Zach Bryan has been an avid detractor of the monopoly that a certain ticketing website has on live music. He dislikes the company so much that in addition to speaking out frequently about their policies, he even named his recent live album All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster.
“I have met kids at my shows who have paid upwards of four-hundred bucks to be there and I’m done with it,” Bryan tweeted in one of his many posts about them. “I’ve decided to play a limited number of headline shows next year to which I’ve done all I can to make prices as cheap as possible and to prove to people tickets don’t have to cost $450 to see a good and honest show.”
https://twitter.com/zachlanebryan/status/1593682684701822976
https://twitter.com/zachlanebryan/status/1588225155070758913
Now, an expert from Nashville talked to Rolling Stone about the likelihood that Bryan could ever tour without his enemy, Ticketmaster.
“He could mount his own shows in public or non-Live Nation owned spaces, but that is an incredibly time-consuming logistical challenge, from liquor permits to government ordinances and independent security, ticketing, food and beverage vendors,” the source said. “The less autonomous but easier maneuver is avoiding the Live Nation/TM complex wherever possible and using SeeTickets, AXS, or other less gouge-y ticket retailers. That is much less difficult, but in some markets, is impossible.”
A Nashville manager also noted, “He’s got options for now, because his leverage is there. He’s exploded, he’s massive, and he sells f*ck piles of tickets. Did he completely avoid Live Nation rooms on these ‘select headlining dates’ he will be announcing soon? If so, then he won’t be tied down to Ticketmaster.”
Despite Bryan’s disdain for Ticketmaster, it seems it will be a while before he (or any musician) is able to rely on other companies to tour.
Zach Bryan is a Warner Music artist. .
