Jack Antonoff and Hayley Williams are speaking out about the financial realities of touring.
In Rolling Stone’s Musicians on Musicians series, the two artists dove into the issue of skyrocketing concert prices — with Antonoff saying he knows exactly what the fix is, though he doubts it’ll ever happen.
Around the 17-minute mark of the video, the Grammy-winning producer and Bleachers frontman told the Paramore singer that while live music itself is thriving, “the system is broken.”
“There’s just a couple of fucking people at the top who have to be like, ‘Nope,’” Antonoff said, mimicking greedy execs. “And you’re just fucking left with what you’re left with.”
He and Williams discussed how artists often take the blame for things out of their control — from inflated ticket costs and hidden fees to overpriced VIP packages.
Williams admitted she frequently feels bad for fans paying so much to see them live, saying, “I’m just, like, sorry you had to pay this much to come and see us.”
Antonoff laid out his ideal fix: a single, fair ticket price that makes concerts accessible to everyone. “When they enter that room, they’re supposed to be the same person,” he said, frustrated by how scalpers and fluctuating prices turn shows into “a free market.”
“Just set a price and let people go in,” he urged.
The pair also criticized how venues and ticketing giants take huge cuts from artists’ merch and tour profits. “I lost a large chunk of my innocence the first time I realized we made enough money to get gas to the next show, but had to give half of it to the venue,” Williams said. “My dad was like, ‘This is America.’”
Antonoff agreed, calling out the corporations that “own all these rooms and monopolize the whole fucking thing,” making billions while small bands struggle to survive. He also blamed the “sports lobby” for shaping today’s ticketing market.
“I think we just gotta keep talking about it so no one thinks it’s normal,” he said. “It’s so simple to me, and there’s one answer — but it’ll never happen. They just have to make a little less money.”
He continued, “That’s what the scene was all about. I want everyone in that room to feel like a fucking human being from beginning to end.”
Meanwhile, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino recently downplayed backlash over ticket prices at CNBC’s Sport and Boardroom’s Game Plan conference, insisting concerts are still affordable compared to sports.
“The artist is going to make 98% of their money from the show,” Rapino said, noting Beyoncé’s massive tour production. “That’s a Super Bowl she’s putting on every night.”
He added, “When you read about ticket prices going up, it’s still an average concert price of $72. Try going to a Lakers game for that.”
