A coalition of some of New England’s biggest recording artists including Noah Kahan, Aimee Mann, The Pixies, Goose and Dropkick Murphys have penned a letter calling for Massachusetts to approve recently-introduced legislation that would place a cap on how much ticket scalpers are allowed to resell tickets for.
“Live performance should not be a luxury,” the 16 artist-signees wrote on Wednesday. “Our art is not a commodity to be bought and resold at extreme markups against our wishes. People who contribute nothing to live performance should not profit more than the artists, venues, crews, and workers who bring these shows to life.”
The letter comes a week after Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced “The Great Divide” Act, the legislation itself named after Kahan’s latest album. Healey said the act would cap resale prices at 110 percent of the original face value price, meaning a $100 for example would only be able to be re-sold for $110. The bill would also place a cap on fees for secondary ticketing sites as well, and it would outlaw speculative ticketing, the practice where brokers list tickets for sale that they don’t actually have yet.
“Few things hurt an artist more than seeing a fan exploited by a ticket reseller,” the letter said. “It’s heartbreaking to read comments from fans who paid outrageous resale prices, knowing there’s little we can do to help. Every artist signing this letter has experienced that feeling. Predatory resale, scalping, ticket touting, whatever you choose to call it, does more than exploit fans financially. It erodes the trust between artists and the people who support us.”
Kahan has been particularly vocal in recent months pushing for ticket reform, lending his support both to the Massachusetts bill as well as another recently passed ticketing law in his nearby home state of Vermont.
Other than the artists, the bill has gotten support from industry groups like the Music Artist Coalition, the National Independent Talent Organization and the Future of Music Coalition.
“Artists and fans want the same thing: a fair shot at getting into the room where the music happens,” Ron Gubitz, Executive Director of Music Artists Coalition, said in a statement. “Speculative tickets and runaway resale fees break that deal for everyone except the industrial-scale ticket flippers. The Great Divide Act draws that line clearly. Massachusetts, led by Gov. Healey and Sen. Fernandes, is leading the country here with this strong set of reforms.”
The Massachusetts bill reflects an emerging trend in states across the country seeking to combat ticket scalping. Maine introduced price caps on resale tickets last year, and California and New York both introduced similar bills this year as well. Washington, D.C., meanwhile, approved a price cap last week.
Read the full letter and the list of signatories below:
We write as artists who believe deeply in the power of live performance. Shows are where families make memories, where young people discover who they are, and where entire rooms of people share something that cannot be recreated anywhere else. We want these moments to be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford prices driven by a broken ticket resale market.
Live performance should not be a luxury. Our art is not a commodity to be bought and resold at extreme markups against our wishes. People who contribute nothing to live performance should not profit more than the artists, venues, crews, and workers who bring these shows to life.
Few things hurt an artist more than seeing a fan exploited by a ticket reseller. It’s heartbreaking to read comments from fans who paid outrageous resale prices, knowing there’s little we can do to help. Every artist signing this letter has experienced that feeling. Predatory resale, scalping, ticket touting, whatever you choose to call it, does more than exploit fans financially. It erodes the trust between artists and the people who support us.
We know how much our fans give to be part of these moments. They plan, they save, and they show up. Our fans support us without hesitation, and we owe it to them to stand up for a system that doesn’t shut them out.
Massachusetts is acting to protect our fans by capping resale at 110%, banning speculative tickets and cracking down on deceptive websites. We respectfully ask Massachusetts legislators to stand up for their constituents by protecting fair access to live performances and supporting these reforms.
Noah Kahan
Dropkick Murphys
The Pixies
Goose
Aimee Mann
Killswitch Engage
Shadows Fall
Four Year Strong
New England Metal and Hardcore Fest
A Loss For Words
All That Remains
Flawed Mangoes
Mark Erelli
Melissa Ferrick
Mission of Burma
Ryan Montbleau