Caity Baser: Why an up-and-coming act is capping gig prices

Caity Baser has racked up millions of streams on TikTok

Growing up, Caity Baser didn't always have the money to go to gigs.

She remembers missing out on an Ed Sheeran concert - all her friends went but she couldn't afford to join them.

Nine years later, Caity's now a touring artist herself and doesn't want the same to happen to others.

So she's decided to cap the price of her gig tickets so the most fans will pay is £15.00.

"Times are tough for all of us at the moment," the 20-year-old tells Newsbeat.

"I don't want a gig to be an issue for someone. I just want people to come along, have a good time and not stress about anything."

If you're not familiar with Caity's music, she describes it as "cheeky, British pop".

She's built up a big following on TikTok, and her track Friendly Sex has had more than six million plays on Spotify.

Her concerts are lively, with fans singing her lyrics word for word. Caity says that sense of "community" is important.

"For me, it's about having everybody there and having a room full of people.

"A lot of my audience are my age, they're students, and I don't want to make life more difficult for people that have got me to where I am."

The singer says she's most excited to perform her song Friendly Sex

The cost-of-living crisis is affecting us all, and musical acts are no different.

Faced with more expensive hotel and travel bills, tours are costing them much more.

Caity, from Southampton, believes she can make up for people paying less for tickets with things like merchandise, including hoodies and t-shirts.

It's less common for smaller artists to cap gig prices, but some bigger names have been doing it.

In October, Tom Grennan was praised when he told fans: "The pinch is real and I take it very seriously".

For his UK tour, he said his team had "worked hard to pull the cost of tickets down, and dismissed all VIP and platinum ticket options in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis".

Caity's upcoming tour is her biggest so far

Caity's tour kicks off in April and has 10 dates across the country. She says as an artist she has control over the show, including ticket prices.

"At the end of the day, it's your show and your name.

"I explained to my team what I wanted to do, and said I don't want people to miss out on gigs like I did growing up."

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With three months until tour, it's a busy time for Caity, but it's not the budget that's keeping her up at night.

Instead, it's the wardrobe.

"I've got loads of crazy ideas. I literally don't sleep. I stay up every night and I just think about the makeup and the hair and how I can tie it all in together".

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