http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/01/05/stg_dumps_ticketmaster Comments On: STG Dumps Ticketmaster by Brendan Kiley en-us Copyright 2009 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:01 -0800 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:30:00 -0800 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Posted by bb]]> Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:54:32 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Denise Dorn]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:16:35 -0800 The Stranger
- dollars: it costs a lot of money to create a ticketing system from scratch;

- consumer displeasure: professional ticketing systems have functions that can protect the ticket buyer. For example, if a ticket buyer loses their ticket, the venue or ticket rep can reissue that ticket to the rightful owner and cancel the lost ticket so that two people don't show up and claim the same seat; the original lost/stolen ticket will be refused entry when it is scanned;

- artist distrust: professional ticketing systems track money and produce audits in a way that artist reps find valuable when the artists are paid;

- promoter/venue convenience: professional ticketing systems also allow the promoter to "build" shows--tiered pricing, reserved seating, promotional tickets, etc.--and manage ticket inventory in relatively sophisticated ways.
Posted by California]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:12:51 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Lincolnish]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:20:33 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Greg]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:08:02 -0800 The Stranger Posted by keshmeshi]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:32:45 -0800 The Stranger Posted by JonnyH]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:29:18 -0800 The Stranger Posted by GrammarCop]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:21:43 -0800 The Stranger Tickets.com is not a nonprofit. And although STG is a nonprofit, they get a pecuniary benefit from ticketing fees (regardless of the ticketing system). For example, STG adds a restoration fee to each ticket. So, while complaints about fees amounting to an appreciable percentage of the base ticket price are justifiable, such fees are not the exculsive domain of Ticketmaster. Note also that LN's claim here is fee transparency, not fee eradication--fees that LN does not have to share anymore.

And the face of the "battle" between LN and TM changed dramatically before year's end, although the linked article is silent on the point. Irving Azoff, one of, if not the, most powerful managers in music is now aligned with TM. Azoff's (Frontline's) roster includes a massive portion of the small group of artists that can fill arenas and amphitheaters. And who programs and/or owns nearly all of the amphitheaters? A: Live Nation. So, Irving, through his TM affiliation, gained significant leverage. LN needs Irving's acts in LN venues, and Irving now has a horse in the ticketing race (or, more accurately, the horse has Irving's roster). Take a guess which way the money flows in that equation.
Posted by California]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:03:45 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Jessica]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:51:52 -0800 The Stranger Posted by skweetis]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:47:52 -0800 The Stranger
"Master, Master
Where's the seats that I was after?
Master, Master
Second balcony side.
Master, Master
Now my seats are in the rafters
Master, Master
The ticket agent lied...."


Posted by Mr. X]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:36:22 -0800 The Stranger
"Wanna see the play?
Basketball today?
Just call us at Ticketmaster.

Our monopoly,
What you want to see
Everybody thinks we're bastards.

Money's all we need
Help us feed our greed
You're the ones we'll screw
Now we've got you too...

Come calling faster
Your cash burns faster
Seats in the rafters
We're Ticketmaster
Master

Master of tickets is taking your green
Convenience charges and handling fees
Yes these are the best available seats
Just call our lines you'll be holding for weeks.
Master, Master.
Just call our lines you'll be holding for weeks.
Master, Master....."

I also did one to the tune of Motorhead's "We are the Road Crew" entitled "We are the Phone Room", but I can't quite dredge that one up out of the mental files at the moment....
Posted by Mr. X]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:34:23 -0800 The Stranger embarassingly terrible photograph of an obscured Moore Theater marquee. I know times are tough at the Times, but who the hell is taking their photos now, third graders?
Posted by DOUG.]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:33:45 -0800 The Stranger tickets.com probably isn't much better. I just looked and tickets to Slipknot in Tulsa OK were $37.50 with a 50% convenience fee and some other $3 fee on top of that. I've just had such hatred of TicketBastard's monopoly so this makes me smile. I'll be strolling down to the Showbox after work for those Minus tickets.
Posted by Barky]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:12:18 -0800 The Stranger Posted by hugebeardog]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:58:09 -0800 The Stranger
I learned this valuable lesson at Freak Night this year, when people who paid the extra $15 for ticketmaster got to receive their will call tickets from the large stadium ticket counter, while discount ticket holders from 5 websites had to all wait in the same 2 hour line in front of a small makeshift shack.

(This is also partially why I will never go to Freak Night again.)
Posted by UNPAID COMMENTER]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:52:28 -0800 The Stranger Tickets.com charges no surcharges or fees then?
Posted by j.lee]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:50:54 -0800 The Stranger Posted by @]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:50:21 -0800 The Stranger
The Minus the Bear show at the Showbox on Friday - the benefit for John Spalding? $20 per ticket plus $8.10 booking fee each, not including the other fees - convenience/ticket printing fees etc.

Fuck Ticketmaster.
Posted by Barky]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:46:35 -0800 The Stranger