Sleaford Mods are striking back against the prevailing norm of prohibitively expensive live music ticket pricing by offering £5 tickets for their upcoming UK shows to those on low incomes.. The Nottingham-based post-punk duo, known for their raw and unfiltered commentary on working-class life, announced a groundbreaking initiative at a time where the soaring costs and wider economics of live touring is under the microscope.
The announcement, made via their official Instagram and Twitter pages, has been met with widespread acclaim. Frontman Jason Williamson addressed fans in his typical understated manner: “Morning, £5 low income tickets go on sale this Friday (September 27) at 10am. You’ve got to sign up to the mailing list so you can get a ticket link. So these tickets are for people on low incomes so please, and I know you won’t, but please don’t take the piss. Thank you very much. We look forward to seeing you for a bit of fitness!”
The duo’s upcoming show at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith on November 15 is part of their broader European tour. Full-price tickets for the London gig are available for £29, but a portion of the tickets will be sold at the significantly reduced price of £5. Williamson urged those who can afford the full-price tickets to purchase them, allowing those on lower incomes to benefit from the discounted rate. “If you can afford the full-price ticket, please buy the full-price one,” Williamson said in a video posted to the band’s Twitter page. “And allow space for those that are on a low income to get the five quid ticket.”
The decision comes as a refreshing contrast against the backdrop of recent controversy about dynamic pricing and middleman companies inflating prices of tickets for live music, most notably in the case of Oasis‘ hotly anticipated reunion tour next year, which saw some fans pay thousands for tickets. In contrast, veteran rockers Iron Maiden recently promised their fans there would be no dynamic pricing for their upcoming 50th anniversary tour.
Dynamic pricing alone is not the only cause of the rising cost of seeing live music, however, with the BBC finding that the average ticket price for the top 100 tours around the world was £101 last year.
The band, consisting of Williamson’s fierce vocal delivery and Andrew Fearn’s minimalist beats, have always centered their music around social issues and everyday realism. Their music often delves into themes of government cutbacks and the struggles of the working class, with their 2013 album Austerity Dogs is a prime example of their politically charged lyrics and their disdain for the socio-economic policies that marginalise the less fortunate. Sleaford Mods’ latest album, Eton Alive, released in February, continues this tradition of hard-hitting social commentary and class-conscious critique.
“If you can afford the full-price ticket, please buy the full-price one,” Williamson said in the video posted to the band’s Instagram page. “And allow space for those that are on a low income to get the five quid ticket,” he added.
The £5 tickets will be available from 10am on Friday, April 12, with the link shared on the band’s Twitter page. These tickets will be non-transferable and must be picked up on the day of the gig at the Eventim Apollo box office, ensuring that they reach the intended audience.
