For those of you contemplating a 2004 tour, what are your thoughts on the NPGMC member ticket distribution method being used in Hawaii and apparently used in Australia?

Over at NPGMC, there is a U Tell Us thread indicating that member tickets will have asssigned seats in the NPGMC section and that seats will be distributed randomly. After you pick up your tickets at the box office, you sit where you are assigned.

This would appear to have advantages and disadvantages. It would put an end to some of the behavior of some of the members of our community who are, shall we say, way more enthusiastic than they are civilized.

Assuming the distribution is TRULY random, and not based on whether you're a gushingly sycophantic or perpetually whining NPGMC member, it would certainly be fair. But do you trust the distribution to be truly random? Does NPGMC keep a list of who's naughty and who's nice? (Sycophants and whiners, chime in.)

And assuming NPGMC double-checks the venues before designating the NPGMC section, it could improve upon its past record and make sure that members get the absolute best up-front seats, and not seats up front, but so far off to the side that you can't see the rest of the band, like in Osaka. (A little off-topic, I know, but I figure another whiny reminder will improve things for everybody down the line.)

Random distribution would take away any incentive to camp out for first-come first served seats. No more 7:00am wristband distributuions at the Aladdin. No more hours together bonding with total strangers, sharing food and beverage, reminiscing about previous concert experiences, pumping each other up for that night's show. With randomly assigned seats, you could actually go from the US to London to catch some shows and -- rather than spend all day in line to avoid ending up back in the 15th row -- spend your days actually seeing London! And save all your elbowing to the front for the After-Concert.

Personally, I'm torn. Sitting in Row 10 kicks plenty ass. But when you're sitting in Row 2 the next night and can tell whether Candi's shaved her legs. Row 10 seems so ghetto.

Thoughts? Opinions? Rants? Revelations about obnoxious or praise-worthy NPGMC member behavior from your Prince concert-going past?

I think it should be 1st. come 1st. served. When I saw him in Vegas it was friggin zoo. That was the worst!! NPGMC never seems to have their shit together.

It's like paying for dinner and not knowing if you're gonna get fresh-baked goods or a Tombstone pizza.

I think I'll heat up some popcorn and wait for the drama to erupt on this one...

Assigned seats, please. That way, I can avoid the people who damn near ran me over last year, the so-called 'fams' who let everyone cut in front of them, who were rude when I tried to strike up a conversation, fuck them.

I like allocated seating, in Sydney and Melbourne i purchased seats 20 mins after thaey went on sale and i got row 7 and 8 (row 6 was where the diamond tix started) so i asumed that u were allocated seats based on purchase time.

I arrived in Melbourne at midday and had 3 hrs to explore that fine city before having to collect my tix at 3.30 for the soundcheck, so it was the best of both worlds as i u still got to hang out with fans from 3pm thru the soundcheck and then for 3hrs b4 the concert. Some organised fans got people to meet at a local bar from midday so there was plenty of oppurtunity to hang with the fans only in abar drinking beer rather tha getting cramp on the concrete outside avenue. Last time i saw Prince was at wembley stadium in 93 where i qued since 8.30am, the Australian experience was far better. And lets face it We are getting older as a group now, 12 hres in the rain is not all that fun.

I think Melbourne and Sydney were handled differently to each other.

In Melbourne, it was alocated seating, but sold on a "First come, First serve" basis.

For Sydney, I think they took the numbers (of seats), then after the seats were sold, they assigned the alocation.

The only reason I say that was on the Pre-sale, I phoned through and spoke with an operator 2 minutes after the lines opened. I got row 5. A friend of mine couldn't get through for another 4-5 hours, but got closer to the front than me. (Unless they decided to fill the rows in the VIP section from 5 to 1 instead of 1 to 5, but I could be wrong)

Anything has to be better than the chaos at the ONA London Apollo show I was at last year.

It was quite obvious that NPGMC and the Apollo had different ideas on what had been agreed. Because of the nature of the seating at the venue all tickets had seat/row numbers. The Apollo wanted you to sit in the seat on your ticket, P was telling people to sit where they wanted.

Much angst was caused to those (over) zealous NPGMC members who werent at the front of the queue but had a row 1 seat who found that someone else was in 'their' seat when they finally got through the Security and into the concert hall.

I had expected seating to be random beforehand so was quite relaxed about the whole thing (row 10 was fine). The situation was caused by the Apollo management making announcements re: allocated seating. P then caused more confusion by telling people to sit where they wanted (which had been the idea beforehand).

Now communication isnt the NPGMCs strongest quality but here's hoping for some improvement...

The upshot of all this is that I dont mind what the arrangements are next year (assuming there is an 04 tour) but COMMUNICATION is the key - to both NPGMC members & venues to ensure that everyone's expectations are managed which ultimately means that no-one should be disappointed.

MattUK said:

i was at the london apollo, there wer no tiks 4 npg members it was 1 member laminate per member and u and a partner/friend sat in any seat 1st come 1st seated ! i was row 8 left of centre.

Not a good idea...one person went out of their way to order tickets within the first hour of the pre sale while another waited to the last minute and than ordered 24 hours later, and that person could get a better seat...Either the tickets are handed out in the order that they were purchased or than have it general seating as U walk in...It's bad that we don't get to know the actual seat when ordered but don't take everything away from the fan...It is a big part of the concert exp hanging out with the fans over a 6 hour period and yes it does stink if U can't do the time...I don't want to get to the show and than find out I'm in the 15th row while the casual fan is in the front row...So keep the open seating for the club members and your're pretty much guarenteeing that the die hards will be up front...I know 4 a fact that casual fans joined this year to get access to the club section but don't give them my front row seat...Random is great when I didn't pay for my tickets but If I do pay-than I don't want random...The line exp 4 a Prince concert is awesome...The line 4 a Billy Joel concert probably not the same...Keep the line...Now Pumponmyfunk!

The random idea is good. Who wants to sit all day and wait in line and run to a seat, then "guard" it all night?
For many bands, the fanclub gives out random seats, some based on seniority, others totally random. Still, if they alloted only a certain amount of fanclub seats, and only left a 24 hour or 48 hour window open to purchase them, that would work fine. All fans would get an opportunity to buy them, and you would actually get a SEAT. Whether it was 6th row, or 9th row, or 1st row, at least you have a great seat and you didn't have to sit in line all day.
That's just ridiculous...I want to have a fun, relaxing preshow experience, not forced to sit in line all day, then run to a seat and guard it all night.

danielboon said:

On the first night, when you collected your laminate, you also got a normal ticket. The Apollo staff were making people move to the seat number on that ticket. Cue the choas. I got seriously pissed off that night...

I would prefer either allocated seating or the raffle system used by those Dutch guys. However, if there was a raffle system, I'd rather someone like Gav operated it (I'd be a willing volunteer to help him) as the Dutch guys manipulated the raffle system. It worked for me on the last night, but too many people felt scammed by it. And I wouldn't expect front row, centre stage for it, either. As long as I have an aisle seat and a reasonable view, I don't mind where I'm at.

Max

I still stand by that I don't like the random process...Fan or not I work hard 4 my money and I don't like having no say what-so-ever about the tickets that I purchase...That is wrong from a consumer point a view...Also NPGMC needs to be more forthcoming with information and by music club-I believe that I mean Sam...

I think seats should be assigned in order of purchase BUT there should be a system in which seniority counts for something. I think that people who have been a member for a number of years should be able to buy tickets first, ahead of those who only join when there is a tour.

hjd said:

Interesting idea...

hjd said:

I really like this idea.

stymie said:

Seniority? Hmmm. Based on what? Length of registration of a particular user name or credit card number in their files? These things can change from year to year, even for "long-time" members. What about folks who've changed NPGMC ID names from year to year?

Is anybody worried that ticket distribution could be influenced by degree of "satisfactory" participation in NPGMC forums, "sheep" up front, "whiners" in back?