The web is full of unsubstantiated reports that Lady Gaga's artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball Tour is a flop that isn't moving tickets. Well, a Live Nation bigwig has gone on record to address those allegations.

The truth is the The ARTPOP Ball is far from a flop. In fact, it's quite the opposite.

Arthur Fogel, the chairman of Live Nation's global touring divisions, dismissed the reports as "ridiculous," delivering facts and figures. The tour is at 80% capacity sold in North American and Europe, despite not even launching until May, which means the tour is close to selling out and should sell out by the time the shows roll around.

"The run with Gaga over the last two tours has been incredibly successful, and this one is shaping up no differently," Fogel told Billboard.

Six more North American shows will be announced shortly, as well as fourth O2 gig in London. Struggling tours don't add shows; they axe them.

Additionally, the 29 North American shows have grossed $26 million in ticket sales already, which shakes out to about $900,000 per show. That doesn't sound like a failing tour, either.

Fogel also addressed Gaga's June show in Milwaukee, which was said to be a dud. He revealed the show has sold more than 14,000 tickets, is grossing $961,000 and it's still three months away.

"I just don’t know how this s—t gets any traction without people doing their homework," he said. He also scoffed at the report that the tour put Live Nation in the red by $30 million, saying, "Just a complete fool would say something like that and it could only come from somebody who has an agenda, because it makes absolutely no sense, on any level."

If the tour was losing that kind of scratch, Live Nation would have stanched the bleeding and moved to scrap it by now.

A lot of these reports about Gaga flopping are often the work of Gaga haters. Do a little digging and you will find items with shaky facts (and others that appear rather well-researched, too) that seem to relish in taking down Gaga while celebrating her peers. That is very much an agenda.

While 'ARTPOP' without a doubt did not perform as many had expected and hoped and was on of 2013's biggest disappointments, Gaga is not on the mat, down for the count. She is coming out swinging again.

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