Tickets just went on sale here for Springsteen and it's too funny how all the good seats are gone before the public on-sale even begins. I'm lucky, in that I have connections, but - for John Q. Public - it's gotta suck hard; I'm seeing reports like this for all of the shows (and this kinda thing is certainly not specific to The Boss).

On the plus side, I remember when we were kids, you'd line up all night in the freezing freakin' cold if you wanted to get a decent seat (if you didn't have an in). Nowadays, you can do the on-sale in your underwear, in bed. At least some things have improved.

Do you buy tickets through Ticketmaster or an equivalent? If so, have you ever pulled up anything great during the initial on-sale (via Internet or box office)? Of course, this question is not limited to music events.

ticketmaster is sheer fucking evil. i try to get pre-sale through bands when i see them live.

Yea, you can assume any good floor seats will be gone before you get in. The "brokers" are out of control. Have you noticed Ticketmaster will take the best seats and "auction" them now? I just got front row center for Blue Man and had to pay over face value through Ticketmaster! They are now scalping their own tickets.

Ace said:

I remember that. It was fun and it was sure worth it camping out overnight.

I buy mine online.

evenstar3 said:

Between fan club pre-sales, seat licenses, contests, tickets pulled for the promoter, "V.I.P.s" and band, venue owners, venue employees, American Express "Front of the Line", etc., etc., it's a wonder there's anything left.

Mars23 said:

That's at the discretion of the artist. Luckily for Boss fans, he doesn't allow that.

Ace said:

Ugh having to sign up at fan sites to get the pre-sale password, internet pre-sale, radio tix contests and American Express preferential treatment just sux.

When getting the tix online, deciding whether you like the seats is a hit and miss on seats selection.

I hate to give away my ticket secrets but two things:

If you don't get great seats, check for tickets on the day of. I went to Stevie wonder last week with a great seat at the last minute.


Check with ticket brokers around the day of, too. Some of them are dying to get their money back.

luv4u said:

Not my idea of "fun", but chacun son gout. I think I'd rather do it from bed than line up for hours in the cold, heat or whatever. But that's just me.

Then again, for years and years, I've gone to a grand total of one concert every 2-3 years (El Bosso), so it's not exactly a going concern for me.

Ace said:

Standign in line, in the heat for Prince tickets was not fun. I'd never do that again.

Go to a concert with a mosh pit.

You're always guaranteed to get up front, and fuck somebody's shit up while doing it!

Lothan said:

Yes, there are usually great, unused tickets turned in by the artist, management and crew day-of ('specially if it's not NYC, L.A., etc.).

Imago said:

Lothan said:

Whoops - forgot I went to see El Shrimpo on the Musicology tour. But I think that'll be my last Pree-once show.

Imago said:

That's the downside to having floor tix. Some dork was being passed through and his foot hit the back of my head.

Lothan said:

A friend of mine almost always gets great seat this way.

Lothan said:

I did that when I went to buy tix for the Nickelback concert. They were playing 2 nights. The first show was sold out, I stopped in at TicketMaster to get tix for the 2nd show. I asked the lady if there were any tix for 1st show (sold out) and she checked and said she had floor tix available (standing only). I bought them!! Nothing like being 5 people away from the stage

Imago said:

Springsteen floors are general admission, and there is a "pit" up front. But they're employing a lottery system for those spots this time around, so good stands seats are more in demand.

It's been my experience that middle-aged people don't "mosh".

Ace said:

Middle aged people SHOULD mosh!


What do teenage dorks know about pain and suffering? I pay taxes, and have to weed through health insurance paperwork-- I. KNOW. ABOUT. ANGER!!!!

Imago said:

You might have the mind for it, but the old joints just can't keep up.

luv4u said:

God grief,
The next thing you'll be admitting is that some guy in a viking outfit and huge prosthetic penis dumped a bucket of goat's blood from stage on to you!

Imago said:

only if they're not fucking giant men. i was almost crushed by one, and i'm not tiny or anything.

Spookymuffin said:

x 1,000,000,000

In actuality, I the concerts I'll soon attend will probably be suit & tie events.

evenstar3 said:

The craziest shit I ever saw was somebody who looked like a mix of Grisley Adams and Cat Stevens, but the size of a 'American' football linebacker dancing his ass off and screaming the lyrics to "Days of Wild" while Prince performed it at an afterparty. Scary.

Imago said:

wow.

Imago said:

I told you.

Imago said:

Gotta say, though, that I've never understood the appeal of getting slammed into by somebody. Am I missing something?

Ace said:

Are your connections for Bruce tickets specifically or just the arena where you live? Because tickets go on sale Friday and I needs to figure out a way to get good seats because I am going to take my wife who has never been.

lovemachine said:

Toronto. I'm orgNoting you with some Bruce tix tips...

I go to a ridiculous amount of shows.

We usually buy from Ticketmaster, Stubhub, Ebay or Craig's list.

Ticketmaster "holds" good seats and releases them litle by little, so even if you have a presale password you still might not get the best seats... they try to be fair...it's mostly the luck of the draw. Live Nation is goin to finally put them out of business when they stop using ticketmaster to sell their seats, from what I hear that'll happen next year sometime. Live Nation owns the world.



Anyhoo,

I heard from another show fanatic about this site: http://www.tickets-for-charity.com/

I haven't used it yet, but I'ma give it a try.