So I'm visiting my girlfriend in August and quite fancied going to see Radiohead with her at the Tweeter Center, MA while I was there (cheapest tickets were $30 - $30!).
Only I've now seen that it's sold out. Am I right in thinking that ticket touting over there is proper illegal? As in, you can't just rock up to the gig and be attacked by hordes of zombified ticket touts like you can at Brixton or somewhere like that? Only doing that would be infinitely preferable to paying the extortionate fees that ticket broker sites charge (cannot seriously believe that Ticketmaster USA has the gall to link to sites like that) or dealing with some joker on Craigslist. So does anybody know what the standard etiquette is? Am I a prime candidate to get smacked down by a hard-nosed Dunkin' Donut-chomping, coffee-swilling Massachussets cop for trying to buy a ticket?
$30 for the cheapest isn't that bad, is it?
isn't that kinda like 15 quid. And it'd be about forty to see them over here.
I'm pretty sure it is really illegal - this knowledge has been attained from watching the Home Improvement episode where Tim and Al are arrested for trying to sell baseball tickets.
Yeah
I was pointing out how cheap it was. I'd have to be pretty tight to complain about paying 15 quid to see Radiohead.
oh! I thought it meant too expensive.
I've been spending too long on this site when I read things expecting them to be cynical
i believe there are
some laws specifically covering baseball tickets or something.
but that might be nonsense
Yeah, it's illegal but nobody ever cares
We call 'em scalpers, btw.
Radiohead, though, y'know, they're gonna have rabid fans eh. Go a little earlier than usual just in case...but I'd expect there to be a dozen guys offering you the deal of the century...which means somewhere around face value.
If it's a week day you'll have an easier time of it.
I had an extra tix for Kevin Drew (sold out) I literally could not give away...I threw it in the trash can... and then I couldn't buy my way into a Built to Spill show a month ago. These are the exceptions...it's usually a piece of cake to see any show pretty much any time. Have fun!
Ah cool
So you imagine it'll be just like getting a ticket for a sold out show in England then? (I don't know what your experiences are of that)
If I do get arrested I'll just put on a Hugh Grant accent and plead ignorance until they let my foppish young self go.
well....
I was living in New York last year, and I wanted to go see Modest Mouse play, but obviously it was sold out for ages. I went down outside where they were playing and there wasn't one single tout around.
After standing around for what seemed like a lifetime, I finally found one, but his asking price was $100 (face value $40) and the gig was already in progress.
I went to see Muse a few weeks later in Madison Square Garden, going for a ticket broker this time, and getting a fantastic seat for only $60, which wasn't far off the original ticket price.
If I was in your position, I would check loads of brokers online first to see if I could find a bargain. Touting seems to be done with a lot more discretion compared to the UK.
when i went to
florida the other year i wetn to see the pixies, and easily got a ticket for just over face value off ebay. in florida it is illigal to byy a ticket on ebay for more than its face value but as i was bidding from the uk i just paid 1 more dollar above the face value price and noone could out bid me and it was perfectly legal for me to do so haha felt a bit shit tho as i outbid some poor guy/gal by 1 dolalr and they phisically couldnt bid any higher
You are a true hero
George III is proud of you. Just a shame that Massachussetts doesn't seem to have a similar law as far as I can tell.
Anyway, not sure if I really want to persuade my girlfriend to drive to the gig if there's not guaranteed for there to be some touts who we can get illegal with. Nor do these broker sites seem that cheap right now - I'm guessing prices drop nearer the gig?
i spent $100
on two tickets to see spiritualized in a church in new york.but when we tried to get in the woman on the door revealed that we did infact have two new york mets tickets with spiritualized glued on top.oh how we laughed.5 years later
Canna wait 5 years
I'm larfing right now. :D
oh boston
whenever i go to shows, there are always people selling tickets for whatever reason. however, these are usually smaller venues in places like central square or allston so security probably isn't as "tight" as it might be at a monster of a venue like the tweeter center. honestly, i don't think officer tony with his cup of dunkin donuts coffee will smack you down. i would be wicked shocked if he did! ;)
wicked shocked, wicked awesome!
Bostonian accents and slang FTW
<3
Scalpers will see you right
they are always at every big sporting event and gig just like UK. Illegal but doesn't appear to be inforced in any way.
i just remembered
that bit in the Superbowl episode of the Simpsons with the 'Scalper' outside the Ground, 'you'll only hurt me, just like the rest of em'!!
"Stop eating our tickets!"
:D