Your concert survival guide for 2018

It’s the season for outdoor concerts and festivals again.  There’s nothing like seeing your favourite band with 5000 other screaming fans, plus it’s a great chance to pick up some sweet merch and try for a photo with the singer.  There are some huge bands heading our way this year as well as some amazing festivals, so it’s time to get prepared and make a plan now.

Tickets and merch

The best place to buy tickets is online, especially if you know they are going to be hot.

Log into the ticketing website with your credit card handy at least 10 minutes before they go on sale and keep hitting that refresh button. Hopefully, you’re going with a friend, so grab their ticket while you’re there. If it’s a local band you can probably just rock up on the night and buy tickets at the door, just don’t expect cheaper prices, these are usually top prices.

Merchandise is expensive – as in ‘wide-eyed holy crap how much?‘ expensive. You may want to bring a spare $100 or so just in case you want a t-shirt or some memorabilia.  T-shirts run around $60 and CDs normally $30, possibly more if they are signed. If you’re at a festival there will be loads of merch from all the bands playing, so pick and choose the items that are easy to carry, else find a friend to lug around that life-size statue of your favourite singer.  If you want something signed bands will often have to sign booths for their own merch (duh), but you’ll need to plan ahead and get ready to wait in line for some time. Merch is expensive, but also exclusive so you won’t ever get another chance.  If you’re a fan, this is the cost of your affliction.  If you’re looking to get a signature, take a silver or white Sharpie with you – most merch is black, so this is the only way to have your precious signature actually show up.

Parking

Parking can be a nightmare, so try to use public transport or a taxi if possible.

If you must take a car, get there early and try to park as close to the exit as possible. It might be a little bit more walking now, but at the end of the night when 10,000 people want to leave at the same time, being near the exit could save you hours of waiting to get out.  Often times you will have parking attendants so you’ll have to go where they say, but at least being early will get into the venue ahead of the crowds.

Consider leaving a drink and snack in the car – after a long day at a concert you’ll be knackered by the time you get back, food can be a lifesaver during the imminent waiting game to get out of the car park.

Food and Drinks

Unfortunately, most events won’t let you bring your own food or drinks, including water bottles.

There should be free water taps around the place, so buy a resealable bottle of drink early on and keep refilling it. Expect to pay fairly exorbitant prices for anything.  If you go in expecting to drop $100 on food and drink, you’ll have a great time and maybe be pleasantly surprised when you get home and find $5 in loose change left over. Do drink lots of water though, getting dehydrated sucks.

Clothing

If you’re planning on getting stuck into the mosh pit, crowd surfing and that kinda thing – you need tight comfortable clothing with button pockets.

Shoes should be comfortable and secure – if you lose one, you’re not getting it back. You will also lose your sunnies, caps, cell phone etc. Basically, if it’s not tightly connected to your body, it’ll be gone.

If you’re more interested in sitting back and taking in the sounds, dress for comfort, not fashion – high heels are a no-no, girls. Remember it might be hot during the day, but will get cold at night. Jeans work, as do longs that you can roll up if it’s too hot. A singlet with long sleeve shirt on top is handy as you can strip off the top layer if needed.  Hats and sunnies are great, but again expect to lose or break them – take cheap ones.

Accessories

Earplugs. If you can at least get those cheap yellow ones from the chemist, your ears will thank you for it.

They actually make loud music sound better, believe it or not (they cut out all the damaging high frequencies), but they will also make it difficult to hold a conversation with your friends. The best kind is the plastic ones you wear on a necklace and can pop in and out easily. If you’re frequenting live events all the time, I would highly recommend you look into a pair of high-quality earplugs, check out Acoustix Hearing for some excellent advice.

Cameras are cool if the event allows them, but you won’t get in with a pro DSLR with a 200mm zoom lens. Just a pocket point-and-shoot works, or just use your cell phone. Again, expect to lose or damage it and you won’t be disappointed.  Speaking of cell phones, you won’t be able to talk on them with all the noise, but texting is cool – but with thousands of other people doing the same thing often the local network tower will get overloaded.  Attach your phone to your body – the lanyard around your neck works well.

Bags are a pain to carry all day, and security will check them for anything illegal. They are also high on the list of stuff stolen, so try to take what you need in your pockets and leave the luggage in the car boot.

If you have any degree of love for your fellow man – personal hygiene goes a long way, as does a shower and underarm that morning.

Meeting point

It’s really easy to lose someone among all the people. Set up a meeting point if you get separated – maybe near the loos, the main entrance gate or some landmark area at the venue.

Don’t be that dickhead

There will be security everywhere, inside and out looking for idiots.

If you’re caught with illegal substances, expect to get ejected from the venue, even handed over to the police if they are present.

Avoid fights. There will be some tension at the front, it can’t be avoided with so many people closely packed like that.  If you bump into someone, acknowledge a sorry (just an eyebrow pop or wave often works) – most understand and have bumped into plenty of people already. If something starts flaring up, move away from the trouble if you can. The security will come down pretty harshly on troublemakers, and so will the crowd – won’t be that egg being escorted out of the venue with a bloody nose and no shirt.

Don’t be a Muppet and try to climb over the barriers, you will get picked up and spat out the side by one of the security guys – then you’re at the back.

If you finally make it to the front of the crowd you might find it a little rougher than you were expecting, just be cool and go with the flow. People are going to be jumping and screaming, you just need to handle the jandal and tough it out. If you are at the front and getting crushed, or feeling faint – just signal out to security, they will get you out, its part of their job. If you don’t want to be knocked around, groped, deafened, or covered in filth – the front of the crowd is really not the place for you.

The media photographers are often in the pit area shooting the bands, they’ll take a photo of you too if you’re having fun – nothing like getting your photo in the paper, the ultimate ‘I was there‘ badge of honour.

Conclusion

So, as you probably know, festival concerts are expensive, tiring and potentially dangerous places.  After you’ve paid hundreds for your ticket, expect to drop that again on the day for goodies, drinks and food. You’re going to get sunburnt or pissed all over by the rain, you’ll be deaf for the next three days, you’ll probably lose your sunnies and your favourite baseball cap, you’ll have words with that loudmouth drunk guy up front, spend half the day queuing for a drink or the toilet – but after all that’s over and you’re back home, I will guarantee you be thinking yeah, that was the best day ever!