They may seem like an unlikely couple, but when it comes to keeping a legion of long-term and loyal fans happy, it seems that great minds think alike.
That’s the conclusion to be drawn from Neil Young’s most recent post to his Archives site, spelling out his desire to stop (and open contempt for) Platinum priced tickets at any of his upcoming gigs.
It seems that the business of the music business had been on Young’s mind with ever-higher gig ticket prices and efforts to stop scalpers from profiting, only ever producing side effects that didn’t sit well with the great man, and a fresh, clear perspective from The Cure’s Robert Smith, no less – explaining that Platinum priced tickets are fundamentally flawed – has finally pushed the legend to make good on his suspicions.
“Please read the story below this one,” writes Young on the front page of his newspaper-styled site, drawing attention to Smith’s original story, as part of an interview he conducted with The Times.
“It’s the story of the bad thing that has happened to concerts worldwide. It’s this story that really helped me to realise that I have a choice to make and can make a difference for my music loving friends,” Young explains.
“My management and agent have always tried to cover my back on the road, getting me the best deals they could. 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,” he continues.
“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.”
Cheaper tickets mean happier fans and… more money?
And while Smith’s hardline may seem directly inspired by a desire to do the right thing for his fans, it also makes sound business sense.
In Smith’s interview The Cure’s frontman describes modern ticketing as being “driven by greed” while chastising acts that “hide behind management” when – for example – a 2025 reunion tour ends up blighted by fan discontentment at inflated prices due to ‘dynamic pricing’, say.
"I was shocked by how much profit is made," Smith told the paper. "I thought, 'We don't need to make all this money.' The only reason you'd charge more for a gig is if you were worried that it was the last time you would be able to sell a T-shirt."
"But if you had the self-belief that you're still going to be here in a year's time, you'd want the show to be great so people come back. 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."
"We didn't allow dynamic pricing because it's a scam that would disappear if every artist said, 'I don't want that!' But most artists hide behind management. 'Oh, we didn't know,' they say. They all know. If they say they do not, they're either f***ing stupid or lying. It's just driven by greed."
Smith – and now Young – want you to feel better about buying the ticket… And that way you’ll spend more on the things that you really want… And with a happier experience all round, you’ll be more likely to come back and do it all again. Or go to more gigs and help out other artists too.
Young’s Love Earth tour is set to arrive in the UK and Europe this summer with the star performing a headline set at Glastonbury in June, and being the main draw at BST Hyde Park the following month, where he will be joined by Yusuf / Cat Stevens and Van Morrison.
Meanwhile, the UK government has committed to an in-depth examination around the legalities of dynamic pricing, arising following fan’s discontentment regarding the sale of tickets for their upcoming 2025 tour.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
“It was that fusion of funk and rock. It gave birth to Michael Jackson doing his incredible stuff!”: Brian May on a killer Queen song that blew away the King of Pop - and Kirk Hammett!
"Ableton is great for making tracks, Pro Tools is great for mixing. For me, Logic is great when you do both": Emma-Jean Thackray on the making of new album Weirdo
