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Complaining about Ticketmaster fees and "convenience" charges is so 2015. These days, it's a privilege to even get to pay those fees. When Radiohead tour tickets went on-sale in March, they were all scooped up by brute force ticket bots in approximately 5 seconds. Even Thom Yorke was pissed. They then popped up for astronomical four-figure prices on Craigslist, where many users complained of getting scammed with phony hard tickets, and StubHub, which guarantees tickets but also charges an additional 25% fee. While prices have since dropped (a little) if you're still looking to see the band's last show in town tonight without getting ripped-off, there's still hope! Take it from someone who scored 2 last minute zero-fee face value ($80) seats with a phenomenal view (see video below) direct from the MSG box office. Here are our tips on how to snag 'em.
-Get there early, stick around and dig in
We arrived around 6:30pm and didn't make it in until Radiohead played their opening notes. This game is not for the impatient or the faint of heart or feet.
-Steer clear of scalpers
Don't engage people with stacks of tickets or anyone also looking to buy yours. You want legitimate sellers just trying to unload spares from shitty friends who bailed last minute, sick husbands or wives, sad hipsters whose Tinder date bailed or young cool dads trying to teach their bad kids lessons. Also, anyone in a band shirt, the older the better (t-shirt or person). If you still can't tell, ask what their favorite song is. If they just stare blankly or quickly shout "Creep" then WALK AWAY.
-Vet your tickets
Why not use your last-minute proximity to the venue to verify this expensive purchase you are about to make? If the seller isn't willing to walk 10 feet to an employee to prove their ticket is real then it ain't.
-Have (at least) a two-man team
One person waits in line while the other trolls for tickets outside, then swap places.
-There is a last-minute "Cancellation Line" to buy tickets inside
Do not ask me—or any employees there—how it works, but enter the venue, go through security—you do not need a ticket to do this—and make your way to the open ticket window on the far right (last night it was "Window #17"). You will know it because it's where all the other desperados are lining up. Just make sure it's not a "Will Call" or "Future Event" window. If there are any spare tickets left over—last night there were 19—the venue will release them anywhere up to the start of the headliner's set. So politely line-up and wait it out and just maybe, you too will be rewarded with tickets cheaper than the day they went on sale!
If you're still looking to be convinced, the show itself was one of Radiohead's best ever, and I've seen them on every tour since The Bends, so trust me. The dudes was in high spirits with very little between-song-chatter and seamlessly blended tracks from the past 20 years, including some very rare cuts (see setlist below), into a cohesive and fantastic set. But even if it still doesn't work out for you, Thom Yorke recently put together a "bedtime" mix for the BBC, to help cry yourself to sleep later tonight.
July 26 Setlist
Burn The Witch
Daydreaming
Decks Dark
Desert Island Disk
Ful Stop
Lotus Flower
The National Anthem
15 Step (A first on this tour)
No Surprises
Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief
Separator
Planet Telex
The Numbers
2 + 2 = 5
Everything In Its Right Place
Myxomatosis
Idioteque
First Encore:
Let Down (First performance in over a decade)
Present Tense
Paranoid Android
Nude
Bodysnatchers
Second Encore:
Bloom
Street Spirit (Fade Out)