The dreadful state of UK ticket sales

I recently wrote a brief exploration of how drastically Morrissey's ticket sale figures have plummeted in the UK, with special attention given to the startlingly low sales for the upcoming Leeds gig.

With two weeks to go until the show, huge quantities of seats remain unsold in some of the best blocks in the venue while standing floor tickets also remain.

Full article can be seen online here.

 

[Young And Alive]

Anonymous trolls will be anonymous trolls I suppose... Banned ex-members no doubt.

And Paris is sold out.

I really don't see the merit in allowing non-registered users to post.

This site needs a clear out of the haters, the ones who claim to hate Morrissey yet spend their lives on a fansite dedicated to him. Sad!

 

[Anonymous]

I would say the poor ticket sales are more to do with the poor quality of the last few albums.

This isn't true at all (in the UK). The most successful tour he has ever been involved with (solo or Smith) was the UK arena tour of Feb/March 2018 which came after the release of his last album - clearly its quality had not put anyone off him. He played to tens of thousands of people around the country - more than ever before.
Just one month after that tour finished (April 2018), he urged people, via his website, to support a far-right political party.
www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/i-ve-been-dreaming-of-a-time-when-the-english-are-sick-to-death-of-labour-and-tories
Posting this message is probably the stupidest and most damaging thing that he's ever done.
Most of us were absolutely dumbfounded, and many of us have not felt able to support him since. Just a couple of months later, his summer 2018 tour was announced and then subsequently cancelled when the true extent of fan mass-desertion was sinking in.

 

[Harsh Truth]

This thread is so Solo.

 

[Anonymous]

So who promoted this rumour to the main page? @davidt can you enlighten us?
And why doesn’t it say ‘rumour’ in front of the article’s title as happened in previous rumour-stories? Also why was the title of the original article, SPM and the Mysterious Case of the Disappearing UK Fanbase, changed to the non-proven The Dreadful State of UK Ticket sales?

I don't know why this isn't obvious to you: this site is meant to take Moz down. I mean look at the state of it!

 

[davidt]

The article linked is not a rumor, it actually exists. I didn't see the title of the thread had changed.

So who promoted this rumour to the main page? @davidt can you enlighten us?
And why doesn’t it say ‘rumour’ in front of the article’s title as happened in previous rumour-stories? Also why was the title of the original article, SPM and the Mysterious Case of the Disappearing UK Fanbase, changed to the non-proven The Dreadful State of UK Ticket sales?

 

[Uncleskinny]

So who promoted this rumour to the main page? @davidt can you enlighten us?
And why doesn’t it say ‘rumour’ in front of the article’s title as happened in previous rumour-stories? Also why was the title of the original article, SPM and the Mysterious Case of the Disappearing UK Fanbase, changed to the non-proven The Dreadful State of UK Ticket sales?

Non-proven? The facts are there. If you choose to ignore them, it doesn't make the facts any less factual.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

Paul Heaton awaits you with baited breath.....

who this?

 

[Carlislebaz]

Glasgow was first. That must’ve been quite a night CazBaz.

It was hovis... a night I’ll never forget.... started drinking about 12 ish at the local social club with two pals who I got tickets for, into the city centre for a couple more, and a litre bottle of vodka for the bus along with a joint, and a smiths tape for the driver.... just getting warmed up as the bus rolled up. Can remember two pubs near the venue.... had a couple more the in to the barrowlands..... ‘‘twas an eye opener. Reminded me of a night club in Carlisle called the twisted wheel, dark, dank, smelt of chip fat.... anyhow I was at the front when it started.... pushing , shoving, all kicking off n all. The security were pulling people from the front for our own safety, myself included, we were ushered, probably shoved down a small tunnel, I didn’t know where I was going, can remember thinking whilst in this tunnel that we might be going to the back stage party or something glamorous like that. When I got out of the tunnel and got my bearings, I was at the very back of the venue. Morrissey was just a dot on the stage. Anyhow ended up back in the bright lights of Carlisle and to a nightclub called buskers where my two pals started scrapping with one another.... . It certainly was a night to remember.. you must tell me about Motherwell!!!!

 

[stux]

I live fairly local to Leeds, I work there. I'm not going and that is not anything to do with his non-musical views.

Seen Morrissey many times but I'm not paying these tickets prices. If they were 30 quid? Yes. He has just pushed it too far for me.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

I agree with the music (his recent albums suck and apparently the news one will too).
Regardint the band, can't stand Tobias...bring Alan back!!
If the current music sucks the set list is gonna suck too.
Yeah quality control sucks too.

Morrissey’s newer music no longer transcends the bubble of his catalog and only serves as something to be compared with his previous work.

The band is completely incompetent. Tobias’ guitar tone and style are vomit inducing and Gustavo is only slightly more capable than Kristopher Pooley was. Michael Farrell and Alain Whyte are sorely missed.

The set list is disgusting. Same crap over and over tour after tour. Lazy, uninspired and with no concern for putting on the best show possible.

Current quality control speaks for itself. Look at his official site. Look at the album and single covers. Look at the merchandise. Look at the obituary for his f***ing cat. The man has lost his mind and it saddens me.

 

[Deleted member 28251]

It was hovis... a night I’ll never forget.... started drinking about 12 ish at the local social club with two pals who I got tickets for, into the city centre for a couple more, and a litre bottle of vodka for the bus along with a joint, and a smiths tape for the driver.... just getting warmed up as the bus rolled up. Can remember two pubs near the venue.... had a couple more the in to the barrowlands..... ‘‘twas an eye opener. Reminded me of a night club in Carlisle called the twisted wheel, dark, dank, smelt of chip fat.... anyhow I was at the front when it started.... pushing , shoving, all kicking off n all. The security were pulling people from the front for our own safety, myself included, we were ushered, probably shoved down a small tunnel, I didn’t know where I was going, can remember thinking whilst in this tunnel that we might be going to the back stage party or something glamorous like that. When I got out of the tunnel and got my bearings, I was at the very back of the venue. Morrissey was just a dot on the stage. Anyhow ended up back in the bright lights of Carlisle and to a nightclub called buskers where my two pals started scrapping with one another.... . It certainly was a night to remember.. you must tell me about Motherwell!!!!

Brilliant venue as I remember. I think it had bars down the side, along with the back of the hall—so easy to get a drink without losing a place. Also, it had a sprung floor (or it definitely felt like that): He opened with Billy Budd, it started raining beer and plastic pint pots, and everyone’s head smashed through the ceiling.

 

[BetweenTheirLegs]

Morrissey's much anticipated return to Toronto last year featured a small venue and disproportionately expensive tickets. This meant that only the hardcore and some very nostalgic well off folks sauntered through the doors. Will the nostalgic types return anytime soon? Maybe not. They've had their fill. If Morrissey wants to do well next time the tickets will have to be cheaper so all the young people who know their post-punk mythology will avail themselves of a chance to glimpse the living legend himself. Morrissey did bait the crowd with his reference to Faith Goldy but it wasn't considered the latest in a series of sins. The UK is another matter entirely. Wages and job security going down make it harder for real fans to pay tribute as much as they'd like to. That and the off-putting political remarks remove the possibility of the classic student audience turning away despite the magnificent spectacle that awaits.

 

[Anonymous]

Lets be real Morrissey is 60. Absolutely no one would have predicated 20 years ago that Morrissey would still be this popular, controversial or productive. Its quite an achievement.

We are talking about huge arenas here. If he can't sell them out because his politics are misaligned to the popular press then ok. If he loses some fans then ok. Hes 60. Hes Morrissey. He already won a long long time ago.
He should do some small intimate gigs in London. I still like him but im not going to Wembley not becsuse of his politics but because its Wembley. For me a Morrissey concert should feel a little bit intimate. I want to reach out and touch. Wembley is too big. If his fans thin out and the casual fans leave and the nutcases who think hes racist also leave then good. An intimate gig sounds great to me. Viva Morrissey.

 

[Verso]

First of all for your ‘argument’ to have any credit you need to compare sales now with those in the past. As it stands it is a very onesided and lazy article. True, in 2018 he sold more tickets in total in London, but these were smaller venues, more to the liking of his fans who are and always have been keener of smaller sized venues. Arena’s only work when you have a hits-show to tour which Morrissey refuses to do..

Your back must be sore from moving all of those goal posts around.

 

[BrokenFrame]

Morrissey’s newer music no longer transcends the bubble of his catalog and only serves as something to be compared with his previous work.

The band is completely incompetent. Tobias’ guitar tone and style are vomit inducing and Gustavo is only slightly more capable than Kristopher Pooley was. Michael Farrell and Alain Whyte are sorely missed.

The set list is disgusting. Same crap over and over tour after tour. Lazy, uninspired and with no concern for putting on the best show possible.

Current quality control speaks for itself. Look at his official site. Look at the album and single covers. Look at the merchandise. Look at the obituary for his f***ing cat. The man has lost his mind and it saddens me.

He loved DUDE. I don't see the problem with it.

 

[Carlislebaz]

Brilliant venue as I remember. I think it had bars down the side, along with the back of the hall—so easy to get a drink without losing a place. Also, it had a sprung floor (or it definitely felt like that): He opened with Billy Budd, it started raining beer and plastic pint pots, and everyone’s head smashed through the ceiling.

Yes it was a good venue, not to big not to small, my two pals I told you about , one moved to Warwickshire, and the other I see once a year or so. Anyhow last time I seen him Xmas before last he told me he was at a festival/ or such like and Mexisserry were playing, he’d had a gallon or so and tried to climb the stage, they helped him on and my pal picked up a tambourine and strutted about for a couple of songs. Some guys have all the luck

 

[Morrissey_Sucks]

Let’s be real...

The music sucks.
The band sucks.
England sucks.
He tours too much.
The set list sucks.
His quality control sucks.

Yes. Morrissey sucks. We know. And based on your posts, so do you.

 

[vegan cro spirit 333]

The problem with your logic here is that he's selling elsewhere. It's only in the UK where the populace are more aware of his bigotry. Are you suggesting the critical appreciation of his most recent releases stops at borders? It's only a matter of time until the rest of the world catches up.

Sorry to inform Skinny but both UK shows will be jam packed.
Learn to live with Moz success and the fact that if you need money
he wont give it to you, you need to finally go out and find work. real work
not ipod 'work', work that pays money.

 

[hand in glove]

I just looked at Ticketmaster FR and there are no seats available. So, I believe it really is sold out. I’m not surprised by any news of slow sales with all that’s been going on considering his support for a much despised political party, and I’m sure he’s not surprised either. I don’t care about ticket sales. All I care about is being there and enjoying the show with hopes he won’t cancel at the last minute. However as Moz fans, we all know plans can fall through...and so often they do...

 

[The Rose Of Grandeur]

This "story" is just a way for the haters to deal with the fact that Morrissey is getting ready to release ANOTHER album. Have these little crumbs haters, you lost a long time ago.