The Mac Mentioned in "Legal Ticket Scalping" Article

[EveryHour]

Sorry if this is a bit of a bummer among all of the tour and Barnes & Noble excitement, but I have a responsibilty to report any mention of The Mac!

The new issue of Rolling Stone (4/16/09, Lil' Wayne cover) has an article about legal ticket scalping on page 15, and the Mac are mentioned.

Well, at least now everyone's strong suspicions as to why it has become increasingly more and more difficult for us regular folks to get good tickets have been confirmed.

The article states that it has unfortunately become common practice for the venue, promoter, ticketing agency and/or "artist camp" (artist, management and agent) to take the best seats and feed them directly to resellers, such as TicketsNow, StubHub, and Ticketmaster's own TicketExchange before the general public even has a crack at them. Apparently this has been going on behind the scenes for years, but was recently brought into the spotlight due to the proposed merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. In a testimony to Congress, Irving Azoff (big-wig artist manager and now CEO of Ticketmaster......is Stevie still with him?) confirmed that 15-20% of tickets, "the vast majority of the best seats", are regularly excluded from public on-sale. Other industry sources state the number can be as high as 30% for some shows. Fleetwood Mac and Britney Spears are specifically mentioned in the article as being artists who participate in this practice. Irving Azoff also gets called out on the carpet for stating that the "increasingly lucrative secondary concert ticket market is 'a mess'", but then allowing the system to automatically redirect fans to brokers when they couldn't pull up seats for Springsteen and Leonard Cohen. (Needless to say, Springsteen was pissed!)

Artists currently making a stand against these practices, and trying to come up with ways to prevent it (and all types of scalping), include Trent Reznor, Tom Waits, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and, of course, Tom Petty. Possible solutions are "paperless tickets" (your ID and credit card are scanned to enter the venue--I did it for AC/DC and it went fine), customer's names being printed on tickets, and all tickets in the best sections being "will-call pick-up only" (which Springsteen and Pearl Jam already do). Doc McGhee, manager of Kiss, says, "The artists are participating in it, which I don't agree with. They're participating and basically scalping."



I'm trying not to think about it, but I'm angry. Stevie, being someone who claims to be "old school rock 'n' roll"........this could not be farther from being so! And as close as she and Tom Petty are, I can't believe he hasn't pestered her enough for her to take a stand on this issue.

[camchristo]

Well, it certainly makes sense. I've always wondered how the brokers consistently get all the best seats. I also found out recently that all of the broker sites, including TicketExchange, are just one big pool of tickets. This may be old news to some, but I just found out. I had posted a ticket to the Detroit show on TicketExchange because it was the best way to try to sell it last minute and still get it to the buyer on time. It was a single seat. I noticed on Goldcoasttickets.com that they had a single seat listed in the same section and row as mine for twice as much as what I had it listed for on TE. Well, I decided to go after all (couldn't not go with a 4th row seat) and when I removed it from TE, it disappeared from Goldcoast also.

So, all of the brokers are just trying to sell the same bunch of tickets. I guess if the band is making some of the profit, it's a little better. But they should just be up front about it and charge $500 or whatever for tickets in the first few rows. What they should really do though is make those seats available to die hards for the same price as the rest of the seats. Looks like that will never happen though.

So, seems like whatever doesn't sell on the scalper sites just gets thrown back into the pot before the show.

[strandinthewind]

I just don't know. If I were an artist and I knew people were scalping my tickets and there was no way to stop them, I'd likely try to sell them for more on my own like the All Access stuff. I mean why should they get the money and not me if the money is going to be had anyway? But, if there were a way to stop it, I'd do that instead. But, the latter is not reality.

[Bella Figura]

this has been going on for years so I think it's great now that a publication like Rolling Stone is calling this insidious practice out!! and if it takes naming names for things to change, all the better. this recession might help put an end to this unfair trade practice.

most people who have been longterm FM fans realise, money is an important part of all the FM members career stategy. so most of us are not surprised by this confirmation. It may make us a little more jaded but it also makes us smarter fans!!

it's one of the reasons that this fan board has kept fairly active over the years, we all contribute information such as extra tickets, promotional events and our personal concert experiences. from my own personal experience, this board has helped get pretty good seats at concerts without paying scalpers and/or their ridiculous prices.

[Test4echo]

Yep....it goes on ALL the time.

Yes it does Jade people.....me included.
You start off having this special magical relationship with the bands work and its members.
Once you get a sniff of the fallacy and "acting" they put on, the magic gets lost somehow.

Don't get me wrong, your still left with great music. Its the ones who created that music who get the veil lifted and we find they are the same as everyone else.....some greedy....some pricks.....some fake....and there are rare gems that are truly appreciative and real.

I think Fleetwood Mac have been pretty transparent about the business side of music. Its no secret they look at it from that perspective especially Mick.

Lindsey, he's a little different. From everything I've seen and read about him, he has always come down on the side of "Great Show" Great Album" before financial concerns. So I tip my hat to him.


test,

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I just don't know. If I were an artist and I knew people were scalping my tickets and there was no way to stop them, I'd likely try to sell them for more on my own like the All Access stuff. I mean why should they get the money and not me if the money is going to be had anyway? But, if there were a way to stop it, I'd do that instead. But, the latter is not reality.

So go on with it and keep it alive? Man, you can be such a dollarf*kker.
Tom Petty and Eddie Vedder already stood with Stevie on one stage, maybe even sang in one mic. I guess they have to call your "La Mama Miss I-Do-Good" and ask her to kick some Macballs. Yes, of all three guys.

[michelej1]

I don't even care about it, to be honest.

My main complaints are about how ILAA works. First of all they need to just let you buy the stupid seat and give you a ticket, WITH THE ROW AND SEAT NUMBER ON IT. I don't want to wait and see.

Secondly, if they're going to make you wait until the day of the concert, at least just give you the ticket on that day. Don't make you meet up at 6:00 p.m. and shoot the breeze with strangers, for two hours, before you finally get the ticket. I don't like to be handled like a kindergartener. I have better things to do with my time, even if it's just looking at my navel. I don't like being with or talking to strangers, especially when the host is explaining to us that Jimmy Olson indirectly brought Mick together with BN. While, a possible Superman connection might be worth dreaming about, I just don't want to be bothered.

I don't have one California ticket yet. I would use ILAA for every show except Staples and MGM in Vegas, but I really don't want to have to sit through that fan gathering thing one more time.

The best thing about ILAA is that you can buy single tickets.

Michele

[Zombie]

This issue just landed in my mailbox today, and I was reading this. When the Mac got mentioned specifically as being one of the bands that does this, I had to laugh.

The actual quote is this:

"Some artists, including Britney Spears and Fleetwood Mac, pull hundreds of the best tickets from every show and sell them on the auction site TicketExchange for as much as 10 times face value."

[Nico]

Originally Posted by Zombie

This issue just landed in my mailbox today, and I was reading this. When the Mac got mentioned specifically as being one of the bands that does this, I had to laugh.

The actual quote is this:

"Some artists, including Britney Spears and Fleetwood Mac, pull hundreds of the best tickets from every show and sell them on the auction site TicketExchange for as much as 10 times face value."

I realize that this has been going on for a long time, and I understand that some things *may* be out of their control...but it is still very disappointing to read. Sorry. I would probably feel better if one of the members of the band said something about the matter because that would make a difference to me. Whether it's a statement of defense or even just admittance/explanation...I have no preference. I just would like to hear first-hand. I've always hated that this happens, and especially now when times are so difficult for so many people...it pisses me off.

On a side note, I f*&#ing love Bruce Springsteen. He has always been vocal when it comes to ticket sales and I admire and respect that he cares enough. Tom Petty as well. I'm there for the music firstly, but it makes you feel very good when an artist shows a little respect back as well. Perhaps I'm not informed enough on this topic, but I still feel a little jilted by FM re: this matter.

[steviefan99]

I must start off by saying that i completely agree and think it is ludcris that the "good" tickets are not a first come fist serve basis. But i have to say I am ok with ticketmaster doing their own premium seat packages for a bit more than the normal price. This tour i managed to get front row seats for about $ 90 extra a ticket. Alot I know, but would never have been possible if they would have been released the the general public first because the ebay scalpers would have gotten them and charged $1000 for the two. I guess ya just cant win.

Maybe this would help.... This is what Led zep did

Promoters are engaged in a battle with scalpers to keep tickets to the upcoming Led Zeppelin reunion show from trading hands.

Organizers are warning scalpers and purchasers of re-sold tickets that all concert-goers need to present a photo ID at the gate to claim their tickets. A series of security questions taken from the original ticket purchasers is also needed to complete the online portion of ticket claims.

[Kayt1234]

I agree with everyone who mentioned that it's ridiculous that the best seats aren't released to the first patrons that try to purchase. It all seems like this crazy dance to get great seats and if you look at some of the prices brokers charge for seats...it's insane! I mean, I was looking at all tickets (on ticketmaster, stubhub, etc) and for front row, I saw a ticket that was over $2,000! Who can afford that? More importantly...who can justify that?

To be honest, I have to say that I think that the way Bruce Springsteen handles his ticketsales is the best. It really keeps all prices down. The way it works is that they sell lodge seats and then GA seats for the floor. If you have a GA seat, you arrive at the arena up to four hours before the show and recieve a numbered wristband. You then come back for a number drawing. Based on the number they draw, everyone with a wristband lines up in order. Now, you would think "that's insane, there is no way everyone would do that!". It was extremely orderly and everyone just helped each other out. You follow the line and you pick your spot at the stage. Obviously, the closer you get to the front of the line, the better your spot will be, however, it is very easy to still get a great spot. I have done this with a GA ticket 3 times and have been right up in the front row, by the stage each time.

What I like about the system is the fact that brokers can't jack up certain ticket prices because of the fact that they can't guarantee you a specific seat. All prices stay pretty much the same (maybe only $50,AT MOST, above the current price). Can you imagine how much they could jack up Bruce Springsteen tickets?! I know there would be some people that wouldn't like the system because you aren't guaranteed a spot but, in the end, it always worked out well with me...plus you'd be amazed at how all these fans worked together and looked out for each other throughout the process. Anyway, I just thought maybe some people would find that interesting to hear how other artists may try to put the brakes on all this craziness.

[bikerchic]

More artists need to step up to the plate like Bruce did. Charley Pride certainly went out of his way to take a stand :


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/st...s.html?ref=rss

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

Charley Pride certainly went out of his way to take a stand :


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/st...s.html?ref=rss

That's very interesting. I thought I'd read he'd passed away and am glad to see he did not and is still working. I laughed when he said he wouldn't pay that much money to see himself.

Michele

[BTFLCHLD]

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[JeannieKartis]

Originally Posted by camchristo

Well, it certainly makes sense. I've always wondered how the brokers consistently get all the best seats. I also found out recently that all of the broker sites, including TicketExchange, are just one big pool of tickets. This may be old news to some, but I just found out. I had posted a ticket to the Detroit show on TicketExchange because it was the best way to try to sell it last minute and still get it to the buyer on time. It was a single seat. I noticed on Goldcoasttickets.com that they had a single seat listed in the same section and row as mine for twice as much as what I had it listed for on TE. Well, I decided to go after all (couldn't not go with a 4th row seat) and when I removed it from TE, it disappeared from Goldcoast also.

So, all of the brokers are just trying to sell the same bunch of tickets. I guess if the band is making some of the profit, it's a little better. But they should just be up front about it and charge $500 or whatever for tickets in the first few rows. What they should really do though is make those seats available to die hards for the same price as the rest of the seats. Looks like that will never happen though.

So, seems like whatever doesn't sell on the scalper sites just gets thrown back into the pot before the show.

I just read an article on FM in which the interviewer asked why the rise in tickets prices? Stevie answered because it costs more to produce a show now then it did 4 years ago. She also said that ONLY the band flies by plane, everyone else travels by bus. I'll have to find it and post...