Nobody answers my question on the tickets board. What time do you have to line up to get a decent seat to a Europe show with FOS tickets? Decent means within a few bodies of the catwalk or the B-Stage, not necessarily front of the main stage.

I don't know if I understand your question right, but there are no seating on the pitch for European shows - all standing (except Twickenham). On the pitch there are two standing sections, one big and one small front of stage.

It's not sure how many FOS tickets they sold. So it's not sure how big the FOS Area will be, probably bigger than the last tours. B-stage will be in general admission "standing" section.

drbryant Wrote:
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> Nobody answers my question on the tickets board.
> What time do you have to line up to get a decent
> seat to a Europe show with FOS tickets? Decent
> means within a few bodies of the catwalk or the
> B-Stage, not necessarily front of the main stage.

Your question would suggest that you think there is pitch "seating" at European shows. No so, only in the UK. At ALL other European shows without exception (I'm 99 percent sure) it is free standing; that is to say you stake out your place by getting there early. I believe some shows have the immediate front of stage area divided off separately and tickets for that area are priced separately as compared to the rest of the pitch/field, but there is definitely no seating.

Does that answer your question ?

i think Drbryant didn't literally mean "seat" - i think he wants to hear how to get a better position than the people who are kindly advising him. :E
the thing is: it's not a time thing. the etiquette in European FOS situations is (of course!) to let people the band will enjoy looking at up close -
that's a big part of what fans can contribute to creating the conditions for a really hot show.
those folks do their part by shakin their tailfeathers real pretty, not drooling and not scaring the band
by holding up signs that say "i've got it in for you" as if that meant something good. :E


"What do you want - what?!"
- Keith

They sell like 4,500 tickets to the quite large Front Of Stage area. And by the time they open the gates there will be 400 or more people at the gates. Some times there are 1000 or more. And there are many gates. So what you have to do is get some good running shows, be fit, find the gate that is closest to the stage, hope they open that gate at the same time as the other gates, which is normal bit not always, then when they let you in run like crazy. Some times they ask you to walk, not run, then it is more sivilized, but after a few meters many or lmost all run anyway.

If you really want to be up front I mean first 2-3 people center then you have to go in the morning. Really. Bring food and talk to people in the queue so that they know you and you can have a break for food drinks and other needs. This goes for both the queue outside as well as your spot up front. Fans are always sivilized and take care of each other and their positions.

Bjornulf

Thanks, Bjornulf. That's very helpful.

bv Wrote:
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> They sell like 4,500 tickets to the quite large
> Front Of Stage area.

thats all? really? cool

4,500 tickets equates to about 25-30 rows of people. Those in the back won't see the stage unless they are tall.

Also some shows tickets for FOS are preallocated Left or Right.

Others you need to pick which side you want to be on when you get there.

During LICKS and previous tours the FOS was around 3,000 people. Equal halfs of around 1,500 each side of the centerline. Not just 20-30 lines of people but may be 100 or so pretty packed up front and easy to move as you got halfway to the B-stage. Some places they oversold the FOS and it was packed. This time it is bigger may be 4,500 or more i.e. may be 1/3 almost of the field. But I have seen some places like Brussels have a bigger area where it must be 8,000 or more i.e. first half is called FOS. And in Bergen Norway the FOS is smaller because it is expensive. May be 2,000.

Bjornulf

How can 1/2 the pitch be "front of stage"?

I have asked the same question twice and I was gonna aske it again when the show was coming closer.Now I got my answer

drbryant Wrote:
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> How can 1/2 the pitch be "front of stage"?


its all relative. Its like calling £90 tickets "cheap" and a 6,000 seater venue a "club".

drbryant Wrote:
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> How can 1/2 the pitch be "front of stage"?

With the stones everything is possible :-( or :-)

Money Talks...........

you're not lined up yet??!!!?! you better hurry!!

Question to BV:

If U have tickets fot FOS in Barcelona, I have my place in that area guaranteed, haven´t I?

No need to rush.

Am I not seeing the things right?

With my new education, I think that I can answer that. You are guaranteed to be in the FOS Area, but in many venues the FOS Area is quite large, so you still want to get there early.

The FOS at Madrid looks like half the field standing. The FOS at Zaragoza during Licks was about one quarter of the field and has it far from sold out they opened the gates for a selected few nearby to fill it at no cost!

in my experience, i've only lined up in the morning for club shows (6-7am to get front row).

but on the licks tour in europe, it differed according to country. i was able to get front row (but not center) lining up at 3pm in marseille and paris. but in copenhagen, there were only about 10 of us at 4pm. i couldn't believe it. i could've shown up at 5pm and still been front row center (next the catwalk). i liked how casual everyone was in copenhagen. i love that place!

heard the crowd there a bit too "casual" in their appreciation for the stones too



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-04-26 07:33 by nikkibong.

i'd say they didn't care much for the opening act - the hives (who i liked most of all the openers i saw that summer) are swedish and i realized that there's rivalry between the countries, but in general, the crowd was very rowdy. before the show, everyone was doing the wave for a long time and chanting - a football thing. everyone seemed really psyched. during the show, of course up front we were going nuts - i can't say i remember anyone else at that point, but trying to get out the stadium was difficult - it seemed everyone wanted to stay and drink (and it was still rowdy) - they seemed like they had a good time.

Does anybody know if the FOS section in Barcelona is sold out or not?
On the stadium plan it seems to me that is also a huge FOS section there.

Keep on rollin'
Gangster

I am pretty sure that Barcelona gig must be sold out

At Berlin in 2003, we arrived at the Stadium approx 1 hour before the gates opened and got a spot FOS right on the Catwalk, Ronnies side about 8 people back from the front. As BV said, it was all very calm.

In the "old days" i.e. 1995 etc FOS was an area they had to protect the crowd in the front from being crunched. You had one ticket only. Same price all over the field. You had to queue up early day. Then as the gates opened in the afternoon, you had to run to get to the front, while they played "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Then as the sealed front pit area got full, after 5 or 20 or more minutes, they closed it, and gave out wristbands to those lucky guys who made it. No extra cost. Just a bonus if you came early. The eare was like a triangle between the B-stage and the wings of the main stage, and had may be 3,000 people in total.

These days they make extra money from this area. Also on LICKS. They add 20 or so extra Euro, some times more, some times less. Then they increased the size of the area. For most of the places the FOS looks like being around 6,000 people in total. So it is still smaller than the entire field/pitch. But it is getting bigger and bigger of course, and more and more priced, i.e. commercial. If something is getting an xtra value be sure somebody will try to make money from it.

If you just want to be among the first people on the field you can sho up at any time even at 9pm shorty before the Stones are on stage, and with the FOS ticket you have access to this area. But remember some times it might take an hour to get from the gates to the front so don't be late.

If you want to see Mick's fillings and Keith's wrinkles close up from below and by the very front then show up in the morning with running shoes, extra water and some chockolate. Be prepared and run!

Bjornulf

Why would it take an hour to get from the gate to the FOS?

For us Yanks could you please define "FOS" and "pitch". I never hear those terms here in Texas.

FOS = front of stage
pitch = playing field