(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) —
Nine Inch Nails has launched a special ticketing program for its upcoming run of nationwide tour dates. A two-tiered effort to combat ticket scalping has been put in place to help ensure that true fans have the maximum opportunity to obtain premium seating for Nine Inch Nails concerts. Through the band's fan club ticketing and online auction program, Nine Inch Nails is helping prevent scalpers from selling its tickets at inflated unauthorized prices and, in true Robin Hood fashion, Nine Inch Nails will donate to charity what would have been the scalpers' proceeds.
Phase one of the program established a unique Nine Inch Nails fan club to enable members to exclusively obtain the very best tickets for the tour. In an effort to reduce scalper access, no other advance ticket programs through venues, radio stations, e-mail lists or sponsors were offered. Members who purchase tickets through the NIN fan club program will be directed to pick up their tickets 30 minutes before doors open in each city and will be immediately escorted into the venue. Tickets will not be distributed to buyers in advance.
"We've put extra effort into developing this program as an effective way to ensure that Nine Inch Nails fans get into the show with the best possible tickets," said NIN's Trent Reznor. "The only complaints will be from scalpers and those who want to put our true fans at a disadvantage."
The second phase of the ticketing program includes a series of online auctions conducted through Ticketmaster. Beginning August 8 at noon local time, fans may log on to www.ticketmaster.com/nineinchnailsauctions to bid on premium concert tickets for NIN shows at 19 venues throughout the US and Canada. Auctions for additional shows will go live on August 22.
"These auctions give Nine Inch Nails the ability to take money that might otherwise go into scalpers' pockets, and put it in the hands of a deserving organization," said Ticketmaster's David Goldberg."
Proceeds above face value ticket price from the online auctions will be directed to the non-profit organization The Innocence Project, which provides post-conviction DNA testing which yield conclusive proof of innocence. "We know we cannot stop all ticket reselling, but if we can redirect some of that unauthorized margin to a good cause like the Innocence Project," said Reznor, 'It makes me feel like we have done something worthwhile."
Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld created the Innocence Project in 1992. It was set up as and remains a non-profit legal clinic. This Project only handles cases where post conviction DNA testing of evidence can yield conclusive proof of innocence. All Innocence Project clients go through an extensive screening process to determine whether or not DNA testing of evidence could prove their claims of innocence. "The Innocence Project is thrilled to be the beneficiary of the band's generosity," said Neufeld. "The wave of post conviction DNA exonerations sends a message to all of us that the criminal justice system is broken and desperately needs to be fixed. Thank you Nine Inch Nails for joining us in the quest for meaningful justice." –Bob Grosswe3iner and Jane Cohen
