We all have that one band or musician that we admire deeply and hold near and dear to our hearts. You've been listening to their music since the very first album, you have their posters on your wall, you dream of getting to meet them in person one day.
And the next thing you know...
They announce that they're going on tour.
And they're playing in YOUR city.
Your heart is racing. You HAVE to get your hands on tickets. "But I'm underage, how do I convince my parents to let me go to my VERY FIRST CONCERT?"
"I'm not underage but I've never been to a concert."
"Where do I go to buy them?"
"What form of payment do I use?"
"How do I know which is the right ticket to buy?"
"What should I do?!"
These are just some of countless questions that you as a first-time concertgoer may have racing through your mind.
Luckily, the journey to your first concert is not complicated. The following are tips I have for those who have not gone to their first concert, from the ticket-buying process to post-show blues.
Believe it or not, the journey to experiencing your first concert begins well before the band/musician announces the show.
I didn't have a Twitter account when I started attending concerts. The best things I had were MySpace, flyers, and word-of-mouth. Obviously I got by just fine without social media at my literal fingertips, but once I joined Twitter and subscribed to text message alerts, I evolved into a whole different type of concertgoer.
I followed my favorite bands, and each time they tweeted something it was sent directly to me via text message. This meant that I found out about things like tour dates before most other people.
In fact, the 12th time I saw my favorite band, I found out through a tweet by the singer, which was (you guessed it) sent directly to me like a text message. After that, I had my mutual followers retweet it and tag me in the tweet to let me know while I screamed and jumped around my room in excitement.
The moral of the story is: Follow ALL of your favorite bands on every social media account possible. That is if you don't already. Once you've done that, turn those notifications ON. It is a surefire way that you will be one of the first to hear news straight from the horse's mouth.
So you got a notification that your favorite band is playing in a city near you. Time to snag those tickets before they sell out.
In this day and age, you will most likely make your ticket purchases online. To find out which ticket outlet (i.e. Ticketmaster, LiveNation, Ticketfly, etc.) is selling the tickets to your event, read the announcement the band made. There will probably be a link to the ticket outlet, which will have a list of the tour dates and the links to buy tickets for specific days on the list.
If you're underage, it's likely that you'll have to ask your parents to buy your tickets. Speaking as someone that grew up with generally strict parents, just ask nicely. I mean seriously, have you seen how many shows I've been to? If they still need some more convincing, try negotiating with them. My parents chaperoned the first few shows I went to. Suggest to your parent that they can tag along if they want to be certain you'll be okay. There are usually plenty of places for parents to rest in a part of the venue that is away from the main crowd.
If your parents go with you, great! If not, enlist some friends to accompany you to your first concert! It may be their first time too, or they can be experienced. Either way, you'll feel much better going with someone else.
As far as prices go, it really depends on the type of show. From my experience, shows at small club-type venues (like House of Rock in Corpus Christi) ran at about $15-25, while big stadium shows can be anywhere from $30 to THOUSANDS of dollars depending on where you want to sit or stand.
If you are buying tickets to the show you are attending that are literal seats, simply stick to the seat you are assigned.
General admission seating is my favorite type of "seating". In a nutshell, once you enter the venue you can stand wherever you want to stand.
Nowadays, it's common to receive an "e-ticket" as your form of entry to the show. Instead of paying extra to receive a fancy paper ticket in the mail, you can opt to print your ticket at home or view it on your mobile device for FREE! Just make sure not to lose your ticket or else you won't be able to get in!
Get directions to the venue so you (or your parents) can find the place okay. The last thing you want to do is get lost on the way there!
I think we can all agree that having to pay for parking sucks. But you will more than likely have to pay to park close to the venue. In addition to the cash you need to hand over to the attendants in the parking lot, you'll need money for water/other drinks and any merchandise you want to purchase at the show. "Cash only" has started to fade away as vendors at the venue are able to take cards as a form of payment, but you should play it safe and bring some extra cash with you. You're more than welcome to get the cash on the way to the show, but I like to set it aside before the day so I'm not rushing to the place.
Most venues have a list of prohibited items. Visit the venue's website to make sure you won't have problems getting in. Yes, some venues still prohibit cameras, so check it just to be safe!
Day-before nerves can be quite overwhelming. I get that you're excited, but you should really get some rest. Make sure to hydrate yourself all throughout the day, and get a good night's sleep. You're going to need it!
The day has finally come. You have started a mental countdown as to how many hours are left before you see your favorite band take the stage.
As soon as you wake up, make it a point to stay hydrated throughout the day, even as you're on the way to the venue. The only downfall to this piece of advice is that you'll likely need to make more trips to the bathroom. I end up hating myself and asking why I drank so much water as I'm walking to the entrance of the venue from the parking lot. Moderation is key!
As far as when you should get there, that is completely up to where you want to stand during the show. That is, if you have a general admission ticket.
When I was younger, I NEEDED to be the very first person in line. Period. I dubbed myself a "rail-hogger". That feat warranted getting to the venue about three hours before the doors opened. But the amount of time you should arrive before the doors open--if you want to be in the front row--also depends on how big the act is. For smaller bands, a couple of hours will do it. We got to the Moody Theater to see Panic! At The Disco at 11 a.m.--eight whole hours before the doors would open, and there were about 30 people in line ahead of us. So if you really want to end up in the front row, be prepared to wait outside the venue for a few hours.
Doors have opened and you've made it inside the venue. Take time to look around you. Locate the bathrooms, the merch area, and the bar (just in case you get thirsty!)
The following piece of advice can be tricky. Since it's your first time experiencing a concert, you shouldn't feel awkward taking as many pictures as possible. You want to be able to have memories to look back on, after all!
The reason I say it's tricky is that you see more and more bands/musicians asking their audiences to put their phones away and just "enjoy the moment". I get what they're saying from a performer's standpoint, I do. But my way of looking at it is that you can definitely still be in the moment while you take pictures or video.
In contrast, if you don't want to take pictures, that's okay too.
The only real "do" I have is to savor every moment. Try to get as into the music as possible. Make it a point to really listen to the opening acts if there are any. You never know, they could become a new favorite!
Pay attention to the following, I CANNOT stress this enough:
Your intimate personal space WILL be violated. You will be squished against smelly strangers all night long. Once the music begins to play and the crowd gets excited, you will be squeezed even more tightly. If you are claustrophobic or just uncomfortable with the thought of being that close to anybody, please do yourself a big favor and get out of the crowd. At every single show, I hear someone complain about how the crowd needs to stop shoving. It's a concert. Everyone is excited to be there. You can't dance or jump without bumping into someone. Depending on the genre of music, there may be crowdsurfers or moshers, which add another level of discomfort. There is nothing wrong with experiencing the show from somewhere you'll be comfortable.
Finally, the moment you have been waiting for is upon you. Your absolute favorite band is right in front of you. Go crazy. You have the next hour or so with them. Embrace it!
Oh, and encores are almost ALWAYS guaranteed. Chant "one more song" at the top of your lungs and scream your head off when, to your delight, the band comes back to give the people what they want.
If you're a fan of souvenirs (as I am), you may wanna stick around for a bit after the show.
There are some goodies you can get without spending extra money. The guitarists probably threw some picks out into the crowd, and a lot of them ended up on the floor. You can hunt for the abandoned ones on the floor, or the stage crew may throw the leftover picks out into the remaining crowd.
The setlists the band used to know which songs they'd be playing are onstage as well. Wait around for the stage crew to rip them up and ask them nicely to throw it into the crowd.
Of course, you may not get any of these. Depending on the popularity of the band, the other fans trying to find keepsakes may be a little defensive. I saw blink-182 recently, and after the show a member of the stage crew handed one of the setlists directly to a woman at the rail, but a man ran up and snatched it out of her hands. People can be rude, but do your best to be civil.
The best day of your life has come and gone. Your ears are ringing, your body is sore, and you lost your voice. But you want to do it again and again.
What's next?
Keep following your favorite bands on social media. Chances are that you discovered some new artists at the show. Follow them if you aren't already for news and tour announcements.
Post all your beautiful pictures and videos! You might hear your off-key singing in the background, but it's part of re-living the memories!
If you have friends that have yet to experience their first concert, now's the time to start planning with them. Show them this guide, or walk them through the entire process yourself. Memories are waiting to be made!
Now start saving money to buy tickets to your next show! Get excited, prepare, experience, repeat.
My name's Aissa! I love live music and it's my life goal to spread that love to others.