Do you generally go for the closest, most expensive tickets you can get, or do you go for the cheapest, just because you're seeing a bunch of shows, or is it a mixed bag? I saw 8 times on the last tour (with tix for 9 shows) and each time was as close as I could get. If I were to duplicate this (show count-wise) not sure I'd be able to go with closest again.

Visited the three main spots on ABB:

Front Row (last O2 show)
B-Stage (Slane)
On stage (Munich)

On all others (21) within the the first ten rows.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-16 18:53 by Roadster32.

GOD, all over, but plenty of close ones.

this list covers only the 27 shows in 10 countries from the ABB tour


boston fenway 1 - first 12 or so keithside part way out his ramp

2 - lower part of lower deck keith side

hollywood 1 - highest section, not too far up, center

1 - first upward-sloping seats above the grond level flat ones, down low, center, good

sf 1 - on stage ronnie side

2 - 13 row ronnie 1 seat away from runway

denver - seating section just avove and a lil back from stage ronnieside - great

msg jan 06 1 - same as denver a litl better

2- second tier half way back, keithside on line with b stage

berlin - similar to denver/msg, lil further back

twickers 1 - 15th row keith

twickers 2 - 9th row keith, gave up 2nd row ronnie to daughters cuz wanted to be close to keef

missoula MONTANA - 13th row right on runway ronnieside

regina (city that rhymes with fun) 1st - 6th row ronnie

beacon 2 - 1st row loge (lower balcony) far left hand seat of entire row, ronnie, right next to light stand

vancouver - 6th row keith, front row b stage

werchter - front standing (no seats most places in europe) but way ronnie side out on ramp no crush

nijmegen - got in free but late flashing an old werchter blue wrist band that worked, got out to end of keith runway far right

frankfurt - 3rd row center ronnie, ended up about front row

paris - standing ronnie out on ramp, equivalent of about 10th row

lyon - standing far out on keith side equiv of about 20th row right in front of speaker bank great sound and taped it

barcelona - front of keith about 5th-8th row, lot of shoving and moving

kopenhagen - up almost under upper deck lower deck directly above end of keiths ramp

lausanne - ronnie side maybe 30th row, worked way over the b stage about 2nd row to the pissoffedness of folks but they quieted down after a while, got good fotos

O2 1 - top of lower section right above ronnieramp and singers, great angle for a good video of entire show which i did

O2 2 - 8th row keith, fairly close to center

O2 3 - 13th row keith, fairly close to center, daughter got a mick pick from his guitar tech during move to b stage plus a set list (on paper, not on plexiglass)


many shows i worked my way over to close to or front row/railing b stage for that set, then back to seats so i get the best of both e.g. Missoula plus about 10 others (not all mentioned in above)


plexi



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-14 04:31 by timbernardis.

I tend to try and get what I think are the best value tickets I can get. There's a lot of very mediocre tickets at the top of the price range and for part of the tour anyway, there were some very cheap tickets in the first few rows.

I did OK with that system until the 2007 leg when they moved the goalposts and kept the first few rows in London for Fan Asylum type packages.

I simply refuse to pay $450 or something like that for a concert as a point of principle. I'd decided to go to the Jan 2006 MSG shows but it was on the condition I got $160 tickets. The ticket selling system doesnt tend to reward patience because the sneaky bastards try and get rid of the overpriced crappy ones and get you to panic-buy them before they release tickets that are cheaper and usually better value. Thankfully by then the tour was a couple of months old and I'd seen how the system worked and got lucky.

I'll always go for pitch tickets for a stadium show.

no two seats are the same. to be fair i think each seat should be assigned a customized price. seats next to each other may only vary a few pennies, but this would be an improvement over the status quo where at the "dividing line" adjacent seats may differ by $100 or more.

thanks

I attempt to get the best value and available seats. After 19 shows - I really don't want to do the nosebleed section ever again. Gazza's point about patience being rewarded is very true. I paid $450 for Fenway floor tickets - it was a great experience but hardly worth the money. Unlike many on this board, I really enjoyed my on-stage seats and I believed at $250 - they were a decent value.

Quote
timbernardis
GOD, all over, but plenty of close

this list covers only the 27 shows in 10 countries from the ABB tour


boston fenway 1 - first 12 or so keithside part way out his ramp

2 - lower part of lower deck keith side

hollywood 1 - highest section, not too far up, center

1 - first upward-sloping seats above the grond level flat ones, down low, center, good

sf 1 - on stage ronnie side

2 - 13 row ronnie 1 seat away from runway

denver - seating section just avove and a lil back from stage ronnieside - great

msg jan 06 1 - same as denver a litl better

2- second tier half way back, keithside on line with b stage

berlin - similar to denver/msg, lil further back

twickers 1 - 15th row keith

twickers 2 - 9th row keith, gave up 2nd row ronnie to daughters cuz wanted to be close to keef

missoula MONTANA - 13th row right on runway ronnieside

regina (city that rhymes with fun) 1st - 6th row ronnie

beacon 2 - 1st row loge (lower balcony) far left hand seat of entire row, ronnie, right next to light stand

vancouver - 6th row keith, front row b stage

werchter - front standing (no seats most places in europe) but way ronnie side out on ramp no crush

nijmegen - got in free but late flashing an old werchter blue wrist band that worked, got out to end of keith runway far right

frankfurt - 3rd row center ronnie, ended up about front row

paris - standing ronnie out on ramp, equivalent of about 10th row

lyon - standing far out on keith side equiv of about 20th row right in front of speaker bank great sound and taped it

barcelona - front of keith about 5th-8th row, lot of shoving and moving

kopenhagen - up almost under upper deck lower deck directly above end of keiths ramp

lausanne - ronnie side maybe 30th row, worked way over the b stage about 2nd row to the pissoffedness of folks but they quieted down after a while, got good fotos

O2 1 - top of lower section right above ronnieramp and singers, great angle for a good video of entire show which i did

O2 2 - 8th row keith, fairly close to center

O2 3 - 13th row keith, fairly close to center, daughter got a mick pick from his guitar tech during move to b stage plus a set list (on paper, not on plexiglass)


many shows i worked my way over to close to or front row/railing b stage for that set, then back to seats so i get the best of both e.g. Missoula plus about 10 others (not all mentioned in above)


plexi

a readers digest version, please? or perhaps a power point summary?

Quote
Shawn20
I paid $450 for Fenway floor tickets - it was a great experience but hardly worth the money. Unlike many on this board, I really enjoyed my on-stage seats and I believed at $250 - they were a decent value.

Shawn - Same for me. I had the $450 seats at Fenway 1, but enjoyed the on stage so much better. Luckily I didn't have to pay for the $450 ones.

I always go for the expensive seats. I always go alone. At $450 a pop, who can afford two. I seem to always get that odd isle seat about 10 back on the floor or the first or second riser about stage level.

Scotty

i guess i got more and more spoiled as the tour went along and i generally always wanted to be very close, either floor or just above and to the right or left of the stage, plus squeeze in the B stage wherever i could.

Except when it came time to go to shows with friends, then i would often go wherever they went, especially in the company of the german girls of Stonetreff.de or .ch (either works).

I paid quite a variety of prices from about 100 usd for twickers in the first 10 rows as Gazza has stated to the 450 ticks at fenway and san fran.

A couple of times I really broke rules and paid a broker way too much, but at MSG jan 20th i got a pair from a broker that were about face value or so. And delivered to my hotel room near the Garden. That cheapie place where BV and many others also stayed, what the hell is the name?

overall europe was the best consistent value as i could get about a 100 or a bit more tick and could move up front or wherever for no additional cost and not have to fight the stade staff, only have to deal with other fans which was often good but sometimes not so good.

Gazza - where were your seats for each of the msg shows? BTW, it is generally only europe where the pitch/field tix are just that -- no seats, just standing or sitting on the pitch/field, except Germany for some shows.

I also concur about the on-stage "seats". It was a great, unique, one-time experience that I am very glad I did once. Plus, there was that hot woman burstin-out-of-her-clothes with the piece cut out of her jeans on her rear end displaying the tongue on her "cheek." She was dancin all night next to me and kept me a bit distracted on occasion. San Fran show 1.


plexiglass

I spend no more then $25 for a Stones show these days. After paying $250 for Radio City, I vowed NEVER to do that again....unless Bill and Mick come back.

Every seat at a Stones show is perfect!
I just get what I can be happy about paying for and wait patiently for Keith to sing.

I must be sad...
Burnt my RS code for O2. Could only get 8th row and gave it up because of the "150GBP".

But what a tour (OK, tru away half a life in queues).
15 shows, had 1st row Ronnie at most cept for Opening night Boston (2nd), Opening night wechster (spell) where I gave up the running because of my back, and took 1st row B-stage instead. Ended up loosing the raffle at Chicago 1 on a Fan Asylum package (sorry Gazza, yes, waste of money) and got 4th Ronnie.
Then I had a bad seat at MSG 2, a bit to the side, Keith.

Worst time in a queue... Halifax. 8am... gates opened 16.00 I th*nk.
[www.pbase.com]
Show at 21.00. Geting sunburned in the morning, frost bite in the evening. Not the best show but a highlight because of all you friendly Canadians.
This is where I learnt the name nightmare... Alice Cooper kicking a*se in the rain, 8-10C, me in t-shirt (and rain gear), then you remember that Kanye West is next, and probably at least 90 min till the boys and Lisa starts. This is the show where me and the guy next to me tried to get the medics to throw out a japaneese guy two "seats" away cause we thougt he would die of the weather

Oh well, at the bottom line, VoodooLounge13...
Nothing beats as close as possible, and share x hours in a queue with the best people on earth.

TE
Oslo



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-14 06:47 by TE.

Quote
timbernardis
. And delivered to my hotel room near the Garden. That cheapie place where BV and many others also stayed, what the hell is the name?



plexiglass

Plexi, what cheapie place is that--does anyone know the name of it?

Quote
angee

Quote
timbernardis
. And delivered to my hotel room near the Garden. That cheapie place where BV and many others also stayed, what the hell is the name?



plexiglass

Plexi, what cheapie place is that--does anyone know the name of it?

the gutter?

i believe The New Yorker.

yeah, just looked at bv's new york travel page and he sez

Recommended hotels
Ramada Plaza & Inn - New Yorker Hotel
481 8th Avenue * 34th St. & 8th Ave, New York City, NY 10001, US
Phone: 212-971-0101 * Fax: 212-563-1476 * E-mail: info@nyhotel.com
Great hotel at only 135 dollars or so per night, cheap for NYC - next block to MSG venue, and much better tha a lot of others "bad repuration" hotels nearby...

heres the link to that full page:

[www.iorr.org]

I was given floor seats to MSG1 in '06 at $500 face value, and they were GREAT seats right next to the B-Stage, but the price has really gotten outta control, and I've concluded that I don't think I'll pay that much again. I feel somewhat justified in it if I hear at least one song that I'd never heard before, but at Twick2, it was the same songs I'd heard before, and that was a bit of a disappointment, especially since the point of my trip there was to see the boys in London (I didn't get tix to Twick1), and now I forget most of the time that I even saw the Stones in London! LOL I'll probably opt for a bit further back going forward, if I go at all. I do want my daughter and oldest boy to witness them, but my wife and I battle about the atmosphere, plus the cost. Onstage would have been neat I think, but pricey for the lower levels and I couldn't justify paying $450. I'd love to go backstage - a huge dream of mine - but not for the prices they charge for it.

You are all correct - close as possible is always the best place to be, but with this economy and what not, how is it justified? Especially when looking at 3 college tuitions down the road.

Timbernardis, I'm in envy of all that you've done with your shows/travels, and also of your home. I've wanted to live in Montana for as long as I could remember. Came very close to going to the University of Montana, Missoula til my parents vetoed it. All but had my bags packed, too. Now my wife's like Montana? What the hell's in Montana? Are ya gonna be a rancher?! LOL It's absolutely beautiful from all I've seen on TV (never actually been there).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-14 15:49 by VoodooLounge13.

I only went to 3 shows on the last tour

Twick 1 about row 10

Sheffield about row 3

O2 2nd show an executive box on Ronnies side with a whole load of my friends. That was a real treat.

NickB

You can't always get what you want.....

www.myspace.com/thesonkings

I always shop carefully and NEVER buy the top tier tickets - always the step below. On the ABB tour I couldn't find any of the mid-price seats that popped up in the first half dozen rows during Licks, usually on Ronnie's side but did manage to be located at the side of the b-stage in Detroit and closer at Slane. I like to be bit back at the stadium shows so as to absorb the entire spectacle.

I always try to be no more than 8 rows back in the front sections and I NEVER GET A PRICE BREAK! Being unemployed now, I would love 1/2 of that $$ back now. I've seen 36 shows since 1972 and have been lucky as far as where I sit, but I've had to go thru scalpers on some occasions. Shawn, I totally agree, the $450 for Fenway seats up front was ridiculous. I was about 12 rows back on the left, great view but not worth that amount. To be further back was even more ridiculous though because that park is huge and the seats in the stands were so far from the stage, you may as well stay home. I too always go alone, and my friends think I'm a psycho for paying those prices, so they never go with me. They all BITCH about never seeing the Stones but they refuse to pay even $200. For the next tour, unless I have a job, I am not sure I'll be going first class....guess I should worry about going at all.

Best value ever was all A Bigger Bang UK '06 shows, first 10 rows for £60 each.Best Being Twickenham 1 where I was 2nd row centre stage. Bigger Bang at the 02 sadly were £150.

Thanks, plexi. I'm seeing over 200.00 a night now for
any weekends there, even with a AAA rate. (Not including tax.)
The location is excellent.


True, Flairville, but how about that show (O2/2) and our view, eh?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-14 21:49 by angee.

The Pod Hotel on 51st is pretty cheap. Even cheaper is Leo House on 23rd.

flairville has a talent for getting the best seats at the best prices. Don't know how he does it,but have him to thank for some fantastic shows ,especially Sheffield 06 and the 1st O2 show (what I can remember of it !)

sc uk

I buy different kinds of tickets. I try to see as many as possible and I buy tickets from different price levels. Sometimes It´s important just to get in (Beacon 1: one of the last rows on the highest balcony) and sometimes it´s nice to have a great seat (St. Petersburg: row 1 infront of Keith).

65 shows, more than 50 of them front row (just in front of Ronnie),STANDING, JUMPING AND DANCING! I HATE seated Stones shows, only went to four, managed to get exactly "my" same spot in two of these. Only in the US I ended up somewhere in the tiers which was a terrible experience for me.

Fenway Park - nosebleeds behind home plate
Hartford CT - Again nosebleeds in the corner of the end zone
Hershey - floor seates about 10 feet from the b~stage
Giants Stadium - Scored a free ticket
TD Banknorth , Boston - nosebleeds but were given upgrades to the floor by an usher .
Gillette Stadium - Flor seats about halfway back but very close to the b stage
Atlantic City ~ Nosebleeds in the balcony

Quote
boston2006
Fenway Park - nosebleeds behind home plate
Hartford CT - Again nosebleeds in the corner of the end zone
Hershey - floor seates about 10 feet from the b~stage
Giants Stadium - Scored a free ticket
TD Banknorth , Boston - nosebleeds but were given upgrades to the floor by an usher .
Gillette Stadium - Flor seats about halfway back but very close to the b stage
Atlantic City ~ Nosebleeds in the balcony

you may find this helpful:

[www.rb59.com]

Out of the UK I got expensive because I can't take chances of not getting a good seat after travelling but in the UK I gamble on getting late seats and often cheap. Last night at the O2 fab tickets on the day for £50. Bargain!

I always try for the best seats. After experiencing the first few rows, I got fussy.