MC - Let's go to Greg. Greg? Greg?
GK - Yes.
MC - Welcome to the program.
GK - Hey, thanks.
MC - If you've got your radio on you've got to turn it down. Greg is with the Chicago Tribune also with Rolling Stone magazine. Greg, why don't you, because you're a highfalutin intellectual in the ivory tower there, why don't you tell us what's going on here with Roger Waters? Give us a little setup for the listeners.
GK - Well, what's happening is that his tickets for his show July 24th blew out in about two minutes is what I'm told. And people were waiting in line thinking they had a great position in line for tickets at various Ticketmaster outlets and the next thing you know they're second or third in line and they don't have a ticket, much less a chance to even pay these Ticketmaster fees.
MC - I got a letter from the Roger Waters superfan and this guy basically said here he was, he tried the internet, he tried everything and now if you want to get tickets you have to go through scalpers. And it is true, I see it myself. Even working in a radio station. If I want to get tickets, it's a couple of hundred dollars if you want decent tickets because the brokers are swallowing them all up.
MC - Roger Waters, welcome to the program.
RW- Thank you
MC - Roger, my very first radio show -
Radio KAOS had just come out and it was a major inspiration to me.
RW - Glad to hear that Mancow.
MC - Yes sir.
RW - Interesting name.
MC - Thank you. And a lifelong fan and I'm glad you chose my program to come on here.
RW - I'm glad you're glad.
MC - We can go on and on about Pink Floyd and everything and I want to talk a little bit about that here in a minute but let's... We've got everybody you wanted to be here. I've got them all here for you. Do you want me to read the... I can read the letter that you got.
RW - You could do that. Yeah.
MC - Would you like me to do that, sir?
RW - It's entirely up to you. I have one really simple point to make and that is that in certain markets in the United States scalping is illegal and I think it would be a very good thing if it was illegal in Chicago. And then, this kind of situation wouldn't arise. I mean, I've been brought into this because people write me letters explaining the situation they're in. And it's a problem when there are huge profits being made by scalpers out of tickets that these kind of ordinary fans, who can't afford the prices they want to charge, don't get to see the show. And, it pisses me off big time.
MC - Eddie Vedder tried to shut it down and it was a disaster. Billy Joel has said he will just stop touring. It makes him so sick. What do you do here? You've got this guy, this Thomas Frank who wrote you a letter. He's a special education teacher and he just doesn't have the money to go to a scalper. He wanted to go see your show at the Rosemont Theater which, I'd like to get tickets to it as well but they went so quick. What is the answer Mr. Waters?
RW - Well, the answer is...
(interrupted)
? - That show sold out in 2 minutes.
| RW - I've had a number of ideas. The first thing that you do is you make selling on tickets to shows at say, more than a 10% handling charge, illegal so that people can be bust if they try to sell tickets at inflated prices.
MC - I love that idea.
RW - I've been told that it's the brokers who are advertising in the Tribune and the Sun are trying to sell kind of 'front 5 row tickets' to my show for up to $1500 on a ticket with a face value of $50.
MC - I haven't heard that much. My God!
Jim - I have been in line to get tickets and you wait in line all night and then a busload of basically... bums
? - Oh yeah, the homeless.
|
 |
Jim - ...they get off of the bus ...
MC - Hired by the scalpers
Jim - ...somebody walks into the ticket office comes out.
MC - So what do you do? What do you do? What's the answer?
Jim - You're screwed!
 |
RW - You make it illegal. Apparently, it's already been through your legislature once. It went up and was about to be made illegal. And it was presumably... the scalping lobby was too powerful...
MC - And they're all crooks.
RW - ...and it was overturned.
MC - All our politicians. Give me a break. Roger, you've got to know this. You're calling from the south of France.
RW - I am, yes. |
MC - Well you have your politicians as well that are just as bad. You know politicians are a bunch of crooks. Somebody got paid off and that's how it works. Because the right thing to do would be to make sure the fans get the tickets. I go to these people. I do it all the time. If I want to go to a concert, if you want a decent ticket you have to go through these different ticket brokers
RW - Well, does that mean that the answer then is not just lie down and say 'ok, well that's how it is so we'll just accept that forever.'
MC - Right.
RW - Apparently, there have been moves made to make it illegal in your market which have almost been successful and maybe just a little bit more pressure from people like you or people writing to the newspapers or people... Maybe the newspapers who you've got represented there today shouldn't carry the broker's adverts... or something. Pressure, just pressure. Maybe this radio program helps.
MC - Ok, Roger hang on. Roger Waters is our guest and look, I'm pretty impressed that one little guy's letter, and he says it over and over, 'I'm a nobody but I'm a huge Roger Waters fan....'
Jim - It really... It's almost a movie script. This guy is a special education teacher. In the summer, when he's not working he volunteers to coach and referee girls basketball games and this guy, he's only getting like $30,000 a year and he doesn't have.. ... a thousand dollar ticket...
MC - Roger, the cheapest seat this guy was able to get out of ads from a broker was $250. That's going to be nosebleed seats. Cuz I don't know this... When someone is selling a ticket for $1500 front row... What is the... Jerry Michaelson from JAM Productions, what is the ticket price of that, what would the ticket price be?
| JM - Well, Roger said if it's $50....
MC - Ok, so Roger's not... Roger, you're not getting a cut right? There's
no...
RW - No
MC - The artist is out of this |
 |
JM - And I looked in the Tribune this morning and are 24 ads for ticket scalpers. They're not brokers, they're scalpers. They are parasites that leech off of people. They're no different than a smack dealer or a crack dealer or Jerry Falwell or whoever else. They're taking advantage of people...
MC - Well, let's not put a smack dealer in with Jerry Fallwell.
JM - ...taking advantage of people. But there were 5 ads this morning for Roger Waters tickets. Five, on Friday and that's ridiculous and these guys cause us to do a lot of different things so that the people get harmed. We have to put people... Wristband people... numbers... It's all bullshit and it's all done to counter the scalpers.
MC - Roger Waters, the man you're hearing is Jerry Michaelson one of the most powerful ticket guys in America....
JM - No, we're his promoter.
MC - Ok.
RW - Jerry, hi.
JM - Hi Roger.
MC - You're on like a first name basis with him?
JM - Well we've promoted Roger's dates since he was little and I was
little.
RW - Yeah, and now we're big!
JM - We're wiser Roger.
MC - Suddenly I just feel like a worthless dirtbag. Mr Solomon do you want to...
RW - You know in New York City for instance, scalping is illegal. So, it means if somebody comes up to you on the street, outside the theater or puts an ad in the paper trying to sell a ticket at a hugely inflated price they cab be bust and that's how it should be.
MC - Hold on a second. Phone girl, who do I get all of my tickets from? Tower Tickets, okay but you pretty much run the same kind of deal right?
BS - Yes sir.
MC - Okay. Mr. B's Tickets is your company and are you selling Roger Waters
tickets?
BS - Yes we are.
MC - Do you feel bad now?
BS - I don't really feel bad because....
MC - Looks like you've got a flop sweat going on there.
BS - ...I know I'm still among friends. But basically in the industry, what we do is we buy tickets on the aftermarket. The problem with the Roger Waters show and the fan not getting the tickets isn't necessarily that I was able to get 20 or 30 tickets by conventional means. The problem was that Roger Waters is so popular and he's playing such a small venue. And, if we do the mathematics, Ticketmaster has say 150 or 160 or more outlets that a person can buy tickets at. The venue holds 4,000 or less....
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RW - How did you get your 30 tickets?
BS - Uh, by standing in line, by calling....
RW - You went and stood in line?
BS - I did and I tried my chances at a lottery like everyone else.
RW - When you're standing in line then... What you are doing, because you're buying those tickets to sell on for a profit is you are denying somebody who wants to go and see the show the opportunity of buying a ticket. I think they should sell... If you're going to sell, tickets should be sold to people with ID you know and either you go and see the show or you don't go and see the show. But to buy the tickets then sell them on at a profit I think is disgusting.
|
BS - But, let me ask you a question then. What about the doctors or the lawyers or the people who can't get out of work to try to go up to the Ticketmaster outlet or try to get through over the telephone? What do you want them to do?
RW - Well if you want to run a service for those people...
BS - That's exactly what I'm trying to do...
RW - ...then fine, run the service at 10-15% for your trouble and sell on the tickets to whatever. Or sell them to the other fans who are working in a factory or something. Never mind the doctors and the lawyers. We've got tons of people who can't necessarily be standing in line you know? I understand that.
MC - Why don't you come over here over by me. This is all your fault! How are ya Thomas Frank? Mancow Muller. Have you talked to Roger yet?
TF - No, I haven't but I've been listening on the way here. I got stuck in
traffic
MC - Look at you!
TF - Jesus Christ, I'm sweating like a.....
MC - You look like a stuck pig. Okay, Roger? Roger?
RW - Yeah
MC - This guy, you oughta see him. He looks like he's just been through Vietnam to get here. You're on with Roger Waters. Start with some fan stuff first. What do you want to say to him?
TF - Hello Roger, I've been listening to you for about 15 years now. You haven't been around for about the last 10 years but it's good to see you back.
RW - Yeah, well thank you and thank you for your letter.
TF - I'm glad you're all pissed off. We've got some chumps here you're talking to when it comes to tickets.
MC - Roger, this is his letter Roger, and I know you've read it but, "If there's anyway I could work for one ticket the night of July 24th by volunteering, I'll do it..."
RW - Yeah. Well listen, we're taking care of Thomas. We're taking care of Thomas.
TF - It's taken care of. I've got them already in the mail. Thank you.
RW - There you go so...
MC - How cool is that?
RW - You know I can't.. we can't take care of everybody because... for obvious reasons.
MC - Cuz Roger, I'd really like to go. I'm a big Roger Waters fan.
RW - Hah Hah. You talk some out of your friend the broker who's sitting there beside you.
MC - KAOS was a great, great tour.
RW - You should get $50 tickets for maybe $55 or $60. Any more than that is clearly... is profiteering.
BS - Roger, part of the problem is that we don't necessarily always get lucky when we stand in line. Many times, we buy tickets from other people who are able to get tickets. I could definitely document that I buy a lot of tickets from the public who does manage to get first in line in at a lottery instead of... You know, some of the prices of the tickets aren't as reasonable as Roger Waters at $50. We had $350 face values for the Rolling Stones. We have Barbara Streisand that sells tickets at the MGM for...
MC - God, a million dollars for a pair.
BS - ...$5,000 a ticket. It's all a relative fact. And yes, her fans want to go and we deal with a lot of fans that want to go.
Jim - If I can ask? How much are your Roger Waters tickets?
BS - Uh, ours start at $125 for seats in the balcony.
JM - Those are $35 seats just so you know.
BS - No, actually they are the $50 seats Jerry.
JM - Oh, okay, $50.
MC - What's a front row pair of seats?
BS - I wish I had seen one.
MC - What would you sell them for?
BS - Uh, actually the closest seat that we ever saw in our office...
MC - Front five?
BS - ...was 20 something on the floor....
TF - Also, I got an extra one from Roger... Just kidding!
MC - Wait a minute. what the hell...? Hey, hey, what's happening here?
Jim - Mr. Waters, what would you have to say to someone who would say to you 'what you're really upset about is that fact that you're not getting a cut of the inflated prices?
| RW - I would say that's crap, You know, i have no interest in that. What concerns me is that people who... You know, the last time I toured was in 1987 and it was when my ex-colleagues were out on the road playing, you, know, in football stadiums and I was out there kind of scraping around. This guy, who you've got there now, Thomas Frank, and a number of other people came to my shows and I was bloody glad to see them there because believe you me there were no scalpers buying tickets to my shows because by and large they weren't fully subscribed. So, there was no profit in it for anyone. And, it just pisses me off that these loyal people, you know, who have been following my career, can't get hold of tickets to come to the shows because people are making profits, huge profits, out of the tickets. Because, for some reason or another, God knows why, suddenly people want to come and see me perform. |
 |
MC - Well, I think I know why. I mean I'm just... I'm not doing very good here because a little bit... This is Roger Waters man. I'm telling ya, lifelong, lifelong fan of his.
JM - Roger wants to keep the price down.
RW - We seem to have skated around what I said in my very first sentence on this program is 'why not just make scalping illegal?' It's illegal in New York, Why can't it be illegal in Chicago?
MC - Jerry, would it make any difference?
JM - Sure it would if people like you... The problem is people are apathetic thinking that they can't make this work. They'll never defeat the scalpers. But, if we get someone like you, Mancow, who can get on the air and get something going positive...
MC - Oh my God.
JM - ...to stop these guys. And get laws passed that would outlaw what they do and like Roger said, put a 10% commission on, that's it. But don't sit here and try to justify that what you do is being helpful to anybody. You're ripping people off and other people can't get them. But Mancow, if you could make this a cause you could make this work and we could get laws passed if someone like you just took this up and started something going.
RW - My information is, correct me if I'm wrong Jerry because I'm sure you know about this, that it came within a hair of becoming law quite recently.
JM - It was passed and then it was reversed in the next session so it was passed and then it got reversed Roger.
MC - Somebody... Some politicians got some pretty good seats to The Nutcracker or something
Jim - Exactly, well you know, go to the concerts, go to the sporting events, go to the plays and see who's sitting in the front rows.
MC - Exactly. All the politicians sit front row. Absolutely. Absolutely. Greg? Greg from Rolling Stone magazine and the Tribune. Greg, jump in here.
GK - You know I think it's all great that everyone's concerned about this issue but you know you brought up Eddie Vedder doing this same sort of thing 3 or 4 years ago.
MC - And it flopped.
GK - He was out on that limb with the saw and everyone was sitting there down on the ground saying 'start hacking away Eddie' nice try, but we're not gonna follow you out on that limb.' So it seems to me like this has been attempted before and there was a lot of *empathy. Nobody... the artists didn't back him up, the fans didn't scream for him to win his battle. All they screamed about is 'Why can't I see Pearl Jam, why aren't Pearl Jam touring?'
*(the word should be 'apathy' that's what fits in the context of his
sentence but the tape sounds like he says empathy)
MC - And how about the Pumpkins, they've tried to do free shows they've tried to do all kinds of things and just no support.
Jim Well who shut down? Who dropped the puck?
MC - Well, the city. The city wanted their cut. They wouldn't let them do a free show for charity, so, it's insane.
Jim - Exactly!
MC - Jerry you wanted to comment?
JM - Greg, I think you're a little... Eddie Vedder's situation was against the Ticketmaster service charge, not the brokers.
GK - Right.
JM - That's what we're discussing here. You can't confuse the two....
GK - Well I understand that but I'm saying....
JM - ...charging a $5 service charge versus marking something up 50 to 100 to 200 to 300 percent is the issue here.
MC - Well, when you're talking $1500 for a ticket, front row, which is what they're saying here for Roger Waters when it's a $50 ticket. I'd say that's... What is that markup? Mr. Ticketman? Mr. B's Ticket?
BS - What I'd have to ask you quickly is what we have here is a commodity in one respect that entertainment is a commodity. People are going to pay for it whether they pay Jerry's price of $50 or whether they pay $100 or $1000. It's 'what is it really worth to the person?' Let's take another look. What if it were a Beanie Baby that were worth $6 when it was issued but we've got people out there paying $500.
MC - Sure, sure.
BS - Or a rare coin when it's issued from the mint at $20 and you have people that -
20 years later it's rare, there aren't many, and they want it so they're going to pay $1000 or $2000 for it.
MC - Thomas, how about you man?
TF - It's America, this is what it's about.
MC - You know what, is that what it's about? And I ask myself this every single day. Is that what it's about? Honestly? Is it simply? Mr. Michaelson, you're a very rich guy. Roger, I'm sure is doing pretty darn well. I'm surprised that someone like Roger Waters even cares. It makes me feel pretty good. I'm sure Greg Kot writing for Rolling Stone is making decent money. It's really easy for us. I grew up poor. I couldn't afford tickets to a show. Now, with this radio show's success I am able to go to a broker and do it. But, what about this guy here who can't go see his favorite guy Roger Waters. He doesn't have $1500.
RW - Mancow, it's clear that there is a serious body of opinion that does not believe the price of a ticket is the same thing as passing on a rare coin or a painting or something like that. And, the proof of that pudding is that in New York State it's illegal, where it's not illegal for the free market to take its course in rare coins, paintings, or other commodities. And also in Chicago, it was passed. The law was passed by your legislature to outlaw this business. I doubt very much there have been moves to outlaw the collecting of comics or rare books. I have no problem with that, with people paying a lot of money for a rare coin or comic or anything else that they might want to collect. This is not the same thing. And, whoever it was that was suggesting that it is is full of shit if you'll excuse me.
MC - I will.
RW - It's not right, It's a different thing. This is me, Roger Waters, putting on a concert, doing a deal with a promoter. We work the finances of it out and we do it in such a way because I don't want to rip people off. I want it to be a fair deal where I can afford to pay my band and cover my expenses and people come to the show and we have a good evening where we kind of connect and we communicate something with one another and it's good. And it gets <......?> by the albeit natural greed of certain organizations and individuals who look at this thing which is essentially a pure activity and say 'hey, we can make a few bucks off this, let's do it.' And you need the law in order to help those people to be dissuaded from doing that and screwing the whole thing up for the people who want to enjoy it for what it's meant to be.
MC - Thomas Frank, do you want to say anything to Roger Waters?
TF - Yeah, two quick comments Roger. In '87, I saw both the Pink Floyd tour and your tour, KAOS and there wasn't even a comparison first of all. Second of all...
MC - Which one did you like better?
TF - The KAOS tour obviously. Second of all, the playing field isn't level right now and I wish we did have Ticketmaster here with us because outside of Chicago....
Jim - Ticketmaster was, by the way, invited to join us and they flatly refused comment or denied setting anybody up.
TF - Which is a surprise. Secondly, what I'm trying to say, the playing field isn't level. I tried to get tickets at 12:00. They went on sale at noon. There's a 15 minute block outside of the Chicago area and I'm standing here with everyone who is probably from Chicago who could care less about anybody outside of Chicago but there are fans of yours outside of Chicago. Therefore we need to level the playing field.
RW - I know what Ticketmaster would say about that is that, you know, that they're trying to protect people who live in Chicago from scalpers who live outside Chicago who would fill the phone lines. That's what they say, but, you know, I dunno. I kind of agree with you, I guess.
MC - Roger? Roger Waters? Do you want to say anything about the new CD?
RW - No.
MC - Okay.
RW - What new CD?
MC - Don't you have a new CD coming out?
RW - No.
MC - Why not? How much longer do we gotta wait?
RW - Well, it's a very long, complicated story. I've been working on an opera for the last 4 or 5 years which is just about finished and I expect to make another rock and roll album early next year.
MC - Excellent.
Jim - Roger, do you wish you could've actually... when you played as you fulfilled that promise when the Berlin Wall came down, you played that show. Do you sort of wish that maybe you could've had David Gilmour and the rest of the boys actually with you to re-do it? I mean the show was great but do you kinda wish maybe you could've done it with the original band?
RW - No, I don't. You know; I'm comfortably separated.
Jim - And the current barrage of rumors that are on the Internet and in a lot of the magazines of a Pink Floyd reunion are pretty much... it's not gonna happen right?
 |
RW - No, it's not gonna happen. You know, I can understand people wanting it to happen because these things always look different from the outside than they do from the inside. And people have a lot of nostalgia for those old days when we were a band and we did some great work together and I have a lot of respect for the work that they did then and what we did together, it was great.. But, we grew in our different ways, and parted and we're very different people. We don't have a great deal in common. And so to work together would not be a good idea. It would only be one motivation for getting together and that would b e money and that's... I'm not starving. I don't need the money so I feel that would be a < retrogate ?> step. I felt kind of that the... that our situation together was in some ways crushed beneath the weight of our own success anyway. And that the money and the numbers and the amount of people and the huge audiences started to become more important than the more fundamental things of expressing ideas and communicating them to people and so on and so forth. And so, I have no hankering at all to throw myself back into that arena. |
MC - It became a machine.
RW - "Welcome to the Machine." To quote the old song, "It could be made into a monster if we all pull together as a team." Well, we did and it did.
MC - Can I ask one really geeky question Roger? I've been pretty nice to you haven't I?
RW - You've been very nice.
MC - Please forgive me. Do you have any contact with Syd Barrett? Just out of curiosity.
RW - No, I don't. He's still living in Cambridge. He's still schizophrenic. He still kinda goes up and down, he's pretty down most of the time. He lives on his own. He survives.
MC - I say that on because you go through phases with music and I've been going through a phase with Wish You Were Here and wondering how Crazy Diamond was doing, that's all.
RW - Right.
MC - I'm glad to hear he's still kickin' anyway
RW - Yes, he's there. He's still alive and in fact, I haven't seen him for umpteen years but when he does get contact with those days with the late 60's I've heard it's unsettling. He doesn't like it. It doesn't make him happy either. I stay away.
MC - Oh man, so much I could ask you about. This current tour, are we going to see a scaled back Roger Waters? Are we going to see... What are we in for this time around? If, we can get ticket's from the scalpers.
RW - If the scalpers will let anybody go who isn't a millionaire, you're going to see a kind of selection of tunes from the last 30 years, possibly even one new tune. I have put together a show. What you won't see is a lighting truss. We're gonna to do the show with no overhead lighting. I've become disenchanted with all that. Hanging lots of lights in the sky and flicking them on and off rather irritatingly so, we're going to project from the front of house with very powerful panning projectors... and Quad. And use Quad, Quad sound and a few follow spots. And, I've got a good band and I hope it'll be fun.
MC - Not a lot of theatrics or any of that kinda stuff?
RW - Well, these projectors are pretty theatrical.
MC - Ok good.
RW - Yeah.
Jim - Will you be taking requests like you did on the Radio KAOS tour?
RW - No.
MC - No. He'll play what he wants to play and you'll like it!!! He'll play it and you'll like it!
RW - And you will like it.
MC - Oh God. Alright, so you've got a ticket. Are you happy and now are you going to continue your fight to stop scalpers superfan of Roger Waters?
TF - It's a tough battle. I appreciate it Roger. I've got two tickets for a good friend of mine who went to the '87 show with me who just had a baby up here in Chicago named Atticus so, congratulations 'little A-train.' I appreciate the help. You know, not many people would do this. I appreciate it.
MC - Jerry Michaleson, any final thoughts, from JAM Productions?
JM - Well, we look forward to seeing Roger again as usual. He puts on a terrific show, one that you can't believe. Those that have tickets are very lucky and those that don't I'm sorry. And, we appreciate Roger's stance on this position because we wish more artistes would be as sympathetic to the cause that we've been trying to carry forward for many years.
MC - Roger Waters, are we going to see more from you or is this... What's... It's probably the worst question ever because it's so... you're so unpredictable. Do you see this as your last rock and roll tour? Or are you...
RW - No.
MC - No. Absolutely not, okay, alright. The ticket scalper..
BS - Broker.
MC - Broker. Barry Solomon from Mr. B's Tickets.
BS - The final thing I guess I'd like to say is that if you want to know the difference between a ticket broker and a ticket scalper I'd recommend that you look at www.natb.org and find out what the difference is. It's a web site of the National Association of Ticket Brokers and it might be very informative. And Roger, I'd like to see you look at it and see if you ...
MC - Why don't you apologize to Roger and let's give out the rest of your tickets. Let's give out the rest of your tickets here on the show to the real Pink Floyd fans, the real Roger Waters fans. Let's just give them all away. Come on! Come on!!
BS - I wish I could afford to send the kids to college if I did.
MC - Greg, from Rolling Stone, any final words here?
GK - I was curious. We were talking about this issue here and we need to sort of apply pressure to the legislature if we want anything changed...
RW - Hear hear!
GK - ...and I want to ask Jerry and maybe Roger, in terms of like.. Is there a chance of like an artist or an artist, manager, and promoter coalition because it appears that the ticket brokers have a very strong lobby group. Is there a potential of getting a lobby group together like that, that would involve maybe the promoters and maybe the management of some of these artists that are interested in this issue. Maybe that's the only way to deal with this...
MC - Greg, are you saying 'just don't play' if they're scalping? And join together until it stops?
GK - Or, doing something to apply legislation to get a change in the law passed, you know? Not so much hurting the fans by not playing but sort of applying some pressure to some of these lawmakers.
MC - Jerry, you're loaded. Why don't you pay off a few of these politicians. For God's sake you're one of the richest people I know! Pay off a few of the politicians, buy them a new house and stop this scalping.
JM - Well, in our last effort we had every major sports team join in with us along with a lot of theatrical counties and we had it passed and again it got reversed because....
MC - Take a few politicians to lunch. I got a couple of whores right here. We'll get you some whores, you give them a bag of blow, you know how it works in this city. Come on Jerry!
JM - We really need your help Mancow.
MC - Okay, I'll do whatever I have to do.
BS - The question is, who do you want to buy that ticket from? Do you want to buy the ticket from the guy in the trench coat out in the street not knowing if it's counterfeit, not knowing if it's stolen? Do you want to buy it from a ticket broker and get a refund if the show is cancelled.
MC - Roger?
BS - The Illinois legislature decided that...
MC - We've gotta break. I'm not cutting you off sir. I'm really not, No I'm not. I'm sorry! I've gotta break. Roger Waters, from the south of France, living what sounds like a wonderful life. Roger, any final words here sir?
RW - Yeah. To answer that last point, what we want is that people go somewhere, buy a ticket and then go to the show. That they bought the ticket because they want to go and see the show. Not because they want to sell it on for a profit in the name that what they are providing is some kind of social service for the doctors and lawyers that our friend mentioned earlier.
MC - Yeah.
RW - If you want to go you buy a ticket and go to the show.
MC - That's a wild idea isn't it? You like Roger Waters, you buy a ticket and go see the show. There's a novel idea. Hey Roger, as we sit here we have a present that I believe is a war criminal, so much of your music talks about government out of control and the suits and the corporations taking over. I think you predicted most of it. Any words of wisdom to the little guy, listening, who's just trying to get through with, uh, really, we're turning into Metropolis. The suits are taking over and the little guy is getting stepped on and it continues. Any words of advice for us people here fighting in the trenches?
RW - Ha ha. (laughs) Yeah, yeah, you know, Every little helps. Each man is an island, you know. Each small candle lights a corner of the dark. We all have our own personal responsibility. We all make choices every day. You know? We're all responsible for our own actions. You can't change anything outside of yourself.
MC - How do we fight being a cog though? So many times all of us feel like... uh...
RW - Well you do it. Don't you do it? You know? You do it. You sense something comes up at you and you, in whatever way you can or however you can get through your life, you resist things that are damaging to your own and other human lives. One hopes.
MC - Like Mr. Frank here with the letter.
RW - Well yeah. Exactly.
MC - A silly letter that took over the show.
RW - Or us maybe talking on your radio show today. Maybe a few people are listening to this and think 'yeah, this doesn't sound quite right' maybe the suggestion that Greg Kot made about some type of coalition between the musicians and the promoters and whatever. Jerry, it sounds if it has been through that already but like you say, the problem is that there's a....
MC - Roger? What about killing some...
RW - ...status quo and so the thing was overturned.
MC - Roger, What about killing some of the politicians?
RW - Ha ha! ...for the Uzi.
MC - Roger Waters on the Mancow show. Thank you everybody. Thank you guys.
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