Universal LA

[Mel_Torment]

Oi, Melanie! I went and saw a seating chart @ the box office Lankershim (since I woke up too late to go to the Lopez show). It had numbered seats and listed the pit capacity of 166.

That's close to my guesstimate of 150. Remember, they might have to fit the sound desk in there, and they're not supposed to pack us in like sardines there. There's a good number of drunken, happy fools content to stand in the back of the pit and wave their drinks around, especially when HSIN is played. I don't expect there to be any folding chairs in the pit. I don't remember seeing any chairs in the univ.amp. pit last three times.

Sorry, but I thought it was apparent from the seating chart for the SD show that there was a pit. It turned out that they didn't have four rows or whatever of chairs in the pit. There were only two or three rows. I think they had to remove a row of chairs to make room for a barrier and moat. The seats were unnecessary space fillers because all the mad fans (pot, meet kettle) went straight up to the barrier as soon as they opened the pit area. Those who came in later, even before DATK were on, were shocked to see that they weren't going to get rail, even if they had front row of the pit. They probably didn't care. If you cared, you'd get there on time.

Is the pit a rush and a push from orch and its ours kind of thing or is there a physical barricade(not that, that's stopped us before)? Do they actually check for pit tix?

What do you think? Can you imagine a venue of that capacity with no barrier to the pit?

There is a PERMANENT barrier with well-guarded steps leading down into the pit. I'd really like to see you try crashing the pit! Those event security goons will probably have a lot of fun putting you into a headlock, punching your kidneys, and then having you ejected from the venue. They are so used to the L.A. type who's all like, "I'm with the band" and "Do you know who I am?!" Last time, they had a wristband system. This effectively means you're unlikely to scam pit access. They open and have the pit ticket holders wait in an area outside to be processed. As soon as they scan your ticket, they make a mark on it, then tie a pit wristband on you. Then off you go to wait behind multiple doors that are supposed to be opened at the same time (I don't remember if synchronous door opening really happens so it is a source of anxiety if your door will have a delay or not). I hate it when some dumbass security guy says, "Calm down, you're all getting in!" Oh really, is this why people queue? Because they're afraid they won't get in? We thought these tickets are lottery tickets, that we might not get in.

 

[AmeliaScoptophilia]

Oi, Melanie! I went and saw a seating chart @ the box office Lankershim (since I woke up too late to go to the Lopez show). It had numbered seats and listed the pit capacity of 166.

That's close to my guesstimate of 150. Remember, they might have to fit the sound desk in there, and they're not supposed to pack us in like sardines there. There's a good number of drunken, happy fools content to stand in the back of the pit and wave their drinks around, especially when HSIN is played. I don't expect there to be any folding chairs in the pit. I don't remember seeing any chairs in the univ.amp. pit last three times.

Sorry, but I thought it was apparent from the seating chart for the SD show that there was a pit. It turned out that they didn't have four rows or whatever of chairs in the pit. There were only two or three rows. I think they had to remove a row of chairs to make room for a barrier and moat. The seats were unnecessary space fillers because all the mad fans (pot, meet kettle) went straight up to the barrier as soon as they opened the pit area. Those who came in later, even before DATK were on, were shocked to see that they weren't going to get rail, even if they had front row of the pit. They probably didn't care. If you cared, you'd get there on time.



What do you think? Can you imagine a venue of that capacity with no barrier to the pit?

There is a PERMANENT barrier with well-guarded steps leading down into the pit. I'd really like to see you try crashing the pit! Those event security goons will probably have a lot of fun putting you into a headlock, punching your kidneys, and then having you ejected from the venue. They are so used to the L.A. type who's all like, "I'm with the band" and "Do you know who I am?!" Last time, they had a wristband system. This effectively means you're unlikely to scam pit access. They open and have the pit ticket holders wait in an area outside to be processed. As soon as they scan your ticket, they make a mark on it, then tie a pit wristband on you. Then off you go to wait behind multiple doors that are supposed to be opened at the same time (I don't remember if synchronous door opening really happens so it is a source of anxiety if your door will have a delay or not). I hate it when some dumbass security guy says, "Calm down, you're all getting in!" Oh really, is this why people queue? Because they're afraid they won't get in? We thought these tickets are lottery tickets, that we might not get in.

Yaaay! 166 sounds good to me . Do you know what the queueing situation is for LA? Parking, what time they open, etc?

Damn. I even called the venue when it was first announced. They told me they NEVER have standing area/pit. . Not happy.

 

[boyleastlikelyto]

Oi, Melanie! I went and saw a seating chart @ the box office Lankershim (since I woke up too late to go to the Lopez show). It had numbered seats and listed the pit capacity of 166.

There is a PERMANENT barrier with well-guarded steps leading down into the pit. I'd really like to see you try crashing the pit! Those event security goons will probably have a lot of fun putting you into a headlock, punching your kidneys, and then having you ejected from the venue. They are so used to the L.A. type who's all like, "I'm with the band" and "Do you know who I am?!" Last time, they had a wristband system. This effectively means you're unlikely to scam pit access. They open and have the pit ticket holders wait in an area outside to be processed. As soon as they scan your ticket, they make a mark on it, then tie a pit wristband on you. Then off you go to wait behind multiple doors that are supposed to be opened at the same time (I don't remember if synchronous door opening really happens so it is a source of anxiety if your door will have a delay or not). I hate it when some dumbass security guy says, "Calm down, you're all getting in!" Oh really, is this why people queue? Because they're afraid they won't get in? We thought these tickets are lottery tickets, that we might not get in.

Yeah totally, some venues in TX you can jump the orch/pit barrier(I've gone from row T, back of the house to onstage) but not in L.A.
No ticky, no laundry, kiddies!

Having said that, anyone wanna trade a kidney for a pit ticket? (my kidney yr ticket)


- BLLT

p.s. I kinda like seats in the pit sometimes.. helps give you a leg up.

 

[Mel_Torment]

Yaaay! 166 sounds good to me . Do you know what the queueing situation is for LA? Parking, what time they open, etc?

Damn. I even called the venue when it was first announced. They told me they NEVER have standing area/pit. . Not happy.

Sometimes the minimum wage slaves don't know what they're talking about.

I don't know what the queueing situation is going to be. Despite past experience, all bets are off now.

What you need to know can be found here:
http://www.citywalkhollywood.com/visitorinfo.html

I tried asking around Shittywalk what was up with operating hours, parking, and how early queueing would be allowed, but nobody knew, wasn't their department, and the info kiosk was not staffed -- had a sign saying someone would return in an hour. I didn't want to stay at Shittywalk a minute longer than I had to, so I didn't hang around for someone to return.

I don't know if I want to pay $10 more to park in the Woody Woodpecker (pecker, huh huh) lot as opposed to the Frankenstein structure.

I'm going to take a hot bath and go to bed now. I can't watch Lopez unless someone uploads it to the Internet because I don't have tv reception nor cable/sat.

 

[AmeliaScoptophilia]

Okay, so they don't open 'till 11? Now that makes me nervous, because I have a feeling people are going to have a line somewhere outside of Shittywalk before 11 and I won't know about it? Can we all agree on 11? Secret lines = sucky confusion.

And uggggh. Paying for parking. Crappy. I hate Citywalk. Hate it, hate it!

...But it is only like 10 mins from my house...so that's kinda nice.


...Queueing is gonna suck tomorrow. I can already feel the frustration.

 

[jamescagney]

I've been told there is no use in queuing early for Gibson at all. What happens is that they have like 20 doors. You have to choose one and hope it opens. As a result, there is no guarantee at all that queuing early will increase your chances of getting to the rail, and you stand a good chance of being very disappointed when people who arrived at the last minute happen to get the rail. Also, before the 20 doors, everyone has to run up a hill through a series of checkpoints, and people running fast will get past people who don't run as fast. Last, I've heard that people at LA shows are very aggressive and are less likely to queue fairly and with manners.

We went by tonight at 8pm and there was no one queuing. I suspect others may have gotten the same message.

 

[Mel_Torment]

I stumbled in about an hour before doors on the first night (out of two) in 2004 because I had just flown in from Tokyo that day, and I still got a place at the super long barrier. But I queued the next day. Got about the same spot. After going up the long path to the venue, there are several doors where they keep you waiting, so the order gets all futzed up anyway. And if you can run fast up the walkway, you may get a better spot.

I've been told there is no use in queuing early for Gibson at all. What happens is that they have like 20 doors. You have to choose one and hope it opens. As a result, there is no guarantee at all that queuing early will increase your chances of getting to the rail, and you stand a good chance of being very disappointed when people who arrived at the last minute happen to get the rail. Also, before the 20 doors, everyone has to run up a hill through a series of checkpoints, and people running fast will get past people who don't run as fast. Last, I've heard that people at LA shows are very aggressive and are less likely to queue fairly and with manners.

We went by tonight at 8pm and there was no one queuing. I suspect others may have gotten the same message.

You seem to be echoing my point.

But I think no one is queueing because there is no overnight parking allowed, and they close down Shittywalk.

Orlando Shittywalk forbade us to stay overnight in the balmy summer of 2007. They said come back when Shittywalk opens.

Good. Got some shut-eye at the hotel and returned. It was not worth queuing all day because some people from the UK who should've known better cut in front of us right before doors. And then I saw this dude from the Valley (San Fernando -- Hell A) already standing at the barrier before the first of us were let in; he declined to reveal how he got early entry. I think he bribed some staff member to let him in. I still got a great spot at the center of the barrier, but earlier does not mean better.

Although being more athletically inclined probably helped the first night @ Univ. Amp. in 2004, the second night they walked us up the path in an orderly fashion. But the multiple entry points still futzes everything up. I suspect it'll be a free-for-all tomorrow, so lace up your running shoes and remember to breathe...you're all getting in!

 

[Sharron Needles]

I've been told there is no use in queuing early for Gibson at all. What happens is that they have like 20 doors. You have to choose one and hope it opens. As a result, there is no guarantee at all that queuing early will increase your chances of getting to the rail, and you stand a good chance of being very disappointed when people who arrived at the last minute happen to get the rail. Also, before the 20 doors, everyone has to run up a hill through a series of checkpoints, and people running fast will get past people who don't run as fast. Last, I've heard that people at LA shows are very aggressive and are less likely to queue fairly and with manners.

We went by tonight at 8pm and there was no one queuing. I suspect others may have gotten the same message.

Not true. You can start queuing up anytime you want, but you do it where the gate to the Gibson Amp is-to the right of the Universal Studios box offices. There's the huge fountain on the promenade in front of the ticket booths and to the right of that, there's some benches alongside a curb in front of the gates. That's where everyone has to queue up until they open the gates to enter the venue near 6pm or whatever-it's a big wooden gate that's like 15 feet high, you can't miss it. Behind that gate is where the hill starts.

Be warned because last time was a nightmare, and on the first night, the queue turned into a mob outside the gate near doors, and when they opened the gate, about 200 people just smashed through it, and ran, pushed, tripped, etc. Then when you get to the top of the hill outside the theater, you have to stop and get a wristband before you go in. Loads of people ran past this table, and had to go back, which made the bottleneck of people even worse-they stopped everyone here at this point, which made the mob even more insane/unorganized. Then you go into the actual venue and if you have pit tickets, you have to line up again at either door on the far end inside the venue-I believe it's the very last door on either side, and they should say "Pit" next to the door number on a big sign. There's only two doors for pit tickets... Then they are supposed to open the doors at the same time, and you run from the top of the theater down into the pit, and hope you get the spot you want, although the barrier is pretty big there, and can hold quite a lot of people because it's not straight across-more like a semi-circle to follow the shape of the stage.

The last time was a nightmare the first night, but because they saw what happened, on the second night, the venue staff came and opened gates and walked everyone up to the top single file like we were on a school field trip to make sure a repeat of the previous night didn't happen again, which helped. But don't expect that to happen again. Also one of the times I saw him there (can't remember if it was 2000 or 2004), they opened one of the doors to the pit before the other one, and when they opened our door, the entire barrier and then some was full. They security guy was like, "Uh-okay... You can go now."

 

[CaliforniaMozGirl]

Can't wait to see him tonight after the Indio disappointment! Viva Moz!

 

[tony_the_pony]

so stoked for tonight, the rulers back

 

[boyleastlikelyto]

I'm alllImost there..
Decided not to queue for this gig seeing as how we're driving from Tucson and I'm sleep deprived enough as a general rule. BUT tomorrow is a diff story. See you there, Mozites!

- BLLT

 

[Gin N Tonic Jil]

What time do the doors officially open? I have pit and it is what it is, I'll be getting in a few stiff drinks, a few herbal tokes and I'll be in the pit. Someway somehow, when a rush and a push and the land is ours, I'll make my way to the front. Not DYING to be at the barrier, a few folks back and a great view of Moz and I'm happy. Its all a bit insane to see folks lining up for TWO f***IN days just to be "FRONT ROW", each to their own I spose....I guess I'm dancing and laughing and finally living.
VIVA MORRISSEY!!!!



PS Anyone going solo? I am, might head out to the Rumba room afterwards, too bad most of my friends are "casual" Moz/Smiths fans.

 

[tony_the_pony]

Cemetry gates

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

before 11pm yesterday, I got a text from a friend of mine who made it to the gig, all it said was:
Dont say I told you so

was it really that bad?

 

[floodzonex]

any word from Ventura on whether the band is there?