Music News Australia: 03/07/12

Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Kylie Minogue stands up for fans rights against ticket scalpers; New system

Kylie Minogue, Australia's favourite music princess at the moment, will battle ticket scalpers with her fan-friendly anti-tour this month.

The Aussie icon is putting her heart and soul into doing the right thing for true fans - not those who try to profit on her hot tickets or are included to try to sell anything about her on the likes of eBay...long a haven of scalpers and those who attempt to profit at real fans expense.

The real fans who manage to secure tickets to her intimate show will have their actual name printed on a wristband.

Only two tickets can be purchased for the anti-tour show at the Palace Theatre in Melbourne on March 18.

The wristbands must be collected and signed for by the credit card holder who bought the tickets in the first place.

The developments follow cunning scalping online of tickets for sold out shows by Radiohead and boy band One Direction.

US rock gods, KISS, have also been vocal about fake fans in the past, including those who try to pretend they are fans, aim to get signed autographs of KISS merchandise, later to attempt to sell it on eBay.

A crackdown against "fans" who stalk performing artists is also on the way. Kylie is just one of many Australian artists who have been stalked by undesirables in recent years.

Minogue’s anti-tour, which also plays Sydney’s Luna Park on March 20, is on sale come midday via frontiertouring.com/kylie and kylie.com.

Tickets are $129.60 plus fees and are expected to sell out in a flash.

Unlike Minogue’s usual concerts, the anti-tour will feature only b-sides, demo tracks and rarities in a tactic to please her legions of fans.

There will also be minimal production, with just her British band, who are already in Melbourne rehearsing for the two shows.

Minogue told the press she thought up the anti-tour concept after last year’s multi-million dollar Aphrodite Les Folies spectacular.

"I don't know how I can beat having water fountains, which is madness," Minogue said.

"Some people's favourite tour is still Intimate and Live where we had two penny farthings to put it on. The reason I thought of it was, when you're on the big shows you're obliged to play a stack of hits. How do you go bigger? You don't, you go completely the other direction."

The singer also confessed she will need to refresh her memory to perform numbers she’s never sung live before.

"Oh I'm going to need a lyric stand for sure. I imagine the fans will do homework and know all the lyrics better than I do. That fills me with excitement."

The tour is the latest event in the year that marks Minogue’s 25th anniversary of releasing music.

Kylie is just off performing at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, where she played Horden Pavilion to a packed house of about 5000, and just a sprinkle of media who were lucky enough to photograph the rare performance.

Go girl, and thank you to your wonderful team who have assisted us so much lately. Kylie fever forever.

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