House
of Blues
Concerts —already facing ticket-scalping allegations in the Denver area
— also distributed prime tickets for its own shows to brokers
in Atlanta, Dallas, San Diego and other cities, The Denver Post
reported Sunday. The newspaper, quoted anonymous sources, reported
that officials of the concert-promotion company even wrote instructions
on House of Blues letterhead as to how those tickets were to be
re-sold.
CEO
Greg Trojan said "Based on recent Denver Post revelations,
we are initiating a comprehensive review of our newly acquired
concerts division’s ticket subscription programs. It is House
of Blues philosophy and mandate to be consumer-friendly and discourage
the re-selling of tickets on any level."
The
selling of tickets directly to brokers would not violate any laws,
the newspaper reported. While ticket brokering is illegal in Denver,
it is legal in surrounding areas. The Post first reported the
promoter’s possible dealings with ticket brokers in the Denver
area on Dec. 5. Among the tickets the company is alleged to have
sold to brokers — who then, presumably, re-sold them to fans
at inflated prices — were prime seats for a recent Pearl
Jam show in Denver.
Pearl
Jam said in anannounced last week they would no longer work with
House of Blues. "We don’t do business with anyone who scalps,"
Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis said in a statement Friday.