When Phish announced their plans in October 2008 to reunite for three performances at Hampton VA’s Coliseum, fans across the nation rejoiced at the thought of seeing their favorite jam-rockers back in action once again. However when tickets for the shows went on sale several weeks after the announcement was made, Phish fans realized procuring tickets would be far more difficult than imagined. When tickets were released via Ticketmaster at 10am on October 18, countless fans were greeted with error messages and drawn out waiting periods until the website reported the 13,000 tickets available were sold out. While hopes were re-ignited when Phish announced a summer reunion tour in February 2009, tickets proved elusive once more as ticketing service Live Nation froze after being overwhelmed by over one million ticket requests (Kreps). Ticketmaster then erred again when a technical glitch released passes for Phish’s four-night run at Red Rocks in Boulder, CO a week early, and then cancelled the orders of those sharp enough to realize what had happened (Kreps).
While these examples have aggravated Phish fans to no end, the problem extends beyond the jamband niche. Ticket distributors have been failing to deliver quality service to music fans of all kinds, highlighting the fact that the Phish ticketing fiascos serve as a microcosm of the larger problem of finding tickets to high profile events in general. For example, one week after the Live Nation freeze, more technical errors prevented fans from buying tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s Working on a Dream tour (Greene). While it was insulting enough that dedicated fans could not complete their ticket transactions or lost their spot in line, frustration grew when even those ready to buy the minute tickets went on sale were redirected to Ticketmaster’s affiliated site TicketsNow, a service that resells passes to sold out events at marked up prices. Expecting fans to purchase tickets for hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than the list price, especially after tickets have only been available for hours or minutes, is especially offensive considering the ridiculous $13.50 “ticket charge” that is automatically imposed on top of any other costs (Kreps).
Such difficulty has jaded the average ticket buyer, and led to conspiracy theories regarding ticket distributors plans to inflate their ticket sales. Many have wondered how it is possible for an event to sell out in minutes, only for those same tickets to be available moments later on redistribution sites like TicketsNow and eBay. One blogger explained that the trend is a result of groups having their hand in the “proverbial cookie jar” in that the best tickets are skimmed off for the distributors, their friends, and scalpers (Jongreer).
While these comments may be ramblings from another fan blocked from buying regular priced tickets, the comments point out the absurd lengths the average fan must go to in order to see their favorite talent. Concerts are supposed to be a bonding experience between the artist and their fans of any socio-economic status, and act as an opportunity for the artist to show their appreciation for the audience’s support. However in today’s ticket market, concerts have locked out the average person, and been transformed into events that only the ultra-rich can afford. Therefore, regardless of whether tickets are being kept aside for scalpers and brokers, the fact remains that ticket distribution in this country must be amended because right now all that is left for the regular people is crumbs.
References:
Greene, Andy. "Ticketmaster Admits Springsteen Sale "Wasn't Our FinestOur." Rolling Stone. 3 Feb. 2009: Web. 1 Nov 2009.
Jongreer. "Ticketmaster Tries to Solve a Big Problem with a Little PR Push." Catching Flack. 25 Jun. 2009: Web. 1 Nov 2009.
Kreps, Daniel. "Get Ready to Pay Big Fees: Live Nation Ticketing Service Launches." Rolling Stone. 8 Jan. 2009: Web. 1 Nov 2009.
Kreps, Daniel. "Phish Fans Furious as Live Nation Fails First Major Ticket Test." Rolling Stone. 2 Feb. 2009: Web. 1 Nov 2009.
Kreps, Daniel. "Phish Fiasco: Ticketmaster Glitch Releases Red Rocks Passes Early, Then Cancels Orders." Rolling Stone. 19 Mar. 2009: Web. 1 Nov 2009.
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