I can't, I genuinely can't. The first Stones show I attended was on the 81/82 tour, Wembley Stadium. I also had tickets for the Earls Court show in 1976, but could attend because I was sitting one of my univesity second year finals exams on the day. Today, I genuinely cannot remember things like:

how was a tour advertised
where did you get tickets
was there a seat selection process

F**k, it must be that Alzheimers kicking in a tad early, but I genuinely cannot remember ?

Can anyone remind me (a) how the hell it all worked in those distant days, (b) how the hell we all coped, and (c) share any particularly sad/silly/fun experiences of getting tix for shows ?

1) in newspapers
2) ticket agencies like TicketTron
3) computer selection



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-01-06 13:22 by mitchflorida.

>>how was a tour advertised<<

Usually heard it on "Top-40" radio.


>>where did you get tickets<<

Ticketbastard outlets were already up & running back then, at least in my area.


>>was there a seat selection process<<

In some cases, yes, but many shows back then were "general admission."

Unfortunately for me ,I can remember

Tour ad was on radio and rock magazines .
Tickets were bought at the most famous record shop of my hometown.
I didn't care about seats at this time,my only worried was to be the nearest closed to the stage ....

Nowadays you can reach & get any information very quick with internet -sometimes it's going too fast -
Since I am involved with internet stuff ,I am sometimesso afraid to miss a very vital and essential information concerning the Stones and I must get connected ASAP.
That's too bad I know.



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

Very long lines for concert tickets. I'll never forget that. It all ended in 1992, at least in Germany. Then came the automated ticket sold at a lot more stores. In some ways I like it better today.

Listen to the local radio stations to hear/find out what concerts were coming locally.

For larger tour information, for different cities, for years I would read the "Tour" section of Rolling Stone magazine.

Basically it involved reading the music press to check for adverts and then either queuing for a ticket, ringing the venue or sending a cheque in the post. Back in the good old days most gigs tended to be standing but if not you were just allocated a seat.

Quote
frankotero
Very long lines for concert tickets. I'll never forget that. It all ended in 1992, at least in Germany. Then came the automated ticket sold at a lot more stores. In some ways I like it better today.

That's right. Queues round the building. I remember the Osmonds touring in the early 70's and hundreds of girls camping out overnight in sleeping bags...in the rain!

Quote
paulywaul
I can't, I genuinely can't. The first Stones show I attended was on the 81/82 tour, Wembley Stadium. I also had tickets for the Earls Court show in 1976, but could attend because I was sitting one of my univesity second year finals exams on the day. Today, I genuinely cannot remember things like:

how was a tour advertised
where did you get tickets
was there a seat selection process

1) In the press - either daily papers or ads in the music press - or both
2) You phoned up the number given in the ad and ordered with your credit card, or else you went into your local ticket outlet and bought them over the counter
3) Sometimes. Depending on the venue and artist. For all Stones tours in the UK up to 1995, you sat wherever you wanted.

1) and 2) still apply in most cases!

Quote
Gazza
[
3) For all Stones tours in the UK up to 1995, you sat wherever you wanted.

Or even better Gazza stood wherever you wanted (at least for outdoor shows). No dancin' in the aisles!

Adverts in music press and local papers. Long queues for tickets outside the venue (all night if it was a big name). I got my '76 tour tickets by mail order a good six months before the gig. Seat choice was down to who was buying the tickets and what was left. FOS centre most popular then, although if you were FOS at the old Glasgow Apollo, you couldn't see the drummer (and often other band members) because the stage was so high. No seating choice, just price band, for mail order (76 was a box overlooking the stage with Bianca and Anita in the opposite box).

In 2003, quite a few of us queued all night for tickets even though we could have bought them the modern way (and a Stones-tastic time was had by all).

I quite liked the old way. If you put the effort in, you got the tickets and it made it harder for touts. More difficult to get overseas tickets, I suppose. I do remember getting Dylan tickets for London (78) at a Glasgow venue and starting to be able to buy tickets at record shops, but in general I had to buy my tickets well in advance at the venue itself.

Quote
paulywaul
F**k, it must be that Alzheimers kicking in a tad early, but I genuinely cannot remember ?

Yes, Paul - we already know about that....

Thanks all, you've just reminded me of something. I recall now heading off to Wembley Stadium to see the Stones, early 90's I guess, and arriving early so as to race to the front of stage area as soon as the turnstiles opened. I also remember that what are now tiered individual SEATS were just plain benches in those days, so first come/first served it was for the stands. But the whole business of buying the sodding tickets in the first place, I'd really forgotten about that. It probably involved sending off a cheque.

Jeez how things have changed. In some respects I'm not sure whether some of these changes are for the better ? Some are, some not I suppose.

Quote
Beast

Quote
paulywaul
F**k, it must be that Alzheimers kicking in a tad early, but I genuinely cannot remember ?

Yes, Paul - we already know about that....

Er yes, point taken !!

A private joke people, just in case anyone's wondering what the blazes our Beastess is on about !!

Quote
paulywaul

Jeez how things have changed. In some respects I'm not sure whether some of these changes are for the better ? Some are, some not I suppose.

It's fine until the Website goes in to meltdown or you have to obtain a Platinum VIP Priority code or whatever from RS.Com at a hundred bucks!

Remember sittin' some 18 hours for Dylan tickets Mercury Lounge Melbourne 1998.

Sleepin' on floor ... Gettin' ta know other folks ...then come morning
promotor Michael Gudinski arrived around 7am and shouted us all coffee and muffins ...



ROCKMAN

Used to buy NME and usually everything would be advertised in there. In the good old days the people who really wanted the best tickets would queue up for them. The last time I did that was outside the old Tower Records in Piccadilly Circus to get Stones tickets for Shepherds Bush Empire. Also did it outside Virgin in Oxford St for the Brixton Academy Show. Seems to be a thing of the past now.
What gets me is even if you get online at the designated hour of ticket sales opening and are lucky enough to get through you get offered tickets in the upper tiers. The scam of how tickets are distributed should be investigated by the government.

.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-01-06 16:20 by Silver Dagger.

We slept on the street outside of the ticket shop, to make sure we got tickets. This was as late as in 1990! The lines were amazingly long.

Quote
Silver Dagger
Used to buy NME and usually everything would be advertised in there. In the good old days the people who really wanted the best tickets would queue up for them. The last time I did that was outside the old Tower Records in Piccadilly Circus to get Stones tickets for Shepherds Bush Empire. Also did it outside Virgin in Oxford St for the Brixton Academy Show. Seems to be a thing of the past now.
What gets me is even if you get online at the designated hour of ticket sales opening and are lucky enough to get through you get offered tickets in the upper tiers. The scam of how tickets are distributed should be investigated by the government.

<<< The scam of how tickets are distributed should be investigated by the government. >>>

O jeez, don't get ME started on this, I have VERY VERY strong views. But yeah, I AGREE with you, what happens today does need to be scrutinised and acted up on. Various People, and indeed government, have flirted with the idea of so doing, but that's all it's been to date - a mere flirtation. It needs to be SERIOUSLY addressed.

Quote
paulywaul
Thanks all, you've just reminded me of something. I recall now heading off to Wembley Stadium to see the Stones, early 90's I guess, and arriving early so as to race to the front of stage area as soon as the turnstiles opened. I also remember that what are now tiered individual SEATS were just plain benches in those days, so first come/first served it was for the stands. But the whole business of buying the sodding tickets in the first place, I'd really forgotten about that. It probably involved sending off a cheque.

Yep..you saw the ad and sent off a cheque and hope for the best. I remember in early '82 an ad in the papers for the Stones' Wembley Stadium shows. It had a massive Stones tongue, and inside it you would write in your name and address and what tickets you wanted, and you would send a cheque or postal order. The caption said "If you want to see the Stones, cut out their tongue".

Unfortunately I got a card back in the post a few weeks later with my cheque, saying they'd sold out - but that due to demand there would now be two more shows - in Bristol and Newcastle. Applied straight away for both - and was unsuccessful again. I was absolutely devastated. Thankfully they then added an Irish show at Slane Castle, so that was my first Stones gig.

When they put the three Wembley shows on sale in 1995 (actually I think they just announced one to begin with), I rang up at the onsale time of 8 am and was amazed to get through pretty much right away. When I asked were they swamped with callers, the girl told me "no..actually you're our FIRST caller!"

I've read a few Stones books down the years and saw it mentioned that it was quite normal in the US in the pre-Ticketron era for ticket applications to be conducted by a lottery system. You'd send in a postcard (obviously you could send in hundreds if need be) and would then be invited to buy your tickets if you were selected. I dont recall ever having a ticket system like that for any show over here.

Quote
paulywaul
O jeez, don't get ME started on this, I have VERY VERY strong views. But yeah, I AGREE with you, what happens today does need to be scrutinised and acted up on. Various People, and indeed government, have flirted with the idea of so doing, but that's all it's been to date - a mere flirtation. It needs to be SERIOUSLY addressed.

Yup the flirtation needs to develop into a full blown romance.

Flyers. Posters.

Music mag ads.

Radio ads.

Articles in local newspapers, culture mags and for some, hopefully an article in Rolling Stone or whatever else was around.

Other than that it was a new record being out with a single with hype from the DJ and whatever word of mouth.

In fact, I do believe the internet has made it worse. Bands that have a myspace, facebook and twitter with videos on youtube do not get any more people at their shows than without that crap. I've heard people say Yeah they do, I'm one of them. And it makes me laugh because I'll say "You're the only one". Why bother going when you can

1. illegally download music
2. watch (shitty) videos on youtube which leads to
3. save your money by staying home - unless it's a U2 or Stones show, then the big bucks fly freely.

In 1972, I was fifteen years old and we camped out overnight at the Spectrum in Philadelphia to get Stones tickets. (I'm still surprised that my parents let me...) I had seen them at the Spectrum 3 years earlier too (My mom took me and my 2 brothers).

The day before tickets went on sale, we staked out a good spot right in front of the box office window. BUt later that afternoon, they made us move to the side because there was a show at the Spectrum that night. Three Dog Night, I still remember.

The next morning was mayhem. There was no queue. The frenzied crowd pressed against the box office window from all sides. After a person was lucky enough to complete a transaction at the box office window, there was no way to get out of the crowd. So people were lifted up, clutching the prized tickets, and passed overhead to the back of the crowd. The tickets cost only $6.50 and I was lucky to get a pair.

Back then it was a challenge with no internet..

I used to hear about shows via the local rock stations, through friends, Village Voice newspaper etc.....

Getting tickets was a real hunt back then....Local record stores or department stores , like Macy's, here in the U.S. would have a ticketmaswter and we would que outside the stores the night before to try to get the best seats....

If you knew someone who worked in the store and ran the Ticket machine they could print you tickets before the doors opened and I was able to get great tix that way through a friend before he quit....

You could also get tix at the venue box office and I spent many a cold night waiting in line at an arena...

I lived about a hour north of New York back in those days and we had a Ticket reseller (tout) in the next town and she could get decent tickets at a reasonable markup so I started to use her for shows when I could afford it. Got my floor seat tix to see the Stones at MSG back in 75 though the Ticket Broker. Also had tickets to see Led Zeppelin at MSG in February 75 but it snowed so hard I could not get to New York that night and missed the show...that one still haunts me.....

Also in the early to mid seventies I used to take a train for an hour to NYC to get tickets, for the Schaeffer Music Festival in Central Park, at Macy's Dept. Store as that was the only outlet that sold them if I remember right...No Ticketmaster back then....Tickets were $1.50-2.50 and I used to get tickets to 20 shows at a time...Great bands played there and I saw Aerosmith, CSN, Tod Rundgren Utopia, Foghat, King Crimson MkII, Charlie Daniels etc...Led Zep played there twice but I was too young to go back then......Had some great parties in the Park before the shows.....Those were simpler times.........

Yeah back in my olden days,you would usually hear about it on the radio. Then have to go to a local record store which had a ticket outlet. Which meant lining up very early waiting for the store to open. Locally we used to have BASS tickets. Then ticketbastard took over. Bill Graham always had unique ways to announce Stones tickets going on sale. He would tape a message which radio stations would play. I remember one year it was "At the sound of the Tumbling Dice tickets for the The Rolling Stones will go on sale". Followed by a sound effect of dice tumbling. Ahhhnh,the good old days.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Quote
SwayStones
Unfortunately for me ,I can remember

Tour ad was on radio and rock magazines .
Tickets were bought at the most famous record shop of my hometown.
I didn't care about seats at this time,my only worried was to be the nearest closed to the stage ....

me too , this was exactly the same for us, but the record shop was in amsterdam( only 10 mins away by train) off the leidseplein , we could buy bootlegs there too,
first concert was Zuiderpark Den Haag 76...

Oh ,and I 've forgot to mention the huge posters /featured on the streets !



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

I remember too, and i'm not nostalgic about it. The only good thing is that the tickets were much less xpensive, and that al that crap about memberships, special tickets packages, tc, didn't exist.
But to get tickets in foreign countries was not easy. The only way was to know somebody in those countries. Internet made thing much easier, for tickets, hotel and transport reservations.

I miss the old ways of getting tickets because it meant that the truest of fans got the best tickets first. Internet screws that.