HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Bruce Springsteen has lashed out at Ticketmaster after the vendor redirected fans to a secondary site that it owns, which specializes in selling tickets above face value.
The fallout began when tickets went on sale last Monday to Springsteen's show at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Despite face value seats still remaining, many fans were redirected to Ticketmaster's sister company, TicketsNow, which was offering pricing options for several hundred dollars above cost.
"We perceive this as a pure conflict of interest. Ticketmaster is there to ensure that we have a good, fair sale of our tickets at their face value plus normal ticketing charges," wrote Springsteen and his E Street Band in a statement on their official Web site.
After becoming aware of the incident, the band contacted Ticketmaster, who assured them they would stop redirecting fans to TicketsNow.
The band went on to express hope that Ticketmaster never joins forces with fellow ticket vendor Live Nation in the future, which would create a single monopoly in the marketplace. For their part, the legendary rockers promised to keep a more watchful eye in the future.
"The abuse of our fans and our trust by Ticketmaster has made us as furious as it has made many of you," said the band. "We will continue to do our utmost now and in the future to make sure that these practices are permanently curtailed on our tours."
Springsteen and the E Street Band were the halftime act at last weekend's Super Bowl XLIII, following a string of legendary artists who have performed at America's biggest sporting event in recent years, including the Rolling Stones, U2, Paul McCartney, Prince and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
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