Fans are in an uproar over a ticket scalping controversy for The Tragically Hip’s forthcoming Man Machine Poem tour, which has re-sparked debate over the government’s need to step in and regulate ticket sales.
Moments after the public on sale, fans were furious as tickets were nowhere to be found. Almost all tickets were quickly snatched up by resellers on StubHub and Kijiji. Tickets for the Toronto show that were originally priced at $56-$166 ended up online for $140-$1300, according to The Star, with their final farewell tour date in Kingston ranging from $720 to $5,000, The Globe and Mail reports.
Tragically Hip tickets on StubHub for over $1,000 — in arena sections that are closed off for this show. Careful. pic.twitter.com/mL4GFgFOxh
— Melissa Martin (@DoubleEmMartin) May 30, 2016
The Hip added four more shows to alleviate complaints about lack of ticket availability, but fans once again felt shut out as the situation repeated itself. Emotions are high for Tragically Hip fans who are still reeling from Gord Downie’s terminal brain cancer announcement.
Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur said at a press conference Tuesday that she sympathizes with fans who don’t want pay outrageous prices to see a band. Meilleur said she wants the ministry to look into the issue and is insistent about fixing the problem.
This wouldn’t be the first time the Ontario government has stepped in to bar scalpers. The Ticket Speculation Act makes it illegal to resell tickets at higher than face value, but less than 15 people have been have been charged under the act.
Since it’s police responsibility to investigate these offenses, Jay Strosberg, a lawyer who fronted a 2009 class-action against Ticketmaster says, “if you’re not going to enforce it, why is it on the books?”
The public’s inquest into ticket scalping has led to a petition for the CBC to broadcast The Tragically Hip’s final Kingston show. Seeing as a portion of tickets sales are being donated to the Sunnybrook Foundation, the creator is suggesting that a portion of advertisements and media coverage’s profits to be donated to the same charity.
Although StubHub has promised to donate an undisclosed amount to the SunnyBrook foundation, Strosberg said “what they’re really doing is to capitalize on a horrible situation.”
But The Star also reports that the CBC already had interested in broadcasting The Hip’s Kingston show. CBC communications adviser Emma Bédard said, “We are interested in airing the Tragically Hip’s final show and are having conversations with the band to see if we can make it happen.”
Previously, The CBC aired Leonard Cohen: Live in London, in 2009 when a similar situation occurred with his ticket sales.
What do you think should be done about ticket regulation? Sound off below.
Image courtesy Ryan Merkely via Flickr