Contest - I won!

A big thank-you to all of my readers and Twitter followers who helped me win by clicking on my Jamplify link.
I won the contest to see HIM live in concert, which means I was able to take a friend with me who hadn't bought a ticket.

If you're interested in winning tickets like this for yourself, check out Jamplify - a tool artists can use to amplify their fanbase.

Fan rewards

While on the topic of fan rewards - what do you think about contests like these? I was chatting with a friend, and our conversation went to the idea that the fans who  really want to promote the band and the show probably already have tickets. Her thought was that fans would probably like other incentives and rewards - like meet & greet passes, VIP access, a concert t-shirt when the fan got to the venue, etc...

I totally agree - my ideal fan reward (within reason, of course!) would be a press pass - access behind the barrier to get awesome photos for the first three songs. (When I've had press access at concerts before, typically you only get to shoot the first three songs, and no complete song video...) Getting to bring my 'good' camera to a metal show would be amazing for me.

However, even though a huge fan would probably buy tickets on the first day they went on sale (or pretty quickly thereafter to avoid the chance of a sold-out show that he or she would miss) but might have friends who were on the fence about going - friends who might not be as enthusiastic of fans, but might just get on board after being won-over by a fantastic live show.

So, what do you think?

What would be your dream reward for this kind of thing - tickets for your friends? VIP passes? Advanced entry? A phone call on your birthday? A free digital download of a single before the album comes out? A signed poster? A Skype conversation with a band member? A hand-written note? Autographed sheet music? A piece of memorabilia like a shirt or hat worn in a video, drumsticks or guitar pics? What would make you feel really appreciated as a fan, and encourage you to spread the word even more about your favorite bands and artists?

Contest - Help me win!

On HIM's LA street team Twitter feed (https://twitter.com/HeartagramTeam), I saw a contest through Jamplify where you can win tickets to see HIM along with Volbeat, All That Remains and Airborne if the Monster Rock Allegiance tour comes through your city... (Or, in the style of Throwing Horns Abroad - through a city you want to travel to!)

Help me win, by clicking http://jamplify.com/Vl3B8k  - each unique click earns me points towards winning. THEN you can sign up for your own account, and spread the word about the show while earning points towards your own chance of winning free tickets.

Upcoming show - Rock Allegiance Tour 2013

One of the next multi-band shows that I'll be attending is the Monster Energy Rock Allegiance Tour 2013 which will play in Calgary, Alberta on September 9th.
Other Canadian stops include:

• Hamilton, Ontario
• Abbotsford, BC
• Edmonton, Alberta

The tour features Volbeat, HIM, All That Remains (for most dates) and Airbourne.

The full tour dates are as follows:
8/23 St. Paul, MN @ The Myth *All That Remains will not be playing this date.
8/24 Twin Lakes, WI @ Shadow Hill Ranch Festival
8/25 Cincinnati, OH @ US Bank Arena
8/26 Hamilton, ON @ Copps Coliseum
8/28 Sterling Heights, MI @ Freedom Hill
8/29 Bloomington, IL @ US Cellular Coliseum
8/30 Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre
8/31 Tulsa, OK @ Convention Center Arena
9/03 Salt Lake City, UT @ Maverick Centre
9/04 Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
9/08 Abbotsford, BC @ Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Center
9/09 Calgary, AB @ Big 4 Building
9/10 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
9/15 Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Music Festival
9/16 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
9/18 Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre @ Grand Prairie
9/19 Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
9/21 Gulfport, MS @ Jones Park CPR Fest
9/22 Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
9/23 Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
9/25 SAYERVILLE, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
9/26 Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage @ The Mann
9/27 Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Center at UMASS Lowell
9/28 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Waterfront
From: http://rockallegiance.com/
 
I find it interesting how a few of the dates have the tour coordinating with another music festival (Shadow Hill Ranch Festival in Twin Lakes, Aftershock in Sacramento, CPR Fest in Gulfport).

Luckily, I'll be able to see this show right here at home, and won't have to travel for it. If you are going to see the show, where will you be seeing it? If you could travel to any one of the cities on the tour, where would you go?

Stay tuned, I'll hopefully have photos from the shows later on in September!