Fan forum joins forces with Kickstarter to fund Foo Fighters gig

[Jamilia]

Just posting the press release here. Visit the Kickstarter page and pledge!

Fan Forum Joins Forces With Kickstarter to fund FOO FIGHTERS Gig
A Foo Fighters gig, organised by the fans for the fans - no more UK touts

A UK Foo Fighters Facebook fan base has received approval from the American based organisation Kickstarter to attempt to fund the UK's first ever crowd sourced gig starring the US rock giants.

foofightersuk.com aim to host a small (3000) capacity gig by Foo Fighters as a pre-tour warm-up when the band hit the UK on their Sonic Highways tour in 2015.

Fans pledge £50 a ticket or can offer smaller amounts if they're unable to attend the gig but want to support the project.

Organiser Kelly Gaffney states: “By doing this we are putting the power of ticket sales back into the hands of the fans, not the touts. We are hoping to get support from politicians to raise awareness of the ticket touting business within the UK and hope to get media coverage to not only promote our event but to help get the laws changed against ticket touts.”

If 3000 tickets are sold and £150,000 raised formal approaches are made to the band's management and venues - the aim is to hold the gig in Birmingham.

The Foo Fighters have form here, having just performed a similar gig in their native USA. Dave Grohl said: “For the past 20 years we always decided who we're going to play with and where we're going to play. But now, if we hear that people want us to come somewhere, maybe we'll come there.”

The website went live 19/9 and has already raised over £50,000.

Question or problems? Contact the organisers at:

foofightersuk.com
facebook.com/foofamiluk
kelly.gaffney@foofightersuk.com

[pjonze]

I'm still at a loss to understand what exactly their model for 'beating the touts' actually is?

[O.B.gene]

Originally Posted by pjonze

I'm still at a loss to understand what exactly their model for 'beating the touts' actually is?

I think it's going on the presumption that touts can't physically click the link to the kickstarter page, so won't be able to buy 4-6 tickets and sell them off at a larger price outside the venue. I think.

[pjonze]

Originally Posted by O.B.gene

I think it's going on the presumption that touts can't physically click the link to the kickstarter page, so won't be able to buy 4-6 tickets and sell them off at a larger price outside the venue. I think.

Oh. And there was me thinking they hadn't thought this through.

[Jamilia]

DonnaInVA has also asked this (on a Facebook page) and this is what the organisers answered:

"You can only buy a maximum of six tickets. You need the card you bought them with and ALL members of your party at the door at the same time. Not many touts can be assed to go through all that. You'll find it very difficult to illiminate touts all together, this is a very good start though. It wasn't sold out in ten minutes with them all on getmein at ten times face value so it's a good start [...] Our plan is to have a no re entry policy too."

[matineeidyll]

Originally Posted by pjonze

I'm still at a loss to understand what exactly their model for 'beating the touts' actually is?

I'm at a loss as to why this needs a press release.

[aprilshack]

At the end of the day good luck to them, even of you think the reasoning is flawed.I'm in.Nothing to loose.

[matineeidyll]

Oh, i'm down with the fundamental reasoning of it all - get a gig. Just the method could be better. Can't help it. The old PR girl in me wants to proofread and reformat the shit out of it.

[aprilshack]

Originally Posted by matineeidyll

Oh, i'm down with the fundamental reasoning of it all - get a gig. Just the method could be better. Can't help it. The old PR girl in me wants to proofread and reformat the shit out of it.

Email them and offer to help! You may get a free ticket if it takes off!

[DaveJK]

I'm in. You just never know with the Foos.

[pjonze]

Originally Posted by Jamilia

DonnaInVA has also asked this (on a Facebook page) and this is what the organisers answered:

"You can only buy a maximum of six tickets. You need the card you bought them with and ALL members of your party at the door at the same time. Not many touts can be assed to go through all that. You'll find it very difficult to illiminate touts all together, this is a very good start though. It wasn't sold out in ten minutes with them all on getmein at ten times face value so it's a good start [...] Our plan is to have a no re entry policy too."

So, not only do they need to find a venue for 3 thousand people it needs to be run by venue owner who's willing to ensure that his door staff go above and beyond what they usually do? Hmmm.

[Simon]

I think they underestimate touts. If there is a few hundred quid to be made they will absolutely be willing to sell tickets at a huge markup, go along to the venue with the people who bought them and take them in with no shame. Walk out with £500 profit or whatever, job done.

[Jamilia]

Originally Posted by pjonze

So, not only do they need to find a venue for 3 thousand people it needs to be run by venue owner who's willing to ensure that his door staff go above and beyond what they usually do? Hmmm.

I have no idea if they have thought about that and if so, how they are going to solve it etc. I'm just the messenger but I'll pass on the remarks.

[O.B.gene]

Originally Posted by Simon

I think they underestimate touts. If there is a few hundred quid to be made they will absolutely be willing to sell tickets at a huge markup, go along to the venue with the people who bought them and take them in with no shame. Walk out with £500 profit or whatever, job done.

and they could do that all evening

[Bexster]

Exactly. Easy enough to find a way round it if they want the money.

Ok, it would be nice if it works, but I'm put off by the £50 a ticket price tag. That's more than I'd pay anyway for a ticket.

[DonnaInVA]

Whatever you do, don't raise these questions on the FB page---they'll take you down faster than a Secret Service agent at the White House.
wait......that doesn't make sense.....

I personally woul'dve paid $200 for the RIC show, I know one guy paid $400 for his ticket.

[mingo05]

What do they do? Tattle to an admin? From what I've seen over there, some of them can be pretty nasty and don't get banned. Maybe it's whoever gets to the admin first?

At least one of guys that organized RVA is a professional marketer with experience in advertising, right? With that background, they had a leg up in my opinion. I really glad it worked but can't see it happening again any time soon.

[DonnaInVA]

Originally Posted by mingo05

What do they do? Tattle to an admin? From what I've seen over there, some of them can be pretty nasty and don't get banned. Maybe it's whoever gets to the admin first?

At least one of guys that organized RVA is a professional marketer with experience in advertising, right? With that background, they had a leg up in my opinion. I really glad it worked but can't see it happening again any time soon.

All four guys have a background in advertising

[Juls]

Originally Posted by DonnaInVA

Whatever you do, don't raise these questions on the FB page---they'll take you down faster than a Secret Service agent at the White House.
wait......that doesn't make sense.....

I personally woul'dve paid $200 for the RIC show, I know one guy paid $400 for his ticket.

Haha!!!

The only way to beat the touts is to do as glastonbury does, pre order with a photo. Even they have had problems but it's worked pretty well.

As for this.......if it works then yay for those who bought tickets but the cynical side of me is more in the train of thought that Richmond was a one off.

Bandwagon and jumping come to mind now. Also, what happens to all the interest earnt (or with bank rates so low, the little bit of interest earnt!) on the money people pay? The same thought crossed my mind with the US gig

[DonnaInVA]

Originally Posted by Juls

Haha!!!

The only way to beat the touts is to do as glastonbury does, pre order with a photo. Even they have had problems but it's worked pretty well.

As for this.......if it works then yay for those who bought tickets but the cynical side of me is more in the train of thought that Richmond was a one off.

Bandwagon and jumping come to mind now. Also, what happens to all the interest earnt (or with bank rates so low, the little bit of interest earnt!) on the money people pay? The same thought crossed my mind with the US gig

No money actually changed hands (as far as I know) until we lined up at yhe box office, day of show & got our wristbands. Even the two companies who each bought a bunch and gave them away, they had to show up that morning to pay for them.