This has been bubbling for a while for me, since trying to get tickets from reputable dealers for concerts in Manchester in the last couple of months...

How the shag can venues the size of the MEN arena sell out in under five minutes?  http://www.men-arena.com/arena/?page_id=75

Its happened to me a few times now, I've gone to the Ticketmaster website at the allotted time entered my details, and lo and behold, sold out.  Bollocks .  Even as short a time ago as last year, you could pretty much get tickets for most things through normal channels within an hour or so of the tickets going on sale, but now it seems that the locust touts buy up everything and then charge exhorbitant prices to those who aren't quite quick enough.

I wouldn't mind so much if it was people who were intending to go to those gigs, but when the tickets for those concerts then appear on Ebay within another 2 minutes with at least a thirty quid mark up, its not good.

So what's the answer? - clearly the funny security text thingy on the ticket vendor website isn't stopping people using automated systems to mop up the seats - so maybe we (the great band viewing public) should just say no to Ebay. Trouble is, most of us weigh up the opportunity of seeing a band against a few extra quid and just pay up.

Well no longer.  If I can't get tickets through a normal outlet I'm not going.  Call it a late New Year's Resolution, or a late thing-to-give-up-for-Lent, but either way I refuse to buy tickets on Ebay.  So there.