Desert Trip mega-concert tickets sell out in 5 hours


Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards perform in 2015 at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images)

By Randy Lewis
May 10, 2016

Tickets for Desert Trip, the rock mega-concert in October in Indio featuring Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, the Who, Neil Young and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, sold out in five hours Monday, concert organizers said Tuesday.

Orders came in from around the globe, said Paul Tollett, head of Goldenvoice, the concert promoter that organized the Oct. 7-9 and Oct. 14-16 shows. Interest in the event, he said, has been “unprecedented. ... There were over 400,000 people trying to place orders,” he told The Times.

Sales were capped at “a little bit more than 75,000,” he said, a figure similar to what Goldenvoice does for the annual Stagecoach Country Music Festival on the same Empire Polo Club site. For the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, attendance has been expanded in recent years to 99,000 per day over a six-day run.

Tickets for Desert Trip started at $199 for a single-day admission and ran up to $1,599 for reserved-seating three-day passes for either weekend, with a variety of VIP options pushing prices above $3,000.

Shortly before tickets for the Oct. 7-9 weekend went on sale, Goldenvoice announced that all the performers would return for a second weekend.

The Times fielded complaints from a few would-be concert-goers who didn’t get tickets.

"My wife and I were both on laptops, with windows open for both weekends," West Hills resident Richard Guardian wrote in an email on Tuesday. "The first one barely crawled, the second weekend was just above snail pace.

"On Facebook I monitored comments from people that were all over the map, but most very negative and complaining, and identifying seats already on resale sites. After about three hours a friend of mine got on, but she wanted [general admission], so wasn't going to buy.

"So the bad news, no tickets. The good news, we saved money."

Tollett said Tuesday that overall the sale ran smoothly, and he reported no major glitches with the event’s website.

“It seemed to go well for all the orders that needed to be processed,” Tollett said. “So many people didn’t get tickets. That’s a bummer.”

[www.latimes.com]

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Kudos to Randy Lewis, who was spot on in tipping the festival last month...

I managed to get 6 tickets together reserved floor seating for all three nights. (1st weekend) I think it was the larger number of tickets I was seeking that got it done. Just guessing though.

Okay...haven't read through this thread, but, hey, you bands that are going to play the Desert Trip...the week between the shows...Dmay will put y'all up in Phoenix and feed ya in the process. Y'all can jam at my house and I'll record the show everybody will want to hear. It'll be a little tight sleeping arrangement wise, the missus needing more beauty sleep time these days and not wanting to share bed space with any musician but Bruce (don't ask), but we'll work it out. My next door neighbor is willing to shelter ya too, but you gotta deal with her five poodles. But, we'll make it work.

Re the festival itself, hey, why not make it a real go. Fogerty is still around, the original Santana has reunited, Crosby Stills and Nash might make peace among themselves, John Sebastian is still kicking, Joan Baez is still out there, Arlo tours, the remains of the Dead are alive, Country Joe may still be around. And, since it is a Boomer festival, what about black performers? Aretha is still kicking, Stevie Wonder has been touring. Who else is around? Oh, yeah, Ringo. Imagine him banging the drums behind McCartney during his show.

And, to make this a real time trip, when the crowds show up, say, WTF, and throw the festival open to everyone who can get there. Now, that would be groovy, man.

The email confirmation I received came in at 3:12. I was in 'waiting line' for 5+ hours for both weekends.
Killed time by paying bills online, checking various sites, reading ticket success and fail stories, etc. and watching the two screens race/crawl for the finish line.
Made it in for the 2nd weekend, but the first weekend was knocking at the entry gates when everything was paused and shut down at about 3:30.
It really sucks that so many real fans got shut out while Desert Trip/viagogo has 'Premium' passes/tickets by the hundreds (not to mention the thousands of tickets listed on ebay, etc).
And I was watching those 'Premium' passes throughout the day for weekend two. Most available were not much more than face value (I saw GA Pit for $1700, front floor center section at $1800), and the prices would fluctuate up and down throughout the day. Once it was officially 'sold out' at 3:30, all of those prices doubled and tripled - I saw GA pit earlier today listed at $2700+, and first section seating skyrocketing over $3-4,000.

Since Desert Trip is seemingly in cahoots with viagogo for the Premiums, maybe they could have prevented other secondary ripoffs by having purchasers names on ticket (show id at gate), will call, or some other form of implementation used by many other artists.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

The price to see these artists give less and less has gone up, and up. 'Oldchella' really is near the end of the line for the 60s. I saw Duke Ellington in 1966. I can understand the feeling to see these legends before the tent comes down. Because they won't be replaced.

I got 1 reserved $699 ticket for weekend 2 around noon pst, but left weekend 1 window waiting room open, which was way behind. I noticed it paused at 3:30pm and said sold out, but I still left it open. When I came back around 7:30pm, the guy was walking again, then a box came up asking if I still wanted in the box office. I said yes, and got in. There was one section available, but when I clicked it, no seats. I clicked on a few more sections, which produced nada, but then found 2 seperate $999 passes left in the whole thing.

I didn't buy them.

Does anyone know how many pit tickets were sold? I am curious as to how crowded the pit will be. I didn't snag the pit, will be back in GA, but am curious about how many people will be in the pit.

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JadedFaded
Does anyone know how many pit tickets were sold? I am curious as to how crowded the pit will be. I didn't snag the pit, will be back in GA, but am curious about how many people will be in the pit.

Good question. My guess is the boundaries could get larger depending on the
number of tickets sold. As the floor seats should be able to shift farther out.
This is just my guess though. Honestly, I'm a little cynical after observing
how the ticket sale was conducted along with the huge number of tickets in the
resellers hands.

Vegas show? How likely is it that they'd play the strip? Incidentally, Robin Leach, who hosted Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in the 80s wrote this article: [m.lasvegassun.com]

Congrats to everyone who scored the Desert Trip tix of their dreams. My straight-armed-swingin' walking man strolled into the buy page right quick, but all the tix I wanted were already gone. Only $1600 tix and the GA with "world class" chef meals remained, so I passed.

I live in San Diego but I've never been to Coachella. I was in school for so many years that I missed out on a lot of...well, life. I'm gona head up to Coachella to see where I might be able to lurk around to hear the concert for free. If you have any suggestions let me know.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards Talk Desert Trip

[www.q1043.com]

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Cristiano Radtke
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards Talk Desert Trip

[www.q1043.com]

Can't get enough of this sh-t thanks Cristiano!!

I was on the fence on the whole Coachella/DEsert thing - as much as I would love to go. It's a lot of $$$, and effort, and I'd feel better about spending the money if I hadn't just gone to see them in Rio back in Feb. That said - now I'm sort of glad I didn't have my heart set on going as it seems to be that both weekends are indeed Sold clean - including the hotel packages, which seem to range from around $4,000 to over $6,000!! Unreal.

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The Sicilian

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likecats

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The Sicilian
Too bad they couldn't add more acts. I wish Led Zeppelin was involved.

I do too, but even if they had been approached I can imagine Robert Plant rolling his eyes and scoffing at the thought of resurrecting Led Zeppelin for a nostalgia festival.

This is a lot heavier than a nostalgia festival. This isn't the Turtles and Paul Revere and the Raiders. People will be laying out some serious cash for tickets and accommodations.

I've actually wondered if it is an insult for some groups NOT to be invited. AC/DC, U2, The Dead & Company, Eric Clapton, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, Santana, Jethro Tull, Creedence Clearwater Revival, etc...

They were actually asked by the president of AEG who says "he won't retire until he gets the band to reunite".

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roller99

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The Sicilian

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likecats

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The Sicilian
Too bad they couldn't add more acts. I wish Led Zeppelin was involved.

I do too, but even if they had been approached I can imagine Robert Plant rolling his eyes and scoffing at the thought of resurrecting Led Zeppelin for a nostalgia festival.

This is a lot heavier than a nostalgia festival. This isn't the Turtles and Paul Revere and the Raiders. People will be laying out some serious cash for tickets and accommodations.

I've actually wondered if it is an insult for some groups NOT to be invited. AC/DC, U2, The Dead & Company, Eric Clapton, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, Santana, Jethro Tull, Creedence Clearwater Revival, etc...

They were actually asked by the president of AEG who says "he won't retire until he gets the band to reunite".

I have wondered the same thing: that some bands would feel slighted had they not been asked. But Im sure all the biggies were asked like LZ. U2 has their own tour going, I think. The only slightly weak name in line-up is Roger Waters WITHOUT Floyd. Had they got the whole group it would be a coup.

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DEmerson
I was on the fence on the whole Coachella/DEsert thing - as much as I would love to go. It's a lot of $$$, and effort, and I'd feel better about spending the money if I hadn't just gone to see them in Rio back in Feb. That said - now I'm sort of glad I didn't have my heart set on going as it seems to be that both weekends are indeed Sold clean - including the hotel packages, which seem to range from around $4,000 to over $6,000!! Unreal.

Leaves me wondering if some fat cat corporations bought up a bunch of the packages cause that's a whole bunch of $$$ there!!

Can't wait

Hi friends
Like many others I tried with 2 lap tops 2 IPads and my mobile but no luck.By the the first walker finished only meals remained.
I have a booked room for the first weekend.
If someone has 2 passes and consider not to use them please do not hesitate to contact me.
Erik K
Norcomp.se@gmail.com

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24FPS
The price to see these artists give less and less has gone up, and up. 'Oldchella' really is near the end of the line for the 60s. I saw Duke Ellington in 1966. I can understand the feeling to see these legends before the tent comes down. Because they won't be replaced.

cool

I tried two browsers

first weekend took forever and walking man never completed walking

was able to get 3 for the second weekend after about an hour and a half


it seemed easier to get desert trip tix than it was for Adele



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-05-12 23:00 by reg thorpe.

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reg thorpe
I tried two browsers

first weekend took forever and walking man never completed walking

was able to get 3 for the second weekend after about an hour and a half


it seemed easier to get desert trip tix than it was for Adele

Adele was the pits... but at least i only had to wait 45 minutes to be disappointed... would sure hate to have to wait 2 hours!

Unofficial and unconfirmed, but from a 99.999% reliable source.
Roger Waters:

Wed 28 Sep 2016 Mexico City Foro Sol
Thu 29 Sep 2016 Mexico City Foro Sol
Sat 01 Oct 2016 Mexico City Zocalo Square

And between Desert Trip weekends.

Tue 11 Oct 2016 tbd
Wed 12 Oct 2016 tbd
Thu 13 Oct 2016 tbd


Now more than ever I'm wondering if other Desert Trip bands will have something planned...maybe the Stones in Vegas?

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Anybody hear anything regarding Waters theme for this run? It's clearly not the Wall (Thank God).

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Woz
Anybody hear anything regarding Waters theme for this run? It's clearly not the Wall (Thank God).

To paraphrase what he said in the sirus interview::

"Pink Floyd's 'greatest hits' along with select solo tracks"

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Roger Friedman talks to Mick in Cannes:

Mick Jagger Says Possibility of Performing “Like a Rolling Stone” with Bob Dylan at Mega Concert



I asked him if he and Bob Dylan, who playing are on the same night, might duet on Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” The Rolling Stones are known for a remarkable live version of that song.

“We could, we might,” Mick said. “We’ve done it at least once before, in Argentina. But never in the US. I have to ask him if we can.” Jagger said he’s incredibly excited about the shows, by the way.

[www.showbiz411.com]

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Hairball
Unofficial and unconfirmed, but from a 99.999% reliable source.
Roger Waters:

Wed 28 Sep 2016 Mexico City Foro Sol
Thu 29 Sep 2016 Mexico City Foro Sol
Sat 01 Oct 2016 Mexico City Zocalo Square

And between Desert Trip weekends.

Tue 11 Oct 2016 tbd
Wed 12 Oct 2016 tbd
Thu 13 Oct 2016 tbd


Now more than ever I'm wondering if other Desert Trip bands will have something planned...maybe the Stones in Vegas?

Would love for this to be true, but 3 nights in a row before the Desert Trip weekend?

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Hairball
Unofficial and unconfirmed, but from a 99.999% reliable source.
Roger Waters:

Wed 28 Sep 2016 Mexico City Foro Sol
Thu 29 Sep 2016 Mexico City Foro Sol
Sat 01 Oct 2016 Mexico City Zocalo Square

And between Desert Trip weekends.

Tue 11 Oct 2016 tbd
Wed 12 Oct 2016 tbd
Thu 13 Oct 2016 tbd


Now more than ever I'm wondering if other Desert Trip bands will have something planned...maybe the Stones in Vegas?

Ooooh thx for this Hairball. Ima keep digging for info on possibility of Vegas.

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bye bye johnny
Roger Friedman talks to Mick in Cannes:

Mick Jagger Says Possibility of Performing “Like a Rolling Stone” with Bob Dylan at Mega Concert


I asked him if he and Bob Dylan, who playing are on the same night, might duet on Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” The Rolling Stones are known for a remarkable live version of that song.

“We could, we might,” Mick said. “We’ve done it at least once before, in Argentina. But never in the US. I have to ask him if we can.” Jagger said he’s incredibly excited about the shows, by the way.

[www.showbiz411.com]

Good news!

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weinerdog

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Hairball
Unofficial and unconfirmed, but from a 99.999% reliable source.
Roger Waters:

Wed 28 Sep 2016 Mexico City Foro Sol
Thu 29 Sep 2016 Mexico City Foro Sol
Sat 01 Oct 2016 Mexico City Zocalo Square

And between Desert Trip weekends.

Tue 11 Oct 2016 tbd
Wed 12 Oct 2016 tbd
Thu 13 Oct 2016 tbd


Now more than ever I'm wondering if other Desert Trip bands will have something planned...maybe the Stones in Vegas?

Would love for this to be true, but 3 nights in a row before the Desert Trip weekend?

It's actually between the two Desert Trip weekends, and nothing is confirmed. Could be just one show from those dates, but then again it could be none.
"tbd" could be another way of saying "up in the air" or "undecided"...I'm just passing along what I read.
He plays Desert Trip on the 9th and the 16th, so will have a bit of spare time between those shows, but he might just take a long nap between the Desert Trip weekends.

As for the Mexico dates, those are as good as confirmed from what I've heard.

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keepmehappy
Ooooh thx for this Hairball. Ima keep digging for info on possibility of Vegas.

Stones in Vegas - hope we hear something solid about this.
Everything seems to be pointing in that direction!

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-05-15 01:00 by Hairball.

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Hairball

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Woz
Anybody hear anything regarding Waters theme for this run? It's clearly not the Wall (Thank God).

To paraphrase what he said in the sirus interview::

"Pink Floyd's 'greatest hits' along with select solo tracks"

Excellent

[news.iheart.com]

Join iHeartRadio’s ‘Ultimate Desert Trip’ Sweepstakes for a chance to win tickets to the Historic Desert Trip Concert! The Grand Prize winner will receive: a VIP trip for four to the “Desert Trip” concert in Indio, California October 7th, 8th and 9th, 2016 at the Empire Polo Club; Round-trip first class airfare to Palm Springs, California; Ground transportation to and from airport and the private residence for concert; Four night’s accommodations in one private residence located adjacent to the concert site; Personal chef at the private residence for the three days; VIP access at the concert all three nights; Four personalized front row reserved seats for all three nights of the concert. The ARV of this prize is $75,000. Open only to individuals who are legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and who are at least 18 years of age or older.