Getty ImagesOasis have announced they will ditch dynamic pricing for the American leg of their reunion tour, after it caused “an unacceptable experience” for UK fans.
The system raises the price of concert tickets at times of high demand. When Oasis’ UK dates went on sale, some fans were charged more than £350 for tickets with an initial face value of £150.
The band faced significant backlash, and the UK’s competition regulator launched an investigation into whether Ticketmaster breached consumer protection law.
In a statement announcing dates in the US, Canada and Mexico, the group’s managers said they wanted to “avoid a repeat of the issues” faced by fans in the UK and Ireland.
“It is widely accepted that dynamic pricing remains a useful tool to combat ticket touting and keep prices for a significant proportion of fans lower than the market rate and thus more affordable,” they wrote.
“But, when unprecedented ticket demand (where the entire tour could be sold many times over at the moment tickets go on sale) is combined with technology that cannot cope with that demand, it becomes less effective and can lead to an unacceptable experience for fans.”
Previously, Noel and Liam Gallagher said they had not been aware that dynamic pricing would be used for their UK stadium shows next summer.
In a statement earlier this month, the band said: “It needs to be made clear that Oasis leave decisions on ticketing and pricing entirely to their promoters and management.”
PA MediaThe band’s reunion shows next summer follow a break of almost 16 years.
The Britpoppers broke up at a gig in Paris in 2009 after an altercation that began with Liam throwing a plum at his older brother’s head.
The siblings kept their distance for more than a decade, engaging instead in an arms-length war of words in the press, on stage and on social media.
Liam repeatedly called Noel a “massive potato” on Twitter and accused him of deliberately missing the One Love concert for victims of the Manchester Arena bombing.
Noel responded by saying Liam was a “village idiot” who “needs to see a psychiatrist”.
“He’s the angriest man you’ll ever meet,” he added. “He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.”
The brothers have yet to give an interview explaining how they repaired their relationship, and fans are waiting to see whether tensions will boil over again when they return to the stage.
For now, however, they are due to play seven concerts at Wembley Stadium next summer, as well as shows in Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin.
Dates were announced on Monday for the band to play in Canada, Mexico and the US, as follows:
- Rogers Stadium in Toronto, Canada, on 24 August
- Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, on 28 August
- MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on 31 August
- Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on 6 September
- Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City, Mexico, on 12 September
Announcing the concerts, the band said: “America. Oasis is coming. You have one last chance to prove that you loved us all along.”