How Much Are Tool Tickets?
Tool Tickets: Just How Much Do They Cost and Why
Tool is an American rock band that has been active since 1990 and, despite having not received mainstream success, has built a strong fan base around their unique progressive metal music and visually spectacular shows. Tool, to date, has only put out five studio albums since forming in 1990, the band has been touring since 1995.
Being one of the most popular bands in the genres of rock and metal, the level of anticipation is always extremely high when Tool reveal they are planning their next tour. Due to this, whenever these concert dates come up or the bands release information on marathon tours, which may only occur every five years at most, Tool tickets are some of the most sought after. High demand from consumers coupled with very limited availability translates to a very high cost on the secondary ticket market.
There is a question that has been bothering the minds of many fans, especially those who have not attended a Tool concert, and the question is-“how much does a Tool concert ticket cost? Tool is arguably one of the most costly bands to catch live today, especially when considering the current prices. Here is a breakdown of what influences their ticket prices and why dedicated fans are willing to pay so much money:
Tool's Massive Fanbase
Tool had gained massive popularity in the nineties through records such as Undertow and Ænima, then went on to become transglobal rock gods with Lateralus in 2001. The band is perhaps one of the most engaging to fans due to their philosophical approach to music and remarkable musicianship.
When people simply get addicted to songs such as SoberTM and "Schism Tool, it has the tendency to turn these fan simpletons into band zealots. When an album takes this long to come and the group takes this long between tours, getting Tool tickets is simply astronomical.
This partly explains why performances, be they concerts, plays, movies or exhibitions, are commonly rare and intimate events.
While many bands do concert tours nearly every year, every Tool tour is viewed as a rare occasion for the fans. They tour as bands in cycles of supporting new albums, and undertake tours that, on average, last between 1-2 years before going on a hiatus" that may last up to 5 years.
Aside from the cyclical nature of Tool's touring, they get to enjoy some of the smallest rooms, including arenas and amphitheaters. The fans are not stadiums giants but fans who like their artists in indoor arenas with a capacity of less than 15,000. Consequently, there is extremely low supply between the long-gaps in tour cycles and mid-level venues. Hence, astronomical ticket prices.
Elaborate Stage Productions
Going to a Tool concert is not simply going to listen and dance to music. There is a lot of work that goes into what can be referred to as stage theatrics," especially in the area of lights and lasers, among others. Tool concerts, as a band that I know, go for a huge stage performance that increases the impact on your five senses.
Of course, such complex tours would have higher costs to implement and thus, ticket prices should be correspondingly higher to recover the expenditures. Whereas Tool performs live with a horn section and a drum kit, it has toured with an entourage not far removed from a small army, let alone other stage bands that tour on Tool's level, rivaling top-level stadium bands. And yet they prefer to employ all of those production facilities in much more homelike settings. As far as the sight is concerned, the fans definitely have their worth as far as entertainment is concerned.
It seems that fans are willing to pay that much.
When concert ticket prices have risen to the point where it costs hundreds of dollars to see Tool perform, what drives these fans to spend such amounts? First of all, as we can see from Tool's activity in the 1990s, they have been rather popular, and income levels have increased significantly since then. They have a loyal fan base that is from that generation and most of them are now in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, hence having more disposable income.
Nevertheless, the principal reason must be Tool's artistic seriousness and recognition. Watching Tool live is regarded as an obligatory ritual for any sincere fan of rock music. There is also sheer excitement in recording a group with so much musical ability and determination.
However, the tickets themselves represent further forms of value in addition to the live concert experience, as fans desire to retain these tickets in the same way that collectors keep other valuable items. Especially in a long tour that has been expected to be the bands final tour for a long time, each concert becomes historical and every fan feels he or she needs to be there.
Tool by the Numbers
According to verified resale ticket data, here is a snapshot of the average and highest ticket prices Tool has commanded over their last three major tours:
2006: Average price: Used price: $110; new price: $400
2012: -Average price: $200 | Top price: $846
2022: Current average: A: [Starting price for Oakley goggles] I think it's less than $350. The current top is $2,430.
The numbers reveal that Tool tickets are not only significantly growing, but they are also growing at a much faster rate than inflation and the rest of live music. Today their stage ticket prices are above those of most other legacy rock bands performing in stadiums. The highest price of $2,430 for their 2022 tour is now close to the price of getting a cheap ticker for lower level or floor to watch legends such as The Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney.
Looking further into their 2022 tour, tickets for their opening night in Eugene, Oregon, averaged for $575, and the most actual and expensive seats within the stadium cost $5,500. Those two extremes do subside; nonetheless, Tool continues to experience every single stop having $300+ per seat sold throughout the entire tour.
PREMIUM Options and Master Classes
Similar to many other bands, Tool also provides fans with expensive official meet-and-greet ticket upgrades known as VIP packages! For instance, as part of the perks for VIP in 2022, fans got early entrance to the venue, an opportunity to engage in a question-and-answer session with the headliners, an autographed item and other memorabilia, all of which cost a whopping $1,500 over the base ticket price.
Some of the tour stops had an even more extravagant package for the largest of the high rollers called Ultra VIP, which offered a guided backstage tour and watching the band's last run-through on the actual stage. Priced at $6,000 per head, the Ultra VIP treatment establishes the fan and VIP client base as significantly wealthier and willing to pay for white glove treatment.
When Will Prices Finally Settle?
Since Tool concert tickets go up beyond the inflation rates exponentially with each of the tours, fans have asked how soon the prices will peak. But so long as fans continue to part with thousands of shillings to watch them, the prices are unlikely to reach a peak any time soon.
August 2022 was the date on which a second North American part went on sale, which clearly indicates that this tour is one of the most ambitious the band has ever embarked upon. Before the end of this early 2023 tour, Tool will have performed at arenas for one and a half years, starting the tour in January 2022.
Their touring and road activity might be as substantial in the later years as it was in the prime years; therefore, the band may continue to sustain these expensively inflated ticket prices for the rest of their years on the road. However, if more albums and more legs are continuously appended where supply increases, the basic laws of supply and demand dictate that prices have no choice but to return to reasonable levels. But as long as Tool can keep people wondering about who they really are, what they're up to and how exactly they're making their millions, fans undoubtedly will continue to spend lots of money every time a tool comes along.
