Don't go breaking your bank for tickets
The Australian promoter of Elton John’s upcoming New Zealand tour has addressed the ticketing problems that plagued yesterday’s Napier sales and left fans who missed out feeling angry. Michael ‘Chuggi’ Chugg dispelled rumours of gremlins in the ticketing system or bugs instead saying that there was just too many people wanting to go to the show. “I’ve seen a few complaints about people not being able to get tickets and all that stuff but when you’ve got a 25,000 capacity venue and there’s 60,000 people trying to buy tickets obviously a lot are going to miss out,” he said. “And that’s what happened.” “From the reports I’m seeing this morning it was basically just too many people.” One particular source of ire for fans was waiting online to buy tickets and then finding themselves being bumped down the queue. “When you sell out you need to tell the 15,000 to 20,000 people that are still online that you have sold out, rather than just all of a sudden there’s zero tickets,” he said. “But you know, everyone keeps learning from this procedure.” “Hey, let’s face it, an hour’s sell out is pretty unusual and it just shows the incredible strength that Sir Elton’s got and what these final shows mean to people.” Chugg also had advice — and a warning — for those who missed out on the Mission show and for any people who miss out when tickets go onsale for Dunedin and Auckland tomorrow morning at 9am. “I’d say to people don’t panic and don’t go and pay $900 for a $300 ticket. We’re a year away and with the size of the show and the production there’s always going to be more tickets released,” he said. “Your son could decide to get married on the day of the show and you’re going to have to sell your tickets. You can officially resell your tickets if you can’t go to the concert. “But don’t go and buy tickets off Viagogo or any of the other reseller sites. The tickets won’t be honoured. Half the time they don’t even have the tickets. They’re taking the money and speculating that they’re going to get tickets.” Mission themselves said none of the tickets on Viagogo at the moment was legitimate. Fans should avoid purchasing any tickets off Viagogo as they are not even released to concertgoers until July 8, a spokeswoman said. In response to the criticism, Viagogo reiterated it was a “marketplace and doesn’t buy or sell tickets“. A statement from the company said it was a platform for third party sellers to sell tickets to event goers and did not set ticket prices. “Sellers set their own prices, which may be above or below the original face value. Where demand is high and tickets are limited, prices increase. All tickets on Viagogo are valid and it is perfectly legal to resell a ticket or give it to someone else if you want to.” “The main concern for me is that people don’t get ripped off,” he said. Chugg also hinted that there is a possibility that Elton John may add an extra show or two to the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. “People are asking me if there’s going to be other shows but the itineraries very tight. We’re basically coming from Australia to New Zealand and then going back to Australia,” he said. “But you never know. Elton loves playing and on this final world tour he really wants to make sure he gets to as many of the real music fans, his fans, as he can.”