Neil Young Declares Concert Touring ‘Broken’ Due To Ticketmaster Fees

Neil Young has openly criticized ticketing giant Ticketmaster, blaming them for killing concert touring.

Early this month, The Cure announced a North American tour. Even after the band opted out of Ticketmaster’s “dynamic” pricing structure, fans were charged exorbitant service fees.

Young responded to the developments in a recent post on his website, titled “Concert Touring Is Broken.”

“The old days are gone,” Young wrote, reposting an article about the Cure frontman Robert Smith‘s battle for fair prices. “I get letters blaming me for $3,000.00 tickets for a benefit I am doing . That money does not go to me or the benefit. Artists have to worry about ripped off fans blaming them for Ticketmaster add-ons and scalpers.”

Young continued, “CONCERT TOURS are no longer fun. CONCERT TOURS not what they were.”

“I am as sickened as you all are by today’s Ticketmaster ‘fees’ debacle,” Smith tweeted about the subject on March 15. “To be very clear: The artist has no way to limit them. I have been asking how they are justified. If I get anything coherent by way of an answer I will let you all know.”

Ticketmaster eventually agreed to refund some of the cost.