Re: TicketMonster Corruption

[BearInLV@aol.com]

I learned a lot about TicketMaster last year during the Who's '96 tour.  

1.  Did you know some venues have a contract that delays TicketMaster from
coming on-line for several minutes after the tickets go on sale at the venue?
 This is the case at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  I was tenth in line and got
5th row center for the Who last year.  Somebody said to me that I was lucky,
TM came on line right after I got my tickets.  Yet, the people behind me got
6th and 7th row, right behind me.  If it is possible, I believe buying the
tickets at the venue is the only way to get the best seats.

2. Some venues block out seats, others don't.  So, if the venue gives TM
blocks they always (in my experience) keep the best for themselves, and TM
gets only a few good seats.

3. Sometimes the operator is corrupt.  I have heard stories of TM outlets run
off a bunch of tickets right off the bat and keep the good ones.  I doubt
this would happen as easily at a venue box office.

4.  Trying a phone number in the same TM region, but a different city from
where the show is works pretty well.  I bought tickets to the 11/14 Worcester
MA show from here in NV.  I tried the Boston number, and it was so jammed I
couldn't even get a busy signal.  After 10 minutes I tried the Springfield MA
number.  I got in on the first try!  I wish I had tried that one first.  I
got what I felt was a pretty good seat, at the top of the section closest to
the stage.

I really wish there was a better way of distributing tickets to the fans.  I
hear the Grateful Dead had a way of doing that by using a special phone
number or something like that.  I am lucky in that Las Vegas is the easiest
place I've ever been to get good seats for concerts.  The promoters count on
30% of the tickets to go to tourists right before the show, so there less
competition on opening day.  They also use several prices, making the best
seats expensive.  The face value of the top tickets to the Who's show at the
MGM last year  were $150!

Well, I'm sure that was more info than anyone cared about.  It was fun to
write, though....

John