God I hope they play a repeated jam in that VIP set. They could play draconion and noodle around in the middle with the around the horn theme and satisfy their 30 mins. The gnoobs would still eat it up
What if we got them to play Creed?
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To be honest, I think you could get UM to do anything for the right price.
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It all is becoming a huge turn off to me but people pay for this shit so I can’t blame them for making money when and where possible
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I think they are referring to the themes that you submit
Them having the themes ahead of time makes me very dubious of how much of what they play is really improv
I realize my “voice” in all of this is coming from the “inside,” so to speak. But I am curious why the band offering more content to fans who are excited to participate is looked at so negatively around here. It isn’t as though they are taking away or holding back for the sake of more money.
(I will acknowledge that fans are free to split hairs when you compare the costs of similar streams across bands.)
By the time they play their shows in Chicago, it will have been an exact half-year since their last live show (182 days, I believe). They, as a band (yes, it’s fun to “blame” Kevin around here), are simply trying to find creative ways to give fans different interactive experiences until they can get back to playing for everyone in person.
(The copy was simply an attempt to be cheeky about which song you would like for them to improvise on for 30 minutes. Like, “Make sure to pick a good one!”)
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Just FTR, what you had originally said put a bad taste in your mouth was that they were charging more than other bands.
Ya I thought about that but how do you screw it up?
submits elderly man murdered in brooklyn theme
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I think the initial frustration over this came from rare songs being played in VIP sets. If I’m going to a city for 3 shows and don’t want to pony up an extra $200, I shouldn’t feel like I have less of a chance of seeing something I’ve been chasing because it might pop up in the VIP set.
edit: it’s a hard line to walk for a band like UM, who has fans that travel for them specifically for the variety in setlist/improv, but VIP packages should be a cool addition to a show for the people that buy them and should have absolutely no effect for the people that don’t
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IMO the obsession with everything they do having some sort of VIP caveat is so annoying. They are promising 1 huge song of improv, Just do that in the regular shows and ditch the VIP bullshit… Especially for a stream
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I think the issue stems from almost every run or event having a magnitude of overpriced VIP options.
Wrapped Around for example…
2 shows = $45
VIP Package (2 shows, 30 minute set, mp3) = $89
So if the 2 shows are $45, we’ll call the mp3 $15, that means this 30 minute improv set is $29?
I don’t buy VIP, I’m saving up for the $5,000 sit in option so I can play saxophone on a Bad Friday.
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I mean it’s pretty obvious. Catering to VIPers and the more affluent set of fans is pretty obviously going to cause some of us to become upset / jaded / whatever.
Now, during COVID times, I suppose we should give them a break because the band needs to make some money however they can. However, it would be cool if they came up with a way to do that (new music, new album??) without this tiered system where the folks who are able to custy up and hand over more money than the rest get the rare tunes or the improv. It just looks bad to me to cater so heavily toward the fans who can afford to pay.
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This this this
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Where’s the option to just buy the poster?
It just makes them seem a bit like whores. I have no problem with the notion of a VIP ticket when it means prime viewing area, early entry, your own waitress, a poster, etc, but the fact that they have shifted in recent years to making it mean you get rare songs, or in this case, improv, it just screams sell-outs. Sure, s2 events were extra, but it was special and well worth it. This is taking it to a new extreme. We are supposed to be blown away by paying twice as much to hear a 30(ish) minute song now? Remember when that just use to happen during a regular set? I get needing to make ends meet, especially during a pandemic that has put them out of work, but they can do better than this.
Again, there is nothing wrong with VIP, but when it starts to come off as “if you want rare songs and more improv, you better pony up” it starts to alienate a lot of fans and is bound to rub some people the wrong way.
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It seems like the crime is having VIP options that are actually worth a damn.
I’ve never opted for anything VIP and from the sounds of it, most people on the bort haven’t/won’t. But if you did, wouldn’t you want it to be something that’s actually worth paying for? Not just shorter bathroom lines, etc.?
Now if they do a 30-minute Nachos and I missed it because I’m too cheap, that’s my last straw…
Screenshot your favorite moment during the stream, blow it up, frame it. Voila!!
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I can also acknowledge that if they were not a jamband, this definitely would not annoy me as much. So much of the joy of jam bands and touring is chasing songs and huge jams. It just kinda cheapens that a bit when you can simply bypass the chase and pay for it.
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When a concert’s VIP option contains, better viewing areas, private bathrooms and less crowded bar access I purchase it 9/10 times.
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