Springsteen Fan Magazine, Backstreet Closes Down

WeFixFlats

WeFixFlats

Respect The Clave
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After 43(!) years they are over and done with 'The Boss' over the 'dynamic ticket pricing' fiasco. Look, Springsteen is so filthy rich, he could have just made all of his concerts FREE, via lottery, and paid for the entire tour out of his own pocket as a 'give back' to his loyal fans and still have plenty left over. Net worth: $650 Million Dollars. But no...

ultimateclassicrock.com

Revered Bruce Springsteen Fanzine Closes Over Ticket Pricing Fury

Respected Bruce Springsteen fanzine 'Backstreets' closed after 43 years as editors feel dispirited over his ticket-pricing controversy in February 2023.
ultimateclassicrock.com ultimateclassicrock.com
 
when ultra rich performers in any industry say we want to thank the fans, without whom they would not be rich, they simply want to "thank you", not necessarily give you a freebie or take money out of their own pockets (although, there are a few exceptions).
 
Isn’t it ironic how an artist who plays on the extreme left of the political spectrum and who is always bad mouthing big corporations and their greed goes out and does something like this, imagine that. He’s all about the money just like the big bad corporations are that he likes to slam, didn’t he just sell his catalog for over $500 million? The only way to stop this price craziness is for the fans to stop buying the tickets at crazy prices. But that’s not going to happen because of all this “it’s all about me” nonsense. Too many people want to brag on their digital media of how special they are because they spent the crazy money, “look at me where I’m sitting, don’t you wish you were me”, followed up with tons of selfies posted all over.
 
Ruffone said:
Isn’t it ironic how an artist who plays on the extreme left of the political spectrum and who is always bad mouthing big corporations and their greed goes out and does something like this, imagine that. He’s all about the money just like the big bad corporations are that he likes to slam, didn’t he just sell his catalog for over $500 million? The only way to stop this price craziness is for the fans to stop buying the tickets at crazy prices. But that’s not going to happen because of all this “it’s all about me” nonsense. Too many people want to brag on their digital media of how special they are because they spent the crazy money, “look at me where I’m sitting, don’t you wish you were me”, followed up with tons of selfies posted all over.
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I'm a huge Bruce fan, since I was 15 years old. And I agree 100%. Sorely disappointed in him with this recent money grab. And yes- he did just sell his catalog for $500 million, which I never thought he'd do: he's always been STAUNCHLY against anyone using his music for anything, unless he wrote the piece specifically for it (like "The Streets of Philadelphia" for the movie "Philadelphia".)

Without getting political, I'll never understand how the Uber-rich musicians/actors/artists always end up on the extreme left of the spectrum, when if they actually lived under the style of government they espouse, they would never be filthy rich. Whatever. I have to keep music and politics separate... if I judge what music I listen to based on the politics [or personalities] of the creators, my iPod would be a WHOLE LOT lighter.

I've seen Bruce twice, so I'm good. Once on the Born In The USA tour when I was 15 (a religious experience, and the reason I became a musician/guitarist/songwriter), and also on the 1st reunion with the E Street Band after his 2 "solo" records. His broadway show, for those who haven't seen it, is fantastic, and his recent autobiography is one of the best I've ever read. But I'm not paying those ticket prices unless Robert Plant and Jason Bonham tour with Page and Jones. Or if Steve Perry toured with Journey.
 
The one question I've never seen answered about this (and I don't know the answer) - if Ticketmaster uses dynamic pricing to jump up the price of the tickets, does the artist get a cut of that? Because there's a world of difference here if this is all being done w/o the artists benefitting from it.
 
A product is worth whatever people are willing to pay for it. If Bruce is still selling out shows I guess he's asking what he's worth.

I don't go to big concerts anymore so ticket pricing doesn't affect me.

But I will say that if anyone is worth that kind of dough, Bruce is.

Seen him twice and both times it was the best concert experience I've ever had.

He put on a three hour show both times.
 
11top said:
I’ve been to a bunch of concerts over the years. I’ve only walked out on 3. Springsteen was one; it sucked. :eek:
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Well I've never seen Bruce suck.

But I walked out early from a Jeff Beck concert a few years ago and he's been my favorite guitarist for about 55 years.

Too loud. It was at the Phoenix Opera House in Arizona. A 1000 seater. They were just too damn loud.

But I still love Jeff Beck.
 
I don't care for most of Sprinsteens stuff, because it just sounds like he's either mumbling or shouting, to cover up the fact he doesnt know the words to his own songs. I do like the covers of For You and Blinded By the Light that Manfred Mann did, just not how Bruce did them. The wife asked If wanted to go if she could get tickets, i said if your goung to shell out that much just buy me a new PRS. That way at least one of us will be happy.
 
For me, the challenge in this discussion is always that if there is a market for these prices, then the artist should get the money instead of the scalpers. It is the same thing with professional athletes and movie stars. Do I think we value entertainment too highly as a society? Yes. But if the money is coming in, then the talent should get the lion's share.

But it sure does price out fans. Before dynamic pricing and crazy premiums, regular folks had a chance to get good seats. But then scalpers were probably taking a huge chunk of the revenue potential from the artist.

While it has its own flaws, I do like it when artists make seats available to verified fans specifically, but I think that concept is completely fading out. I know Metallica used to do that (and maybe Iron Maiden if I remember correctly), but very few big acts have even attempted to do it. When the Police did their tour, my wife and I got tickets because she was a fan club member.
 
Jamie Lee Curtis made this comment about Springsteen, U2 and Coldplay

"I am gonna just say this now as a taunt and as a suggestion. U2, do a matinee. Coldplay, do a matinee. What about a 12 noon concert, Coldplay? What about it?" asked Curtis, 64, while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the Independent Spirit Awards red carpet on Saturday.


"Bruce Springsteen, do a f---ing matinee! You're old! Why wouldn't you let me come see you, Bruce Springsteen, in your glory days — pun intended — and do it at noon or one o'clock? Two o'clock! Two o'clock matinee!" continued the Oscar nominee. "Theatre in New York, two o'clock! I will come and hear your five-hour concert, Bruce, at two o'clock, and I'm gonna be home and in bed by 7:30."
 
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rwandering said:
For me, the challenge in this discussion is always that if there is a market for these prices, then the artist should get the money instead of the scalpers. It is the same thing with professional athletes and movie stars. Do I think we value entertainment too highly as a society? Yes. But if the money is coming in, then the talent should get the lion's share.

But it sure does price out fans. Before dynamic pricing and crazy premiums, regular folks had a chance to get good seats. But then scalpers were probably taking a huge chunk of the revenue potential from the artist.

While it has its own flaws, I do like it when artists make seats available to verified fans specifically, but I think that concept is completely fading out. I know Metallica used to do that (and maybe Iron Maiden if I remember correctly), but very few big acts have even attempted to do it. When the Police did their tour, my wife and I got tickets because she was a fan club member.
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But going on your theory… Would they be great movie stars without a great script and a great director or equally great supporting cast? And then without the financial backing needed to acquire the best of the above, would the movie or actor still be great? And then the superstar athlete, would he still be the sought after star athlete without a supporting cast to help them win? Would a superstar QB be just as good if the line didn’t block for him or if he didn’t have the great receivers to catch his passes? And it goes back to the financial backer, would they all be great if someone didn’t fork over the money to hire the good coaches and the great supporting staff?
 
Ruffone said:
But going on your theory… Would they be great movie stars without a great script and a great director or equally great supporting cast? And then without the financial backing needed to acquire the best of the above, would the movie or actor still be great? And then the superstar athlete, would he still be the sought after star athlete without a supporting cast to help them win? Would a superstar QB be just as good if the line didn’t block for him or if he didn’t have the great receivers to catch his passes? And it goes back to the financial backer, would they all be great if someone didn’t fork over the money to hire the good coaches and the great supporting staff?
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Hey, that's all true. And I didn't mean that the superstar should get all the money, by any means. Perhaps my analogy is a bad one: these superstar musicians are in a different category since they (presumably) have more control over what they do and how they do it.
 
One thing I have not seen is whether or not the artists get anything from the premium pricing. I saw recently that the Cure said there will be no premium pricing for their tour, but I've never heard anyone say that the artists actually benefit from either premium pricing or the authorized resales.
 
I think they must get a benefit. I don't see how the artist would agree that Ticketmaster sets prices and keeps the money.
 
rwandering said:
I think they must get a benefit. I don't see how the artist would agree that Ticketmaster sets prices and keeps the money.
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That's what I'd think, but I've also seen a few artists (at least in the early days of it) say they weren't aware it was happening. Put it this way - I wouldn't put it past Ticketmaster to do that.
 
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