The economy is tough and oftentimes we don’t have enough money to attend every show that we want to see.  The call of the live show doesn’t stop though.  How is it possible to get into shows for free?  You need to work for it.  The longer you work the less you are going to have to pay.

You need to pound the pavement.  Free tickets don’t just show up in your hand.  You see how the ticket  scalpers at a show work?  They are asking EVERYONE if they have tickets.  Follow their lead, but ask for “just 1″ or “1 complimentary ticket”. Offer to walk in the door with the people you are asking, so they know you aren’t trying to re sell the ticket.  Almost every show, even most sold out shows, you will be able to get into.  The trick is to be persistent and not shy.  If the doors to the venue open at 7 it pays to get there at 6:30.  Your band may not even go on till 10:30 but it may take you three and a half hours to find that ticket.  It may get discouraging, but there are always people who have a friend bail on them, or a radio station winner that can’t find anyone to go with last-minute.  You may get lucky and get one in 5 minutes but you may end up working a good three hours.  Believe and you will most likely get in, for free, or next to nothing.

There are two likely scenarios in which you may get a free ticket.  One is from someone who got free tickets from the band, label, radio or press and have to pick them up at will call.  In this scenario it pays to be next to will call and politely ask everyone who walks up to the box office if they have an extra ticket and then explain your situation.  The second situation is large GA shows and festivals.  The more GA tickets there are the more likely people have been given tickets that won’t be worth much to ticket scalpers and more likely to give them to you.  Second is large festivals not near cities.  If you go to a large festival away from civilization there will be fewer people who are willing to drive the 2 hours without tickets.  Therefore most everyone who shows up has a ticket.  This is to your advantage as all those people who had friends bail on them now have no one to sell their extra tickets.

Finally, please don’t go on Craigslist and beg for tickets, or tell me about your great screenplay that is going to make you rich, but how poor you are in the mean time.  If you want something for free go and work for it.