Fans First
But to live outside the law, you must be honest
"Absolutely Sweet Marie"
Bob Dylan
What we’ve got here is an old-fashioned political battle, between the scalpers and the acts.
There’s just one problem, sometimes they’re one and the same.
Once upon a time, artists were on nobody’s side but their own. They were leaders, visionaries, focused on what was honest and right as opposed to money and what’s expedient. But that was a long time ago in what seems today to be a galaxy far, far away.
Unfortunately, no one in this fight has clean hands.
The scalpers are scum. And StubHub too. I’m not saying they’ve got no right to exist, but to hide behind the moniker of "Fan Freedom" and try and kill paperless sounds like something Karl Rove cooked up to aid corporations while telling the common folk it’s good for them, because they believe in freedom, don’t they? And you don’t want the government impinging on your freedom…
That’s right, let’s eviscerate all consumer protection laws, let’s make it every man for himself. Actually, that’s kind of what we’ve got right now. If you think we’re all in it together you’re a poor sot left outside the building, without a ticket.
The acts want the scalpers’ revenue, it’s that plain and simple.
Underneath that is an admirable mission, making sure fans get good seats. That’s why I believe in paperless. But if you want to win this fight you’ve got to be pure, and the acts are not.
The acts scalp their own tickets. Sometimes they sell them directly to the broker. Other times they put them on TicketsNow. They’ve got a deal with AmEx, the pre-sales often make it so that fewer than 10% of the ducats are ultimately available on the public on sale date. Huh?
You want to put the fans first?
Then cut out all the shenanigans.
You’ve got three types of tickets. Fan club sales, I Love All Access deals (a ton of money for good seats and perks), and paperless/general public seats.
Let’s review that. If you want a really good ticket, join the fan club, early, demonstrate your belief.
If you’re rich, we’re gonna sell a few seats to you, although I’d feel better if I Love All Access was gone, but this allows someone who can’t get up at 10 AM on Saturday and is willing to overpay to get in.
Everybody else… Fights for a ticket in the pit.
There’s only one problem. This leaves less money for the act. The act makes more money if it employs shenanigans, if it scalps. It just wants to make sure the hidden revenue goes to them, not a third party… Huh?
But the great thing about the entry of Fans First into the fray is we’ve now got a battle, with equal monikers, kind of like with abortion. But instead of Pro Life and Pro Choice we’ve got Fan Freedom and Fans First.
And when you’ve got a battle, light is shed on the subject, maybe people will finally start paying attention to what’s at stake here.
Only one problem, Ticketmaster is on Fans First’s side. Hard to win with that albatross hanging around your neck, people hate Ticketmaster. It’s like trying to win in the bottom of the ninth when you’re five runs behind. Then again, the problem isn’t Ticketmaster so much as the acts. Ticket fees are exorbitant because they’re kicked back to the act or used as profit by promoters who give the entire gate, minus fees, to the act. Can we shed light on this too?
Another problem is people just won’t believe the acts are guilty. It messes with their world view. They need to believe in these acts. Then again, if Barry Bonds’s career and reputation was killed by steroids and Roger Clemens’ too and they’re gonna probably get Lance Armstrong, maybe the acts have something at risk.
As for Ticketmaster, its unclean hands are TicketsNow. Hard to fight for the common man when you’re ripping him off too.
I truly am for the fans. About getting the best seats at face value into the hands of those who truly care.
The scalpers, both StubHub and traditional brokers, provide a service that is not to be sneezed at. Because the regular person can’t navigate the act shenanigans to get a good seat.
If the acts employ transparency, atone for past sins and make sure those who want the seats who are actually gonna go get them, it sounds great.
But in between all the dreaming comes the money. The scalpers and the acts are incredibly greedy.
I know, I know, it’s hard to believe, but they want the money.
But let the battle begin. The more light shed on the issue the better. Maybe, as a result of the competition, people will pay attention and we’ll get change.
But with everybody hiding their dirty laundry, which only comes out in drips and drabs, change will be little and slow.
As great as the live performance can be, ticketing is a cancer set to destroy it, or at least cripple it.
People only go to a show once a year because of the hassle, because of the belief it’s impossible to get a good seat, because of the price.
But nobody in the equation truly wants change, they just want more money.
Sure, there are exceptions, Trent Reznor, Metallica, others who’ve beaten the scalpers…maybe they’re the ones who need to truly lead the charge. Maybe it’s not about having everybody on Fans First’s side, but the right people.
Then again, this is all about state legislatures. And once you involve politicians, you spend money and end up with a solution no one likes.
