Tickets to Metallica’s two Auckland shows sold out in just 20 minutes this morning, leaving some angry fans empty-handed.
The tickets went on sale at 9am and promoters for the two shows, on October 13 and 14 at Vector Arena, said they were sold out by 9.20am. Stuff.co.nz was swamped with feedback by irate fans who tried to buy them over the internet, but couldn’t get through.
“I was on the website from 8.50am and nothing. Both pre-sales failed and sure enough no 25th birthday for me. It was going to be the best start to my honeymoon too,” said a poster called Chris. “Once again, the Ticketmaster website is unstable and not up to modern day needs,” said another poster called Mark. Fans who camped out overnight at Real Groovy in Auckland told Stuff.co.nz they spent the night chatting to other fans and sleeping.
“I’ve been sleeping, talking to strangers, and sleeping again,” said a Metallica fan of 20 years.
“I was going to go down to Britomart, but I came down here and saw these guys and thought, ‘I’ll just get in here with these guys’. I’m third in line. It’s alright,” said another.
“It’s never too long to wait (for tickets),” said a third fan. “As long as we get one.”
Queues were “right around the corner” at Real Groovy’s Queen Street store in Auckland this morning, a staff member said. They were still selling tickets at 9.30am.
A handful of fans also camped out overnight at Real Groovy in Wellington.
One fan who tried to score tickets over the internet said: “General sale tickets were gone so fast, by 9.02am when I got through they were gone. Here’s hoping for a third show.”
Promoters said the second show for October 14, announced on Monday, was to be the last, and no extra shows in New Zealand were planned. A small number of tickets could be released at a later date, promoters said. Meanwhile, a special offer from Air New Zealand will mean Christchurch Metallica fans will be able to travel to Auckland to see the band for $1. Bruce Parton, from Air New Zealand’s discount ticketing site Grabaseat, announced the special offer yesterday. “We’ll give 120 seats [from Christchuch to Auckland] at a dollar,” he said. “All you have to do is have a Metallica ticket.”
Parton said the themed flight would have a “party atmosphere” with “black T-shirts and long hair”.
The Grabaseat sale is on now. http://flightbookings.airnewzealand.co.nz/vgrabview/en_NZ/
Metallica last performed in New Zealand at the Big Day Out in 2004.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/entertainment/3690820/Metallica-tickets-sell-out-fast
Until next time keep rockin’
The 0800 Jukebox crew.
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