Robbie Williams has come to the defense of Oasis following the controversy around the dynamic pricing tickets of their 2025 reunion tour.
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Upon announcement of Oasis’ huge comeback tour earlier this year, fans were left scrambling to get tickets. During the tumultuous sale for UK and Ireland shows, some fans were disappointed to find huge price increases due to Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing policy upon accessing ticket pages.
The ticketing platform’s “surge pricing” scheme, introduced in 2022, increases ticket prices based on demand. Ticketmaster have clarified on their website previously that tickets that are “market-priced” and “may increase or decrease at any time, based on demand. This is similar to how airline tickets and hotel rooms are sold.”
Since then, fans and politicians alike have been frustrated by the policy – this recently led to a new bill put forward in the House Of Commons, encouraging more transparency when it comes to buying tickets, on October 21.
In an interview with The Face published earlier this month (December 3), the pop star and Better Man actor spoke about his relationship with the Britpop band in the 1990s – like spending his 1995 “hanging out with Oasis and going to gigs and doing coke and going to The Groucho” – along with touring in 2025.
The Face interviewer Craig McLean brought up ticket sale prices of his upcoming tour – for example, a standing ticket that costs £107.50, to which Williams replied “That’s decent, right?”
McLean asked Williams if the affordable prices were a result of the Oasis ticketing fallout, or that he’s eager to sell many tickets.
“Maybe a bit of both,” Williams shrugged. “I think that the whole music industry just learned something,” referring to the dynamic pricing debacle.
“By the way, I’ve never sat in a ’How much are we pricing the tickets?’ meeting. And I don’t believe that Oasis did either,” Williams continued.
“I don’t believe that Oasis knew. Liam definitely didn’t know “this is how much tickets are going to cost. We’re going to do this thing called dynamic pricing.” I only know about dynamic pricing because of Oasis.”
Williams believes that the backlash has taught the music industry that they “can’t take the piss”. He added, “That whole dynamic pricing thing, it even made me go: ’Fuck, I need to be in some sort of meeting.’ Or just go: ’Let’s not have that happen!’”
He remarked that inflated ticket prices for his tour in 2006 resulted in a “scalper guy that bought a £1.5 million mansion off scalping my tickets”.
“I don’t know what you do, how you make it right, how you stop being greedy, how you figure out what you’re worth whilst not extorting people,” he continued.
Williams also “fucking loved” Liam’s response to the ticket controversy: “He just went: ’Fuck off. That’s how much they are.’ I was just like: ’Yes, well done, mate.’ I’d never say that – I can’t. But Liam saying that: ’That’s why you’re you, and that’s brilliant.’”
The Gallagher brothers will be portrayed in Williams’ upcoming biopic Better Man, with Liam played by Leo Harvey-Elledge and Noel by Chris Gun.
Williams previously noted how his tour will coincide with Oasis’ reunion trek: “When Oasis get back together, there is no competing, really,” he continued. “Unless I’d taken a 20-year break, then it would be a fair fight.”
“Oasis coming back together, I don’t think anyone could compete with that – including Taylor Swift, who’s the biggest artist on this planet. So no, it’s not a competition, even though it bloody is.”
Better Man, directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), tells the life story of Robbie Williams – from his early days in childhood to his first taste of success with boyband Take That. Williams stars as a reimagined CGI monkey version of himself.
Of course, it will also dive into Williams’ massively successful career as a solo artist, covering the record-breaking achievements he accrued with albums like 2000’s ‘Sing When You’re Winning’ and 2002’s ‘Escapology’. Better Man is out in UK cinemas on December 26.
