It's nothing short of a miracle: US Christian rockers MercyMe are well into their second tour without the aid of Ticketmaster, whom they dropped after deciding that their fans were getting ripped off. They're charging a flat ticket fee of $10 and averaging 10,000-person crowds at dozens of cities across the country.

The likes of Pearl Jam, the String Cheese Incident and Bruce Springsteen have all picked fights with the major ticket agency, but none have held successful major concert tours without them. MercyMe are the first.

When American network, FOX News covered the story, writer Dan Gibson summed it up neatly:

“Maybe it's the evangelistic bent of many of the tour's acts, who are aiming to tell audiences about Jesus along with putting on an enjoyable show,  that motivates MercyMe to risk the economic guarantee that a high-priced ticket paid in advance provides. But if these bands can skip past Ticketmaster's fees and still put on a show without skimping on production quality, why can't acts with even larger fan bases do the same? Can touring be both a revenue stream and an affordable opportunity for concertgoers to connect with the musicians they love?”