Over the last few years Ticketmaster's views of the secondary market have been all over the board. 

For years their stance was vehemently against the secondary market throwing accusations at the key players Ebay and Stubhub left and right.  Filing multiple lawsuits and encouraging sports teams and artists not to pair with either company (which is now one since Ebay acquired Stubhub).

But Ticketmaster did a sudden about face this year purchasing Ticketsnow the second largest secondary market ticketing site behind Stubhub, for $265 million.   Ticketmaster also bought one the largest secondary ticketing companies in the UK, ATS Ticketing who own the site GetMeIn!. 

Why the sudden about face?  Ticketmaster has been looking for years at the different ways to get involved in the massive profits secondary players were making.  They originally launched their 'ticketexchange' hoping to steal some of the secondary markets thunder and later selling premium tickets at auction on their own site.  Neither approached worked and the secondary market has continued to grow.

With Ticketmaster now heavily involved in the secondary market this raises some interesting issues.  For starter couldn't Ticketmaster now, instead of offering high demand tickets for sale on the Ticketmaster site for fair game, just put these high demand tickets directly onto its secondary site Ticketsnow for inflated prices and take the proceeds?  Does Ticketmaster have an obligation to the consumer to allow the average consumer, whether it be a fan or a ticket broker a chance to purchase these tickets at face value?

This is what Elton John fans and brokers alike are wondering in Canada right now, where Ticketmaster is being accused of witholding premium tickets and listing them for sale at inflated prices on Ticketsnow.  They even went as far as redirecting user to Ticketsnow to purchase tickets.

This situation is not new to Ticketmaster who was recently accused of scalping premium Radiohead tickets.

In this case Ticketmaster has neither confirmed nor denied these accusations and only had this to say, "The inventory belongs to the promoter and artist, and the artist determines who has what privileges in advance of the public on sale or not, like fan clubs for instance."  Although in this case it is very doubtful is actually referring to 'fan clubs'.

Boy George has officially scrapped his upcoming US summer tour.  The reason:  assaulting a 28 year old male escort by chaining him to the wall of his East London Home.

The US government has officially denied Boy George a visa to enter United States.  As previously reported officials had given George very little hope considering the trial he faces from the April 2007 encounter with the escort.  

"I was really hoping that the issue would be resolved and that some kind soul at the US Visa Office would realize that if the police in the UK placed no restrictions on my movements, that should have been good enough for them.  I am very sorry that I will not see all my American fans this year, but I wish them a happy and healthy Fourth of July. I include the Visa Office in those good wishes and realize they are doing a very difficult job and I just got unlucky."  

George has denied the charges against him.

The newest released by British rockers Coldplay, "Viva La Vida" has sold 720,000 copies in its first week on sale.  The 2nd highest opening week for an artist this year.  Lil Wayne's latest release sold over a million copies in its first week earlier this month.

Coldplay has also set out on a North America and European tour to compare tickets click here.

Kid Rock wants you to steal his music.

While you're at it he thinks you should steal an Ipod a Toyota and maybe some Hilflger clothes. According to himself he is "f%cking rich" and so is Toyota and Apple so consumers should 'level the playing field'.

The Associated Press was told by Kid Rock that he was just kidding and that, "I was just trying to have some fun with it." Referring to the fight agains illegal music downlaods.

Interesting tactic.

Check out the youtube video right here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VpCADfZD-eg

Its official Jamie Lynn Spears is now a mom at 17 years of age.  The little girl................. just gave birth to a little girl named Maddie Briann.  She was born Thursday morning at a hospital in Mississippi.

Jamie met her husband to be, Casey Aldridge of all places, at Church back home in Louisiana.  Jamie Lynn who is probably more famous for being Britneys kid sister than being on the Nickelodeon TV show "Zoey 101", new little girl weiged in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces.

Reports have been given that the young Spears is very concerned about her and the babies privacy, although the payday she is expected to recieve from her exclusive photographs is expected to be quite large.

Does she have any idea what she's doing?  Does she just want the publicity?

Well I don't think she has a clue..........and as for the publicity thats just no brainer.

With everyone in Southern California praying for a miracle and all of Boston ready for the title, what does everyone else do?  Well here at Tickex we have tons of ideas for some summer fun, check out our quick top ten:

1. Madonna
2. Jonas Brothers
3. American Idols Live
4. Dave Matthews Band
5. Elton John
6. Tom Petty
7. Tina Turner
8. Kenny Chesney
9. Jimmy Buffett
10. Rascal Flatts

For other ideas check the Tickex 'Most Popular Searches page'!!

By far the Best Lakers-Celtics Western Conference Finals movie
analogy.

You have to go with Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi.  Here's why: We are the Republic's Alpha Squadron, gearing up for another fateful showdown with the Evil Boston Celtic Empire. 

As in the movie, their cast is formidable, with Ray Allen (Anikken, the traitor), Big Baby Davis (Jaba the Hut), Paul Pierce (the Sith Lord), Kevin Garnett (Darth Vader), and Doc Rivers (the Emperor), and the Garden (the Death Star itself).

Luckily though, we have the perfect squad to match them: Luke (Luke), Lamar (Han Solo), Pau (C3PO), Sasha "The Machine" Vujacic (R2D2), D Fish (Ewok master), Turiaf (Chewbaca), Phil (Yoda) and of course, Kobe Wan
Kenobe.

And so, just like the movie, it will take ultimate courage and mastery of the force to overcome The Empire and bring peace back to the Universe.  But thankfully good trumps evil, always has always will. That is why the Purple and Gold jedi will prevail and the Laker Universe will rejoice.       

Responses welcome...

Yours faithfully,

Clayton - a die hard Lakers fan and Star Wars nerd

On May 21, 2008  Pearlman was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy, money laundering and making false statements during a bankruptcy proceeding. As a provision of his sentencing the Judge has granted “Big Poppa” an intermediary sanction allowing Jobba the Hut I mean Pearlman to reduce his sentence by one month for every $1m returned to investors. Is that ludicrous or is it just me? Pearlman was said to have pilfered about $300 million from investors and banks. If my mutiplication serves correct 25 years * 12 months = 300 months at $1m per month that is a total of $300m for Pearlman to shake the hook. While restitution is served, there is no punishment? No deterrent for him or others to do this again, where is the justice? All he has to do is return the money? What  happens when someone robs a bank or steals an old lady’s purse do they just get to return the property with no punishment? Not likely. And what about the little old lady’s money that could have been earning interest in savings or allocated in some other gainful investment.  At least we know he’ll have to serve some of the sentence considering he ate most if not all of that $300mil.
 

While the previous post may have been a bit juvenile compared to many artists from the days of yore consider it a tip of the hat to those psychedelic ramblers, carry oners, and story makers that epitomized the image and lifestyle  we know as rock n’ roll. The list goes on and on and the deeper you dig the further back they go and the more sordid they become. From Led Zeppelin, Motley Crue, and Guns n’ Roses all the way back to Robert Johnson, Hank Williams and John Coltrane the 20th century is riddled with alcohol and drug induced raconteurs that have for better or worse helped shape the current musical landscape. Wherever you morals reside drugs and alcohol and the erratic behavior they render have promoted an image in music that inspires a mysterious appeal and leaves most  in awe. In no particular order here is our top 10 infamous artists/stories in Rock n’ Roll.

1. Motley Crue- Just read their book “The Dirt.” From drugs to women the stories are endless. The bio chronicles the hard and fast times of the legendary group from birth to present times and reads as a how-to manual for any self respecting, wannabe reckless Rock n’ Roll group to follow.

2. Ozzy Osbourne- Well, when Motley Crue proclaims someone is heavier than they, that person must be a legitimate crazy man.  From biting the heads of birds off to snorting ants, according to Motley Crue for no other reason than the “need” to snort something the Black Sabbath front man without question makes our list.

3. Keith Richards- Throughout his history as the Stones axe man Richard’s has been tried on 5 accounts of drug related charges including a 1977 arrest where he was caught with 22 ounces of heroin. Oh yeah he also incited a riot in Blackpool England in 1964 that banned the group from the English beachside community  until this year when the ban was lifted.

4. Metallica- Otherwise known as Alcoholica. Several band members endured problems with alcohol that nearly destroyed the group.

5. Red Hot Chili Peppers- From young ages every band mate experienced the hard living Rock n’ Roll lifestyle, most notably front man Anthony Kiedis who has somehow survived a life riddled with cocaine and heroin use.

6. Jimi Hendrix- Hendrix was known as a hard drinker, pot smoker, amphetamine user, and as many musicians of the time were, a big user of LSD. Purple Haze, Are You Experienced, much of Hendrix’ music was politically inspired and often drug influenced.

7. Kurt Cobain- Notorious pill popper and heroin user who serves as the most recent, significant reminder of the dark side of fame, success, and drug use.

8. Led Zeppelin- Mud Shark incident? Destroyed hotel rooms? They were the predecessors to notorious rockers like G n’R and Crue.

9. Jim Morrison- Living the Libertine lifestyle and an adherent of off the path thinkers Rimbaud and Nietzsche Jim Morrison was a poster child for the counter culture movement who ingested his fair share of psychoactive drugs.

10.Guns n’ Roses- From a drunken, profanity laced acceptance speech at the AMA’s to hurling microphones at fans Axl Rose and his mates were without a doubt some of the crudest and most belligerent of the era.

 

The past fifty years of American music is littered with famed musicians who have buckled under crippling addictions to controlled substances. From rap artists to pop stars to rock n’ roll gods, the list of artists affected is virtually endless and the substances they exploit range from designer hallucinogens to OTC meds. Whether fact or folly, publicly confessed or privately kept, reports of drug use and alcohol abuse seem to plague some of America’s biggest stars.

Amy Winehouse

Perhaps the most notorious train wreck of the times, Amy Winehouse is the poster child for “Just Say No!” Winehouse has been filmed and photographed allegedly smoking crack, taking Valium pills, and snorting Ecstasy (all in one sitting). In addition, Winehouse has cemented her reputation as a boozebag – in September 2007, she performed at the MOBO Awards in London and apparently could not be convinced to lay off the firewater before and during her performance. The singer was quite tipsy and gave an unforgettable (In the Ashlee Simpson sort of way) performance in which she was out of sync with her band at and forgot some of the lyrics.

Dave Grohl

Front man for the wildly popular Foo Fighters revealed in an interview that he has performed drunk for the last 15 years: “When you play sober, you're hyperaware of everything going on, whereas nonsober shows are fun because you don't give a f***.” Yeah “My Hero” you would have to be pretty wasted to play that song seriously.

Dave Matthews

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Dave Matthews Band’s song “Trippin’ Billies” is about an all-too-real acid trip. Allegedly Matthews has said the song is about his first time partaking of the drug, how much he enjoyed it. If you’ve ever been to a DMB concert, you’re know first-hand you don’t have to smoke a joint to get high. The singer has admitted to drug use and smoking pot and supposedly would often smoke backstage during concerts.

Lily Allen

Paging Amy Winehouse! It seems Lily Allen has taken a liking to intoxication and supposedly has had a long struggle with alcohol abuse. In June of 2007, Allen performed at New York City’s Roseland Ballrom and seemed to have chugged more shots than she sang words. Concert goers say the singer repeatedly tripped over her gown, forgot lyrics to her own songs, and repeatedly giggled at her seemingly funny mistakes.

Britney Spears

The world’s biggest pop star circa 2000 was sexy yet sweet platinum blonde Ms. Britney Spears. But after three stints in rehab, wild partying and drinking, and an unfortunate incident with some hair trimmers, Spears has earned a reputation as one of the most chaotic and unpredictable stars in the world. In September 2007, Spears was poised to make her big comeback at the MTV Video Music Awards; a “turning point” many believed the singer needed to regain her throne as pop’s reigning princess. Needless to say the performance bombed and Britney half-heartedly strutted (or wobbled, depending on who you ask) through a lip-synched version of her new single.

Right after the disastrous performance, reports began to surface that Spears had taken prescription pills and had some drinks to help calm her nerves. Whether it’s fact or fiction, Brit definitely was not at the top of her game.

50 Cent

Legally known as Curtis James Jackson, 50 Cent had a childhood steeped in drugs. His mother was a cocaine dealer and he began dealing at the ripe age of 12. In 1994, the rapper was arrested on felony drug charges after police found crack and heroin on him.

Now known as one of the biggest and baddest in the rap industry, 50 Cent is often beset with reports of drug use and like many rap artists of today, his lyrics are full of drug references. In December of 2007, a video from Croatia of 50 Cent and his entourage surfaced, which fueled the fire of speculation. The video is shot from behind so you cannot see exactly what they are doing, but it many say it looks as though they are snorting coke backstage.