Category : How To buy concert tickets
A few choice quotes from her about Bruce Springsteen Concerts:
In regards to the Wise Guys operation: One of the lawyers defending them complained to The Star-Ledger, “…the feds have decided to criminalize that.” Well, yeah…if you did that, you’d be allowed to purchase maybe eight tickets, not thousands.
- Wise Guys were using other peoples credit cards and charging those people if they were able to purchase tickets using their cards. Ticketmaster is very good at cancelling orders if a billing address goes over the stated limit on ticket purchases.
Then, as if by magic, ducats that were unavailable suddenly turn up for sale on eBay or StubHub for two or three times their original price.
- Yes they show up at those prices the day they go on sale but Bruce adds so many shows that no one purchases the tickets at those prices except those who think they can make money. Did you happen to check how much they were selling for the day of the event? The real fans know if they wait, they will be rewarded
I have an idea that I bet Bruce the Boss would go along with: have him and other artists whose fans can’t legitimately buy seats, announce a string of concerts. Let the Wiseguys buy out all of them before revealing that the events are bogus.
Then, with the money collected from those alleged cheaters, start paying back all the folks who were cut out by them in the past.
- So you want to steal money from people but prosecute others who stole? If stealing is wrong, there is no way to justify it at all.
- If Bruce had cancelled any of his shows at the Meadowlands he would have been saving thousands of dollars for everyone who bought tickets. The best tickets for those shows were selling under face and everyone would have received a refund. Bruce Springsteen has probably cost ticket resellers more money than any other artist over the past 5-7 years. It is rare, except for the occasional arena show in Jersey for the common person to have to pay more than $50 for a $115 face ticket to see Bruce. When Bruce goes paperless the fans are forced to pay $115 for floor tickets. When Bruce uses tickets the fans can often buy tickets on the secondary market for half that price.
There was an
article published in the News & Observer of the Triangle area in North Carolina over the weekend. It is article about people complaining about not being able to purchase tickets, this time to Wilco at the Durham Performing Arts Center. The author does a pretty good job of giving an overview of the situation for the upcoming Wilco show. The biggest number left out is how many tickets are actually on the secondary market and does this show have more tickets than normal for a concert on the secondary market? The generally accepted number for tickets appearing on the secondary market is that 10%-15% of a venues capacity shows up on the secondary market. As of this writing there are 214 Wilco tickets on Stubhub. Over the past month 47 tickets have sold on Stubhub. This puts us at 271 tickets which is basically 10% and after accounting for previous sales on Stubhub, eBay, and Craigslist, we should be right at 15%.
Brent complains in the article that he tried for 30 minutes to get tickets. Why wasn’t he able to get any? Let’s look at the numbers:
- 2700 capacity
- 1050 pre sale tickets to member’s of the venue and/or the promoters mailing list
- 300 fan club tickets (Ticketmaster’s venue contracts do not allow for more than 10% of a venue’s capacity to be sold off TM site, Wilco Fan Club handled by Front Gate Ticketing)
- 250 students tickets only available at the box office
- 100 likely holds for the venue that will be sold to friends/workers/local luminaries
That leaves 1000 tickets available for the public on sale. Of that 1000 tickets 10% were bought by the “evil” resellers leaving us with 900 tickets. So let’s dig a little deeper. 900 tickets for sale and there are people trying to buy 2, 3, 4 or maybe more but let’s put the average at 3. From that we get that only 300 people were able to buy tickets for the “public” on sale. How many people do you think were trying to buy tickets?
What Could Brent have done to better his chances at acquiring tickets at “face” value?
- signed up for Wilco’s mailing list and tried to buy the fan club tickets. (Those most likely sold out in 30 seconds)
- signed up for the venues’ mailing list for a pre sale tickets password
- searched blogs, forums, twitter for the password (shameless self promotion, ask me on twitter @ticketanalyst I’ll give it to you for freeeeeee)
- paid a student to buy tickets for him (would you prefer giving a starving student $20 or the “evil” reseller $100)
What does the Ticket Analyst recommend Brent do now?
Brent needs to scour Craigslist. There are currently over 200 tickets left for a show in a smaller metropolitan area which is a sizable supply. Fan Club tickets should be arriving now that it is about 2 weeks before the show. Setup an RSS feed (if you don’t know how, it is a great help to keep tabs on Craigslist postings, so you should learn to make it work for you) for “Wilco Tickets” on the local and regional Craigslist sites. The tickets posted by brokers on StubHub and other secondary sites will show up on Craigslist with a phone number. Don’t be scared if it is a broker they will soon be happy just getting their money back, or less. Use a credit card and get the address of their business and Google them to double-check legitimacy before purchasing. If dealing with someone local meet up with them somewhere safe and vet the tickets. I predict that you should be able to buy tickets at or under face the week of the concert.
Can I really get free festival Tickets?
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.
What do you mean by working for my ticket?
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.
How can I increase my chances of getting a free ticket?
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.
Tips the most enjoyable concert experience when buying U2 360 Degree tickets for their upcoming stadium tour. Ticket onsales are currently happening and going to start full swing this week and next. There are several things to think of when you are looking to buy U2 tickets from Ticketmaster. First is do you want a seat or do you want GA Floor tickets. GA Floor are good value for the money but require a lot of time to get close enough to make them an extraordinary value as you will need to be at the stadium upwards of 12 hours before the doors to be close to the stage. If you prefer a seat then you need to decide whether you want a great seat for a large sum of money or a cheap seat that could be a hundred yards or more away or just behind the band. The following tips are for the best concert going experience not necessarily the best value for your dollar.
- 1. For the best GA experience go the auction route and buy the (R)ed Zone tickets. They have been averaging $250-$350 a ticket on Ticketmaster auctions. Don’t skimp here as they have been selling for upwards of $500 each on the secondary market. The (R)ed Zone tickets get you inside the stage and you won’t have to fight with the rest of the GA Floor people to get to the show EARLY.These auctions have been ending a day after the on sale.
- 2. Buy the Citibank package. This will get you a good seat, can’t be great inside of a stadium, and a pre show package that includes food and some drinks. Definitely a good place to meet some people and maybe even pick up a client or two due to the exclusivity of the party. These packages have been going on sale to Citibank card members at the same time as the fan club Ticketmaster on sale and run about $550 a ticket.
Both these options require a large upfront commitment of money but will make your experience easier than having to fight with the hoi polloi.
Ethan Bortnick Tickets
Ethan Borthnick Presale Tickets Password:
Band of Horses Tickets
Band of Horses Presale Tickets Password:NIGHTRAINBOW
The Cranberries Tickets
The Cranberries Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Cage The Elephant Tickets
Cage The Elephant Presale Tickets Password: N/A
Julian Plenti (Interpol Singer) Tickets
Julian Plenti (Singer of Interpol) Presale Tickets Password:
Little DragonTickets
Little Dragon Presale Tickets Password: N/A
Son Volt Tickets
Son Volt Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Dave Davies Tickets
Dave Davies Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Kathy Griffin Tickets
Kathy Griffin Presale Tickets Password:546616 or Hollywood
The Devil Wears Prada & All That Remains Tickets
The Devil Wears Prada & All That Remains Presale Tickets Password:TDWPATR
Comedians of Chelsea Lately Tickets
Comedians of Chelsea Lately Presale Tickets Password:
Third Eye Blind Tickets
Third Eye Blind Presale Tickets Password:URSA
Pepe Aguilar Tickets
Pepe Aguilar Presale Tickets Password:PERDONAME
Andrea Bocelli Tickets
Andrea Bocelli Presale Tickets Password:Amex and 800 # on gold card for Thursday others to come
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros Tickets
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros Presale Tickets Password:BELOW
The Pink Floyd Experience Friday Tickets
The Pink Floyd Experience Presale Tickets Password:wall
The Pink Floyd Experience Saturday Tickets
The Pink Floyd Experience Presale Tickets Password:Wall
Thom Yorke Sunday Tickets
Thom Yorke Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Thom Yorke Monday Tickets
Thom Yorke Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Visa Tickets
Visa Presale Tickets Password:N/A
The Hot Rats Tickets
The Hot Rats Presale Tickets Password:N/A
John Fogerty Tickets
John Fogerty Presale Tickets Password:fogerty
Shahram Shabpareh….andy Tickets
Shahram Shabpareh….andy Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Devil Wears Prada Tickets
Devil Wears Prada Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Korn Tickets
Korn Presale Tickets Password: N/A
Rusted Root Tickets
Rusted Root Presale Tickets Password:
Todd Snider Tickets
Todd Snider Presale Tickets Password:
Brian Setzer Orchestra the 7th Annual Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza Friday Night Tickets
Brian Setzer Orchestra the 7th Annual Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza Friday Night Presale Tickets Password:546616,hollywood
Brian Setzer Orchestra the 7th Annual Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza Saturday Night Tickets
Brian Setzer Orchestra the 7th Annual Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza Saturday Night Presale Tickets Password:546616, hollywood
Melt Banana Tickets
Melt Banana Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Ron White Tickets
Ron White Presale Tickets Password: tater
Rob Zombie Tickets
Rob Zombie Presale Tickets Password: zombie
Train with Uncle Cracker Tickets
Train with Uncle Cracker Presale Tickets Password:ocean
Less than Jake Tickets
Less Than Jake Presale Tickets Password:hollywood, 546616
Dir En Grey Friday Tickets
Dir En Grey Friday Presale Tickets Password:ocean
Dir En Grey Sunday Tickets
Dir En Grey Sunday Presale Tickets Password:ocean
Fame Kills with Kanye West and Lady Gaga Tickets
Fame Kills with Kanye West and Lady Gaga Presale Tickets Password:546616, HEARTLESS
Concert for Hope with Miley Cyrus, Jesse McCartney & Demi LovatoTickets
Concert for Hope with Miley Cyrus, Jesse McCartney & Demi Lovato Presale Tickets Password:thankyou
Alice Cooper Tickets
Alice Cooper Presale Tickets Password: halloween
George Lopez 12/18 Tickets
George Lopez Presale Tickets Password:laugh
George Lopez 12/19 Tickets
George Lopez Presale Tickets Password:laugh
George Lopez 12/28 Tickets
George Lopez Presale Tickets Password:laugh
R. Kelly Tickets
R. Kelly Presale Tickets Password: LADIES
Fame Kills with Kanye West and Lady Gaga Tickets
Fame Kills with Kanye West and Lady Gaga Presale Tickets Password:546616, stronger
Elephant Tickets
Elephant Presale Tickets Password: N/A
Switchfoot Tickets
Switchfoot Presale Tickets Password:
Switchfoot Tickets
Switchfoot Presale Tickets Password:
Dashboard Confessional Tickets
Dashboard Confessional Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Eddie Izzard Tickets January 29, 2010
Eddie Izzard Presale Tickets Password: Bees or Izzard
Eddie Izzard Tickets January 30, 2010
Eddie Izzard Presale Tickets Password: bees or izzard
The Return Israel Vazquez vs. Angel Priolo Tickets
The Reurn Israel Vazquez vs. Angel Priolo Presale Tickets Password:
Russell Peters Tickets
Russell Peters Presale Tickets Password:GREENCARD
Mannheim Steamroller Tickets
Mannheim Steamroller Presale Tickets Password:CHRISTMAS
Teena Marie Tickets
Teena Marie Presale Tickets Password: HEARTDAY
Ozomatli 12/18
Ozomatli Presale Tickets Password:MONKEY
Ozomatli 12/19
Ozomatli Presale Tickets Password:MONKEY
David Garrett Tickets
David Garrett Presale Tickets Password:
Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar Tickets
Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Flyleaf Tickets
Flyleaf Presale Tickets Password:
Bishop Allen Tickets
Bishop Allen Presale Tickets Password: N/A
Chris Botti Tickets
Chris Botti Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Los Premios MTV 2009 Tickets
Los Premios MTV 2009 Presale Tickets Password:546616
Marc Anthony Tickets
Marc Anthony Presale Tickets Password: 546616 and HOLLYWOOD
LA Weekly’s LA 101 -Silversun Pickups, Dandy Warhols and Matt & Kim Tickets
LA Weekly’s LA 101 -Silversun Pickups, Dandy Warhols and Matt & Kim Presale Tickets Password:KROQTRAFFIC (THUR), HOLLYWOOD or OCEAN (FRI)
Guy Fieri Tickets
Guy Fieri Presale Tickets Password:546616
Down and Derby Tickets
Down and Derby Presale Tickets Password:
Trans Siberian Orchestra Tickets
Trans Siberian Orchestra Presale Tickets Password: TSOROCKS
Marc Anthony Tickets
Marc Anthony Presale Tickets Password:aguanile
Matisyahu Tickets
Matisyahu Presale Tickets Password:546616
Chevelle with Halestorm and Adelita’s Way Tickets
Chevelle with Halestorm and Adelita’s Way Presale Tickets Password
Ghostland Observatory Tickets
Ghostland Observatory Presale Tickets Password:546616
Forever the Sickest Kids & the Rocket Summer Tickets
Forever the Sickest Kids & the Rocket Summer Presale Tickets Password: 546616
Hepcat Tickets
Hepcat Presale Tickets Password:N/A
Joe Bonamassa Tickets
Joe Bonamassa Presale Tickets Password: N/A
Justin Nozuka Tickets
Justin Nozuka Presale Tickets Password: 546616 or ocean
Devo 11/3 Tickets
Devo Presale Tickets Password: devolution
Devo 11/4 Tickets
Devo Presale Tickets Password:devolution
Laurie Berkner Tickets
Laurie Berkner Presale Tickets Password: rocketship
Mark Knopfler Tickets
Mark Knopfler Presale Tickets Password: Website/Fan Club and
The Decemberists Tickets
The Decemberists Presale Tickets Password: Fan Club/Music Today
Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub Tickets
Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub Presale Tickets Password: N/A
Lisa Hannigan Tickets
Lisa Hannigan Presale Tickets Password: N/A
So the show is sold out and everyone knows it, what now? The first thing you need to do is bookmark the web page for the event at the primary ticket provider. Occasionally they have tickets held back for the artist, media, labels, or other luminaries. If those people do not want the tickets they will often be released back to the primary ticketing provider. Sometimes you may find one ticket other times you may find 8 or more. Grab what you need and alert other people on Craigslist or message boards who have posted wanted messages to increase your karma.
Simultaneously with checking your bookmarks multiple times a day you need to be on Craigslist, eBay, and your preferred ticket broker website. With these three website at your disposal you need to gauge the supply against the amount of bidders on eBay, amount of wanted postings on Craigslist and the supply on the broker site of choice. Be aware that inventory may overlap between all three sales venues.
Now that you have an idea of what the market is doing you have to gauge the market. Here it is often just economics 101, supply and demand. If the band is getting hotter and hotter with more and more press and blogs covering the band the prices are soon to go up, so you should figure out what price you are willing to pay and buy. If there is not much buzz and the ticket market is stagnant hold off. I have seen people struggle to sell tickets under face for sold out club shows before.
So you had another engagement or just didn’t know the show was going on sale and now the show you want to go to is sold out, but you still want to go. What is the next step?
For small to midsize club shows the steps below will help you out. First you need to look at the market. Is it a small club show? Did it just sell out, but weeks after the on sale? Quick call the club that the show is at. Some clubs hold back tickets to sell out of the box office with little or no service fee. If the club is sold out too or doesn’t hold tickets you need to hit eBay and Craigslist hard before others realize the show is sold out. If you can find the right person who has an extra ticket or two before everyone is hounding them for a ticket you are likely to pay “face” value or less.
Do your Homework
Once you’ve determined where and when the tickets go on sale it’s time to do your home work. Homework?? To buy tickets? Yes, one reason brokers and scalpers get tickets is they know the ticket purchasing process. They buy tickets every week so they know how the process works. So go and practice, open your account at the website and have your credit card ready! You can lose tickets if you take too much time to purchase them. Just because the tickets are in your cart doesn’t mean the deal is done! Go through all the purchasing steps for different shows. When you get to the end just don’t click the purchase button.
This Concludes the Concert Ticket buying guide. If you missed out on tickets all is not lost. Often times tickets are available at or below face value close to the shows. Read my guide on how to buy concert tickets from brokers.
How To Buy Concert Tickets Step 1
How To Buy Concert Tickets Step 2
How To Buy Concert Tickets Step 3
How To Buy Concert Tickets Step 4
