Broken-hearted Backstreet fans are wondering

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Dec 17, 2099 Source: The Hamilton Spectator Submitted By: tricia It came as a rude shock to a lot of parents -- and some younger female readers -- who were trying to buy Backstreet Boys tickets on Saturday. Not so much the hysteria but that so many seats sold almost instantly. Virtually seconds after tickets went on sale, fans were settling for seats dozens of rows back and in the upper tiers. By noon, the concert was sold out. Disappointed fans wept. Parents muttered, or worse. And owners of ticket agencies grinned from ear to ear. You want tickets? They got tickets. But that $63 piece of thin cardboard will cost you, oh, maybe $300, possibly $500. It's easy to damn the agencies as preying on obsessed young girls. But the longer view is less black-and-white. The cost of touring and promoting rock and pop acts is huge. With a few exceptions -- the boys from Orlando being an exception this year -- there are no sure things. How does a promoter protect himself against the huge risks of the live-entertainment business? He sells some seats to an agency, which then assumes part of the risk. He can't just sell the risky shows -- no one wants those -- so he contracts to sell them seats for every show, the sure things and the not-so sure. The re-sellers say they add their surcharges to cover the tickets they can't sell, either. Consumers are supposed to be protected by the Ticket Speculation Act, but its weak provisions make it increasingly difficult for prosecutors to get convictions. Some sports and music fans depend on re-sellers for tickets, preferring to pay a "service charge" than stand in line. Police have not made cracking down on scalpers a high priority. The public perception is that some agencies are gouging and that little girls get disappointed. Is there a better way? Concert and sports operators should disclose, or require promoters to disclose, how many, and which, seats will be available to the public. There should be accountability, particularly in publicly-owned venues. Going to a concert used to be easy -- and relatively inexpensive. Now, it's neither. At the very least, it should seem fair. -- Robert Howard Comment on this item. Next Item: The 12 Days Of Christmas Prev Item: A Backstreet Christmas Poem