Ticket Scalping Sucks — And Here’s Why
Here’s the deal, kid:
I used to be the problem. Pocket full of marked-up stubs, grinning outside the venue, flipping dreams for cash. But I’ve seen the fallout. And it ain’t just about money—it’s about the soul of the show.
The Premise:
Ticket scalping isn’t a clever side hustle. It’s a slow bleed on live music. It prices out real fans, robs bands of their people, and turns the sacred ritual of the gig into a rigged auction.
I’m not talking about the guy with one extra pass outside the gate. I’m talking about the bot armies. The warehouse resellers. The markup monsters who see a concert as a commodity instead of communion. This one’s for the believers getting boxed out.
💸 The Real Numbers
Let’s drop the mic and talk cold, hard stats:
- StubHub’s 2023 report: the average markup for sold-out shows is 50–100% over face value.
- For major tours? Try 200–300%.
- Ticketmaster admits 40% of hot-ticket inventory gets scooped by bots before humans even blink.
- NIVA says scalped tickets cost fans $15 billion in 2022.
You think this ain’t a crisis? Ask the kid working double shifts just to stand in the pit.
🧨 Who Really Pays
It’s not just the stub.
It’s the gas money. The parking vultures charging $50 to sit in gravel. It’s the $10 warm beer and the $100 hotel bed because the show’s outta town. Add a $300 scalped ticket to that? Suddenly the night costs a damn car payment.
And that means fewer shows, fewer fans, and a scene built on exclusivity instead of electricity.
🩸 How It Hurts the Scene
For Fans:
You are the heartbeat. You bring the sweat, the screams, the spark. Scalping prices you out, and the whole room suffers for it.
For Artists:
Every head that doesn’t make it through the door is a t-shirt not sold. A record not signed. A connection not made. When real fans can’t get in, the room might be full—but it’s hollow.
⚡ Damone’s Moves
- 🧾 Buy direct — from the venue or the band’s official site.
- 🚫 Skip the scalpers — if it’s sold out, let it go. Don’t feed the beast.
- 🎸 Support the openers — smaller gigs, smaller rooms, bigger heart.
- 📢 Call out the bullshit — speak loud, speak often, speak truth.
- ❤️ Keep it honest — music is for the people. Don’t gatekeep the good stuff.
❌ Attitude Rejects
“It’s just capitalism, man.”
So is payday loans and pharma scams. Doesn’t mean it’s not screwing people.“If fans really cared, they’d pay.”
Some fans care so much they sleep in their cars to make it to the gig. Don’t test their love—respect it.“It’s just one ticket.”
Now multiply that by ten thousand nights and a generation locked out.
🎵 Soundtrack to This Post
Rage Against the Machine – "Take the Power Back"
Against Me! – "I Was a Teenage Anarchist"
The Clash – "Clampdown"
Bruce Springsteen – "No Surrender"
Pearl Jam – "Not For You"
🗣️ Tell Damone What You Think
Have you been burned by scalpers? Ever flipped a ticket yourself? Got a better solution? Drop your confession or call-to-action in the comments. Let’s keep the scene clean.
🏷️ Tags
#ticketscalping #sceneethics #musicindustry #fanfirst #damoneapproved #attitudeblog
