Paul Heaton has hit out on the “grasping” individuals who gained’t make gig tickets extra inexpensive for followers, insisting that it’s “doable”.
Throughout a brand new interview with The Sunday Occasions, the soloist and former Stunning South and Housemartins frontman spoke about capping the ticket value for his latest UK enviornment tour at £35 (plus reserving charges).
“I’ve received a fairly eccentric relationship with cash,” he advised the newspaper. “Each time I’ve a gathering with my accountant, he has his head in his arms. My dad was the identical. It’s a self-tax, to present away what I don’t want. That’s why I stored the ticket costs down on the final tour.”
Heaton defined that he nonetheless “made a large revenue” regardless of protecting the price of tickets cheap.
“There are folks on the market who’re grasping, who wish to make certain they make some huge cash,” he continued. “And there are folks like me who wish to guarantee followers can afford tickets within the first place.”
The singer added: “I gained’t slag every other artist off as a result of I don’t know their circumstances – however all I can say about decrease costs is: if you’re ready to step off the cash prepare, it’s doable.”
Final October, Heaton mentioned that artists wanted to “be within the room” making choices about ticket costs in the event that they wished to make sure “a great deal” for followers.
“Though I’m not blaming different artists, I believe if you would like management of that, it’s a must to be on the assembly,” he advised BBC Breakfast. “The conferences to determine ticket costs, the precise quantity it prices, whether or not there’s dynamic pricing.
“I signify myself and my musicians, however I additionally really feel that followers aren’t represented there. So after I go there, I at all times consider folks I do know – might they afford tickets?”
This got here shortly after the difficulty of dynamic pricing arose amid the ticket gross sales for Oasis’ big 2025 reunion tour. Final month, the Competitors and Markets Authority (CMA) warned that Ticketmaster could have “breached the legislation” and “misled followers” throughout these gross sales final summer time.
The UK authorities had launched a session into the ticket re-sale market in January, aiming to “higher defend followers, enhance entry to reside occasions and help the expansion of the UK’s world main reside occasions sector”.
Neil Younger lately vowed by no means to make use of ‘Platinum’ ticket gross sales for his future excursions, saying that it “didn’t really feel proper”. He additionally cited The Treatment‘s Robert Smith‘s stance on the subject, telling followers: “I believe it was proper.”
Talking to The Occasions final yr, Smith defined that he believed ‘Platinum’ tickets and the controversial dynamic pricing scheme have been a “rip-off” that was “pushed by greed”. The frontman reasoned: “I believed, ‘We don’t must make all this cash’.
“You don’t wish to cost as a lot because the market will allow you to. If folks save on the tickets, they purchase beer or merch. There may be goodwill, they are going to come again subsequent time. It’s a self-fulfilling good vibe, and I don’t perceive why extra folks don’t do it.”
Smith had beforehand gone up in opposition to Ticketmaster to maintain The Treatment ticket costs inexpensive. Regardless of succeeding with this, The Treatment broke touring data in 2023 – with their North American run of dates turning into their highest-grossing tour but, in addition to being the band’s finest attendance within the area.
In 2023, Paul Heaton gained reward for leaving some cash behind the bar at a number of native pubs throughout the Neighbourhood Weekender pageant, “as a thanks, and a small quantity of assist throughout the price of greed disaster”. He ran a “related course of” at different solo exhibits throughout that summer time.
Moreover, the musician made headlines in 2022 when he generously purchased a spherical for patrons at 60 pubs across the UK to mark his sixtieth birthday. Talking to NME in regards to the thought afterwards, Heaton mentioned: “It was good. I anticipated a number of folks to say, ‘Oh cheers!’ – however I received video after video of individuals ingesting, tales about folks assembly new associates and speaking to folks all day, and it was good for the pubs.
“On the time I believed, ‘This can be a little bit of a foolish thought’, however because it received nearer the day I knew I actually wished to do one thing like that. I used to be shocked by how a lot protection it received, but additionally by how a lot folks cherished it. I’m simply anticipating for different artists to start out doing it now!”
He and Jacqui Abbott had beforehand performed quite a few free gigs for NHS employees as a thanks for his or her efforts all through the COVID pandemic.
Subsequent month, Heaton will carry out an enormous out of doors present at Sheffield’s Bramall Lane stadium – dwelling to his beloved Sheffield United FC. It’ll mark one in all his largest solo headline gigs up to now. Lightning Seeds and Shed Seven are set to open as particular company. All tickets are priced at £39.50 (plus reserving charges) – discover any remaining tickets right here.
As well as, Heaton is scheduled to seem on the 2025 Isle Of Wight Competition, Bearded Idea and Halifax’s Piece Corridor, amongst different dates.
Heaton’s newest solo album, ‘The Mighty A number of’, was launched final October. The file was produced by Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie.