Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello says that ticket sales for the band's upcoming tour have already raised more than $3 million for charitable organizations, with the group also launching an aggressive campaign to beat back scalpers selling tickets at vastly inflated prices.
Prior to tickets going on sale, Rage announced that it would hold back 10 percent of the tickets available at each show. The band then sold these tickets as “charity tickets,” which were above standard ticket prices — but still lower than scalpers' prices — with all the additional money going to a local charity. This was done is response to resale tickets appearing on websites before one official ticket was even sold.
Morello wrote on Twitter that the group's plan is working quite well, having kept 85 percent of tickets off the resale market. The $3 million for charity was all raised in the first 48 hours of sales, with the band intending to announce which charities the money was going to once the final numbers were tallied.
Morello confirmed in a tweet that the larger portion of the tickets had been kept off the resale market, adding, “I agree that ANY scalping is horrible and we will continue to combat it.” Morello also noted that the top price for regular tickets was $125, in line with most concert tickets.
Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing model, which allows them to inflate ticket prices based on demand, has also deeply angered fans of Rage. The band has staked its reputation and image on being politically active on behalf of working people and the oppressed.
Rage Against the Machine's North American tour — the band's first full trek in 20 years — kicks off on March 26th.