In the ROLLING STONE interview Bruce Springsteen spoke about the criticism of the high ticket prices for his upcoming American tour – and defended his decision. This was preceded by an outcry among fans because tickets for the US concerts cost up to $5,000.
Bruce Springsteen: “I want to do what everyone else is doing”
The boss explained that he usually tries to charge a little less than his peers, but this time he took a different approach: “What I do is very simple. I say to my boys, ‘Go out and see what the others are doing. Let’s ask for a little less.’ That’s generally the direction. (…) In the last 49 years, or however long we’ve been playing, we’ve done pretty much everything below market value. I enjoyed that. It was great for the fans.”
>>> Order here – the exclusive 7″ inch, only in the ROLLING STONE On the A side “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)”, a cover version by Frank Wilson; on the B side “Nightshift”a hit by the Commodores.
However, he added: “This time I said to my people, ‘Hey, we’re 73 years old. (…) I want to do what my colleagues do.’ And that’s exactly what happened. That’s what we did.” What he apparently meant by that was: Raising the ticket prices to levels that not everyone can afford.
However, the artist acknowledged that buying has become very confusing for both fans and artists: “And the bottom line is that most of our tickets are absolutely affordable. You are in this average range. We thus sell the cards that go somewhere else to a [höheren] price would be sold. The ticket broker or someone else will take that money. I’m like, ‘Hey, why shouldn’t this money go to the guys who sweat three hours a night for it?’ I know this is unpopular for some fans. But if there are any complaints that way, those can get their money back.”
Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau has also – to the New York Times commented on the review: “Regardless of the comments about a small number of tickets costing $1,000 or more, our actual average price for tickets is in the mid-range of $200. I believe in today’s environment that’s a fair price to pay to see someone who is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists of his generation.”
The background to the statement of the musician
A few months ago there was an outcry when tickets to Springsteen’s tour, for the first time since 2017 with The E Street Band, went on sale. According to reports Some tickets cost $5,000 each thanks to Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing model.” In Germany, the “Boss” will be giving five concerts in June and July 2023, and there has been no criticism of the ticket prices, which are significantly lower, in Germany.
The new cover record “Only The Strong Survive”
Springsteen guested on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for three nights last week to talk about his latest work Only The Strong Survive (2022) – read our review here. There he also performed his version of “Nightshift”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoWwimT9qWI
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