Bruce Springsteen fanzine shuts down after 43 years as his 'blue collar' fans ... trends now

Bruce Springsteen fanzine shuts down after 43 years as his 'blue collar' fans ... trends now
Bruce Springsteen fanzine shuts down after 43 years as his 'blue collar' fans ... trends now

Bruce Springsteen fanzine shuts down after 43 years as his 'blue collar' fans ... trends now

A leading Bruce Springsteen fanzine has announced it will cease publication after 43 years because the artist's fanbase became disillusioned by unaffordable concert tickets. 

Backstreets magazine said both its editorial staff and fans had become 'dispirited' and 'downhearted' after prices for some tickets to the artist's 2023 arena tour reached $4,000 each last year.

'These are concerts that we can hardly afford; that many of our readers cannot afford; and that a good portion of our readership has lost interest in as a result,' wrote Christopher Phillips, the magazine's editor-in-chief and publisher.

'After 43 years of publishing in one form or another, by fans for fans of Bruce Springsteen, it's with mixed emotions that we announce Backstreets has reached the end of the road,' he began a note on February 3.

Backstreets, a leading Bruce Springsteen fanzine, has announced it will cease publication after 43 years because the artist's fanbase became disillusioned by unaffordable ticket prices

Backstreets, a leading Bruce Springsteen fanzine, has announced it will cease publication after 43 years because the artist's fanbase became disillusioned by unaffordable ticket prices

Some tickets for the artist's 'Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour' cost thousands of dollars due to Ticketmaster's 'dynamic pricing' system which sees ticket prices fluctuate in accordance with demand

Some tickets for the artist's 'Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour' cost thousands of dollars due to Ticketmaster's 'dynamic pricing' system which sees ticket prices fluctuate in accordance with demand

Although Phillips emphasized the magazine's continued appreciation for Springsteen and his work, he was quick to point out that fans had their 'heads and hearts' affected in the aftermath of the US ticket sales controversy last summer.

Mid-floor tickets for the 'Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour' were going for $4,000 to $5,000 each on Ticketmaster, with less desirable seats still fetching more than $1,000.

It was a result of Ticketmaster's 'dynamic pricing' system which saw tickets fluctuate in price based on demand. The pricing mechanism enables the company to sell tickets for their market value directly to buyers, thereby eliminating resellers.

Backstreet magazine was started in 1980 and has been around for 43 years

Backstreet magazine was started in 1980 and has been around for 43 years

Other artists including Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, and Drake have faced similar criticism for using the system.

'There's no denying that the new ticket price range has in and of itself been a determining factor in our outlook as the 2023 tour approached,' wrote Phillips, who began working for the magazine in 1993, aged 22. 

'We simply realized that we would not be able to cover this tour with the drive and sense of purpose with which we've operated continuously since 1980. That determination came with a quickening sense that we'd reached the end of an era.'

Last year when the ticket price controversy flared up,

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