The Cure’s Robert Smith has accused artists of being ‘bloody stupid or lying’ about the hated ‘dynamic pricing’, saying the ticketing system is ‘driven by greed’.
The 65-year-old frontman says bands ‘hide behind management’ when they say they don’t know how much fans will have to pay to see them at a concert.
Talk to The Sunday times Ahead of The Cure’s first album release in 16 years, he said he was “shocked” by the amount of profit made, adding: “We don’t need all this money.”
In a startling accusation, Smith said every artist knows how many exorbitant tickets are being sold.
‘But most artists hide behind management. ‘Oh, we didn’t know that,’ they say,’ he said.
‘They all know. If they say not, they’re either damned stupid or lying. It’s just driven by greed.”
The Cure’s Robert Smith has accused artists of being ‘bloody stupid or lying’ about the hated ‘dynamic pricing’, saying the ticketing system is ‘driven by greed’.
Liam (left) and Noel Gallagher (right) were criticized by fans for the dynamic price tag chaos
The outspoken frontman has been scathing in the past about dynamic pricing – introduced by Ticketmaster in 2022, which works by changing the cost of tickets based on demand.
Last year, Smith managed to convince Ticketmaster to refund $10 after some people paid “excessive fees” to see the rock band on their US tour.
The Cure set the prices for the tour themselves and purposefully kept them low so that they were affordable.
Smith released a statement to the band’s fans saying he was “sick as y’all are” when he took Ticketmaster to task over the price hike that piled fees on $20 tickets.
He told The Sunday Times today that if other bands didn’t allow dynamic pricing they would simply ‘disappear’.
“It was easy to set ticket prices, but you have to be stubborn,” Smith said.
Last month’s hated Dynamic Awards left Oasis fans fuming, with some turning on Liam and Noel Gallagher for profiting from the controversial ticketing system.
An estimated 14 million Oasis fans fought desperately during ‘Supersonic Saturday’ to get their hands on tickets to see the brothers return to the stage next year for a massive tour of Britain and Ireland.
In a startling accusation, Smith said every artist knows how many exorbitant tickets are being sold
Last year, Smith managed to convince Ticketmaster to refund $10 after some people paid “excessive fees” to see the rock band on their US tour.
Liam and Noel Gallagher, pictured here at the V Festival in Chelmsford, Essex in August 2005, did not play together again after Oasis split in 2009
Furious Oasis fans took to social media to criticize prices on Ticketmaster after they rose due to ‘dynamic pricing’
But eager fans were left furious after the price of standing tickets rose from £150 face value to £355 within hours due to huge demand.
Fans described Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing as an “absolute disgrace” and lashed out at the company’s bosses, including CEO Michael Rapino, UK managing director Andrew Parsons, president Mark Yovich and COO Michael Wichser.
Oasis later blamed their management for the fiasco, saying they ‘didn’t know’ the system would be used.
The Gallaghers said the decision was instead made during meetings between Ticketmaster, promoters and their management.
Oasis said in September about the chaotic ticket sales: ‘Regarding the well-reported complaints that many buyers had about the operation of dynamic ticketing, it should be made clear that Oasis leaves decisions about ticketing and pricing entirely up to their promoters and management, and at Never was aware that dynamic prices would be used.
‘While previous meetings between promoters, Ticketmaster and the band’s management resulted in a positive ticketing strategy that would provide a fair experience for fans, including dynamic ticketing to keep overall ticket prices low and reduce commercials, the implementation of the plan did not meet expectations.
“All parties involved have done their utmost to deliver the best possible fan experience, but unprecedented demand made this impossible to achieve.”
Although it is used regularly in America, dynamic ticket pricing is a relatively new phenomenon in Britain and has already infuriated fans of Bruce Springsteen and Harry Styles.
One of the first real protests over the fluctuating prices of ‘dynamic pricing’ tour tickets came in 2018 during the sale of Taylor Swift’s Reputation tour
Bruce Springsteen was previously known for setting fan-friendly ticket prices after a public feud with Ticketmaster in 2009
But other artists have also criticized the system, including Pearl Jam and singer-songwriter Neil Young. Singer Tom Grennan said in 2022 that he had ‘turned down all VIP and platinum ticket options’ due to the cost of living crisis.
Sir Keir Starmer has promised to make concert tickets ‘at a price people can afford’ following the row over Oasis’ dynamic pricing.
The Prime Minister promised to ‘address’ this and hinted in September at possible changes to legislation to prevent fans being wiped out.
He said: ‘This is a problem for tickets for all kinds of events where people go straight online as soon as they can and within seconds, sometimes or sometimes minutes, all the tickets are gone and the prices start to skyrocket, which means a lot people can’t afford it.
“In that regard, I think there are a number of things we can do and that we need to do, because otherwise you end up in a situation where families simply can’t go or spend absolutely a fortune on tickets, whatever it may be.
“So we will address this and make sure that tickets are actually available at a price that people can actually afford.”