Bruce Springsteen Kisses Blue-Collar Brand Goodbye

Taylor Swift is only 32, but she’s shrewd enough to take her fans’ side in the latest Ticketmaster imbroglio.

The pop princess raged against the ticketing giant after fans struggled to gobble up passes for her 2023 tour.

“I’m not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could. It’s truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of them feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them.”

Bruce Springsteen, a 73-year-old rock legend with decades in the business, had a different reaction when fans balked at the sky-high prices for his upcoming tour.

I’m worth it. And it took him months to say just that.

Bruce Springsteen speaks out about Ticketmaster dynamic pricing, which caused some of his tickets to hit $5K.

“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”

MORE: https://t.co/Vv32V3r5Oq pic.twitter.com/45PKeN6x7p

— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) November 18, 2022

The Springsteen kerfuffle kicked off in July when sales for his 2023 tour opened via, what else, Ticketmaster and its “dynamic pricing” model.

[Fans] found tickets going for as much as $4,000-5,000 for mid-range floor seats, and into the four-figures for other, less desirable tickets that remained.

The outrage was real and sustained, but Springsteen remained mum on the matter. The blue-collar bard couldn’t spare a public syllable on the subject, leaving his manager to speak for him.

“We chose prices that are lower than some and on par with others. Regardless of the commentary about a modest number of tickets costing $1,000 or more, our true average ticket price has been in the mid-$200 range. I believe that in today’s environment, that is a fair price to see someone universally regarded as among the very greatest artists of his generation.”

Now, finally, Springsteen addressed the subject directly via Rolling Stone magazine.

RELATED: THE CURE BOSSES SPRINGSTEEN AROUND ON TICKETMASTER OUTRAGE 

The rocker said he generally tries to assess what his peers charge for concerts and lower the rates a bit from there. Now, he’s had a change of heart.

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.

He continued, saying many prices are “totally affordable” 

The ticket broker or someone is going to be taking that money. I’m going, ‘Hey, why shouldn’t that money go to the guys that are going to be up there sweating three hours a night for it?’

To soften the blow he’s offering a money-back guarantee.

Bruce has had two months to come up with a statement that shows some empathy and compassion for his fans and we get this. Taylor Swift gave a better statement in 2 days.

— David (@daGrubbs25) November 18, 2022

Sweat from playing a guitar for three hours? Let’s talk about sweat from a backbreaking job for 10 hours for little pay. Typical lib Dem who doesn’t give a damn about the working man.

— Tim Farley (@TimTimfarley) November 18, 2022

Springsteen’s populism is well known, at least on paper. His classic tunes have connected with the common man, forging a steel-like bond with his base. It’s been an integral part of his brand for decades.

Now, in his 70s, he’s eager to scoop up as much cash as possible at a time when the average American is pounded by a recession-like economy and soaring inflation rates. He recently peddled his songbook for a whopping $550 million. 

Now, he’s looking to cash in anew, but this time it’s his hardcore fans who are picking up the tab. That naked greed may forever taint his legacy, not to mention his progressive bona fides.