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As far as autograph collecting and music fan experiences goes, I find the range of stories I hear about various meet & greets to be pretty fascinating. I've heard of people paying modest fees (or nothing) for wonderful, fun experiences - and other stories of fans shelling out large amounts of money for a massive disappointment. And, of course, everything in between.
I thought we should have a comprehensive thread on the topic. Have you been to a pre-show or post-show meet and greet or know someone who has? Was it a bargain or a ripoff? What was the mood - structured and hurried or casual and fun?
My favorite band does meet and greets at every headline show they perform on this tour, chosen at fandom by fans who sign up for their fanclub and enter the show-specific drawing. There is no charge, and (usually) I don't believe a show ticket is even required. They were asked about this in an interview early this tour, and the response from one of the band members, Martin, was pretty passionate about musicians who charge high prices for meet & greets. FYI: I get that this band isn't quite a household name yet, so there might be a sentiment of "Who are they to say . . ." However they have an interesting perspective as both successful musicians with Top 10 records and huge music fans themselves).
Here's that portion of the interview:
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Ahh yes, it also got testy with Carlos. I probably wouldn't do most meet and greets that wont include an autograph. I would expect a handshake thanking me for coming, a picture with and one autograph for coming. My item or some signed press photo,poster,tourbook or something taking 3 or 4 minutes of the celebrities valuable time.
Don't you think that it's only a matter of time- if it hasn't happened already- that someone who has paid to enter a M&G will walk away dissatisfied and sue the artists involved? The descriptions of each M&G vary so much and with all the horror stories, we know enough to make sure the event will work for our needs, but the average consumer may have expectations that cannot be met, regardless of price. I mean, if I lost my mind and paid $3K to meet Ozzy and he spent 3 minutes in the room then left without meeting me, I'd be beyond furious- I'd be litigious!
I also think the sad truth is that the M&G is evolving into a positive asset for the artists involved- where album sales have dropped off so much (according to them) that touring is the main avenue of profit, and tacked onto that income is merch sales and now M&G money. At some point, even the lower tier artist might be inclined to do a formal M&G for profit rather than the merch table sit and sign thing. Imagine the merch table signings you've participated in and ask yourself this- would you still be in on it if they had charged you $20? What would be your ceiling or would it depend on artist? I think it's heading that way...
Yes, as long as its all spelled out for people what to expect. No autographs, one group pic only etc. people know whether or not to waste their time. I love it when the artists come out to the merch table after the show. Its usually older or very new people. I just got Johnny Rivers and have met Don Mclean, Garry Puckett ,Tommy James, America and quite a few others over the years.
There is case law that defines the parameters of a performance; mostly it entails "reasonable expectation in relation to previous precedent"- in other words, it's up to the performer, the venue, the circumstances for the most part but the consumer is protected in some fashion by the definition of the event. There actually have been many lawsuits regarding rock concerts and consumer expectations that weren't met; some of them are fairly hilarious to read, from a guy who sued a band for not playing his favorite song, to another being sued for only doing 4 songs and calling it a concert. The artist won both those cases, of course. But I think comparing that to a M&G isn't exactly fair and the standards haven't really been set in stone yet. If there is a complete, accurate description pre-purchase, then the consumer has the discretion to buy or not, while something advertised as a M&G with no further detail leaves much to question, where again, the consumer has the onus to ask beforehand- and we know the majority of the time, there is nobody to give a reliable answer; it usually falls on the venue staff who only know there is a M&G scheduled.
I don't know of any cases that have been tested in regards to M&Gs so far, I'm sure there has to have been a few. I would think the artists management would settle quickly to avoid damaging the product (M&Gs). Again, we have to think as the average consumer here and realize that thye might not have realistic expectations unless they are specifically spelled out for them, correct? As Ian said, if it says "no autographs", then that is the expectation, you can't ask a judge to help you for not getting an autograph. But even then, think of the terms "meet and greet", that implies something to me- that you will meet the artists and speak with them- everything else beyond that is a roll of the dice. So an artist who has a scheduled M&G with 100 fans and only meets 50 of them then leaves the room, is open to a lawsuit in my mind.
Crystal Bowersox in Milwaukee. Small show - $25 GA, $75 VIP ticket w/ Meet and Greet.
http://www.pabsttheater.org/show/crystalbowersox2016
Seems a bit high for someone whose career isn't exactly exploding. I guess it depends on what the M&G involves.
"Overrated" is subjective, IMO. Lambert may not be your cup of tea but the guy is super-talented ( if you caught the tour he did with Queen, you'd know this without a doubt) and has a legion of dedicated fans. While I agree with you that the VIP packages prices are high, for a true fan, it might be the right price. The guy doesn't sign outside of venues much so a M&G is one way you can assure yourself of getting an authentic signature..
Yeah, probably not my best choice of words. I admittedly was never a fan of Idol or any of its stars.
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