Bruce Springsteen fan magazine shutters in protest after 40 years due to 'The Boss' exorbitant ticket prices
Bruce Springsteen has defended 'dynamic pricing' models where concert tickets cost upwards of $4,000
Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the Congressional hearing that put Ticketmaster in the spotlight on 'The Claman Countdown.'
Bruce Springsteen is trying to be "Tougher Than the Rest" by standing strong in his belief that the current concert ticket monopoly is benefiting bands like his, which never saw the fruits of their labors in the early years of their super stardom.
But one unexpected casualty caught in the crosshair between "The Boss" and fans unwillingly to shell out thousands of dollars to see him perform live is Backstreets — a dedicated Springsteen magazine closing down after more than 40 years out of protest for surging ticket prices.
"After 43 years of publishing in one form or another, by fans for fans of Bruce Springsteen, it's with mixed emotions that we announce Backstreets has reached the end of the road," Christopher Phillips, "Backstreets" Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, wrote Friday.
Bruce Springsteen fan magazine ends publication amid surging concert ticket prices. (Paras Griffin / Getty Images)
"We are immensely proud of the work Backstreets has done, and we are forever grateful to the worldwide community of fellow fans who have contributed to and supported our efforts all these years, but we know our time has come."
Phillips added, "If you read the editorial Backstreets published last summer in the aftermath of the U.S. ticket sales, you have a sense of where our heads and hearts have been: dispirited, downhearted, and, yes, disillusioned. It's not a feeling we're at all accustomed to while anticipating a new Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band tour.
Fans were stunned with Springsteen’s upcoming tour costs when tickets went on sale last summer, followed by a Ticketmaster statement addressing pricing backlash.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S MANAGER DEFENDS STEEP TICKET COSTS AMID BACKLASH: ‘FAIR PRICE’
Seats skyrocketed to $4,000 due to a "dynamic pricing program," which raises prices based on demand.
The agency recently received heat during Taylor Swift's concert sales debacle when millions of fans couldn't even score a ticket despite registering for pre-sales. The regularly scheduled sale was canceled after more than 14 million people attempted to purchase tickets prior to the sale.
Bruce Springsteen has defended the Ticketmaster module of pricing tickets for concerts. (Al Pereira / Getty Images)
In an interview with "Rolling Stone," Springsteen defended his decision to use the model for the first time in his career, arguing that tickets for his show have typically been priced under market value.
"What I do is a very simple thing. I tell my guys, ‘Go out and see what everybody else is doing. Let’s charge a little less.’ That’s generally the directions," he said.
"They go out and set it up. For the past 49 years or however long we’ve been playing, we’ve pretty much been out there under market value. I’ve enjoyed that. It’s been great for the fans.
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"This time, I told them, ‘Hey, we’re 73 years old. The guys are there. I want to do what everybody else is doing, my peers.’ So that’s what happened. That’s what they did," Springsteen said.
Bruce Springsteen claimed his band has paid their dues through the years and played under market values for decades (Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
He added that buying tickets has become "very confusing" both for artists and fans and that most tickets for his shows are "totally affordable."
When asked how he felt about the blowback from fans, Springsteen said, "Well, I’m old. I take a lot of things in stride. You don’t like to be criticized. You certainly don’t like to be the poster boy for high ticket prices. It’s the last thing you prefer to be. But that’s how it went.
"You have to own the decisions you have made and go out and just continue to do your best. And that was my take on it. I think if folks come to the show, they’re going to have a good time."
Springsteen also told the outlet he wouldn't rule out using the dynamic pricing model again for future tours.