Ticketmaster/Live Nation near merger (Wall Street Journal)

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

IMP has their own interests in this, not ours. 

NO!!!! REALLY?!?!?!?!?!

[Seth Hurwitz]

Seth has already said he won't  care about high ticket prices until people stop coming. 

when did I say that

[walkonby]

Seth has already said he won't  care about high ticket prices until people stop coming. 

when did I say that

i'm not sure if it was about prices . . . but i remember seth said something awhile ago on the lines of "if you don't like it then stay the fuck home."  i fell in love with him after that.  but i can't remember what it was in reference to.

[wml7]

Seth has already said he won't  care about high ticket prices until people stop coming. 

when did I say that

i'm not sure if it was about prices . . . but i remember seth said something awhile ago on the lines of "if you don't like it then stay the fuck home."  i fell in love with him after that.  but i can't remember what it was in reference to.

I think this was in reference to your club as cat's post 

[walkonby]

you just know that seth is one poker playing hustler!  he won't deny . . . he will testify.

[Driveway]

Seth has already said he won't  care about high ticket prices until people stop coming. 

when did I say that

Isn't that what vote with your wallet means?

[Seth Hurwitz]

that means that the laws of supply & demand will either support high ticket prices or bring them down

it doesn't mean I don't care...it means that as long as people are willing to pay it, the bands will think it's ok

the problem with this merger is that neither of those entities have had any concern with supply & demand...they force their vision of economics on the world, and don't read the signs how it's working

the purpose of the merger is the last step to finally control everything, forcing independent promoters to match their offers if they want to even be close to being in the game

I am all for competition, believe it or not...it's what forced us to build the 930, create a better amphitheatre, book the best festival we can, etc

what I am against is government subsidies (Silver Spring), and monopoly power that forces a false economy on people instead of the laws of supply & demand

people should not be angry when they go to concerts

and if you don't like it now, it's going to get worse than you can imagine if this merger goes thru

speak up or don't complain:

<a href="mailto:antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov?subject=Stop the Ticketmaster/Live Nation Merger&bcc=stopmerger@930.com">antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov[/url]

[Driveway]

the problem with this merger is that neither of those entities have had any concern with supply & demand...they force their vision of economics on the world, and don't read the signs how it's working

with this i can agree.

[MonkeyPants]

I think that if you want to mobilize your customers and music fans in general, you need to make it easier to register a complaint.  Set up an online letter-writing campaign the way moveon.org does it making it easier for people to send out a form letter, adjust anything they want to, and make it easy for them to send the letter to the right place.  Hipsters are lazy.  They don't like this merger business, but not enough to actually write a letter! 

I hate ticketmaster and livenation... but, practice what you preach.

Agreed.  The best way to lead is by example.

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

In the last 12 years, since Live Nation and its predecessor started its widespread takeover of the concert industry, concert ticket prices have shot up 82% while the consumer price index has gone up just 17%*.

Oh, so a monopoly drives up prices. Unless we're discussing you having a competing venue in your backyard, in which case competition drives up prices, right? So... which is it Seth?

[Seth Hurwitz]

genuine competition, without government subsidy or monopoly, keeps prices down...that used to be part of the competition process

when the laws of supply & demand are eliminated by false economics (government subsidy or monopoly), there is no longer that criteria, and offers are made with the simple intention of getting the show booked...in this case to have the grosses to report as "revenue"...without worrying about how the bottom line turns out

I have never, and will never, complain or do anything to stop anyone from competing on a level playing field

[Driveway]

Just out of curiosity, How do you feel about Wolf Trap?

[RatBastard]

Seth, who at 930 is reading the BCCs that are going to the stopmerger mail box?

[Seth Hurwitz]

Just out of curiosity, How do you feel about Wolf Trap?

they do a fantastic job, and I never cry foul when they get a show I wanted

plus, Peter Zimmerman, the guy who books it, couldn't be a nicer person

I also feel the same way about the Birchmere, and the Black Cat...they work hard and do honest business, which is good for everybody

when people have a good time & don't feel ripped off, they want to go to more shows

now...there are some people you just can't please...those were the ones I was speaking to when I said stay the fuck home

and then there are some who clearly have an agenda of calling me out for having an agenda

[Sage 703]

Haven't posted on here in a long time. 

I also no longer have a personal interest in the Ticketmaster/Live Nation issue (no longer in that line of work).  I have my own feelings on the merger, largely colored by my experience with the company. But this jumped out at me, given the 9:30's email this week, pushing people to http://ticketdisaster.org/

Bringing up the website, the first thing listed in the "About Us" section is:

The National Association of Ticket Brokers, formed in 1994, is the non-profit trade association dedicated to protecting consumers and the secondary ticket market. For more information on NATB and consumer protection efforts, please visit www.NATB.org.

Given the repeated statements against the secondary ticket market that have come on this board and from the club (like, say, here: http://www.930.com/forum/index.php?topic=18687.0), this seems like a marriage of convenience that is a bit questionable.

What's more:

Seth has already said he won't  care about high ticket prices until people stop coming. 

when did I say that

Well, right here:

http://www.930.com/forum/index.php?topic=18687.msg277131#msg277131

OK let me revise that

this would be like someone buying the remaining guiness

anyway, point is, I am a capitalist and will charge you as much for a beer as I think I can get away with, before too many people get pissed off...same with tickets

but I would like to be the one setting those prices in my businesses, not someone else

and I have zero concern for people that categorically whine about prices going up, because those people have zero concern about my financial picture

Ultimately, I don't have a problem with Seth or the club being against the merger - it makes perfect business sense.  I love the 9:30 Club and what it brings to the city.  But at least be upfront with everybody about the motivations: it is about money, plain and simple.  Backing the website set up by the National Association of Ticket Brokers seems perfectly in line with that fact, despite past statements on the secondary ticket market.

The merger impacts the bottom line.  Like Seth said: he's a capitalist.  This objection is about capitalism.