NPGMC to sell tickets directly from Retail section

Just posted on the concert page:

>

"All members can now buy concert passes 2 the tour directly from the MEMBER RETAIL section 2 days b4 the general public. Just buy the pass from r site and pick it up at Will Call the night of the show starting at 5pm. These concert passes will get u in2 the NPG Music Club Section which will cover the first 15 rows of the concert venue. All seats within this section will b GENERAL ADMISSION and u can get ur seat starting right at the soundcheck."

Is this really good? I'm glad that they are selling the tickets themselves.....but all of those seats will be General Admission. NPGMC members will be in line at 10am the day of the show so that they can sit on the front row. I'm getting fed up with the whole thing.

Thanks for the update.

There is no perfect way to do it really... At least this way, folks don't have to worry about the verification process, which credit card they're using (whose name is on the account), whether or not the password is correct, whether or not Ticketmaster.com's site crashes or gets stuck, etc.

I think that you'll only have a small percentage of folk who line up in the morning LOL. The majority of people though will be a little bit closer to the opening time, but you're right. You never know.

could either be a great idea(people talkin,dancin,singin) or a lousy one (pushin,screamin,fightin to be up front)..the beat goes on..

I'm gonna think positive...you're probably right. At any rate I WILL NOT devote another 24hrs to this presale!

Thanks for your words of inspiration. LOL, peace out.

Great. I might get them 3 months after the show,with no refund!!!!!

Electric1 said:

xenophobia said:

Electric1 said:

Great. I might get them 3 months after the show,with no refund!!!!!

actually the won't be mailing anything to you. It's all will-call only. so i doubt gage is involved at all. just keepin' the lights on

First of all, it looks to me like the DC fiasco was probably Ticketmaster's fault. And people were actually trying to say it was "intentional" by NPGMC to stop scalping, lol.

I think this is a good idea. My only suggestion would be for them to just randomly issue tickets to members so that people won't line up. I'd be cool sitting in 15th row if it was just luck of the draw.

This will also keep Ticketmaster from raping us with their convenience charges. Seriously, a $20 "convenience" charge for two tickets? I'm down with this new approach.

What a great solution. Seriously, if anyone spends time thinking about this problem, an approach like this is the only satisfactory solution. Although, I am now imagining the line forming at the will call for all of us hard-cores.

Thank you, Prince!

You have got to be kidding!?!

We pay $125 and have to fight to get a spot? This just can't be the "solution" they are going for!

No only that, but think about it...

Once we get to the Will Call at 5pm,
(to which people will be lining up at much earlier!!)

we go into the venue for for soundcheck,
(to find a good seat, or STANDING spot to watch from)

THEN.. we stay there guarding the spot for 3 hours
until the actual show STARTS?!?!

I'm paying $25 to see No Doubt this monday, and I know *going in* that the place is general admission. Since I know that, I'm not going to be bothered with the crowds, and just hang on the bleachers. For that, my $25 is just fine for the entertainment value. Of course, I'm okay with this because it's NOT an expensive priced ticket.

For $125, I expect a little more than that.

Maybe what they *could do* is have it like the Northrop "Celebration 2000" show. Give us actual tickets for a seat when we get the passes at "will call".

Eventho they did the seats ramdomly for Northrop, you'd be guaranteed seat in the first 15 rows, and you'd be able to leave your seat, since you had proof with a ticket stub.

I think folks could tolerate that.

Another big worry i have is that after the "15 rows" alotted, there would be a "cut off point" Some NPGMC members might have to miss out if there aren't enough seats to accomodate everyone (plus a guest).

there is no way i'll fork over $100-$125 for a general admission seat...


The club should just sell the tickets through its website based on emale times...best seats to the first senders...

From my xperience at the Cleveland concert you will only have about an hour to wait between soundcheck and concert.

BanishedBrian said:

I emailed NPGMC the following:

>On the Prince.org board someone wrote:
>
>"Maybe what they *could do* is have it like the Northrop "Celebration 2000"
>show. Give us actual tickets for a seat when we get the passes at "will
>call".
>
>Eventho they did the seats ramdomly for Northrop, you'd be guaranteed seat
>in the first 15 rows, and you'd be able to leave your seat, since you had
>proof with a ticket stub.
>
>I think folks could tolerate that."
>
>I think that is a great idea, for general admission gets a little crazy
>sometimes and most people don't seem to enjoy it. I even get a little
>scared of the crowds sometimes, because they are all PUSHING to get to the
>stage. And also, if it's general admission, you'll have people camping
>outside all night long.
>
>This person also wrote:
>
>"Another big worry i have is that after the "15 rows" alotted, there would
>be a "cut off point" Some NPGMC members might have to miss out if there
>aren't enough seats to accomodate everyone (plus a guest)".
>
>What are plans for this? Will there be a cut off? Will there just be TONS
>of people in there?
>
>Please let me know, I am very curious.
>
>I have to say that getting the tickets out of the ticketmaster/scalper hands
>is fantastic. I love the club, and appreciate everything that gets done for
>us fams.
>
>Peace.

They only responded by saying "we'll see how it goes". Anyone who would prefer the randomized ticket senario, drop them a line, because they do listen if we make noise

I prefer it this way. First come first served by when you enter through general admission.

The seating assignment at Northrup SUCKED BUTT! It was random and folks ended up in some bootay azz seats.

This is better. You're guaranteed to be in the first 15 rows period. And if you want to ensure something better within those 15 rows then you get there early and line up. Seems simple to me. And holding your seat is not a problem. Prince fans aren't goons so I don't expect any thievery or shoving or pushing... (but I would advise NO ONE to try that shit wherever I am, cuz you will catch one!)

If you have ever been to a Paisley jam you know that there are some *very* pushy and aggressive Prince fans.

I know that NPGMC is doing the best they can to resolve this, but I think they should have asked us if general admission is okay before they implemented something like this.

This is going to be bad news, especially in places where there a few club members will get in line and "hold a place" for the other people who will arrive later. I was at Prince Celebration 2000 and that is what happened while we were waiting in line to enter the L4OA room.

This was a tactic that was heavily used by groups of European fans. One or two would hold a place in line, then a group of 5-6 late arrivals would come and join them. They would do this daily, taking turns holding the place in line for the others to arrive later.

The pushing and shoving to get into the theater first is going to be a nightmare...

I think GA would be fine for places with few NPGMC members - everyone would still have a chance for a VERY decent seat.

BUT I'm in the Bay Area - last year there were about 50 - 100 people @ the soundcheck. With word of this new tour, I'd bet $ membership has grown. I thought this was gonna be my chance to have 3rd row or better, GA is gonna be a nightmare where I am...

I don't wanna sound like a jackass, I'm GLAD they're doing something about the scalping situation. But GA ain't cool. Bay Area fans are rabid (pushing, elbowing & shit) so I KNOW fools are gonna spend the night or camp out early...

CalhounSq said:

I think GA would be fine for places with few NPGMC members - everyone would still have a chance for a VERY decent seat.

BUT I'm in the Bay Area - last year there were about 50 - 100 people @ the soundcheck. With word of this new tour, I'd bet $ membership has grown. I thought this was gonna be my chance to have 3rd row or better, GA is gonna be a nightmare where I am...

I don't wanna sound like a jackass, I'm GLAD they're doing something about the scalping situation. But GA ain't cool. Bay Area fans are rabid (pushing, elbowing & shit) so I KNOW fools are gonna spend the night or camp out early...

I have a few recollections of a general admission Prince performance. The RubySkye show in SF last year was entirely general admission. For those in the Bay Area who attended, the ticketing and admission processes were both good and bad.

This Hit N' Run show, Dec 2000, predated the NPGMC membership and presale option. All RubySkye tickets were sold at a single box-office on the morning of the performance. Only one ticket per person. $100 per ticket.

Basically, people were discouraged from lining up at the ticket office by not being allowed to know where the line would start. When the line was established, there was a lot of jockeying for position. There were a few thousand waiting in this ill-formed "line," and a lucky group of about 700 were successful in purchasing their ticket.

Scalping was minimized by having a somewhat tamper-proof orange wristband attached to each ticket purchaser, so if you showed up at the concert, you had to have the special wristband.

At the venue later that day, I decided to show up a couple of hours early. The soundcheck could be heard from the street - "Controversy" - and I found a small group of 20 or so other hardcore-types with orange wristbands forming the line to get in. Trust me, the wait was worth it. There were a few opportunists who cut into the line, but I was more or less among the first to enter the venue.

Here's where it got interesting. My spot was center stage just behind a first row of standing women. By the way, EVERYONE STOOD for this show - hell, I don't think there were any seats on the lower floor of the venue. I had a great place, and felt that I had earned it by virtue of arriving early, etc.

But I was not really prepared for the aggressiveness of some of those around me. We were crammed in tightly, not at risk for being crushed or anything, but there were some bizarre prima donnas who were threatening those who made any physical contact with them. Two women in front of me nearly came to blows over incidental contact. There was a couple to my left (I'm sure one or both of you come to this site!) who aggressively protected "their space" by challenging anyone who got too close.

Of course, some tried to cut in front of others. Many succeeded. As far as I could see, there were no actual physical altercations, but the concept of L4OA was absent.

Here's what's cool. Despite all of that crap - standing in uncertain ticket lines, gettin' a wristband, waiting outside in line at the venue, waiting inside and protecting my space, dealing with prima donnas, etc - it was the best concert experience that I could imagine. I arrived early, and I was rewarded by the concept of general admission.

So I am strongly in favor of the general admission policy for NPGMC Members. Reward devotion. Reward work. See you in line!

Now if only he could change the venue in the Bay Area! The Concord Pavillion SUCKS.

I was at the Hit N' Run show in San.Jose.I stood in line for nearly 7 1/2 hours to get my good spot at that General Addmission show.Therefore you feel that you greatly earned that spot but,then latter you get these people squeezing their way to the front and sticking their elbows in your side and that don't go with me either.That makes me real irritable real quick and I won't let someone come up and get away with that either.I love people yeah but,not people like that who are trying to literally take your spot away.They have no respect for you and think only of themselves and I will defend my right to that spot in a heartbeat ! Being that the Concord Pavillion is seated however I'd hope nobody will try and invade that person space.I don't think we could leave our seats at any time though and I don't care to do that anywayz.Thankfully I have good blatter control !At least this way people who are traveling in packs can be seated together

Hopefully, they will choose the right way to do it.

i think sellig tickets from member retail is a good idea. even if they don't have a multi-million dollar tickeing system, they will keep at it until it's smooth. however, i must agree with those who say general admission sucks big time. these will be nice theaters so at least their won't be standing (aka pushing, shoving, fights, "girl, get off my toe!!!"), there will be seats. But dang, i gotta stress all day about getting a good seat, then fight for it, then defend it all night? And you KNOW someone is going to find a way to jack it up. Five people sitting in one seat and nonsense like that. let's all hope they change their minds (as they often do).

The current choices seem to be:

Restricted general admission where you compete against 100 to 200 NPGMC Members for a prime general admission seat.

OR

Rigged presale via Ticketmaster where you have almost no chance of getting a seat close to the stage.



Okay, for me, that's a no-brainer. I'm puttin' on my NPGMC body armor and preparing for general admission. Once the music starts, it will all be worth it.

There may be another way to solve the general admission crush. At the time that Members start lining up for the soundcheck entry, let people in 2 at a time, 10-15 sec apart. An orderly entry may take 20 minutes. First ones in get the best seats, again rewarding those who waited the longest. Once in the venue, an NPG staffer or venue usher gives you the ticket corresponding to the seat you have selected.

Now, during the show, when someone tries to climb on top of you, respond politely by showing them your ticket, just as you would have done if you purchased the ticket via Ticketmaster. If people in previous shows actually called ushers to ask people to sit down (hard to imagine!), then I'm sure an usher would be able to respond to someone occupying your assigned seat.

If the seat is never actually assigned to the occupant, than I worry about the opportunists who will force their way into your space and claim that they were there first, etc.

THE DCISION 2 DO THIS SUCKS AND BLOWS WIND BIG TIME...

PRINCE EYE HOPE U DIDN'T DCIDE THIS...PROBABLY KIP DID 2 GIT HIS PIECE N!

IT AIN'T GONNA WORK Y'ALL!

BackStagePass said:

Why in the HELL!!! are some you people complaining!!!!
Prince is reserving the first 15 rows for NPG members ONLY!!! The first 15 rows!!!! Let me repeat the first 15 rows as general admission you are garanteed access to some of the best seats in the house What the fuck is wrong with you people!!!! Damn is does not matter to you that Prince is making a serious effort for us but you fools still fucking complain. Unfucking believable!!!!!

I bet Prince is reading thread and he just shaking his head amazement, and thinking to himself damn with fans like these who needs enemies.

Another point even if it is a bad idea to some of you at LEAST Prince is trying to please you, this negative backlash and response is so damn unproductive if some of you guys are not happy then come up with some positive suggestions!!! I will not be surprised if Prince is reading this and if he read some positive suggestions he might consider some of them...