New WH GA PIT Policy...

[TheLastPig]

Im all for getting people to stop lining up all day, but this just seems too convoluted. I dont know how they expect to walk people down to the rail in a single file line when they get in.

[ExistenceNow]

Originally Posted by dmbolp

All they're trying to do is eliminate the liability of people being on their property for 12+ hours before the show even starts. Once people are on the floor it's a free-for-all regardless.

I'm not sure that's all they're trying to do. Put seats in the pit again if that's all they want. I think they want fresh faces front and center in front of Dave, and also make the WH early entry more of an incentive. Now you have a shot at rail without wasting your whole day.

Originally Posted by RiotAct

what if you're with three friends and you get #98, and the others get 95-97. Then when they do the random number selection, 98 is drawn.

::mindblown:: #RailCrewStrong #UniteMyPeople

Then take three steps back and be with your friends. What's more important, being on the rail or being with your friends?

Originally Posted by FeelingGood

They've just created another queue. People are going to line up to get a number...it's just human nature. I don't see how they are going to prohibit people from lining up. It's so stupid. (unless I don't understand what they're doing)

My take is there's going to be the line that's always there. WH is going to stroll up sometime around 5:30pm and hand out numbers to people in the line that's already formed. (and what are they going to do when they run out of numbers to hand out?) Then people will be free to move around and then at gate time line-up according to their number. Will the WH check numbers at the gate when they are scanning people in? Heck no.

Like I said, they're going to screw this up just like everything else.

WH will probably screw it up because they are incompetent, but you're making it sound more complicated that it is. There's no point in lining up super early if it's random.

[moosicmaniac]

Originally Posted by BTBaboon

If the assumption is that the selection is completely random, then sure.

But I'm not convinced it would be random.

As I said, it looks like this is modeled after the Springsteen system, which I have experience with. When he did it, every wristband had a number and it also had a little "tag" (for lack of a better term) attached to the end that had the SAME number on it. When the wristband was put on your wrist, that tag was put in a container (you actually SAW this take place when you got a wristband). At the predetermined time, everyone gathered and you actually watched someone from the venue staff reach in and pick a number and show it to a few people to verify. I think one time they even had a fan pick it. That number was the "new #1" and everyone lined up sequentially behind them. I believe they make exceptions where if someone in your party just missed the cutoff then they let them in with you. (ex: You were in a group of 4, had wristbands 125-129, and they pulled 126, they'd let 125 in with you and not make them be the last person in.)

100% fair, no hassle, no "holding spots" in line.

[parks3923]

Originally Posted by poshsta420

Please plan for an 8:00pm start. There is no support act and Dave Matthews Band will not be able to delay the show for latecomers.

Um is anyone else concerned by this!? DMB will not hold up the show for me if I am late! UNACCEPTABLE!

[TheLastPig]

This will 100% be screwed up because its leaving this up to employees at individual venues.

Ive seen enough times just where the WH tix holders didnt even get let in early or all the WH ticket people werent in before they opened to the rest.

[ExistenceNow]

Originally Posted by TheLastPig

Im all for getting people to stop lining up all day, but this just seems too convoluted. I dont know how they expect to walk people down to the rail in a single file line when they get in.

They already do this at some places to avoid having people run. They see who has been there all day and they walk like 30 of them down to the pit just before opening gates for everyone.

It's really not that difficult. Even though we're talking about rail birds and Family folk, we're still talking about grown adults. They can walk in a line.

[TheLastPig]

Originally Posted by ExistenceNow

They already do this at some places to avoid having people run. They see who has been there all day and they walk like 30 of them down to the pit just before opening gates for everyone.

It's really not that difficult. Even though we're talking about rail birds and Family folk, we're still talking about grown adults. They can walk in a line.

but they wont, those people are nuts and I guarantee there will be situations where people jump out of line and run down. Some 20 year old livenation employee cant and wont do shit about it.

[ExistenceNow]

Originally Posted by TheLastPig

but they wont, those people are nuts and I guarantee there will be situations where people jump out of line and run down. Some 20 year old livenation employee cant and wont do shit about it.

Yea, I just don't see it and haven't heard of that happening where they're already doing this. What's more likely, is that once everyone gets down there, the rail bird nutsacks just push their way to the front.

[TheLastPig]

Originally Posted by ExistenceNow

Yea, I just don't see it and haven't heard of that happening where they're already doing this. What's more likely, is that once everyone gets down there, the rail bird nutsacks just push their way to the front.

right, which is just another weird layer to this. It doesnt even say the rail theyre walked down to, just the pit. So once you enter its just a free for all of people shuffling around meeting their friends are arguing about who deserves the rail.

The only realistic goal this accomplishes is stopping people from lining up, which they could do just by telling people they arent allowed to until X time.

[mdel21]

They walked us in at the U2 Joshua Tree show a few years ago and everyone was respectable about it. Once we hit a certain point in the field, it was a free for all, but people were cool.

[RiotAct]

Originally Posted by ExistenceNow

Then take three steps back and be with your friends. What's more important, being on the rail or being with your friends?

being on the rail

[ExistenceNow]

I like your moxie.

[DIDriveOut2SPAC]

I was hoping the band would postpone the show when I am running late, fuck this band.

[Moose Thompson]

I love this. I've waited all day for rail in the past, and I've walked in at gates and gotten rail.

Since pit was put in place in what, 2010? the pit line has gotten dumber and dumber and the rail birds have gotten more and more entitled. Last summer on at least one occasion rail birds got to line and started numbering. They held low numbers for their friends arriving at the airport. That's absurd, but as an individual showing up for line how do you realistically fight back against that without creating a miserable day for yourself?

No system is perfect, and obviously there will be dicks that work this just like anything else, but I love that I can walk up an hour before the show and have a shot at rail. Enjoy your day and still potentially get right up front.

[Bmwm3oz]

Originally Posted by parks3923

Um is anyone else concerned by this!? DMB will not hold up the show for me if I am late! UNACCEPTABLE!

As far as the policy, anything that makes it harder for rail freaks to be railed makes me happy. Dave is probably so tired of seeing the same psychos night after night.. I'm sure he requested WH/MGMT to figure out a new solution.

[TheLastPig]

When I have pit I walk in at 730-8 and am like 5 feet back from the rail, sometimes less. Never understood the need to wait all day to be like 50 inches closer when youre already in front of the whole venue.

[poshsta420]

Originally Posted by Bmwm3oz

As far as the policy, anything that makes it harder for rail freaks to be railed makes me happy. Dave is probably so tired of seeing the same psychos night after night.. I'm sure he requested WH/MGMT to figure out a new solution.

I highly doubt it was he say but the warehouse getting enough complaints from members to initiate the change. Enough people complain about something then the fan club knows better to listen. Same thing happened with the GA Lawn when you couldnt opt out of getting it.

[dmbnut21]

Gotta say, not a big fan of this new policy. My fiancee is 5ft tall and so she is willing to show up to shows a couple hours early to make sure she gets a spot on the rail so she can actually see. I feel like if you are willing to spend the time and effort to do that you should be rewarded.

I will say, the staying over night stuff is a little nutty to me. I feel like telling everyone that the line for Pit opens at 3PM or 4PM and to just show up and get in line at that point should be enough. Sure, a few people would probably try to form a line to the line but having someone out there just telling them to go away and come back later would pretty much handle that.

I understand the idea that drawing a number is "fair". However, wasn't showing up early and getting in line also "fair"?

[Moose Thompson]

Originally Posted by dmbnut21

Gotta say, not a big fan of this new policy. My fiancee is 5ft tall and so she is willing to show up to shows a couple hours early to make sure she gets a spot on the rail so she can actually see. I feel like if you are willing to spend the time and effort to do that you should be rewarded.

I will say, the staying over night stuff is a little nutty to me. I feel like telling everyone that the line for Pit opens at 3PM or 4PM and to just show up and get in line at that point should be enough. Sure, a few people would probably try to form a line to the line but having someone out there just telling them to go away and come back later would pretty much handle that.

I understand the idea that drawing a number is "fair". However, wasn't showing up early and getting in line also "fair"?

If we were talking about reasonable adults here I would agree. But the campers aren't reasonable. They would 100% set up their line, even if it was offsite, and then be absolute bullies until they got their way when the real line opened up.

I understand why people don't love the lottery but I think it's going to improve the experience for almost everyone.

Hopefully groups will mostly get bands together and follow the rules. But, again, not the most reasonable people.

[moosicmaniac]

Originally Posted by dmbnut21

Gotta say, not a big fan of this new policy. My fiancee is 5ft tall and so she is willing to show up to shows a couple hours early to make sure she gets a spot on the rail so she can actually see. I feel like if you are willing to spend the time and effort to do that you should be rewarded.

I will say, the staying over night stuff is a little nutty to me. I feel like telling everyone that the line for Pit opens at 3PM or 4PM and to just show up and get in line at that point should be enough. Sure, a few people would probably try to form a line to the line but having someone out there just telling them to go away and come back later would pretty much handle that.

I understand the idea that drawing a number is "fair". However, wasn't showing up early and getting in line also "fair"?

This would absolutely happen, it would be more than "a few," and it would be an unmitigated shitshow.

[Bmwm3oz]

Originally Posted by dmbnut21

Gotta say, not a big fan of this new policy. My fiancee is 5ft tall and so she is willing to show up to shows a couple hours early to make sure she gets a spot on the rail so she can actually see. I feel like if you are willing to spend the time and effort to do that you should be rewarded.

I will say, the staying over night stuff is a little nutty to me. I feel like telling everyone that the line for Pit opens at 3PM or 4PM and to just show up and get in line at that point should be enough. Sure, a few people would probably try to form a line to the line but having someone out there just telling them to go away and come back later would pretty much handle that.

I understand the idea that drawing a number is "fair". However, wasn't showing up early and getting in line also "fair"?

Ever since my first show, I dreamed of getting a Section B Row 1 ticket at the Gorge. I knew the only way was to work hard and make enough money to buy a front row ticket.

By the time I did, they switched over to PIT. So instead of 'Who wants to spend the most for front row', it turned into 'Who wants to sleep on the grass for 1-2 nights in front of a venue?'

To me, the PIT is unfair to begin with. Front row should go to those lucky enough to get a front row ticket through being a longtime WH member, or someone willing to pay the fee. The whole 'Who wants to waste two days of your life sleeping like a homeless person' is just ridiculous.

The PIT should be deleted forever, but it'll never happen.

Edit: sorry, went off on a rant. To your point, yes, showing up and waiting was fair, but I don't think it's wrong to give others an opportunity after having the same system in place for so many years. Plus, it's the same people who are railed year after year.. I think they can live with being 3 rows back for a few years while they try this system. Just my take

[ExistenceNow]

I would definitely rather front row go to someone willing to spend all day in line than to the highest bidder.

[Bmwm3oz]

It wouldn't be just highest bidder. I'm thinking WH gets a set of front row tickets for members, LN gets a set of FACE and Premiums (since it's inevitable anyway)... etc.

[AlexK79]

Originally Posted by YouNeverKnow25

there's literally no incentive to line up to get a number when the first in line is chosen randomly.

I'm not generally a Pit person so this doesn't impact me either way (though we do have Pit for one show this year) but I like it.

It says "members and their guests" so I assume that means 1 number per WH order, not per individual ticket. (I.E. if you are a WH member with 2 Pit tickets from your order and you're there with your "+1", you'll get one number, not a different # for each ticket.

NO system is going to be perfect, but this at least discourages the entitled "rail or death" psychopaths somewhat. Hell, this will be worth it just to see some of them melt down.

[DIDriveOut2SPAC]

I can't wait to hear the under the breath caddy comments from RaIL4Lyfe when they see me the casual attendee at the rail. Any railer I've met in the past has been an entitled bitch who thinks there devotion to rail makes them part of the band.

[AlexK79]

Originally Posted by DIDriveOut2SPAC

I can't wait to hear the under the breath caddy comments from RaIL4Lyfe when they see me the casual attendee at the rail. Any railer I've met in the past has been an entitled bitch who thinks there devotion to rail makes them part of the band.

Only been "railed" once in my life, Berkeley 2016, and only got there because my friend and her husband who waited in line all day let me come down once I got inside and join them. It was awesome being so close, but the people down there are so fucking ridiculous that they almost ruin the experience. Like you said they think it makes them part of the band. They want to make it all about THEM. The spend the entire show yelling stupid shit at the band, desperately trying to get attention from the band members to acknowledge their stupid signs or beg Carter for their 15th fucking drumstick.

I prefer a good reserved seat, but when I do have pit, I am more than content to be several rows back that deal with these nutjobs.

[YouNeverKnow25]

I was rail at charlottesville 2012, both nights. On both nights, the railheads spent the entire night holding up signs begging the band members for different pieces of their musical equipment, which, as they told me, were to be sold on ebay to fund the purchase of tickets for other shows on the tour.

[joeyray34]

Originally Posted by RiotAct

being on the rail

for some, the rail is the only friend

[zrroot]

Originally Posted by RiotAct

being on the rail

need to be as close to Daaaavvvee as possible

[AlexK79]

Originally Posted by YouNeverKnow25

I was rail at charlottesville 2012, both nights. On both nights, the railheads spent the entire night holding up signs begging the band members for different pieces of their musical equipment, which, as they told me, were to be sold on ebay to fund the purchase of tickets for other shows on the tour.

Fuck these people with something wide, sharp, and rusty.