Don't Be Fooled By Live Nation's Announcement Supporting A "Fair Ticketing Act," As Usual It's A Bunch Of Lip Service And Gaslighting

After getting pummeled into the ground a few weeks ago, Joe Berchtold came home to Live Nation HQ and said "guys, I don't know if they're buying it. We're gonna have to say something to get them off our backs."

Enter: some of the most hypocritical bullshit I've EVER seen online, in the form of a...press release? Confirming their official "stance" on the matter?

ARTISTS CREATE THEIR MUSIC AND THEIR CONCERTS. IT’S ONLY FAIR THAT THEY SHOULD DECIDE TICKETING RULES TOO.

Fans mean everything to artists, and the best way to ensure a fair ticketing experience for live music fans is to put more control in the hands of the artists themselves. 

ARTISTS SHOULD DECIDE RESALE RULES.Protect artists’ ability to use face-value exchanges and limited transfer to keep pricing lower for fans, and prevent scalpers from exploiting fans.

MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO SELL SPECULATIVE TICKETS.Scalpers use deceptive tactics to trick fans into spending more or buying tickets the seller doesn’t even have – this confuses fans and should be banned.

EXPAND THE BOTS ACT.Policymakers should expand the scope of the BOTS Act and increase enforcement to deter those who break the law, cheating artists and fans in the process.

CRACK DOWN ON RESALE SITES THAT ARE SAFE HAVENS FOR SCALPERS.Resale sites that turn a blind eye to illegally acquired tickets, allow ticket speculation, and ignore artists’ rules need real consequences from policymakers to curb their bad behavior.

MANDATE ALL-IN PRICING NATIONALLY.Avoid surprises at check out and give fans the ability to easily compare prices as they shop by mandating all-in pricing that shows the full out of pocket cost of the ticket and fees right upfront.

We already follow many of these common sense policies and are ready to make additional changes, but we can’t do it alone. We need the entire industry and policymakers to stand up for fans and artists.

I honestly laughed out loud when I read this. Shouting out "the things that should happen" don't make them happen...especially when you have control over the actual change that you're outlining. All I see here is a blatant refusal to accept any kind of responsibility for the mess Live Nation, Ticketmaster and the entire concert/ticket universe they've created from INSIDE THE HOUSE. This entire outline reads exactly like a Tim Robinson skit:

It continues on, alongside a map of the US that tells us…next to nothing and I'm almost convinced is fake.

RESALE IS RUNNING AWAY WITH THE LOOT…AND THE LAWTO PROTECT FANS, LAWS NEED TO PROTECT ARTIST CONTROL OF TICKETS

Advocating for FAIR Ticketing policies has never been more important because artists are actively losing their ability to control their tickets in states all over the country – which is hurting fans, and helping scalpers. 

6 states already passed legislation protecting resale:– Illinois– Colorado– Connecticut– New York– Virginia– Utah

6 more states are considering new laws to protect resale:– California– Florida– Georgia– Maryland– New Jersey– Washington

Why it matters?Scalper lobbyists use terms like “fan freedom” to sound like they are looking out for consumers – but unlimited resale protects scalpers more than fans. Programs like fan-to-fan face value exchanges are designed specifically to ensure fans still have maximum flexibility when buying tickets, but tickets stay at prices artists set. Runaway resale laws make programs like this illegal. 

How to Fix it?To truly protect consumers, Congress should make a federal law that backstops artist’s ability to control their tickets. Together, we can create a FAIR system that benefits everyone.

There it is. The best part of all. "How to fix it? CONGRESS SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!" Of course! And the ball continues to go back and forth. Congress volleys over truth, facts and a demand for transparency, so Joe Berchtold shoves it all in a bag with a bunch of bullshit, sets it on fire, and shoots it back over to Congress. Incredible.  

Deny deny deny, pass blame, never accept responsibility, gaslight your consumers, that's the Live Nation/Ticketmaster way!