So secret gigs are probably the best way of bands to promote new material to their ‘hard core’ fans in a small and intimate venue. For some bands it’s a way of saying thank you to their fans for being there through everything. But what happens when the fans can’t get hold of these golden tickets and why is it becoming increasingly diffficult for genuine fans to go to these special events.
Take a look at The Strokes’ recent reunion gig under the name ‘Venison’. The Strokes left a number of clues on their website for fans to guess where the gig would be. And then it all unfolded, The Strokes would be playing Dingwalls in Camden under the name of Venison. Fans prepared themselves with F5 and their debit cards but so many people missed out. Why? NME released details the day before telling the whole world where and when this gig was and how to get tickets. What’s secret about that? How is that rock and roll? It isn’t. The website crashed leaving hundreds, even thousands of fans dissapointed. The worst bit? Touts were selling tickets on ebay for £500 – £4000. And that’s the problem right there. Announcing details to the world doesn’t just increase interest from music lovers, it gives touts the opportunity to buy these tickets and sell them at a higher price and they did at The Strokes gig – to people desperate to see their favourite band, people who lost out on tickets because of these very same touts.
And I’ve experienced it myself. When I heard that Arcade Fire were playing a secret show tonight at the Hackney Empire I was excited. I had a chance of seeing this amazing band in a stunning venue and what happened? An insane amount of music websites released the details how how to get tickets… I hit the buy button at 9 and as soon as I pressed it tickets had sold out. I kept trying for half an hour and still nothing. It left a lot of people disappointed. But now as I speak, tickets are selling for over £140 each and desperate fans are paying it to be a part of history.
Something needs to be done to stop the touts and to stop music magazines making it easier for the touts to know where and when these secret gigs are. Let’s face it a secret gig isn’t secret when it’s posted all over the internet. It never used to be like this. Why does it have to be like this today?
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