Neil Young says he was inspired by The Cure’s Robert Smith to eliminate “platinum”-priced tickets from his upcoming concert tours.
Sold by Ticketmaster, platinum tickets are allotment of seats sold at premium prices that fluctuates based on market conditions. Ticketmaster contends that these tickets cut out scalpers and allow more money to go into the pocket of artists.
For The Cure’s “Shows of a Lost World Tour,” Robert Smith notably opted out of Ticketmaster’s “platinum” and other “dynamically priced” ticketing options. In the end, the average ticket price for the “Shows of a Lost World Tour” was $68.54 — 37% less than the average ticket price 2022’s other top tours — all while The Cure still managed to achieve the highest-grossing tour of their legendary career.
In a 2024 interview with The Times of London, Smith said modern ticketing practices were “driven by greed,” adding, “We didn’t allow dynamic pricing because it’s a scam that would disappear if every artist said, ‘I don’t want that!’ But most artists hide behind management. ‘Oh, we didn’t know,’ they say. They all know. If they say they do not, they’re either f***ing stupid or lying.”
Heeding Smith’s call, Young has now promised to eliminate platinum tickets from his upcoming concerts.
In a post to Neil Young Archives, Young wrote, “My management and agent have always tried to cover my back on the road, getting me the best deals they could. They have tried to protect me and the fans from scalpers who buy the best tickets and resell them at huge increases for their own profits.”
“Ticketmaster’s high priced Platinum tickets were introduced to the areas where scalpers were buying the most tickets for resale,” Young continued. “The money went to me. That did not feel right. Very soon, Platinum tickets will no longer be available for my shows.”
“I have decided to let the people work this out,” Young added. “Buy aggressively when the tickets come out or tickets will cost a lot more in a secondary market.”
Tickets for Young’s 2025 “love earth world tour” went on sale last month, so presumably this new policy will apply for tours going forward.