Well, This Is One Way to Stop Ticket Scalpers…
11 years ago Liv Carter 2
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
When singer-songwriter Yusuf Islam found out about the extortionate prices some people were asking for tickets to one of his shows, he decided to do something about it.
So he canceled his show.
New York state law requires tickets to be transferable so using a paperless ticketing system which would require concertgoers to show ID at Will Call was not an option. The New York Beacon Theatre show on December 7 was moved to Boston’s Citi Performing Arts Center.
“My fans will understand and I thank them for informing me about the extortionate tickets prices already being listed on some websites,” Islam wrote in a note when he announced the new date.
I hope his fans understand, and I am sure some do. But what about the people who can’t make it to Boston or Philadelphia for the nearest shows? And when has canceling shows ever been the best thing for the fans?
This issue has frustrated many performers for years. Pearl Jam, Metallica, Garth Brooks, LCD Soundsystem, Miley Cyrus,… All have tried to do something to protect their fans, with varying levels of success and internet vitriol.
I am not sure that there is an easy solution. As long as there is a profit to be made, there will be people trying to make it. And as long as fans are willing to pay $400 or more for a $75 seat, they will continue to contribute to this.
A few alternatives are popping up, like Ticketmaster’s own paperless system or websites like cashortrade.org which offers face value re-selling or trading.
Those who can afford that $400 don’t really concern me; people with money tend to get what they want. But I do wish they would understand that their ticket buying practices perpetuate a system that cuts out those fans who could really only afford the $75 face value ticket.
How do you feel about ticket scalpers? Have you bought tickets via StubHub and what was your experience?
Liv Carter
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
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