Tampa

[Cookie]

Some of what I have to say is probably going come back and bite me in the future. First the Good Stuff! For the 1st time I purchased my ticket thru the Fan Club and I had a perfect seat.loved it. The bad thing. Front Row seat winners must be on the far side sections. After many many many Alan concerts in 8 states in 20 years, I have seen this happen before. This is what was happening... I was in the 3rd row, just off center in Section 2. The front row was empty when I got there. I watched as the seats were slowly filled with young girls maybe 17-20 dressed in short shorts, short skirts  and revealing tops. All cute little girls, not one male. this was a huge front row. By the time Alan was to come out.the girls were dancing with each other and screaming at center stage. I spoke to the security person that had been doing the seating, he told me each girl had a front row ticket. When I voiced my curiosty he finally told me that  Alan's tour manager had been going through the audience plucking the cuties from far back and lawn seats and giving them front row tickets. Then here comes Nathan, Alans Tour Manager,( yes I knew who he was) stirring up the girls to get up and dance and scream during Alan's performance. I stopped him and told him how unfair that was, where are the front row FC winners? where are the men? where are fans over 20? I took a photo of the 3rd row..only older and old FC members including men were seated there. What is going on? I can not believe Alan wants only female youngsters in his front row. He loves his loyal fans that have been here from the beginning of his career as well as the new fans. ONE more thing, an elderly lady sitting right behind me in the 4th row, has been to 28 Alan concerts in 16 years. she has never won a front row ticket or a M&G. As most of us know our 81 year old twins that have been following Alan for 20 years, finally got a M&G at West Palm Beach this past weekend. I met these ladies in Nashville this summer after the Nashville newspaper ran an article about them during Musicfest. They did get on the stage with a large group for a quick photo, no M&G were done that day. Who has belonged to the FC for the most years? Who of them has never had a M&G? Lets give those long time loyal fans some special treatment! Share with Alan how long these loyal fans have belonged to his FC. I promise you not one of those teenagers are members of this FC. BTW  Nathan , he now knows who I am. 

[BIGHUSKERSRED]

Cookie, thank you so much for sharing this. I hear you. My autistic son and I have been fans of Alan's since '93 and members of the FC since '94 and '95 respectively, though off and on (more on than off) and only had a chance to have a M&G with Alan September of last year when my son won it, not me. Cindy, if you're reading this, we truly appreciated it and enjoyed tremendously the opportunity to meet Alan and the photo shoot that went with it. However, I share what Cookie has just voiced out on her post above. I'm not only sure of it, but, I DO KNOW IT first hand that this happens at every concert of Alan's, re: cute girls at the front row seats. My beef about it is that those very girls a lot, if not most, of time are not even paying attention to Alan's performances. They are there just to make a spectacle of themselves, to put it mildly, apparently per Alan's manager's instructions. Pardon my being blunt (I'll probably regret saying this too, Cookie), but, Alan is no longer the young country superstar of the early-mid '90s, so what does he need to have these teeny-boppers/young girls seated at the front row to later on scream their lungs out while standing close to/hugging the stage and are not even really totally into his music? Is this even his idea? Does his new promoter know about this and is she in agreement with doing this? Then the real fans and FC members who wins the front row seat tickets gets seated in the "corner" (read: far end of the row)? I'm in total agreement with your sentiment, Cookie. We, the long time and loyal fans of Alan's and are members of his fan club and has supported his career for years should be given the special treatment. We're all deserving of it (not to mention, have more need to be seated closer to the stage). . . .not those teeny-boppers/young girls. Thanks again, Cookie, for sharing this.

BHR

[jinx47]

I am in total agreement with all that has been said!

[LOUIEFL]

I would have to agree with all  stated above.  I was at the show in Tampa. It is a shame that parents let their daughters drink and act this way.  I think the reporter that wrote the WPB article had it "RIGHT ON THE MONEY" when he said the people come to drink and care less about the music., talk and drink during all performances and have no  respect for the people around them, much less the performer.

[alotaboutlivin]

I was so pleased to see that Cookie has brought this to the forum....  The last concert I attended was at Rupp Arena and I couldn't believe what I was watching taking place right before my eyes.....  Young, pretty and mostly blonde girls being pulled off the street and taken into Rupp Arena and placed in front row seats..   And here I am a fan club member stuck in some cruddy 11th row seat straining to get a glimpse of Alan and the Strayhorns..  You know it really ticked me off watching on the big screens the young girls not even knowing the words to Alan's songs.....  Seriously, you pay your yearly dues and order some goodies off Alan's website and then you witness someone from management pick a non member that doesn't appreciate country music and they end up getting the best seat in the house.... Something's WRONG with this picture.........

[AJ#1COFAN]

I am also pleased to see that Cookie has brought this to the forum....  at the Red Rocks Concert we experienced the same.  A lady in our row complained to the security guard regarding the distraction, etc., and was told nothing could be done about it.   On a positive note, we had great seats (via the FC) which I was very thankful for, but something doesn't seem fair about this.  We can only hope our comments will be heard.

 

[dee572]

Iam in total   agreement on all that  was said above. 

[Luckylady44]

I am another fan who is glad that Cookie had the nerve to speak up at the concert and also post it here about the front row cuties and how unfair it is to those of us who pay top dollar for seats and support Alan because we like him, his music, etc.   

[jinx47]

I wouldn't mind them so much if they weren't so totally obnoxious and just watched and enjoyed Alan.  But all they do is drink and dance and act totally stupid and get in our view.  Not sure why that happens.

[Jeri_MS]

I wouldn't mind them so much if they weren't so totally obnoxious and just watched and enjoyed Alan.  But all they do is drink and dance and act totally stupid and get in our view.  Not sure why that happens.

Jinx, I always say"Youth is wasted on the Young" ha ha we older Mom's buy their tickets lol
as you can tell, I'm older now..39 and holding LOL I wish !
Older than Alan for sure, Jerrie from MS

[Kimberleigh]

I am also in total agreement!!! I have witnessed this numerous times...My cousin and I would sit in our seats and watch the roundup of teenie boppers (Mostly blonde). Is this a common practice for concerts? I know when you see concerts on tv pre-televised at other artists shows there are young girls up front.....Always     Just Wondering!!!!!

[Jeri_MS]

I thought it was a Venue thing. When we took our beautiful, Blonde Young Grand Daughter who looked like 19 at the time, but was only 16 and tall.She acted so gracious & did not even talk to some of the Fans I wanted her to. I knew them but most parents have to teach their children to not talk to strangers. a shame but true. She is so nice, she doesn't drink & is polite. she doesn't play up her looks and wants to be a nice Young Lady with class & manners. Alan did throw her a pic from the third row center & she said "I want you to have this, You love Alan's music so much" wasn't that great ,she gave it to me!
Where are these young Girls parents? they must be older or the girls are just wild. Would Alan want his daughter to be this way, I don't think so LOL I saw mattie jogging w/friends when we drove by the house , when she was about 16 and the world was a bit safer. she waved to us & I told hubby to drive on quickly, or she might get scared thinking we were bad people. ha!
I hope Alan is aware that this only turns his real Fans away. I have to admit I stood up front with these cuties & I was feeling like they were my grand daughter, but acting rather crazy ( unlike her) she is so wonderful. a straight A student.
Tell the young cuties to "Move it on Over " a few times LOL Nice that you addressed this however.

[KentuckyGirlAlanFan]

Although I haven't personally witnessed the picking and seating of the younger people on the front rows at the concerts, I truly believe that it is a publicity tactic by management and promoters and not due to any decisions made by Alan himself.  I am 29 and have been an Alan fan for a long time.  As much as I truly love Alan and his music, he is not as popular as he was a few years ago.  I truly hate it because he is the best and truly relevant to country music today.  The younger crowd is looking to the newer, younger crop of singers with the pop/rock edge.  I believe this is a ploy to get younger fans to really notice Alan and his music again.  And, as we all know, younger, prettier and quite often scantily clad fans draw attention, whether it be good or bad.  I don't see this being something Alan would promote himself.  He is a class act that cares about his family and his children.  Also, it could possibly be due to the fact that he is under a new label that has all younger acts signed to it.  I hope that the fan club can relay all of these questions and concerns to Alan.  I'm a die hard fan and will always do what I can to support him, his family and career.  And it's because of fans like us that have a true appreciation for Alan and his music that hd is still performing and being successful today.  I believe he would agree because that's just the type of person he is:)&

[mar4aej]

This is not a new practice and he is not the only singer who allows this to happen.
We first witnessed this moving of the young blondes into the front row back in 1998.
It was after that concert that I ended up in an emergency room the next morning as
we had stayed overnite.  The nurse in ER told me that her 16 yr old daughter was one
of the young fans picked as they were entering the arena room.

Back in 2000 one of the band members asked me if I had good seats (4th row) and
I said yes... thinking he was just curious as he sort of knows who I am.  I am dense!
He was going to upgrade the seats I figured out later.  I had not known he was doing
that. LOL

They also try to grab the guitar picks from the fan Alan is sending them to...and
he himself made a point of placing one recently in a Younnng fan's hands and clasping
her hands tightly on it before moving along.  She turned and gave it to her grandmother
behind her to keep safe.

We were allowed to the front of the stage area before Alan came out at that concert
and it was to include the first 4 rows.  As much as I find it hard to stand that long,
I kept my mind off of my knees and back by staring all the pretty off of Alan.
Life is Not fair...and it is what it is. 

[ajarkansasfan]

We see this happening at every concert we have went to.               Then if we are in the first 3 rows that is allowed down befor Allan starts,  and we go to the front of the stage,         they get in your way  some spill drinks.                 sometimes I just stay in my row seat that I was in  to not get pushed and on down front of the stage.