Don't Mess With The Boss and His Fans

Springsteen fans prompt Ticketmaster to change its tune

Ticketmaster agreed Monday to change its online ticket sales process after butting heads with Bruce Springsteen and his fans.
 
Ticketmaster reached a settlement with New Jersey, where the Springsteen concert in question had been scheduled, said state Attorney General Anne Milgram.

The changes apply to all Ticketmaster sales nationwide, she said. The tour kicks off in San Jose on April 1. Several Bay Area fans complained about having the same problem.

Ticketmaster said in a statement Monday that the problem was caused by a software glitch. The "voluntary agreement" with the attorney general just formalizes changes the company had already implemented, the company said.

Springsteen ticket seekers were redirected from the main Ticketmaster site to a subsidiary that charged more. Milgram said at the time that redirecting them might have violated the state's consumer fraud act.

Springsteen said on his Web site that he and the E Street Band were "furious."

Ticketmaster did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to pay the state $350,000, Milgram said.

The company will also compensate ticket holders who complained and change how it handles secondary sales, she said.

Fans also got some news when organizers of the Glastonbury Festival said Springsteen will headline Britain's leading summer music festival.
 
Glastonbury chief Michael Eavis says the 59-year-old rocker will play the prestigious Saturday night main-stage slot on June 27. Springsteen is due to play an outdoor concert in London's Hyde Park the next day.

Eavis called The Boss "one of the all-time rock legends."

Glastonbury was founded in 1971 and is held on Eavis' farm in southwest England. It is famous for its eclectic lineup -- and the mud that overwhelms the site in rainy years.

Tickets for this year's festival have sold out even though much of the lineup has yet to be announced. The Bay Area's favorite hippie, Neil Young, and Blur are widely reported to be playing.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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