Heaton says acts need to have say on ticket prices

Pop star Paul Heaton said artists need to be involved in making decisions in the wake of a row about dynamic ticket pricing.

The system, which alters the price based on demand, has received criticism from fans after it was recently used by Oasis, Harry Styles and Coldplay.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Heaton said: “If you want a good deal for your fans you’ve got to be in the room”.

The former front man of Hull bands The Beautiful South and the Housemartins has fixed ticket prices for his upcoming tour.

“Although I’m not blaming other artists, I think if you want control of that you have to be at the meeting,” he said.

“The meetings to decide ticket prices, the actual amount it costs, whether there’s dynamic pricing.

“I represent myself and my musicians, but I also feel that fans aren’t represented there.

“So when I go there I always think of people I know, could they afford tickets?”

Heaton came to prominence with indie band Housemartins, who had a number of hits in the early 1980s.

When they split in 1988 he formed The Beautiful South, which went on to be one of the most successful bands of the 1990s.

After releasing 10 albums, the group broke up in 2007 citing “musical similarities” as the reason.

Since then he has recorded and performed as a solo act with guest singers.

His latest album “The Mighty Several” is released on 11 October.

In 2022, to mark his 60th birthday he put money behind the bar at 60 pubs across the UK so customers could have free drinks.

One of the bars was his former local the Grafton in Hull, which inspired the 1986 Housemartins hit Happy Hour.