Today the ticket world got a little bit smaller, which is saying alot considering it wasn't very big to begin with.
Ticketmaster and Live Nation have joined forces to become one company with the US Dept of Justice and the Canadian Commissioner of Competition signing off on the deal. The end result is that the largest promoter in North America -- one which owns several venues across the US and Canada and has its claws choking off smaller, independent promoters -- going to bed with the largest ticketing outlet in North America.
Not that this is a huge surprise, but it could lead to a slippery slope in terms of surcharges and pure greed. Ticketmaster has occasionally charged between 35 to 40 per cent above the ticket price a band has agreed to, resulting in a $25 dollar ticket easily nearing or going over 40 bucks.
There is a catch in that under the terms of the agreement, Ticketmaster gives up a portion of its ticketing software to another company while LiveNation divests itself of similar interests to AEG, another concert promoter who has some big name clients but does very little with moderate to up-and-coming acts.
So if you find yourself pissed off at these ridiculous, money-grabbing "fees," my suggestion would be to be patient, wait it out and purchase your tickets directly at the door or through a box office at the venue. Ironically, you might end up getting a better deal now from a scalper than you would this new conglomerate.
If only Pearl Jam had been stubborn enough in the 1990s to forge ahead with the anti-Ticketmaster stance....
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