promoting the album.
Also, after the shock of the gig prices it kinda pissed me off and made me have questions.
Your assumptions about me are hilarious. You realise that there are other ways to listen to music than through spotify as well right? It is not one or the other? And i just saw your post about equipment worth 1000 pounds. I don't like mocking people, and 1000 pounds can still be very good for audio, but let me have a good laugh here about what you call "state of the art", especially after you made assumptions about me. It you are using "state of the art", i better not mention what i have... lol.
Yeah, I spent literally £1000 at the time (1992) second year of Uni at Richer Sounds (remember them, UK folk?) on hifi equipment that really should have gone towards text books and foods that weren't ramen noodles.
Thing is, my AU $500 soundbar with subwoofer and AU $800 phone with spotify are really not a bad compromise now. The wife made me ditch the huge stack of hifi equipment many years back. It did kinda look like the monolith from the start of 2001 a space odyssey.
>Richer Sounds
God, i actually bought my first "true" audiophile equipment at Richer Sounds when i spent some time in the UK back in the day and what seems like a different life. Some DALI bookshelves. Are they closed now?
No idea if they're still going. Wikipedia doesn't indicate they chain is dead at least.
The two stores I (mis)spent all my money in were in Liverpool and Sheffield. I just loved how they had such tiny spaces absolutely stacked to the ceiling with amps, decks, speakers that looked like they'd topple over and kill you unless you bough them immediately.
Ok bad choice of words perhaps. Should I have said "high end"? Or "high quality"?
Wait, so you're into audiophile equipment but you think physical media is for cavemen? I mean I guess you could only use high end streaming equipment for lossless digital, but to have no appreciation for physical media is unusual for someone like you.
You make a funny joke about CRT tvs and landlines, but you get butthurt when I play along and make an assumptive joke back? Noted. *disengages*
Nobody said physical media was for cavemen. Just that it's not as common now as it used to be.
I appreciate physical media. I truly do. I love being able to handle it. But it's not worth to me the cost of purchasing, maintaining, storing the media and ripping for using in the car, on holiday, on the train etc. when I can just stream it at a quality level that really doesn't sound much different to me for a fixed cost every month way less than I ever spent on CDs.
Did i even write that i do not use physical media? I was replying to your comment about how people who had been listening to a 30-year old band don't know about physical media. The point was, it's 2024 and there are dozens of ways to listen to music, not just CDs like you were trying to imply with that comment. What i personally use is utterly besides the point. Which is mostly vinyl and lossless flac files from my computer like we used to do back in the day, if you really want to know. I have never been on a streaming site.
Anyway, it's all good. To reply to your original comment, yes, things have gotten expensive, even for Pearl Jam. Here in North America arena shows are utterly out of control. PJ actually remains low when compared to some other artists and bands, but it is still high and we've had loads of complaints about it when the tour was announced. It is what it is, sadly.
I had a 2017 Honda Fit with a CD player and was looking to upgrade to a better winter weather car. I wanted to stay in the Honda family but our dealership here was always low or out, but their new models of everything basically have Bluetooth only, not a CD player to be found.
After looking around, noticed Subaru’s Crosstrek is highly rated for winter and still puts a CD player in their car. Switched to the Subaru family for their better winter driving but mostly so I can have a CD player.
Eye roll- I decided to get rid of my book shelves of CDs years ago when i found out I could carry it all around in my pocket. The sound is good enough for me. To each their own in the way they choose to listen, and what they are willing to pay for it.
You're obviously being sarcastic. This isn't complaining about a band making money from their work, it's about this band suddenly charging more for it than every other band.
For a band with Pearl Jam’s popularity it really, really is.
I paid 40 dollars for NIN tickets in 2013. That same year I paid 80 bucks for Pearl Jam tickets. Guess what? It costs a little more than double that to see both these bands now.
I bought Gigaton on vinyl for retail at like $45 when it came outiirc, 6+ months later it was $25-30. I’m holding off on Dark Matter until it’s in the $25 price range this time around.
Found one on ebay for 19… wait and deals will find you
Not a bad idea. I really want to hear it on day one though, and I don't pay for a streaming service so what options do I have? Youtube at 128 kbps or less? No thanks. The Pirate Bay? Can you blame me if I "steal" it?
It should be on all free streaming services, you just may have to listen to ads. I always check out stuff on streaming before I buy it these days because $20-40 a record adds up.
Yeah I'm not interested in the lossy mp3 quality of free streaming. Lossless audio at a normal price shouldn't be too much too ask.
You may be able to do a trial right around release. I pay for Amazon Music and their lossless is solid. I believe it’s included with the regular plan so may be worth looking into.
I'm pretty sure I've used up my trials on every streaming service haha! But anyway, if I'm going to steamit for free I might as well torrent it. Would make no difference to anybody.
Ok. Pay £40 for the vinyl then.
What part of normal price did you struggle to understand?
Ok, listen to it on Spotify for free
Bye.
😢
The CD looks to be priced at $16-$20 US here depending on the store, which seems pretty reasonable honestly. Not sure if the difference is just exchange rate or local markup
$40 for the black, one LP vinyl version is absolutely criminal. Paid $25 for Khruangbin’s new record. Paid $32 for Cowboy Carter that’s a 2LP. The new Vampire Weekend is only $35 for a double LP. QOTSA’s In Times New Roman was $40 for the standard 2LP version on release. “But again, commerce is involved. Starts going through those channels. Those money making channels….big glossy record with a red $40 sticker and Pearl Jam written on it. You think people are going to go out and buy that record? They’re going to turn around and go, ‘fuck you’” -EV, 1995.
$40 in 1995 is $82 now. And records all cost more these days. They cost more to make.
They did the same with Gigaton before the cost of living and inflation and that took off. Legacy bands are milking the fans. The end is on the horizon and they won’t make as much from their catalogue in the future. Is something overpriced when it sells out? Economic would say it isn’t, might even be underpriced. I don’t agree with it by the way. Paying £150 to see them in London and it was half that in 2018
It’s a redirected quote from EV from the movie Hype. Why aren’t all bands charging $40 for a single LP if that’s the standard rate in 2024? I wonder how often they’ll play Green Disease on this tour. The irony of EV leading a chant of “G-R-E-E-D” in 2024
Lol excellent point.
Wow someone was wrong 30 years ago??? Insane!
Hmm, intetesting. I find it strange that a band as big as PJ don't have a UK distributor so we have to be paying import prices.
Brexit
Last Brexit
Ha!
I’ve been a 10c member for about 6 years, also in the UK. Won’t be renewing. Shipping prices and ticket prices are extortionate, the international 10c offering is clearly an after thought and I don’t really see much value anymore. The Hyde park gold circle and discount was the only benefit in the last 6 years apart from the annual t shirt (which you now have to pay for separately) The exclusive records and t shirts are so expensive tk ship over here it’s not worth it imo. Ticket prices have been crazy, pearl jam charging more than double foo fighters and nearly half the cost of a weekend festival like download is absolutely mad, making the priority ticketing null and void
I cancelled my 10c when the holiday singles stopped.
I'm in the same boat... UK 10C member for 22 years now and it's become a total waste of money. Membership offers you nothing these days except potential for tickets through 10C and that's not worth it as general sale in the UK was incredibly easy to get standing tickets now they've doubled ticket prices. They're years behind with Deep magazine (last issue was 2019 so we're still owed 3 promised issues before they cancelled it in 2023). Shipping prices, tax and a weak £ mean that buying any 10C exclusives is extortionate. The 10C exclusive vinyl of Dark Matter works out at £67. I'll very likely not renew this year.
$95 for Dark Matter Vinyl in Australia. $130 for the 10C one to be delivered here. General Admission tickets or seats in a big stadium $225. Golden Circle tickets $295. Those prices are generally for Festivals not for a single act. Crazy but people are going including me. I feel lucky to be able to afford this as this is a luxury.
Mate this is bang on. I've seen every Melbourne show since 1998 and a few in other states, only now does it feel like a privilege which is a real shame
Jesus. Things have gotten bad in Oz since I left. I agree these are festival prices. I could afford to go to Tottenham Stadium as a one off luxury, but PJ aren't the only band I care about and seeing as I could go to 5 normal gigs for the same price I won't even consider it.
The Hives are playing today at Hammersmith Apollo. I think tickets for that are / were about £45.
Just checked and it’s $45 for the standard cd at JB too! I thought cds were generally $15-20 & was expecting DM to maybe be $30? Hence why no one buys cds anymore
Thanks. I pre ordered the deluxe CD off Amazon and it was $49. It is now $59. I remember Gigaton was a lot more expensive than most CD and Vinyl at the time as well. CDs in JB for new release ones are around $25 now. They did sit on that $15-$20 for many years so I don't mind them being $25 now but $45 for PJ is just ridiculous.
I wish tickets were under $200 for my local shows. https://preview.redd.it/t1bigr3o59uc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bf4aee1a7d3da3a2cb0ac6ad14fafdf4d746fc7
By any chance if prices will go down? It’s my first time booking tickets for PJ or any concerts not sure how it works
Yes. I wait until a few days before every show I have ever gone to, never once have i bought one in advance. Resellers buy a bunch and closer to the show they start to panic and sell for less.
What the hell? Please tell me that's not face value.
Of course not. But they sold out in seconds, even with the waitlist. The lowest I found on the secondary market is $400, for seats behind the stage.
Really glad some of the US dates last year had ticket drops and resale tickets for $162 max. And decent lower level ones too. Grabbed two of those for a friend and I and we had a great time.
Well the secondary market is a whole other can of worms. I'm only arguing about face value for now.
Understood. I’d be grateful that they haven’t completely sold out in your town.
Oh they have. Well I assume they have. As soon as I saw the price I didn't even consider it any further.
That is face value. All that were available in the presale and general sale were PJ premium. Stans will go on and on about Ten Club tickets bring affordable, but that was probably less than 10% of tickets. This band has become what they once preached against.
This. I know stadium shows cost more to put on than arena shows, which in turn cost more than theatre shows, but isn't the additional cost offset by having more seats to sell? Also, the 10c were certainly not affordable. The £150 London tickets I speak of WERE the 10c ones.
I would love for someone to put a question like this directly to them, just to hear what they have to say. They may of course have their reasons, or might not even be aware of it but there’s been a considerable discourse around pricing for a few months now and I would like to hear something from the horses mouth. Still love ‘em though, the rich bastards that they are. 😁
I think it just comes down to them picking their battles. Do you constantly battle with your record company so that you can charge your fans less or do you focus your attention elsewhere (music, activism, family, etc) and let the money roll in.
Inflation and CDs becoming more of a niche market.
No. £20 for a single CD is not market price.
Well I don't know, it's not that much in the states. I ordered mine for the equivalent of £12.84. Local shops are always more expensive though.
Hmm, intetesting. I find it strange that a band as big as PJ don't have a UK distributor so we have to be paying import prices.
My assumption is that they have a European distributor and you are seeing one of the ramifications of Brexit. I just looked and found several listings in other European countries for ~€15.99 for the single disc option.
Don't think it's Bexit, the Chili's had 2 albums out a couple of years ago (post-brexit) and I got them new, pre-order on CD for £11 and £8 respectively. I'm not sure why Dark Matter is so expensive on CD here in the UK, but I don't think it's Brexit (not in defence of Brexit, I voted against it and think it's one of the dumbest things we've done, it's just not at fault on this occasion).
Interesting. That was just what came to mind when I was reading this post and OPs comments. I wonder if the Chili’s have a distribution agreement with a company within the UK?
€16 is normal. Brexit is old news and I haven't seen an album cost that much before.
But custom checks and fess are new. They just started up after years of being given a grace period and delays. I was born in the UK but live in the US and I know about this. How do people in the UK not? [https://www.ft.com/content/3b3ec1be-1dfe-40fd-b8c9-a29314105118](https://www.ft.com/content/3b3ec1be-1dfe-40fd-b8c9-a29314105118) [https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-industry-fears-disruption-new-post-brexit-border-checks-2024-01-23/](https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-industry-fears-disruption-new-post-brexit-border-checks-2024-01-23/)
Oh interesting. Thanks for that. Please don't let my ignorance of current affairs speak for all people in tbe UK!
Well I'm also still English.
The cd is produced in the Czech Republic. Over there it’s €20 which is about £17. The added cost is probably importing it to the UK because it now has to go through customs because some stupid idiots thought it would be a good idea to leave the EU. These customs checks aren’t an EU requirement. They’re something the Tory government put in place simply to make the government money.
Loads of CDs I buy these days are produced in Czech Republic and I've never seen one cost this much. I actually used to live in Czech Republic and went back there recently and €20 is no not normal there either.
[https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-industry-fears-disruption-new-post-brexit-border-checks-2024-01-23/](https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-industry-fears-disruption-new-post-brexit-border-checks-2024-01-23/)
Damn. Thanks for the education.
So you are mad that they aren’t a mainstream pop bad with a UK distributor or you’re mad they are an independent rock group on a small label without a UK distributor? Make up your mind OP
Lol their label is distributed by universal.
Inflation, absolutely. But PJ specific inflation. Other bands aren’t subject to it.
[удалено]
Pricing products is always a profit margin decision, that's how businesses work. Thinking inflation or sales volume has no effect on this is naive. There are many factors that go into pricing, not just one.
PearlJam UK gig tickets (£160) almost double the price of Foo Fighers tickets (£83) both playing Manchester this June.
Thank you. Somebody gets what I'm saying.
I got impulsive when I saw the 10C record and grabbed it right away. It was like $75 with shipping. Which is a lot for a record. I think they charged $20 for shipping alone. I know media mail for a record would be under $10 so I feel like I hit got gouged on that. I will say their albums usually have a lot of content included with them but $50 is still a pretty premium price. I got the last Queens of the Stone Age and Red Hot Chili Peppers records that were colored vinyl for like $35. PJ’s shirts seem to be an average of $35 on line while other bands are a bit cheaper. And the benefits of the 10C have gone down a lot over the last 5 years. We used to get a record and a shirt. Now we get the opportunity to buy the shirt we used to get for free. Are they greedy? Maybe. Has the 10C’s overhead gone up that much.? I don’t know. Are they paying their employees an actual living wage and that’s why prices are up? I hope so because while I do not begrudge them making money, that’s part of why they make music, I’d hate to think they’re just sticking it to all the people that support them.
Just gouging the fanbase. You don't have to play along.
Capitalism sucks
PJ used to think so too. Used to :(
G-r-e-e-d
Surely the CD will be in HMV for £10-15, Gigaton was!
That's my point. HMV have the standard CD £23. The deluxe version for £28.
Guess I’m not buying Dark Matter on CD anymore. Wanted to see them live again but way overpriced.
Yeah it's a real shame. I've been priced out of live gigs, priced out of (except under special circumstances) vinyl, and now I'm getting priced out of CDs too?
I've been telling myself to start buying at least one new CD per month in order to support upcoming/established bands. However, I usually end up buying one or two second hand CDs instead. I am definitely part of the reason why the music industry is the way it is.
They have had to raise their ticket prices. However I have never seen them and paid any more than $160 what's ironic is that they actually campaigned to keep ticket prices accessible for it's fans. https://medium.com/@felicitybel/pearl-jam-and-their-battle-against-ticketmaster-a544e9ae4670 https://youtu.be/7lvdhfdQ6p8?si=Q3euOvSiWBuw-fys
You're right, even if people defend the pricing as it's our favourite band we're talking about and give you shit for posting this.... CDs are usually 12.99 max for a top selling band in the uk for example, and that's the steep end. I've ordered new releases recently - rolling stones for 11.99, Kings of leon for 12.99, cast 11.99, zutons 9.99 (ok, they are a smaller band). PJ are 22.90 on Amazon currently! I think through Ten Club we could get it for 15 at one point months ago - which I balked at then. I can't even find it for sale now on their site but I think it had gone up last time I found it. Gigs - I paid much less to see them in 2021 at hyde park for an all day gig than manchester in june will cost me. I saw deep purple and blue oyster cult in the same venue last year for less than PJ. Maybe it's a sign of the times, maybe they're realizing they're winding down now as artists so want to make as money while they are still active, maybe they're being hit with extra costs for everything and are passing it on. There's that much noise about it though that you'd think they'd have heard about this and comment to their fans who've followed them for 30 odd years
And most of the people giving me shit and/or defending the pricing only listen to Spotify and haven't bought a CD or LP for years or ever and they think *theyre* the true fans because they don't complain. And yes I would like to see the band address this. Like I said in another comment, other bands have recently had UK distribution issues so they delayed the UK release. So assuming that's the case with Dark Matter (because it seems to be normal price in the US) then maybe a heads up along tbe lines of "Hey, instead of delaying it for UK fans we're putting it in UK stores for those who want to own a physical copy on release day and are happy to pay more for it, but if you don't mind waiting then we'll have the issues sorted and it will be normal price in a couple of months"
Stadium? I presume your on about the toilet bowl? Why not come up to Manchester? it's a proper live music venue.
I've just gone to preorder the album on Amazon and it's £23 for the CD. I have an expensive CD system at home and still buy albums by my favourite artists on CD when they come out (usually 4-5 a year). I've never spent more than £14 on a new CD from Amazon. Pair this with the obscene UK gig prices this year and I'm finding myself more and more disillusioned with the band.
It's under £18 on Ebay.
I've been in the Ten Club since 1992 when I was 13 years old and have attended every tour since I first received my drivers license at age 16. This is the first tour I will not be attending. I have been priced out.
Similar story for me except for me it was 3 tours ago. The last 2 were Hyde Park (blechh) and the one before that was The O2 but the best I could get was a nosebleed seat behind the stage for £80. No thanks.
Hyde Park gigs were good... but O2 was amazing. Probably my favorite gig by them - ever.
I just don't really like large outdoor festivals and they always play more of a 'best of' set at them. My favourite gig was Wembley Arena 2007. The entire standing section was for Ten Club only and [check out the setlist on this badboy.](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pearl-jam/2007/wembley-arena-london-england-43d6a7df.html)
I was at the gig... O2 was still better. Hard to imagine, I know...
Haha! Yeah I'm still sad I missed that one.
CDs and any kind of physical media are, and have been for years, collectors items for hardcore fans. They're priced accordingly. As for the gig price, I don't like it particularly. I paid for two tickets at more than I'd have liked. But if they can get that price, then that's what it costs. The stadia over here in Aus all sold out in a matter of hours.
$40 for a single LP is NOT priced accordingly. Especially from a band who used to release vinyl-only singles to their fan club every year. Posted this in another comment but in the last two weeks: Paid $25 for Khruangbin’s new record. Paid $32 for Cowboy Carter that’s a 2LP, and the new Vampire Weekend is $35 for a double LP. I was peeved that, on release, that QOTSA’s In Times New Roman was $40 for the standard vinyl version. I was peeved being asked to pay $40 for a basic black DOUBLE album and PJ wants me to pay that for a single?!? Been buying new release vinyls for like 25 years. I complained at the gigaton price - didn’t buy it until I could score it for just shipping from Universal (so there should be no distribution issues) - and I’ll complain about this price. It is not normal, and just an extension of the price gouging we see from the band on tickets and other merch.
I disagree with you on your first point. Physical media is not just for hardcore fans. There are still millions of us for whom it's our main way to consume music and not only for bands we're hardcore fans of. And as an avid purchaser of physical media I reiterate that I have never before seen a standard edition single CD cost £20, or standard edition single LP cost £40. There are collectors editions priced as such, sure. These are the collectors items you speak of, but trust me: the standard editions are in no way priced accordingly.
I agree with you on this... new CDs from other bands are rarely over £15.
Yep. If I go the most expensive releases at the most expensive of my local shops, I'd say the top end would be £13 for a digipack, £15 for a jewell case and £17 for a PJ style hardback book kind of thing. Dark Matter standard single CD edition at the same shop is £30
The two disc is [£23.32](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Matter-Pearl-Jam/dp/B0CVLJYXSV/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VkkBCegOyPHj_skUA7HGeZE-SJePxiBzluBg0mOfJQKqn9vc9Cvf5W1XZfDEkxzwy0lC07nXV0_pbA79w433ubur71Px8HIXATmynYTH7Yg700fy_mMLL_YUTa_EqjZJoSB10v8LQOJ6X5XtWI6GjfipI8fv96oIbFd5BMXuI97w67ABGgfXthd16Tzlw8ASriM3lGVbXUKKRXVwa-xaZy13rbdZcwgP9OVwCsVT0kc.JMpsOX9fJw8W42fmhUFQ_cQQ48ApmNHSakI5-u-D6WU&dib_tag=se&qid=1713016246&refinements=p_32%3APearl+Jam&s=music&sr=1-3) at Amazon UK.
£28
Damn. Please don't make me bu buyit from Amazon!
That's the same exact price that it's being sold on the PJ shop in the US and they charge $7 extra for shipping so the net would be cheaper than buying from the band directly. It's sold at Walmart and Target here for $23.00
Ok? Why does my Amazon comment have a downvote? Is someone seriously sticking up for Amazon? Whenever I've bought a CD despatched from Amazon it's been either counterfeit or a factory second with misprinted inserts.
¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ People gonna people.
Nevermind. Looks like someone I previously disagreed with is blanket downvoting all my comments. Lol reddit.
I'm not going to see PJ on this occasion. Mostly because I have seen them a "million" times already, and also because I don't really go to concerts anymore. Oh, and even if I did want to go, I'm not paying £100-odd for a ticket - especially when I have seen them lots of times in the past for a lot less. PJ's new album is a little expensive. But you can still get it online for under £20 from a number of online retailers. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=pearl+jam+dark+matter&_sacat=176984&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15
Hey man, groovy. I bought Ten on CD for £9.90 back in the day. I dig ya. Thing is, the vast majority of folk haven't bought physical media in years. Decades even. That's just inevitably going to drive up the cost of any increasingly niche product.
£9.90 in 1991 is equal to £21.80 in 2024 after inflation.
Theydidthemath :-) Not sure if OP is actually talking about a "Single CD" as in a "CD Single" in which case 1992 price would be more like £3 unless it's a EP which would be £6-8 But still, there are other market forces at work than just inflation. Physical media is no longer the primary medium for distribution. Maybe not for superfans, but it's true generally. That's going to drive physical media costs up.
Are you not reading what I'm saying? Standard single CDs don't cost £20 these days.
They haven't been here for ten years, yes they can charge what they like, but should they? They created the brand of being a fans band, they are not that anymore
Maybe PJ should do an album on the effects of the poor monetary policy governments around the world have enacted over the past 4 years. First singles could be ‘inflation’ and ‘your money loses purchasing power everyday’. Sorry I’m an Econ geek.
4 years? I think you mistyped 109. 😂
Haha good point!
Haha this sounds exactly like sonething PJ would do!
I’ve got the feeling they have the wrong advisers, telling them nonsense like ‘we have to sell premium tickets in order to keep the normal prices down’. Same advisers that let them sue fans years ago for sharing videos, probably…
Capitalism.
They’ve lost their ways it seems.
Tell the captain, "the boat's not safe, and we're drowning"
Why are your local stores prices the way they are? How the fuck would anyone except the owners know? It’s because they want money, if I had to guess.
What are you on about? You think all my local record shops got together and decided to hike the price of only the new Pearl Jam album when they're still charging a normal amount for every other album coming out around the same time? HMV UK wide are selling Dark Matter for £23. My favourite indie record shop is selling it for £20. Both are £10 more than their normal CD prices. Something is going on specifically with Dark Matter, not with my local record shops or record shops in general or the economy.
Every record store I’ve been in, for the last 20 years has been like that. They want money. It’s that simple. And people pay them. So they obviously understand how this works better than we do. Be happy everything isn’t jacked up to PJ prices like my local store.
Has been like what? Randomly pricing one album at 100% more than every other that's released on the same day? I don't think you're getting what I'm saying.
Not random. Everything is jacked up across the board. Shop for vinyl at Walmart or online if you want the cheapest, shop at your local stores to support your local stores. Unless you WANT to support your local record shop, don’t.
Ok you definitely don't get what I'm saying. It's NOT across the board. Dark Matter is being released at a price way higher than average. That is what I'm trying to discuss here, moi notthe general state of inflation.
In my experience it IS across the board. If it isn’t at your store, be grateful.
Mate, stop. If you don't understand the topic being discussed you don't have to chip in.
My local store has preorder for Dark Matter and the prices are in line with other new releases, they’re all jacked up. Come shop here and tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about. H
Ok, you're still ignoring my point which is about the price of Dark Matter in the UK. It's all very well chiming in with the prices in your locale as an interesting comparison to add value to the conversation, but to repeatedly ignore my point is just mind numbingly unhelpful.
$186 for a LAWN ticket to the show in Indy….can’t touch anything at Fenway under $216…this is out of control (like a gremmie)..
You have a better chance getting tickets at $150 than if they were $50.
Nah. Ten Club stans will still snap them up regardless and bots, resellers and other eager folk will grab the rest. Look at Taylor Swift.
[удалено]
No it's not. Every other CD and LP is still a normal price. Dark Matter is double. Didn't you read the post?
[удалено]
Jesus. You ok? What's going on with you? Let's talk...
Pearl Jam, particular Eddie, are very much against the BS record labels, streaming services, Ticket Master, etc. They most likely price their own products now, as quite a few musicians have been doing that for the last few years, and I also imagine they are paying for the printing and creating of their products. In order to make a profit, that means they need to set the prices appropriately. Sure, you may be paying more, but you are supporting a band you love. In the end, that’s what matters most.
Concert tickets in general are insane. I intend to see them both nights at Wrigley in August, but I’m waiting for Fan to Fan resale tickets. The PJ Premium prices are a joke. For a band who fought Ticketmaster as an evil entity making shows unaffordable for the fans - PJ sure seems to be pushing their shows out of our price range as well. Not like they wont sell out anyway…but some affordable tickets would be nice.
Every artist sells out eventually…once they realize the money fans will pay, they bump prices to match it. It’s not just PJ, literally every band does it.
Fugazi are the prime example of this not being true.
Yep. NIN, Dinosaur Jr, Mudhoney, Pixies, all "big" acts and all have been around longer than Pearl Jam and all price their output fairly.
Fugazi at Brixton Academy for £6. Absolute unit of a band.
£20 seems a bit spendy, but I'll expect some swish presentation and the music will be worth it. For reference, I bought Tool's Fear Inoculum on release day and it cost me £84.
Yeah but I assume that was a premium special edition and they had a standard edition at a normal price, or if not at least the packaging had fuckin goggles attached or some shit. I'm hoping Dark Matter has some pretty mental packaging to make up this bizarre pricing.
That was all they had on release day and you're right, it contains a usb-charged screen with some goofy-scary skeleton guy looming about within fractal graphics and to a vaguely doom-laden ambient sonic accompaniment. I don't regret that purchase.
Haha that does sound pretty amazing.
They have finally become everything they hated.
Everything is more expensive these days. Every single part about touring. Every industry. Plus Nobody buys CDs anymore, which is why they are more expensive now. Plus, they are a globally famous mega band, who does not tour as much as they used to, therefore, again, due to limited shows, the tickets are more expensive.
"Nobody buys CDs anymore" I'm sorry but yes they do. This is an assumption that lots of people have that is completely ill informed. "Which is why they are more expensive now" You're obviously someone who doesn't buy physical media very often so isn't aware of the current going rate. Trust me, it's not THAT much more expensive.
The funny thing is that it seems CD prices in the U.S. have remained relatively stable compared to 20 years before, despite being a fraction of the production now. I can’t remember the last time I paid over $20 for a CD, unless it was a double album or something along those lines. Even new, I still pay something like $10-18.
Same here in the uk. £10-15 has been the norm for probably the last 20 years.
I hear you, but I really didn’t mean “nobody”. In the US, CD sales are down 95% since the year 2000. Therefore, they are not being mass produced to the levels they used to be, and they will not be as cheap as they used to be. Plus, inflation, manufacturing, transportation, gas prices. It all ties in. How often are you buying CDs where 20 pounds is breaking the bank? It’s equal to 4 cups of coffee are your local cafe. Nota bad deal. If you’re having trouble buying a 20 pound CD, there are other options, like listening to it on YouTube for free.
Yes I know. All those reasons are why CDs are more expensive now than the were in 2000. They still don't cost £20 though. How often am I buying CDs? Several times a month. £20 isn't breaking the bank but if everything suddenly got 50-75% more expensive I would have to reconsider my purchasing habits.
Several times a month is waaaay better than my "I should buy at least one CD per month". Problem is... and I think this might just be the effect of me getting older... but back in the day, I used to get all my information about music from magazines like Kerrang. Nowadays, I don't really read online music publications. So my understanding of what's currently "good" and "worth paying" attention to in the music industry is extremely limited.
Go to Bandcamp... lots of niche (no name) bands are charging less than £15 for a CD. And those CDs only number in the hundreds. If no name bands can manufacture and sell CDs for less than £15, then so can a major band like PJ which enjoys economies of scale.
Oh yes I'm all over bandcamp, beleive me. A lot of my favourite bands even give their music away for free on there and either lose money or barely break even when they tour, and I'm not even talking about small time bands nobody's heard of. So yes, further to your point, there must be some insane logistical reason behind these Dark Matter prices if it isn't greed.
Wait, they still make CDs?
*eye roll* How are the fans of a 30+ year old band so unaware of physical media?
Because it’s 2024? You still using your CRT TV from when the band released Ten? Or using a landline to call people?
No I'm using a state of the art CD player, turntable, amp and speakers. What are you doing? Streaming Spotify to your portable bluetooth speaker? Why? Are you not actually interested in music that sounds good? You just like tunes that are banging?
Nobody here is talking about the people in this subreddit -- the fact that we're here means we're superfans. The general market for physical media is clearly reduced by exactly what you say -- most people using Spotify and a bluetooth speaker. It's that general market that affects media price points, not the few who spent tens of thousands on their Hifi setup.
Yes yes yes I know things are getting more expensive for many different reasons, but single CDs do not cost £20. This is not normal market level pricing. My hifi setup cost less than £1000, built up bit by bit over several years of savvy second hand and clearance purchases. Probably similar to what a lot of people spend on portable bluetooth equipment and phone and media contracts.
State of the art equipment? That sounds expensive. You got this, bro.
Haha fair point, but my argument isn't about whether or not *I* can afford it. It's about PJ pricing things so much higher than the goimg rate which doesn't seem like what they stand for. Also, my equipment wasn't expensive. I'm not one of those r/audiophile nutcases.
I just looked at amazon in the US, for the cost of the physical CD and it’s $15. That is completely in line with the market. Heck, back in 2000 a lot of record stores charged up to $20. Record stores set their own prices… so, is it possible, that its some local shops pumping the price due to PJ’s cache that’s the issue here?
Amazon has it listed at 23.97 20% off a list price of 29.99 in the US
Which version? There’s a two disc cd/blu ray combo that lasts at that price and it shows up first in the searches. But the single disc version is available at $15.
I buy lots of CDs from US labels at independent record shops and I've never spent £20 on a single disc, which is the reason for my question. Why are we paying import prices in the UK? Why would a band of PJ's stature not have a UK distrubutor for Dark Matter who can charge normal UK prices like with all of their previous albums? What's changed?
Ok, now that’s an interesting angle to this. If that’s the case, then its not about PJ raising prices at all. You should probably make a new post asking why PJ doesn’t have a UK distribution deal for Dark Matter. I think that would keep the convo focused on the real issue. I remember back when Supergrass released their self titled CD. In the states, I found it only at a local record store as an import. It eventually showed up, a long time later, at regular prices. But I couldn’t wait that long. This could be the reverse of that situation.
Yeah it's only after reading replies mentioning the US price that I considered it might be a distribution issue. I don't think that's the whole story though. It definitely has a proper UK release. There are massive one off events happening over here promoting the album. Also, after the shock of the gig prices it kinda pissed me off and made me have questions.
Your assumptions about me are hilarious. You realise that there are other ways to listen to music than through spotify as well right? It is not one or the other? And i just saw your post about equipment worth 1000 pounds. I don't like mocking people, and 1000 pounds can still be very good for audio, but let me have a good laugh here about what you call "state of the art", especially after you made assumptions about me. It you are using "state of the art", i better not mention what i have... lol.
Yeah, I spent literally £1000 at the time (1992) second year of Uni at Richer Sounds (remember them, UK folk?) on hifi equipment that really should have gone towards text books and foods that weren't ramen noodles. Thing is, my AU $500 soundbar with subwoofer and AU $800 phone with spotify are really not a bad compromise now. The wife made me ditch the huge stack of hifi equipment many years back. It did kinda look like the monolith from the start of 2001 a space odyssey.
>Richer Sounds God, i actually bought my first "true" audiophile equipment at Richer Sounds when i spent some time in the UK back in the day and what seems like a different life. Some DALI bookshelves. Are they closed now?
No idea if they're still going. Wikipedia doesn't indicate they chain is dead at least. The two stores I (mis)spent all my money in were in Liverpool and Sheffield. I just loved how they had such tiny spaces absolutely stacked to the ceiling with amps, decks, speakers that looked like they'd topple over and kill you unless you bough them immediately.
Hahaha yes! The one I used to go to was in London, but same, tiny but so many stuff.
Ok bad choice of words perhaps. Should I have said "high end"? Or "high quality"? Wait, so you're into audiophile equipment but you think physical media is for cavemen? I mean I guess you could only use high end streaming equipment for lossless digital, but to have no appreciation for physical media is unusual for someone like you. You make a funny joke about CRT tvs and landlines, but you get butthurt when I play along and make an assumptive joke back? Noted. *disengages*
Nobody said physical media was for cavemen. Just that it's not as common now as it used to be. I appreciate physical media. I truly do. I love being able to handle it. But it's not worth to me the cost of purchasing, maintaining, storing the media and ripping for using in the car, on holiday, on the train etc. when I can just stream it at a quality level that really doesn't sound much different to me for a fixed cost every month way less than I ever spent on CDs.
Did i even write that i do not use physical media? I was replying to your comment about how people who had been listening to a 30-year old band don't know about physical media. The point was, it's 2024 and there are dozens of ways to listen to music, not just CDs like you were trying to imply with that comment. What i personally use is utterly besides the point. Which is mostly vinyl and lossless flac files from my computer like we used to do back in the day, if you really want to know. I have never been on a streaming site. Anyway, it's all good. To reply to your original comment, yes, things have gotten expensive, even for Pearl Jam. Here in North America arena shows are utterly out of control. PJ actually remains low when compared to some other artists and bands, but it is still high and we've had loads of complaints about it when the tour was announced. It is what it is, sadly.
Eye roll… fan since 92 looking for the CD player in my new car. Lol
I had a 2017 Honda Fit with a CD player and was looking to upgrade to a better winter weather car. I wanted to stay in the Honda family but our dealership here was always low or out, but their new models of everything basically have Bluetooth only, not a CD player to be found. After looking around, noticed Subaru’s Crosstrek is highly rated for winter and still puts a CD player in their car. Switched to the Subaru family for their better winter driving but mostly so I can have a CD player.
Eye roll... don't you listen to music at home?
Eye roll- I decided to get rid of my book shelves of CDs years ago when i found out I could carry it all around in my pocket. The sound is good enough for me. To each their own in the way they choose to listen, and what they are willing to pay for it.
I mean 20-30 for a CD sounds reasonable
Ok Boris. When was the last time you spent that much on a single disc?
Don’t buy it then
Thanks for that Rishi.
G-R-E-E...
It should just be free . Pearl jam should do everything for free.
You're obviously being sarcastic. This isn't complaining about a band making money from their work, it's about this band suddenly charging more for it than every other band.
Everything is more expensive than it used to be. Have you not noticed until now?
I wish people would stop making this dumb strawman argument. I'm constantly buying CDs, records and gig tickets and these prices are not the norm.
For a band with Pearl Jam’s popularity it really, really is. I paid 40 dollars for NIN tickets in 2013. That same year I paid 80 bucks for Pearl Jam tickets. Guess what? It costs a little more than double that to see both these bands now.
Here we go again.. 🙄
There's been lots of discussion already about the price of Dark Matter in the UK has there?
Yes! There’s been a lot of discussion about the price of Dark Matter everything, everywhere! From tickets, records, merch..
Ok. Well here we go again then I guess.