People at a Liam Gallagher concert on Sunday night were left with a bitter taste in their mouth, saying they were bled dry by the prices for drinks during the show by concert organisers.

As Gallagher thrilled crowds at the newly unveiled Ta’ Qali concert area, the event’s bar prices left many wondering if it was worth the aggravation.

As has become customary in many concerts and large events, the concert adopted a credit system, where attendees were asked to buy a wristband to act as a digital wallet throughout the event.

The wristband could then be topped up and used to buy drinks, with a minimum top-up of €25 credit.

But, despite the widespread praise for the show and the event’s organisation, several people have taken to social media to express their dismay at the price of the drinks on offer.

€11 for a pint of beer and a €2.50 ‘activation fee’

A pint of Stella Artois on draft, reportedly Gallagher’s tipple of choice, set visitors back a staggering €11, with a half-pint going for €9.

Heineken was €1 less, with the cheapest beer on offer, a small can of Bavaria, being sold at €6.

The bar’s price list shows that other drinks were no cheaper. A glass of wine was priced at €8, spirits with mixers going for €9, and the more cosmopolitan gin and tequila drinkers dishing out as much as €14 for their drinks.

Non-alcoholic drinks were somewhat cheaper, although still well above market prices at €5 for a soft drink and €3.50 for a small bottle of water.

To rub salt into the wound, punters say, they were charged a €2.50 “activation fee” when topping up their wristband for the first time during the event, effectively leaving them with €22.50 credit.

Moreover, the bar’s price list shows that they were to be charged an additional €1 for a “refundable” cup but organisers say that this additional charge was never actually implemented.

Several concertgoers who spoke to Times of Malta expressed their dismay at this system, saying they were puzzled to find that they only had 50 cents credit left on their account, despite only having bought two drinks.

Others took to social media, describing the prices as “extortionate” and “a joke”, accusing organisers of exploiting the captive audience to boost their earnings. Others described the system as “a racket”, and an example of “greed”.

Refunds given… but not if you have less than €5 credit

The organisers’ website says that this cashless system was adopted to cut down on queueing time and hassle (“Don’t look for money every time you want to buy something,” the website says).

The organisers say that concertgoers should top up “at least” €100 on their first top-up, to have “more time to enjoy the event”.

They also assure concertgoers that they can apply for a refund for any unspent funds, but only as long as they have at least €5 unspent credit in their account and apply for a payout by tomorrow.

We have to make ends meet, somehow: organisers

Speaking to Times of Malta a spokesperson for the concert’s organiser, 356entertainment, defended the bar’s pricing scheme, saying that this was necessary to make the event feasible.

While bar prices were higher than average, the spokesperson admitted, this was offset by ticket prices which were kept deliberately low, at €60 a pop for Sunday’s concert.

“This was an intimate four-day festival to a crowd of 5,000 people which involved massive expenses and considerable financial risk on our part,” the spokesperson said, pointing to how tickets for the Oasis reunion tour are selling for 10 times the price of last weekend’s concert.

“We overcharge on drinks to put the money back into the highest possible quality production, not to pocket it,” the spokesperson said. “Our events follow the highest standards of quality and safety but this involves a big expense.”

We overcharge on drinks to put the money back into the highest possible quality production, not to pocket it- Spokesperson for concert's organiser

The spokesperson argued that the company had to choose between charging higher entry prices or higher prices for drinks to make ends meet, ultimately opting for the latter.

“The drinks were priced above average but they were at typical concert prices. Pricing was agreed upon in conjunction with our international partners, and we also gave out free water at medical tents and at the front of house.”

The spokesperson said that concertgoers could have avoided the €2.50 activation fee by carrying out their first top-up online, before the show, as explained in an information pack sent to anyone who bought a ticket.

As for the €5 refund cutoff, the spokesperson argued that this was necessary to cover bank charges and administrative expenses.