Billy Joel explains why he will never, ever sell front row tickets again, in rant aimed at “fans”

It’s no secret that Billy Joel is a household name in the music industry. After all, how could it not be after such a wonderful, multidecade musical career?

Even though he is now in his 60s, his extraordinary talent is still praised by admirers throughout the globe, many of whom travel great distances to attend his live performances.

Naturally, the majority of them prefer to be as close to the stage as they can be, but Joel still has a hard restriction about front row fans. Why? He actually has a very excellent reason, though…

Like other great musicians, Billy Joel always draws a large crowd to his performances. When he performs, tickets are frequently more expensive, but Joel has one rule that no fan is allowed to disobey.

Joel gave a detailed justification for his decision to forbid the selling of front row tickets in an interview with Billboard. Actually, it’s quite reviving.

“We never sell front rows. We hold those tickets at just about every concert,” he said. “For years, the scalpers got the tickets and would scalp the front row for ridiculous amounts of money. Our tickets are cheap, under $100, some in the $80s, the highest is about $150.”

The musician was reportedly incensed to learn that scalpers were driving the cost of the tickets beyond the means of the majority of his followers, preventing them from attending his concerts at a price he believed to be fair.

Furthermore, con artists were taking advantage of honest individuals by using Joel himself.

Joel made the decision to take action as a result. He assumed that the actual fans were always seated in the ‘worst’, most affordable sections of the music halls.

“We now hold those tickets, and I send my road crew out to the back of the room when the audience comes in and they get people from the worst seats and bring ’em in to the front rows.”

Fans enthusiastically support his strategy, and Billy Joel himself thinks it has given his performances a fresh energy.

“They make the most noise, they’re the most enthusiastic,” he said.

Billy Joel made a risky decision, but in the end it was better for everyone and gave the scammers the cold shoulder.

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