Call for crackdown on ‘rip-off’ ticket sellers

A DUNDEE councillor is calling on the local authority to protect music fans from “rip-off” ticket prices for open-air concerts this summer.

The Tele told last month how briefs for the Little Mix gig at Slessor Gardens on June 29 were being sold at a 450% mark-up.

Now, some tickets for the Olly Murs concert in the city on July 20 are also being sold at inflated rates.

Richard McCready, a Labour councillor who represents the West End, told the Tele he wanted to see the council cracking down on websites and touts preventing ordinary music fans from attending events.

He said: “I welcome the development of Slessor Gardens as a music venue and I hope it’s a success.

“I have concerns though that the council has become complicit in ripping-off music fans.

“Slessor Gardens belongs to the council, the council is hiring it out to music promoters who are then selling tickets which quickly make their way on to the secondary ticket market at much more than face value.

“Often the secondary ticket selling website is closely associated or even the same company as the primary or face-value ticket selling website.

‘The council should look to create contracts with promoters at Slessor Gardens and elsewhere which prevent music fans from being ripped-off.

“I have written to the council asking them to look into this matter and I would hope that before any other concerts are arranged the council comes up with a way of preventing fans being ripped-off.”

He added: “I know many young people in Dundee were disappointed to miss out on Little Mix tickets but it’s surprising to see nearly 300 tickets available on websites priced between £76.89 and £187. “There can’t be 300 people who bought tickets for this concert and cannot now go. “Tickets for Olly Murs were also sold out within a couple of hours and are now selling with a mark-up of at least 50%.” Councillor Will Dawson, convener of the city development committee — whose remit includes planning the events at Slessor Gardens — told the Tele: “It’s clear there are concerns about the re-sale of tickets. That’s being looked into. We’re on a learning curve.” Richard McCready

Tickets to see artists including Olly Murs (above) at Slessor Gardens have been sold on at inflated prices.