The only way to get past outrageous ticket prices, scalpers and so-called 'legit-resellers is to print the buyer's name on the tickets. As R79 said, print the buyer's name on the tickets and the amount of tickets they purchased for a specific gig.
A few years ago, Cat Stevens performed in NYC, tickets were extremely difficult to get. Only the people who purchased the tickets were allowed in, not sure how it was done, but no tickets were scalped. No photos were allowed either, cells were confiscated.
There are definitely ways to get around this ticket situation, but since there are millions of dollars being made, why correct the corruption? It seems so many are getting a piece of this action, not just the performers.
An older relative told me about the days of seeing rock concerts in Central Park for $2.50, he showed me his collection of ticket stubs he's saved over the years. What amazing shows he attended. He also saw shows at the Fillmore East, the Academy of Music which later became The Palladium. Not to mention many great shows at smaller venues during the punk rock and New Wave era.
My relative started going to rock concerts at around 14, that was in the early 1970s.
The famous bands he saw for low prices was mind-boggling: everyone from Led Zeppelin (that ticket was $5.00! He was a huge Zeppelin fan, he saw every NYC concert by them, fro the Fillmore to MSG) on to the late 1970s where he saw The Police for $7.50. He was also a huge Police fan.
The most shocking aspect, all these low priced seats were close up. My relative rarely bought from scalpers and when he did, IIRC, he bought a few scalped tickets in the 1990s, he paid around $50 to see The Police at Madison Square Garden, that ticket was 4th row center. $50 for a MSG concert ticket these days would likely be for the upper tiers of MSG!
How about the musicians themselves put an end to these ridiculously priced tickets? Seems even the super rich musicians are so damn greedy, why would they care.
I remember Eddie Vedder tried to do something, but that fell through.
