Pearl Jam Prevent Scalping With Ticket Sales for ‘Gigaton’ Tour
Ticketmaster, the sole authorized seller (and re-seller) for the tour, is giving each potential buyer a "heads up" that all tickets for these shows are "mobile only" and "nontransferable." The primary ticket holder for a given order must enter the venue with all guests.
Those who purchase tickets but can't attend can sell exclusively through the "Fan-to-Fan Face Value Ticket Exchange" starting Tuesday, Feb. 18. No additional fees will be charged for those buying or selling via that method. According to the warning message, this strategy will "give fans the best chance to buy tickets at face value."
It's ironic that Pearl Jam, of all bands, are uniting with Ticketmaster to innovate in the concert industry. In 1994, the group filed a complaint against Ticketmaster with the Justice Department, claiming the ticketing company had driven up prices with additional service fees. This led to bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard testifying before Congress, and the band wound up canceling a summer tour as the showdown drew headlines.
"Our band, which is determined to keep ticket prices low, will always be in conflict with Ticketmaster," Gossard claimed in his testimony. Eventually, though, the investigation was dropped, and Pearl Jam were forced to book parts of their following tour with Ticketmaster.
The group's upcoming tour behind Gigaton, their 11th LP, kicks off with a North American leg on March 18 in Toronto. That run wraps April 19 in Oakland, followed by a European jaunt in June and July.