Faced with the challenge of spinning the merger of the two sleaziest companies in the music industry, which is saying something, Irving Azoff and his PR people, in tomorrow’s WSJ story on the merger, opt for the big lie:

Ticketmaster Chief Executive Irving Azoff, who is to serve as executive chairman of the new company, said that its combined resources would give it clout, for instance, to bring in more corporate-sponsorship money than either of the companies could on its own.

He indicated that could allow the new company to tackle one of the issues that has riled fans for years: rising ticket prices and the fees Ticketmaster tacks onto them.

“If we’re able to bring $5 million to a major tour, can you imagine the possibilities that would open up in terms of lowering ticket prices?” Mr. Azoff asked.

So on the one hand you have the company responsible for high concert-ticket prices … and on the other, the one responsible for the high concert-ticket fees.

It makes perfect sense that, once having merged, they’d both throw out their business plans, operate completely differently from their previous modes of operation, and act in a way not in the best interest of their stockholders.

Azoff himself, as manager of the Eagles, has been at the forefront of sky-high ticket prices for more than fifteen years. (The average ticket price of the band’s current shows seem to be about $150.) Leaving aside that hypocrisy, which the Journal didn’t mention, I think it’s fair to point out that the quote bring up the conflict of interest issue; if you’re in the Eagles, and Azoff is your manager, why would you want him trying to lower ticket prices?

Conspicuously absent from the story, incidentally, is any more mention of artists like Jay-Z, Bono or Don Henley “speaking out in favor” of the deal, as the Journal reported on Monday, quoting people “close to the situation.”*

Henley, particularly, has spoken out on any number of pressing social issues. Who is muzzling Don Henley?!  

(And what could the new Live Nation do more with corporate sponsors, short of Bono wearing Calvin Klein underwear on his head and using Old Spice on stage?)

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* You will remember that that detail appeared in the Journal story online Sunday night and in the physical paper Monday a.m., but by that time had disappeared from the online version of the story. With no evidence at all I like to imagine that the excision of the graf had something to do with an utterly unsubstantiated assertion from some merger principals spinning the deal, the five-hour time difference between NY and Dublin, and a malevolent 3 a.m. EST phone call from Paul McGuinness, U2’s manager, shortly after the passage was brought to his attention.

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Previously in Hitsville:

Thoughts on conflicts of interest
Constantly updated: The Ticketmaster-Live-Nation unholy-matrimony news round-up!
Five arguments against the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger
Irving Azoff kicks it old school
The music industry’s Putin
Bad merger coverage
WWBD (What would Bono do?)
Billboard’s analysis of the Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger
Springsteen and Landau bash Ticketmaster and Live Nation!
P.S. on Ticketmaster: A case study, starring Bruce Springsteen
Why the potential Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger is a very bad idea
Is Ticketmaster trying to muddle the fees issue?
The Azoff-Ticketmaster deal: Bad news for concert-goers—and the music industry
Why you so seldom read about obscene Ticketmaster-style ticketing charges