As Its Final Tour Rolls Through Bomb Factory, Slayer Tries to Stop Bots From Buying Tickets

When tickets went on sale for Slayer’s final tour, local thrashers had mere minutes to secure their tickets before they were gone. Ravaged by scalpers and bots, tickets to the June 19 show at The Bomb Factory went fast, only to be found online for as much as $3,000. Until the band stepped in.

On March 15, just 10 days after Slayer extended its The End is Near tour, The Bomb Factory released an email saying that some tickets had been rereleased and would go on sale the following day.

“With Slayer’s June 19 show at The Bomb Factory selling out so quickly, the band wanted to insure that the tickets sold went to fans, they asked Ticketfly to analyze each individual sale to weed out bots and resellers,” the email read.

The second batch of tickets also went quickly although each purchase required a password that was posted on The Bomb Factory’s social media accounts and sent via email. Some fans took to The Bomb Factory’s Facebook to cite technical difficulties checking out. There may still be hope — The Bomb Factory’s March 15 email hints at the possibility of more tickets being released before the summer show.

“Tickets purchased by bots and scalpers will again be voided, and tickets bought on the secondary market may not be valid at the door,” the email states, adding that anyone who purchased a voided ticket from a reseller should email [email protected].

The move to block scalpers and scammers is especially appropriate given the circumstances of this tour. News of Slayer’s retirement came in January, heralding the beginning of the end for a nearly 40-year career as one of the world’s best and most popular metal bands.

Speculation abounds as to the reason for the sudden retirement. The show also looks to celebrate the ominous and riff-heavy sound Slayer helped to cultivate. Four other bands will join Slayer on June 19 — Lamb of God, Anthrax, Behemoth and Testament. All are headliners in their own right, and all have been influenced by songs such as “Raining Blood,” “Seasons in the Abyss” and “Jesus Saves.” The night will probably feel more like a viking funeral than a retirement tour, a fitting sendoff for a band such as Slayer.