Dynamic Pricing - Oasis 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.
Tackling Bullying - The National Theatre, London’s Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company are among a group of leading venues backing the creation of an independent body that will tackle bullying and harassment in the creative industries. They join organisations such as English National Opera, entertainment union BECTU and the Society of London Theatre/UK Theatre in calling on the sector to get behind the development of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority.
The body aims to play a “crucial role in upholding and improving standards of behaviour across the creative industries, acknowledging the need for a dedicated, independent authority to combat bullying and harassment and bullying and harassment of a discriminatory nature," a statement said.
Theatre Funding - Theatres need an urgent funding pot of £30m to carry out crucial repairs and stave off closure over the next year, with an estimated £300m needed as part of a wider 10-year plan for the sector. The figures have been set out by Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre in a submission to the Treasury ahead of the Budget at the end of October, in which the bodies make the case for the industry.
In addition to the funding needed to support capital projects, the bodies are calling for a strategic review of public investment in the performing arts, as well as £1.5m to pilot a scheme that would fund giving school children in three different geographical locations a theatre trip.
Ahead of the Budget on 30 October, SOLT and UK Theatre state in their joint submission to the Treasury that one in five venues require at least £5m each over the next 10 years just to continue current operations, reiterating previous warnings that, without significant capital investment over the next five years, nearly 40% of venues risk closure and 40% will become too unsafe to use.
"We urgently need a systematic and strategic UK-wide approach to theatre infrastructure to maintain our cultural heritage and develop new infrastructure projects to meet the needs of today’s increasingly discerning audiences, and maintain our reputation as a global centre of creative excellence," the submission states.
No Show - Janet Jackson has cancelled a concert at Glasgow's OVO Hydro for the second time. The singer was due to perform at the 12,000-seat venue on 13 October, having originally scrapped her 30 September show. But fans are understood to have received emails from the Hydro saying that gig has also been cancelled – with no confirmation that it will go ahead at a later date. The Glasgow show was to be part of Jackson's Together Again tour, which has seen her perform in the UK for the first time since the Glastonbury festival in 2019.
Farewell - Tributes have been paid to Kris Kristofferson, the award-winning country singer and actor following his death at the age of 88. Dolly Parton wrote: "What a great loss. What a great writer. What a great actor. What a great friend." Barbra Streisand said she "knew he was something special" the first time she saw him perform. "He created a body of work that gave voice not only to his soul but to ours," Country Music Hall of Fame chief executive Kyle Young said in a statement.
(Jim Evans)
