The following viewpoint was written by Brian Message:

Ticket touts have always been part and parcel of live music. They were certainly around when The Beatles plied their trade at Morecambe’s Floral Hall or the Doncaster Gaumont, and will no doubt still be here in five, 10 or 100 years time. When limited supply meets excessive demand, a black market frequently follows.

In the pre-digital era, a certain volume of ticket touting could be tolerated. At worst, it was a ...