Country rocker Kid Rock took his frustrations over concert ticket prices straight to Congress this week, delivering blistering testimony during a Senate subcommittee hearing focused on the live entertainment industry. The hearing, titled “Fees Rolled on All Summer Long,” was led by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and aimed to shed light on the growing backlash against ticketing monopolies and price gouging.
“I’m in a unique position to testify because I’m not tied to any record label, manager, or corporate sponsor,” Kid Rock, born Robert Ritchie, told lawmakers. “That means I’m not afraid to say what a lot of artists are too scared to admit — music fans and performers are getting screwed by the system.”
The singer criticized the 2010 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which was billed as a win for fans and artists but, he argued, has had the opposite effect. He pointed to the soaring ticket prices, increasing fees, and declining artist control as proof that the merger failed. “Pearl Jam warned Congress about this thirty years ago, and nothing has changed — if anything, it’s worse,” Ritchie said.
Ritchie painted a bleak picture for artists trying to navigate an industry dominated by corporate gatekeepers. “Piracy, bots, and secondary market scalping are bleeding performers dry,” he said. “Independent venues are being crushed. The fans are getting fleeced, and artists are losing their leverage.”
He proposed several solutions, including giving performers more control over pricing and capping resale values to prevent scalpers from taking advantage of fans. He also called for a crackdown on bots that scoop up tickets in bulk, making it nearly impossible for real fans to buy at face value.
Ritchie didn’t hold back when describing the forces behind the current system. “The problem is the ticketing lobbyists push so-called reforms as a smokescreen, while they fight to keep the market open so they can exploit fans under the banner of capitalism,” he said.
The hearing comes as the TICKET Act, a bipartisan bill that would require all-in pricing on ticket listings, remains stalled in the Senate after passing the House in April. Ritchie expressed skepticism that such a measure would go far enough, saying cosmetic changes won’t stop corporate interests from exploiting the live music experience.
Kid Rock’s testimony added celebrity firepower to a growing chorus of voices demanding reforms in an industry that many say has put profits over people. Whether Congress takes action remains to be seen, but Ritchie made it clear he won’t stop speaking out. “We’re past the point of being polite,” he said. “It’s time to fix this mess.”
The post Kid Rock Slams Ticketing Giants in Fiery Capitol Hill Testimony appeared first on Real News Now.
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