Bruce Springsteen may have offended his fans and broken the law all in one fell, ticket-hording swoop.
Hundreds of fans were unable to land tickets to see the Boss perform in New Jersey last month, and with high demand driving up secondary ticket prices, some petitioned state attorney general Anne Milgram to investigate the resale market.
But the New Jersey Star-Ledger has reported that Springsteen may have been responsible as he, along with his agent, his label and the gig’s promoter, held back 2,262 tickets for the show – roughly 12% of the total, and 90% of the seats in the four sections closest to the stage.
By witholding the tickets, the concert’s organisers may be broken the law. According to the 2001 statute that regulates New Jersey ticket sales, it is forbidden "to withold those tickets from sale to the general public in an amount exceeding 5% of all available seating for the event."
New Jersey assembly member Peter Biondi told the Star-Ledger: "They are allowed to hold back 5% for family, fan clubs, friends, sponsors, for the band, for everyone involved. [The law] is there for a reason. The intent was to have enough tickets available to have fair and open pricing."
Organisers, however, have disagreed, with spokesman John Samerjan insisting: "The holds are a necessary part of doing business. We work with the attorney general and consumer affairs. They were aware of exactly where every ticket is going."
