STEWART COPELAND

Hey folks, apparently the Chicago Best Buy codes were posted at midnight - ?!??! - even though the date hasn't been officially announced; the Vegas codes just went live, two hours early...

Go check the TPT.com forums if you're still waiting to request a BB code. I got mine for St. Louis right at 6 (and did I go back to bed? Noooo...here I am posting, like the addict I am )

False alarm...couple people had dates/times mixed up at TPT.com, and we think the Chicago thing was a technical glitch. Sorry!

Yo, I see the same thing on the BB site, codes gone!!! what the F#$@, is going on? is it really a mistake, or are they gone? how can I find out. I have been watching every day for the chicago codes!

No info yet. Looks like there are a number of SNAFUs going on today over at TPT.com...they did put the Vegas BB codes up an hour too early; no answer on the Chicago issue; the latest outrage is that they're restricting sales on the New Orleans date only to people in that general geographic area.

News flash to whatever genius at Clear Channel planned this: The city fathers (& mothers) in New Orleans are working their heads off trying to get tourist dollars into that city. The area this show is currently restricted to was the hardest hit by Katrina and people there are not exactly awash in cash.

You know, it's really making me crazy that they seem to be going out of their way lately to penalize people who have followed this band for years (announcing shows/putting tix on sale without warning, not telling people that BB codes or FC presales would not be available for certain gigs, not telling UK fans until the last minute when the presales would be, putting difficult restrictions on ticket sales, then providing conflicting information on details, etc.)

I really think it'd be great if Arthur Fogel had to wait in line for concert tickets sometime. Maybe it'd breathe a little humanity back into the old codger.

I agree Dark, Give a little credit to the fans who have bought everything relased as of yet, paid alot to see solo acts and drive their wives crazy each and every day by playing POLICE music all day long!!!!!

I don't think it's the Fan Club, really, and definitely not the band...I think this gradual release of dates is just a sign of how concert promotion has gone sideways--it seems to be about protecting investments and minimizing losses...this tiered release system, then surprise random additions, must be an absolute nightmare to coordinate the presales and codes...

If the dates were released all at once then perhaps people would not scramble to sell out each sale, thinking it may be the only one near them and I think it encourages those who are really really excited to perhaps buy more tickets then they may have...for example, like when another closer venue and date comes up later and then it creates a scramble to either get tickets for that show as well or sell the first set of tickets to the farther show (but that show still gets to claim it sold out in 4 minutes, but really people are selling exchanging those tickets big time on secondary markets)...as the case with Tampa for me, now being the closest, I am going for that as my 'local' show but if an Atlanta show comes up after the Tampa tickets I'll probably have to go to both instead of just the one...

The dates are released in the fashion until the markets start to slow and then the new dates stop...the funny thing is I can't imagine there was any doubt about the draw of the Police...but I guess that's just me...

It looks like the Dallas after-sale may be the way the FC is going to try and add a bit more of a chance for fans to get tickets...guess we'll have to see how that works...

Re: NoLa--you are absolutely right DM, I am saddened that this show is as convoluted as anything else...it should be a stand-out celebration, really...I hope there is some additional charitable element for that show, or something...in addition to the revenue generated by those going to that show...please let it sell out!

"News flash to whatever genius at Clear Channel planned this: The city fathers (& mothers) in New Orleans are working their heads off trying to get tourist dollars into that city. The area this show is currently restricted to was the hardest hit by Katrina and people there are not exactly awash in cash."

DM, you are a Goddess - let me shout out an Amen to that one. NOLA is a home away from home for me - I know it like the back of my hand. What better way to get people into hotels rooms, restaurants, stores, bars, etc?!? The tourist flow is nowhere near to where it used to be, so events such as this would make a big difference.
Bastages.....

AFTER-sale? Oh brother. What new fresh hell is this?

I admit I just saw red when I saw that ticket restriction on New Orleans. I'll have to show you all the photos I took down there about a year or so ago. It's not anything that ought to happen in a civilized society, much less in the most powerful country in the free world.

Honestly, I'm not so outraged for myself, but I'd be furious if I had saved my BB code for that Chicago date. Well, maybe furious isn't the right word...nobody is owed tickets, it would not be the end of the world to not get to go at all, but sheez. People are trying really hard to play by the rules and it just seems like the corporations running this thing are cavalierly screwing them.

For the record, I don't think it's the band's fault either, or the fan club's. I would imagine you can't just sashay down the lane and find some promoter to put on a concert tour to put on a show for hundreds of thousands of people like you were picking out a hair stylist. And also, good luck avoiding Ticketmaster...we saw what happened to Pearl Jam. [Read Stone Gossard's Congressional testimony...it's very enlightening. http://tinyurl.com/3dnke ]

I've linked this article a lot, but there are problems in the concert industry that started well before this tour and will continue after them. This is the summary of the research the Attorney General of New York, Eliot Spitzer, did on this issue a few years back: http://tinyurl.com/yc7mga

I noticed an article today [ http://tinyurl.com/ytb6oh ] about two FCC commissioners trying to force Clear Channel radio stations to play music by independent record labels in the wake of Spitzer's payola investigation. Here's hoping their bid is successful.

(and I know damn well which commissioners they are...had the pleasure of meeting them earlier this year...I'm into indie media and they came to a conference I attended. Outstanding gentlemen, the both of them. )

For the record, I've read boodles of articles about how Clear Channel and the record labels are screwing musicians too...paying songwriters less, promoting only a tiny handful of new releases, etc...

Amen to that, sista And, LOL, ya you definitely know your facts! You've got to love the opening statement of that report (tks for the re-link!): "The process by which tickets wend their way from the original issuer to the ultimate consumer is complex and often illegal." Well, that minces no words hah, and for the time being, no way around it...

As for after-sale, it's not the exact term...sorry bout that..."post-sale" is...here's the info from TPT email this morning...(scrolls down, keeps scrolling)...after like 3 other announcements:

(Quote)"The Police Fan Club has announced a members-only postsale for the second show in Dallas, TX on June 27. The members-only postsale will take place on Thur. Mar. 8 @ 10 am local time (after the show has gone live to the public).

As a service to fan club members, The Police Fan Club has been able to work out that a small portion of tickets for this show will be reserved for our members-only postsale. Only a small amount of tickets (about 200 tickets in total) are being held for the fan club. Our postsales are done in the hopes that when shows of this nature are announced immediately, we can still provide another avenue for members to get tickets through The Police Fan Club.

On Mar. 8th, get your tickets here for this exclusive, members-only postsale." (End Quote)

I thought it was kinda an neat effort to make sure we get something if striking out in the gen. sale...I dunno

Because of the anxiety of this system (and the shows I am interested in haven't even gone to pre-sale yet!) I actually decided this morning that I'm gonna try for as many shows as I can this tour and just go for the like the 50 clam seats, sleep in car and eat trail mix (haha, I guess I'm gonna do the Bonnaroo approach the whole tour LOL)...I'll have to dust off and rehone my decade old Dead Summer Tour skills

I don't think I have the skills, the seemingly necessary telekinetic powers, and the constitution of being able to take the stress of getting good seats and I know that even if I'm in annex building 4a that I will have just as much fun...I can't believe that I'm gonna see the Police...I know the sound will be first-rate and I'll be the nutball up at the top with my opera specs in one hand, air drumming with the other /giggles!

Hm....I'm actually thinking about reselling any tix I got through Clear Channel/Ticketmaster and sticking with Bonnaroo...which is unaffiliated, unlicensed, unregulated and unafraid of Ticketmaster.

I think I'll wait a few days and see how I feel, but man...I am really allergic to big corporations. I do understand that to a large extent things have to be this way, but...I just scored front row seats to Robyn Hitchcock and Peter Buck, playing a 1000-person theater here in Nashville, for the grand total of 40 bucks for 2 tix. I'm 1000% sure it's going to be a killer show. And I didn't have to deal with any corporate cobranding nonsense...

omg /drool--that sounds sooo killer...wish I lived in Nashville right about now!

I understand your sentiment, but the Dallas show is going to be such an ace & all the people that are going from here will just make it tops...I wish I could go to that one too, /giggle...plus all the trouble and heartache you went through to get them!

Well, since I just bought two tix to the St. Louis show, I guess I'll have to get down off my high horse a bit.

Maybe this is just a demo of how much I do love this band - cause I sure wouldn't do this for much of anyone else! (Well, except Gizmo. )

I've been thinking a lot about the NOLA show. I have a feeling that this was part of the venue's end of the contract, and was possibly a condition of booking the gig.

Why would they do this?

Well, think about what area is allowed to go to this show. It's all the areas hardest hit by the hurricane. Maybe they are trying to keep scalpers out and give the locals more of a chance to buy tickets at face value.

Just a thought, I could be naive but that's the only explanation that makes sense to me.

Gotta go to work now.

They actually fixed that. Whether it was public outrage or just some screwup, we'll never know...