Decibel and Docket is a podcast at the intersection of the music business, live entertainment and the justice system. Hosted by veteran entertainment journalist Dave Brooks and attorney Mike Seville, this weekly podcast examines major legal stories and headlines affecting artists, content creators and the business of culture.
Decibel and Docket
Claim This Podcastby Dave Brooks
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29 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Decibel and Docket is a podcast at the intersection of the music business, live entertainment and the justice system. Hosted by veteran entertainment journalist Dave Brooks and attorney Mike Seville, this weekly podcast examines major legal stories and headlines affecting artists, content creators and the business of culture.
Language
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Publishing Since
1/18/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 3, 2026
Tsunami of Scandals Engulf Stubhub + California's Fight To Reign in Resale Prices Featuring Randy Nichols (Episode 25)
<p>In this explosive episode of Decibel & Docket, Dave Brooks is joined by ticketing reform advocate Randy Nichols for a deep dive into one of the live entertainment industry’s most contentious battles: the war over ticket resale, speculative listings, and the powerful lobbying machine fighting to preserve the status quo.</p><p><br></p><p>The episode opens with a candid—and often hilarious—conversation about the term “scalping,” why the ticket resale industry is trying to rebrand itself, and whether changing the language does anything to address the real problem facing fans. Randy breaks down why terminology matters less than behavior, arguing that the true issue isn’t resale itself, but bad actors who exploit fans through deception, bot-driven buying, and speculative ticket sales.</p><p><br></p><p>From there, the conversation shifts to California, where two major ticketing reform bills—AB 1720 and AB 1349—have become the center of a fierce legislative showdown. Randy explains his recent trip to Sacramento, where he testified before lawmakers alongside advocacy groups including the Music Artists Coalition, the California chapter of NIVA, and the National Independent Talent Organization. The pair unpack what these bills actually do: AB 1720 would cap resale prices to reduce arbitrage and ticket flipping, while AB 1349 targets speculative ticket sales, deceptive ticketing websites, and transparency around resale listings.</p><p><br></p><p>But passing reform won’t be easy. Randy reveals just how aggressive the secondary ticketing lobby has become, with millions of dollars being spent on lobbyists, ad campaigns, and so-called “grassroots” organizations designed to influence legislators and public opinion. Dave and Randy examine the rise of astroturf groups, misleading anti-reform ads, and the messaging strategy that paints reform efforts as “Ticketmaster bills”—even though many of the reforms could also limit practices that benefit major ticketing platforms.</p><p><br></p><p>The conversation then turns to one of the biggest ticketing scandals of the year: the ongoing StubHub World Cup ticket fiasco. Randy explains why the controversy goes far beyond ordinary fan frustration. Thousands of fans purchased tickets months in advance, booked flights and hotels, and arrived at stadiums only to learn their tickets were never real. At the heart of the scandal is speculative ticketing—listings for tickets sellers don’t actually possess. Randy outlines how this business model can incentivize failed fulfillment, allowing sellers to pocket profits while fans receive only refunds, long after replacement tickets become unaffordable.</p><p><br></p><p>Dave and Randy also examine broader allegations surrounding StubHub leadership, including questions about executive conflicts of interest, marketplace incentives, and whether regulators will eventually step in. The discussion highlights how opaque marketplace structures may favor large professional resellers while leaving everyday consumers vulnerable.</p><p><br></p><p>Finally, the episode explores a new frontier in ticketing risk: artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Dave asks Randy about a recent report involving AI-assisted vulnerability research into Front Gate Tickets, raising urgent questions about how large language models could be used to identify—and potentially exploit—security weaknesses in ticketing systems. The discussion expands into a wider debate about AI, fraud, hacking, and the future of digital ticket security across the live entertainment business.</p><p><br></p><p>Packed with insider analysis, legal insight, and sharp commentary, this episode of *Decibel & Docket* tackles the future of ticketing, consumer protection, resale regulation, and the growing battle between fans, lawmakers, ticketing platforms, and powerful secondary market interests.</p><p><br></p><p>If you care about concert ticket prices, live entertainment law, ticket scams, or the future of the ticketing industry, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.</p><p><br></p>
June 27, 2026
Rapino in the White House: Did Trump Meeting Hurt Live Nation's Settlement Talks + Ticket Fraud Rising on Stubhub for World Cup Fans
<p>This week on Decibel & Docket, veteran concert business reporter Dave Brooks speaks with Business Insider's Emily Stewart about an uptick in fraud at the World Cup. But first, Brooks and attorney Michael Seville dig into the most explosive filing yet in the Live Nation/Ticketmaster antitrust case as well as the bizarre criminal case against Memphis drill rapper Pooh Shiesty.</p><p>First, Dave and Mike break down Live Nation's newly filed Tunney Act disclosure, the legally required list of every communication between the company and federal officials during its antitrust settlement talks with the DOJ. The filing reveals a sprawling lobbying and legal operation, with elite firms including Sullivan & Cromwell, Latham & Watkins, and Sidley Austin running point with the DOJ's Antitrust Division, the Attorney General's office, and the Deputy Attorney General. Names in the disclosure raise eyebrows, including Kellyanne Conway listed as a paid consultant and Richard Grenell named as a Live Nation director. The most striking detail: Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino had a direct conversation with President Trump in February 2026 in which the DOJ lawsuit reportedly came up. Dave and Mike unpack what the disclosure means for the federal judge reviewing the settlement and whether it invites deeper scrutiny of how the deal came together.</p><p>Next, the hosts turn to the increasingly dramatic case of Pooh Shiesty (Lontrell Williams Jr.), the Memphis rapper accused of orchestrating an armed robbery and forced contract release targeting his mentor and label boss, Gucci Mane. Prosecutors allege that while on federal home confinement from a prior gun case, Pooh Shiesty lured Gucci Mane to a Dallas studio, pulled a gun, forced him to sign away his record contract on camera, and robbed him and others of roughly half a million dollars in cash and jewelry. Dave and Mike walk through a newly filed 25-page government response opposing bail, which alleges Pooh Shiesty's father printed the fraudulent release contract hours before the meeting and that a Bureau of Prisons-contracted monitor was allegedly bribed to falsify home confinement passes. The two dissect the severability clause buried in the forced contract, debate whether it could protect an agreement signed under duress (short answer: no), and explain what a "de novo" bail review actually means. Seville walks through why prosecutors argue both danger-to-community and flight-risk standards, why the kidnapping charge's interstate-commerce jurisdictional argument is a long shot, and how the alleged corruption of his own home confinement monitor could sink Pooh Shiesty's chance at pretrial release.</p><p>In the back half, Dave welcomes Business Insider reporter Emily Stewart to discuss her reporting on World Cup ticket failures. Stewart explains how fans who bought tickets months in advance through secondary marketplaces like StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats are getting last-minute notices that their tickets can't be delivered, often just days before kickoff, after already booking flights and hotels. She unpacks speculative ticketing, where resellers list tickets they don't actually possess and bet on acquiring them before the event, and the telltale signs fans should watch for. Stewart also connects the dots to a related Ticketmaster antitrust controversy, where SeatGeek lost a primary ticketing contract with Brooklyn's Barclays Center after Bruce Springsteen's team objected to speculative listings. The conversation covers what resale platforms' "fan guarantee" policies actually promise, and what World Cup ticket holders can do now to protect themselves.</p><p>Decibel & Docket is the podcast at the intersection of the music business, live entertainment, and the justice system, hosted by journalist Dave Brooks and attorney Michael Seville.</p>
June 19, 2026
Did Lawyers Against Live Nation Get A $40M Antitrust Lawsuit Bounty For Prevailing Over Ticketmaster + Russell Simmons Can't Shake #MeToo Rape Case By Trying to Hide Out in Jakarta
<p>In Episode 23 of <strong>Decibel & Docket</strong>, veteran music business journalist <strong>Dave Brooks</strong> and entertainment attorney <strong>Michael Seville</strong> break down two major stories shaping the intersection of the <strong>music industry, antitrust law, and entertainment litigation</strong>.</p><p>Once again the show turns to one of the most fascinating legal developments in the live entertainment business: the surprising fee arrangement behind the states’ antitrust case against <strong>Live Nation and Ticketmaster</strong>.</p><p>Following explosive reporting from Puck, Dave and Michael unpack the eye-popping compensation structure negotiated by superstar antitrust attorney <strong>Jeffrey Kessler</strong>, who was brought in by state attorneys general to continue the case as the federal government pursued settlement discussions. With reported billing rates reaching <strong>$2,250 per hour</strong>, deferred fees worth millions, and a potential contingency payout exceeding <strong>$40 million</strong>, this arrangement raises major questions about the future of antitrust enforcement in America.</p><p>The hosts explain why Kessler’s fee structure is so unusual, how it blends traditional hourly billing with contingency-based litigation, and what it reveals about the growing role of private law firms in public antitrust cases. Could elite private attorneys become “deputized bounty hunters” as government agencies like the <strong>Department of Justice</strong> and <strong>FTC</strong> face staffing shortages and political pressure? What happens when private firms have a financial stake in remedies as dramatic as a <strong>Ticketmaster divestiture</strong> or a forced <strong>Live Nation breakup</strong>?</p><p>Dave and Michael also examine the broader implications for antitrust enforcement in the Trump era, including whether state attorneys general may increasingly rely on outside counsel to challenge powerful corporations in the music, media, and technology sectors. If the DOJ settlement is approved, what happens to the states’ case—and to Kessler’s massive contingency fee?</p><p>In the second half of the episode, the podcast turns to a high-profile sexual assault lawsuit involving <strong>Russell Simmons</strong>.</p><p>A New York judge has ruled that the hip-hop mogul must face a civil rape lawsuit brought by a former <strong>Def Jam</strong> executive, despite Simmons relocating to <strong>Indonesia</strong> in recent years. The hosts explain the crucial legal distinction between federal and state court jurisdiction, and why New York’s “long-arm” statute allows state courts to reach defendants living overseas when the alleged misconduct occurred within state borders.</p><p>Dave and Michael also unpack a contentious dispute over a <strong>1997 severance agreement</strong> that Simmons’ legal team says bars the lawsuit entirely. The plaintiff alleges the agreement was forged, setting up a major evidentiary fight over contract authenticity, signature verification, and potential fraud. Michael explains how courts evaluate claims of forgery, why these disputes can become highly technical, and what evidence both sides will need to present.</p><p>The episode also explores the impact of <strong>New York’s Adult Survivors Act</strong>, one of several laws passed after the <strong>#MeToo movement</strong> that temporarily revived expired sexual assault claims by extending or lifting statutes of limitation. Dave and Michael discuss why these laws have triggered waves of decades-old lawsuits, the challenges they create for plaintiffs and defendants alike, and how courts balance survivor access to justice with due process concerns.</p><p>If you want smart analysis of the biggest stories in <strong>live entertainment, concert touring, Ticketmaster, antitrust law, and music industry litigation</strong>, this episode delivers the legal insight and insider reporting you won’t find anywhere else.</p><p><strong>Topics Covered:</strong><br>• Live Nation antitrust lawsuit<br>• Ticketmaster breakup debate<br>• Jeffrey Kessler’s legal fees<br>• DOJ settlement analysis<br>• Russell Simmons rape lawsuit<br>• Adult Survivors Act explained<br>• Music business legal news<br>• Entertainment law and antitrust trends</p>
29 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Decibel and Docket?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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