You’ve probably already heard about those other tour-date columnists working for other concert Web sites, and how they accepted money from the government in exchange for pushing certain events, like the upcoming tours by John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan. And you’re probably wondering if there’s something similar going on at Pollstar.com, that we’re picking up an extra few bucks every time we mention Yanni or single out the Slipknot tour. In fact, thanks to the selfish, unethical practices of our competitors, you’re probably thinking that the entire concert Web network is on the take, and that we’ve already sold what’s left of our souls to the highest bidder.

Not to worry. For if there’s one thing Pollstar.com stands for, it is the unbounded force of the free press, and we’d never, ever, charge anyone for highlighting, say, Crooked Fingers or Paul Thorn, or for providing direct links to the dates for Living Legends, DeVotchka and 7 Seconds. We’re not for sale. Period.

But that doesn’t mean people haven’t tried to buy us off. It wasn’t too long ago that the Department of Defense wanted to funnel some big bucks to our coffers in return for highlighting GWAR, and just last week the Boomer Protection Agency wanted to give us cold hard cash for hyping Elvis Costello, the Eagles and Elton John. But we said “no” to the DOD and we told the BPA to kiss off. We told them that we highlight bands free of charge and that it would be a crime-free day in Fresno before we started accepting cash for tour mentions. Not on this page. Not on our watch.

But that doesn’t mean that they stopped trying to pay us. For instance, just this morning the new Bang Tango Euro dates arrived with a couple of Benjamins stuffed between the dates for Pamplona and Barcelona. Or, like last week when the State Department offered us fifty grand in return for highlighting Celine Dion’s Vegas run. They said it was necessary in order for the US to patch up its relationship with Canada. Like that will ever happen.

But we don’t accept payment for highlighting tours. Hydra, Buddy Guy, The Hives or Laurie Anderson – none of those bands or artists ever paid us a single penny in order to bask in the primo exposure this space has to offer. They know the score. They know Pollstar.com isn’t for sale. They know we can’t be purchased, bribed, induced, seduced or juiced. They can’t grease our palms for mentioning Queens Of The Stone Age, nor can they bribe us for highlighting Rod Stewart, Motley Crue or John Prine. That’s because the short story is the same as the novel. We’re not for sale. We cannot be bought.

On the other hand, we do have very affordable rental terms.