Earlier this month, The Cure shared a plan to prevent scalpers from ruining their upcoming tour. It was a great idea — until Ticketmaster decided to sabotage by doubling the prices via added fees.
Robert Smith spoke up about it at length, unleashing his frustration on social media. Now, fellow legendary musician Neil Young took to his website to discuss the issue, making a detailed post about the situation. He wrote:
“TICKETMASTER FEES at 30%. It’s over. The old days are gone. I get letters blaming me for $3,000.00 tickets for a benefit I am doing. That money does not go to me or the benefit. Artists have to worry about ripped off fans blaming them for Ticketmaster add-ons and scalpers. CONCERT TOURS are no longer fun. CONCERT TOURS not what they were. – ny.”
His post also shares an article written about The Cure’s situation.
Meanwhile, Young has been hesitant to perform live since the pandemic. A few weeks ago, he made an unannounced appearance at the United For Old Growth march and rally in Victoria, Canada. Last summer, he announced he wouldn’t be performing at Farm Aid, saying, “I will not be at Farmaid this year. I am not ready for that yet. I don’t think it is safe in the pandemic. I miss it very much.”
Neil Young is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.