In an attempt to thwart ticket scalping and ensure its fans get the best seats on their upcoming summer tour, Nine Inch Nails (NIN) will sell personalized premium tickets that will require an ID to collect. The band has secured a limited allotment of premium seats to every headlining show on the tour and has reserved them for pre-sale via its own website.
Beginning roughly 72 hours prior to each general onsale, Nine Inch Nails fans, registering under their legal names at NIN.com, will be offered exclusive advance access to these prime tickets. Members are advised to subscribe to the site’s newsfeed to get up-to-date information for their city’s pre-sale.
The band did not disclose how many tickets will be available under the process and whether there is a premium price attached to the plan, or if there is an added cost for this method of ticket distribution. NIN’s representatives did not return messages seeking comment on these matters, but a spokesperson from the band’s publicist, Nasty Little Man PR, said, “The Spiral [NIN’s fan club] has had ticket specials/offers before but nothing to this degree.”
Additionally, in a move to further protect NIN fans from scalpers and ticket brokers, every pre-sale ticket will be personalized with the purchaser’s legal name printed on the ticket. Tickets will not be available until the night of the show, at which point they will be waiting for the purchaser and his/her party at designated will call areas at separate entrances to the arena. Only NIN.com pre-sale ticket holders will be allowed to use the exclusive entrances.
A government-issued ID matching the name printed on the ticket will be required for venue entry the night of the show. No tickets will be mailed in advance. Ticket quantities are extremely limited and available on a first come first served basis.
The move is not a novel concept as it has been utilized by other artists in the past, such as Guns N’ Roses and Pearl Jam. However, it is effective since the ticket holder has to enter the venue immediately upon receipt of the ticket.
