Rock music used to be about breaking out of conformity. But now these acts (most of them millionaires in their own right) are in bed with the devil and to please the big money spenders, they do what most of us never thought they would- conform.
- Read the full Why I Stopped Going To Concerts op/ed
How much do you want to bet that if concert tickets were selling at the pace they were a decade ago that Live Nation would not be granting one day of amnesty for their service charges?
- Read the full Live Nation: A Band-Aid Solution For A Broken Arm op/ed
Do you enjoy ass-raping your fans? If your answer is "no", than please...someone...tell me how you are justifying charging upwards of $200 for your latest tour (a pair of tickets costs $464). Now you have to skip your car payment to attend a show!
- Read the full Dear Aerosmith op/ed
Just because you are a celebrity and a multi-millionaire doesn't give you the right to treat people like crap. It amazes me how industries thrive or die based on their service and celebrities appear to be given a pass. However, that could be changing.
- Read the full The Price Isn't Right op/ed
Tony speaks with hard rock scribe Ian Christe, author of "Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal" and "Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga."
- Read the full Ian Christe Interview: Metal's Reigning Journalist and Van Halen Guru op/ed
The music industries rules have changed and instead of coming up with inventive new ways to market his music, Springsteen and his management have taken the easy way out by partnering with the NFL.
- Read the full Springsteen's Fumble op/ed
A few months back when the announcement was made that AC/DC's 'Black Ice' would have a retail price of 11.99 at Wal-Mart, I lamented about how it was a stupid and foolish move on the band's part and how it would ultimately cost them sales. I was wrong.
- Read the full AC/DC: For Those About To Rock... We Reward You op/ed
This AC/DC album is unique as that their record label Columbia is bartering this deal in partnership with AC/DC, a first for the major labels. Surprise, surprise, it's the most expensive exclusive so far and there does not appear to be any added incentives.
- Read the full AC/DC's Latest Dirty Deeds Not Dirt Cheap op/ed
Most other acts would cancel the show, drape curtains over the balcony or point fingers wanting to lay blame on someone else. Not so for the son of Detroit, he put his money where his mouth is and discounted tickets to 15 bucks�with service charges included.
- Read the full Kid Rock Delivers More Bang For Fewer Bucks op/ed
Madonna is a one-of-a-kind elite celebrity- she's famous amongst famous people, a rarity in this industry. However, her prices are out of line and putting unsold tickets on StubHub is a slap in the face to everyone who has ever bought one of her record.
- Read the full Madonna Like A Scalper op/ed
Tony K hit the road last month to catch a string of dates from Bruce Springsteen's current North American tour. Tony set out to see if the Boss still has the same magic that made him a living rock legend. Here is Tony's report from Springsteen's show in Indianapolis
- Read the full Boss Live: Springsteen in Indianapolis op/ed
Why then is this the smallest crowd the band has played to in Chicago in nearly three-decades? Why were fans, who have seen Aerosmith twenty-plus times in the last decade, sitting at home on the night of the show? Let's find out.
- Read the full Aerosmith - Rags N' Riches op/ed
For every soul who raised their first to the air, belted lyrics, played air guitar or rode the wave of a crowd surf they yearned for a level of acceptance and love they seek in life. Inside the walls of the Aragon, they found it.
- Read the full Taste of Chaos Tour: Undivided and United op/ed
Tom Petty has made a career of sticking up for the little guy which in my mind is largely due to the fact that I believe Petty has a conscience. But I was shocked when I opened an email about the "Dream Package Prices" for his current tour which average around $250 for one ticket.
- Read the full Selling Out The Dream: Tom Petty Joins The Darkside op/ed
It has been confirmed that Axl Rose has indeed turned the completed 'Chinese Democracy' album into Universal Music. There should be shouts of jubilation inside Universal Music, alas, there isn't.
- Read the full Out of Patience, Give Us Chinese Democracy! op/ed
Illegally downloading music is wrong and everyone knows it, but the problem is that the major labels have refused to make changes and as they slowly embrace them I unfortunately feel it is too little too late. They have refused to embrace the future.
- Read the full Don't Fight The Future op/ed
As ferocious as these openers were, the evening belonged to one band�Fall Out Boy. As the drape dropped, it was as if 13,000 simultaneously raised their arms, hands, hearts and voices to the air. I could feel the chills go down my spine.
- Read the full Fall Out Boy: Their Hearts Beat For The Diehards op/ed
Pt 2 of Tony's look at fan clubs and how some artists are ripping off their most loyal fans but also shines a bright light on bands that are doing it right. He give us an outline for running a fan club that everyone who runs a club should read.
- Read the full An Idiot's Guide to Running a Fan Club op/ed
This week Tony gives us part one in his series about the growing trend among some of the biggest rock artists to bleed the very last cent from their most loyal fans and how it not only affects the fans but the artists.
- Read the full Taxing Fan Loyalty op/ed
Springsteen fans are fuming at the Boss's mismanagement of general admission on his new tour which gave way to general anarchy, leading to general aggravation for many fans, now some wonder if it is time to fire the Boss. Anthony looks at this thorny issue in this special edition of The Biz.
- Read the full Angry Fans Ready To Fire The Boss op/ed
Radiohead have total control over their careers. While other artists are getting into bed with corporate sponsors and giving exclusive tracks to certain retailers, Radiohead kicked everyone out of bed and chose to go it alone this time and may change the way music is bought forever.
- Read the full The Radiohead Revolution op/ed
This week's Biz deals with the veracious rebellion of Trent Reznor and his stand against the record industry and just how revolutionary his integrity is in the cynical corrupt enterprise that is the music business of the 21st century. His battle for truth has begun.
- Read the full Trent Reznor: The Last Honest Rebel op/ed
A superstar playing near empty venues? This is what happens when a working class hero is too expensive for the average working man. Anthony has the full story.
- Read the full Springsteen: A Rich Man's Working Class Hero? op/ed
The concert industry has lost thousands upon thousands of customers in the past few years because of Ticketmaster's excessive greed. What kind of a world do we live in where this is allowed? You buy a $36 ticket that cost $59.50 with $23.50 in service fees.
- Read the full Convenience or Ripoff? op/ed
It's time to take control of the industry and break free of the chains they have placed on all artists. Bring the music back to the people...The artists that do will reap the financial, artistic and the best reward of all...a legacy that will be created by themselves.
- Read the full Video Kills Arena Stars op/ed
It appears that Garth Brooks is in preparation for a massive resurrection. This fall he plans on releasing a two-cd/1 DVD compilation. I remember back in the 90's being baffled as to why this guy sold so many records. Love or loathe him, one has to admire the numbers his albums sold.
- Read the full Garth Brooks: Safety and Success in Numbers op/ed
On December 13th, 2005 Steven Tyler peeked out into the Bradley Center in Milwaukee right before the band hit the stage to see 15,000 empty seats. Steven was stunned into reality and immediately asked "Why are there so many empty seats?"
- Read the full Aerosmith: Losing Grip On Reality op/ed
For a bunch of guys who pride themselves on coming from blue-collar background and claim to be "in touch" with the common man, how can they justify these prices? Do they care about their fans or the almighty dollar more?
- Read the full Bon Jovi: How Much Is Too Much? op/ed
Tommy Lee is a complicated and widely misunderstood character and I do think the press has been unfair to him�at times. Even worse, people immediately dismiss his talent which is a shame because he's actually an exceptionally gifted musician
- Read the full Tommy Lee: Afterglow? op/ed
In the last few weeks, music writers, bloggers and fans of Wilco have mostly been aghast over the fact that Wilco chose to license four of their songs to Volkswagen for use in commercials.
- Read the full Why Wilco Hasn't Sold Out op/ed
People are saying that the industry ticket prices are in line but I think that most people are missing the picture here. There is always going to be a class of people who will pay an inflated price for anything. You should never begin a business model based on the extremes.
- Read the full The Truth About Overpriced Tickets op/ed
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