Sound Relief bushfire benefit concerts

Xavi6

http://www.theage.com.au/national/scalpers-get-short-shrift-for-concert-20090303-8nfo.html

Scalpers get short shrift for concert

Patrick Donovan
March 4, 2009

TICKETS to the Sound Relief bushfire benefit concerts go on sale from 9am today, but don't expect to see any on eBay.

In an effort to head off the scalping problems that afflicted previous fund-raisers Wave Aid and Make Poverty History, the online auction house is taking the rare step of refusing to let people sell them on the site.

Ticketek, which is selling the estimated 100,000 tickets to the Melbourne and Sydney shows on March 14, has already announced a limit of eight tickets per buyer in an attempt to reduce scalping.

It also took the unusual step of contacting eBay and asking that it either not allow tickets to be sold on the site for profit — as is its practice with large sporting events such as the AFL grand final and the Commonwealth Games — or that it ban them altogether.

An eBay spokesman, Daniel Feiler, told The Age the company had taken this step on only a few occasions, including for the Live 8 charity concert in Britain in 2005.

"We want to see as much money as possible go to the bushfire appeal," Mr Feiler said.

He said the company had advanced filters and people checking to enforce the policy, but urged anyone who sees tickets for sale on the site to hit the "report this item" button.

As most tickets for major tours are sold on the first day of release, co-promoter Michael Gudinski said he would be shocked if the concert did not sell out. It is the biggest show Mr Gudinski has staged since the concert for the 25th anniversary of his label, Mushroom Records, at the MCG in 1999.

"That was my childhood dream, to fill the MCG with an all-Australian line-up," he said. "But this is different. This will be world-renowned. Two of the biggest bands in the world (Coldplay and Kings of Leon) will both be playing two shows in one day to be part of it — I've never seen anything like that."

Kings of Leon will be playing 3-song sets on the afternoon of each gig as they have gigs of their own gig in the evening both days. Jack Johnson is also going to be involved.

Aussie bands Wolfmother and Jet are also confirmed to play, as are The Presets, Eskimo Joe, You Am I, Josh Pyke and Hoodoo Gurus.

100% of the proceeds from the Melbourne concert will be donated to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

For the Sydney concert 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal and 50% will be donated to The Premier's Disaster Relief Fund Appeal in QLD to aid the victims of the Queensland floods.

Anyone going?


On a side note, the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers are playing each other here in Perth this Saturday. Tickets are only $14 and all proceeds go to sports clubs directly affected by the fires. I'll be popping along to that.

missannik

I've got my ticket to the Melbourne show.

Maccattack

You forgot to mention the most significant act to be playing. Midnight Oil.


I'm going just to see them. They will make the rest look like garage bands. Just watch and see.