I hope the Oasis situation highlights our struggles - they need to remember where they came from

This stems from Oasis fans queuing for hours to get tickets to the band’s reunion dates to find face value prices up to £200 higher than advertised.

This is as a result of the pricing strategy, which increases in line with the demand for certain tickets. And with Oasis tickets being the hottest in town over the weekend, fans were left stunned. The quest to get tickets was halted by this huge cost, and the director of a grassroots music venue in Greater Manchester believes artists themselves can help to make a difference.  

Rachel Flaszczak is director of The Snug in Atherton, and believes acts at the very top should remember their roots.

“The artists are very influential on fans,” Rachel said. “They should come out and say a few words about visiting small venues, most of the venues Oasis started out in are no longer there. We need support from the top as more small venues are closing their doors, whilst Ticketmaster will report record profits.  

“Small venues play a vital role in nurturing emerging talent, providing a platform for artists to grow and connect with audiences. When ticket prices are increased to extortionate levels, it not only puts a strain on fans but also makes it challenging for smaller venues to attract audiences.”

Rachel was one of thousands of people trying to get tickets for the reunion tour, which includes five nights at Manchester’s Heaton Park. 

“I was in the queue for five hours until I got through and these were the only tickets left. I just couldn’t justify paying that amount of money,” she said. “If these artists like Liam and Noel spread the message to music lovers of going to your grassroots music venue and visit these places as that’s where they started. If they could just get on our side and voice opinions on going back to their roots, it would make a big difference to everybody. 

“Ticket companies can help sustain the music ecosystem as a whole. This not only ensures that there are more opportunities for bands to headline larger venues in the future but also helps in maintaining a vibrant and diverse music scene.”

The ongoing efforts of Music Venue Trust were also flagged by Rachel.

“MVT have done tonnes of research and hard work on getting the government to listen, there’s a Select Committee Report waiting to be actioned and I hope this Oasis situation highlights the struggles of the everyday music lover,” she said.

“The select committee report is there. It’s just waiting to be actioned because that was put together by the Conservative government, but we still want the Labour government to act. If they could just introduce that levy that would feed back into grassroots venues.

“It’s vital that the government find out who is responsible for the prices. Obviously there is going to be demand for Oasis tickets, it’s a huge reunion and everyone wants to go. The timing is perfect really as there are probably now three or four generations of Oasis fans. I wanted tickets to take my teenagers as they’ve grown up with Oasis, but now I don’t have that opportunity.”

Rachel highlighted the importance of grassroots venues to bands who have gone on to be the biggest in the world. 

“Oasis set out to be the biggest band in the world and they achieved that which is great, but they’ve also got to be humble and look back on where they came from,” she said. “A lot of the venues they started off at aren’t open anymore. If they spoke to these grassroots music venues they would see how difficult it is to keep places open. 

“We do this because we want to find the next Oasis and the next big act. We’re not doing this to make loads of money. We want to give new musicians their first chance, the same way Oasis were given the first chance.” 

A night at The Snug to watch live music is a cheap one, and Rachel outlined why its worth a visit. 

“If you bought a ticket to come and see a band at The Snug, it’s less than the admin fees of a big gig,” she said. “It’s £5 for a ticket, and you can come down to see a band. Most of these bands don’t want to be the next big band, they just want to do it because they love it. 

“We have some extremely talented people who play in venues like The Snug. We just want to put these shows on and create an environment where everyone is welcome.”