There is a way that all of the pushing and cheating to get a front row seat can be ended, but it can only be done with the cooperation of Prince.

Instead of pointing to people in the front row ALL the TIME, how about when it comes time to pick dancers, Prince turns up the house lights and announces "I need 5 people from row 3 to come up and get funky" or something like that.

By picking people from the first 5 or so rows instead of just row 1, I think it would ease some of the whinging, bum rushing, cheating and line jumping that goes on at Prince shows.

easy system - don't make it general admission

On Monday night in Manchester Prince went all the way up the aisle and picked guys from the back!!!

Easy system. Don't have arrogant sods who take it upon themselves to 'organise' the queue, but are actually regular NPGMC members who are saving seats for themselves and their friends.

Don't have a guy shouting at the line like they are subordinates.

Gav said:

General admission is pain, but it would become too complicated for NPGMC to have to work out a numbered ticketing system with each venue in every city on the tour. By just making the first few rows general admission for club members, NPGMC at least on paper makes sure that the majority of people in the first few rows are club members.

If they go back to having numbered tickets purchased online, then you run into the kind of Ticketmaster problems where club members got seats in the balcony or in back rows.

Mr7 said:[quote] "Don't have arrogant sods who take it upon themselves to 'organise' the queue, but are actually regular NPGMC members who are saving seats for themselves and their friends."
I experienced a nasty cunt in Atlanta who posed as an empolyee of the NPGMC- she 'organized' herself right up front- It really pissed many people off once we got inside and relized that she was not what she pretended to be.

NikkiDarling said:

I think it would be easy to do. It's basically what happened at the Apollo in London on the first night anyway! The venue has to allocate seats reguardless of NPGMC's general admission rule. They can easily hand out allocated tickets with the NPGMC passes.

james said:

I agree James. When I got my tickets on Thursday night and saw we had allocated seating I was well happy as I meant I could go have a beer, relax and then wander in when I felt like it.

If the Apollo can allcoate seats for the first 15 rows then I'm sure any venue can do it. You don't have to purchase them through ticketmaster but just hand the tickets to the members with the laminates and wristbands on the basis of when you made the booking with NPGMC.

Saying that though, there were several on Saturday night who reckoned they had a right to go to the front of the queue as "their friends were there and they wanted to sit with them" - hmmm

Gav said:

I totally agree about the venue handing our allocated seats when you receive your laminate/wristband(s). The venues have enough notice as to how many seats are needed for members - shouldn't be a problem. It's a real shame that adults? behave so immaturely when it comes to the lineups (queues). When I saw him in Hamilton Ontario and Toronto Ontario, we didn't have the line jumpers, we all behaved respectfully towards one another, maybe because we were in shock that he was playing in Hamilton ...
Hamilton isn't known as a musical mecca town
i'll leave now

More Power to Gav, James & lashious.
It's not exactly rocket science, Block, Row, Seat, Number = SIT ON YER ARSE.
No early queing, jumping que's...chill, enjoy.

it's not that easy Scott. If people would get a seat in the last rows or aside of the stage, people will whine as well. It's never ok U all get it?

how about giving out numbers 2 every npgmc members and then have Prince picking out a few numbers randomnly to have them come onstage...

Justin said:

You mean like a game show and have a big fish bowl with numbers in it wheeled out onstage and Prince pick the winning number out the bowl at every show?

It was pointed out in another thread that people in the front row already are being rewarded just by being in the front. They don't have to worry about a tall or fat person in front of them blocking their view. Plus if any little gifts like guitar pics or musical instruments to play are handed out, the people in the front row get them.

So why are the ones in the front row also getting to go on stage to dance? How about spreading the "special moments" around some. If the front row has the best view, then let somebody else get to dance onstage. Don't give everything to row 1.

Gav said:

Cunts.

I don`t think there is an amicable answer to this question , I was there for the first night at London Apollo , and although unexpected I was initially chuffed at having an allocated seat.

BUT (and I know I haven`t read every thread , but I have yet to see anyone say this) imagine if it was allocated seats (albeit in the first 15 rows) , imagine if you were in row 14 or 15 - I guarantee you would feel pretty pissed off with NPGMC and doubtless the forums would be full of posts accusing them of "favouritism" and urging people not to sign up for next year.
They really would be in a no win situation (no change there then)

I went to London as early as I could , I was there for a full half hour before I realised where the queue was and that people were taking names , I accepted this and actually thought it was a good idea - I know it`s open to abuse - but what isn`t ?
It`s alright saying first come first served , but if you live there you are at an advantage , and there are certain circumstances (eg) Monday at Manchester I was going to take my daughter but she won tickets with Radio 1 to see Sum 41 (her favourite band) play an intimate gig at Maida Vale studios , as a consequence I took a mate instead , he was stuck in traffic and only just got there for the soundcheck (which never actually happened).
Was he a queue jumper ?
Not everyone takes their partner to a concert , and Prince tends to announce concert dates at very short notice!!!
Daughter no.2 (the younger one) is going to see S Club , next April 2003 we booked 4th row seats in June 2002!!! , It`s OK complaining that people save places etc... not every one can put their life on hold for Prince at short notice , it doesn`t make them any less committed.

I have previously bought tickets from both the sadly missed Eileen at Controversy and the not missed full of shit plumber that was CHRIS DAWSON (who ripped fans off and stole money from fans because as a plumber he was so crap that he couldn`t even flush a loo , perhaps we should have a thread devoted to his excesses - Ian if you want to remove this please talk to me - this twat ripped me and others off big time , I would love to meet him !)
I digress.
I had good tickets from Eileen , but I always saw the same faces ahead of me , I always returned my ticket application same day of arrival first class.

My point is no system will suit everyone
Can anyone suggest a better system
(well that`s one point , CHRIS DAWSON (jive assed Motherfucker - sue me if you like you fucking useless Yorkshire Plumber , or is it true you are currently being rodgered in the B Wing of one of HMP ?)
Sorry moderators , you will see from previous posts that I am not controversial , but someone at one of the concerts reminded me of this arsehole , Prince talks about bootleggers but parasites like this are more dangerous , hope this post makes it intact , nothing I have said is slanderous , and if he thinks it is (assuming the twat can read this ) he is welcome to sue me .

Gav said:

This would be an excellent idea except for the last part about handing out the tickets according to the booking with NPGMC. That will never work. That type of plan would add more work to what the NPGMC has to do in each city so they probably wouldn't go for it.

But the rest of your idea sounds good. Each venue hands out the allocated (numbered) seats at the same time the members pick up their laminates and wristbands. It would be strictly random. The tickets with the seat numbers would be in sealed envelopes and handed out to people as they come.

It would be totally random. A person who shows up at 4 p.m. might get an envelope with ticketed seats in row 4, while someone who shows up at 5 p.m. could get an envelope with tickets in row 2. This would eliminate the need for standing in long lines. This would also eliminate having the same people in the row 1 on several nights.

The picking dancers thing isn't even an issue though, I hope - is THAT why people want front row??? I appreciate the one time I was able to scramble into the front but GA is a mess. I was SO friggin' tired from camping! I still had a great time, but it would have been nice to just sleep & show up like a normal person. Assigned seats, I say...

I don't think they even need to bother handing out tickets in order of booking time. As long as I knew I was in the first 15 rows, and everybody had a fair chance at getting front row once in a while, I'd be happy.

How about solving the problem by ending the stupid dancers coming from the audience? What is the point of having ushers and dorks from the audience scrambling and clawing to get onstage? I pay to see a show by professional musicians, not dancers from the audience.

MISERABLE BASTARD :BRICK:

Does it really matter?