Oasis fans are facing new anxiety over whether the truce between Liam and Noel Gallagher will hold for next year’s reunion gigs after a ticketing debacle backlash.
Sources have suggested that younger sibling Liam has been suffering more from online abuse after many wannabe buyers either failed to secure tickets amid 11-hour queues last Saturday or were faced with ‘dynamic pricing’ doubling of fees.
Oasis last night announced two extra dates after what they called ‘unprecedented demand’.
And the Britpop group, which split in 2009, blamed their managers for the dynamic pricing fiasco – saying they were ‘not aware’ the system would be used.
Oasis said the approach was chosen during meetings between Ticketmaster, promoters and their management.
This meme was widely shared during fans’ frustrating attempts to buy tickets last Saturday
Feuding Gallagher brothers Liam (left) and Noel (right) are seen here in Oasis’s 1997 heyday
Liam and Noel Gallagher confirmed on Tuesday last week Oasis were reuniting
An estimated 14million people attempted to buy tickets when they went on sale last Saturday
A meme widely shared during fans’ attempts to buy tickets last Saturday had a mock-up image of the Ticketmaster website saying: ‘Unfortunately, Oasis have split up while you were in the queue.’
Both brothers have accounts on X, formerly Twitter, although Liam – who has 3.8million followers to Noel’s 1.4million – has tended to be more prolific in responding to people online.
Ahead of the confirmation of the comeback last week, he hit back at critics who claimed they were only getting back together because they were broke by posting: ‘Your attitude stinks.’
Yet his last contribution on the social media site came last Thursday, sharing details of three gigs next year at Heaton Park in Manchester on July 16, Wembley Stadium in London on July 30 and Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium on August 12.
The Sun has now quoted a source close to the band as saying: ‘Liam is getting the brunt of the backlash and is being called out by fans.
‘Noel and Liam have discussed what’s happened and have asked their teams to see if they can change the Ticketmaster policy. They want to look after their fans and get as many to their concerts as they can, for the price they marketed the tickets at.’
Liam suffered particular criticism last week when an old tweet of his mocking Noel for solo gig prices resurfaced and was widely shared online.
The younger brother had slammed Noel in for charging $350 (£266) for a gig in the US, writing in September 2017: ‘350 dollars to go and see rkid in USA what a c*** when will it all stop as you were LG x.’
Bookies have now put the odds of the new tour being cancelled in advance at just 3-1, albeit 1-2 to go ahead – while saying it was evens to be scrapped after the first gig.
Colm Phelan, from casinos.com, said: ‘We know just exactly how turbulent Noel and Liam’s relationship is and it probably wouldn’t take much to reignite the spat between them.
Liam and Noel Gallagher have a famously fractious relationship, with older brother Noel walking out on the band in 2009 after a row in Paris
The pair, seen here on an Italian TV programme in November 2008, appear to have agreed a truce with last week’s comeback announcement – though fears of a new spat remain
Oasis are seen here at Wembley Stadium in October 2008 – one of the venues the band are set to play next summer. Left to right: Gem Archer, Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Andy Bell
‘Oasis were gig pull-out merchants throughout their tenure. They cancelled around 100 gigs around the globe for one reason or another, including multiple walkouts.
‘Whether or not the entire tour would be cancelled is one thing, again, given the figures reported – but don’t be surprised if one of their mooted UK shows gets binned at some stage.
He added: ‘We know just how fickle either Gallagher brother can be when it comes to accepting blame.’
Oasis said last night of Saturday’s chaotic ticket sale: ‘As for the well reported complaints many buyers had over the operation of dynamic ticketing: it needs to be made clear that Oasis leave decisions on ticketing and pricing entirely to their promoters and management, and at no time had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used.
‘While prior meetings between promoters, Ticketmaster and the band’s management resulted in a positive ticket sale strategy, which would be a fair experience for fans, including dynamic ticketing to help keep general ticket prices down as well as reduce touting, the execution of the plan failed to meet expectations.
‘All parties involved did their utmost to deliver the best possible fan experience, but due to the unprecedented demand this became impossible to achieve.’
Their comments came as the band announced two extra dates for their sought-after reunion tour on September 27 and 28 next year.
Tickets for upcoming dates will be sold via a staggered, invitation-only ballot and be open to fans who missed out over the weekend.
Dynamic pricing works by increasing the prices of tickets in line with a demand – similar to an Uber journey or seats on a plane.
Liam and Noel Gallagher, pictured here at the V Festival in Chelmsford in Essex in August 2005, have not played together after Oasis broke up in 2009
The official Oasis account on X, formerly Twitter, announced on Saturday evening that all the reunion concerts had now sold out – but two new ones have now been announced
Noel (left) and Liam Gallagher (right), pictured here at a Teenage Cancer Trust charity concert at London’s Albert Hall in March 2003, have faced flak over their reunion tour ticket prices
However, the system, which is designed to deter touts, has been criticised by fans who were shocked by the cost of tickets.
Some waited for up to eight hours to get to the front of the queue on Saturday only to be presented with standing tickets costing more than £350 – far above the expected £150.
Others were kicked off Ticketmaster before they were even able to make a purchase and were accused of ‘being a bot’.
And some fans who did manage to secure tickets, but paying more than £350 for their places, have reacted angrily to yesterday’s promise of a new approach.
One person posted on X: ‘Hope they’re being charged £400 a ticket for the same seats as me!
‘#Dynamic pricing and I obviously paid way more than people in the ballot who are probably sat next to me as well.’
Another commented: ‘Need to scrap all tickets and start again – is the only way it can be fair.
‘I was at the checkout for Heaton Park Fri 11th and the site kicked me back behind 230,000 people, need to start again.’
Yet others were more positive about being given another chance to see the band after a 15-year hiatus.
Liam Gallagher, seen singing with Oasis at Heaton Park in Manchester in June 2009, is said to have taken more of the backlash over this month’s ticketing debacle
Older brother Noel Gallagher, pictured playing with his High Flying Birds band at Myrtle Park in Bradford in September 2018, has 1.4million followers on X to Liam’s 3.8million
Oasis, pictured in the 1990s, had number one singles including Some Might Say and Whatever
One commenter posted on X: ‘Literally everything cross for this… can’t go through another day like Saturday. So stressful.’
Another added: ‘Would be amazing to get ballot. It’s mine and my boyfriend’s anniversary next week and he was so gutted.
‘We spent eight hours trying to get tickets. Would love to surprise him.’
About 14million people are believed to have spent Saturday waiting in lengthy online queues in the hope of securing a spot at one of next year’s shows.
Buyers were left shocked by standard tickets more than doubling from £148 to £355.
Celebrities also hit out at the Ticketmaster fiasco with famous faces such as Dan Walker and Victoria Derbyshire also vying for seats to the reunion shows.
TV and radio presenter Dan Walker posted on X: ‘There has got to be a fairer, simpler, more efficient way of selling tickets that isn’t so open to touts, scammers, resellers & bots. #Oasis
‘In the queue, out of the queue, refresh / don’t refresh, wait in line, back of the line, accused of being a bot… timed out.’
He added in a separate post: ‘How many times have you refreshed Ticketmaster?’
Group portrait of British rock band Oasis at Nomad Studios in Manchester in 1993
The group have not performed on stage together since their split in 2009
BBC journalist Victoria Derbyshire was also left frustrated by the booking process.
She posted at 11.23am with a screenshot of Ticketmaster telling her she was in the queue: ‘Has anyone actually managed to get a ticket today yet?’
Oasis have been contacted for comment.
Sources close to the band said they were confident the new ticket sales would go ‘smoothly’, using the same system as last Friday’s pre-sales ballot which had ‘substantially’ more up for grabs and with prices published on the Ticketmaster site.
