Likewise, I saw Rush at Deeside Leisure Centre around 1979 /80, saw most of the big name rock and New Wave bands around at that time, never paid more than a fiver.
These days I occasionally catch older bands playing the smaller venues (OMD most recently), wouldn't contemplate going to the bigger ones.
I think tours used to be seen as potentially loss-making promotion for album sales, now like everything else it's just a money-making machine.