Metallica Hydro gig briefs are removed
Tickets sold by the supertouts could be rejected by gig venue METALLICA LOCKOUT MAYHEM
TOUT tickets being flogged by Live Nation companies were mysteriously withdrawn from sale after the Record flagged up an impending meltdown for the Hydro leg of Metallica’s tour.
We revealed briefs sold on secondary sites Get Me In! and Seatwave – firms owned by Live Nation, promoters of the Metallica WorldWired Tour – are not valid for entry.
After we highlighted the glaring conflict, tickets advertised in large batches by supertouts on the two sites were removed.
But briefs were still listed for Metallica’s shows in London, Manchester and Birmingham, where the same terms and conditions apply.
Thousands have already been sold on the big four tout platforms to oblivious fans despite the validity issues.
The terms mean fans must produce ID that matches the original buyer of the ticket and no buyer can hold more than four tickets. That makes it impossible for many of the tickets to be valid.
It is feared thousands of fans could have already bought dud tickets on secondary sites, which include Viagogo and StubHub!, who were listing Hydro tickets yesterday.
The ticket withdrawal came after the SSE Hydro confirmed they would be following the wishes of the anti-tout band at the gig on October 26.
Despite the obvious problems, StubHub have continued to reassure fans there will be no problems getting into venues with the tickets bought on their site.
MP Nigel Adams, who has battled to clean up ticketing in the UK, is to write to StubHub to demand an explanation for the way they are exploiting and misleading fans. Richard Davies, founder of the Twickets ticket exchange, who only sell on at face value plus commission, said the Metallica disaster could be spotted a mile away.
He said: “I feel for the fans as they are not been given the information in a clear way.
“We don’t list tickets when there will be any ID restrictions unless we are involved officially with the gig.”
Davies said fans should be better informed by promoters.
He added: “Through the promoter and advertising or communications with the band, fans have to be educated on the difference between primary and secondary sellers.
“Anyone who bought a Metallica ticket from a secondary source will be worried and with good reason.
“They either turn up and get in because no one checks ID or they get turned away and are forced to seek compensation from sites like Viagogo and that is not an easy thing to do.”
Live Nation, who also own Ticketmaster, have failed to return our calls. BEAMING for the camera without a care in the world, former Rangers fugitive Imran Ahmad is back in the UK having fun on the race-track.
Ahmad, 47, the former commercial director of the club under Charles Green, was charged in connection with fraud allegations over the 2012 takeover of the club.
A warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to appear in court but charges were dropped.
Now social media pictures have emerged showing Ahmad posing with friends and enjoying a motor racing day out, apparently taken last month at a track in north Yorkshire.