Ticketmaster CEO says concert tickets are too cheap, actually.

Ticketmaster CEO says concert tickets are too cheap, actually, if you think about it

So out of touch he's in space.
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Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino thinks concerts are too cheap, actually. Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Matthews Martins

Perhaps facing reality head on is the most honest way to try to escape it.

136 Comments

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  1. This is a brilliant strategy for losing customers and revenue. Sheesh!

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  2. This is exactly why I have not been to a large concert in about 15 years. I refuse to support their greed. Support local musicians!

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  3. I think if the stage productions are that extravagant then they should have a higher price for the production company itself not the people that give you access to the show. This type of stuff has been going since the 90s. The artist deserve to be paid. The production people need to get paid. Ticketmaster is nothing more than a gatekeeper and a horrible mobile app that doesn't work right half the time

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  4. Talk about being out of touch

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  5. I honestly don't mind so much when ticket prices go up a bit, as long as that money is going to the people who do the show: the performers, their staff, the venue, etc. They're the ones actually doing the work to provide the entertainment, and paying them enough to cover the costs is a good thing. That makes the ticket a "fair price".

    What I don't like is when a big chunk of that money goes to worthless middlemen, like this ticket-selling CEO and the scalpers he enables. They're the ones pushing pricing as "what the market will bear", which is really just leech-speak for "whatever I can cheat the fans out of".

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  6. What a crazy thing to say. He must not know many normal working schmoes. We gave up going to concerts. Too expensive.

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  7. I always try where possible to use the alternative to ticket master. I know in North America you don't usually have an alternative. They really are a disease of a company.

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  8. I saw Chicago opening for the Jimi Hendrix Experience in '69 for $6 or $8.

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  9. congratulations article author! you've caught up to a discussion that began more than 5 years ago!

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  10. Someone should remind him what happened when Gerald Ratner said stupid things about his own product and his own customers’ buying power.

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  11. He's greedy, it's time to Boycott Ticketmaster!!!🖕⚖️🗳🇺🇸

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  12. CEO Michael Rapino is delulu and needs help. I never buy from Ticketmaster. I'd rather stay home than buy tickets from them.

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  13. He’s full of it!…

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  14. Pual McCartney & Wings... the Wings Over America tour in 1976. I went. Good seats. I paid $6.00... I still have the ticket stub. Allowing for inflation, that's $34 today. So yeah,today's concert prices are a freaking joke. When face value is hundreds of dollars, and resale is tens to thousands of time that? That's a joke. For example, two front row seats for McCartney in SoCal in a few weeks are listed for resale at $17,500... each. Seventeen thousand five hundred dollars. Each. The system is broken. Sadly, this is not only artist greed and promoter greed and reseller greed... the fans have done this to themselves. They pay it. If all of a sudden fans just said screw it, it's not worth it... those prices would drop like a rock. And that is exactly what we all should do.

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    1. I must have been ripped of then when saw The Eagles on the Hotel California tour in Savannah at same time. I was charged a whopping $12.00. They were general admission tickets on the floor of the arena (no seats down there) and I stood right in front of the stage. I had the opportunity to see them again on the Hell Freezes over tour in the mid 1990's. The tickets for lawn seating at Riverport in St Louis were $60 which I thought was astronomical. Little did I know what a bargain that would look like. Fast forward to just a few years ago when they came through Dallas. I looked for tickets and decided that seeing them for what a small car would cost was not worth it.

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  15. How does TicketMaster control prices? they don't own the Arenas and Stadiums. All Musicians should form a Union or co-op so they can control what is being charged like dairy farmers and other growers do.

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    1. Check your history. Pearl Jam tried to do what you recommended and not sell any tickets through Ticketmaster at the peak of their career and even they couldn't do it because Ticketmaster had contracts locking down venues so they could ONLY sell tickets to their events via TicketMaster so even Pearl Jam just gave up trying to change things. It's a monopoly artists have no power over.

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    2. TicketMaster belongs to Live Nation, and Live Nation controls around 80% of the live entertainment industry. Live Nation also owns a large quantity of medium and small size venues. While they don't own the large stadiums and arenas, they exert a lot of influence on the live event pricing.

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    3. They cut deals with arenas to be the sole provider. You can't go to the arena without using them. Plain and simple.


      We had a great setup here with a difference company - they couldn't make headway here so they bought the company that did our tickets and our prices have skryrocketed ever since.

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    4. It does to some extent...How much do they charge to sell the tickets? If they add 100 to a ticket price then certainly do help control prices...Does ticket master resell tickets like some third party companies? If so what is their markup? And they need to stop allowing scalpers to buy up huge sections and resell at massive price hikes...

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  16. someone needs to ask him for a cost vs demand curve. These venues will be a lot emptier with higher prices and they may actually lose money overall

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  17. What a load of crap. I looked at ticket prices from when I was a kid in the 80s and included real numbers to account for inflation. CEO is way off base.

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  18. Shop local, folks. There's a genuinely talented artist playing an open mic night that you've never heard of, likely for free.

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    1. even now the best musicians that have cds out are not the clowns playing the big venues....those are usually talentless, autotune artists

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  19. Unpopular opinion here: In the 90s we all lined up at TM cuz there was no alternative. Then Pearl Jam fought back and I cheered along. 20 years later and I realized finding tickets was more complicated than ever. Sad to say, I missed the ease of lining up at TM. Now I don't even try.
    Like Amanda says...shop local!

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  20. Truly unbelievable. "Music has been under-appreciated," translates to I want to make more money and gouge fans! Most people don't realize that artists have nothing to do with dynamic pricing and don't receive extra money. TicketMaster/Live Nation is a monopoly and should be dissolved,

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  21. He is the CEO, if he really believes what he says then he should raise the prices. The fact he hasn't basically proves himself wrong. What he is trying to do is make people believe they should pay more in hopes they will.


    Demand sets prices not the cost of production. If no one is willing to pay enough to cover the cost of production then the show is a bad idea.

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  22. I've started going to see local tribute bands instead of the real thing. Almost as good, and 10% of the cost of a ticket, and sometimes its free! Just saw a Journey tribute band, Petty tribute band, and going to see a U2 tribute band.

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  23. I stopped going to shows when the tickets exceeded $100. I have seen over a hundred Rock and Metal shows and the prices have far exceeded inflation. Ticket master is currently saving me lots of money and I have not been to a show since 2020.

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  24. There are 2 solutions to this problem. Solution 1 don't go. solution 2, eliminate the corporate write off for tickets, which has helped drive the prices through the roof.

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  25. Ticketmaster is as big of ripoff as one can get. I quit going to events because they just keep piling on fees. It is just not worth it.

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    1. Those extra fees are criminal, but the main factor shooting up prices for popular live entertainment shows and sport events is demand; and Ticketmaster is finding ways to capitalize on that too. First, Ticketmaster implement dynamic pricing a few years ago, that means that if tickets for an event are selling fast, the prices will increase accordingly. Second, is the resell market. Professional scalpers buy tickets for popular events and then resell for double or triple of the ticket price as long as people is willing to pay for them. Ticketmaster also has a stake in the resell market, although it has more competition from companies like Stubhub.

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  26. 70K?? I'm going to say this out load. STOP BUYING! No one is worth hard working folks selling everything or going into debt to go see. THEY are never going to talk to you or meet you. Ditch the fantasy that they will be your BFF. Go see local artist. They deserve the fanbase more then these rich asses

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  27. Actually, Ticketmaster is too greedy. Selling concert and sports tickets at three time the ticket face value is greed. I refuse to buy tickets from Ticketmaster any more.

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  28. I haven't went to a lip sync show in years. The cost is crazy high and you don't even get a paper ticket any longer to keep as a souvenir. What a souvenir? Buy a $75 tee shirt. Want a $25 beer? No I'm good champ.

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  29. He's right. As long as people keep buying them, they are market price. Personally I won't be buying them.

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  30. Don't go! Being gouged on concert tickets is a choice. I don't care how bad I want something...I won't let someone rip me off to get it.

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  31. he looks like the kind of scumbag who would say something like that. They can charge whatever prices they want, the market will work itself out, higher prices mean less tickets sold, lower prices mean more tickets sold. wasnt beyonce almost giving away tickets at her last tour because nobody cared anymore

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  32. Glad to see the game industry isn't the only one with out of touch CEOs spouting junk like this.

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  33. I guess that the days of seeing The Allman Bros . , The Grateful Dead and the Band for an ENTIRE WEEKEND for TEN BUCKS is over ?????????????????? Yeah , that Watkins Glen weekend was a blast !

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  34. Not Cheap after clowns like TicketMaster charge all of their 'convenience' fees!

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  35. Ticketmaster, what's their worth?

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  36. yes they're cheap ....out of touch much CEO

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  37. What an absolute fuggin troll this guy is.

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  38. There is an easy way to force ticket prices lower, stop going...

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  39. That vest looks cheap is all I see....

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  40. too cheap for that rich bastard, he must need a 3rd house.

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  41. Here's a guy the world would be better off without.

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  42. CNBC ---- he might as well shown up on FOX .

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  43. ceo man wonders why you don't have more money

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  44. Seems to me that cutting the middle man out of the equation is the way to go. That middleman being Ticketmaster.

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  45. The “actually “ is what sells it. 🙄

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  46. If they cut your job they’d be more affordable

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  47. How much is his salary and stock options ......

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  48. Where’s Luigi when you need him?

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    1. ohhh noo..... boo.

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    2. lol you support fascists, completely out of touch.

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    3. this guy deserves to disappear and if u don’t agree u deserve to go with him

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    4. by not promoting violence and what happened to the united health care guy that makes me that, wow, I suppose, you don't think that that's violence.I suppose you think that's justice

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  49. Finally, someone brave enough to say the quiet part out loud 💀

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  50. Yep this guy is high on snow

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  51. They are too high… That’s why I don’t go to concerts anymore!

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  52. And the rich just keep getting richer 😠

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  53. The ticket prices aren’t the issue it’s all the insane fees that his company charge on top that make the prices so high

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  54. Wants another yacht? Car? Or Mansion?

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  55. Raise the prices then I couldn’t care less I don’t go lol

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  56. Is he joking their insanely priced and hard to get at times!

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  57. Corporations have taken capitalism from consumerism to let's just put the consumer in a place where they can't decide to do anything better than what we're going to offer them.

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  58. All I'm hearing is sporting event tickets are too high.

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  59. I haven’t been to a concert in years, why?? Because they’re ridiculously expensive!

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  60. One thing that sucks about Ticketmaster is they let bots buy all the tickets and then they resell them for a higher price. I say it’s bullshit.

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  61. Simple. Cancel ticket master.

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  62. Some needs some bting

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  63. When he became CEO in 2022, he got $3 million base salary, a $6 million signing bonus, a $12 million cash bonus, and approximately $116 million in stock awards. His base salary is FIXED at $3 mil. Tell me again that ticket prices are cheap. 🤬

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  64. https://giphy.com/gifs/classic-staring-96DeW8wUdpN96

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  65. "Idiot of elephantine proportions!"

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  66. Of course that's his stance, he wants to keep his $3 million base salary, gotta keep prices up.

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  67. He looks like the greaseball from 16 candles. IYKYK.

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  68. It’s not the tickets that are expensive is the bot scam resellers who take all the initial tickets and drive up the price!

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    1. It’s part of the problem but not the main problem. It used to be illegal to stand outside of stadium and sell your ticket for more than the face value but somehow it’s legal if you do it online. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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  69. Yeah right….. when you stop charging us to print our own tickets, we’ll talk, maybe!

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  70. This is one of the reasons why the US instated the RICO act, so why is this guy still running his scam?

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  71. I have money and wouldn't pay those prices... stupidity at it's finest..

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  72. If I “think about it”, the actual concert tickets are fairly priced, it’s the absorbent and endless fees stacked on top that are unreasonable.

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  73. $17 isn’t enough for a can of beer either, if you think about it.

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  74. Bullshit, tickets are way to expensive.I won't pay for anything I can live steam now.Safer.

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  75. That’s why you collude with scammers and fraudsters, giving them priority access to initial release tickets so they can resell them at ten times their face value.

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  76. I feel sorry for kids these days. When I was young, it was fairly reasonable to be able scrounge up $15-25 to go see a show whenever something cool was in town and if you had another $15-20, you could get a t-shirt. That same ticket is like $200 minimum these days and the shirt is $50. I went to so many shows. I could never afford even a fraction of my past experiences at these prices. Kids have been royally screwed.

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    1. Agree!! Sad for the kids. We had so many awesome experiences.

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  77. How much money did they make out of Ozzy’s cancelled tour for 3 years????
    Another despicable rich lady garden….

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  78. Any concert that sells out is priced too low. Law of supply and demand

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  79. CEOs and shareholder greed again

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  80. Says the guy who looks like every road manager/dope dealer from practically every band scene in the 70s.

    Buy local. Support local. Your $$ goes further.

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  81. Stop charging the public for printing their own tickets. Have you got another Ferrari you’re thinking of buying have you?

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    1. what venues are you going to? Vast majority use an App no need to print anything

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    2. exactly my point….. is there still a charge for printing included? Maybe not, but instead it’s called an 8 or $9 service fee. You know what I mean, C’mon. Stop talking semantics.

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  82. Simple solution...
    Everyone stop going to concerts & they will drop the price pretty damn fast.

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  83. Dude looks like a character from GTA Vice City with that 80s movie drug dealer suave.

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  84. “As consumers, we've all come to expect paying high prices”

    Vote, or in this case don’t, with your wallet…

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  85. Tickets too cheap or hairline too deep?!

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  86. This makes me believe more in economic resistance than I already do. You saw what we could do to DISNEY/ABC with Kimmel. If we all stopped buying these tickets and stopped paying these ridiculous fees and only purchase tickets from smaller venues maybe we could get our old world back. We've been priced out of shows for years now. It's literally ridiculous. Even the bands that have to sell their tickets on LiveNation don't want to. They are trapped.

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  87. Why exactly do we still need a third party to purchase tickets off of? Why can't we just purchase tickets at retail value from the venue or event website itself without them?

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    1. look into the ticket agents you will find that they own the venues and lock artists into using their ticket agents as part of the contract.
      Live Nation Entertainment (which owns Ticketmaster): Live Nation is a major player, not just in ticketing (through Ticketmaster), but also in concert promotion and venue operation/ownership. As of early 2023, Live Nation's reports indicated the company had controlling interests in 338 venues globally, including amphitheaters, theaters, and clubs. This includes many large music venues and the well-known chain of House of Blues venues. Their combination of promotion, ticketing, and venue control is often cited as a source of market dominance.

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  88. If we didnt book any concert tickets for the next 6 months things would dramatically change.

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  89. This is one of many reasons why Capitalism sucks

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    1. it fine when it's truly free-market . Now government gets to pick the winners and losers.

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    2. You interested in the alternative?

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    3. which alternative?

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  90. I no longer attend Live Nation events.

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  91. I stopped going to concerts due to all the fees, and price to see a show. Same with sports games. Sports were the first off the list of things to do.

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  92. The tickets are cheap, it’s the fees that kill you.

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  93. Thats why I dont go any longer... js

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  94. My perspective…prepare for the fees to equal another ticket price

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  95. More that my SS benefit check,,f them

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  96. Good excuse to price gouge more

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  97. Says the guy who looks like every road manager/dope dealer from practically every band scene in the 70s.

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  98. I have thought about it. He's wrong. And the charges they pile on are outrageous.

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  99. Reason don't go to many shows isn't cause not interested just cost too much

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  100. What a load of crap

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