Organised fun: Are advance ticket sales ruining clubbing?

For many promoters this is a great thing. Tiered ticketing with the prices gradually going up as the event gets closer means you can avoid cash flow problems, get a much better sense of the popularity of an event ahead of time and avoid that dreaded feeling of wondering whether anyone’s actually going to turn up on the night. But on the other hand, it means promoters are relying far more heavily on marquee headliners to sell tickets, taking less chances on up-and-comers, and finding that the club’s still half-empty well past midnight as those who’ve already bought a ticket aren’t worried about whether they’ll get in or not.

Sure, there are benefits for the punter, too. No-one really wants to get a 10-strong crew of mates together for the biggest party in town and then find out they can’t get in on the night or are going to have to queue for three hours in the freezing cold. But, on the other hand, some of the most spine-tingling nights I’ve ever had have come completely off the cuff. Wandering around abandoned industrial estates at 1am with three spangled mates looking for a free party we’d just been tipped off about; sitting around in our flat on a Saturday night, resigned to watching Match Of The Day and then just thinking ‘Fuck it, let’s go’, rounding up our mates and having one of the greatest nights of our lives.