The Pop Corporation

We had to go with the ClickHole headline “Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made a Great Point” headline, as Kid Rock sat before Congress and created a situation where a horrible idiot made a sound point.

See, Kid Rock – Robert Ritchie to his doctor – has testified about the costs of gig tickets and re-sales, adding that the Live Nation-Ticketmaster “experiment has failed miserably”. Get that – Kid Rock talking sense while Harry Styles is fleecing his fans. What a world.

Don’t get too excited though, because Kid Rock manages to squeeze some US patriotism and Christianity in there, just to wind you up, too.

Speaking at Capitol Hill, he said: “I’m here today because I love God, I love this country, I love live music and sports, and I believe music fans and artists have been getting screwed for far too long by the ticketing system.”

“I’m in a unique position to testify, because unlike most of my peers, I am beholden to no one, no record companies, no managers, no corporate endorsements or deals. To put it plainly, I ain’t scared, like many artists, managers and agents are, for fear of biting the hand that feeds them.”

He even mentioned how Pearl Jam “sat in these same seats, warning Congress about ticketing abuse” three decades ago, and how Congress were told under oath that merging Live Nation and Ticketmaster would be beneficial to everyone concerned: “The CEO of Live Nation called the merger an ‘experiment’ and promised it would increase competition, empower artists, and lower costs. He also said, and I quote “a system that empowers artists benefits everyone.”

“Needless to say, that experiment has failed miserably. Independent venues have been crushed. Artists have lost leverage. Fans are paying more than ever—and getting blamed for it,” he added.

“Its no secret this industry is full of greedy snakes and scoundrels. Too many suits lining their pockets off talent they never had and fans they mislead,” he continued.

Is he wrong though?