I finally managed to secure tickets for the Garth Brooks concerts at the end of July. After ages hanging on the Ticketmaster line, the end result was fruitless. His comeback concerts were sold out in record time. The show was over before it had begun.
After the first three scheduled concerts were sold out in record time, there was still so much desperate demand, and so many people (like myself) who knew they were going to miss out on a memorable night. We thought the ship had sailed, and for someone who hasn’t played here in twenty years, were hardly banking on catching him next time round.
And then he announced two more dates, ensuring 400,000 of us plebs would be on the move, making history and headache in equal measure. I think he really undermined the touts who really thought they were going to make a greedy bundle. Hotel prices for those days quadrupled in price overnight.
Surely people should not be allowed to buy six tickets at a time. Its an obvious breeding ground for selling the coveted tickets again at an inflated price. Apparently the next day tickets were being sold for up to €450 each.
This however. is not too far above the prices charged when he was the resident artist at the Encore theatre in Las Vegas, with tickets being sold between $247 and $750. In light of this, how much of a fan am I then? A realistic fan on a budget would be my response!
This was something I could never have justified doing anyway. Where is the usual talk of people having no money. At times like this, peoples coffers seem to be miraculously full. You might be forgiven for thinking that these days heralded the second coming.
Garth really did save the day by announcing an extra two concerts, for which I am really looking forward. His songs bring back great memories. I just hope they don’t put the wheelchair section at the very back of Croke Park, like they have a habit of doing. Cowboy hats will obscure the warbling speck on the faraway stage. I think they need to get some hints from the Aviva stadium setup.
However with every radio or tv show that I watch or listen to, the thought of sharing the night with an avalanche of Irish hillbillies in stetsons and cowboy boots, along with line dancing grannies, is lessening my enthusiasm and taking the sheen off those golden tickets.
Its going to be a great spectacle…………in so many ways!
(Update 2/2/15: Little did I know, about the fiasco which lay ahead).