Kid Rock Testifies Before Congress for ‘Hardworking’ Fans of Live Music
Kid Rock recently testified before Congress because of the sky-high cost of concert tickets, claiming the current system is failing the “hardworking” fans who just want to see their favorite…
Kid Rock recently testified before Congress because of the sky-high cost of concert tickets, claiming the current system is failing the “hardworking” fans who just want to see their favorite artists perform live. While the country rocker isn’t exactly known for shying away from controversy, this time, his message seemed to unite music fans across genres.
Kid Rock Speaks for Both Artists and Fans
During the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee session on Wednesday, January 28, Kid Rock addressed the issue of costly concert tickets and called for legislative reforms that are beneficial for both artists and fans.
The Michigan native said, “I’m proud to say I’ve been packing arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums with the greatest fans on earth for over 25 years. I’m also a capitalist. I’m here today because I love God. I love this country. I love live music and sports, and I believe music fans and artists have been getting screwed for far too long by the ticketing system.”
He went on to claim that the current ticketing system is making it difficult for “hardworking Americans” to enjoy live music. “To put it plainly, I ain’t scared. I ain’t scared to speak out on these issues like many artists, managers, and agents are for fear of biting the hand that feeds them. I’m here because hardworking Americans who love live music deserve better and because artists deserve control over their own work.”
'No Benefit to the Artist'
Aside from the skyrocketing ticket prices, Kid Rock also mentioned the other issues that affect the music industry, like piracy and secondary ticketing, which are “driving up prices for the fans with absolutely no benefit to the artist.”
He emphasized that it should be artists who decide how their tickets are sold and who sells them, something that is controlled by the Ticketmaster and LiveNation partnership. In the current system, scalpers and brokers who sell them at inflated prices end up with the bulk of them, something that could have been avoided if there were regulations. However, he believed that since there’s a lot of money involved in the secondary ticket market, “ticketing companies didn’t fail to stop this. Seems they chose not to.”
