Ticketmaster...

[poodlesrule]

How did Ticketmaster got to be just about the only outfit one has to buy tickets from, short of visiting the actual box office.

Great acts this summer around here (Beck, Santana), but the TM fees are just not making it very appealing.

Smaller venues, lesser-known musicians, is more of the way to grow local resources.

Actually, I gotta get me some Zydeco locally, next week-end, my sweetie indie radio contest win...!
(4th Annual Bayou n' Boogie, Rehoboth, MA for you in the area)

[Tig]

All part of the "Music Business" direction, similar to Clear Channel Radio's near monopolization of US radio markets.

TM has all the major venues in my area covered, including The House of Blues. I despise their many tacked on fee's. Sure, they should get their share of profit, but that should come from the original cost, not their additional fees.

Word: Monopoly

[hubberjub]

Get your tickets from Ebay, Craigslist, or Stubhub. There are so many people who buy too many tickets and are just looking to get rid of them. It doesn't actually solve the Ticketmaster fees but you avoid paying them. I've bought tickets to several sold out Phish shows this summer for ~$35 per ticket for what has a $60 face value. I don't know what they would have sold for with the fees. Just look around.

[poodlesrule]

Get your tickets from Ebay, Craigslist, or Stubhub. There are so many people who buy too many tickets and are just looking to get rid of them.

How do you make sure you are not given a fake, though?

[hubberjub]

If you purchase through Ebay or Paypal (or with most credit cards) you have recourse. You can take the tickets you purchased to a Ticketmaster location and they can tell you if they're legit.

[tjcurtin1]

Don't get me started on this topic - it's the next most outrageous allowed monopoly after the banking scam - I mean 'business'!!! No value added while your pocket is picked...

[Tone2TheBone]

I always just drive to the casinos and get my tickets to bypass the Ticketshafter surcharge.

[tjcurtin1]

I've never understood how they pulled off this scam. Why don't venues just sell their own tickets on-line or over the phone like any other business - my guess is that somehow TM has them over a barrel. Going to buy tickets at the site is almost always a huge hassle and waste of time. Can you imagine that if you wanted to buy something on-line from Sweetwater or MF, but had to go through a third party and pay a hefty charge before it could be shipped - or else drive three states to pick it up?!?!?

[street music]

The promoter gets extra money if the let TM handle the sells, but it is just not right to the artist. I would have gone to see several acts but the TM fees amounted to over 16.00 a ticket on top of $80.00 a seat- I DON'T THINK SO.

[tremoloman]

Ticketmaster is a monopoly. I remember Pearl Jam tried to fight it and sell tickets on their own. The problem was there were so few places they could play that didn't use Ticketmaster that eventually they had no choice but to give in to Ticketmaster.

At least they tried...

[tjcurtin1]

I would have gone to see several acts but the TM fees amounted to over 16.00 a ticket on top of $80.00 a seat- I DON'T THINK SO.

I have opted out of a number of events for the same reason. But I guess that there are plenty of folks willing to cough it up.