Tom Walker has weighed in on the whole Oasis-style dynamic ticket pricing revealing that he’s asked his managers to make sure he’d never used the strategy.
The singer’s comments come following news that Oasis’ Liam and Noel Gallagher had reconciled, and would be getting back together for their first shows in 16 years. Tickets went on sale at the end of last month and officially sold out within a few hours. However, the entire process was far from smooth, with millions flocking to try to grab tickets and many – including Louis Tomlinson – being left disappointed after several issues arose.
Some who did eventually manage to get through the queues were then disappointed to see the cost of remaining tickets had increased due to Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing policy; a process which sees prices hiked up due to high demand.
The ‘dynamic pricing’ soon led to widespread backlash. As well as countless fans, politicians like Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also weighed in, calling for a review of the policy and secondary ticket sites. Similarly, Twickets announced a U-turn on their stance – capping their booking fee at a maximum of £25 per ticket – while Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust (MVT), used the scramble as a way to highlight the struggles faced by grassroots venues.
Hundreds of fans then launched complaints to the Advertising Standards Association (ASA) over surge ticket pricing, debate arose about whether the lack of warning may have been a breach of consumer law, and fans celebrated Robert Smith for fighting Ticketmaster to keep The Cure ticket prices affordable.
Eventually, Oasis addressed the controversy – distancing themselves from the price hikes and announcing that they would be playing two extra shows at Wembley, but this time with much stricter rules in place for the ticket sales.
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Now, Walker has opened up about the legendary Mancunian band’s inflated ticket price issue telling the Daily Star: “There’s a limit, isn’t there? I do feel like some people are taking the piss, and it’s not cool. Oasis came out saying they weren’t aware of what Ticketmaster were doing and all the rest of it. Maybe they didn’t know.”
He continued: “The point is if all artists said ‘No’ to that last-minute ticket inflation due to high demand, it wouldn’t be a thing. That’s my view. I even asked my management, ‘We’ve never done that, have we?’ Because I don’t know – I’m not in charge of that bit.”
Walker went on to admit that there is a debate to be had with the ticket prices when a gig you end up paying a high price for ends up being “the best thing you have ever seen and you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, then fair play.” He went on to add: “But I do think people queuing for six hours thinking they’re getting a £150 ticket and then [being told], ‘That’ll be £400, please,’ you’d be fuming!”
The singer is the latest to comment on the situation. Previously, David Gilmour weighed in on the dynamic pricing situation and said that he thinks bands should stay loyal to the price they initially lay out.
In an interview with ITV News, the guitarist, singer and songwriter said: “I think Oasis should do exactly what they want to do. I’m not sure about this strange ticketing thing that’s going on. They should put a price on tickets and stick to it.”
Elsewhere, Walker is set to release his second album ‘I Am’ on September 20. According to a statement, his latest sees him “writing about his own personal struggles and anxieties, creative challenges, sadness and moments of despair.” It’s also described as “a sometimes visceral account of who Tom Walker is in 2023.”
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