Buying concert tickets back in the day.

[CheeseCakeSunflowers]

I've been following some of the threads on buying Oasis tickets which has led to a chat with ds about buying tickets in pre internet days. Back in the 70's and 80's I went to a lot of local gigs where I either paid cash on the door or bought a paper ticket from the local record shop a few days before. I did go to some big events seeing Queen twice at Milton Keynes and Knebworth and The Who at Wembley but I've forgotten the procedure for getting tickets. Did we phone up or maybe post a cheque somewhere, anyone remember?

I remember there was a desk in either Tower Records or the Big Virgin Megastore in London that you could buy tickets from on the early 90s, not that I ever bought any as I was an impoverished student

We queued up definitely in the 80s. Mid 90s I think phoning at midnight became a thing but there were always paper options in the record shop. If the tickets went on sale at 9 am one friend at the record shop queue and one on the phone to maximise success!!

I sat in a phone queue for ages to book tickets for Bon Jovi at Milton Keynes.

We went to see Neil Diamond at the NEC in 1984. My Mum spent ages on the Trim phone have to dial the number ( no redial)

I bought tickets just a week or so before for someone else at the NEC from a little record shop in the market

My festival and Wembley tickets came
from WH Smiths travel agent desk, with a friend from college working there.

Except from one Glastonbury as I was working away on release date and spotted a ticket stand in an Edinburgh street on the way out to dinner

I remember there used to be adverts for gigs in the back of the Sunday papers with phone numbers on in the 90s. I remember calling to get tickets to see 5ive.

My husband wanted to see Bowie on the Ziggy tour and his mum found out he was planning on bunking school, so she went and queued at Sheffield City Hall. Sold out so they went on the night and everyone rushed the bouncers when they opened the door. So not only saw him but for free!

Yes, back of the Sunday Times. We would ring up the Barbican, book the tickets, send a cheque and collect from the ticket office on the day. (Opportunities to see Barry Tuckwell or the Carmina Burana were very limited in rural areas!)

We bought the NME to find the listings. Then we would send a cheque with a stamped addressed envelope and hope for the best!

I remember phoning, and the tickets arriving by post. Or buying from the record shop.

Yes I remember Glastonbury tickets when I was a student - sent a cheque by post and tickets were posted back to us (imagine!)
edit to say this was the late 80s

We had a local coach company who specialised in gigs so you went there and paid for your ticket and transport

I remember going to the venue to buy them

I bought tickets for Oasis at Knebworth by queuing up outside our local ticket office at the UEA. I think I remember my brother and I getting up about 5am to get a place in the queue.

I bought physical tickets for Glastonbury from HMV until about 2000 I think, then it went online and I ended up missing out for several years because I only had dial up internet!

I was successful getting Oasis tickets in 1996 but I have to say they were an utterly average live band. Not feeling the buzz this time around!

1976 Wings at Earls Court. My parents ordered the tickets on the phone them sent a cheque. The tickets were sent once the cheque had cleared.

The issue now is music is too cheap, so live gigs are so heavily monetised. Years ago, the bands toured to get you interested, therefore gigs were cheaper, then you bought their music and they made decent money from it.

I was just saying to my dad, the last time I saw Oasis (not including at Glasto) we bought paper tickets from a desk in HMV and paid cash.

My dad is currently adding to the chaos online - he has tried to buy tickets just from curiosity to see how many people are ahead of him and whether he gets booted off.

I remember the listings in NME and Melody Maker in the 90s, and phoning up. If you had a credit card (I didn’t) I think you could pay over the phone. You could send a cheque and receive the paper tickets through the post, or buy them from the venue. None of this being in an online queue behind 480,000 other people and then getting booted out when it gets to 320,000 <still bitter from this morning>

I queued up for my first ever gig at 6am, me and my best friend, my Mum dropped us off, it was 1988, we were 20 and the band was BROS
We're still friends at 46 and I still love boybands, I've seen them all over the years, still am, actually saw Louis Tomlinson last weekend!

10, we were 10!

I queued up outside all night for Oasis tickets when I was 16. They went on sale at 8am from HMV, and I'm sure we got the bus into Glasgow about 10pm. It was worth it though!

I have been wondering what has changed so much over the years. I last went to a gig in the late 70's I think and just went to the venue (Hammersmith Odeon) and bought a ticket.

It seems such a huge hassle now. I know we have a far larger population but I can't believe how different it is these days.

I remember phoning a newspaper (Sunday Times?) ticket line to get last minute tickets for Sheryl Crow at Wembley in 1999. My friend and I did a coach trip through Our Price for Blur in 1995.

I remember thinking Ticketmaster was the bees knees when it was all new. Now I know it's just shit.

I don't bother any more, just stick to local gigs.

I remember my first gig- Duran Duran at de Montfort hall Leicester. Me and my friends scrapped together every penny we had ( we were about 15) and were counting out loose change at the town hall box office. Great days.

I remember going into Selectadisc in Nottingham and buying 4 tickets for Glastonbury 1990. £25 each if I remember correctly, what a rip off.

My brother used to sleep on the pavement queuing for releases when box office opened.