Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 21 February 2017
Eric Church cancels 25K tickets bought by scalpers

KRISTIN M. HALL The “Springsteen” singer
Associated Press told The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — he’s going to do everything
Country star Eric Church he can do to stop what he
has been battling ticket calls a criminal organiza-
scalpers for years as his tion that’s making millions.
popularity grew and he be- “They buy thousands of
gan selling out arenas. But tickets across the U.S., not
he’s taken his biggest step just mine, and they end up
yet by cancelling more making a fortune,” Church
than 25,000 tickets to his said in an interview. “They
spring tour that were pur- use fake credit cards, fake
chased by scalpers and IDs. All of this is fraud.”
putting them back on sale The tickets will be released
for fans to purchase. on Tuesday at noon local

In this Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016, file photo, Country music singer Eric Church performs at halftime
during an NFL football game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys in Arlington,
Texas.
Associated Press
time for the remaining stops like StubHub and Tickets- utes in Atlanta. I want the
of the 60-city tour. Previ- Now at average margins fans who are, by the last
ously purchased tickets for of 49 percent above face hour of the show, pulling
his tour stops in Canada, value and sometimes more me to the end.”
which start Feb 28 in On- than 10 times the price. Church’s new tour is among
tario, have already been Over the years Church has the top 10 global tours with
released and more tickets tried a variety of methods ticket prices averaging
for his shows in Washing- to crack down on resell- $60.67, according to Poll-
ton and Oregon will go on ing tickets for money. He’s star. He doesn’t want to set
sale on Feb. 27.Church has used paperless ticketing, prices at $500 for the clos-
used this same method to where buyers have to show est seats because “that’s
cancel tickets purchased a credit card at the door of not the people who have
by scalpers for a few indi- the venue. He’s also tried gotten me here.”
vidual shows previously, but increasing the price of the Last year Congress passed
never on this scale and few tickets to make them less legislation to make the use
artists are as meticulous as appealing to resellers and of computerized software
Church is when it comes to has increased screening of used by ticket brokers to
verifying who is purchasing purchases through his fan snap up tickets an “unfair
tickets for his shows. club, which has access to and deceptive practice”
“We’re getting better at the best seats before the under the Federal Trade
identifying who the scalp- general public, according Commission Act and allow
ers are,” Church said. “Ev- to Fielding Logan, one of the FTC to go after those
ery artist can do this, but Church’s managers at Q who use it. But Church says
some of them don’t. Some Prime South. that kind of legislation is
of them don’t feel the way Church admits that a lot of toothless without enforce-
I feel or are as passionate.” these methods are arduous ment and argues that very
In a report last year, investi- for the average fan, but he few scalpers are caught or
gators in New York Attorney said he doesn’t want his prosecuted.
General Eric Schneider- most loyal fans to pay in- “They are not really back-
man’s office cited a single flated prices to see him per- ing it up with prosecuting
broker that bought 1,012 form. On this year’s Holdin’ these people,” Church
tickets within one minute My Own Tour, he’s got no said. “I don’t believe they
to a U2 concert at Madison opening band and is play- will anytime soon.”
Square Garden when they ing two extended sets of But he said in the mean-
went on sale on Dec. 8, hits from his entire catalog, time, he can control who
2014, despite the vendor’s including the multiplatinum buys his tickets and he in-
claim of a four-ticket limit. album “Chief” and his most tends to do just that.
By day’s end, that broker recent Country Music Asso- “Our fans know that as
and one other had 15,000 ciation album of the year long as we tour, we’re go-
tickets to U2’s North Ameri- “Mr. Misunderstood.” ing to do everything we
can shows. “We’re doing 39-40 songs,” can to make sure they pay
The report said third-party Church said. “I played face value for the ticket,”
brokers resell tickets on sites three hours and forty min- Church said.q