Can someone explain to me how every major show sells out in ten seconds? I was sitting at my computer this morning refreshing the ticketmaster website waiting for Radiohead tickets to go onsale. As soon as they did, I put my order in but, of course, tickets were sold out at 10am (the onsale time). This is the same thing that has happened for the last 4 shows I've tried to by tickets for. Do I have bad luck or am I missing some secret to getting concert tickets?

You know, with ticket prices so high and the hassle of getting them like you're trying, I don't even bother with day of sale. The last four big shows I attended were all bought on Ebay at lower prices. Just bought Elvis Costello tix for exactly half price for a show next week.

If it's a House of Blues thing, you can register at their website and, sometimes, you'll get in a "pre-sales for members" thing.

Or some groups have a similar thing for their fans. Check out their website to see if they have such a benefit. Sometimes it's free... sometimes you have to pay. You'll get a password to use for the pre-sales before they go on sale for the general public.

Or maybe go to a ticketmaster outlet early and campout.

Keep checking ticketmaster for the concert you want. Sometimes they'll release some tickets or people will turn theirs in. Good luck!

I should have just gone to a ticketmaster outlet. oh, well!

Since it's the internet, everyone and their grandmothers are ordering tickets. Including ticket resellers and scalpers. So much easier now to buy them and then flip them on eBay, instead of waiting in line and doing the whole wristband thing.

I'm assuming there are presales for special people. I usually go through a preferred ticket broker.

But more importantly, Radiohead is on tour?!

I did the same thing for a Wilco show I wanted to attend last month. I couldn't get tickets during the presale or regular, public onsale. Frustrated beyond belief, I saved my money, figuring the hassle wasn't worth it. I've already seen them three times, and it was never that hard to get tickets.

cheers,

-the Jesus

people jabe suggested calling a ticketmaster location out of your local area when a show is just about to go onsale. Apparently since it's national, they can order tickets but since it's out of your local area (and with most people deciding to use the internet) you've got a much better chance of getting through.

Dude, check back as the show dates get closer. All kinds of things happen like people canceling ticket orders or not picking them up, promoters releasing tickets, and other things.

If you can, on the day of the show hang out at the ticket office of the venue. Tickets often get released in batches. It helps if yo only want one ticket or if you don't mind not sitting with friends. Some of the best tickets(Floor seats near the stage) I've ever had were obtianed this way.

Plus you have to take into consideration what tickets are already gone before they even go on sale (especaily with hot bands, most of the good front seats are gone) Friends of people that work at Ticketmaster, promoters, freinds/family of the band, radio station giveaways and 3rd party companies that buy up tickets just for the sake of reselling, ect ect. On top of that the presales they usually do from fan clubs, and the presales that radio stations do as a promotion with the promoters.

Yeah I thought I once heard that venues only have a very small amount of tickets available to the public. For instance, a 12,000 seat place only has like 2,000 to 3,000 tickets that are for sale and that the rest are with promoters, stations, ticket agencies, and other places as mentioned above.

Anyone know the actual breakdown?

I'm thinking it all depends on the individual artist...

But, hell, wasn't Ticketmaster auctioning tickets too?

This is the second Music thread you've posted in Other. No wonder Music Talk gets no love.

You could do what I do...

Go to free Oldies concerts (like KC & The Sunshine Band, Franki Valli, The Temptations, etc)

Yeah, I once saw a color coded diagram showing how many tix went on sale to the public. And it was sickening. The ticketing industry needs a complete overhaul to get the tickets back in the hands of the fans. There's something seriously wrong when ticket "brokers" can get their hands on hundreds (if not thousands) of prime seats that you & I never had a chance to buy.

If only people would stop buying tickets on the secondary market over face value, the whole business would dry up & blow away.

Ticketmaster is still suckekekeke. Luckily, I've gotten to that point in my life where I'd rather not deal with huge crowds to hear a horribly mixed over-amplified concert. I will drive out of my way to catch a favorite act in some small, almost intimate venue where I have a great chance of getting tix at the door, but civic centers? No thanks.

With the exception of a recent Coldplay concert, I don't think I've gone to a ticketmaster event in years. I prefer bands where I can spend $20 or less per ticket and see them a couple of feet (or yards) in front of me.

only hard part is that for most of these shows, you won't be able to hear the next day (or with the crap i listen to, end up with bruses after teh show)

If I am not at work or school, I tend to do one of the two things as I've learned through my various adventures with RapeYouInTheAssMaster:

1. If there is ever a presale through the band's website, do it. Don't even think twice. If it's an event with assigned seating (ex: Queen + Paul Rodgers or Sigur Ros), you'll most likely get the best seats in the house that are up for sale to the general public and the processing fee is usually waived. However, be extremely fast, as most of these presales don't have that many tickets up for grabs. The Panic! At The Disco presale for the June 13th Vegas performance only had 75 tickets (out of 1200) for sale. If you don't make it in time for the presale, you have to go to option two.

2. If you have the time and/or can make the drive, go directly to the venue the concert is being held at. A majority of the time, all of Ticketmaster's fees are waived. Let's go back to the Panic! At The Disco for another example. The presale sold out and my friends and I were left, for another word, fucked. Instead of sitting at the computer waiting for tickets to go sale online at Ticketmaster's website, we drove down to the venue two hours early and waited in line with a few other schmucks who were in the same boat as us. Instead of having to pay $30 for tickets after the processing fees, we ended up walking out with tickets for $20 each ($17 + $3 surcharge). We might had to wait in line for two hours, but we saved $10 and didn't have to go through Ticketmaster. If you know the concert is going to sell out, go to the venue the afternoon tickets go live. If not, make the trip down to the venue anytime during the week.

If you go to the House of Blues for concerts, do extra credit option three.

3. Wait for 2 for 1 Tuesdays. Other than the heavy hitters, most concerts at the House of Blues in Las Vegas end up being offered in the 2 for 1 Tuesdays the Tuesday prior to the event. You get two tickets for the price of one and you can pick up the tickets at Will Call right when you arrive for the show. This way, you can invite a friend or the girl you want to bang at work or in your psychology class.

That's because the price they charge is too low.

I have love for music talk! What was the other thread that I posted here instead of music talk?

I have thought for years that concerts cost way too much, and when you add on the surcharges at ticketmaster, you just about have to take out a second mortgage on your house to afford the damned things.

It's interesting, I've always managed to get tickets to a show I wanted to see. For big bands in small venues, I'll just log in and refresh the screen a few minutes before they are supposed to go on sale. Once they go on sale, I choose the best seat option (although these venues are usually all GA), and I'm done.

Try ebay or craigslist, tickets go on sale there all the time.

If the price was too high, there would be a surplus, not a shortage.

Oh really?

Madonna just sold out every date and the top tickets were over $350.