Today's Music News

Registration drop?

Eavis speaks of changing plans for Glasto

14 April 08 - Michael Eavis has said he may drop the pre-registration system for Glastonbury next year.

The festival implemented a new purchasing system that allowed simultaneous registration and purchase, when tickets failed to sell out in the usual couple of hours when they went on sale recently.

However, tickets could be resold in the first couple of days before people submit photos.

But Michael Eavis has now told Music Week magazine that they may use this new system in future.

"The registration has annoyed people"
Vince Power - music manager and promoter

One person who does not agree with the current system is veteran music manager and promoter Vince Power.

He said: “The registration has annoyed people – this whole business of the anticipation of trying to get a ticket, not get a ticket.

"Michael came back with his own way and created this hugely complicated entry system which kills the spirit of a festival in my opinion

Vince also thinks Eavis is too concerned with trying to stop touts: “It’s free enterprise isn’t it? If somebody buys a ticket and they're really clever enough to sell it for four times its value – I would like to shake their hand."

What do you think? Let us know.

Kelly Stooke

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Comments so far

K-Man, Stoke Newington
Having your face on your ticket is also a good way of ensuring that your tickets cannot be stolen. (by the types that Vince Power obviously likes to associate with)

Donna - Cardiff
It seems rediculous that Eavis would be considering dropping what has become a fantastic way to stop touts. Please don't let us return to the days when tickets were selling for over £800 on ebay. I wonder what plans Eavis would have to counter touting if he got rid of registration. Also why let people tick a box to remail registered if they are not thinking of extending it? Sometimes I think Michael Eavis is a little out of the loop. Registration is simple and effective. Anyone would think he thought registration was to blame for the lack of sales or something.

Rick, Manchester
How can Vince Power say a registration system kills the spirit of the festival? Shake a touts hand for ripping someone off? That kills the spirit of the festival.I don't understand why people hate the registration system. It takes 5 minutes to register and saves you spending 5 minutes entering your details when it comes to getting a ticket. The only thing that will make this system better is a possibly a larger / quicker server.I suppose too, the registration filters the fans, meaning you only get people there who really want to be there.

krautland
who cares? glasto is so 20th century. id rather stay in and watch tv.

Lozair, North of Ireland
Vince Power's opinion is worth nothing. Someone who buys tickets to then sell at four times its value isn't clever, they're lazy, profiteering s***** and he can't even be honest enough to say that. He is as far from the creative, artistic, sharing ethos that this festival, in varying degrees, displays as it is possible to get.

Andy, Coventry
If "someone is clever enough"! What is Vince Power (and surely that's thestage name of a promoter who wanted Rock stardome but never made it) talking about! What's clever about being lucky enough to be first in a queue then resell a ticket for a gig you never planned to go to!

Ian, London
Nice to see Vince Power respecting the true music fans! Mr Power, you dont have to be 'really clever' to tout tickets...you just go down the ticket office in numbers with a load of runners and intimidate the others in the queues. On Pixies comeback tour few years ago, I saw real fans go away empty handed while the touts ensured their runners jumped back into the queue 2 or 3 times. You tell me why the fan who has runners push in front of them should then have to go and pay 3 times face value on ebay to these totally unnecessary middle-men. That's what REALLY annoys people imo, not a simple registration process.

Marcus, Penzance
So according to Vince Power, the spirit of festivals is to facilitate capitalism? That would explain a few things about the bad experiences I and many others have had at his events. I also didn't realise that there was anything clever in touting. I've never felt impressed by the genius of the types that ruin the walk from Briton tube to the Academy. Vince would gladly shake their hand though. Says it all. Mean, and fiddling.

Bump, Bristol
I don't feel that the registration system is annoying, beating the touts is always a worthwhile exercise.Vice Power has only served to prove speculation that profit goes before music correct in his case. Long may I avoid his events