After months of growing speculation about a reunion tour, iconic jam band Phish has confirmed its first official shows since splitting in 2004. The shows are set for March 6-8 at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA.
The rockers made the reunion announcement via a video post on the official Web site’s default page. A statement further into the site stated that the band plans to announce dates for a full 2009 tour in the future.
Public on-sales for the opening run begin October 18 at 10 a.m. (EST). However, the band has another ticket alternative for fans, accompanied with what the band refers to as a “zero tolerance” scalping policy.
Phish has set aside a limited number of tickets that will be distributed through the band’s ticket Web site prior to the start of public sales. The site, which cuts off requests at noon on October 8, allows visitors to place requests for up to two tickets per show.
Requests processed for the tickets, priced at $49.50 with a $5.40 service fee, are “treated equally” regardless of the time the request was placed during the week. According to the posted directions, some requests may not be filled due to the limited supply, but individuals whose requests are honored will receive an e-mail notification, and the total amount due will be charged to the purchasing credit card.
The band hopes to eliminate ticket resales by using the ticket request system. “Phish Tickets has a zero tolerance for scalping and insists that all patrons of our service abide by our policy,” the site states. “Tickets made available through this site are intended only for fans who are actually planning on attending the shows requested.”
Tickets that are resold, traded or brokered will be cancelled at the discretion of the site, and a refund will be issued to the original buyer less the $7 processing fee and any applicable shipping charges for the purchase.
“We reserve the right to investigate all orders suspected to be in violation of this policy,” the site explained. “We urge you not to purchase tickets through brokers or ‘scalpers.’ These tickets may be counterfeit in which case you will not only be overcharged but will also likely be denied entry into the show.”
A similar distribution style was used for Miley Cyrus’s recent one-night performance at the MGM Grand venue at Foxwoods casino in Mashantucket, CT. Despite the venue’s warnings that resold or traded tickets would be considered void if uncovered, tickets continued to surface on resale sites, including eBay and TicketsNow.
In past months, Phish band members made an increasing number of statements regarding a reunion. Frontman Trey Anastasio first hinted at a reunion in early June, followed closely by keyboardist Page McConnell who posted a lengthy discussion of the topic on the band’s Web site.
However, a long-term reunion tour had been out of the question previously because several members of the band were on the road supporting solo material. Phish bassist Mike Gordon had a full itinerary of solo dates over the summer, and recently announced another tour leg in December on the Phish Web site. Later, Anastasio announced his own solo tour, set for late September and October this year.
But when the band performed unofficially in early September at a friend’s wedding, the informal jam renewed and further fueled speculation about a reunion. Previously, the band had not performed since their farewell shows in 2004 in Coventry, VT.
The image accompanying this story is from the announcement video at Phish.com.
Phish itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)
| March 6-8 | Hampton, VA | Hampton Coliseum |
