Kid Rock testified to senators Wednesday about the high prices of concert tickets, calling out Live Nation and Ticketmaster for their “monopoly” merger and proposing price caps for resale tickets.
The artist, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, spoke in front of the Senate Commerce Committee a hearing that lawmakers titled “Fees Rolled on All Summer Long: Examining the Live Entertainment Industry,” a reference to Kid Rock’s 2008 hit single, “All Summer Long.”
“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 told lawmakers. “I’m in a unique position to testify, because unlike most of my peers, I am beholden to no one, no record companies, no managers, no corporate endorsements or deals. To put it plainly, I ain’t scared.”
He said, “I’m here because hard-working Americans who love live music deserve better, and because artists deserve control over their own work. And let’s be clear, this problem is older than timeouts and participation trophies.”
He called out Ticketmaster and Live Nation, saying the two should “probably” be broken up, but acknowledged that such action alone might not solve the problem.
“This is no secret, none, that this industry is full of greedy snakes and scoundrels, too many suits lining their pockets off talent they never had, and fans they mislead,” he said.
The two companies merged in 2010, but he said the “experiment” of the merger “has failed miserably.”
“This wasn’t an experiment. It was a monopoly dressed up as innovation,” he said.
He called on Congress to subpoena the contracts and deals between artists, promoters, buildings, ticketing companies, agencies, and vendors, saying “mountains of fraud and abuse” will be found.
Among the solutions Mr. Ritchie offered was that artists should have control over who sells their tickets and how they are sold, and resale tickets should have a price cap of a 10% increase.
“The problem is that ticketing lobbyists push these reforms as cover while fighting to keep tickets in an open market and lets them exploit fans under the guise of capitalism. Do not be fooled by these tactics,” he said.
He ended his testimony by calling to a song by The Who — “It is my sincere hope: We won’t get fooled again.”
Executives from Live Nation, Ticket Policy Forum, and Z2 Entertainment also testified.
Mr. Ritchie, who is friendly with the Trump administration, has often appeared at his rallies and events, including the Republican National Convention last July. He was by President Trump’s side in March when the president signed an executive order targeting price gouging in the ticket-selling industry.
The order directed the Federal Trade Commission to work with the attorney general to make sure competition laws are enforced, enforce the Better Online Ticket Sales Act, ensure price transparency in the purchasing process, and work to end unfair and deceptive conduct in secondary markets.
It also directs the Treasury Department secretary and attorney general to ensure ticket scalpers are complying with Internal Revenue Service code.
The executive order was praised by Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, who thanked Mr. Trump and Mr. Ritchie for “taking ticket scalping head-on.”
