Red Hot Chilli Pipers
Duncan Robb bought the two tickets for him and his girlfriend Twitter/Duncan Robb

KEY POINTS

  • Duncan Robb bought tickets for the wrong Red Hot Chili Peppers.
  • He booked accommodation and flights for the gig.
  • He says it took him weeks to discover his mistake.

It's an old saying: If something seems to good to be true, then it probably is.

Derbyshire-native Duncan Robb couldn't believe his luck when tickets went on sale for his girlfriend's all-time favourite band, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, late last year.

He swiftly bought tickets and flights to see the Los Angeles quartet play the SSE Arena in Belfast on February 10 – all part of a romantic getaway for him and his partner. Costing just £30 ($41) each, Duncan was sure he had picked up a real bargain.

Unknown to him, he had actually bought tickets to a successful Scottish bagpipe band, known as the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, who described themselves as "the most famous bagpipe band on the planet".

Duncan wrote: Still can't believe we've flown over to Belfast not for the @ChiliPeppers but to see the 'worlds best bagpipe band' @chillipipers ... thought I'd got a rate good deal on tickets n'all. Had a nightmare."

Speaking with Storyful, the hapless purchaser said he had specifically bought them as a Christmas present for his girlfriend.

"When I clicked on and got tickets in row Q and for £30 each I thought what a bargain, there must not be many tickets left and snatched them up straight away. Also I saw the date was Feb 10, so I could make it into a Valentine's Day weekend – kill two birds with one stone."

Robb says it took weeks for him to realise his error.

"Fast forward a month and we get the actual tickets through the post – brilliant! Up they went on the board – still nobody had noticed my mistake. It was only until the Wednesday before when my gf wanted to know who was supporting them. She couldn't find anything about the Red Hot Chili Peppers performing in Belfast."

The pair went on their planned trip despite knowing they would see the wrong act. Duncan described the event as "definitely an experience" and bought a t-shirt as a souvenir.

Robb added he "just had to laugh about it – what else was there to do" and says "hopefully we will get to see the real Chili Peppers in the future."

Red hot chilli pipers t-shirt
Duncan bought this t-shirt as a souvenir. Storyful/Duncan Robb