An old tweet that Liam Gallagher shared, calling out Noel for high ticket prices, has resurfaced following the Oasis reunion ticket controversy.
Tickets for the hugely anticipated run of comeback gigs went on sale over the weekend and officially sold out at 7pm. However, the entire process was far from smooth, with millions flocking to try to grab tickets and many – including Louis Tomlinson – being left disappointed after several issues arose.
Even before the sale commenced at 9am, Ticketmaster crashed, and with giant queues to contend with, many were left unable to even browse ticket options in the first place. Many complained about being kicked out of the queue after hours of waiting due to being mistaken for bots, and those attempting to purchase accessible tickets were unable to get through to the phone lines – despite some fans calling the designated number over 400 times.
Some who did eventually manage to get through the queues were then disappointed to see the cost of remaining tickets had increased due to Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing policy; a process which sees prices hiked up due to high demand. On Saturday, some tickets originally priced at £135 had jumped up to nearly £400, and touts have been spotted selling their tickets online for over 10-times the initial price.
Now, after it has been reported that artists and their management have to ‘opt-in’ to allow ‘dynamic pricing’ to affect their tickets, fans have brought one of Liam Gallagher’s previous tweets about the matter to light.
Shared back in 2017, the recently resurfaced post on Twitter saw the frontman take a jab at his brother for the high prices to go and see his solo shows. “350 dollars to go and see rkid in USA what a c*** when will it all stop as you were LG x,” he wrote.
350 dollars to go and see rkid in USA what a cunt when will it all stop as you were LG x
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) September 29, 2017
Unsurprisingly, since the tweet has come to light again, some Oasis fans have pointed out what they see as “hypocrisy”.
“What’s your excuse for charging over 368 quid then?” one wrote in response, while another added “£380 for a ‘reactively priced’ GA when people had spent 3 hours queuing. What sort of c*** would do that? As you were.”
A third criticised the musician for not opting out of the dynamic pricing policy, stating: “Well this didn’t age well did it lad? You could’ve opted out of dynamic pricing, you chose not to… Spare us the man of the people nonsense…”
Find more responses below.
What’s your excuse for charging over 368 quid then?
— Ben (@2022BenjiC) September 2, 2024
£380 for a “reactively priced” GA when people had spent 3 hours queuing. What sort of cunt would do that? As you were. BA x
— Lord of Adders Black (@LeAdderNoire) September 2, 2024
Well this didn’t age well did it lad? Tickets “ only to be resold at face value through @twickets and @ticketmaster who are fleecing hard working, decent people. You could’ve opted out of dynamic pricing, you chose not to…. Spare us the man of the people nonsense…
— MegatronsMama 🇺🇦 (@Lilymaescloset) September 2, 2024
Not aging well, Liam
— Marco Conterio (@marcoconterio) September 2, 2024
Well this is evergreen.
— Theo (@tprstly) September 2, 2024
Imagine you doing the same……….
— Ger (Leeds United The View) (@iGerLynch) September 2, 2024
— SEND IT (@senditldn) September 3, 2024
Love you to bits but your ticket process ain’t no better look at the state of that.. pic.twitter.com/dYEzm58Qof
— Matthew Leeming (@M_Leems) September 29, 2017
Tell me about it wee man. x pic.twitter.com/474P7HPkYK
— JJ 71_04 (@JJames_2020) September 2, 2024
As well as aggravating fans who were eager to attend the shows, the aftermath of the ticket sale has left some politicians calling for a change in the way tickets to live music events are sold.
Yesterday (September 2), Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called for a review of “dynamic pricing” and secondary ticket sites following the scramble for Oasis tickets at the weekend. She also branded the price hikes as “incredibly depressing”.
MP Zarah Sultana promptly shared an update on X too, calling for Ticketmaster to be nationalised, while MP Ian Byrne agreed, sharing: “Surge pricing is legalised ticket touting. Appalling profiteering today @TicketmasterUK. Zarah Sultana speaks for millions.”
Since the backlash, Twickets announced that they have made a U-turn on their stance, and have dropped the prices and fees for many tickets listed on the platform.
Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust (MVT) has weighed in too, and recalled how the turmoil should push people to make more of an effort to support grassroots venues. He also shared that the UK’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee have “proposed a fan-led review” into the way tickets can be sold. The report has already been backed by both the MVT and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and sent over to various MPs for backing.
Part of the reason why MVT and more are using the Oasis reunion shows to encourage more stadiums and arenas to help support smaller venues comes as it was recently revealed that only 11 of the 34 grassroots venues where Oasis had their early shows remain open today.
The frustration and backlash over the ticket scandal continues, with hundreds of fans launching complaints to the Advertising Standards Association (ASA) over surge ticket pricing, debate arising over whether the lack of warning may have been a breach of consumer law, and fans celebrating Robert Smith for fighting Ticketmaster to keep The Cure ticket prices affordable.
Meanwhile, Oasis now seem to be hinting as US tour dates in a new billboard.