VIP Packages

**VAiN** · 01-11-2012, 04:11 PM

Originally posted by Seshmeister

Has anyone here ever paid for one of these, a lot seem to be selling out already?

I'm curious about the advantages of being allowed into a big empty venue early, most arenas these days I've been to are pretty soulless places. What is a pre-show party like, I picture it being a bit like drinking in an empty airport with the rest of the passengers of the last delayed flight? Is parking usually a big expensive problem? I drove to a gig once in my life, never again although I guess lots of people don't have a choice. You can't drink and then you can't get out the car park.

Do people usually have a lot of problems obtaining merchandise without it being 'crowd free'? Is there anything in an 'exclusive' bag or is it just the bag itself? Are the On-site VIP Hosts hot?

http://www.vipnation.com/programs/van-halen/

VIP PACKAGE
One reserved ticket in rows 2-15
Backstage tour
Pre-show party
Early entrance into the venue
Van Halen VIP commemorative laminate
Exclusive Van Halen gift bag
Commemorative VIP ticket
Crowd-free merchandise shopping
On-site VIP Host

I bought the package above...

What they don't tell you about the pre-show is you get to hear the soundcheck, which when I caught it was about half of the set with just Wolf, Ed & Al jammin away... Wolf handled the vocal duties... it was very cool and unexpected. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but the crowd free shopping is just nice.. you can look, touch, take your time, etc... Oh, and the VIP hostesses were pretty good looking too.

**VOODOO_King** · 01-11-2012, 04:18 PM

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but I think the VIPs should be no more that half the price they are simply because all they really give you is a laminate and a little bag of goodies. The "open bar" is OK to get a primer, but I know personally, I didn't really want to drink much. I wanted to take it all in. I did my VIPs back in '04 (yeah, I know) and the MAIN reason it was worth the bank was the soundcheck. It was just the band and you got a good 20-30 minutes alone in the arena and they interacted with the fans that were there, talked with them, played requests a couple times I saw them, Mike even signed some stuff for people. Now the packages cost more and you don't get the personal experience with the band. "Early Entrance" and "Crowd Free merchandise shopping" shouldn't be listed, IMO. That's not so much a "perk" as it is the inevitable consequence of coming for the pre-show party and tour. The ticket, laminate and "gift bag" should just be listed as "Commemorative Gifts". Onsite VIP host is just the girls they have there to answer questions, hold raffle drawings for prizes and walk you around the building and they're mostly pretty hot. I just think the $600 package is a major rip off, because you're promised a ticket from rows 2-15, so essentially, two people pay for the same package and yet you're 14 rows apart. I believe when they did it in '04 you were promised a ticket within the first 10 rows for VIP and the cheaper package was rows 10-20. I don't think the guarantee of front row vs rows 2-15 warrants an increase of $400 either.

I didn't do VIPs on the last tour, because I had heard the boots and Ed was a mess. I got a free ticket to see them at Joe Louis Arena and Ed wasn't good at all. I decided since it would probably be the last time I saw them with Dave, I'd spring for a ticket online. I bought one ticket through a broker site and paid around $325-$350 (don't remember exactly) and got second row, center stage. I sat next to a guy with a VIP pass on. I asked how much he paid and he had paid for the highest package which I think last tour was $750. So, to me, it's really not worth the Ultimate price, but if you're a big fan, it's cool to just do it once for the experience and the chance that you might see the band. A buddy of mine told me last year he did the VIPs and his tour group got to talk to Dave for about 5 minutes as they passed him walking into the building. On the '04 tour, they took you through Mike and Sammy's party area next to the stage and one of the shows, Kevin Dugan was there and poured everyone shots. I also got a photo signed by Mikey on the '04 tour at the Palace. I think they had a much better package for the Hagar reunion tour, but Ed was an absolute mess then. Last year (as it is this year) the band experience wasn't part of the package. It's a gamble that you'll actually see anyone from the band and the backstage tour is usually a couple minutes looking at Ed's area and then Dave's area next to the stage, you see the equipment, the dining area, the dressing room areas and basically the back hall of the venue.

I hope that wasn't too long and rambling, but I was trying to remember everything from my experience with the VIPs and what I remember reading and hearing about last year. I personally hope to get one VIP this year at the Palace show and all the other shows will just be GA tix.

**VOODOO_King** · 01-11-2012, 04:19 PM

Originally posted by VAiN

I bought the package above...

What they don't tell you about the pre-show is you get to hear the soundcheck, which when I caught it was about half of the set with just Wolf, Ed & Al jammin away... Wolf handled the vocal duties... it was very cool and unexpected.

Do you get to go to the stage for soundcheck now? A friend of mine went to NYC on the last tour and he said they didn't get a soundcheck. Hmmmm... If you get to hangout at soundcheck like we did in '04 that definitely boosts the interest and value of the package in my opinion.

**Seshmeister** · 01-11-2012, 04:24 PM

Originally posted by VOODOO_King

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but I think the VIPs should be no more that half the price they are simply because all they really give you is a laminate and a little bag of goodies. The "open bar" is OK to get a primer, but I know personally, I didn't really want to drink much. I wanted to take it all in. I did my VIPs back in '04 (yeah, I know) and the MAIN reason it was worth the bank was the soundcheck. It was just the band and you got a good 20-30 minutes alone in the arena and they interacted with the fans that were there, talked with them, played requests a couple times I saw them, Mike even signed some stuff for people. Now the packages cost more and you don't get the personal experience with the band. "Early Entrance" and "Crowd Free merchandise shopping" shouldn't be listed, IMO. That's not so much a "perk" as it is the inevitable consequence of coming for the pre-show party and tour. The ticket, laminate and "gift bag" should just be listed as "Commemorative Gifts". Onsite VIP host is just the girls they have there to answer questions, hold raffle drawings for prizes and walk you around the building and they're mostly pretty hot. I just think the $600 package is a major rip off, because you're promised a ticket from rows 2-15, so essentially, two people pay for the same package and yet you're 14 rows apart. I believe when they did it in '04 you were promised a ticket within the first 10 rows for VIP and the cheaper package was rows 10-20. I don't think the guarantee of front row vs rows 2-15 warrants an increase of $400 either.

I didn't do VIPs on the last tour, because I had heard the boots and Ed was a mess. I got a free ticket to see them at Joe Louis Arena and Ed wasn't good at all. I decided since it would probably be the last time I saw them with Dave, I'd spring for a ticket online. I bought one ticket through a broker site and paid around $325-$350 (don't remember exactly) and got second row, center stage. I sat next to a guy with a VIP pass on. I asked how much he paid and he had paid for the highest package which I think last tour was $750. So, to me, it's really not worth the Ultimate price, but if you're a big fan, it's cool to just do it once for the experience and the chance they you might see the band. A buddy of mine told me last year he did the VIPs and his tour group got to talk to Dave for about 5 minutes as they passed him walking into the building. On the '04 tour, they took you through Mike and Sammy's party area next to the stage and one of the shows, Kevin Dugan was there and poured everyone shots. I also got a photo signed by Mikey on the '04 tour at the Palace. I think they had a much better package for the Hagar reunion tour, but Ed was an absolute mess then. Last year (as it is this year) the band experience wasn't part of the package. It's a gamble that you'll actually see anyone from the band and the backstage tour is usually a couple minutes looking at Ed's area and then Dave's area next to the stage, you see the equipment, the dining area, the dressing room areas and basically the back hall of the venue.

I hope that wasn't too long and rambling, but I was trying to remember everything from my experience with the VIPs and what I remember reading and hearing about last year. I personally hope to get one VIP this year at the Palace show and all the other shows will just be GA tix.

Thanks for this it's kind of what I thought. Like you on the last tour I paid about $300 a ticket from a broker for row 5 or so on the day of the gig.

I didn't realise it was an 'open bar' though. Surely that's worth them mentioning, fuck after the ticket that's probably the most valuable item.

Makes you nostalgic for the old days though when the people who liked the band the most, i.e. those willing to queue for hours for tickets were the ones who were at the front...

**VOODOO_King** · 01-11-2012, 04:35 PM

Originally posted by Seshmeister

Thanks for this it's kind of what I thought. Like you on the last tour I paid about $300 a ticket from a broker for row 5 or so on the day of the gig.

I didn't realise it was an 'open bar' though. Surely that's worth them mentioning, fuck after the ticket that's probably the most valuable item.

Makes you nostalgic for the old days though when the people who liked the band the most, i.e. those willing to queue for hours for tickets were the ones who were at the front...

The open bar and munchies were OK, but I'm kind of a "beer snob" and I'm not a big Bud drinker and most places you got Bud or Bud Light. In Michigan they offered Labatt's blue. They had a limited amount of booze, but you could get certain mixed drinks and I think they had little splits of red and white. A decent little bar.

VAin just posted they give you the sondcheck, but just don't tell you about it. If that's the case, it changes everything in my opinion. That was the main reason I did the VIPs. Well, that and we were in the "PIT" inside the stage for that tour, too. I did one show on Mike's side and one on Ed's side and both were amazing experiences. Especially with Hagar in the band, because he wasn't at soundcheck and it was Al, Ed and Mike. We were yelling out requests and they were playing them. "I'm the One", "Light Up the Sky"...shit like that. And they were smokin'! Then they'd leave, come back and Ed would fall apart. That was the most disappointing part of it for me.

On a totally unrelated note, why does the link on the front page link to buy "Tattoo" at Amazon when it's not available there until the weekend? Isn't the song available on iTunes already? Just curious.

**VAiN** · 01-11-2012, 05:10 PM

Originally posted by VOODOO_King

I did my VIPs back in '04

I didn't do VIPs on the last tour, because I had heard the boots and Ed was a mess.

Holy conflicting statements, batman!

Originally posted by VOODOO_King

Do you get to go to the stage for soundcheck now? A friend of mine went to NYC on the last tour and he said they didn't get a soundcheck. Hmmmm... If you get to hangout at soundcheck like we did in '04 that definitely boosts the interest and value of the package in my opinion.

The didn't include the soundcheck last time around, but like the crowd-free shopping experience extravaganza, it's a byproduct of being in the building early. Me and about 10 other people just ran to the stage to check it out... we got about 3-4 minutes of it before we were escorted out... At least i got to see Ed up close.. My VIP seats in 07 for 4th row center of show #1 were $500 each... so I was pretty much expecting $500-$750 this go-around... The whole thing is so over-priced it's insane...

**VOODOO_King** · 01-11-2012, 06:33 PM

Originally posted by VAiN

Holy conflicting statements, batman!

Yeah, I know. I had already bought the tix before I knew how much of a disaster he was on that tour, so I figured to make the best of it. Like I said, though, he was fantastic at soundchecks. He was blazing on "I'm the One" and ripping all the solos. Then he'd come back two hours later and be a disaster. Damn shame. So great to see him happy and healthy and to hear him kicking ass again!

**VAiN** · 01-11-2012, 07:47 PM

Originally posted by VOODOO_King

Yeah, I know. I had already bought the tix before I knew how much of a disaster he was on that tour, so I figured to make the best of it. Like I said, though, he was fantastic at soundchecks. He was blazing on "I'm the One" and ripping all the solos. Then he'd come back two hours later and be a disaster. Damn shame. So great to see him happy and healthy and to hear him kicking ass again!

I hear ya man, what a difference a couple of hours + spammy make.. I understand, Eddie... I understand.

**VOODOO_King** · 01-11-2012, 08:23 PM

Originally posted by VAiN

I hear ya man, what a difference a couple of hours + spammy make.. I understand, Eddie... I understand.

LOL!

VIP Packages

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