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The Facts and Fictions of Getting Backstage at a Show

by Rhi*B
Issue 4, Summer/Fall 2004

You have probably heard tons of tricks to getting backstage - it's nearly impossible not to. Unfortunately though, many of them do not work. I have tested several strategies myself or had other people try while I sat back and observed. After telling you the ones that were tested and failed, I will tell you secrets that I have used or heard of that have had positive results, but you must remember one thing: All of the tricks that fail now worked at one point; they just got overused. Half of the trick to getting backstage is being original. Don't overuse one trick over and over...especially at the same venue. Believe me, the security guards will remember your face.

Fiction : Faking an injury in a pit
This is probably the most used and well-known method. I remember when Benji and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte said it once during an interview, and it hasn't worked since they broadcasted it to a million teenagers. This past Februray, I was at the Simple Plan and MxPx Tour (with special guests Sugarcult, Billy Talent and Motion City Soundtrack). During Sugarcult and MxPx, I stayed in the pit, but it got hot and I got bored and decided I wanted to meet the guys of Sugarcult and MxPx. They were playing at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City, a fair sized venue. Anyone who has been there will know what I mean when I describe the side stage area. On the left side of the stage, there is a bar and an area. You can see the backstage area, but aren't allowed back there, and you can see stairs leading to the dressing rooms, but you aren't allowed up there. I decided to attempt getting backstage. I sent my younger sister back into the pit and told her to fake an injury. She did as she was told and pretended to faint. About 5 minutes after she left my sight, I saw a security guard carrying her backstage. The first thing I thought was, "Damn, it actually worked." But it didn't. They walked right through the backstage area and carried her outside. She had her cell phone on vibrate and I called it when I saw Mike from MxPx backstage. She got the hint and told the guard she felt better and thanked him. She walked back inside and began walking towards Mike. Immediately, the guard grabbed her arm and snickered a "Nice try hun, get back in the pit." Throughout the night, I saw at least 5 different people try this trick, and the guards have caught on to it, so I would avoid this technique.

Fiction : Losing a shoe or a clothing item
This is probably the second most common excuse to try and get backstage. I've noticed now that at some venues, they keep everything they find at the front of the pit. They don't even bring it backstage. At the last concert I was at I saw 2 bras, half a dozen shirts, 3 shoes, 1 cell phone and a pair of tighty-whities pilled up on the side of the stage. Whether it was intentional or not, within 10 minutes of the show ending, everything was claimed, except the tighty-whities, but that's another story. I asked two girls if they lost stuff intentionally. The one girl who recovered a Distillers shirt said that it had fallen off her waist while a teenage guy who had lost a shoe said he had hoped to get backstage. The guards have also caught onto this, and will not let you backstage. If you meet a nice guard they will go back there and search for you, but they won't let you past the barricade.

Fiction : Begging and pleading
Believe me, it doesn't work. The guards will just push your buttons to make you angry and get a good laugh out of it at the end. At the Roseland Ballroom, one security guard told me outrageous stories and bargains that people have made to try and get backstage. Security guards aren't stupid. They know all the tricks that we know, plus probably 100 more. Beg and plead all you want. If they have a sense of humor, they will fake you out by giving you false hope, but if they don't have a sense of humor, they will simply get mad and possibly have you thrown out.

Fact : Suck Up
Begging and pleading won't work, but sucking up never hurts. It might not always get you backstage, but it will help out. One time, I was in the front row of the pit during an intermission. It was at the Mest and Fall Out Boy show in early March. The guard in front of me looked desperately bored, so I struck up a conversation with him. Nothing major, just small talk. Then, once the show started, he was my best friend. He pulled crowd surfers out early and avoided hitting me in the head every time. When he gave water to the crowd, he gave it to me first so I always got the clean top. When he poured water on us to cool us off, he took my camera and held it so he wouldn't get it wet. In general, he was a nice guy. At the end of the show, he told me to hold on a minute and he jumped up on stage and came back down with a drum stick. Nick, the drummer from Mest, must have left it there or forgotten about it and the guard came back and gave it to me. It didn't get me backstage, but hey, I got a drumstick from one of my favorite bands.

Fact : Dress up in a costume
If you live around NYC, you'll probably know what I mean. There is one kid. I've seen him at about seven different shows, and he is always wearing the same thing: a full length, fleece Winnie the Pooh outfit. The costume covers him from head to toe and the only part of his body that you see is his face. Although he probably has alternate reasons for dressing like that, it has been effective. During a Fall Out Boy set, the guitarist motioned for him to go on stage and he did. He danced for about two minutes before being tackled down by a security guard, but still, he got noticed. I also saw him once backstage, talking to numerous people. So, being original and making a fool out of yourself usually works.

Fact : Blend in with confidence
Even if you don't get backstage, chances are you will meet one of the members at some point during the night. Many of them hang around before, during or after the shows. If they don't, then they are probably jerks and you wouldn't want to hang out with them anyways. Get to the shows a little early and look around. The buses are usually parked within 5 or 6 blocks from the venue. Once, I was waiting in line and there were four guys standing behind me. I started talking to one when I noticed he had a backstage pass on a chain on the side of his belt. He told me that he printed it offline and got in laminated. He told me to wear all black and do the same, and once inside, just walk confidently like you "own the room." He said he did it at three shows and all three times it worked. I haven't tried this yet, but I probably will soon. The ironic part is, later that night I saw him behind the merch tables talking to the merch people. He told me that the one merch girl thought he was there for the other band while the other girl thought the same thing. It worked for him, so, if used once in awhile, it'll probably work.

You also must remember that going to shows is not only about conning your way backstage. Go to have fun, enjoy the music and hang out with rad people. If, once in a while, you get a wild streak, go for it and try one of my suggestions or one of your own. The simplest ideas usually work the best because no one uses them; they think they are too easy. Often times, the complex plans are the ones that fail. So, give it a try and if you have any suggestions or new ideas email me at GoYanks787@aol.com and if I get enough, I'll write up another article with more tips and tricks. Until then...rock on! See you at the shows.

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