Metallica have announced that they will be using paperless ticketing for their upcoming charity album launch show at the O2 Arena, which means fans can gain access to the gig by swiping their credit card and showing photo ID.
They will use Ticketmaster's paperless ticketing system which was used for the recent Tom Waits tour in the US, but which hasn't been used in Europe yet. The aim is to speed up and reduce the costs of the ticketing process and, of course, to make it that little bit harder for touts to sell tickets on, especially for a show like this which is raising money for charity.
Ticketmaster UK MD Chris Edmonds told reporters: "Paperless ticketing means no box-office collection queues for these tickets with entry being given on the swipe of the credit card used for the book and photo ID checked by venue staff. This benefits both the consumer and the venue allowing secure, smooth and fast entry to events".
Stuart Galbraith of Kilimanjaro, co-promoters of the Metallica show, added: "By working closely with Ticketmaster and the paperless ticket technology, we can deliver the band's wishes and minimise the possibility of charitable tickets being resold in the secondary market".