Led Zeppelin promoter wishes eBay would 'drop dead and die'
Harvey Goldsmith vows to ruin online auctioneers' lives for allowing touting of reunion tickets. And he has little sympathy for genuine fans caught in the crossfire
Rosie Swash
Monday October 8, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
Promoter Harvey Goldsmith has branded eBay the "biggest rip-off merchants in the world" after tickets to the forthcoming Led Zeppelin gig appeared for sale on the online auction website. Goldsmith, who helped persuade the band to reunite for a one-off show this November, told Kerrang! Radio yesterday: "I wish eBay would drop dead and die... I have begged them to take [the tickets] off and they have basically told us to fuck off. So I will do everything I possibly can to ruin their lives."
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The promoter's harsh words follow the news that fans who purchased tickets to the gig, taking place November 26 at London's 02 Arena, on someone else's credit card may be refused entry. Those fans who won the right to buy tickets were issued with a password to validate their purchase, but it was announced at the weekend that they may be cancelled if the password holder's name did not match the credit card holder's name.
Harvey Goldsmith has responded to criticism of this policy on his blog: "I am fully aware that there seems to be concerns about people who became winners in the ballot and then decided to use somebody else's credit card to pay for the ticket. However, I am convinced that those who are bleating the loudest seem to be protesting too much for other reasons."
Goldsmith added, however, that there may be a way around this problem for bona fide Zep fans. "Of course there are a few people who genuinely want to come but may not have had a suitable credit card to pay for them," he wrote." The answer to those people is very simple; if you are genuine you will contact us and give us a justified explanation."
Goldsmith announced details of the reunion last month, explaining that tickets would be allocated by ballot due to high demand. Following the announcement, internet service provider Pipex announced that a stampede of Led Zeppelin fans had not only crashed the ticket registration website, but their entire service, and claimed that this meant around 20 million people must have been attempting to purchase tickets at the same time.
Tickets to the one-off show cost £125, but are already nearing bids of £1000 on auction sites such as eBay.
· This article was amended on Monday October 8 2007. In the standfirst we mistakenly called Harvey Goldsmith Harvey Goldstein. This has been corrected.[/b]
I pointed this out on another forum this morning, when I first noticed it!
There is also an article from fantailfan that reminds us that NO ONE IS PAYING TO SEE LED ZEPPELIN, because John Bonham died in September nineteen eighty and, after his death, none of this matters, which I agree with.
Parts of me thinks that Harvey Goldsmith should continue with his impulse, here. I agree with his position in many ways. Concert shows shouldn't be only for the rich. I'm fed up with seeing sky high ticket prices soaring so that only a few elitist, deep pocket posers can afford them.
This concert was set up as a lottery and only "winners could purchase tickets." His lottery idea was an effort to help the situation.
They plan to check each ticket holder at the door and if they don't have matching identities with the original lottery winner, they are to be turned away.
What has happened to grassroots rock -n roll?
The buzz is that the servers were shut down by too many people trying to register on opening day. The ticket company said they could handle twenty million customers per day* and the demand for LZ tickets exceeded their capabilities.
There is no Led Zeppelin, people!
*Edited to correct an error in paraphrasing. The lottery company said that they could handle twenty million "per day", not "at once", as I mistakenly posted at first. I still think it's funny that they were swamped by these idiots!
