Robert Smith, with his unmistakable shock of black hair and haunting voice, has long been a towering figure in the world of alternative music, his influence extending far beyond The Cure’s numerous hits and into the very fabric of contemporary pop culture.
Robert Smith, the iconic frontman of The Cure, is not one to shy away from voicing his opinions. He has spoken out against a variety of issues, including the music industry’s treatment of independent artists, the lack of transparency in the ticketing business, and the commercialization of the music festival scene.
Despite his many years in the limelight, Smith remains a fiercely independent artist, dedicated to pushing boundaries and speaking truth to power. Robert Smith, has recently taken to Twitter to express his fury at Ticketmaster’s additional fees, which have pushed up ticket prices despite the band’s efforts to keep charges as low as possible.
Smith described himself as “sickened” by the semi-hidden charges, which in one case raised the price of two $20 seats to $75. However, the depressing truth is that Ticketmaster will always get their pound of flesh, no matter how much artists complain. The ticketing giant has established a near monopoly over the industry since the 1990s, and even artists as powerful as Taylor Swift cannot take them on.
The dynamic pricing model, which allows promoters to charge whatever the customer is willing to pay, is also adding to artists’ frustrations. While defenders of the model argue that it prevents tickets from being sold on the secondary market, it can also make musicians appear to be fleecing their fans. Given Ticketmaster’s size and leverage, there is little Smith can do except to vent on social media. In the end, The Cure will likely still take the stage for their US tour, singing for their supper and fattening Ticketmaster’s bottom line.
