Neil Young has committed to avoiding ‘Platinum’ ticket sales for his future tours, after being inspired to do so by The Cure’s Robert Smith.
The tickets in question are used by sales outlets such as Ticketmaster as an attempt to put off touts and scalpers from buying up premium tickets and selling them for high profits on the secondary market.
Smith pointed out in an interview with The Times last year that he believed ‘Platinum’ tickets and the controversial dynamic pricing scheme were a “scam” that was “driven by greed”.
“I thought, ‘We don’t need to make all this money’,” Smith said. “You don’t want to charge as much as the market will let you. If people save on the tickets, they buy beer or merch. There is goodwill, they will come back next time. It is a self-fulfilling good vibe and I don’t understand why more people don’t do it.”
Neil Young performs in 2023. CREDIT: SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images
Now, Young has cited Smith’s comments on his Archives site, arguing that he believes ‘Platinum’ tickets are a “bad thing”, as they result in him taking too much money from his fans.
“My management and agent have always tried to cover my back on the road, getting me the best deals they could,” he wrote. “They have tried to protect me and the fans from scalpers who buy the best tickets and resell them at huge increases for their own profits”.
“Ticketmaster’s high priced Platinum tickets were introduced to the areas where scalpers were buying the most tickets for resale. The money went to me. That did not feel right. Very soon, Platinum tickets will no longer be available for my shows.”
“I have decided to let the people work this out,” he added. “Buy aggressively when the tickets come out or tickets will cost a lot more in a secondary market.”
The UK government have committed to resolving the issue of dynamic pricing, having condemned it in the light of the controversy around the Oasis ticket sale last summer.
Young, meanwhile, is set to hit the UK and Europe this summer as part of his ‘Love Earth’ world tour alongside The Chrome Hearts. That will include his headline set at Glastonbury Festival in June, as well as topping the bill a BST Hyde Park the following month, where he will be joined by Yusuf / Cat Stevens and Van Morrison.
Young also recently released his first track with The Chrome Hearts, ‘Big Change’. He has since given an update on his debut album with the group, explaining that he hoped to release it in April ahead of the summer tour.
He has also shared the trailer for his forthcoming documentary Coastal, shot and directed by his wife Darryl Hannah. It goes behind the scenes of his 2023 tour of the same name and hits cinemas on April 17.
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