Wednesday, 10 September 2014

FOOD FOR THOUGHT


NOW, you know me, I don’t like to rant.
Well, maybe just a little but this particular subject has really wound me up this week so I’m going to do it anyway.
Ub40, now they’re not really my cup of red, red wine but to a close friend they’re pretty special. For not only are Ali and the boys one of her favourite bands but were also that of her late brother so when she heard they were going to be playing at Rochester castle concerts this year she and her family could think of no better way to commemorate his birthday .
It’s like a sign she said, he would’ve wanted us to be there and eagerly awaited Friday 14th March when the tickets were due to go on sale.
Unfortunately with the tickets selling out within an hour of the box office opening, her plan to go and get hers after she’d finished work meant she was left empty handed.
Knowing how much getting one meant to her though I promised to keep my eyes and ears open for any that might become available.
Spare tickets were a bit thin on the ground to start off with and it looked like this homely girl wasn’t going to be able to see her beloved band after all.
However 2 weeks before the gig though suddenly every one in ten Medway social media posts suddenly seemed to be offering ub40 tickets up for sale.
Now, while I believe some were genuinely being sold on by  ticket holders unable to attend, there did seem to be the smell of an awful lot of rats in kitchens trying to  line their own pockets with other peoples desperation .
Tickets that had originally been bought for just £ 35 were now being offered for twice that amount and should you have the audacity to call any of them up on their vast rate of inflation they would retort with “well if you were a genuine fan you’d have made sure you got a ticket on the day they came out instead of trying to buy them on here, wouldn’t you?”.
Seriously do you not think that was something they tried to do?
Unfortunately for them though the person with the pound signs in their eyes instead of music in their soul managed to get to the front of the queue before they did.
And as for “being a real fan” , don’t you think someone who genuinely loved the band would only want the tickets face value back if they had to sell it on not expect a bit more with added interest .
Chances are, if you’re one of those people who bought more tickets than you needed  just with the intention of satisfying your own greed at this particular moment you’re reading this thinking “yeah what do you know about it, stupid columnist lady” or possibly something ruder depending on how annoyed  you are with me  .
But it’s not just me who feels like this as the band themselves favourited my ranty tweet about this very subject over on their official twitter page last week.
So maybe you supposedly “genuine “fans if they really are your favourite band that should give you some “ food for thought “ indeed .
GIRL FROMTHE NECK DOWN COLUMN FOR THE MEDWAY MESSENGER on ticket touting cretins taking advantage of other peopl
 

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