Steep drink prices at gigs leave a sour taste in Don Kavanagh's mouth.
I've written quite a bit about being ripped off when you go out drinking and, at risk of flogging a dead horse, I'm going to have another go.
I was pleased to see that although there was some egregious price-gouging during the rugby, it wasn't as widespread as I had feared. I'd thought that with a near-captive audience some operators wouldn't be able to resist the urge to inflate prices. Thankfully, this was a fairly limited practice and, where it did occur, it was mostly down to the unique supply-and-demand factors caused by the big event.
So you can imagine my seething rage when I went out after the rugby had finished and found myself being stung like a trainee beekeeper for a few convivial drinks. The venue? Vector Arena.
I know there is always an added cost when you go to a show or a concert. After all, venues like the Vector tend to be open only occasionally, so they have to load that into their pricing. But to be faced with a $9 charge for a 330ml bottle of domestic beer made my jaw drop.