Types of Venues: Assigned Seating vs General Seating

[Suzy]

If we never get privileges for presale tickets for seated venues, then that would be truly disappointing. The MFC will still be a very important community to be part of so that we can notify eachother of ticket sales. We can also compensate by having a concert buddy buy sets of group of tickets so that MFCers can sit together and buy them off eachother, but that would still be less ideal.

[Mika4Life13]

If we never get privileges for presale tickets for seated venues, then that would be truly disappointing. The MFC will still be a very important community to be part of so that we can notify eachother of ticket sales. We can also compensate by having a concert buddy buy sets of group of tickets so that MFCers can sit together and buy them off eachother, but that would still be less ideal.

yeah i mean without us, his fans, he wouldnt be all too famous ticket sales wouldnt go up, hed be poorish. We should get some sort of perks for being the reason he is able to make a second cd

[mikalovernj]

so whats the deal with getting to get presale tickets?

 

i mean is it just a notification on the forum?

[Christine]

I think venues like the Wiltern are the best. Standing room up front and a seated area behind.

 

I agree but those days are over. If there are larger general admission venues in North America they are pretty rare. There are certainly none in Toronto unless they are still doing GA shows at the Coliseum. I've been to one GA show there - in 1984.

 

Another perk of general admission is that MFCers (who are able to queue early) can, if they like, all stand together once inside - or at least close to together.

 

Once the front row is 100 people wide this is nearly impossible. I was often nowhere near the people I wanted to stand with and don't think I got within 30 feet of Jennie and Cynthia at all, though we queued together every day.

 

I was lucky that there were so many MFCers in London that I still had people I knew around me, but at the last show none of my friends that I'd spent the week with were beside me. I wouldn't go so far as to say it totally ruined the show for me, but it really sucked.

 

We were all determined to stay together but even with assistance from John and Mika's security team it was never going to happen. The venues just refuse to do what is necessary to allow people to enter in the proper order and stay together.

[Christine]

so whats the deal with getting to get presale tickets?

 

i mean is it just a notification on the forum?

 

We don't know yet. Assuming that they do it at all it could be fairly simple. A blanket code that you enter when you make purchases from Live Nation or Ticketmaster during a presale that takes place before tickets go on sale to the general public.

 

Ideally it would be a little more involved and each fan club member would receive a unique code. You could use your code once to purchase tickets from a block of seats that have been reserved specifically for fan club members.

[babspanky]

Personally, I prefer to stand during a Mika concert. he's not the type you can exactly sit still for.

 

I think venues like the Wiltern are the best. Standing room up front and a seated area behind.

 

But that means that anyone unable to stand for hours, or stand without support will always be at the back.

[Christine]

But that means that anyone unable to stand for hours, or stand without support will always be at the back.

 

You must come on the N. American MFC fan tour bus. We can finally enjoy some concerts together with decent seats instead of behind 3,500 people.

 

And Sariflor needs to start coordinating that Albert Hall performance. We'll get some nice box seats for the occasion.

[babspanky]

You must come on the N. American MFC fan tour bus. We can finally enjoy some concerts together with decent seats instead of behind 3,500 people.

 

And Sariflor needs to start coordinating that Albert Hall performance. We'll get some nice box seats for the occasion.

 

Ah yes, boxes are the best, I used to have a friend who was a nanny for rich people who owned a box. Anything they didn't want to see, she was able to use the box. We saw quite a lot there, but I don't remember much of it except Sade, who was so boring. It was in the 80's though and my memory isn't what it was, you know.

 

The rich people lived in a house in Regents Park with a lift in it just for them. How the other half live.

[Christine]

The rich people lived in a house in Regents Park with a lift in it just for them. How the other half live.

 

I had a lift in my house. Not only was it not just for me, but it didn't work. I had to carry my groceries up 4 storeys.

 

I lived in flat #2 and the guy who delivered my clothes dryer was not happy when he discovered that the flat numbering didn't start on the ground floor.

 

Was it too bitchy of me to tell him it's not my problem? If I thought it was going to be easy to get a clothes dryer into my flat I would have done it myself instead of paying for delivery.

[babspanky]

I had a lift in my house. Not only was it not just for me, but it didn't work. I had to carry my groceries up 4 storeys.

 

I lived in flat #2 and the guy who delivered my clothes dryer was not happy when he discovered that the flat numbering didn't start on the ground floor.

 

Was it too bitchy of me to tell him it's not my problem? If I thought it was going to be easy to get a clothes dryer into my flat I would have done it myself instead of paying for delivery.

 

 

Not too bitchy at all. We need more bitches I always think. I ordered tiles for my bathroom and they came on a pallet and they were heavy, but because you can't drive right up to my door, the delivery driver wanted to leave it in the car park, fortunately my plumber made him bring it down to my house, but like you say, if we thought it was going to be easy we wouldn't waste the money on delivery. Bastards.

[Cassiopée]

Another perk of general admission is that MFCers (who are able to queue early) can, if they like, all stand together once inside - or at least close to together.

 

Obviously that might not be as relevant in places like London with 75+ MFCers at the same show - but especially in North America where there's 20 or fewer of us at any given show, it's nice to have MFC people all around you instead of complete strangers. It was kind of a buzz kill in Vancouver when we all met for supper, but then went our separate ways once getting to the actual venue.

 

Unfortunately, I think getting presale access is going to be more our best bet going forward - or trading 14 hour waits for buying overpriced front row tickets from eBay.

 

I can't speak for Europe, but in North America I think he's going to have no choice but to play seated venues. Thinking of LA, the Wiltern had a capacity of 2,300. Where can he go from there? Seated theatres, like the Kodak (3,400), the Greek (5,700) or the Nokia (7,100).

 

We had both in Montreal. The floor was general admission and the rest seating with allowed seats and we were over 10 000 so I think it's the best of both worlds ... but please Mika if you do this again: not in winter!!!!

[sariflor]

You must come on the N. American MFC fan tour bus. We can finally enjoy some concerts together with decent seats instead of behind 3,500 people.

 

And Sariflor needs to start coordinating that Albert Hall performance. We'll get some nice box seats for the occasion.

 

I'm sooo in line for the NA MFC Fan Tour Bus experience!! I even volunteer to do some of the driving (I promise I'm safe)

 

About the Royal Albert Hall...I just wish the M would listen and start planning it, though I suppose a litte reminder wouldn't hurt, so....

 

MIKA, ARE YOU NOT LISTENING? WE WANT YOU TO PLAY THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL. SOON IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. PLEASE??

THANKS:naughty:

 

Ah yes, boxes are the best, I used to have a friend who was a nanny for rich people who owned a box. Anything they didn't want to see, she was able to use the box. We saw quite a lot there, but I don't remember much of it except Sade, who was so boring. It was in the 80's though and my memory isn't what it was, you know.

 

Ach, I always found that Sade sent me straight to sleep....not my cup of tea at all:boxed:.

 

Personally, I prefer to stand during a Mika concert. he's not the type you can exactly sit still for.

 

I think venues like the Wiltern are the best. Standing room up front and a seated area behind.

 

I also prefer to stand; In fact I could not imagine myself sitting at a Mika gig. But what I'm saying is not that I want allocated seating so that I can sit, but just so that I can have a pre-booked "space" where I know I will be, and I don't have to fight an (often loosing) battle trying to get somewhere near the front, which is not even fair if you go by how early people got there.

 

As someone mentioned, some people here have only been in very positive situations and therefore cannot imagine how bad it was for example at the London gigs, where everything went out the window and it was just crazy.

Believe me, it was not good. And definitely not the way to go.

 

About the gigs, it's also getting really stupid now. For the last set of gigs I took the day off work, which is obviously my choice, but I knew that it was the only way to guarantee a good spot, as people would be queuing there from very early.

Every day taken as a holiday is obviously one day less holiday a year to take, plus it costs me far more money than it would to pay a bit more for the privilege of having a "good ticket".

 

Some people have raised the concerns that if there was assigned seating it would cost more and possibly price some out of it; I am looking at this argument from the other side now, in saying that this is easy to say for those who have all the time in the world to go and queue all day, but obviously, aside some students or so, who can do that?

 

In general I would agree that the general admission is best, but the way Mika gigs have gone now, where madness reigns, I think that allocated seating is the only way forward.

 

Oh, and just a comment about Montreal: I think that this only worked for you gals cause there were not many crazy Mika fans there, so you could still queue for a while and then go and get the front spot.

Just wait until he has over 100 MFC'ers plus another few "mad fans", and people queuing since the previous night....It would have been a very different experience, believe me!!

 

Sorry for the long post people.....I can never stop:roftl:

[Cassiopée]

 

Oh, and just a comment about Montreal: I think that this only worked for you gals cause there were not many crazy Mika fans there, so you could still queue for a while and then go and get the front spot.

Just wait until he has over 100 MFC'ers plus another few "mad fans", and people queuing since the previous night....It would have been a very different experience, believe me!!

 

Sorry for the long post people.....I can never stop:roftl:

 

You're probably right... there's no "good" solution when there's too many fans

[Suzy]

Everything good costs money. And although we might say it's not fair for some who can't afford to buy good seats or take days off work- it's all relative. And sometimes, its all really what you choose to sacrifice. I haven't any vices that cost me money except maybe for Maltesers, candly apples, and fudge.

 

I cannot afford to hire Mika perform live at my private birthday bash. Perhaps I can complain that isn't fair either.

[sariflor]

Everything good costs money. And although we might say it's not fair for some who can't afford to buy good seats or take days off work- it's all relative. And sometimes, its all really what you choose to sacrifice. I haven't any vices that cost me money except maybe for Maltesers, candly apples, and fudge.

 

I cannot afford to hire Mika perform live at my private birthday bash. Perhaps I can complain that isn't fair either.

 

 

Oh, I totally agree!

 

I said what I said about the holidays, because some people have said in the past that paying for good seats is not fair, because not everyone has enough money for it, hence why I said that looking at it from the other side, well, not everyone has all the time in the world to queue all day and night, so other solutions are required...

 

Oh, and the bugger hasn't gotten in touch with me yet to play at my wedding...I wonder if he doesn't remember, LOL

 

[Niki27]

There'll never be a solution that pleases everyone.

It will always be chaos, like any other gig, and really, Mika's gigs aint the worst! Think of people queuing for an entire week to see U2

Even if we had perks, just think of how long that would last before this fanclub reaches an unexpected number of members because they want the same privileges ?

 

One more thing... It's MFCers who start queuing at 4AM, not just anybody else. If we could reach an agreement within our own "troops", I'm sure a part of the problem would be solved.

[Laurel]

Just read this entire thread with interest... I don't like seating concerts at all... and I've been to tons of them.... you see my old job... I got paid to go and watch concerts

 

I'm not kidding you... I used to work for Essex County Newspapers... they have a section in their paper for Reader Trips... Concerts/Theatre Shows/Days Out etc etc etc.... the coaches you go on have a courier on board to give out your tickets, take you to the venue, find you when your drunk and lost etc

 

That's what I used to do. Have seen so many bands/artists in the last 5-6 years - it was an amazing job... had to watch complete crap as well though... so It had it's downside...

 

One thing you've not mentioned about seating concerts which I must mention - cos' it's happened to me so many times it's crazy... people thinking just cos' they have a seat, means they can stand on it to gain an extra viewing vantage... stewards will tell them to get down if they notice them... eventually.... but have you ever tried to watch a concert behind someone who's suddenly grown to 7ft.... not so much fun I tell you.... also really sorry I have a major grumble about parents taking kids sometimes to concerts when they're young... obviously if it's a flat surface... they can't see either... but then they'll get on the seat too and be taller than a normal adult is.... I'm kind of lucky that I'm slightly tall... but have you ever tried asking a parent to tell their child to get off the chair cos' they can't see without it ... but you can't see feck all when their on it

 

So no... I don't want seating concerts - cos' you still get the selfish people in front of you ruining it.. and having a seat - you have nowhere else to go

[silver]

I still can't decide how I feel about this.

 

On the one hand, it's great to be in a crowd singing along and being close to Mika, but I know from Hammersmith that I didn't have a good view of the whole stage, and a lot of the time was having to concentrate on just staying upright because people kept pushing.

 

At least with seating it tends to be raked so that you have a better chance of a view. And at quite a few gigs I've been to people stood (in front of, not on, their seats) and danced anyway.

[violet_sky]

I'm stuck in the middle here as neither option would make me 100% happy. I voted for the assigned seats alternative, though because I like the thought of not having to queue for a day to get a decent spot (yet not even guaranteed).

I can't really imagine to experience a Mika concert sitting. No.

So my preference would be something like assigned (spot) - yes, seats - no. Which is not really feasible, is it?

[-Jennie-]

I'm stuck in the middle here as neither option would make me 100% happy. I voted for the assigned seats alternative, though because I like the thought of not having to queue for a day to get a decent spot (yet not even guaranteed).

I can't really imagine to experience a Mika concert sitting. No.

So my preference would be something like assigned (spot) - yes, seats - no. Which is not really feasible, is it?

 

What would be ideal is assigned seating...until it starts and the chairs magically disappear so you're left standing.

although the ticket getting part is still frustrating.

[lollipop_monkey]

So my preference would be something like assigned (spot) - yes, seats - no. Which is not really feasible, is it?

 

Haha - they should build venues with "squares" on the floor, and you purchase your assigned square and stand in it.

 

Actually, on second thought, that still wouldn't help the people who have physical reasons for not being able to stand throughout the entire show. I guess it's true that there's no pleasing everyone.

[Suzy]

Haha - they should build venues with "squares" on the floor, and you purchase your assigned square and stand in it.

 

Actually, on second thought, that still wouldn't help the people who have physical reasons for not being able to stand throughout the entire show. I guess it's true that there's no pleasing everyone.

 

I'm certainly not disabled, but I've struggled with ankle and knee problems. I sometimes walk with a limp (especially if I've been on my feet too long without orthotics). So as I've mentioned before, I have even more reason to strive for front row, for the sake of having something to lean on (barrier or stage). Along with comfortable shoes, ankle brace, and orthotics, I manage the discomfort with pain relievers and analgesics. But I recently discovered walking canes that fold out into a stool. I wonder if this would benefit some, or even be allowed in a venue for those who have physical challenges.

http://www.promedwarehouse.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=133

[tauruslady]

I don't know what I prefer, I like smaller venues, and they're usually general admission, so general admission I suppose...

[mikaluvr]

What would be ideal is assigned seating...until it starts and the chairs magically disappear so you're left standing.

although the ticket getting part is still frustrating.

 

LOL! I vote for that choice hehee - that would be perfect!

 

Actually I voted for assigned seating. No surprise here, I also have a very hard time standing for too long and then add to that the people pressing in and crushing us like crazy. I can't imagine sitting for a whole Mika concert but it would be nice to have the space and to be able to wait in your seat, plus the waiting forever in line thing is too much for me too. It is a tough one though because I love the small venues too.

[Mikafish]

Ok I haven't really thought this thro so I'm kind of making it up as I type but the idea of an allocated square made me think.

 

What if the standing section was divided (maybe different coloured sections?) and you bought a ticket for a section of the standing. Say 20 people per section. Each section then has a allocated arrival time (front section 7pm, next section 7.15pm etc). I know it wouldn't stop people trying to push thro to the front but it would mean that you would have a very good chance of getting a ood place without the need to queue endlessly. Which would solve some of the problems for people like me (I need to be at the front because of my hearing problems ) who can't queue for hours.

 

Does that make ANY sense?