Taylor Swift has been taking on Ticketmaster and their parent company, Live Nation, over their terrible ticket buying experience, not to mention exorbitant fees and near monopoly over concert venues nation wide. They’re currently under an antitrust investigation by the Department of Justice. 80s Goth legends The Cure are going on tour for three months starting this May. They tried to work with Ticketmaster to ensure that prices were fair and affordable and would not skyrocket based on demand. Due to Ticketmaster, local venues and resellers trying to get a cut this proved impossible. In many cases additional fees were more than the original ticket price. Frontman Robert Smith issued several statements about this condemning Ticketmaster. As a result Ticketmaster has announced that they will refund a whole $10 to ticketholders.
The Cure… had established what many live music experts would say were the ideal measures for a fan-centered experience to keep tickets at face value even as demand is higher than supply. The Cure likely left some money on the table when they declined to use dynamic pricing that now often accompanies high-profile arena shows, and they kept tickets non-transferable to make it harder for scalpers to sell tickets at hefty premiums.
Despite those efforts, by the time the sale started on Wednesday, Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation were once again facing the vitriol of fans, this time over fees that in some cases amounted to more than the price of the ticket itself, alongside the more common tech issues that hold buyers in line for long periods of time or prevent them from purchasing tickets after selecting them.
But for two days, Smith had been vocal about the band’s intent to ensure fans only bought tickets at face value, calling out everything from scalpers to platinum tickets to the fees themselves, and by Thursday evening, he’d announced a rare move in which customers would get a small refund from Ticketmaster over the fees, stating that the company “agreed the fees were unduly high.”
This is a complicated story due to the multiple players but it boils down to concert goers getting fleeced despite artists’ best efforts. While I haven’t been to a big concert in years, I just bought plane tickets from Allegiant. The UI was purposefully confusing and geared toward selling add-on packages that amounted to more than double my ticket price. I was almost conned into paying over $300 for a ticket that was supposed to be $150. I have worked online and in tech for over 20 years! (My kid is more tech savvy than me though.) I’ve heard that similar fees at Airbnb drive up costs so much.
I saw The Cure on tour with The Pixies and Love and Rockets in 1989. (I was a teenager, shut up.) I would love to see The Cure play again, but it doesn’t look like they’re playing near me. They have a limited number of tickets available starting at 10am local time per venue today, as per an announcement on their website. If you’re a well-aged goth like me and you score some, tag me on Twitter or Instagram with your pics from the show!
This is an encouraging precedent, even if it's no substitute for needed regulation. Artists take heed: when you speak up (with both conviction and nuance), you can make new things possible. https://t.co/H1tCZdlaZv
— Future of Music Coalition (@future_of_music) March 16, 2023
WE WERE CONVINCED THAT TICKETMASTER'S "Verified Fan Page” AND "Face Value Ticket Exchange” IDEAS COULD HELP US FIGHT THE SCALPERS
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) March 15, 2023
WHAT I MEANT BY THIS BIT WAS… I HAD A SEPARATE CONVERSATION ABOUT 'PLATINUM', TO SEE IF I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD SOMETHING… BUT I HADN'T! IT IS A GREEDY SCAM – AND ALL ARTISTS HAVE THE CHOICE NOT TO PARTICIPATE… IF NO ARTISTS PARTICIPATED, IT WOULD CEASE TO EXIST X https://t.co/Kj7hjkRGn1
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) March 15, 2023
This man is awesome on several levels
Robert Smith of The Cure succinctly explains why everyone should despise the monarchy and the queen pic.twitter.com/UNG834aZci
— ☀️👀 (@zei_squirrel) September 9, 2022
Robert Smith of The Cure after being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 pic.twitter.com/6xzI3gEhP5
— Pigeons & Planes (@PigsAndPlans) August 11, 2022
photos credit: Zoran Veselinovic/Avalon and Getty
I didn’t know artists could opt-in or out of the platinum ticket thing.
Bey, Taylor, what’s good!!!
Surely, if Robert Smith can combat astronomical fees and ridiculous prices, so can they.
I also saw that tour in 1989 (in Ottawa and Toronto). It was so good!! And we managed to get tickets for this tour in Toronto. Can’t wait! We all signed up for the list and one of us got in, while the rest of us were waitlisted.
I was there in Toronto in 1989! We were at the same show!
No way!! I still have my ticket stubs and everything 🙂 Here is the setlist from it: https://www.cure-concerts.de/concerts/1989-08-28.php
I’m glad Robert held ticketmaster accountable. I’m sure he’s disappointed he could not get larger refunds.
I scored tickets! Been a huge fan and it warms my dark goth heart that Robert Smith is actively calling out all this BS. The one downside – fans could not purchase tickets during the presale without a code. I was immediately waitlisted and so was my concert buddy. A friend of mine got a code, was willing to score me tickets, but was unable to attend. The “non-transferable” part made this very difficult. Yes it hopefully stopped scalping, but also prevents the gifting of tickets, or allowing friends to do a solid by purchasing tickets on another’s behalf). (Purchasers have to either loan their phone or be at the venue to facilitate check-in). (I got a code an hr after the pre-sale started and purchased tickets at a very reasonable price).
With all the gazillions Ticketmaster is making off the backs of fans, you’d think there would be a way to prevent reselling and price-gouging and honest resale at face-value. Currently, fans cannot choose a recipient to resell tickets for fair exchange through ticket master.
Anyway, not sure if scalping has been prevented in the end.
Oh… my part 2 woe… my concert is the same weekend as the Montreal Grand Prix… finding accommodations there is way more challenging!!
I also scored tickets! Only $30 for each – with fees it was $88. An amazing price, makes me feel like I am back in the 90s (almost). I was a smidge young to see The Cure back then so I am beyond excited to get the chance to finally see them in person. Robert Plant is a real one, love him for taking on Ticketbastard
Hey I’m going on Montreal too! Despite living in Boston and requesting either Boston or NYC above Montreal but whatever, I’m so excited! Goths and formula one fans, it’s going to be crazy in montreal that weekend.
I don’t even look up concert prices anymore. I love/live music, most all kinds, music starts at morning coffee and is on all day until tv at night. We have taken our children to live concerts for the experience but no more. Prices are out of control.
I was at the Toronto show too!
There should be laws against scalpers too.
I know many people who tried to get BTS tickets, but many were bought up by scalpers and went for literally thousands of dollars, where they had normal prices before.
Some fans make a point of selling to other fans when someone suddenly can’t make it for the real ticket price and have them answer lots of quiz questions to establish that they’re real fans and not more scalpers.
It’s crazy
Ticketmaster is the devil.
Imagine gate keeping live music as your job. Has to be soul sucking.
Ticketmaster needs to explain why a customer getting into PRESALE with the necessary code at the exact minute presale tickets go on sale can only find RESALE tickets and the prices of those resale tickets escalate as minutes tick by. I got into the Springsteen PRESALE, which was a few weeks before the Swift debacle, at start time. Selected an available pair of decent seats at $150 each but the tickets were gone by the time it flipped to the next page. Another minute later, those same tickets were up for resale for twice the price. Same with every other ticket location I clicked on. I went back and just watched my original choice continue to go up and up in price to where they were $1,500 each 20 minutes into the presale. Something is NOT right.
I saw this tour in December in London. It was fantastic and your are in for a treat if you got tickets.
My old goth heart is warmed by the fact that Robert (my first love) is a good man. He is so hands on with every aspect of the tour, the team, the route, the merch, everything.
People work with him and the band year after year because he treats them right and respects the fans.
And his voice is the same as when I bought my first Cure album (The Head on the Door – I’m not THAT old).
Honking for Robert Smith!! He’s just the best.
Is this the same guy that was mocking The Rolling Stones all those years ago for still touring when they were “old” and declaring he would never do it?
@Dara, huge Cure fan here (since the 70’s). I have never, ever heard of Robert saying that. He has said that the Stones were one of his influences and that he grew up listening to them. He does dunk on Morrissey/Smiths though sometimes, and it is hysterical and awesome when he does.
Love, love, love Salty Bob calling out Morrissey for his ridiculousness. (Disclaimer, I admit that Morrissey is a terrible person but still love The Smiths…) I’ve seen The Cure live a bunch and they put on an AMAZING show. Enjoy, lucky people who snagged tickets!!
My husband really, really, REALLY wants to see RHCP and Depeche Mode when they tour this year; both are in his all-time top 10 (yes we are old) and he’s never seen either. Since this might be the last chance, I said I’d go even though I’ve also seen DM a bunch in my youth and don’t GAF about RHCP. I’m too old for concerts, I like my couch and my yoga pants. But I loved live music in my teens and 20’s and The Cure show will be top-notch.
Maybe I’m wrong about it being the Stones. My college roommate was more into The Cure than I was, but they were one of the few bands we could both agree on. God, that was over thirty years ago now!
I do remember how incredibly, um – honest, Smith was about his opinions.
I saw The Cure with Pixies and Love + Rockets at Dodger Stadium in 89!
I saw The Cure in Kansas City in 2016. Robert Smith sounded incredible. Seriously…no back up vocals and sounded amazing.
I love the clip of his response to the monarchy. I love the shade!!
Hey , CB – I also saw the Cure with the Pixies on the Disintegration tour in 1989!!
I tried to get tickets for the Colorado date but despite trying for an hour couldn’t get any. Hoping to get them secondary market but not for a ridiculous amount – I love The Cure and really want to be at the show!
I saw the Cure in London in 2018 and in Paris in 2019. They put on a great show and will play for at least 2 hours. Good for Robert Smith for putting it to Ticketmaster. I worked there on a contract 16 years ago for like 6 months and it sucked. Most antiquated tech ever and since they’re a monopoly, they have no incentive to fix it. I’m sure they’ve updated since then but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was still crap. There’s no reason for their ridiculous fees.
💓💕