In an exclusive interview with SafestCasinoSites, 90s popstar Chesney Hawkes blasts global ticket sites Ticketmaster and Live Nation for the outrageous price of Oasis tickets earlier this year. Hawkes also crtiticised West Ham’s ticket prices, agreeing with English actor Ray Winstone.
Key Stories From The Interview:
- Hawkes blasts Ticketmaster & Live Nation over Oasis tickets
- Calls for Barry Keoghan to ‘get in touch’ following his Saltburn video recreation
- Chesney agrees with Ray Winstone on ‘outrageous’ West Ham ticket prices
- Hopes his ‘amazing’ son will come on tour with him
Full Transcript:
Q: What are your thoughts about the whole controversy recently about Oasis and their ticket pricing and the policy that they used for that. Prices doubling and trebling?
Chesney Hawkes: “It’s these companies, your Ticketmasters and Live Nations of the world, that they’ve kind of monopolised the whole business of selling tickets around the world. And my thoughts are that the monopolies need to be broken up. Because not only are the prices skyrocketing, what happens is as soon as tickets like the Oasis tickets go on sale, these companies have bots online. They just go and they just buy massive chunks of them. And then they end up kind of like being sold for treble the price. And it is disgusting. It’s absolutely disgusting. So I’m mates with John Bishop. And I saw he just announced his tour and he’s making sure that every ticket is literally 25 quid and that’s that. And he’s like I’m not gonna let this happen, which I think is amazing. So the more artists that take control of their own ticket prices, the better and I think a lot of artists now are starting to realise that and that you can sell tickets on your own website and be reasonable priced tickets and realise that the fans are the ones that got you where you are and you have to look after them.”
Q: Your new music video ‘Get a hold of yourself’. You do a ‘revealing’ shot for shot comparison of Barry Keoghan’s dance in SaltBurn. How would your family and friends react to seeing you naked on your music video?
CH: “Well, my kids. I wouldn’t have done it 10 years ago. I think the playground would have been a bit of a cruel place for that, but they’ve been very supportive actually. They’re cool. My kids are great. They’re like ‘oh, it’s just dad doing his thing, having a midlife crisis’, but, but my wife was very supportive as well. She’s like, ‘no, go for it. If that’s what you feel is right for you creatively, you know, let’s do it.’ She came with me on the shoot. So she was there.”
Q: What about the cast of Saltburn, it’s Barry Keoghan isn’t it? Has he reached out to you at all?
CH: “No, I haven’t heard from him actually. So, if you’re watching Barry, reach out! Get in touch.”
Q: This is a slightly controversial one but Ray Winstone famously criticised the club over season ticket prices. Do you think they’ve taken advantage of loyal fans with the pricing at West Ham at the moment?
CH: “Yeah, I do. I agree. I agree with him. It’s almost like you have to be elite to have a season ticket. I mean, as Frank mentioned earlier on, like 90 quid for some of the cheapest tickets at the London Stadium is outrageous. It’s outrageous. When I was a kid, as we know, it was like six quid to get into the West End. Times have changed, haven’t they? And better football for your 12 quid as well. Exactly mate, you knew what you were getting. Getting a bit of (Tony) Cottee, (Frank) McAvennie. I loved it. I loved that team. You should have won the league, but anyway. We should have. It was so close. I cried. I did cry that day.”
Q: Your son is a lead guitarist, will he be coming on tour with you?
CH: “He’s an amazing player. Full on. Utterly obsessed with West Ham, like my boy, if he had his way at every gig, he’d be wearing a West Ham top. He’s an amazing player and an amazing kid. As long as he deems me worthy, he’s allowed on my stage, it’s one of my favourite things in life to have him on stage with me.”
Q: Would you ever consider doing a song for the England national team?
CH: “Yeah, absolutely. I would absolutely love to. I’ve been kind of involved a little bit with the England national team quite a lot over the last four years or so, because I played the halftime at the England vs Wales game in Qatar. Two years I should say really. And it all went a bit nuts for me with that. So I’ve kind of been a bit of a mascot for the England team. And then during the Euros just gone. I recorded a little version of Hey Jude for Jude Bellingham. So obviously I have a little interest there and a little in with the England camp.”
Q: What would you rate as your top three England national team songs over the years?
CH: “Oh, goodness. Let’s go with: New Order, World In Motion. That will probably be my third. The Vindaloo, Fat Les has got to be number two. It’s just classic English, isn’t it? And of course it’s got to be Three Lions, (David) Baddiel, (Frank) Skinner and the Lightning Seeds. That’s a classic isn’t it?”
