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Ticket Masters: The Rise Of The Concert Industry And How The Public Got Scalped (2011)

by Dean Budnick(Favorite Author)

3.59 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1550229494 (ISBN13: 9781550229493)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

ECW Press

review 1: Long story short: Tickets are expensive and there's little we can do about it. I wanted more details about the music industry and less about the people developing the ticketing software. The cast of characters became confusing and overwhelming. I do feel more aware of how the industry finds ways to make the most from the audience, but there doesn't seem to be much we can do about it. The best tip: When you buy a ticket you are agreeing the show is worth that price.
review 2: Concerts aren’t necessarily always “fun” when we take into account the high-cost of tickets, service charges, parking, and the fact that we can’t seem to get our hands on the “good seats”. My professional career is in the music marketing industry, so although I have attende... mored concerts for free; I remember my days as a “fan”. Dean Budnick and Josh Baron present an in-depth look into the concert promoting/ticketing industry with “Ticket Masters”. “Ticket Masters” instantly hits the ground running with a plethora of information beginning with a background look at early ticketing agencies, scalping, and concert promotion (which is important to digest in order to fully understand the current state of the industry). The facts presented are extensive and yet entertaining. Although, “Ticket Masters” is not suggested unless you are truly interested in the topic (due to the fact that there is a LOT of information to retain). The writing style is informative and firm, but accessible and does not overwhelm. This is augmented with a smooth and cohesive flow (despite there being two authors); and a steady pace.Budnick and Baron seamlessly follow the advent of the concert industry and the professional growth of all the organizations involved during each era versus just an expose into Ticketmaster, which is what would be expected. Instead of just exploring specific ticketing companies which would create a natural bias; “Ticket Masters” ventures upon the many organizations and business models which effected and continue to affect the industry. This offers a full glimpse into the going-on’s of the industry of concerts, live shows, and booking. The amount of sources quoted and annotated is quite impressive, with some sources being as old as advertising/marketing pamphlets from the 60s and rare, such as poems written by employees of the various companies involved. Budnick and Baron left no leaf unturned. However, there are some “tangents” which could have been ignored without losing the essence of the work. For instance, describing the computers, modems, and computer languages used at early ticketing agencies is not only a “bit much” but rather dry if one is not interested in computer science/engineering. Furthermore, chapters are quite lengthy which can deter the reader whom needs more breaks while engaging in such an expose. Similarly, the average reader can become somewhat confused with the details; as one does need a little experience or background with the topics/industry in order to fully understand the magnitude of everything being discussed.On another negative side, “Ticket Masters” takes a bit too long to reach the current state of events which is admittedly what many readers would seek to know the most. An even worse characteristic of “Ticker Masters”? I noticed two blatant editing issues; one which is very personal to my heart. On page 184, Budnick and Baron describe the biography of a Youngstown, Ohio born concert promoter. Youngstown is a small city in Ohio… and is where I spent 24 years of my life before moving onto bigger, better things. The promoter is said to have worked at a steel mill in Gerard, Ohio. My issue? The city is GIRARD! NOT Gerard. Where was the fact-checker?! On a lunch break?! Plus, on page 198, the term “were” is used when it is clearly meant to be “we’re”. This section clearly lacked a proper editor.About ¾ of the way in, “Ticket Masters” begins to drag. The situations mentioned become repetitive and uneventful and STILL not at the current state of the industry. When “Ticket Masters” does FINALLY describe the Ticketmaster/ Live Nation merger, the discussion is abrupt, anti-climatic, and falls flat of the fervor presented in the lead-up. Overall, “Ticket Masters” is an extensive look at an industry which doesn’t necessarily play nice with consumers… but is one which every consumer purchasing a ticket or attending a concert/show should know about. less

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