Neil Young recently returned to the stage after a lengthy break, and, having lined up April performances at an autism benefit and Willie Nelson's 90th birthday, he's quickly learning what the rest of us already know: that ticket prices have become unbelievably high, especially thanks to reselling and surcharges. Young has spoken out to decry the state of the industry, declaring, "touring is broken."
In a March 19 post titled "Concert Touring Is Broken" on his Neil Young Archives website, he wrote, "It's over. The old days are gone. I get letters blaming me for $3,000.00 tickets for a benefit I am doing. That money does not go to me or the benefit. Artists have to worry about ripped off fans blaming them for Ticketmaster add-ons and scalpers. CONCERT TOURS are no longer fun. CONCERT TOURS not what they were."
He then quoted an article by Quartz about the Cure's recent struggle with ticket markups, and their recent efforts to get Ticketmaster to refund a portion of fees to fans. Young's post features the album cover from his 1973 live album Time Fades Away.
Previously, Young's decision to step away from touring had nothing to do with Ticketmaster prices, but rather because of safety concerns during the pandemic.
In a March 19 post titled "Concert Touring Is Broken" on his Neil Young Archives website, he wrote, "It's over. The old days are gone. I get letters blaming me for $3,000.00 tickets for a benefit I am doing. That money does not go to me or the benefit. Artists have to worry about ripped off fans blaming them for Ticketmaster add-ons and scalpers. CONCERT TOURS are no longer fun. CONCERT TOURS not what they were."
He then quoted an article by Quartz about the Cure's recent struggle with ticket markups, and their recent efforts to get Ticketmaster to refund a portion of fees to fans. Young's post features the album cover from his 1973 live album Time Fades Away.
Previously, Young's decision to step away from touring had nothing to do with Ticketmaster prices, but rather because of safety concerns during the pandemic.
