Site sells tickets for non-existent U2 concert

THE GARDA Fraud Squad is investigating a US-owned website which has been selling tickets for a U2 concert at Slane Castle that is not scheduled to take place.

Both the Garda and the National Consumer Agency have been contacted by Slane promoters MCD in relation to the website www.globalticketshop.com, which has been selling tickets for a U2 concert on July 1st at €310 and €425 each.

Lord Henry Mountcharles, owner of Slane Castle, said he had to contact the operators of the website himself to get them to take it down and the website has also been contacted by Live Nation, promoters of U2’s live shows.

The band members are aware of the website.

However, as of yesterday evening, the website was still selling tickets to a July 1st concert in Dublin, at a venue “to be announced”, at the same prices, along with 25 other U2 concerts throughout Europe.

Lord Henry said he was only alerted to the issue when he and the corporate events team at the castle received “a whole series of calls” about a U2 concert.

“We were concerned because we were worried that people had actually bought tickets,” he said.

Lord Henry has since issued a statement warning that the concert will not take place and telling anybody who has bought tickets through the website that those tickets are not valid.

“At no point in time did I authorise any mention of any such concert through this website (globalticketshop.com),” he wrote.

He described the website’s claim as “totally disgraceful” and designed to trick fans, since U2 is due to release a new studio album, No Line on the Horizon, next month and fans could responsibly expect a summer stadium tour to follow.

“Fans are clearly being misled by this website. I find it incredible that people think they can do this,” he said.

“People in Ireland may have some idea that this is just kite-flying, but people outside the country might be aware that U2 at Slane (2001) was a best-selling DVD and, of course, they might buy tickets.”

A Garda spokesman confirmed that a complaint had been received and is being investigated. Interpol is likely to be informed as the website is not based in Ireland. The website originated in the US, but is hosted in India and all telephone inquiries have a British number.

Nobody from the website was available for comment yesterday evening.