Joe Bonamassa is playing Motorpoint on 9 March 2018. I saw him in the autumn of 2015 and really enjoyed the show - he was onstage with no break for two hours plus - so I wanted tickets for his next visit. But the cost! on the floor of the venue, tickets are £100; on the sides, £89.20. The stated capacity of Motorpoint is 5,000. At those prices, the gig will gross the best part of half a million! And there are the usual handling and exhorbitant posting charges on top - unless you go to the box office (as I did - after collecting my tickets, the cashier then said they were filming the show!). I think I paid around £50 in 2015. Even November Deep Purple tickets only (!) cost me £70.

Contrast these prices with the £25 to see the Classic Rock covers show at St David's in January, 2018. I've seen this before and recommend it. I know I will enjoy this as much as Joe B. I only paid £25 to see Walter Trout at the Tramshed - standing about ten feet away from Trout.

Prices for some live shows are getting ridiculous - yet the Joe B show is already 75% booked. I guess it's down to mugs like me who want to see bands no matter what the cost. And I'd estimate the age of 90% his audience to be 50+ - ie those with greater disposable income.