NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Robert Smith, frontman for the rock band The Cure, is calling out Louisiana’s Legislature for trying to pass legislation that would ultimately take power away from musicians and empower scalpers to charge fans more.
This comes as The Cure kicks off its 2023 North American “A Lost World” tour in New Orleans on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center.
In a press release, Smith says “The Louisiana Legislature is moving legislation (HB 341) that would ban the types of fan-friendly ticketing options that Smith and The Cure have put in place for their tour to keep tickets affordable for fans. If Louisiana bans those options, it would take away power from artists and give it to scalpers, allowing them to increase prices on fans and take away money from the hard-working musicians.”
There will be a hearing on Wednesday morning for Louisiana lawmakers to move forward on this bill. The bill passed in the House last month and is headed to the Senate. The bill is sponsored by Baton Rouge Republican Paula Davis.
In a tweet, Smith said, “Louisiana lawmakers! Please don’t pass this bill. Empower the artists, not the scalpers and the bots. Commercial lobbying corrupts democracy.”
The Cure plays Smoothie King Center Wednesday at 7 p.m. The band is known for such hits as “Just Like Heaven,” “Love Cats,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” and “Friday I’m In Love.”
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