Dynamic ticket pricing questioned by Mercury Prize stars: ‘Where’s the money going?’
“It makes me furious,” says singer-songwriter CMAT. “The level of greed is disgusting. No one should be allowed to do it.”
The Irish star is of course referring to dynamic ticket pricing, the controversial music industry issue that has dominated headlines, social media discourse and even politics this week following the chaotic Oasis reunion sale.
At this year’s Mercury Prize ceremony, honouring the 12 best albums from the UK and Ireland, many of the shortlisted artists, as well as the winners, English Teacher, spoke out about the issue.
Irish singer-songwriter CMAT is an Oasis fan with tickets for gigs next year. Pic: JM Enternational
CMAT, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, is an Oasis fan who plans to go to three gigs next year. But she didn’t pay dynamic pricing, she says, and believes the system should be banned.
“Why is every venue in the UK closing down? Why is every single part of the music industry on its knees, but somebody is benefiting from [increased] ticket prices?
“Because if I was to allow dynamic pricing on my tickets – which I never, ever, ever would, and I have fought against it for the past year – I wouldn’t be getting that [money]. My management wouldn’t.”
CMAT continues: “Where’s this money going? Who’s getting it? Because it’s not benefiting anyone.”
As an independent artist, she says she has maintained more input and control of decision making when it comes to setting prices – and the conversation about dynamic pricing has “reared its ugly head” every so often over the past year.
However, the singer also believes there are artists “pressured into it that either don’t know any better, or don’t actually have the power or the right to fight against it, because they’re in some deal” they cannot escape from.
As for the inflated Oasis tickets that have already been sold? “Realistically, [sellers] should be refunding people,” she says.
L-R: Liam and Noel Gallagher have reunited Oasis for gigs next year. Pic: AP
‘There’s economics and there’s creativity’
Oasis fans spent hours in virtual queues after the sale opened on Saturday – only for many to find that some tickets had more than doubled due to “in demand” pricing for the reunion tour.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into the Ticketmaster sale, saying it will look into concerns over how dynamic pricing may have been used, and whether or not buyers were given clear and timely information explaining prices could change.
Rapper Berwyn – nominated for the second time for his debut album Who Am I, after becoming the first artist to make the list with a mix tape in 2021. Pic: Mercury Prize
Oasis themselves have announced further gigs with a change to the way tickets are bought, with an “invitation-only ballot ticket sale” as “a small step towards making amends”.
The band deny being aware of the decision to use dynamic pricing.
“I think there’s very, very rarely any instances in history where a commercial venture and a creative, artistic venture have collaborated to the benefit of them both,” says rapper Berwyn, another 2024 Mercury Prize shortlisted artist.
“I think there’s economics and there’s creativity. They both contribute to culture but opposite ends of the spectrum. Oftentimes they meet in the middle and the conversation is very rarely a good one.”
Jazz musician corto.alto says the system needs to be looked into. Pic: Mercury Prize
‘It’s not hit the jazz world yet’
“I think putting that barrier to entry on to any kind of event or music, it doesn’t really support inclusivity,” says musician and producer corto.alto, shortlisted for his debut album Bad With Names.
“Thankfully it’s not hit the jazz world yet… although there were big headlines when I announced my tour as well, about dynamic pricing.” He laughs. “Joking, there was not. But it’s something I think has to be looked at, for sure.”
“It makes it really inaccessible,” says Lewis Whiting, from English Teacher. “If you’re selling a ticket for a price, it should stay like that.”
Rapper Ghetts – nominated for the second time for his fourth album, On Purpose, With Purpose. Pic: JM Enternational
Rapper Ghetts, shortlisted for the second time for his fourth album On Purpose, With Purpose, says he sees fans as family. “I wouldn’t want to overcharge them in any way.
“I always want to put them first and be like, that’s a bit unreasonable, especially in the times that we’re living in. When you look at people’s outgoings and their incomings, it’s a lot to ask for people sometimes.”
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Like CMAT, Nia Archives is an Oasis fan – one who is “manifesting” tickets for one of their Manchester shows next year. “But the cost of living crisis really affected a lot of young people and festivals, we’re seeing them shut down because they can’t afford to keep running,” she says.
“I think it’s really important to have that community aspect, to have those free things and real-life moments, people that aren’t so money focused.”
Ticketmaster has said it does not set prices and its website says this is down to the “event organiser” who had “priced these tickets according to their market value”.
In response to the CMA announcement, the company said: “We are committed to cooperating with the CMA and look forward to sharing more facts about the ticket sale with them.”
Eddie Murphy has told Sky News he doesn’t ever expect to win awards – but will happily accept an honorary Oscar when he’s 90.
Murphy is one of the biggest stars in comedy after starting out on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 1980 and starring in a number of big franchises from Beverly Hills Cop to Shrek.
His latest project is heist comedy The Pickup, centred on two security van drivers. Keke Palmer and Pete Davidson star alongside him.
Pete Davidson, Eddie Murphy and Keke Palmer in The Pickup. Pic: Amazon MGM Studios
Murphy says award recognition was never something that shaped the projects he chose.
“The movies are timeless, and they’re special, so for years and years those movies play and the movies have commercial success.
“So you make a lot of money and people love it, so you don’t even think about ‘I didn’t win a trophy!’ The response from the people and that the movie has legs, that’s the trophy.
“You know what I’ve earned over these years? One day, they’ll give me one of those honorary Oscars. When I’m really old. And I’ll say thank you so much for this wonderful honour. I’ll be old like that and I’ll have no teeth. I’m cool with getting my honorary Oscar when I’m 90.”
Murphy, 64, has only been nominated once – for Dreamgirls in 2007, when Alan Arkin won the best supporting actor Oscar for Little Miss Sunshine.
Murphy’s co-star Palmer says she considers Murphy an icon in the industry, and The Nutty Professor was a true display of his artistry.
Eddie Murphy as Sherman Klump in The Nutty Professor. Pic: Reuters
“I feel like recognition and [being] underrated and all this stuff, it annoys me a little bit because I think impact is really the greatest thing, like how people were moved by your work, which can’t really be measured by an award or really anything,” Palmer says.
“It’s very hard to make people laugh, and so when I think about it like The Nutty Professor, Eddie was doing everything, and I swear that the family members were real people.
“He didn’t camp it to the point where they weren’t realistic. His roles had integrity, even when he was in full costume. And I do think that’s something that should change in our industry. Comedy, it should be looked at just as prestigious as when you see somebody cry, because it’s that hard to make somebody laugh.”
Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson in The Pickup. Pic: Amazon MGM Studios
Recalling his time on the 90s comedy, Murphy says he’s still in disbelief of what they achieved in making the film with him playing seven characters – Professor Sherman Klump, Buddy Love, Lance Perkins, Young Papa Klump, Granny Klump, Ernie Klump and Mama Klump.
“You can only shoot one character a day. And the rest of the time you’re shooting, I’m talking to tennis balls where the people were sitting.
“So to this day when I watch it, I’m like, wow, that’s a trip. But we were able to mix all that stuff up and different voices and make it feel so that you don’t even feel like when you’re watching it, someone have to tell you, hey, you know, those are all one person.”
The film won best makeup at the 1997 Academy Awards.
Security guards buddy comedy
Palmer says their new project, The Pickup, is responsible for one of the most memorable moments of her life when she mistook Murphy’s acting for real praise.
“First of all, Eddie gives me this big speech before I do the monologue, where he’s like, ‘this is not playing around. This is a pivotal point in the movie’.
“I’m crying in the scene, and then it comes to the end, and Eddie’s [clapping] like, and I’m literally like, ‘oh my gosh, thank you so much’. And he’s like, ‘I’m acting’. When I tell you, it was so crazy, yeah. That’s like one of my most memorable moments in life.”
Keke Palmer and Pete Davidson star in The Pickup
Davidson is excited to see how the UK puts its own stamp on SNL, the show where both he and Murphy got their start on-screen.
“It’s a smart idea to have SNL over there because it’s not that it’s a different brand of comedy, but it is a little bit. A lot of the biggest stuff that’s in the States is stuff that we stole from you guys, like The Office or literally anything Ricky Gervais does.
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard anything American going to the UK, so I think it’s great. I think it’s great to have two opposite sorts of takes on things, but both be funny. That just shows you how broad comedy can be, you know?
The Pickup is out on Prime Video now.
Dean Cain has been branded the “worst superman ever” as he announced he will join the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “ASAP”.
The 59-year-old, who was cast as Superman in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, announced he had joined the team amid the federal agency’s unprecedented immigration raids.
He told Fox News on Wednesday his recruitment video on Instagram had gone viral and since then, “I have spoken with some of the officials over at ICE and I will be sworn in as an ICE agent ASAP”.
“You can defend your homeland and get great benefits,” he said in the Instagram post where he appealed for his followers to join ICE.
Speaking with the Superman theme song in the background, he said “hundreds of thousands of criminals” had been arrested since US President Donald Trump took office.
He then told his followers they would get a series of benefits if they joined ICE, including a $50,000 (£37,407) signing bonus and student loan repayment.
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“If you want to help save America ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America’s streets,” he said, before adding: “I voted for that.”
ICE agents are under pressure from the White House to boost their deportation numbers in line with Mr Trump’s campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration.
Cain’s post on Instagram received some backlash, with one user commenting: “Worst superman ever”.
Another said: “Shame on you Dean – that’s the most un-Superman thing you could possibly advocate.”
One fan turned against him and said: “Until I saw this I was such a fan. What a sad human being you must be.”
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