Tickets with Friends - How to get to the show without hurting anyone's feelings or getting screwed

Your concert experience starts with getting tickets.  If you're like me, you have quite a bit of experience buying tickets, and usually, your friends know it.  Sometimes, when a band or performer you mutually like comes to town, they'll ask you to get tickets for them.  Or you might offer, thinking that it'll be a fun time for all.  There's nothing wrong with being "the one who always buys tickets," but if you have flaky friends who bail on you without paying, an event that's supposed to be fun can easily turn into a massive pain in the ass.

Here are a few tips to make sure you don't get screwed or lose your friends.  Some of these might sound obvious, or even a little harsh, but in the excitement of the ticket-buying frenzy, you can easily throw common sense out the window.  Even the best of friends can turn on each other when someone feels burdened, so a little pre-planning and communication goes a long way.

1) Check the date.  Make sure everyone who wants to go can go.  Don't buy tickets for anyone who has not checked their calendars beforehand.

2) Be honest about yours and your friends' finances:  Begin by checking ticket prices for the show, and BEFORE TICKETS GO ON SALE, discuss what price categories you and your friends are all willing to buy.  When you've determined that, make sure that you have the funds to pay for however many tickets you're getting.  If necessary, call or text them as you're buying the tickets to make sure you're on the same page.

3) Make a re-payment deadline: In many situations, I insist that the people I'm buying tickets for pay me within a couple of days of the purchase before I even buy ticket.  This helps weed out the flakes.  If they can't agree to this simple request before you buy tickets, or say "Oh I'll get you the money," they are probably going to bail on you.  And these people are not your friends.  If they don't pay you by the specified deadline, resell the tickets on a fan ticket exchange or through another legitimate venue.  Don't mess around with their nonsense.

4) After they've paid, send the tickets to your friends.  This serves two functions.  First, if they end up not being able to go, THEY are responsible for selling the tickets.  You can offer to help with selling them, but you're not stuck. Second, especially if you're arriving at the show separately, this prevents you from having to wait until your friends get there to enter the venue.

5) When all else fails, go by yourself.  I've made the huge mistake - before I became comfortable going to shows by myself - of buying a pair of tickets, thinking that I'd surely find someone to go with me.  I was wrong.  Go to the show by yourself.  Trust me on this.  You might find a single seat in a really great spot, and you'll probably meet some interesting people.  More advice on going to shows alone will come in a future post...

Bonus tip: If you can't afford to buy tickets for friends, or don't want to go to the show, offer them some pointers on getting good tickets.  They can benefit from your expertise, and really, you're making the world a better place by helping them have a great time.

Happy buying!

Welcome to The GA Section!

Welcome to The GA Section!

I am thrilled to be starting this blog and hope concertgoers and music lovers enjoy it and find it useful.  I decided to write it after many conversations with friends about the joys and frustrations of going to concerts.  We prefer mostly to rock, pop, hip hop, and related genre music, although I'm sure many of the same principles apply if you're going to the symphony.

There are plenty of other blogs, articles, and "definitive guides" out there related to concerts, but my intention is to create something more comprehensive.  I won't be listing all of the shows I've been to (a lot), or writing detailed reviews (unless it gets me a press pass), but I will share my experiences.  All views presented are mine unless otherwise noted. 

So what does "GA" mean?  "GA" stands for General Admission - the section of a concert venue without assigned seats; also known as "the pit," but in some small venues, it can be entirely GA.  I have spent many days and nights camped out in GA lines, hoping to get that amazing spot on the front rail.  But this blog is for everyone, whether you're sweating it out up front, chillin' at the soundboard, or up in the nosebleed section.

Here's a little taste of some of the things I'll be writing about:

• Tickets - how to buy, how to sell extras, how to not get stuck being the one who always gets the tickets
• Who to avoid at shows (aka, Don't Be That Guy): concerts are a microcosm of humanity, and I'll call out the drunks and disorderlies and give you tips on how to deal with them
• Surviving the GA experience: what to bring with you (and what not to bring), what to wear, and how to behave (because it needs to said)
• Concert Boot Camp: concert prep exercise tips for all ability levels from trained fitness professionals (because we're not getting any younger)
• Security: how much it needs to be improved, and how venues can get it right
• Going to concerts alone: it really can be fun!
• "Let Me Break It Down For You": a special series where I'll provide amateur psychoanalysis of bad concert behavior - with research citations!

I hope you love this blog as much as I've loved putting it together.  If you have any post ideas please feel free to contact me at thegasection@gmail.com.  My ultimate goal is making the concertgoing experience better in every way, so you and your crew have the most incredible time of your lives.  Because isn't that the point?