FML!!! How are we supposed to get tickets? While I'm not a fan, folk rock legend "Yusef" CAT STEVENS flat out cancelled his NYC show at BEACON THEATER (awesome venue btw, I've seen a few shows there back in the day) this fall in protest to scalpers. ITP V.014 would also like to wish a very happy birthday to BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, whom at 65, doesn't look a day over 40, as that dude rips it live and can physically do things people half his age can't (Does BRUCE do yoga?). SPRINGSTEEN, his manager JON LANDAU and his fans have spoken out against SCALPERS and the (TICKETMASTERS) in house ticket reseller TICKETS NOW.
Ticket diversion to ticket resellers selling entertainment shows at far MORE than the face value is a messed up trend of corruption in the music industry as TICKETMASTERS monopoly is over whelming (TICKETMASTER is consolidated with LIVE NATION, STUB HUB lobbied for pro ticket re-selling laws in New York). Ticket re-seller buy up and are given (via the primary ticket agency) a large portion of and the "good seats", paper tickets can be (on occasion) fake, as ticket diversions don't benefit the artist and prices most die hard fans out of live entertainment spectating.
Tickets to the NY RANGERS STANLEY CUP run went for $1, 000 to $2, 000 for the home games, as the ticket prices went DOWN as the NY RANGERS lost the first few games (STANLEY CUP) in L.A. in OT. Imagine suffering NY RANGERS fans or even how season tickets holders feel? Two hours North in New York bars didn't even feel motivated to support the hockey team via turning on the TV, as World Cup (soccer) got multiple bars interested.
Buying tickets from secondary market ticket re-sellers for entertainment events sounds like an old cowboy auction.
Funny story, in upstate New York (Hudson Valley Area, Ulster County), there are at least TWO billboards promoting in house scalpers or "ticket re-sellers ". The irony, is one of those ticket re-seller billboards is right next door to DSS (Department Of Social Services). So hey, imagine the look on starving fans, or/and working class indie artists, whom come off the road and need some public assistance, as they too realize their tour profits on a shoe string budget are being exploited as touring are the only profits musicians substantially make, if at all.
Imagine the empty seats if fans boycotted these ticket re-sellers as the artists look
out into a sparse "crowd".
F**ck it..
Unfortunately, it's (since 2010 ugh STUBHUB) practically legal to scalp and re-sell tickets in New York. However, it sucks for the fans, consumers and spectators as re-selling tickets really does price an artists audience out of the loop, not based upon DEMAND, based upon extortionist, inflated ticket prices, by that standard, expect yuppie "fair weather" fans or the die hards to be alienated..
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323551004578441132136821420
Some ask, if there was an incentive for the artists to profit off of ticket re-sellers would they "go along to get along"?
It depends on who you ask, in a hypothetical question.
A BETTER IDEA: VIP ticket packages are more "ethical" for the fans (Bands and artists tour and perform for their FANS right? ), consolidated with "meet and greets", free merch and sound check/ backstage privileges. The artists have incentive to profit off of VIP ticket package deals, and the fans are stoked for the autographs and sound check spectator privileges:
FROM OPETH: VIP tickets for the upcoming Northern American 'Communion of Sirens' co-headline tour with In Flames(Official) have now all sold out apart from a handful of VIP upgrade packages for Tempe and Omaha. Opeth closes on both nights with Red Fang as official support. More info by clicking the link below.
While NOT A FAN of his music, I totally respect '"Yusef" CAT STEVENS position on ticket re-sellers and scalpers as Seattle. Washington rock legends PEARL JAM have stood up to the pending unethical monopoly of TICKETMASTER and ticket re-sellers just the same, boycotting, for a while, said ticket agency. Since"YUSEF" CAT STEVENS, whom hasn't toured since 1976, ticket demand is so high, ticket re-sellers are asking for $11, 000 for a tic, pissing off the fans for extortionist ticket prices (ticket re-sellers), and bidding them out of the market.
Some times, ticket re-sellers, in arrogance, freak if they bid too high on an event, there for are forced to price tickets DOWN and you see a half filled venues, and hear from alot of pissed off fans, oh no the event is "sold out", the ticket re-sellers are upping the ante on the secondary ticket market.
ITP V.014 can't afford the ticket re-seller prices, the best options I had was booking unsigned bands (or playing in my own or your own band) as local as regional support (last decade) in exchange for free entry. If a local band ever screwed me over on that bartering, they are still hearing about it.
ITP V.014, an old schooler, in her 40's now, couldn't stand the unfairness and lack of ethics of the scalpers, freezing my ass off, waiting in line for tickets back in the 80's, and my position still stands now.
Also, venues that support your local scene with local and regional support, buy FACE VALUE tickets from the local bands, they get paid to play, and the ticket prices bought from local bands stay the same even "day of the show". Buy tickets from local support bands, support your scene.
If ticket re-sellers"'scalping tickets" can be perceived as far MORE of a problem than kids downloading music off of bit torrents, why hasn't the music industry said something? The reason WHY the RIAA hasn't stood up against ticket re-sellers is simply the touring industry is a different entity than than the recording industry itself. Unless a band or artist signs a "360" deal ( I don't recommend it) where the record label, and artist management get at least 20% of touring and merchandise profits (for recoupment against advance and possibly tour support), there is no incentive for record labels as that is perceived as a "touring industry problem".
Even if the live touring industry consolidates with ticket re-sellers, scalping is still a shady industry of "auctioning" live entertainment at the expense of fans causing an economic class discrepancy of spectators. Back in my younger years, in the 80's and 90's these "scalpers" would be arrested, now they've lobbied to exploit fans and the touring industry, ugh.
Unless the live touring entertainment industry compromises with or destroys the concept of ticket re-sellers, better and alternative ideas for bands and artists to profit off of touring in ethical concepts for and about the fans are needed.
With digital and internet technology, "physical tickets" are just divertible paper as most buy tickets on credit and debit cards on the internet anyway. Guest list "virtual tickets" for buyers makes more sense, is less transferable and if bands and artists sell merch online, why not sell tickets independently from major ticket monopolies on their own websites and social networks? Guest list buying fans by name whom show up to said venue with ID and credit card in hand. INDIE GO GO and KICKSTARTER can get any band and artists with momentum going. Throw in some physical stuff, merch bundles, a free physical, digital and vinyl single, all copy right (scalpers would be fucked on copy righted material in VIP bundles and you should smile about it) and VIP fan packages and tell scalpers and major ticket monopolies to screw off.
The music industry has had to sit in the same room with merch companies and brainstorm just to sell physical releases anyway, and whom are the retards now.
Extreme metal festivals in EUROPE (WACKEN OPEN AIR-sells out instantly before the entire lineup is announced every year, SUMMER BREEZE OPEN AIR) print physical ticket buyers NAMES on the ticket, therefore it is very hard to transfer or divert, to the lol of genuine "no shows" whom would find it very hard to even give those tickets away without proper ticket holder I.D.
Venues and promoters that do business with TICKETMASTER, TICKETS NOW and STUB HUB are assured a calamity (and conflict of interest with fans and artists) of epic proportions.
DIY, use technology to your advantage and take control of your touring revenue, flat rate tickets and make it affordable for the fans.
FROM ITP V.012:
In early 2009, TICKETMASTER's website re directed fans to TICKETS NOW, an in house scalping agency. In 2009 and 2010, TICKETMASTER consolidated with LIVE NATION as many complained about TICKETMASTER's monopoly and if TICKETMASTER/LIVE NATION was violating anti trust laws.
February 2010, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN fans sued TICKETMASTER via the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for deceptive sales practices from TICKETSNOW, a ticket reselling unit (scalping agency) associated with TICKETMASTER. TICKETMASTER was sued and mandated to
repay fans upward to over a million dollars of refunds from "deceptive bait-and-switch tactics" regarding 14 SPRINGSTEEN concerts in 2009. It was reported that TICKETSNOW sold "phantom tickets" without telling consumers that did not have tickets and not refunding the consumers.
According to regional media sources including the NJ STAR LEDGER, scalpers used sophisticated computer programs to jam up TICKETMASTER on line, and re sell tickets for more than the market price.
FROM CAT STEVENS:
Historically Yusuf / Cat Stevens has always been against ticket touts, as you can see from this old article...
Cat slammed all the ticket touts and pirate programme sellers who plagued his concerts. "I was so angry," Cat said, "that at one point I seriously considered buying the tickets off of the touts and re-distributing them to my loyal fans."
http://www.majicat.com/articles/londonbackpages.htm
"Unfortunately I will not be performing in NYC this time around but I am looking forward to playing for fans in Philadelphia on December 4 and hope to return to NYC at a future date. My fans will understand and I thank them for informing me about the extortionate tickets prices already being listed on some websites. I have been a longtime supporter of paperless tickets to my shows worldwide and avoiding scalpers. Unfortunately NY has a state law that requires all tickets sold for shows in NYC to be paper, enabling them to be bought and sold at inflated prices. I'm sorry about not being able to now play in NYC but hope to find an opportunity that aligns with my support of this issue in the near future, God willing. Looks like the Peace Train is going to arrive at New York a little bit later than expected.” - Yusuf
UPDATED PEACE TRAIN…LATE AGAIN NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
Mon - Dec 01 Toronto ON Massey Hall
Thu - Dec 04 Philadelphia PA Tower Theatre
Sun - Dec 07 Boston MA Wang Theatre
Tue - Dec 09 Chicago IL Chicago Theatre
Fri - Dec 12 San Francisco CA The Masonic
Sun - Dec 14 Los Angeles CA Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
INFORMATION REGARDING AMAZON US TICKET PRE-SALE OFFER
If you’ve received your Amazon pre-sale code and wish to buy tickets for the Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, or Los Angeles shows, the early access period still runs from September 24, 2014 at 12 PM through September 25, 2014 at 10 PM (local concert venue time).
If you’ve received your Amazon pre-sale code and wish to buy tickets for the newly added Philadelphia show, the early access period runs from September 25, 2014 at 12PM through September 26, 2014 at 10PM (local concert venue time).
Codes issued by Amazon can be applied for both the Ticketmaster and AXS shows.
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Cat-Stevens-Cancels-New-York-City-Show-Blames-Scalpers-277017701.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_NYBrand
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/yusuf-the-former-cat-stevens-cancels-new-york-concert/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
http://www.aol.com/article/2014/09/24/cat-stevens-cancels-new-york-tour-date-in-protest-over-scalpers/20966968/
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-
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