Ticketmaster/Live Nation finds yet another way to pick your pocket

by Jim DeRogatis | Nov. 18, 2010

In the months before the two most reviled companies in the concert world decided to join forces in a mega-merger that makes them the Death Star of Live Music, giant national concert promoters Live Nation toyed with thumbing their noses at Ticketmaster’s much-hated, consumer-gouging “convenience fees” with a number of plans that they tested in their mid-sized House of Blues venues.

One involved selling tickets to many of their shed shows at the HOB box office, sans or with greatly reduced service fees. Another was offering “unlimited club shows” with a one-price “club passport,” sort of like the airlines’ frequent flier bonuses.

Now that Ticketmaster/Live Nation are one, the evil entity quietly is pushing a different scam also inspired by the airlines—though this time, it’s those ridiculous extra fees that let you board first or jump to the front of the line at security.

Actually, there are two new schemes, and both tack an extra $15 on to your ticket for select shows at the less-hip-than-ever House of Blues. One is called “Crash the Barricade,” and it allows the purchaser to “enjoy the buffet 2hrs before doors & Skip the GA line!” The other is “Pass the Line,” and it trumpets, “Use this $15 for Food or Merchandise & skip the GA line!”

Since when is the crush to enter a relatively intimate 1,300-person venue so intimidating that it necessitates an extra $15 cost? Beats me. But it’s one more way that Ticketmaster/Live Nation is trying to pick its customers’ pockets.

Falling for either of these ploys and eating the “order processing fee” and $2.50 TicketFast delivery cost (that is, paying for the privilege to print your ticket out on your own home printer) brought the recent $34.51 advertised ticket price for Atreyu to $56.66 and the $32.45 cost for Reel Big Fish to $54.60.

Buyers beware—that is, unless you enjoy paying a premium for pretty much nothing, and/or enriching the Death Star’s evil empire.

Comments

Lamar wrote:

Wave of the future I guess. Movie theatres are starting to add a surcharge for the movies showing in/on the bigger theatres/screens at the multiplex. Sickening.

Thu Nov 18 2010, 9:47 AM

Dan wrote:

I think House of Blues has been doing something akin to this for years. I know that if you ate in their dining room the night of a show, you could get your ticket stamped and skip the ga line. I did this once or twice. I suppose it added a cost, but at least I got a meal out of it (and HoB actually has decent food).

Thu Nov 18 2010, 11:08 AM

Kevin wrote:

These are optional, so skip the option if it doesn't appeal to you or outright bothers you. Some people may see a benefit in skipping the line, particularly if they are short and want to get a good line of sight at venues where such spots are at a premium.

Thu Nov 18 2010, 11:56 AM

Bill wrote:

I don't get how a voluntary payment to a discretionary entertainment event is pick pocketing. Gee gosh a company wants to try to recoup the $s it invested in making its product and bringing it to market. Duh. Don't want to pay, don't. Shows too expensive, don't go. Market will take care of pricing itself. Too easy and lazy to target Live Nation Ticketmaster Deathstar without which I dare suggest there'd be a lot less quality live music out there for fans to enjoy... some one's got to pony up and take on the upfront risk.

Thu Nov 18 2010, 12:00 PM

Larry wrote:

*Yawn.* Seriously, Jim - move on, already. I totally agree with Bill's statement above. Any venue that offers food usually offers upsells that the consumer can take or leave. It is the music BUSINESS, right?

Fri Nov 19 2010, 12:48 PM

mal wrote:

shameful, yes. am i surprised , no! just like airlines, these companies can't make money on their core businesses, so they'll add on every possible fee/charge they can, especially if it hints at VIP status!

http://www.musicnewsnet.com/

Sat Nov 20 2010, 5:38 PM

MWG wrote:

Seems to me that the attendee would be getting $15 worth of food or merch for the $15 fee so the GA line perk is just a nice cherry on top.

Tue Nov 23 2010, 9:28 AM

flase wrote:

This upselling isn't the real issue. The real issue is the monopolisation. The idea that "some one's got to pony up and take on the upfront risk" or else there would be no music is a little bit bloody ridiculous. These are middle men who don't give a flying f#©k what makes these magic noises happen. They just take the money.

What it takes to make music well is practice. Musicians have to spend years polishing their abilities to be genuinely good, but the industry just pushes them into self-promotion (which does involve extortion, the main reason it's so hard) and perpetual touring. Remember what the Beatles said about why they stopped touring? "It was impossible to improve"

Thu Dec 1 2011, 2:33 AM

Jim DeRogatis

Co-host of “Sound Opinions,” “the world’s only rock ’n’ roll talk show,” originating at WBEZ and distributed nationally on public radio via PRX. DeRogatis is a full-time lecturer in the Professional Writing Program of the English Department at Columbia College Chicago and the author of eight books about music.