Overnight camping for Hamlet tickets
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7612842.stm
So, almost three hundred people queue outside a London theatre to buy tickets for David Tennant in Hamlet. Some camped out overnight for a shot at the 6,000 tickets which sold out in three hours after they went on sale to the public today.
Or, they could have done what I did, which was to spend fifteen quid on a RSC membership a few weeks ago, which entitled me to take part in the members only presale last month. It took me less than a minute to get through to the box office and bag two tickets for the final performance several rows from the front which were delivered to my house the next day. No booking fee. No delivery charge.
Mrs Futurenoir loves Tennant and would leave me for him in a heartbeat, if the opportunity presented itself, I'm sure. So I can do no wrong at the moment!
My question is this though: With the vast collective knowledge and experience of my fellow Word readers, what tactics and shortcuts have you employed over the years to guarantee you get tickets for events you know will sell out almost immediately?
Some of the Hamlet tickets are already on ebay for four hundred quid a pair. The wife says she'll never speak to me again if I try and flog hers.
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There have been a few...
No.1 Bingo Hand Job (aka R.E.M.) - The Borderline, 1991
My music radar was working well that day and I guessed that the spectacularly named 'Job were none other than Athens' finest. Trouble was, after hanging around all day I still hadn't got my hands on a ticket. So I went to the restaurant next door, ordered a hamburger and a glass of wine and a plan hatched in my mind...
I spotted a waitress coming towards me and quickly dipped my finger in the wine glass and dabbed some wine under my eyes. Putting my head in my hands, I waited for her to come over and ask me what was the matter. I looked up, gazed at her with a forlorn expression and said "R.E.M. are playing, they're my favourite band and I haven't got a ticket." The sympathetic waitress then says "Hang on a minute" and goes off somewhere. She returns with a ticket, I thank her profusely. I ask how much she wants for it, she says "Give me a fiver" which was less than the original ticket price...
So I go into the venue, need a slash... go to the john and find myself standing next to Peter Buck. No words or glances were exchanged...
Result.
No.2 Radiohead secret gig, The Astoria 1997
Waved £60 in front of a bouncer's nose by the stage door and asked him "If I gave you this, do you think that door could open so I could see the show?" He replied "Yup."
Result.
Actual quote from RSC spokesperson
Oh yes, lot of interest in the play.
Saw it I Stratford earlier in the summer...
... and it actually is a really good production with a great cast. Had seen Tennant some years ago as Touchstone in As You Like It at the RSC - he was a talented Shakespearian actor then, he is now!
Was amusing tho... we went with our nephew and helped him queue up for autographs afterwards. Patrick (Cap'n Picard/Prof X) Stewart is in it too. The security guards had erected crash barriers for the throng to line up against and there was quite a throng. Jamie was keen to get both stars' signatures on his programme but a little vignette brought a smile...
To spread the chaos they phased the appearances of the stars. Stewart came out first and worked his way along the crowd signing. However, he came up against one little girl who looked quite uninterested. Says the Cap'n "Would you like an autograph?" The kid fixes him with an icy gaze and says completely matter of factly, "No." Said kid's parents look aghast and mortified. Stewart, looks at kid and looks at parents with a wry smile on his face and says, "Oh well... I know my place!" Gives the parents a huge grin and a wink and continues working his way along the crowd chuckling to himself.
Style!
Madonna yesterday
I turned up late morning, which I felt to be a bit on the early side, only to find there had been people in the queue since Monday. They were from Finland, apparently.
To put this into perspective, I turned up a full 72 hours later than them and still ended up on the third row.
We were trying to book tickets today...
...but for Midsummer's Night Dream and Taming of the Shrew
My wife FINALLY got through at about 5pm and got a very frazzled "Sorry we don't have any Hamlet tickets left..." before the Mrs had a chance to say anything. She was astonished and said, "You're the first person today who's wanted to book something other than Hamlet." In fact, she took a while to find the booking screens for those two plays - she hadn't had to look them up at all yet after 8 solid hours answering calls!!!!!
Why would people go to so much fuss. . .
to see the former presenter of Tiswas? (Or am I not keeping up again?)
What?
The Phantom Flan Flinger is starring as Hamlet? Wow! That's radical, dude!
Spit the Dog
Could take the role of Yorrick.
Glasvegas
Was curious too see if the hype surrounding Glasvegas is justified, asked my friend a couple of months ago if he would be interested in seeing them play at small venue in York called The Junction. Sadly, we both did nothing about this and the gig has now sold out. Might turn up on the night offering some hot Scotch Pies at the stage door, this may do the trick. Anyone else, see them live, are they worth a £15 train ticket from Scarborough to York?
Rock Show
My friend's father was involved in renovations at the Liverpool Empire at around the time that Wings were touring their Venus & Mars album (1973?) and had been given two comps for the gig, which he gave to his son. My friend generously decided to give the other ticket to one of our gang of 10 or so teenagers; this to be decided by lottery. Being the most sensible and trustworthy member of the gang I was entrusted to organise the draw i.e. write out the names on little pieces of paper and put them in a bag. With so much at stake my trustworthiness deserted me because for every Steve, Paul, Jonno etc. placed in the bag there was an equivalent Obdewlla in there so I had a 2:1 chance...
It was a great gig!
If anybody knows how to get tickets for...
the british lions vs SA next year please let know. I have flight and hotels booked but no tickets.
(Apologies for hi-jack)
Email newsletter
Most of your fave groups will have some boxes to fill in or tick to get a weekly email from them, flogging the latest CD or single. Kaiser Chiefs have priority booking for gigs but that still did not secure me tickets for the opening night of the Leeds Academy. Darn.
I also get a weekly emailshot from Live Nation. Would be useful if Madonna or some totally obscure artist playing a chip shop in London was my bag but, thankfully, it is not.