For those in a hurry I warn You: this one will be LONG to read. My sincere apologies for this and for all the ranting included in the present email.

 

About differences between BASIC and PREMIUM "membershit" directly from Sting.com site:

 

BASIC Fan Club Member Can:
 
Buy Sting concert tickets before the general public  
Interact with other fans - and even Sting himself in the Fanclub Community  
Enjoy intimate video clips, special downloads, and contests

 

Price: $45 per year 
 
 
  
PREMIUM Fan Club Members Can:
 
Take advantage of all the benefits of the BASIC Membership -AND-  
Receive the Sting Fan Club CDROM - packed with exclusive material: never before seen photos, rare Sting performance videos, screensavers, IM icons, desktop wallpaper, and more. PC and MAC compatible! 
 

Price: $65 per year

 

 

FanClub CD ROM (Available to "members only" on the Sting.com Store)

 

Price: $20.00 

 

I think this pretty settles the political, social, legal, and class bitchin' about PREMIUM being an "elite" version of the membership.

 

 

Here follows my (very) personal point of view (for what it is worth). I thank You in advance for taking the time to read on.

 

The PREMIUM membershit I paid for gave me NOT what I expected and prices of live venues are really INSANE.

This withstanding I bought tickets for the "very exclusive" Olympia concert. I got very average seats for a paying fan, while uninterested VIPs took some completely FREE front seats. Also while in Paris I realized I could have made it anyway even without being a member because I met some people that bought the ticket at FNAC the same day of the concert.

 

I'm NOT happy with the latest excessively commercial turn of the management.

 

For example I don't like the idea of buying ANOTHER copy of "Sacred Love" just to have a few live versions of the songs, while a special live CD or DVD could have been easily made available on the Sting Shop for the interested members (not to mention that those same tracks could have been inserted on the FanClub CDROM instead of the crappy contents).

 

Speaking about the "exclusive interaction" that fans have acquired with the membershit:

 

A members' only truly exclusive poll was run on the Sting.com site asking the very lucky fans what kind of extra tracks they would expect on future singles releases.

The majority of those who answered the poll asked for more live tracks or unreleased songs. 

Their very "interactive" and exclusive answer was carelessly eluded leading to yet another stinking series of MINGE-BINGE-DING-A-LING-I-AM-A-KIPPER-FRIEND-MAN remixes (Yes, I hate Kipper for those in doubt).

In MHO I don't think that a TWISTA nobody will ever buy our Man any brand new breed of adoring teen fans that will spend 45 USD for a membership or 100+ USD for a concert.

I think that I for one am part of that foolish group of old and negligible fan that in 20 years have spent their hard earned money on Sting and Police stuff including a 65 USD membership and a 100+ USD concert ticket.

 

Maybe I'm wrong but I think that this entitles me to say that Sting owes me one (at least).

 

So, please, Mr. Sting, to straighten things just give Kipper a kick in the ass in Your next album (and if You can just bring back Hugh Pagdam).

 

Thanks again for reading through all this and sorry for my bad English.

 

YO!

 

Maurizio from Italy