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September 1, 2009
A Little Bit of Chickenfoot And A Little Bit of Van Halen
Gibson, maker of some of the most-recognized guitars in the world of rock, recently interviewed Chickenfoot frontman Sammy Hagar. In addition to the guitar talk that would be expected, Hagar was asked some questions about his thoughts in the differences between his experience with Van Halen and his experience with Chickenfoot.
Hagar has gained himself a reputation as someone who does not hold back when it comes to his opinions, and this interview was no different. Regarding his motivation to start up a new band, the most influential factor seems to be that he wanted to “to play with the best players in the business.” He then goes on to refer to each other individual member of Chickenfoot as “the best” at what they do.
Those kinds of comments are somewhat reminiscent of his infamous statement made during the lead up to the group’s public debut when he said they could “rival Zep.” A statement Hagar later blamed on the consumption of a little to much tequila.
Everyone has their preference, but referring to to his band mates as “the best” comes across more like bravado and less like reality. Has Hagar never heard of Neil Peart, Terry Bozzio, Geddy Lee, Jack Bruce or Stevie Ray Vaughan? That’s partly a rhetorical question since he actually mentions Jack Bruce and Stevie Ray Vaughan during the interview.
No Hagar interview would be complete without a few words about Eddie Van Halen, whom Hagar refers to as slow compared to guitarist Joe Satriani when it comes to writing. Although he regards both Satriani and Van Halen as “phenomenal” players, in the end he says he thinks Satriani comes out on top when it comes to “a straight-up player, who can play anything, and plays perfect every time.”
You can read part one of the interview at the Gibson website.
Van Halen is in the news again for reasons that may not please them very much – to say nothing of their fans. According to the Wall Street Journal, the group became involved in Ticketmaster’s efforts during 2007 to increase their profits by teaming up with ticket brokers (also known as “scalpers”) . It was also reported to be an effort by Ticketmaster to thwart concert prompter Live Nation’s plans to enter the ticket business.
Ticketmaster’s CEO, Irving Azoff, also happened to be managing Van Halen, which created an opportunity for Ticketmaster to test their new strategy. During the fall of 2007, as many as 500 of the best seats for 20 Van Halen shows were not offered on the Ticketmaster system and were passed on to the brokers for sale to the public.
The brokers were able to keep 30% of the inflated price of the tickets they were allotted while the remaining 70% was shared between Ticketmaster, Van Halen, and their organization. The band reportedly netted at least an extra $1 million as a result. There was nobody available for comment from the Van Halen camp.
Since then Ticketmaster has decided they didn’t care to share a bed with the brokers and have decided to go to war against them instead, using new software that it hopes will make life difficult for them by blocking automated processes that some brokers use to obtain tickets in the highly competitive online grab for tickets the second they are made available for sale.
April 6, 2009
Ticketmaster Receives A ‘Ticket’ of Their Own
In news that may put smiles on the faces of some music fans, particularly those who enjoy a good Springsteen show, Ticketmaster has been served with subpoenas by the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission seeking information regarding it’s agreements with ticket re-sellers.
Not all that long ago, a number of Bruce Springsteen fans were angered over being re-directed to a re-seller website while trying to purchase tickets to some of the Jersey rocker’s upcoming shows. This not only angered the fans, but drew an angry reaction from Springsteen as well.
Although the company did make some peace offerings in the form of a $350,000 payment to the state of New Jersey and a random drawing for 1,000 fans who filed complaints, apparently that was not enough to get them off the hook.
I don’t dare speculate that Springsteen’s well-known support of Democratic candidates has anything to do with it, however, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, is now making noise about legislation that would put the kibosh on shady practices that allegedly go on behind the scenes at the big ticket brokers like Ticketmaster.
Although talk of new legislation from the Washington crowd is often cause for concern, this time it could end up being something a lot of music fans could get behind. If the allegations about Ticketmaster’s practices are true, it’s clear that something has to be done about it.
In addition to the U.S. Justice Department and the FTC, it was also reported that the New Jersey attorney general and the Canadian Competition Bureau are looking into the matter. Needless to say, not good news for the execs at Ticketmaster.
March 3, 2009
Ticketmaster Shells Out $350,000 Over Springsteen Ticket Complaints
Quite a few Bruce Springsteen fans were angry – very angry – when they attempted to purchase tickets to some New Jersey performances that are scheduled as part of Springsteen’s upcoming tour. Some fans report being re-directed from the main Ticketmaster website to a site known as TicketsNow, a ticket re-selling site that normally commands a higher price for tickets.
TicketsNow, not surprisingly, is owned by Ticketmaster.
The re-direction tactic didn’t just anger fans, it also drew the ire of “The Boss” himself, who was not at all pleased with what may have appeared to be an effort by TicketMaster to hold back tickets to his shows in favor of directing fans to a site where the tickets were more costly.
Springsteen did not hold back when it came to his feelings about the issue. The Jersey rocker described the move as an "abuse of our fans and our trust."
For its part, Ticketmaster has offered up an olive branch in the form of a $350,000 payment to the state of New Jersey. This is, presumably, the company’s way of saying “we’re sorry.”
Ticketmaster is also planning a random ticket drawing for 1,000 fans who filed complaints regarding the TicketsNow re-direction tactic, and were unable to obtain tickets to Springsteen shows scheduled for May 1st and 23rd at New Jersey’s Izod Center.
New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram started to look into the allegations regarding Ticketmaster’s practices after receiving an avalanche of complaints from angry fans.
November 14, 2008
Eagles Extend Tour Into Next Year
The Long Road Out of Eden just got a bit longer. The Eagles have decided to extend their tour into next year and although that’s good news for fans who have wanted to see them live and have not yet had the chance, there’s even more good news to report.
The cost of the tickets for the newly-added shows will not be accompanied by the additional fees fans have had to endure in the past. The elimination of the fees comes days after TicketMaster acquired a controlling stake in Irving Azoff’s Front Line Management Group, whose roster of acts includes the Eagles. Azoff himself is now the CEO of the new entity, dubbed Ticketmaster Entertainment.
TicketMaster is making moves towards transforming itself into an “all-encompassing entertainment company,” according to a statement from Azoff.
The new shows will commence in January with dates in the Eastern U.S., including Hampton, VA; Charlotte, NC; North Charleston, SC; Greensboro, NC; Greenville, SC; and Birmingham, AL.
Although I’m sure many fans were never sure about the justification for “convenience fees” that had been customary in the past, I am sure that fans will be happy to note their absence when they purchase tickets for next year’s Eagles shows. These days we don’t see prices dropping on many things other than fuel, so it’s commendable that Ticketmaster Entertainment has decided to give fans a break by eliminating those fees.
The current leg of the Long Road Out of Eden tour is scheduled to complete early next month and give the group a little time to rest up and enjoy the holidays. For more details and full tour itinerary, see Live Daily.
