“Other than Bruce Springsteen… I don’t hear
a plethora of acts lining up against the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger.
Shouldn’t they be up in arms?

Fuck the fans. Yes, you heard me right. The fans have been fucked forever,
and their only avenue for equalization is to stop buying tickets. It’s kind
of like a junkie saying no to the heroin dealer. Unless you’re willing to
go cold turkey, you’ve got no power. And the acts that can sell tickets
know this. Which is why they’re staying mum.

Those superstar acts… Do they want to admit to the kickbacks from
Ticketmaster? Yup, those service fees… Not only does money go to the
promoter, who the act has beaten up, but to the acts themselves. In some
cases, the acts are in cahoots with Ticketmaster to scalp their own tickets.
The acts are guilty as hell, and Ticketmaster has been taking all the heat.
The acts that can sell tickets. And that’s all we’ve got today, acts that
can sell tickets and those that can’t.

…Now you buy packages directly from the act. Not only is the
act happy, getting all that revenue beyond regular ticket price, SO IS THE
FAN! The fan knows exactly what he’s buying, and in the package comes a
great seat and special treatment. EXACTLY WHAT THE FAN WANTS!

Do I think Clear Channel, er, Live Nation, and Ticketmaster should merge?
My fan hat says NO FUCKING WAY! But I’m no longer an ignorant fan. I’m
privy to the inner workings of the sausage factory…

…As for the fans? You’re the ones keeping the secondary market alive.
You’re the ones paying hundreds of dollars to sit up close. Sure, Tickets
Now is owned by Ticketmaster, but StubHub is not. I don’t see you
boycotting either if you truly want to go to the show.”