2006 Tour Europe

Hi, sorry if this has been posted before, or if i am asking a really stupid question here, but ive never been on these message boards before!

Anyway, im going to the BJ tour in Southampton, England, and i have General Admission tickets but i was just wondering - this means i can stand anywhere i want right? Obviously not in the golden circle, but anwhere outside of that? i mean, i dont have to stand further back if i get there later tan some people, or i cant move towards the front if im standing at the back!?

Sorry again if this Q is really pointless and stupid, but its my first BJ concert and i just wanna get a couple of things straight!

Thank you.

My personal opinion is that, if you have 'general admission' tix and get there late, you have no right to push past the thousands of people that have aching legs where they have been queuing all day. In fact, I almost got into a fight at Hyde Park when some fat b*****d and his girlfriend tried pushing my younger brother out of the way and forcing their way through to the barrier which was only 10 feet in front of us anyway so it wasn't like they could get much closer! I told the f**ker where to go and I think the only reason I escaped a beating was the fact that they didn't know how many people I was with - the guy was BIG!

I can't stand idiots who think they can push to the front and the crap excuses they come out with only make you more mad!

"Oh, my daughter's over there, I'm trying to get to her."

Yeah right, and my daughter's backstage playing second guitar!

My advice - get there early if you want a good spot. If you wanna turn up with only a couple of hours till the gates open then either prepare to stand miles back watching the big screens or prepare to get a lot of abuse from the people you try and shove past to get to the front.

If you go for the latter, you're lucky I'm not going to the Southampton gig! LOL!

No obviosuly dont force your way through people but yes its very easy to cut down one of the sides all the way down even during the concert....if you dont viewin at an angle like...

Hey, thanks for the advice! Well, seeing as I am just a little woman i think it may be best to get there early LOL! As i dont intend to get into any fights, ill make sure i dont arrive with only a couple of hours to spare, and i certiantly dont want to spend my day watching them on a TV screen!

Ok, sorry, but how long before gates open should i arrive!? You talking like 7/8 hours here or only just about 4 or 5??

At the gigs I've been to, I aimed to get there with about 7 hrs till Jovi are due to hit the stage - have always managed to get within 10 feet of the barrier without having to push or shove.

Ok then, cheers! well 7 hours is a little too long to be standing around for, even though it is for Bon Jovi! i guess ill aim to get there about 4 hours before they're on stage!

Thanks again!

i can, of course, understand the frustrations of having people barge past you, pushing, shoving, drinking and swearing. Especially in Hyde Park, a venue which does seem to attract people who don't care too much for the music.

I can't accept though, that the people who got their first have an absolute right to the closest spots to the stage, or quite believe how incredulous you were that someone might be trying to reach a friend/family member they had been split up from. Do you really expect people to stand in one spot, without access to food, drink, or being able to answer natures call for 7 or 8 hours? That just seems crazy.

I, for one, would prefer people to be able to leave their spot, and return after a visit to the facilities, than to simply stand in the middle of the crowd and piss on the grass.

I wish I could say I were making that behaviour up! (But I'm sure your daughter will have access to much better sanitation backstage, playing third guitar!)

I guess, what I'm trying to say is that the Golden Rule is the one to go by. Even If I am close to the front of the stage, If the crowd is thin enough that someone can walk past without too much trouble, then that is fine by me if they are polite about it. An "excuse me" is most often all it will take.

By the same token, If I am one of the tens of thousands of people who HAD TO WORK during the day of the concert, and I wanted to be at the front, I would make sure I didn't push past anyone, or stand in front of anyone whose view I might block when I got to a reasonable spot.

They may be becoming ever more middle of the road, but Bon Jovi is still a rock band, and rock and roll is still a contact sport. You simply have to accept that people wanting to show their enthusiasm might mean their walking past you or dancing and jumping into you. Especially at a show with some younger fans, used to slighly livelier events.

In an Ideal World, a Bon Jovi concert would still be lively enough, and have so much movement, and enthusiasm in the crowd that you wouldn't notice someone trying a little too hard to reach the front.

Most people who will frustrate you are only trying to have a good time, so show them a little tolerance, and save your invective for the real assholes in the crowd.

The alternative to the occasional annoyance would be an all-seated event, which would just really kill the atmosphere dead.

People wo really left their spot for these reasons always get back to the spot. There are always people surround them who know that they stood there before. But there a loads of people who tell every excuse just because they want to get up front.

And sorry, I couldn't care less if the one who pushes me by side to get to the front had to work that day or not if I stood in front of the stadium since the early morning. If it is so important to get up front, take a day off work and queue early or buy a more expensive GC-ticket.

First come, first served - simple as!

If people try and push forward, then the people standing next to them think, "Hey, why should they move up and we have to stay here?" before they then push forward too. Fact is, it's irresponsible and can spark crushing which kills.

I have been to several concerts with groups of up to 6 people each time and none of us have ever had to go to the loo or leave our spots for the whole 10hr duration of the show.

If you do have to move, you lose your spot.

This is a paid gig and tickets were £45.00 each so I doubt yobs who care little for the music would spend that sort of money in order to pick a fight - you can pick a fight outside the gates for free!

And if you believe a train of 5 or 6 people squeezing their way through the crowd claiming they are trying to reach a family member, then you are very naiive. Concerts are cramped events but if you're itent on staying together, it can be done quite easily - they're never THAT cramped.

In an ideal world, I would like for people to be able to leave their spots and return to them after 'answering nature's call' but, as this can easily be abused by the less honest people amongst us, I'd rather abide by the 'leave it and lose it' philosophy.

Dancing and jumping into each other I can accept - it's a lot of fun as it should be! Having people try and push you back as they force past you is NOT fun though and pisses a lot of people off, not just me.

Unfortunately, the fact that Gold Circle tickets are now sold at a premium is a big part of the problem. As recently as the Crush tour, Gold Circle wristbands were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, guaranteeing the 10,000 or so early-birds a spot pretty damn close to the stage, and the freedom to come and go as they please.

I do accept that a lot of people can be way too rude at shows, but If I am not crushing someone, insulting them, barging or blocking their view, I have no trouble walking past them towards the stage, if there is the space to so do.