Boy, am I glad I don't like Metallica

otyikondo · Post by **otyikondo** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:47 pm

Christ, what a bunfight. Apparently sold out in 40 minutes, and within the hour the first tix were up on huuto.net, and there are a slew of people who are mightily ticked off at Lippupalvelu/Ticketbastard.

Anyone out there who stood patiently in the cold and scored nosebleed seats or nothing at all? It sounds as though the phones and the Net all crashed, but one reply to the linked article said that there were serious buyers out there in IRC-Gallerialand who were hauling the tickets in hand over fist.

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JasonS · Post by **JasonS** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:28 pm

Hei Otyi!
yeah i was just looking at a forum with plenty of people whining(again) about not getting tickets. I don't understand why most of these desperate people didn't join the metallica fanclub which allowed you to get tickets in a much more relaxed manner online last week. With the stadium gig a couple of years ago selling out in 40mins it's easy to see Metallica is the most wanted gig ticket in Finland and people shouldn't be so surprised they are so hard to get hold of.

I'm in a slightly lucky position of holding a very limited 'Events Club Private VIP(blah blah blah)' membership which lets me book 2 tickets to any Welldone/Live Nation event before they go on general sale. So i snapped up 2 tickets last week. I'm not some 'fat cat businessman' though(it's not expensive)

I do use it alot (i'm also an old fan of Metallica) and i've been to many great gigs in the past few years.

I think maybe most Finns haven't yet realised how many(and usually the best) tickets go in these 'pre-sales'. I know all the big gigs in the US/UK always have a variety of pre-sales which don't leave all that many(or at least very good) tickets left for general sale. I don't generally agree with this but it's a fact of life if you really want a hot ticket you just have to do some research and get in a pre-sale somehow.

see you there!

otyikondo · Post by **otyikondo** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:56 pm

JasonS wrote:Hei Otyi!
yeah i was just looking at a forum with plenty of people whining(again) about not getting tickets. I don't understand why most of these desperate people didn't join the metallica fanclub which allowed you to get tickets in a much more relaxed manner online last week. With the stadium gig a couple of years ago selling out in 40mins it's easy to see Metallica is the most wanted gig ticket in Finland and people shouldn't be so surprised they are so hard to get hold of.

I'm in a slightly lucky position of holding a very limited 'Events Club Private VIP(blah blah blah)' membership which lets me book 2 tickets to any Welldone/Live Nation event before they go on general sale. So i snapped up 2 tickets last week. I'm not some 'fat cat businessman' though(it's not expensive) I do use it alot (i'm also an old fan of Metallica) and i've been to many great gigs in the past few years.

I think maybe most Finns haven't yet realised how many(and usually the best) tickets go in these 'pre-sales'. I know all the big gigs in the US/UK always have a variety of pre-sales which don't leave all that many(or at least very good) tickets left for general sale. I don't generally agree with this but it's a fact of life if you really want a hot ticket you just have to do some research and get in a pre-sale somehow.

see you there!

You certainly won't see ME there, but I agree 110% with you on the whining. So many people who call themselves tosifanit but who have not made the effort to join a pre-sale arrangement off a fan board (getting the relevant passwords and so on) or even got into bed with the evil Live Nation.

One is left with the feeling that their vision of being a "true fan" is having bought an album once. This is all very well for Stadium gigs, which are full of people like that anyway, but when you reduce the numbers of tickets available, naturally push comes to shove - and those who worked hardest deserve to get the tickets in my book. Or at least those who did nothing and got screwed should look to themselves.

The whole "sold out in 40 minutes" stuff is nevertheless a bit of a myth. Desk sellers at Lippupalvelu outlets print out shedloads of tickets at 9:00:01 and sell them over the course of a couple of hours. The tickets are "sold" as soon as they are printed out, but are only taken up by customers rather later. I've regularly bought tickets in person and had the order taken (for those in the line, in number order) a quarter of an hour before the computers went live, such that the tickets were printed and in our hands and we were out of there by 9:05. This is the only sensible way of doing it, as if you are, say, fifth in line, behind four people who all say: "Ho...hmm... I think I'd like something on the right-hand side of the stage... no, maybe the left.. .do you have anything in the stalls...just a minute, I have to call my friend Sari to see how many we need...", then you are as good as dead in the water, even if you got up at 6 a.m.

otyikondo · Post by **otyikondo** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:12 pm

The situation on huuto.net is developing nicely. Quite a suspicious number of people with no feedback whatsoever emerging to bid seriously silly money for tickets. I imagine they are simply "spoilers" trying to mess with those who bought for a quick profit, and with no intention of ever buying them. Can't say I'd be sorry if they were.

JasonS · Post by **JasonS** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:28 pm

Yep wise words Otyi. You're right i think there will be alot of 'spoilers' on huuto very angry at those 'entrepreneurs' just making a quick buck. I guess they deserve/expect some hassles but they'll sell the tickets eventually for a tidy profit i'm sure.

JasonS · Post by **JasonS** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:43 pm

otyikondo wrote: The whole "sold out in 40 minutes" stuff is nevertheless a bit of a myth. Desk sellers at Lippupalvelu outlets print out shedloads of tickets at 9:00:01 and sell them over the course of a couple of hours. The tickets are "sold" as soon as they are printed out, but are only taken up by customers rather later. I've regularly bought tickets in person and had the order taken (for those in the line, in number order) a quarter of an hour before the computers went live, such that the tickets were printed and in our hands and we were out of there by 9:05. This is the only sensible way of doing it, as if you are, say, fifth in line, behind four people who all say: "Ho...hmm... I think I'd like something on the right-hand side of the stage... no, maybe the left.. .do you have anything in the stalls...just a minute, I have to call my friend Sari to see how many we need...", then you are as good as dead in the water, even if you got up at 6 a.m.

i noticed a post somewhere that apparently not all the box offices do this and there are some 'lippupalvelupisteet' which are more favourable at mass printing off than others. Good research sure pays off in the great ticket rush game:) I would be really bummed though if i queued from over 3hrs from 6am only to leave empty handed. ho hum!

sammy · Post by **sammy** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:16 pm

otyikondo wrote:
JasonS wrote:...I don't generally agree with this but it's a fact of life if you really want a hot ticket you just have to do some research and get in a pre-sale somehow.
You certainly won't see ME there, but I agree 110% with you on the whining. So many people who call themselves tosifanit but who have not made the effort to join a pre-sale arrangement off a fan board (getting the relevant passwords and so on) or even got into bed with the evil Live Nation.

One is left with the feeling that their vision of being a "true fan" is having bought an album once. This is all very well for Stadium gigs, which are full of people like that anyway, but when you reduce the numbers of tickets available, naturally push comes to shove - and those who worked hardest deserve to get the tickets in my book. Or at least those who did nothing and got screwed should look to themselves.

Agreed - you'd suppose those who really, really want... or perhaps I should say need... the items, would go through the hoops. But as to who is a true fan and who isn't... how one should define one - would a true fan be someone who has all the LP's and cd's, signed, and kept in a box lined with Mr Hetfield's hair but (having witnessed 20 outings already) goes to this gig more or less out of habit - or someone who has maybe just one album but genuinely likes it a lot nevertheless, and due to not having been 'in the know' now misses this gig? Call me pervert but if I was to decide, I might be tempted to give the only remaining ticket to the latter.

That said, those who whine are a bit silly, since what else than a Blitzkrieg for the tickets was to be expected? In that sense, those left clutching the shortest straw do have themselves to blame.

Just for the record, I won't be there either - a legend of sorts, yes, but for some reason not quite my cup of tea. To be honest I didnt' even know they were coming

As Juice said: jumalaut, mä oon out.

IMO there was 'something' in Dyer's Eve, though!

otyikondo · Post by **otyikondo** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:07 am

Is this a new record, by the way, for early sales? I seem to recall getting a wad of Stones tickets for people as Christmas presents some years back, but that probably meant they were on sale in December (for a June/July gig). And Springsteen in 2003 went on sale in November (and then again later for the additional gig).

With any luck the ink will have faded on the tickets by next June...

It makes perfect sense for Lippupalvelu outlets to print large numbers out and flog them directly that way. For a start it's QUICKER - gets the queue moving. Secondly there is the very real consideration that once the tix are printed off they are probably "sold" in the eyes of the Lippupalvelu accountants, who can then invoice the promoter for any handling charges for distributing the things. Always assuming it works that way, of course.

Certainly this is exactly what happened in Sello today, according to our neighbour, whose son lined up. When he got to the desk, the tickets were all laid out in neat piles according to block, and the girl just picked some up from the desktop. Anyway he got tickets, just after 10 a.m., some 25 minutes after the gigs were officially "sold out".

I didn't know either, Sammy. I think maybe I thought they'd just BEEN. Didn't really make much difference either way. Weren't they the lot that sued Napster? Barstids.

As for your definitions of "fannery", I'm tempted to agree with you, but given the elechronic times we live in, yer true fans new and old will of course be emoting away like billy-oh about the band and everything on massage boards on the Intarweb, where they'd learn these arcane ticket-buying things like a shot. "Community, innit?" Those who DON'T go but wish they had, or who live halfway across the world, will in any event get a real-time SMS-driven update of the setlist as it happens posted on some Metallica fanboard, and will gush about it/say Finland got shafted. The news that Springsteen played Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (in July) was beamed breathlessly around the world before he had even reached the second verse.

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:16 pm

I have no interest in Metallica, but I did try to get tickets for Depeche Mode in The O2 next May.

Registered with Livenation, no joy, don't know how many they actually put up for the pre-sale on Livenation at £35 and £45 but it can't have been many. Then Livenation sends you to a Ticketmaster page, none on sale at the £35 / £45 original price... but it miraculously it gives a link to getmein.com

And hey presto, there are plenty of tickets on sale starting from £82.50 going up to £286 per ticket in the better spots.

It occurs to me that the tickets were sold-out as soon as the pre-sale started, and those tickets are now on sale for 2-6 times their face value. It stinks.

JasonS · Post by **JasonS** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:01 pm

Interesting stuff...one thing's for sure is that buying tickets for popular gigs has become a crazily complicated business with everyone keen to make a tidy profit over face value. There's pre-sales, VIP packages, auction sites, ticket brokers, fan message boards, 'official' re-sale sites, play.com's new 'marketplace', not to mention good old fashioned shady ticket touts outside the venue(what's the american word for them?)...good grief charlie brown the list gets bigger! Making me rather just pop down to Tavastia, Kuudes Linja and those sorts of places for a ten euro note and no queue..

ps. c'mon otyi and sini, i know you're closet air guitar heroes when you dig out your old Metallica albums

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:54 pm

JasonS wrote:'official' re-sale sites

That's what gets me ... the official resale site belongs to the company that sold the tickets in the first place. And a week after the tickets went on sale (sold out), they are being touted at up to 6x the face value, through the ticket vendor's own website!? I could kind of understand it if I was looking for last minute tickets immediately before the concert, but this concert is over 6 months away.

I just hope that there will be more (and closer) concert dates announced for the tour I'm interested in.

ajdias · Post by **ajdias** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:11 pm

JasonS wrote:Interesting stuff...one thing's for sure is that buying tickets for popular gigs has become a crazily complicated business with everyone keen to make a tidy profit over face value. There's pre-sales, VIP packages, auction sites, ticket brokers, fan message boards, 'official' re-sale sites, play.com's new 'marketplace', not to mention good old fashioned shady ticket touts outside the venue (what's the american word for them?)

Judging by all the interested folks in this trade that you list I'd say the word for them is small enterpreneurs.

At least they are honest in what they are doing.

otyikondo · Post by **otyikondo** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 11:33 pm

JasonS wrote:Interesting stuff...one thing's for sure is that buying tickets for popular gigs has become a crazily complicated business with everyone keen to make a tidy profit over face value. There's pre-sales, VIP packages, auction sites, ticket brokers, fan message boards, 'official' re-sale sites, play.com's new 'marketplace', not to mention good old fashioned shady ticket touts outside the venue(what's the american word for them?)...good grief charlie brown the list gets bigger! Making me rather just pop down to Tavastia, Kuudes Linja and those sorts of places for a ten euro note and no queue..

ps. c'mon otyi and sini, i know you're closet air guitar heroes when you dig out your old Metallica albums

Scalpers?

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:20 am

otyikondo wrote:

I thought that was you right there after the bloke in the the red kansitakki queuing for bananas in old Kekkoslovakia

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:48 am

Mebbe its easier and cheaper to buy a ticket for Stockholm or Russia!!
Last time I attended a concert, I paid a Heck a lot of €€ for getting a glimpse of the artist on the stage which was pretty far away ( Stadium )..
I always thought that the best seat you can get is at the comfort of your home...

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