Now is the summer of our discontent, made embarrassed by fans who won’t pay for high priced ticket

U2 - sitting out this season with injuries

How many concerts have been delayed, canceled or ruined this summer by the greed and age of musicians?

Bono’s out with a bad back. U2 tour canceled.

Simon and Garfunkel delayed with their over-priced tour until the 12th of Never.  Garfunkel has a “bad voice.” Sure and his few fans are ticked off at $1,262 a pair tickets.

Christina Aguilera canceled her tour, ostensibly because she’s busy making a movie. The scuttlebutt she couldn’t sell enough tickets.

Have you noticed the greed by musicians and promoters? Tickets are selling for $300, $500 and more than $1,000. Then you can watch it as many times as you like, up close and personal with drink, toke or smoke in hand. Bathroom breaks included.

You could buy a wide screen TV, Blu-Ray player, 5.1 surround sound system and the concert DVD for less.

Price gouging by Hong Kong promoters killed Bob Dylan’s tour of China, not the Chinese government. It’s greed, greed, greed all around. And the lying about why they cancel only makes it worse. My dog ate the homework teacher.

The Eagles, a golden group if ever there was one, canceled part of their tour this summer. Forget the excuses: it was all about ticket sales being in the cellar.

Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way get the DVD it’s awesome

Fleetwood Mac tried to put a tour together with the Eagles – double your pleasure double your fun. It fell apart pretty quickly.

Remember the Lilith Fair? Well it’s the Golden Lilith Fair this year with the cheap seats in Edmonton going for $500 a pair. The best seats are not gold but diamond at $1,500 a pair. The rumor is the tour is underselling every venue.

Even Bob Dylan is letting us down this year. After he returns from Ireland on July 4th, there is not a concert booked anywhere in North America. We set our summer travel plans on Bob’s Northeastern US tour in July August. Maybe his 69 years are catching up with him. The $110 ticket prices in Ireland are reasonable compared with everyone else, but still double last year. Maybe I’ll go to Lyon in France where the tickets are only $60 each.

Some bands are having a banner summer. Most of the successful ones are playing smaller venues and charging ticket prices that people can afford like $40 and under. Didn’t anyone tell these greedy musicians there’s a recession going on.

Fans who cough up the big bucks are getting disappointed. Here’s a guy who spent $1,100 for Bon Jovi tickets.

A week later after being unemployed for 8 months I scored a new job. I felt elated. I decided to treat myself to something special, a VIP ticket to an upcoming Bon Jovi show. I was surprised to find tickets available to a major market show still available. The price tag, $1100. I would like to state that I am foolish for paying this but felt as if I deserved it after my ordeal.

So I fly in, get to the arena for my VIP treatment and for the next few hours, was treated like shit by everyone from arena staff to band staff to Jon Bon Jovi’s brother. Someone (a heavier girl) wanted a picture with Matt Band he rolled his eyes in a manner that was disgusting…When I bought the ticket, I honest to god thought there had to be more than what they were advertising. Couldn’t they at least give us Hugh (the guy who has played bass on every bj record but jbj refuses to be a part of the group)?

The group managing BJ at this time is flat out insulting. I take my seat and the guy next 2 me asks what I paid, I tell him and he begins to laugh out loud. He goes on to tell me that he paid nothing, was given free tickets by the management team and that people like me pay for his tickets. He had been drinking but I couldn’t stop listening. He went on and on and told me that the band makes all their money from people like me who are dumb and foolish enough to spend the money (which was confirmed by the NYT article). He said that by me essentially buying 10-12 tickets it allows them to give freebies out to give the illusion that a show is a sell-out when it really isn’t.

The next 2 hours I don’t remember anything. I was so sick to my stomach I couldn’t even enjoy the show. I don’t remember any of it. I felt raped. I felt violated beyond words. Not to mention the bad experience backstage where I was offered a wondrous chance to take a picture with a certain members guitar.

Until the day I die I will let everyone I come in contact know about the experience, how its not worth it, how I was hurt and how I was lied to and taken advantage of. Ill never see this band again, buy their music or send a single cent their way. They may have gotten my $$$ but they’ve lost my loyalty forever.” (From Bob Lefsetz email)

The PEI Cavendish Beach country music extravaganza is still on. The tickets are pricey but you’ll be able to hear and see Taylor Swift. The big question is will she sing live or with AutoTune. You’d better hope for the AutoTune version.

(With stories from Associated Content, Bob Lefsetz, )