Radiohead ticketing row erupts

Radiohead, vocal critics of secondary ticketing, have been caught up in a row with their own fans after it was discovered that rules put in place to stop the re-sale of tickets on the secondary market are actually penalising fans who can't attend a concert - as they cannot sell or even give away the tickets to friends. Anyone else attending with a buyer is also effectively barred from attending. 

Tickets for the bands upcoming Manchester Arena and London O2 Arena can only be collected on the day of the show and the buyer must present the credit or debit card with which the tickets were purchased as well as some form of photo ID - meaning that fans who cannot attend are stumped - as are their guests - especially as the tickets are unrefundable. Ticketmaster said "Terms and conditions relating to the purchase of paperless tickets are clearly outlined to customers at multiple stages during the purchase process, including the initial purchase page, the shipping page and the billing page. Information relating to their purchase of paperless tickets is also conveyed on the confirmation email they receive" adding "our dedicated customer services team are happy to work with both customers and our clients, be that the venues or promoters, if a customer's circumstances change".

Radiohead cancel more shows after tragedy

Radiohead have cancelled seven planned concerts following last weekend's stage collapse tragedy that occurred ahead of show in Toronto and which killed the band's drum tech Scott Johnson. In a statement on the Radiohead website, the band say they need a couple of weeks to recover from the trauma of having lost a crew member, while the show's production team also need time to reconstruct the light show that accompanies their current tour, with much of the required kit having been damaged when the roof of the temporary staging in Toronto fell to the ground.

Radiohead stage collapse investigation begins

Officials from the Ontario Labour Ministry are now leading the investigation into the stage collapse that occurred ahead of a planned Radiohead concert in Toronto which left the band's British drum tech Scott Johnson dead and three others injured. The investigation, under Canada's Occupational Health And Safety Act, will initially investigate what roles various subcontractors played in the building of the stage and the role of promoter Live Nation. The promoter has been ordered to provide drawings of the roof of the stage construction.

Radiohead go paperless

Radiohead have chosen to go paperless for 80% of the tickets for their shows at the Manchester Arena (6th October) and the O2 Arena (8th and 9th October) with the remaining 20% allocated via the band's fan club. The band opted to use paperless ticketing for nearly all of the seats to ensure that fans will have fair access to the ticket inventory and will not have to pay above face value and block out touts (scalpers). Radiohead fans can purchase a maximum of four tickets for the band's upcoming dates and the credit card used to purchase the tickets must be taken to the show along with the cardholder's photo ID in order to gain entry into the show. This means that tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded and all members of the party must arrive together. Many fans have complained about similar restrictions in the USA saying they prevent legitimate resale, create logistical nightmares for fans who may find it difficult to arrive with the credit card holder and mean that season ticket holders cannot pass on unused dates.

"Radiohead made it clear that they wanted the face value of the ticket to be the price their fans paid and Ticketmaster Paperless ticketing is crucial for artists who want to protect their ticket inventory for their fans," said Chris Edmonds, managing director for Ticketmaster UK who are handling the sale. "The technology means a smooth, secure and fast entry to the venues whilst also restricting secondary ticketing activity."

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