I myself was around back then but was very young. I never really went to any concert even though I wanted to .
My parents would not give me money or take me to one.
I recall when I was a teenager that sometimes a radio station would give away concert tickets if you call in and are the first or maybe second or third or even 10th caller or whatever.

But otherwise I usually never knew when a big name performer was going to perform somewhere, a performer who sells out an arena as soon as his ( or maybe her) performance is announced . I never knew how people find out and get the tickets.
What I noticed was that a big name, popular performer (like Elton John, or Paul McCartney and Wings) would never have his (or her) concert merely announced on radio or TV or in music magazines because demand would be too high and there are certain problems with that.

Now-a-days there is the internet.

But back in the 60s and 70s how did all those people who crammed stadiums or arenas for performers like Jimi Hendrix, or The Rolling Stones, or even The Monkees , find out in the first place about where their favorite group was going to play and how did they go about finding out where to buy the tickets?

Bruce Springsteen had a fan newsletter published every month, and still does today. There were a lot more music magazines back then that bands used to promote themselves. One particular magazine would attach a plastic 45 rpm single on the cover.

Radio was bigger back then too. My local station announced that tickets had dropped for Springsteen's Born In The USA Tour, and within 45 minutes it was sold out. I was 4 people away from the box office too!

I remember that for a big concert. You would have to line up to getba wristband, then the next day, you had to stand in line again to buy the ticket.

Here is a list of the concerts I saw in the 1970's:

Black Sabbath, with opening band Target, Seattle Center Coliseum, November 1976. Technical Ecstasy tour.
KISS, with openers Cheap Trick, Seattle Center Coliseum, August 1977. Love Gun tour.
Rush, with openers Max Webster and UFO. Seattle Center Arena, September 1977. A Farewell To Kings tour.
Aerosmith, with opening band Mahogany Rush, Seattle Center Coliseum, February 1978. Draw the Line tour.
Blue Oyster Cult, with openers The British Lions and UFO. Hec Edmundsen Pavillion, University Of Washington Campus, Seattle. August 1978.
Ted Nugent, with openers AC/DC and Cheap Trick, Seattle Center Coliseum, Labor Day Weekend, 1978.
Black Sabbath, with opener VAN HALEN, Seattle Center Arena. September 1978. Never Say Die! tour.
Queen, Seattle Center Coliseum, December 1978. Jazz tour.
Alice Cooper, with openers The Babies, Seattle Center Coliseum, April 1979. From the Inside tour. "Madhouse Rock" Tour.
UFO, with openers Wireless and JUDAS PRIEST. Paramount Theater, Seattle, April 1979.
Blue Oyster Cult, with openers Roadmaster and Pat Travers, Seattle Center Coliseum. August 1979. Mirrors tour.
KISS, with openers The Rockets, Seattle Center Coliseum, November 1979. Dynasty tour.

The one cool thing about concerts in the 70's was that security was a little more lax than it is now. If you were lucky, you could go pretty close to the stage as long as you didn't get in the way of the several security guys there. Of course these days, there is a barrier space set up between the crowd and stage. Seating was divided between festival seating (often standing freely on the floor) and assigned seating. That changed a bit after The Who concert tragedy in Cincinnatti in December of 1979.

Ticket prices were cheap (for then) and there were no huge service fees and charges.

Mosh pits did not exist then, however.

The one cool thing about concerts in the 70's was that security was a little more lax than it is now. If you were lucky, you could go pretty close to the stage as long as you didn't get in the way of the several security guys there. Of course these days, there is a barrier space set up between the crowd and stage. Seating was divided between festival seating (often standing freely on the floor) and assigned seating. That changed a bit after The Who concert tragedy in Cincinnatti in December of 1979.

Ticket prices were cheap (for then) and there were no huge service fees and charges.

Mosh pits did not exist then, however.


I remember people could stand right up close to the stage. They roped off about 3 feet next to it & that's where the security guards stood. You could sit anywhere you wanted or stand in front of the stage. We would always sit to the right of the stage really close to the action. But then they started having reserved seating, and it was pretty hit & miss where you ended up. Once we were seated in the rafters where all the smoke gathered, back then you could smoke whatever you brought in.
As for finding out what bands were playing, the rock stations always announced it here in our area and you usually got your tickets at Sound Shop. Tickets were often under $15 back in the 70's, sometimes they were even under $10. That was the good old days.