Earlier this week, Bruce Springsteen nixed a pair of Philadelphia exhibits as a result of he’d “taken ailing.” Now, some are speculating as as to if poor ticket gross sales, fueled by “famously aggressive” dynamic pricing practices, are the precise explanation for the last-minute cancellations.
Springsteen’s group introduced the postponements on social media shortly earlier than showtime at Philadelphia’s Residents Financial institution Park on Wednesday. Moreover axing the efficiency that had been set to happen on the sixteenth, The Boss went forward and referred to as off a second present that had been slated for this night.
“Resulting from Bruce Springsteen having been taken ailing,” the related tweet reads partially, “his live shows with The E Road Band at Residents Financial institution Park in Philadelphia on August 16 and 18 have been postponed.”
Whereas the claimed sickness’s particulars are unclear, pictures and movies from prior live shows are nonetheless being posted to the 73-year-old’s social accounts, and extra tour dates, starting with an August twenty fourth cease in Foxborough, Massachusetts, are anticipated to proceed as deliberate. (The dropped Philadelphia exhibits haven’t but been rescheduled.)
As talked about on the outset, nevertheless, sure observers and retailers consider that the cancellations, like these introduced throughout the identical tour’s first leg, elevate questions in regards to the long-controversial ticket-sale technique employed by The Boss and his administration.
“Particularly,” requested TicketNews, “did the famously aggressive use of surged ‘dynamic’ ticket pricing and ‘platinum’ costs doom the tour to an limitless cycle of postponements for poor-selling exhibits that’s simply getting began?”
Based on the identical outlet’s overview of tickets obtainable (by way of the Paciolan/Tickets.com system in place for Residents Financial institution Park occasions), the Philly dates had earlier this week been flooded with “a big amount of beforehand held-back tickets,” ranging in value from $80 to “a number of hundred {dollars}” apiece.
Although stated system doesn’t embody a seat-by-seat map of ticketing stock, TicketNews additionally tracked the Ticketmaster map for Springsteen’s Saturday the twenty sixth Foxborough live performance. Per a screenshot, some 10,000 passes, regardless of having not appeared “as lately as final week,” had been that can be purchased on the time of writing.
These newly launched tickets, the outlet maintained, had been deliberately held again by organizers to create the phantasm of restricted availability and, in flip, “deceive these purchasing for tickets to” shell out the asking costs. Comparatively few passes had been displayed for Thursday the twenty fourth’s gig on the similar venue – probably due to hold-backs designed to spur gross sales to the Saturday taking place.
Lastly, passes listed by way of third-party resale platforms may (as soon as once more on the time of writing) be bought for notably lower than the marketed prices of “official” tickets – with value flooring and charges persevering with to drive up the totals of Ticketmaster choices. (Reside Nation beforehand dedicated to all-in pricing within the U.S., however communicated that it will solely make the transition starting in September.)
Transferring ahead, it’ll be price carefully monitoring the fan demand and ticket gross sales behind the live shows of Springsteen, particularly given astronomical costs’ well-documented potential to show off even essentially the most loyal of supporters.