To know when to show up, you need to ask yourself some questions -Is there an opening act? Do you want to see them? : if you do, I recommend being at the venue within an hour before the main act comes on. They usually take up that time frame to let the main performers get ready.Where’s the venue? Is parking a hassle?: usually with big performances, come even bigger venues, which hold more people and have even more traffic. So not wanting to get stuck in the mentioned traffic, I recommend an hour to the main performance as well because people lag and are late. It’s only human nature. But you, and a bunch of other super fans who absolutely cannot wait, can rise above and get there before the crowd. (Also: if you’re parking. Make sure, if the venue has you pay for parking in advance. Pay.) ((However; a helpful recommendation/tip from me is to have someone drop you off at the concert and pick you up. You avoid the struggle of finding parking and you’re in there within minutes. Same for you’re out of there in seconds and can just avoid the parking lot in general with a bit of walking)If you don’t really care about who’s opening for them (and at times there aren’t) what time does the actual artist/band usually come on to do their set?: i recommend looking at past concerts/tour stops to be sure, and making sure you’re there at least a half hour before the main act starts because you want to be able to have found your seat, got parking, actually made it inside and even if you want to buy something like a shirt or a drink (the lines are long but getting closer to when the set starts, the line will be shorter. Just a little helpful hint from me to you. If you hear screaming, run (well not really that’s a safety hazard) to your seats.My best recommendation - if you can, and don’t want to be late, be there an hour or 45 minutes early. They’ll be letting people in by then and really, worse thing that’ll happen is you’ll have to wait some time until the actual concert starts. Though it’s not a problem and definitely worth it, because you can have time to buy things, hang out, take some pictures etc…
How early should i get to a 1975 concert? (general admission)?
I am going to that same show too!! I've heard the lines can be extremely long for the 1975. I've been in the front row at Stage AE for 2 shows- Foster The People and MGMT, but they aren't really that popular around here. I got there 1.5-2 hours before the show. In the summer, I saw Arctic Monkeys, I got there 5 hours before, and was still no where near the front. It honestly all depends on how popular they are, and judging on Pittsburgh's alternative popularity, they may not be as popular as in other cities. I would say 3-4 hours before for the 1975. Also, General Admission concerts can be the best ever, but it really all depends on the crowd and how they act, so if they are people in front of you, try to remember they spent a very good amount of their time waiting too, so be respectful to their spot. It's all about the music in the end!! Have fun! :)
I have an experience similar to yours. I went to a David Gilmour show last weekend, and we passed by the venue (Radio City Music Hall) about an hour before the doors opened, and two hours before the show started. There were already people lining up for the show, but only around 20-40. When we arrived at the venue in order to get in, around 20 minutes after we first passed by it, there was a line of 100-150 people. I would arrive at the show 6:45-7:00 just to MAKE SURE that you will get front row spots. I recommend bringing a book or social skills in order to prevent you from getting bored. Thanks for the A2A!
How early should I go to a general admission concert?
Wow I love the 1975! Anyways, I'd say going about an hour and a half earlier to get in the front of the line. But sometimes that doesn't really even work out because for security checks they split everyone up into separate lines, plus you might need to go to the bathroom once you're in! General admission concerts depend on a lot of sneaking through the crowd and shoving for people who want to get to the front. This works out really well if you're short too! More people will feel bad and let you in front of them.
*important update at the bottom*It depends on what ticket you have.If you have a seated ticket, 1 hour ahead of show time should be enough to get through the security lines and get some merchandise.However, if you are in the GA standing section, that’s a whole other story. I know someone who camped out days before the show in order to stand at the front of the stage by the barricade. So, if you have a standing room GA ticket, it really depends on if you are willing to wait days or hours to get a good view.If you have a floor ticket and want the absolute best view, it is highly likely that you will need to camp overnight unfortunately.I waited in line at 4:45 the day of the concert and I was able to get a good view by the center stage (extended stage)***UPDATE*** I checked some of the venue websites and most of them DO NOT allow overnight camping, so check your venue website what time they will allow you to line up! People do it anyway TBH.****For those with a GA ticket who cannot camp overnight (who really wants to anyway?) lineup before 8:00 am
If you ever get the chance to go, do it, but wait until a band or artist you like actually comes into town. Or a town nearby. Or not so nearby. My first concert was Bryan Adams in 2013, an acoustic show in Saskatoon. I live in Calgary, 8 hrs away. My mom and I drove out, met my cousin and my aunt, and it was one of the best weekends of my fifteen year old life. I can't tell you that the electric atmosphere will get you going, because my cousin was in a state of total mesmerization the whole time we were in the venue. I can't tell you you'll burst into emotional tears or hysterical laughter, because my mother sang the whole time and my aunt danced. What I can tell you though, is that it is so worth it. Everyone (or at least a ratio of 100 to 1) are there because they love the music they're paying to listen to. You are all strangers, a melting pot of people from around the city (or Western Canada in my case) who will likely never meet again, even if they go to that artist's every concert for the rest of their lives. But you already have something in common. You already know the words to the songs, you already know where the drum crashes are, and you already know exactly when the artist is going to rock that solo. Dave Grohl said "That's one of the great things about music. You can sing a song to 85 000 people and they'll sing it back for 85 000 different reasons." Sure, you may never meet these people again, and your reasons to sing loud and off key may be different, but there's always something there. And that's pretty 'effing cool.
It really depends on what you want the most from your concert experience. I've been first and second row at sold out concerts and while the view of the band was amazing, being crushed against the barrier was not. And when there isn't anyone in front of you, it's hard to dance and you don't really get to experience the energy of being in the middle of the crowd. Also earplugs are a must. Being towards the middle can also be fun and the energy is great. I'm very short so the view isn't that great, but it can be a great experience. However when I've been in the middle I've had several mosh pits start right next to me that I've had to escape from, so beware. Having seating at a concert is an entirely different experience from being on the floor. The view is better than the middle of the floor but definitely not as good as being center of the front row. It's definitely nice to be able to sit between sets and have your spot reserved so you don't even have to be hours early. If you don't like getting squished up against drunk and sweaty strangers then seating is perfect for you. The energy of the seating is a little more subdued, but it's still a good experience. Also sitting far away in the grass is super chill.
How much did a concert ticket cost in 1975?
My first concert was a HUGE rock group at the time - Heart... and I paid the whopping sum of $30 for front row tickets. People said I was crazy at the time. Usually the "general admission" prices were around $10-$12, and that was it.