'According to The Pulse Of Radio, FOO FIGHTERS have blamed "unscrupulous secondary ticket agencies" for widespread confusion before a show in London on Tuesday night (September 19) that led to hundreds of fan being denied entry to the concert. The band, promoter SJM and the O2 venue issued a statement saying that they were "frustrated and saddened" that tickets wound up on the secondary ticket market, "despite their best efforts."
The statement added: "Unfortunately, this meant a small number of fans purchasing bogus tickets from these unscrupulous outlets did not get into the sold-out show. FOO FIGHTERS, The O2 and SJM strongly advise and sincerely hope that in the future ALL fans buy tickets only from legitimate sites to ensure they are not defrauded out of their hard-earned money."
Numerous fans were reportedly turned away by the venue after failing to present a photo ID that matched the name on their booking. After customers complained, security eventually allowed entrance to ticket holders without matching ID — but many disappointed fans had already left.
The promoters said: "We implemented a policy from onsale to limit secondary reselling of tickets. The only official outlets were the venue box office and See Tickets and all purchasers were clearly informed that ID checks would be in place on entry."
Some fans who were turned away had paid the equivalent of $270 in U.S. dollars for their tickets, only to be refused admission. Even some fans who purchased tickets through official resale partner Stubhub were denied entry.
An arena spokesman told the Evening Standard: "At the request of the band, all tickets are being verified for tonight's show at The O2. All fans are required to show proof of ID. This does mean that some who have bought through secondary sites, including our partner Stubhub may not be able to see the show."
Stubhub said fans who had bought tickets through their service would be eligible for refunds, calling the ID policy "not fair to customers.' via Blabbermouth