How early to arrive at a show?

[DoodleBob]

I'm going to the Orange Beach, Alabama date (@ the Warf)! Anyone know what crowds would look like? I'm expecting to not have to get to the venue super early like I would in Florida, but other than that I have no idea what to expect!

[Yaz.]

1 hour ago, Joey said:

Hey, obnoxious pricks have feelings too, y'know.

 

For the record, I have never pushed my way through a crowd to the barrier - I dwell way back near the bars and toilets. However, if I wanted to stand there that is what I would do. Camping out is certifiably insane.

There is a choice to not be an obnoxious dick, especially if people around you are short. I'd give you hell 

[Daddy.]

It depends on the size of the show in my experience. I got barrier for Shepards Bush and the 02 and I was there about lunch time for Shepards (a smaller venue) and early morning for the 02 (arena)

The Emirates show was just madness though, people were queuing their 48 hours before-hand (if not earlier). I camped overnight and got pretty much a row back from the barrier. 

[Sarah.Scumbag]

I've had barrier at every Green Day show I've been to just by showing up at the early hours of the morning. It is just down to luck though and how the venue is organised. 
Leeds was the exception to this were we arrived at about midday, and it was such chaos that we managed to still get to the front

[bouncingoffthewallbja]

It really depends on the venue and how organised they are when doors open. It's always disheartening when I hear of fans who camp overnight or for days on end, and because of the terrible organisational structure the venue has, people who arrived much later get a better place in the pit! It's really luck if anything! Hopefully Dublin in June will be okay but I'm doubting it 

[Proat]

18 hours ago, parisGreenDay said:

I am seeing Green Day in texas  in 10 days! It will be my first GD show and I am nervous about how early we should get there in order to get  barrier. i was thinking that arriving 2 hours early would be ok, but I'm wondering if there will be tons of people there already! How early have all of you arrived at your GD shows in the past and how close were you able to get? is it a mad house getting in? I'm super small so I'm really hoping to be able to get to the front, is that going to be possible? 

I arrived 20 minutes before mine and some how managed to get near the front (the cat walk) while everyone else was too busy doing a wall of death 😂 my profile pic is how close I was... I'd say that 2 hours is more than enough time. I didn't push as I am 5 ft nothing so would get floored if I did push... I'm going to see them in Hyde Park which is a bigger venue so will be aiming to get there at least 7 hours before 

[Stefano Bras]

If you want to get barrier you need to camp the night before, like around 7-10pm.

If you want to be near the stage, 8 hours prior doors opening and if you're chill and want to be on the back or middle, go whenever.

[WestboundSign!]

In addition to what people already said, it depends on where exactly you want barrier. I'm always aiming for Jason's side, for example, and whenever I tried I managed to get a barrier spot there. Arriving somewhen between 9am (summer shows) and noon (winter shows) has been sufficient for a good spot on Jason's side for me.You need luck as well, though. In Vienna people were pushing so hard at the entrance that I could barely breathe, got hold back at the entrance barricades and all the waiting was for nothing.  

[Backyard Skulls]

When I first saw them back in 09 in Glasgow I think we started lining up from about 9am, we got barrier on Mike's side.

Next time at Emirates we arrived a little after 10am so never got golden circle wristbands, managed to get a spot at the second barrier though! 

The vast majority of gigs I've went to I've been at the front or pretty close, I usually end up on the right hand side.

[pols4tre]

As most people above have already mentioned, it's entirely dependant on what spot you want, the venue and the security. For example; Emirates I knew I wanted barrier, so I camped for two days. I was very very lucky as I was at entrance J, which for some reason was opened 5 minutes before the other entrances were. If I had been at another entrance, it would have been a different story.

The O2 show a few weeks ago; I knew I wanted barrier so camped overnight (there were about 20 of us who did) and we started a numbering system, as we knew that there was only going to be one entrance into the standing part of the arena. So, I was number 3 and it meant that people who arrived at the O2 before 9am got their fair place in the queue. I ended up being the person giving out numbers and, while there were a few minority who gave me shit and tried to queue jump anyway (only to be sent to the back by the security man), 99% of people who turned up before 9am were on board and the queue ended up being the best one I've been in for a Green Day show. Leeds was great too, until they let us in; 6 doors meant 6 queues and the palava on the stairs meant that people who were at the back suddenly got to push to the front. I had people grabbing my clothes and pulling me back to get ahead of me. The security didn't care and just wanted to get people in. I JUST got barrier at the end of the catwalk, despite being number 1 in the queue. So yeah, it really does depend on the venue and how the queuing goes down. 

Anyway, my point is I camped overnight to make sure I'd 100% get barrier, as for that show in particular that's where I wanted to be. There have been some shows where I haven't camped and have got barrier on Mike's side (Manchester, Berlin back in 2012 and a few others). It really does depend on the venue (how many entrances the venue has into standing is a big deal!) and whether or not there's a VIP / Priority queue. However, I definitely agree that 2 hours won't be enough time if you want barrier. Get there as early as you possibly can, even if it means camping outside!

[Hermione]

5 hours ago, WestboundSign! said:

In addition to what people already said, it depends on where exactly you want barrier. I'm always aiming for Jason's side, for example, and whenever I tried I managed to get a barrier spot there. Arriving somewhen between 9am (summer shows) and noon (winter shows) has been sufficient for a good spot on Jason's side for me.You need luck as well, though. In Vienna people were pushing so hard at the entrance that I could barely breathe, got hold back at the entrance barricades and all the waiting was for nothing.  

Yeah that's true. Like at my first show I got barrier but it was riiiiiight over on the right side, so a pretty good view of Mike and able to see the whole stage but really quite far away from Billie/the rest of the band and it wasn't very lively there either. Now I know I'd rather be a couple of rows back but closer to the action than that far away on the barrier. And I always suspect it's a bit easier to get a good spot on Jason's side but I'm never quite sure, sounds like maybe it is then.

I'm amazed that people have got there a couple of hours before doors opened and got barrier , I know that wouldn't have been possible at any of my shows though, guess it just depends on the venue/show. Luck does play quite a big role in it but getting there as early as is do-able for you can only help so I'd still recommend it!

[WestboundSign!]

48 minutes ago, Hermione said:

Yeah that's true. Like at my first show I got barrier but it was riiiiiight over on the right side, so a pretty good view of Mike and able to see the whole stage but really quite far away from Billie/the rest of the band and it wasn't very lively there either. Now I know I'd rather be a couple of rows back but closer to the action than that far away on the barrier. And I always suspect it's a bit easier to get a good spot on Jason's side but I'm never quite sure, sounds like maybe it is then.

I'm not exactly a robust person so I enjoy barrier on Jason's side a lot as I have at least a little space of my own and can breathe normally as no super tall guys stand in front of me Can totally understand why most people prefer a few rows back in the centre, though! But the atmosphere on a side barrier spot really depends on the people you're with and the show you're at I guess. In Mannheim for example, the people around me weren't big fans (for some reason?), so it was a bit awkward indeed. In Cologne, nearly the same barrier spot, it was a completely different story. Everybody pushing, going crazy, dedicated fans.. Also, barrier on the side is definitely more enjoyable at arena shows than stadium shows. The stage reaches out to the sides so you're basically still right in the heart of it. Not the same for big outdoor venues.

[sara_gd]

It depends on the time of the year, the venue, your luck, etc, yeah, okay, it does. But if you get there 2h before you can't really expect to get barrier. There's a chance you'll get it, but if you camp overnight or get there really early in the morning you'll most likely get it. Or at least your chances are much much higher.

I suppose it also depends on how you handle camping overnight. I think I've said endless times on here that I just sleep through practically anywhere  and I'd find more exhausting to wake up early on the day of the show, prepare, take a bus, stress, etc, than just put my mattress out at 10pm and relax.

19 hours ago, Hermione said:

The only thing I can think when I see the people who camped out going in is how there's going to be a load of people in almost exactly as good places as them who rolled up at a comfortable time that morning. Like in London we were looking at the no doubt exhausted people leaving their duvets to go in and saying oh wow we're right behind them and we only turned up at lunch time lol. I suppose if you have your heart set on barrier it's your best bet though.

And it also depends on how much you want barrier. I had a perfect spot for the O2 show and if there were people behind me that arrived at lunch time, then good for them, I wouldn't have traded their spot for anything! I don't think of their spot as "almost exactly as good", I want mine  For me it's a different and better experience to get a central view of the stage, to have somewhere to hold onto, not to have heads on the way, to have more chances to interact with the band, even to have security close for water... 

[gd86arg]

I don't know around the globe, but when I saw them at Pepsi Music Festival in Buenos Aires during 21stCB's 2010 South America leg I arrived at 8pm, Green Day started playing at 9:30pm, and I was on stage and doors were open since 1pm, so I don't think being early at the venue really matter.