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Ticket resellers: You can say it’s just the way you are — make a new excuse, another stupid reason … but if you’re trying to get artists on your side? Good luck, babe. Turns out that Chappell Roan’s ex isn’t the only she’ll publicly call out. She is one of nearly 300 artists — including Billie Eilish, Green Day, Lorde, Diplo, Nile Rodgers and more — who recently signed a letter urging lawmakers to reform the concert ticketing system. “We are joining together to say that the current system is broken: predatory resellers and secondary platforms engage in deceptive ticketing practices to inflate ticket prices and deprive fans of the chance to see their favorite artists at a fair price,” the letter declares, per a copy obtained by NPR. The full statement and list of signatures can be viewed here.
The artists are calling on Congress (specifically, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation) to support the Fans First Act. This legislation is one of several bills that have been introduced to tackle the hellscape of trying to get reasonably-priced tickets to live events. This particular one is designed to address resellers who deploy illegal bots, put tickets up for sale before they’ve actually secured them, and use “deceptive” URLs or advertising tactics. The Fans First Act would ban fake tickets, require sellers and resellers to disclose full ticket costs and seat locations, and create a website for fan complaints. Plus, resellers who engage in illegal practices would be met with civil penalties. TL;DR? All this ticketing tomfoolery has g-o-t t-o g-o.
