Back in June of 2002, David Bowie was interviewed by the New York Times about his forthcoming album Heathen. During the interview, he predicted that the advent of digital music downloads would undoubtedly drive up the cost of concert ticket prices. On the future of the music industry, he stated:
Music itself is going to become like running water or electricity. So it’s like, just take advantage of these last few years because none of this is ever going to happen again. You’d better be prepared for doing a lot of touring because that’s really the only unique situation that’s going to be left. It’s terribly exciting. But on the other hand it doesn’t matter if you think it’s exciting or not; it’s what’s going to happen.
Now five year later, the Times Online posted an article today titled “Megastars play to empty seats after fans balk at ticket prices.” Confirming the prophecy, the article reveals that the new trend of increased ticket prices has been dubbed “The Bowie Theory” by economists. Enough Europeans music fans have refused to pay the inflated prices that some big name acts including Elton John, George Michael and The Who have been forced to cancel shows, while others like Barbra Steisand the Stones carry on and belt out their hits to backs of chairs. Read more about the Bowie Theory in the BBC News.