How does someone get dead-center front row seats?
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In 2005, I was lucky enough to get front row seats without scalpers or the VIP package. The front row seats I got were off to the side right in front of Brian Ray. About 30 minutes before the concert started, I noticed a security guard leading a group of young female fans to the front row, right in front of Paul. It seemed odd to me, to say the least. They seemed really excited as if they had just been given the seats. During the show, the videoboards cut to them. When they were shown on the big screen during the show, they weren't mouthing the words like most fans do. Tonight, I've been following Twitter and see someone posted that they, along with their mother, were given front row tickets. The daughter seemed to think it was random. Are the front row tickets just given away? Do they try and give them to young, attractive ladies? Why do they do it this way? Surely Paul doesn't need good-looking women in the front row does he? Or is there a less sinister reason for it all?
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Yes, the front row center seats are given away as upgrades by Paul's people. They never sell those. Back in 2005, they did seem to put only very attractive young women in those seats; now they do upgrade guys, too, tho they still tend to choose younger people, or a combo of young person and parent. I don't know how they go about actually selecting the people for upgrades, or what section they choose them from. Before Springsteen went to having a general admission floor, his people would upgrade fans from the real nosebleed seats. Judging by the amazed reactions I have seen from the Paul upgraded people once they realize what has happened, I do think they come from upper level seats somewhere.
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Some of the people I asked who were brought up front were in the nose bleed sections. One guy and his date were from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and were given those seats by Paul's people. The best story was a couple who were given front row center from Paul's people because they gave their tickets to a couple who had their McCartney tickets stolen. A local news broadcast picked up the story about the initial robbery and the second couples generosity. Mr. McCartney's people somehow heard about it and contacted the news channel who ran the story and got their contact info from them. They contacted them and gave them tickets. They didn't know until they got to the concert where their seats were. They couldn't believe where they were sitting , and they deserved the tickets, great people! I can't remember which show it was. (I'm thinking it was in St. Louis the last time he played there)
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Maccafan82:
.... About 30 minutes before the concert started, I noticed a security guard leading a group of young female fans to the front row, right in front of Paul. It seemed odd to me, to say the least. They seemed really excited as if they had just been given the seats. During the show, the videoboards cut to them. When they were shown on the big screen during the show, they weren't mouthing the words like most fans do. ... Are the front row tickets just given away? Do they try and give them to young, attractive ladies? Why do they do it this way? Surely Paul doesn't need good-looking women in the front row does he? Or is there a less sinister reason for it all?
LOL! Yes...they NEED those young women in the videos so they can put it on the DVD!
: What a shame they think that we want to see that on our DVDs. -
Like so many things McCartney does, it SEEMS all heart felt and goodwill. But it is just another slap in the face to hard core fans. Concerts are announced, and then pre-sale is announced for fans to get the best seats possible. Fans pay $250 to $350 to get as close to Paul, their music idol, as possible. Then, at the show, where the fan is seated in the third row to the side of Paul, they get to watch some casual first timer fan who bought a $75 ticket, get put front and center. Gee, that must feel great!
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RMartinez:
Like so many things McCartney does, it SEEMS all heart felt and goodwill. But it is just another slap in the face to hard core fans. Concerts are announced, and then pre-sale is announced for fans to get the best seats possible. Fans pay $250 to $350 to get as close to Paul, their music idol, as possible. Then, at the show, where the fan is seated in the third row to the side of Paul, they get to watch some casual first timer fan who bought a $75 ticket, get put front and center. Gee, that must feel great!
Or if you are one that paid much more & ended up with a crappy seat & then see that. There was a couple making out a few rows behind me. They had aisle seats so they kinda spilled out into the aisle. The camera guy caught it all on video so be sure to watch for that one too.
: The camera guy even showed them the vid. They proceeded to look at the tape while the show was going on! -
oobu24:
RMartinez:
Like so many things McCartney does, it SEEMS all heart felt and goodwill. But it is just another slap in the face to hard core fans. Concerts are announced, and then pre-sale is announced for fans to get the best seats possible. Fans pay $250 to $350 to get as close to Paul, their music idol, as possible. Then, at the show, where the fan is seated in the third row to the side of Paul, they get to watch some casual first timer fan who bought a $75 ticket, get put front and center. Gee, that must feel great!
Or if you are one that paid much more & ended up with a crappy seat & then see that. There was a couple making out a few rows behind me. They had aisle seats so they kinda spilled out into the aisle. The camera guy caught it all on video so be sure to watch for that one too.
: The camera guy even showed them the vid. They proceeded to look at the tape while the show was going on!Ridiculous. I don't begrudge people paying $300 to be close, but I won't do it. I saw McCartney from the 11th row for $35 in 1993 and that is enough. It is not likely I will see him live again, but IF I do, at this point I will just buy a cheap ticket, $60 or whatever they cost.
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They just want to fill the seats near the front if somebody doesn't show. I was moved from a $50.00 upper tier seat to a $250.00 8th row center seat with about 5 others to fill the row at Elton John's Million Dollar Piano concert in 2012. It was a total surprise!
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When I was in Fargo, I saw a couple trying to sell two tickets. We talked for a bit and they told me that the band releases their unused tickets a few hours before the show. Anyone can purchase them for regular price. This couple bought two dead center front row tickets for $250 each. So.... if the band has no friends or family coming to the show... these tickets are available. I suppose if they aren't purchased before showtime, someone moves upper-deckers to these prime seats.
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Hey, I paid $110, sat 12 rows up from Paul and got 3 feet away from him at the end of the show. The experience is what you make of it
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vicks30:
When I was in Fargo, I saw a couple trying to sell two tickets. We talked for a bit and they told me that the band releases their unused tickets a few hours before the show. Anyone can purchase them for regular price. This couple bought two dead center front row tickets for $250 each
There were 4 young people (2 couples) who were definitely upgraded to front row dead center in Fargo - I saw them arrive at their seats and they were incredibly excited and freaked out, so I doubt that either of them were the couple you spoke to--those folks were probably sitting next to them.
For the Springsteen upgrades, I remember hearing that sometimes the people would get asked a question about Bruce before they would be offered the upgrade, stuff like what album a certain song was on. I also remember that once fans learned about the process, they would sometimes approach the upgrade team (who were known as the Men In Black for obvious reasons and were easily spotted) and ask if they could get upgraded. Big no-no. -
beatlesfanrandy:
They just want to fill the seats near the front if somebody doesn't show. I was moved from a $50.00 upper tier seat to a $250.00 8th row center seat with about 5 others to fill the row at Elton John's Million Dollar Piano concert in 2012. It was a total surprise!
Who wouldn't show up if they got front row tickets? I mean, unless you got into a car crash on the way over to the stadium...
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Maccafan82:
beatlesfanrandy:
They just want to fill the seats near the front if somebody doesn't show. I was moved from a $50.00 upper tier seat to a $250.00 8th row center seat with about 5 others to fill the row at Elton John's Million Dollar Piano concert in 2012. It was a total surprise!
Who wouldn't show up if they got front row tickets? I mean, unless you got into a car crash on the way over to the stadium...
LOL! I tried getting primo seats for the KC show in 2010 in the hours leading up to the show . . .called and stopped at the box office several times in the afternoon and evening . . .never found anything that was better than what I already had in my hands. I'd heard the stories of great stuff dropping just hours before showtime . . .oh well
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I was upgraded at the Kansas City show on 07/16! We were actually front row dead center - one of the best nights of my life! They look for excited fans walking through the lobby, and they come up to talk to you and that's when they let you know they have front row seats they'd like to upgrade you to. We had purchased merchandise and made rounds around the lobby before they came up to us. It was around 7:55PM when we were approached. While I do fit into that stereotype of a young girl, I can tell you that right next to me was a couple, on the other side was two older women (40s-50s I'd say), and behind us was a family with two young girls under 6. Everyone had been upgraded, so it was definitely a range of people from what I saw. I really think that they just walk the lobby looking for excited fans who look like they will give off a great energy to Paul + band during the show - and a lot of being in the right place at the right time.
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But what kind of thinking is that? Wouldn't a fan who BUYS a front row ticket be excited, and couldn't Paul feed off of that person's energy? "We better keep some front row seats empty so we can fill them up with excited fans to make sure Paul has a groovy crowd to play to!" WHAT???? How about sell tickets to the show and let fans buy them and enjoy the concert?
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RMartinez:
But what kind of thinking is that? Wouldn't a fan who BUYS a front row ticket be excited, and couldn't Paul feed off of that person's energy? "We better keep some front row seats empty so we can fill them up with excited fans to make sure Paul has a groovy crowd to play to!" WHAT???? How about sell tickets to the show and let fans buy them and enjoy the concert?
I'd be ecstatic if I knew I'd just BOUGHT front row/center (even moreso if it didn't quite cost me $2000!) -
Seuss:
RMartinez:
But what kind of thinking is that? Wouldn't a fan who BUYS a front row ticket be excited, and couldn't Paul feed off of that person's energy? "We better keep some front row seats empty so we can fill them up with excited fans to make sure Paul has a groovy crowd to play to!" WHAT???? How about sell tickets to the show and let fans buy them and enjoy the concert?
I'd be ecstatic if I knew I'd just BOUGHT front row/center (even moreso if it didn't quite cost me $2000!) -
Maccafan82:
beatlesfanrandy:
They just want to fill the seats near the front if somebody doesn't show. I was moved from a $50.00 upper tier seat to a $250.00 8th row center seat with about 5 others to fill the row at Elton John's Million Dollar Piano concert in 2012. It was a total surprise!
Who wouldn't show up if they got front row tickets? I mean, unless you got into a car crash on the way over to the stadium...
Like I was told. There are several front row seats reserved for the band. If they don't have friends or family attending the show, they release those tickets a few hours before. At least, that's what that couple told me.
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It was announced shortly before Missoula that 300 more tix had become available for sale, tix that had been reserved by the band/crew that would not be needed for some reason. I've seen this before; I guess they try to sell them first, and then if any are left over, they start scouring the arriving ticket-holders for people to upgrade. Every Paul show I go to, with our "cheaper" tix, I'm hoping someone will pick us, but hasn't happened yet!
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I think there are some front row center seats that are ALWAYS reserved for upgrades and have nothing to do with the band; I have noticed upgraded people at pretty much every show I have been to over the past few years.
