Aussies Still Paying for Gigs

Gigs get Aussies spending

Live music an important part of life

Aussies are still attending shows regularly with live concerts ranking as the overwhelming favourite way to experience music, according to research released by paperless-ticketing company moshtix.

The survey of more than 2,100 respondents found that despite the economic downturn, Aussies are still finding cash to go to gigs with the majority of respondents (63%) seeing live music once a month or more with a further 27% seeing live music every three months.

Just under 60% of respondents said the current economic environment had not impacted the number of gigs they attended.

moshtix general manager, Adam McArthur said, “The main reasons cited for the economic downturn not affecting their attendance to shows was that it was a really important part of their life for 60% of respondents and there were great acts touring at the moment for 50% of respondents that they didn’t want to miss.”

 “Pink’s recent record breaking tour, which saw her perform in front of 660,000 Australians nationally and grossing more than $80 million is a fantastic example of this.”

“Aussies will always spend money on great gigs that are priced well and held at the right venue.”

 “The report also shows the demand for live gigs is thriving when other areas of the entertainment industry are finding it difficult to attract audiences. At moshtix, we’ve seen many of our festivals including Parklife sell out this year.”

 “Nothing beats seeing your favourite artist or band playing live – there’s no way an i-pod can deliver music enthusiasts with the fantastic experience attending a live concert can.,” Mr McArthur said.

The survey conducted in partnership with Core Data also found:

• 36.5% of respondents who see live music regularly would consider paying over $100 to see the artists or bands they like play live, with only 18% prepared to pay over $150 a ticket.
•  The large majority of respondents (82%) who regularly see live music agree that local acts provide good value for money with 29% strongly agreeing.
• However, the large majority of respondents (82%) who regularly go to gigs are willing to pay more to see overseas acts.
• The most popular type of gig to spend $150 on was a music festival (50%) followed by a series of local gigs (25%).
• Overall the majority of respondents (80%) agree that smaller venues are a better way to see bands. On the other hand, 80% of respondents believe festivals are the best way to see a lot of bands and DJ’s, with 37% strongly agreeing.
• Bad behaviour from the crowd was cited as most likely to turn a night out in to a disaster (56%) followed by losing the tickets to the gig (49%).
• The preferred method for buying concert tickets was online with the vast majority of respondents (92%) that regularly see live music most commonly using this method.
• However, opinion is almost evenly divided on whether printed tickets are still necessary. Cheaper booking fees (64%) and paperless tickets instantly emailed after purchase (54%) were the most commonly suggested ways to make the ticket buying experience easier. A website that doesn’t crash was also popular to make the ticket buying experience easier (43%).
• Respondents usually find out about upcoming gigs through friends (76%), followed closely by email updates from ticketing companies (74%).
• At least 27% of respondents regularly or very frequently decide to go to a gig less than a week before it. As many as 51% sometimes decide less than a week before. Last minute decisions to attend are most likely influenced by a favoured artist (31%) and friends or family already attending (30%).