NY Post: It's The Boss vs. The Boss

Diller Takes Aim At Bruce

Media mogul and TICKETMASTER honcho BARRY DILLER took aim at BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN on FRIDAY, blasting the rocker for playing a role in a concert-ticket flap earlier this year that put TICKETMASTER and its ticketing policies squarely in the spotlight at a time when the company is trying to get WASHINGTON's OK for a controversial merger with rival LIVE NATION, reports THE NEW YORK POST. 

"After catching flack for a technical glitch that redirected SPRINGSTEEN fans from TICKETMASTER to the company's higher-priced reseller TICKETSNOW.COM, DILLER got some vindication after it was revealed that SPRINGSTEEN held back a huge block of tickets for himself and his entourage for shows last month at the IZOD CENTER in EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ.

"BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN has been one of our most vocal critics on our ticketing policies and while he's more than entitled to his opinion, it seems minimally fair-minded to point out that in the concert that created the fracas, where TICKETMASTER apologized for making a technical mistake, it seems that Mr. SPRINGSTEEN held back from his fans all but 108 of the 1,126 tickets closest to the stage," DILLER said.

"DILLER was referring to a revelation made earlier this week in the NEWARK STAR-LEDGER that of 1,126 of the best seats available at a May 21 performance of BRUCE SPRINSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND, just 108 were available for sale to the public.

"In all, according to analysis by the STAR-LEDGER, nearly 2,300 seats at the IZOD CENTER were held back for the MAY 21st show, with most going to friends of the band, the record label and the NEW JERSEY Sports and Exhibition Authority, which operates the arena."

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