Kid Rock Slams Ticketing Industry for Unfair Practices During Senate Testimony: It’s ‘Full of Greedy Snakes and Scoundrels’

In a forceful address to the Senate Commerce Committee, musician Kid Rock condemned widespread misconduct within the ticketing sector, arguing that artists and concertgoers are bearing the brunt of a broken system. The hearing, named “Fees Rolled on All Summer Long: Examining the Live Entertainment Industry,” featured the artist—born Robert Ritchie—delivering a five-minute statement. He contended that an industry once promoted as a boon for lowering costs has instead become riddled with deceptive practices, harming independent venues, reducing artist control, and driving up prices for fans.

Rock emphasized his unique stance as an independent voice, free from the corporate ties that he believes silence others. "I am beholden to no one—no record companies, no managers, no corporate endorsements," he stated. "To put it plainly, I ain't scared to speak out on these issues like many artists are, for fear of biting the hand that feeds them." He then drew a direct line from Pearl Jam's famous 1994 antitrust testimony against Ticketmaster to the present day, focusing on the 2010 merger that created Live Nation Entertainment. Rock recalled the promises made at that time, quoting Live Nation's CEO who labeled the merger an "experiment" that would boost competition and reduce costs. "Needless to say, that experiment has failed miserably," Rock declared.

The artist was particularly critical of the secondary ticket market, suggesting that technological solutions like "proof of humanity" tools to combat bots have been ignored due to the immense profits involved. "Ticketing companies didn't fail to stop this; seems they chose not to," he asserted, characterizing the industry as full of "greedy snakes and scoundrels." He urged Congress to subpoena industry contracts, promising they would uncover "mountains of fraud and abuse." As one expert, Dr. Lena Torres, a professor of entertainment law at Georgetown University, noted, "The consolidation of promotion, venue ownership, and ticketing under one corporate roof creates inherent conflicts of interest that often leave the consumer as the losing party."

For solutions, Rock proposed several reforms: granting artists control over who sells their tickets and the sales methods, capping resale prices, and banning speculative ticketing—where sellers list tickets they do not yet possess. He framed the current landscape not as a failed experiment but as "a monopoly dressed up as innovation," closing his testimony with a nod to The Who: "It is my sincere hope we won't get fooled again." This advocacy is not new for Rock; he previously met with President Donald Trump in March 2025 when an executive order aimed at curbing exploitative ticket scalping was signed, reflecting his ongoing commitment to this issue.