This page is a guide to getting lucky at concerts, I've been to plenty and found out the successful strategies you need to take!

Concert pictures:

Ticket stubs, signatures, live and in person.

• Concerts:
Ringo Starr and his All Starr band of 2001 & 2003, Nine Inch Nails (+ Bauhaus and Peaches), Muse, Program the dead, Everclear + Smashmouth (Summerthing 2007), Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Babyland, Joey Ramone's Birthday bash concert 2006 and 2007, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (+ The Black Crowes), Alice's Now & Zen with the B52's (+ Gnarles Barkley), Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Pete Best, Country Joe and his band, Shana Morrison (daughter of Van Morrison), Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Tears for Fears (x 2) (+ Dirty Vegas), Rooney, The Monkees (x 2), Shoe Suede Blues (x 2), Herman's Hermits, and countless Beatles tribute bands!

In my experiences going to concerts, your a lot better off if your female. This dates all the way back to the day of Frank Sinatra. I am a total concert Nazi. Being to over 20 concerts and testing my limits at every single one, I have gathered a lot of useful information I wish to share.

Tricks of the trade & things to remember:
1) Join fanclubs for your favorite bands, you get information first. Some fan clubs even give you chances to meet the band and watch their soundchecks. It almost always costs money, but it's worth it.
2) Wear something that could catch the musicians eye. Your more likely to be seen my the artist, my photographers, and maybe even fellow fans will want to get a picture of/with you.
3) Be nice to everyone, make friends at the concert, this is shallow, but you'll never know when some audience member has connections. I can't tell you how many times this has happened to me!
4) Always bring a sign (this also depends on the venue, I wouldn't suggest bringing a sign to a show at a bar) the worst that could happen is a bouncer will make you throw it away before entering. Make it simple and easy to read from long distances.
5) ALWAYS bring flowers for the musician, it's a great excuse to get close to the stage. This is unless your seat is so far in the back you have no chance.
6) I highly suggest you bring a friend. That way you all can yell there name or yell something to them. 2 is good, 3 is a crowd.
7) ALWAYS carry a pen on you at concerts and some paper wouldn't hurt either. You never know when a special autograph signing comes up. Be ready.
8) If your lucky enough to get a "General admission" ticket, which usually means you have floor access you need to get there early. Atleast 1 hour before the concert starts! General admission usualy means you can get front row center, just you gotta get there early.
9) If your a student at a University and a band you like is coming there: before you buy the tickets through ticketmaster (or other places) check at the school if they have ticket discounts. They usually do, don't pay more than you have to.
10) Buy the tickets in person if you can, that way you don't have to pay a convenience fee and shipping. Buy tickets through the actual venues' sites, usually they are a little bit cheaper than the big well known ticket sellers.
11) Try to win radio contest ticket giveaways, keep your ears open for them and go for it. It's pretty easy to win and you save money.
12) Get familliar with the venue, know how it's set up. I always do this so that I can create a game plan.
13) Buy the t-shirts before the concert starts, the stands selling the shirts are never there after the show is over. They are long gone. Don't misss your chance!
14) If possible, make connections with people who are going to the concert before the concert. Like I will talk to and get to know other people who are going to the concert before I meet up with them there. I usually do this through message boards, myspace, etc. That way once I get to the concert I already have some new friends I get to meet. Thats a great way to create a real bond with someone. Plus at a concert is a pretty safe way to meet someone new for the first time. Theres lots of people around, cops, pay phones, and you usually come to the concert WITH someone.
15) If you can afford it, I would defintely suggest buying things at the concert. Plus if you get to meet the band you have something for them to sign.

Taking a picture:
1) ALWAYS, unless you feel absolutely certain not to...BRING A CAMERA. Make sure it has new batteries and new film in it. I HIGHLY SUGGEST A DISPOSABLE CAMERA. You never know when a picture opputunity comes up. If you bring your big expensive camera and they confiscate it, tough luck. One concert I went to said "No cameras" I brought mine anyways and half way through the show the band said it was OK now and I had my camera so I didn't miss out!
2) CAMERA PHONES are perfect for this, there small, easy and quick to use and your allowed to bring them in! Tips on using your camera phone: Camera phones are shitty quality, so try to stay as still as possible and avoid times when the stage lights are very bright or very dim.
3) It's well known that open air concerts have better light than enclosed concerts. *FLASH IS IMPORTANT INDOORS* Remember that.
4) Concerts usually don't want you to take pictures, so heres how to sneak a picture: look around for any suspicious people or security guards before you snap away. If someone near you takes a picture, take it than it will be harder to determine who it was that took it.
5) Here are other ways to sneak your camera in: Hide it in your bra (in between part and you might want to wear a jacket over it so you don't look funky), if they are selling stuff outside of the concert, hide your camera in your t-shirt or whatever [you bought]. Thats always worked for me.

Mosh pits:
The only REAL and helpful advice I can offer you is be real careful what mosh pits you see going on. There is a huge difference from a Muse mosh pit and a Rob Zombie mosh pit. Use your instincts. Stay on the sides and feel it out, and enter when it looks like you wont totally get knocked down and possible even knocked out.

Otherwise, be careful, watch your wallet and don't start fights. If all it is is moshing and bumping sides with fellow fans, than it will be a great high and you will have the best seats in the house.

The LAST resort:
1) If you couldn't score a ticket come at the last minute before the show starts and try to get one from a scalper (BE CAREFUL) they tend to drastically lower their prices right before the show.
2) Have a cop friend? Have him accompany you before the show, find some scalpers and once you initiate wanting a ticket have your copper friend come along and confiscate the ticket. It's a dirty game, but it works.

Very important concert things (just in case):
I.D.
Cash or credit card
Water! or a container in which to hold water (so you can fill it ffrom a drinking fountain inside)

Winning tickets from radio stations:
Radio stations can be your best friends. I've done this enough and had success with this too. Heres what you do when you know between some span or time or at some time they will opening up phone lines for concert tickets:
1) Find their hotline (should be a 1-800 number) and call it hang up to have it on redial (aka speed dial).
2) Sit at the radio with your finger on the redial button.
3) They moment they open the lines, call and keep calling.
4) Depending on the popularity of your local station (like if you live in a metropolitan area) you should just call and keep calling even when the lines aren't open. In major cities there will be WAY more people calling and your better off just calling the whole time instead of when they open the line or right before you think they might.
5) Make sure your phone battery is fully charged before you attempt this!
6) It's probably a good idea to have a pen and paper near by, or a source...like a computer. Just in case.
7) To get ready for the contest, listen to the radio station before hand to get a feel for it. And see what the contest/trivia might be like.

Warnings:
1) People in general admission circumstances are usually jerks. Go to the bathroom and get a drink before you push your way up to the front. Because if you repeatedly go in and out people just might feel the need to hurt you. No I'm not kidding.
2) I learned this one the hard way, GET A DRINK OR BRING A DRINK to the concert. I thought I'd be smart and wait it out and get a drink after, instead I came close to fainting and it was really scary. Don't do what I did.
3) Ladies, keep a close watch on your purse, pick pockets come to concerts all the time. Also if you brought a jacket and tied it around your waist make sure you still have it reguarly. If it's an expensive jacket you'll be sorry later.
4) Have your ticket on you at all times, the people working there don't care if you lost it or if so and so is waiting for you in there.
5) Make sure this place your going to to see a concert isn't for 18 and over and your under 18. Sometimes it can be 21. Mostly this applies to casinos and night clubs, which are popular for adult acts. If you bought the tickets and realised you can't get in...it really sucks.
6) Don't buy/sell tickets to/from a scalper/person, or atleast I don't reccomend it. Cops are usually always around and under cover, and sometimes the ticket(s) you may buy can be fakes.
7) Be prepared to have your camera or water taken away upon entrance, every place differs in what and how much they let you bring in. Most places take away your shit so you have to pay double (for warer or a food) inside!
8) If you are buying tickets on ticketmaster.com, do NOT open up the page in several browsers thinking that will up your chances of getting a seat. It will eventually time out your page and you will lose your place in line. Also, do NOT refresh the page more than twice, ticketmaster.com will literally ban you from the page and prevent you from buying tickets!!!

Don't become the people that annoy us:
1) You see them at just about every concert, especially Beatles related ones. Rich people. Point being these people are just there to see them because the band is famous. They're not like us and there to adore the band, their just there because they are bored and have some money. I despise those people. They get the good seats we missed or couldn't afford. Usually their not really fans. Watch out for these people, don't let them discourage you.

Do the hussle:
1) JOIN MALILING LISTS AND NEWSLETTERS related to the bands you like. You will always get information first! Sign up on ticketmaster.com for email alerts. This is a big help. Visit your favorite band's site often, keep up-to-date on what's going on.
2) Getting good tickets is all about notice. If you know ahead of time your chances are way better. Check regularly, ask around, check the bands site often!!!
3) Plan ahead, get a map of the place so you know where you'll be and how easy it will be for you to get upfront. Organization never hurt!
4) Get familiar with the venue, if it's outside or inside, know where your seated or how you can possibly get to meet the band.
5) If you have any professional photographer friends and they are going to see the same show as you (to take pics) ask them if YOU can meet the band or the people involved. If they are your friend and they have real connetcions, they will. Just ask them in advance!

The best advice I can give you is to be determined but positive! If things some how don't work out, ENJOY THE SHOW. Stand up and dance! Throw your fist in the air! Sing loud! You paid for it!! Plan ahead and always be on the look out suck up and save up early! Talk to people and if you are really desprite to see a certain band don't be afraid to make some calls!

Concert resources (the ones I went to):
• More pictures from the Joey Ramone birthday bash 2006 (05/19/06):
HERE, HERE, & HERE!

• Footage from the bash (05/19/06):
HERE

• Footage from Nine Inch Nails at the Shoreline (07/08/06):
HERE

• More pictures from the Rooney show at U.C. Berkeley (4/16/05):
HERE

• More pictures from my trip to NYC and music landmarks (05/19/06-05/21/06):
HERE

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