Fans spotlight when Robert Smith fought Ticketmaster to keep The Cure ticket prices affordable

3 September, 2024

Robert Smith of The Cure

Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding Oasis’ reunion tour pricing, music fans have spotlighted Robert Smith’s efforts to keep tickets affordable for The Cure shows.

Last weekend tickets went on sale for Noel and Liam Gallagher’s reunion tour as the newly reformed Oasis for a series of 17 summer stadium gigs across the UK and beyond.

Despite the pair’s strong anti-tout stance and efforts to curb inflated re-sale prices, fans soon discovered that Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing system was in place, which meant that ticket costs increased in response to demand.

According to experts, not warning fans prior to the sale may have been a breach of consumer law, and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has also called for a review into dynamic pricing and secondary ticket sites.

As fans are still reeling in the disappointment of losing out on tickets, Smith’s own efforts to go up against Ticketmaster have been pulled back into focus.

In an email to fans last year, The Cure frontman vowed to keep ticket prices reasonable on the band’s US tour, writing: “The Cure have agreed all ticket prices, and apart from a few Hollywood Bowl charity seats, there will be no ‘platinum’ or ‘dynamically priced’ tickets on this tour.”

After tickets went on sale, the musician said he was “sickened” by high Ticketmaster fees that were still applied, and subsequently pushed Ticketmaster to give money back for “unduly high” fees.

He also asked Ticketmaster to explain why tickets in the promised face value ticket exchange were “weird” and “over priced”.

As the Oasis ticketing controversy remains headline news, many have praised Smith’s efforts to go up against the entertainment giant.

“Let’s not forget that it is within the powers of big bands to keep tickets affordable, rein in resales and exorbitant fees and generally kick @Ticketmaster’s arse for its venal behaviour – as demonstrated by Robert Smith,” wrote journalist Fiona Sturges on X.

“It’s been blindingly obvious since The Cure’s last tour that artists have a much bigger say in their tour ticketing policy than many of the general public thought,” added one social media user.

Check out some more thoughts on the controversy below.

 

The Cure went on to break records with their Shows Of A Lost World live shows despite efforts to keep tickets affordable – going on to become their highest-grossing tour and their best attendance in the region.

Smith had previously acknowledged that they were working with a “far from perfect system”.

Live Nation’s CEO, Michael Rapino, later confirmed that the entertainment company absorbed the cost of the reimbursement, sharing on the The Bob Lefsetz Podcast: “It was a fast decision, we thought it was worth the million dollars or so to send the right message.”

Robert Smith of The Cure performs, Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher of Oasis
Robert Smith of The Cure performs, Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher of Oasis (CREDIT: Barry Brecheisen/WireImage, Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)

The controversy encouraged ongoing conversations about ticket pricing for in-demand tours, with Neil Young weighing in to declare that “concert touring is broken”.

Meanwhile, Oasis now seem to be hinting as US tour dates in a new billboard.

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