We attempt to give answers to those who have asked us for explanations, in a more or less calm and courteous manner, on the sale of tickets for Bruce Springsteen's 3 Italian concerts, aware that the answers will probably not be satisfactory to the many who were unable or decided not to purchase them.
Indispensable premise is that the hunt for tickets, dissatisfaction, and possible inefficiencies are inevitably linked to the huge demand, far greater than the offer, which has always characterised Springsteen's concerts, especially in Italy. We received criticism for the sales system, from some because the number of tickets available via internet was insufficient compared to the demand, from others because it was difficult to access or only accessible by credit card. All complained about the low number of tickets available at every presale, whatever it was.
In general, we received a small number of protests and several 'all's well' announcements from points of sale and the paying public (evidently those who managed to get tickets).
We would like to point out to everyone - many people don't have to know or believe this - that we always accept constructive criticism and suggestions and we are aware that the concert audience is what allows us to continue doing the work we love, so we have the utmost respect for them. In a case like this, we could have easily sold all the tickets for the 3 concerts either by making them all available on the internet, without restrictions and without worrying about their destination, or by deciding to sell them exclusively in the 3 palasport venues of Bologna, Rome and Milan. Both solutions, however, much less costly and demanding for us to manage, would have created quite a few limitations of access for the majority of the public. We therefore adopted the system that seemed fairer and more democratic to us, which could certainly be perfected:
- we communicated well in advance the day when the pre-sale would begin, including with paid advertising space in the 2 newspapers with the largest national circulation (Corriere della Sera and Repubblica)
we communicated in advance the sales outlets to which we allocated a certain number of tickets, which was in any case insufficient - we realise - to satisfy all requests, but which took into account as much as possible the geographical distribution of the sales outlets and the turnout of people (e.g. a sales outlet in the centre of Milan had more tickets available than one in Como or Pavia)
- all authorised presales outlets signed a letter - also published on our site's forum - in which they undertook to comply with the sales terms we indicated: starting time for sales, maximum 2 tickets per concert (in Internet 2 x transaction), prohibition to increase the presale fee beyond the pre-established 15%, prohibition to sell tickets as a 'package' with trips, hotels, gadgets of any kind, etc.
- we entrusted a small number of tickets (15% of the total) to Internet sales, and the vast majority to points of sale in the territory (85%).
- Ticketone, the only one authorised to sell via the Internet through the ticketone.it site, entrusted about half of its allocation to its sales outlets in the territory: the tickets available between the web and call centre (4000 for 3 dates) were sold out in less than 1 hour for Milan, slightly more for Bologna and Rome. Those in the sales points (another 4000 for 380 sales points) in about 10 minutes in the sales points that managed to print the small number of tickets that the central server made available.
Another sore point: we have been blamed by some for the high price of tickets. Far be it from us to consider tickets that cost between EUR 50 and EUR 85 cheap, and which with presale go up to EUR 97.50. However, the price of the tickets, as always agreed with the artist, is objectively in line with other countries: in Germany, (where Bruce plays in venues similar in size to Italy) they cost between 60 and 95 euros, in Ireland and France between 70 and 85, in England even between 45 and 75 pounds, slightly lower in the Scandinavian countries (around 55 euros), between 75 and 85 dollars in the USA. Tickets for Italian concerts are in large percentage in the lower price range, which is absent in many of the other countries: over 50% of the total number of tickets in both Bologna and Rome is 50 euro plus pre-sale, in Milan over 60% is 50 or 65 euro plus pre-sale.
The fact is that despite the high prices, which perhaps only Springsteen and a few others can afford, tickets have sold out almost everywhere (following is a list of pre-sales outlets where they are currently still available) in a matter of minutes, purchased by fans who have also queued up for 11 hours in front of the pre-sales (some of them very well organised, as far as we know, with signs displaying the number of tickets available) and who we sincerely hope will enjoy concerts that live up to the expectations of us all.
THESE ARE THE SALES OUTLETS WHERE TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE AT THE MOMENT
For the concert of BOLOGNA
FONTE DELL'ORO - VIA FOSSALTA, 4/A Bologna
ESTRAGON SHOP - VIA ZAMBONI, 53/C Bologna
METAL BOX - VIA SECCHI, 10 Reggio Emilia
For the concert in ROME
BOX OFFICE CIRCUIT FLORENCE:
FI - BOX OFFICE Via Alemanni, 39
FI - Circolo Vie Nuove -Viale D. Giannotti 13-15,
FI - International Studio, Chiasso De' Soldanieri,
FI - La Rinascente (4th floor), Piazza della Repubblica
FI - Rifredi Theatre, Via Vittorio Emanuele
SCANDICCI (FI): Informa Giovani del Comune - Piazza Togliatti 1
GRAM-SERVICE - Via L. Don Perosi 4 (opening hours 8.00 12.30 - 14.30 18.00)
SESTO FIORENTINO (FI): Musica rama, Via Ludovico Ariosto 492/F
CALENZANO (FI): Nencini Sport Viaggi, Via Ciolli 9
LASTRA A SIGNA (FI): Tourist Office Piazza IV Novembre 8
TAVARNELLE VAL DI PESA (FI): Xtramondo Viaggi, Via Roma 238
EMPOLI (FI): Discofollia, Via dei Gelsomini 45
CASTELFIORENTINO (FI): Discolandia, Piazza Gramsci 68
FUCECCHIO (FI): Music Shop, Via Landini Marchiani 23
GRASSINA (FI): Tabaccheria Ricevitoria Baldi Alessandro, Via Chiantigiana 223
GREVE IN CHIANTI (FI): Libreria la Formicola, Piazza Matteotti, 14
VICCHIO (FI): Tabaccheria Paoli Antonietta, Via Arsella, 11
PONTASSIEVE (FI): Musical Box, Via Verdi,22
BORGO SAN LORENZO (FI): Tourist Office,Vialla Pecori Girali, Piazza Lavacchini 1
BORGO SAN LORENZO (FI): MugelTravel, Piazza M. L. King 5/6
IMPRUNETA (FI): Ag Impruneta SAS, Via Mazzini 39
PRATO: Dischi Piccoli, Via Cairoli 19
MONTEMURLO (PO): Punto Musica, Via Fratelli Rosseli 16
PISTOIA: Supersdisco 2 Via Cavour 42
QUARRATA (PT): Pentagramma, Piazza Risorgimento, 10
MONTECATINI (PT): Superdisco, Corso Roma 72
PESCIA (PT): Music, Piazza Mazzini 100
LIDO DI CAMAIORE (LU): Versilia Vacanze, Lungomare Europa 178
VIAREGGIO (LU): TuttoEventi Viale Margherita , 1
MARINA DI PIETRASANTA (LU): Enoria Viaggi, Piazza Matteotti, 4
MASSA: Zannoni Disks, Via Ghirlanda, 3
MARINA DI MASSA: Zannoni Disks, Via Colombo, 2
PISA: Disco Gallery, Corso Italia 78-80
PONTEDERA (PI): Dischi Nardi, Corso Matteotti 54,
SANTA CROCE SULL'ARNO (PI): ProLoco SantaCroce sull'Arno, Piazza Matteotti, 41
CASCINA (PI): Disco Line - ToscoRomagnola 234,
VOLTERRA (PI): ProLoco Volterra, Via Turazza, 2
LIVORNO: Piccadilly Sound, Corso Amedeo 22-24,
CECINA (LI): Masoko, Corso Matteotti 17,
PIOMBINO (LI): Casa Musicale Longinotti, Via Lombroso 54,
GROSSETO: Dischi Olmi, Piazza Dante 23
FOLLONICA (GR): Atlanus Viaggi, Via Trieste 18
SIENA: Cosrini Disks, Piazza Metteotti 5,
POGGIBONSI (SI): Disco Shop Largo Usilia 1,
COLLE VALDELSA (SI): Disco Shop, Via Oberdan 27
RAPOLANO TERME (SI): Le Crete Viaggi e Turismo, Via Provinciale Sud 16,
S.QUIRICO D'ORCIA (SI): Ottica Castellani, Via Dante Alighieri 18/A
MONTEPULCIANO (SI): Altra Musica, SS146 SOUTH 5
TORRITA DI SIENA (SI) Electric Travel Viale Mazzini
AREZZO: Cory Music, Corso Italia 89
BIBBIENA (AR): Tourist Information, Via delle Monache 2
MONTEVARCHI (AR): Centro Musicale Rosoni, Via Ammiraglio Burzagli 2
