I’m not sure if this belongs here or in The Cafe, but since it has a factual answer, i’ll start here. (Feel free to relocate if need be.)
I was wondering if backstage passes were still around for big name bands. I know that you can get them for things like WWF tournaments and what not, but lets say i wanted a backstage pass to 3 doors down, or some other such band.
Do they do that anymore? If so is it something you could buy (although not cheaply i’m sure) or is it more of a you gotta know a guy who knows a guy thing?
Yeah, they are still around, but for larger bands they’re not exactly “all access” or anything. Usually, larger bands will do a quick “meet and greet” where they will talk with the people with backstage passes and sign some autographs for a while. Generally, when this is over, the fans are ushered out and oftentimes not even all the band members will show for these.
As for how to get them, I don’t know, really. You could definitely get them from “who you know”, but I don’t know if anybody bothers to sell them.
I know that every once in a while you can win backstage passes from the radio stations around here. Don’t know how comprehensive the access is that they give.
It’s more of a who you know thing than a buy your way back there thing. Most big shows have several kinds of passes; for example, those that will get you in for a quick meetup before the show (usually from the radio station and other promotional contests), VIP passes (which you can snag if you know the promoter, local venue higher-ups or someone high ranking on the touring crew. VIPs can usually go backstage at times other than the set “meet-and-greet” and can have more access to the backstage area and stageside during the show. Depends on your local venue), your standard aftershow/hospitality/meet-n-greet passes (most common type and available from tour crew personnel - they’ll be the ones wearing the band’s laminates - these passes mainly go to attractive young women and as Interface2x said, they are not always a guarantee that you’ll meet the band. Sometimes they run off the stage and onto the busses and stay there until the buses leave), press passes (not too hard to get with fairly minimal credentials, but you must apply to the band’s PR people a good ways in advance), working passes (given to the local employees of the venue) and the almighty laminates themselves.
With security getting tighter lately, it’s nearly impossible to get a total stranger to give you a pass unless you are that aforementioned attractive female. I’ve seen people waving wads of $20 bills at security guards in a blatant attempt at bribing their way backstage, only to be firmly (and somewhat bemusedly) denied. Again, the whole setup changes from band to band and tour to tour. I worked Kid Rock/Aerosmith the other week and Kid Rock had all kinds of people in the backstage parking area partying by his trailer - it was an equal mix of men and women wearing aftershow passes. Aerosmith had a slew of VIPs and the rest were wives, girlfriends and old friends from the road sporting “Artist Guest” laminates, which are kind of rare.
Hope this helps. Best of luck, eh?
Being a former ticket scalper and having got my hands on many a back stage pass; I’ll back this up completely cept’ I might like to add that some times they don’t even come back there at all! These bands you can lable as ungreatfull assholes that forgot who got them where they are in the first place!
