WASHINGTON, D.C. – Musician Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, took center stage at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, testifying before a Senate committee about live concert ticket pricing.
Last spring, Kid Rock was present in the Oval Office when President Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending ticket-price gouging for live entertainment.
Kid Rock expressed strong criticism of the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which took place around 15 years ago.
“It’s no secret…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. The truth is much of this could have been, or still could be, solved through technology, especially proof of humanity tools. It hasn’t happened yet because there’s just too much money in the secondary ticket market,” Kid Rock said.
The hearing aimed to examine the live performance industry and ticket sale practices, including the fees charged by primary and secondary sellers as well as the prevalence of automated bots rapidly purchasing tickets.
This hearing follows the Justice Department, along with states like Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, suing Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster for allegedly monopolizing markets across the live concert industry.
