m3taverse said:

Um, not that it's any of your business, but yes I do, very often, like a lot of people. What is your point?

m3taverse said:

Right, so the rich are a better "class" of person? You're quite a charmer, aren't you.

.
[Edited 8/2/07 16:07pm]

The very fact that folks are shelling out so much on tix £200+ who claim to be putting themselves at financial risk are foolish anyway. The way i see it is that you are taking a mighty risk there but c,mon a few rows here and there doesn't really matter on the grand scheme of things, what annoyed me slightly was that i couldn't be amongst all of the lucky people on the floor, who from where i was standing on lower tier were practically static most of the evening. It was looking down on a bunch of zombies. Still tho i had to laugh at the c**t (who was amongst the randoms on stage) when he went to the point of the arrow and was giving it big guns.

Hi folks, relatively new here but not to Prince or gig going in general (2/3 a month at a minimum).

Let me share with you my experiences at the O2 and gig going in general.

I went to see Barbra Streisand there a couple of weeks ago (OK don't laugh I see lots of gigs and I would regret it if she died and I hadn't seen her if I could... this all started in my life when I never saw Queen fronted by Freddy and vowed never to have a similar regret!)

Anyway to the point, I picked up my £200+ face value Streisand ticket on ebay for £100 (face value tickets ranged from £100 to £600). I was high up in the 4th tier of the O2 but near the front. I was approached during the gig by an O2 steward who asked me if I was happy with my seat. Being in nose bleed territory I said it could be better. He asked me if I would like to move to a better seat.

I checked where he considered better (block 110 in level 1) and immediately said yes. This was the first time I had ever been "upgraded" at a gig, most times I had blagged my better seats by moving to seats that appeared to be empty once the gig started). Not dissimilar to my experience with airlines (talking of traveling in Business or first (both of which I have had upfront and paid for regardless of later placement)) and never objected to those lucky enough to get upgraded without paying (as I have also been lucky enough to be upgraded on the day if space allowed).

The 4th tier at O2 can be dreadful for those suffering vertigo, as a result the venue "hold" a number of seats in reserve to allocate to those who request moves (officially they only move the person affected although will try and move the whole party if they can). Hint for those in the upper tiers; speak to customer services and state you are unhappy because of the height etc (their desk is near to where the escalators come onto tier 4)!

As it was, the location I was moved to was available as a result of what are known as "production returns". The artist are allocated a certain number of seats for their personal guests (and those of their record company etc). Depending on the uptake, some of these seats are released back into the ticket agency allocation a couple of weeks before the gig. If your nerve can hold out, you can often get some of the best seats in the house very close to the gig (I got 2nd row Madonna (yes she of more babys than prince hits) on the day of the gig. If you want to guarantee being there this is not the strategy to adopt but is often better than day of ticket release or even Pre-release!

One last O2 tip, the parking at the O2 is charged at £20, the tube station pay and display ((North Greenwich) which is nearer to the venue than most of the official O2 parking) is £6! Follow the venue signs avoiding the car park turns until you see the signs for the tube parking and then turn right and first left.

Looking forward to being there three times and one after party. Well that's what I have pre-booked although no doubt I'll be tempted if I can find some ebay bargains!

Last tip; as ticket prices are the same throughout, avoid tier 4 if you can unless you are level with the central stage.

Rog

m3taverse said:

Hello m3ta.

I think you're just groovy.

CNNBREAKINGNEWS said:

I TOLD YOU!!! .....that blood would spill over singing..went Far Beyond My Expectations ....wow when he plays in London i dont even have to watch CNN BREAKING NEWS here at the ORGan Grinder is way more exciting...


KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GUYS

PriceAndTheRevolution said:

You don't need backing up as your sentiments are, IMO, the right ones! Solidarity brother!

If I spent 312 bucks for tickets and the person next to me got those same tix for 31.21, I would be pissed. I t has nothing to do with whether or not I can afford it, it has to do with being fair.

Lothan said:

Really? You pay the mega bucks for garanteed privaliges, if there's room left at the close of sale, why not make a few peeps happy by upgrading their view point for free? It beats the hell out of having empty posh seats, no?

31staug88 said:

That's all well and good so why make people pay a huge sum in the first place?

Lothan said:

It's called Capitalism and the fact that the Rich get the best opportunities through-out life due to them being able to afford prices that are put out of reach of the working classes!

Think two children needing an organ transplant, but only one organ is available, the richer family secures that organ for their kid because they have more money. Is that right?

Now before you or anybody else tries to give it the "you can't compare a live or die situation with a poxy pop concert", Indeed I can't, but I'm just trying to explain how it is for those with-out the means to buy special seats or privileges. Me, I'd rather a flat fee for all tickets, first come first served and get rid of the oppertunities for those who use money to gain betterness over their poorer fellow citizens.

31staug88 said:

I do agree they should make all tickets one price and first come, first served BUT:

for years I wasn't able ot afford the better seats in concerts. I did not begrudge anyone who could. What should have happened is they should have asked anyone in the VIP section if they wanted to move up and then let anyone else move behind them.

But this whole ticketbuying experience has been a huge clusterfuck from the beginnning.

Lothan said:

Because some people are prepared to pay over the odds to guarantee good seats?

Similar happens with airline tickets. You can ask for an upgrade and if there's seats available and they feel like it you may get upgraded. Also happens with others things in life.

If people paid the £235 then they would be gauranteed so me among the best seats, where as others were not definitely gonna get that. So it comes down to whether you want to take a chance or not.

Also, from an artists/promoters point of view i'd rather have all the surrounding seats packed out and a few empty ones further back rather than the other way round!

What it comes down to I think is that £235 guarantees YOU a good seat plus VIP extras. It does NOT and never was supposed to guarantee others NOT getting good seats. When you buy, you can't say I want to make sure I get good seats, and also that no one else does unless they pay same as me.

I've complained a lot about AEG, and I do agree their tactics with allocations of good tickets are extremely shady, but I'm only pleased if others join the crowd for free even so long as they have a good time.

BTW, This morning I ticketmaster actually were selling a pair of Block D2 (yes D2! front on block!) Row A (yes Row A!!) tickets. I controlled my impulses to buy on this occasion as my neck is still hurting from wednesday so I preferred my lower tier, plus I want to see all these satge lights people are talking about.

machinegun said:

What he said ^^^

machinegun said:

I got D2 on the opening night. We only had aftershow tickets but went to the O2 box office just on the off chance. Got D2 row 7 and couldn't believe it, especially at £31.21 with no service or delivery charges!

But like you say, lower tier does seem preferable, providing you're not at the front which is on the floor anyway, I'm keeping my lower tier tickets for the other nights I'm going.

I have been reading through the comments on this thread - what a shame that people disagree so much. My husband has bought me the VIP tickets for the 17th August. I have been a big PRINCE fan for more than 25 years and he said I deserved them. I have not yet been told where we will be sitting but I will be disappointed if they are not good seats as my husband has given up his season ticket for football so that I could have the tickets - yes that's love for you.

Went to the show on Wednesday had a great time and sat in Block 106 row BB. Had a brilliant view and as if by magic I have the same seats on the 18th August. I enjoyed talking to fellow fans and didn't meet one unpleasant one. I Think Ticketmaster should learn a lot from this episode with the PRINCE tickets.

edmoriarty said:

I think ure right my friend..my sis n i bought our GC VIP tkts at 9am on the 1st day n we spoke 2 folk on the nite who had bought them 2 wks later n had better seats-we were in D1 row K n spent most of the nite lookn at the back of his head n the sound quality was poor..we stil had a fab day/nite tho n the aftershow was amazn even tho he didnt sing we all made up 4 it..my feet r killn me n i've lost my voice but i will call TM on its return just 2 note my disapointment with there allocation ..

PRNNO1 said:

I'm 99% sure the VIP allocation has nothing to do with TM. TM probably do not even know to this point where you sat. VIP tix came directly from AEG. I actually think they allocated worse floor blocks to VIP as they're sold already, but still within the description of VIP.

Had a similar experience on Madonna's Re-Invention Tour at Earls Court in 2004.

Got super lucky in the public sale and got front row after having got 'back wall' in the fanclub pre-sale. Get there and the three seats next to me were empty. Half an hour before the start three teenagers rock up all excited they've been upgrade with their £50 tickets into front row from the top tier at the back. I paid £150. Hmmm. I thought to myself, well, lucky them really - I guess I had my luck by getting offered the front row ticket in the public sale - but then they turn to me and laughed at the fact I'd paid three times as much as them and then told me they 'hoped she did Ray Of Light' as that's the only song they knew.

Not impressed. Sure - move fans up who are gonna appreciate the move - but randoms who don't even know the songs? No.

Speaking of this VIP bullsh!t - same thing happened on that tour. For $715 you could get a 'best seat' - which turned out to be lower tier at the sides of Earls Court - not even floor seats. Turns out - the people organising the VIP Experience though that the best view of the show in its entirety was slightly raised and unobstructed view rather than possibly being stuck behind someone tall on the floor.

They were thinking as sensible people - NOT as fans who naturally want to be as close to the stage as possible. Uproar ensued, naturally, and luckily lots of the fans got moved to floor seats when the production seats became available, but it sounds like here - if they moved regular ticket holders in front of the VIP ticket holders, that they considered the OVERALL view to be better slightly higher up, where the VIP tickets ended up being located.

Imagine being at the show on Weds, having paid £215 and being so short that had you been given a floor seat you can't actually see onto the stage? Would you be happy then?

It sucks, sure, I completely understand, but having seen the Re-Invention fiasco, I will never buy any kind of VIP package.

stereoboy said:

Interesting. What else was included with the VIP package for Madonna?

At the time $715 worked out at about £400 which got you the ticket, a programme, a VIP laminate and access to a pre-show buffet and free soft drinks. The 'buffet' was literally paper plates with cheesy wotsits on. LOL.

So,take out your £150 ticket and £25 programme, and you were paying £275 for a piece of plastic with the letters VIP on and a packet of crisps and a coke.

stereoboy said:

so what do you want then? a sit down test on prince to see who's the biggest fan before the tickets can be allocated? to be perfectly honest, i'd just be happy to be there. i couldn't give a damn if i was sat next to someone who's heard 'purple rain' once and quite liked it. in fact, that'd be like me taking my niece and saying 'sorry, you've only heard the 'purple rain' album and 'kiss', so you'll have to sit further back than me because i've got most of his albums, plus the odd bootleg

You shouldnt have bought those rip off £235 in the first place!!

chris0972 said:

mikegray said:

I was thinking exactly the same Mike...

tetrisbrokeme said:

Well, actually, yeah, if you are gonna voluntarily upgrade people to seats which cost three times as much, when you could easily have sold those tickets at the box office (remembering Re-Invention in London *was* a complete sell-out unlike Prince) - sure, find out if they are big fans first.
[Edited 8/3/07 6:01am]

MrsGoodnight said:

Ok, so I was trolling a little bit. People got mad at the original poster long before he had a chance to explain he was not some "elitist prick who needs his drinks pissed in". I played a bit with that for amusement purposes. I meant what I said about first class air travel tho. At concerts, and especially with this shameful scheme that has been played on us, people need to grab what they can get.

Clearly the best way would be for all the VIPers to write VIP on their cheek. That would send the message load and clear!