Ticketmaster fun

[Lace Neil Singer]

Regarding front row; I've been to concerts where the two front rows (usually fenced off in open air venues) are reserved for the fan club. Tho I was at a Bon Jovi concert once where the fan club area was just guarded by security; they were very lax at their job and both me and my boyf were able to squeeze in unseen. XD Before anyone says, "Why not join the fan club then?", it would be very expensive to join the fan club of every single band we want to see and not all bands use this system anyway.

[Andara Bledin]

It's never the sales clerk fault, but I could NEVER figure out where the good seats went. I even had an online interview with the NY Ticketmaster press rep. *HE* couldn't tell me who, why, or where the front row seats went to.

Well, a lot of the good seats go to the band and their crew for friends & family.

My brother got a front row spot at a Moody Blues show once, because some guy was walking around with an extra ticket that had been given to him. When the show started, the guy pointed to Justin Hayward (one of the singers/songwriters) and said, "Hey, that's the dude that gave me the tickets!"

Then there are all of the really nice tickets that go to the scalpers....

What I don't get is how they constantly get away with it. They have a monopoly on all the major venues in every city and town, so if an artist/group has an issue with TM gouging people they end up perfoming at state fairs since they get boxed out of every arena in the country.

One word: Graft. They've got some seriously deep pockets and I really do wish someone with some proper and serious clout would go after them as a monopoly, because there is no doubt that they are.

Plus I think a lot of the major acts exclusively use Ticketmaster as well. From watching Monday Night Raw (WWE), I don't see many different agencies. A lot the upcoming shows are tagged with "Go to ticketmaster.com or a Ticketmaster outlet" (or something similar).

That's because nearly all large venues have contracts with TM, so if you want an audience of over 10,000, you've got to let TM sell your tickets.

Pearl Jam tried to not use them as a protest and couldn't get booked into any venue that could possibly serve to hold even a fraction of their fanbase, so they just folded and gave up.

If you complain so much about the fees no one is forcing you to buy from TM just miss out on the event. If you were not informed of the fees you can avoid them by buying the tickets from the box office.

That's an lousy choice. "Just miss out if you don't like TM." And as for getting tickets at the box office; good luck. Most of the venues around here these days don't even sell their own tickets! Utter bullshit, I say.

Man, I miss Ticketron.

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[daleduke17]

That's an lousy choice. "Just miss out if you don't like TM." And as for getting tickets at the box office; good luck. Most of the venues around here these days don't even sell their own tickets! Utter bullshit, I say.

Man, I miss Ticketron.

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Especially in my case. Whenever my wife and I want to see an event, it is not in the same town we live in. I've said I'll drive as far as Milwaukee, Indianapolis, St. Louis or Des Moines for a PPV. I'm certainly not going to drive to either of those towns just to get tickets, then back to go to the show. If we go to Chicago it better be a damn good show (something just short of Wrestlemania).

[Reyneth]

My brother got a front row spot at a Moody Blues show once, because some guy was walking around with an extra ticket that had been given to him. When the show started, the guy pointed to Justin Hayward (one of the singers/songwriters) and said, "Hey, that's the dude that gave me the tickets!"

OMG, my dad would have died! He loved the Moody Blues - so much so that for my 16th birthday, which was also Father's Day, we got him tickets. He felt so guilty at first, but I told him that was exactly what I wanted our family to do on my birthday. He had the best time!

A concert I went to in my hometown, I had a *great* deal. I had bought my ticket after they went on sale, and it was kinda a crummy seat. My mom's neighbor found out last minute she could come too, so I talked to the box office to exchange my ticket so we could sit together.

They had just released the sponsor tickets that didn't get used - we ended up something like 10th row!

[hawkchick11]

I just bought tickets for Sesame Street Live (shoot me now please) and for 2 $24 tickets, it was almost $70 with the fees and stuff. If I had gone directly to the venue to buy them, it would have cost the same, as they are also run by ticketmaster.

[Lace Neil Singer]

That's why I prefer standing room; the front rows go to those who fight for them. When my boyf and I went to see Nickelback, the concert was packed with kids; so all we had to do was just walk to the front, occasionally elbowing a kid out of the way. XD Much less violent than the usual mosh pit.

[Jack7957]

This one facility here I've learned how to get the seats I want through TM online. The balcony has two sections, one left, one right, where the rows only have two seats each. TM online lets you pick those sections, they call them 'right/left side of house'. So far since I figured that out, both concerts I've gotten the front row of the balcony and there's a good size area in front of the seats where you can stand and not be in anyones line of sight, yet still see the stage yourself.

[Andara Bledin]

There's a venue out here that has a mezzanine. Most people won't take the mezzanine because it's somewhat far from the stage, but it's not a huge venue so that's not that big a deal.

What most people don't realize is that the VIP box is actually at the back of the mezzanine, so the sound checks make sure the sound on the mezzanine is the best it can be.

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