I like to think of myself as a huge music fan. Music is an amazing art form that can affect a person’s mood, give them inspiration, or just help make things a little bit bearable. I find it rather awesome that something can make someone feel better just by listening to it, the right songs with the right lyrics, can even inspire a person in their daily life. The world would be so sad without music. There are so many different genres of music, that every single person should find something to ‘vibe with’. And, the internet makes it so much easier to take deep dives into different genres or bands, where you can just type something into your music streaming service of choice, and you can get hundreds, if not thousands of related songs at the touch of a finger. As a kid, where most of my music choices came from the radio or from free CDs in magazines, this seems such an unreal concept. People are so lucky.

This comes at a cost, though. Because most music fans now consume music via online streaming platforms, like Spotify, the revenue that they used to get for releasing new material is not quite what it was. The revenues that were already being split in so many ways, now have to now factor in the fees charged by these streaming platforms, which can see artists get paid very little in royalties. So, artists have to find other ways to try and make money, and that means tours.

I remember going to gigs in my 20s, and an expensive ticket was maybe £30, at the SECC in Glasgow, but most small venues in Edinburgh were around £15. I would rarely buy merch, but would have the best time. But I would have purchased any new music, the band I was seeing, would have released in the months or weeks leading up to the gig. These days, if I were to be honest, I have missed releases from bands I like because unless you follow them on social media, you don’t get any information. Kerrang!, Rocksound, Metal Hammer, Big Cheese, Top of the Pops, Smash Hits… there were so many magazines, which had information about new albums and new tours. It is a big loss, because I used to buy loads of music magazines, because I liked lots of different bands.

When you factor all this in, the music industry has changed. Tour prices have gone up, with a lot of artists going to sports arena sized venues, and public parks, rather than the tradition music and exhibition centres. I say this, because tomorrow Oasis tickets go on sale. In Scotland, they are doing 3 nights in Edinburgh Murrayfield, the same venue played by Taylor Swift a few months ago. Standing tickets start from £150. And people are outraged. But, those same people need to remember that that very same ‘cost of living’ crisis that is effecting their electricity bills and transport costs, is effecting concerts too. I don’t thing £150 is too bad, as most people never thought they would see Oasis again. I went to the Hydro in Glasgow last night to see Blink 182 and the ticket was over £60. And that was a ticket at the nosebleeds, three rows from the back.

It was great though. And I think artists have to recoup their money from somewhere. So ticket prices do go up. But that is also because most things have gone up in price. Not every artist is a Taylor Swift or even Oasis, most bands are struggling and tours are harder and harder to put on and pull off. Promoters are struggling to sell shows, that a decade ago would sell out. People’s personal finances is also a factor, even personally. There was a time I went to over 10 gigs a year, this year I have been to 3, and it’s September round the corner. I might go to some local gigs, but nothing major.

The truth is. If you want to see bands, even at local venues, buy tickets early. Keep those gigs going, make sure that promoters don’t have to cancel. And if you want to pay over the odds for a band you really want to see live, then do it. Don’t let anyone else shame your decision. If you have saved the money, and you can afford it, you can spend your money how you want.