Music fans have every right to look back in anger

The Oasis ticket débâcle over the weekend hit a bum note with music fans in Ireland and the UK.

From frustrations over virtual queues and crashing computers, to eye-watering ticket prices – which climbed to four times higher than what was first advertised – it appears many customers have been left looking back in anger.

Tickets went on sale via Ticketmaster’s website at 8am on Saturday morning for 17 gigs across Ireland and the UK, with some going on presale the night before.

The concert promoter MCD initially advertised tickets for next summer’s shows “from €86.50” but as the general sale progressed on Saturday, Ticketmaster deployed what is known as “in-demand or “dynamic” pricing. That saw standing tickets for the Croke Park pitch reach €415, not including a service charge of more than €10 imposed by Ticketmaster.

In some ways it is similar to a model employed by certain airlines – the more seats that are purchased on a plane, the more expensive the remaining available seats become. But at least, in that situation, consumers have time to research alternative airlines and flights and routes and can make an informed choice about whether or not they want to pay the price asked.

The pricing strategy employed at the weekend, Ticketmaster say, is something that is set by the promoter and artist.

This is a real slap in the face to Oasis fans who have waited more than 15 years for the reunion and drastically at odds with their working class Manchester (and Irish) roots.

Some may say that demand dictates the prices – but this is ethically and morally wrong. People have little or no control over access to tickets and there was no transparency in relation to pricing in advance of the sale. It was like shooting fish in a barrel – people were panic buying. Those lucky enough to get through to the sale were left with an impossible choice – pony up the dough or miss out on seeing what is surely going to be the gig of the summer in 2025. They had no time to consider, no other avenue to access tickets and time was literally ticking.

One would have to wonder were we better off with the ticket touts? At least you could march up to a seller, take a look at the tickets (hologram and all) and engage in a bit of haggling. It’s a crying shame too that music stores such as MultiSound in Cavan, which once sold these tickets, have now closed as all the business has moved online. One has to be lonely for the time you could queue out all night to buy tickets to the hottest show in town – it was part of the experience. None of this queuing to get into a virtual queue.

And wasn’t it lovely to have those ticket stubs as souvenirs?!

Pressure is mounting on the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to investigate.

A spokesperson has said it believes there are “legitimate concerns” around the consumer experiences of buying concert tickets over the weekend and confirmed that the CCPC is “actively reviewing the situation” and would consider all actions to ensure consumer protection law is followed.

A statement from the CCPC said: “In terms of pricing, under consumer law in Ireland, consumers should be clearly informed of the full price of a product, including fees, before they buy.

“The role of the CCPC in the context of ticket prices is to ensure that consumers are provided with clear and accurate information, for example, that they are told of all booking and related charges before they pay.”

There was no transparency here.

Speaking on the CCPC’s announcement, Minister for Enterprise and Westmeath Fine Gael TD Peter Burke said Ireland has “robust legislative protections” in place for consumers in Ireland, adding that he was “committed to ensuring consumers are provided with sufficient pricing information before they choose to purchase a product or service, including tickets.”

“Concert ticket sales over the weekend have caused distress amongst some consumers and I have asked the CCPC to report to me on their review of pricing strategies employed,” Mr Burke said.

A statement from Ticketmaster to RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne programme said that all prices “are set by the tour”.

“All ticket prices, including Platinum, In Demand, and VIP, are set by the tour. Promoters and artists set ticket prices. Prices can be either fixed or market-based. Market-based tickets are labelled as ‘Platinum’ or ‘In Demand’.”

This investigation needs to happen quickly as it’s expected additional dates will be added to the already sold-out tour.