Dear Justin
I am the mother to a 12 year old 'Belieber'.. like millions of other Mum's around the world our households have become caught up in 'Bieber Fever'.
Last time you visited in Australia in 2011 you were all our household was talking about (whether we liked it or not). Having (been forced to) watch your Never Say Never movie we were under the impression that Meet & Greet Wrist bands were given out randomly to Beliebers waiting in the concert crowds. We plotted on how to catch someone's eye to score that coveted prize. We figured a huge, crazy sign might do the trick but we weren't allowed to unfurl it at the venue - so we displayed out the front of our home for several days because I wanted someone to notice it after all those painstaking hours to prepare it. A bit of silliness. Sadly we didn't get to meet you then.
We happened to have extra tickets bought in the presales which we on sold via an auction site - not to profit, just to recoup our costs. I literally had teenage girls begging me for these tickets as if their lives depended on it.
So let's fast forward a few years to 2013. You have grown. No longer the sweet innocent boy with the hair flick… now becoming a man, but more alarmingly a bit of a bad boy. I figure that was just growing pains as you find your way, but attitudes heavily influenced by fame and (your) fortune being depended on by those who profit from your career or 'friends' from your generosity. Now on face value I would not have thought the behaviours could have affected me in any way. How wrong I was.
So earlier this year in an effort to win Mother of the Year award with my tween, I diligently sat down at every Justin Bieber concert pre-sale trying to create the closer to Demigod experience and try, try, try to score the Holy Grail… those #@#@!!!! Meet & Greet tickets for either of the Sydney concerts. The first seats I got were OK, but not great. Seems the promoters try and clear out the less popular seats first, but I bought them as I was worried we would miss out. Second pre-sale resulted in slightly better seats. The final release date I scored pretty good seats but not the Holy Grail M&G. The average tickets were expensive. Nearly three times the price of the other flavour of the month better known as One Direction.
Now all of this was a HUGE financial gamble but based on previous experience I thought the odds were pretty good to list the excess tickets for what I paid for them and we would keep the best seats for ourselves. But here's the thing Justin… your star is fading. BIG TIME!... those tickets didn't sell. NO-ONE wanted them. Even for AMAZING seats on the floor next to the stage. I listed them 3 times. I figured I might lose ten percent in selling fees but not THOUSANDS of dollars. Buyers were offering one fifth of what I paid. A girl listed 3 tickets valued at $145 each for $45.. for ALL 3… and got no bidders. What the @#@#????
So in short time here in Australia you and crew have been investigated for drugs, you sprayed graffiti on a private building, you abused a customs official, kept concert goers waiting for over an hour several times, once while you played 'Face time' with a reality TV star and stayed out partying late most nights. It's all over the world media. Just the antics in this country alone. And whilst I applaud your effort to 'give back' by a private concert for an injured fan, I say what about the THOUSANDS of fans who have paid good money to see you. BE. A. PROFESSIONAL.
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/justin-biebers-mouth-lands-him...
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/unlike-miley-cyrus-justin-bieb...
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/justin-bieber-gets-cozy-in-syd...
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/review-justin-bieber-at-rod-la...
http://media.smh.com.au/national/selections/justin-bieber-graffitis-hote...
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/justin-bieber-makes-melbourne-...
In some ways I don’t really give a rats what you do in your spare time and I figure you think it is all a bit of a lark. But Justin there is a thing called professionalism and if you want to keep raking in those millions I think you have to truly deliver more than a carefully choreographed and completely scripted concert. Fame & notoriety does not necessarily equate to long term success, respect and longevity.
So what did I do?... I tried to make the best of the situation and I donated a whole lotta tickets worth over $5K to a charity. I wanted bums in those overpriced seats otherwise I would have sat there crying through the whole concert.
You actually cost me thousands of dollars - money that as a single Mum I could use as I start up my business to support my daughter & I, or for the Christmas holidays. Small change for you. I figured it would have been cheaper for me to pay a scalper an exorbitant amount of money for those Meet & Greet tickets. Or for what I lost I could have bought return airfares to another country and tickets to the concert for probably less money. And had a holiday. Neither of which I could afford to do but I ended up taking that hit anyway.
Justin honey, I am going to sound like a Mum… and I truly hope your family are listening up to help guide you rather than those who profit from you. You need to get your $hit together… you are definitely not a gamble I am willing to take any more. As you prepare for your final concerts Down Under I wonder if we will welcome you back with open arms (and wallets) again?
I think the love affair is over. I am sorry but I no longer 'Believe' you have the goods. And I am not the only one.
Sincerely a Concerned Mum
