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Madonna climbs in bed with ticket scalpers - Can you get any lower than that? I think ticket scalpers are the absolute scum of the Earth, because they are cheaters. Now Madonna has joined their team. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em".
What a crock. LiveNation makes TicketMaster look like a gift from God. StubHub Enlisted in Resale
Of Madonna Concert Tickets By ETHAN SMITH May 9, 2008; Page B6 Madonna's coming concert tour is to feature what appears to be a first in the concert business: An official ticket reseller that will peddle seats at marked-up prices to fans who couldn't get them through normal channels. In the U.S. and Canada, eBay Inc.'s StubHub will serve as the "official fan-to-fan ticket marketplace." In Europe, the role will be filled by Viagogo Ltd., a ticket reseller that also will sell "VIP packages" -- higher-priced tickets that include amenities like backstage passes and meetings with performers. The endorsements highlight the growing popularity and influence of so-called secondary ticketing companies, which let both fans and brokers sell tickets to others at prices that often far exceed their face values. Concert promoters and artists have long complained that they are locked out of the secondary marketplace, putting money in the pockets of speculators and middlemen who aren't involved in staging or promoting concerts. Sports teams and leagues have entered partnerships with secondary ticketing companies. But executives at Viagogo and StubHub called this the first time a major music artist has officially embraced the secondary market on this scale. "It's the future of the ticketing business," said Chuck La Vallee, StubHub's head of business development for music. "Promoters have always complained that we don't have skin in the game." Terms weren't disclosed, but people close to the deal said Viagogo is paying promoter Live Nation Inc. and Madonna a flat fee, while StubHub is offering a percentage of revenue on top of a fee. Despite the official status of the two companies, fans would still be able to buy and sell tickets on other online marketplaces, such as TicketsNow, RazorGator or Craigslist. But Viagogo and StubHub will be promoted in emails to fans and other marketing materials. The tour is the first for Madonna since she announced a $120 million partnership with Live Nation in which the promoter is to participate financially in nearly every aspect of the pop star's career. The album she is promoting, "Hard Candy," is the last under her record contract with Warner Music Group Corp. The "Sticky and Sweet" tour is to start in August, with nine dates in Europe, followed by 18 U.S. shows in the fall. There will be several stadium shows in the U.S., including at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium -- far larger venues than the arenas Madonna has historically performed in. Prices weren't announced. Live Nation's contract in the U.S. with IAC/InterActiveCorp's Ticketmaster expires at the end of this year. At that point Live Nation will begin selling its own tickets for its concerts. Arrangements like the one with Viagogo -- in which Viagogo handles a portion of the so-called primary ticketing, in addition to resales -- could become more common on Live Nation tours once Ticketmaster is out of the picture. http://online.wsj.com/pub...l?mod=blog | |
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 I don't really understand how any of this works.All I know is....I'm getting my tickets through a pre-sale on her official site. | |
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RodeoSchro said:
LiveNation makes TicketMaster look like a gift from God. Live Nation is owned by Clear Channel and Clear Channel is the devil himself. Andy is a four letter word. | |
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SoulAlive said: I don't really understand how any of this works.All I know is....I'm getting my tickets through a pre-sale on her official site.That's the deal. If you aren't a member of an artist's club, you have to go head-to-head with ticket scalpers for seats. And now, the ticket scalpers are being subsidized by the artist. And good luck getting the tickets. For popular tours, I imagine many will end up like the Miley Cyrus debacle - 5,000 people trying to get 2,000 seats. | |
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vainandy said: RodeoSchro said:
LiveNation makes TicketMaster look like a gift from God. Live Nation is owned by Clear Channel and Clear Channel is the devil himself. You got that right. | |
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It's totally disgusting. I want to see Madonna when she comes to NYC but I'll be damned if I give her my money like that. Here in NY, before he resigned, Gov. Spitzer made Ticket Scalping legal and with Madonna getting a cut from the scalping, it just shows how low she is, which I've always known and leaves me more in debt just to see her and I need my money. Dr Funkenberry's website is covering the story and I copied this snippet from the site. Look at this from his site. These are tickets that are already available on Stubhub and it's unbelivable and disgusting:
These are totals are for ONE ticket. Tickets for Texas November 16th are going for $2,225.00 Her Show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, 4th row tickets are going for $2,250.00 Tickets for her Toronto Gig are going for $2,750.00 Tickets for her Dolphin Stadium gig in Miami are going for $3,000.00 Tickets for her Vegas show at the MGM Grand are going for $3,236.00 And Madonna’s hometown shows???? Tickets for her Madison Square Garden shows are going for $7,500.00 There is more on Madonna on the site that is totally worth looking at on Madonna: http://drfunkenberry.com/ That is bullshit and Madonna should be ashamed of herself. It's turning me off from seeing her, it really is cause I'm not paying $7,500 to see her ass. Madonna has sunken to a new low with me and it saddens me greatly. [Edited 5/10/08 13:10pm] I'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that | |
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vainandy said: RodeoSchro said:
LiveNation makes TicketMaster look like a gift from God. Live Nation is owned by Clear Channel and Clear Channel is the devil himself. Hit the nail on the head with that! [Edited 5/10/08 13:08pm] I'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that | |
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Fans should get their tickets through normal channels.When tickets go on sale,they should go directly to the arena box office.I never buy tickets from scalpers,Craigslist,ebay or through any other "shady" means.I've never paid more than face value for a concert ticket,and nobody else should,either.
. [Edited 5/10/08 13:35pm] | |
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SoulAlive said: Fans should get their tickets through normal channels.When tickets go on sale,they should go directly to the arena box office.I never buy tickets from scalpers,Craigslist,ebay or through any other "shady" means.I've never paid more than face value for a concert ticket,and nobody else should,either.
. [Edited 5/10/08 13:35pm] Good luck with that. Scalpers have autodialers, special software programs and hired bums by the dozens. | |
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RodeoSchro said: SoulAlive said: Fans should get their tickets through normal channels.When tickets go on sale,they should go directly to the arena box office.I never buy tickets from scalpers,Craigslist,ebay or through any other "shady" means.I've never paid more than face value for a concert ticket,and nobody else should,either.
Good luck with that. Scalpers have autodialers, special software programs and hired bums by the dozens. I'll let you know how I do  Hopefully,everything will run smoothly. | |
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SoulAlive said: RodeoSchro said: Good luck with that. Scalpers have autodialers, special software programs and hired bums by the dozens. I'll let you know how I do Hopefully,everything will run smoothly.Good luck!  | |
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RodeoSchro said: SoulAlive said: Fans should get their tickets through normal channels.When tickets go on sale,they should go directly to the arena box office.I never buy tickets from scalpers,Craigslist,ebay or through any other "shady" means.I've never paid more than face value for a concert ticket,and nobody else should,either.
. [Edited 5/10/08 13:35pm] Good luck with that. Scalpers have autodialers, special software programs and hired bums by the dozens. Basically. There are certain venues and shows where it's not that much of an issue and not all scalpers are asking for 834583858305835083495838503495, but there's also the fact that before those things are on sale to the general public and the scalpers swoop down, a good chunk of the tickets are already at some radio station. Concerts aren't what they once were with the wave of crap artists who couldn't sell out their living room as well as old crap acts like Whordonna that can sell out large venues in like three cities and small ones in like two. The labels have to buy and give away a crapload of tickets to promote and boost acts. [Edited 5/10/08 13:59pm] | |
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If I couldn't get my tickets through normal means at face value,I just wouldn't go to the concert.A scalper will NEVER get my money  | |
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SoulAlive said: Fans should get their tickets through normal channels.When tickets go on sale,they should go directly to the arena box office.I never buy tickets from scalpers,Craigslist,ebay or through any other "shady" means.I've never paid more than face value for a concert ticket,and nobody else should,either.
. [Edited 5/10/08 13:35pm] i agree in part... scalpers are only in business because people pay them. you can bitch and moan but as soon as you give in and pay rather than just miss the show and catch it next time, you are part of the problem. that said, i think its disgusting that any artist would validate ticket scalping by actually getting in on the act. madonna should be ashamed of herself but, as in love, in business all's fair game. An individualist is a man who lives for his own sake and by his own mind; he neither sacrifices himself to others nor sacrifices others to himself... | |
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wow, that's really lame. difficulty in getting tickets through normal channels and the stress and cost of rushing around to get them through a scalper are the 2 things that keep me from going to more shows.
crap. i wanted to go see her. "Try to remember how you used to feel about me
and think about how you're treating me now. Then try to reconcile them, if you can. But you don't even remember, do you?" | |
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 "I would say that Prince's top thirty percent is great. Of that thirty percent, I'll bet the public has heard twenty percent of it." - Susan Rogers, "Hunting for Prince's Vault", BBC, 2015 |
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the only way ticketscalpers will be stopped is if ticket companies follow the way glastonbury has gone and put peoples pictures on the tickets and make them have id but then you have problems with those who have to sell there tickets and do so honestly
madonna really should feel ashamed of herself so many of her fans will miss out through not being able to afford these tickets  With Love there is no Death | |
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b3xy said: the only way ticketscalpers will be stopped is if ticket companies follow the way glastonbury has gone and put peoples pictures on the tickets and make them have id but then you have problems with those who have to sell there tickets and do so honestly
madonna really should feel ashamed of herself so many of her fans will miss out through not being able to afford these tickets this works out better for me, lol. i always buy the cheap tickets through ticketmaster and then walk around looking for tour employees who can move me to one of the empty seats on the bottom level. that's how i ended up with pit seats for the reinvention tour (inside the stage!) when i really had upper level side view seating.An individualist is a man who lives for his own sake and by his own mind; he neither sacrifices himself to others nor sacrifices others to himself... | |
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b3xy said: the only way ticketscalpers will be stopped is if ticket companies follow the way glastonbury has gone and put peoples pictures on the tickets and make them have id
Coincidentally, I just read this today (about the upcoming Tom Waits tour): As on his last tour, Waits’ U.S. booking agent and longtime tour director, Stuart Ross, has spent a great deal of effort to fight ticket scalpers. Along with Ticketmaster, he has worked out a plan he believes will make sure every fan pays face value (plus normal service and handling fees) for the tickets purchased for the “Glitter and Doom” tour, outlined thusly: “In keeping with Waits’ longtime desire to allow fans the best possible access to his shows, the Waits’ organization is again implementing an anti-scalping program to assure patrons that their tickets can only be purchased at face value (plus normal surcharges and handling fees). At the majority of shows on this tour, Ticketmaster is introducing their Paperless Ticket™ system. Prior to entering the venue, fans must simply provide their credit card which was used to purchase the tickets, along with a government issued ID. The fan’s accompanying guest must be present at that time. An attendant will swipe the credit card and provide a receipt for the transaction. The entire process is quick, secure and simple. Tickets will only be sold via the internet and by phone and are limited to two per person.” |
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Damn, this is pretty skanky... even for Madonna    I never met you, but I LOVE you & I will forever!! Thank you for being YOU - my little Princey, the best to EVER do it | |
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CalhounSq said: Damn, this is pretty skanky... even for Madonna
The reality is that, short of a system like the one Waits is using (which would be more difficult to implement in venues the size Madonna is playing), tickets are gonna get scalped. If I were the artist, I'd have no problem taking a cut of that. And at least, this way, people who want to pay a premium for better seats have a means of doing so that is regulated and benefits the performer. P.S. Ticketmaster has now partnered with a reseller and has been running "auctions" for years. |
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