By: Zoey Martinez
To some people, buying a concert ticket and proceeding to forget about it until a few days before is the norm. Others, however, plan for the occasion months in advance–their outfit, their makeup, and most importantly, their camping plans. Although camping for concerts has been around for decades, it’s grown tremendously since the pandemic. After the drought of concerts, people yearned to feel connected to their favorite artists. For some, this meant securing the most coveted spot in the venue – barricade. If they achieved this feat, they would finally feel that connection to both the artist and music after so long.
However, getting to the barricade is an experience in and of itself. I, for one, fell victim to this cycle. In June of 2020, Harry Styles announced his rescheduled, highly anticipated “Love On Tour”. I scoured the internet for months in search of pit tickets. Over a year later, I found myself setting up to wait in line at 7am, by myself. I knew no one, and I did not care. A measly 12 hours later I was in the second row, and in that moment it was worth it.
Nevertheless, there are also crowds that started to deter me from this culture. Attending Olivia Rodrigo’s “SOUR” tour was one of those moments. Claustrophobia and dehydration overtook the audience and limited the amount of joy in the crowd. It’s hard to continue dancing when there are people passing out left and right, due to their hours of camping and lack of access to water and bathrooms.
After this, I started to question why this culture recently took off. I quickly realized that one reason could track back to the price of the tickets. We are all familiar with recent price gouging within Ticketmaster as well as their ‘waitlist’ process. Fans end up paying double or even triple the amount of the original ticket price after being scammed by resellers. In turn, people naturally want to make the most of their money and experience, leading to camping. I also can’t ignore the role that social media plays in this phenomenon. As people begin to camp out, they also begin to post. They share to millions of viewers up-close views of their favorite artist with the caption, “waited 12 hours for this view, it was worth it”. After this, it is almost like a domino effect. People feel the need to get an even better view than those that they see on TikTok, it’s almost like a pecking order within fandoms. Who can have the best video? Although a few years ago you could show up a couple hours before the show and still get a good spot, when these videos are constantly being shared, more and more people believe it is imperative they arrive early.
While it is true that there are many negative aspects to this so-called ritual, it is also true that people find true happiness in it. Throughout the many hours of waiting, a sense of anticipation is built up, friendships are created, and memories are made. I have seen, and experienced, the power and longevity of these friendships – many have lasted months, or even years, after just one concert. This alone shows the sheer power of a concert bond.
I spoke with my friend, Allison, about her experience waiting in line for 5 Seconds of Summer.
Overall, was it a good or bad experience? Why?
I was with my friend and had a lot of fun with her! Unfortunately it rained quite a bit at one point so we got drenched. Since we were waiting as a group of 2 we were each able to get out of line at some points and grab food and drink for the both of us. There were not any public bathrooms nearby though unfortunately.
Did you make any friends in line?
I was able to chat with a bunch of different girls and have some great conversations! We talked about the setlist and songs we wish we could hear live. I didn’t end up keeping in contact with anyone afterwards though.
Do you think standing in line affected your enjoyment of the concert?
I really loved the concert and I was glad I was able to get pretty close to the front for not having VIP tickets, but I was definitely really tired by the end and I might have enjoyed it better if I wasn’t as tired.
Would you do it again?
I would if it was a venue and artist that I thought it was worth it for. It’s not the most comfortable experience, and I could not see myself camping overnight for any artists, but concerts at smaller venues where I think I might be able to get really close to the stage and the artist is someone I really enjoy is definitely worth it for me.
Especially after talking with Allison, I don’t want to ignore the positive aspects of this culture. After standing in line for hours, you bond with people that love the same thing you do while simultaneously connecting with your favorite artist. It is a connection like no other. So, it is a constant battle. Is it worth it?
Although I have spent the majority of this article denouncing camping for concerts, I myself have done it numerous times…and I have some advice if you choose to endeavor on this journey.
Nine Steps to Surviving Your Next Concert:
- Arrive early, duh. Check twitter to get a sense of when others plan to arrive or have arrived in other cities. Make a decision based on how close you would like to be.
- Bring a setup. Arrive with chairs, blankets or both! You want to be as comfortable as possible.
- Don’t wear your concert clothes. If you are planning to camp for hours, wear comfy clothes and ask someone to hold your spot while you go change before the concert.
- Drink water and find a bathroom. Although you may want to hold it, it will be worth it in the end when you are not dehydrated.
- Bring a portable charger.
- Bring something fun to do that is not your phone – a book, card game, or even a computer. You want to save your battery for the concert as much as possible.
- Eat. Goes hand in hand with drink water, it is important and will be worth it in the end.
- Have someone that you know grab all of your stuff right before you go inside, or be ready to ditch it at the front door.
- Have fun! And make friends, of course!
