Man behind quirky Carousell post hopes to fix Coldplay disappointment

All 40,000 tickets to Coldplay's April 1 show at the National Stadium, priced between $78 and $298, were sold out between Nov 17 and 21, leaving some fans bitterly disappointed.

Instead of despairing, 23-year-old lab technician Muhd Azuandy Aznan posted a quirky appeal on online selling platform Carousell for resale tickets to the British band's A Head Full Of Dreams Tour.

Mr Azuandy quoted lyrics from Coldplay's songs The Scientist and Fix You, saying "nobody said it was easy" to buy tickets to their show and "I'll fix you by buying (tickets) from you".

BIG FAN: Coldplay fan Muhd Azuandy Aznan had appealed for resale tickets in a quirky post. He now hopes to buy tickets to the second show from authorised ticket dealer Sports Hub Tix.  PHOTO: COURTESY OF MUHD AZUANDY AZNAN

His post went viral on websites such as Stomp, much to his amusement.

"I didn't expect my post to go viral. I thought being funny might persuade people to lower their prices," he told The New Paper in a phone interview yesterday.

He said most people responded positively to his advertisement, and said he deserved the concert tickets because he was funny.

TOO EXPENSIVE

Mr Azuandy received eight offers for Category 3 tickets, which are worth $128 each. But the sellers' asking prices ranged from $210 to $500 a ticket.

Though he was tempted to buy the resale tickets, he thought they were "too expensive". Instead, he held out after hearing on Wednesday that a second show would be held.

True enough, show organiser Live Nation Lushington yesterday announced a second show on March 31, plus an additional 2,200 Category 5 tickets ($228) and 1,000 Category 6 tickets ($128) for the April 1 show. The tickets will go on sale today.

The capacity for both shows will be 43,200 each night.

Mr Azuandy, who missed the chance to buy tickets to the first show due to work, plans to show up at the Sports Hub ticket counter at 9am today, an hour ahead of the opening time.

"Hopefully, I'll be successful this time. If not, I may try my luck with resale tickets, or radio contests if they do ticket giveaways," he said.

Polyclinic doctor Grace Lau, 32, who will be attending the April 1 show with family and friends, said she has mixed feelings about fans who bought tickets from scalpers.

"One should be on hand, I'm sympathetic towards them because I know they really want to go (for the concert). But I'm also a bit incredulous that they would fork out so much," said Dr Lau, who paid $168 for each Category 2 tickets.

She said she found the practice of ticket touting highly unethical.

"If I ever meet anyone who sells his tickets for an exorbitant amount, I'd probably unfriend them," she said.

IN DEMAND: Coldplay will now be doing a second show on March 31 here. PHOTO: REUTERS

Live Nation Lushington said it will have measures in place to prevent ticket touting, including capping ticket sales at four tickets across all categories for each transaction.

It is also voiding resale tickets, as buying tickets through unauthorised resellers contravenes the ticket sales' terms and conditions.

"Both we and Sports Hub Tix are working closely together, and efforts to clamp down on secondary or resale tickets are ongoing," said a Live Nation Lushington spokesperson in response to queries from TNP.

"Making ticket prices accessible has been the priority for both the promoter and artist management, so as to allow as many fans in this region the opportunity to catch Coldplay live."

Both Sports Hub and Live Nation Lushington urged fans to buy tickets from only from authorised ticket dealer Sports Hub Tix, and refrain from buying tickets from unauthorised resellers.

The National Stadium will not be hosting any concerts until Coldplay's shows. But given complaints about the sound quality from previous shows such as Jay Chou's The Invincible tour in September, Sports Hub said it is working closely with event owners and concert promoters to optimise staging plans.

"Staging concepts for concerts, including sound presentation, are typically decided in advance of their tour and designed specifically to suit the show.

"We remain committed to working closely with event partners to provide a positive experience for all our patrons," a Sports Hub spokesman said in a statement.