Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster have been accused of monopolistic practices time and time again, and now, one artist in particular is speaking-out against the pair, airing his frustration with their inflated ticket prices.
The “All Summer Long” singer Kid Rock appeared on “This Past Weekend” with Theo Von to discuss the ongoing issues with Ticketmaster and Live Nation in the music industry. Kid Rock, who is known for speaking-out on his beliefs, didn’t hold back, noting that he’s talked to some of the elected officials in Tennessee regarding legislation to break-up the ticketing giant.
“I’ve actually talked to several of [the legislators] about really taking a hard look at Ticketmaster,” Kid Rock said. “They have a monopoly. And even though I make a lot of money for them and I love the people at Live Nation – we’ve done great business together – I’m like, this is f*cked up.”
Kid Rock went on to say that he’s “overpaid” and “there’s no reason to make this much money,” noting, “I can’t control it, because the market dictated, and Ticketmaster.”
Additionally, Kid Rock touched on the topic of resale. He said that Ticketmaster hasn’t done its part to combat bots and scalpers.
“[Ticketmaster] made over a billion dollars in the secondary market last year,” Kid Rock said. “That means if you buy a ticket and go to a concert, you’re their worst customer. They want that ticket to resell, and resell, and keep getting that money on it.”
| READ: Live Nation Highlights Stranglehold on Industry with Record-Breaking 2023 Earnings |
While Kid Rock is a known for his conservative beliefs — who favors the free market and deregulation over government intervention — he said that the government needs to step-in on this issue.
“We need these politicians to change it, or they need to straighten up,” Kid Rock said. “Ticketmaster needs to do the right thing. Because they’re claiming it’s the right thing, this “verified fan” and all this sh*t, but guess what? The artist don’t get any of that. It’s f*cking highway robbery…”
Previously, President Joe Biden addressed the ticket “junk fees” and called for more transparency in the world of ticketing. Kid Rock, however, thinks he needs to take it a step further.
“Joe Biden’s out there talking about like, ‘Oh, we got it under control.’ All he did was make them print what the fee is,” he continued. “Not change it. No, you just gotta tell people where you’re f*cking them. All you gotta do is put that on there. It’s bananas.”
| READ: Concert Ticket Pricing Surge Fueled by Artists, Promoters |
Kid Rock isn’t alone; one thing that most artists and legislators seem to agree on is the absolute exorbitant price of concert tickets, specifically over the past year after the Department of Justice launched an investigation into Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s merger following Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour presale fiasco.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke at the American Liberties Project’s panel earlier this year, dubbed “Swifties Revenge: The Case for Breaking Up Live Nation-Ticketmaster,” noting that ” music is something that “really gets to people” and the lack of ability to get tickets has really “struck a nerve with people.”
“This isn’t a red issue or a blue issue, it’s an American issue,” Klobuchar said. “It’s time to stop admiring the problem and actually do something about it.”
Kid Rock’s comments follow news last week where longtime Ticketmaster/Live Nation critic Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) shared an “explosive” previously suppressed study of the entertainment giant’s business practices, originally filed as part of a lawsuit against Live Nation in 2019. The report, Pascrell says, details “rampant corrupt and abusive practices by the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly.”
“This secret report about the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly exposes yet more evidence of the corruption and abuses of live event ticketing in America,” Congressman Pascrell said. “Whether it is fans of Taylor Swift or countless other performers, the abuses of this monopoly have harmed tens of millions of Americans who are fed up with endless fees and ticket schemes.”
