Idolator

The L.A. Times reports on a possible feud brewing between concert-promotion company Live Nation Inc. and fan-fucking ticket outlet Ticketmaster: Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino thinks lower prices will draw more fans, and is trying to convince Ticketmaster to agree with him; if they don't, Live Nation may sever its ties and start relying on its own ticket-sales system. But before you start praising Rapino as your savior from unnecessary surcharge fees, he's also developed a new, creepy technology that will allow him to pinpoint fans' musical tastes—and use that knowledge to sell more crap:

"When a fan buys a ticket, we learn an enormous amount about them: What bands they like, where they live, how much they are willing to spend," Rapino said. "Someday, a fan will be sitting in a bar and his cellphone will text message 'Sonic Youth are playing tonight. Do you want to go?' He'll buy his ticket over the phone and walk to the concert."

Yes, because booze-loving indie-rockers generally need a heads-up when a band they've loved for a quarter-century come to town. That said, we'll root for anyone who takes on Ticketmaster these days, even if it is just another monolith that will eventually replace them as the target of music lovers' scorn. After all, we're still pissed about the $19 service charge we paid for seeing Lollapalooza in 1993 (it was the middle of our regrettable Primus period).

Concert Giant Sees Cutting Prices as Ticket to Success [LA Times]