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obeying the rules or not
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A well known band has just released tickets for a gig in January.
I wanted to book tickets for our family but the promoters website said no under 14's and one of my kids is 12. Decided to ring the venue to check this out as we've taken the younger child to see this band before with no probs. Went on the venue website to get the phone number and just out of interest looked at their ticket booking pages, no mention of age limit.
bear with me. I rang the venue box office and asked them what the situation was. They checked and rang me back. they said their management said it was advisory, no unaccompanied under 14s but as a family we'd have no problems taking the 12 year old in. So I booked online on the venue's website.
Half an hour later the venue box office rang me again.. Their general manager had checked with the promoters as they had had several enquiries and the promoters insist the gig is over 14's only.
So, what do I do? stick to the rules and ask for a refund?
Or, if when the tickets come they don't show an age limit we just go to the gig as planned and complain like hell if there is a problem at the door? after all if I'd not seen the promoters website but just booked on the venue site I would be non the wiser about the age limit.
Or, if when the tickets come they do show an age limit do we go to the gig and try and blag it claiming the 12 yr old is 14?
What would you do. remember when I booked the tickets i believed we had been given the right information.
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Comments
embarrassingly main stream, The Kaiser Chiefs. and the 12 year old could probably pass easy enough for 13.. 14 might push it.
We took him to see them 2 years ago, at Aintree, no difficulties at all.
Very much depends if your 12 year old could pass for 14 or not.
I doubt the venue will be very strict, unless your child looks obviously under 14.
X Post!
I meant to add.... I've often seen venues themselves set an age limit, probably for health and safety resons: Stand-up event, lots of adults jumping around, don't want to get sued if little kids get flattened.
I've seen it less so with promoters, but they probably do so for the same reasons.
If you think your child can pass for 14, and you're happy for them to be at the gig, then I'd say go for it.
If the tickets show the age limit I'm not sure if I feel comfortable actually then involving my son in the lie, ie.. tell them you are 14!
My older son, 18, says the venue wont give a toss and wont ask for ID.
anyone got any experience ?
Where's your rebellious side Miffi? It's not really a lie.
All the promoters are doing is trying to cover themselves as JF says. Plus, there may be some swearing or sexual references so the age limit is more of an appropriateness warning. If you're already happy for your youngest to listen to the KFCs, then take them along to the gig.
@ Juliefrazz - He plays rugby so fairly sturdy and will be with 3 adults so I'm ok with the jumping about stuff.
@ BDB, my instinct is to go for it. I don't think he's going to get corrupted by the Kaiser Chiefs.
but.. as Wilkie says, it is a lie. So what would you do Wilkie. Get refunds?
Tsk! Semantics, BDB! What if they query the 14yo's age at the venue?
Miffi, I wouldn't put myself through the horror of going to a concert. All those people??!! Urghhhhh
I don't have any kids, so it's not likely to arise in any form for me.
However, I am more inclined to go with the rules, as otherwise you're kind of saying to Junior that it's OK to lie (or to not tell the truth) in order to do what you want.
And you might have to actually coach him to pretend that he's fourteen - then if you catch him lying about something at a later date, he can throw that right back atcha!
"But Mum, you said I should lie when we went to that concert...."
I really don't see an issue with it. Isn't rock'n'roll about break the rules anyway?
It's not teaching him to lie. It's teaching him that adults are hypocrites, but I'm sure he knows that already. You're not going to break any laws so you've still got the moral high ground when, in a few years, he tried to buy booze under age, gets caught and you punish him.
I don't mind lying. (I do it all the time... eg, it wont matter if I eat this because I'll run it off later)
Interesting.... I've just had a rummage through my drawer-full of old gig tickets.
Almost all of them state and age restriction of 14+ only (a few are over 18s only), and mostly state either 14-16 or 18-18 year olds needing to be accompanied by an adult.
I'd never really noticed that before, suppose I've never needed to!
Sorry, that doesn't help you much, does it? Other than the fact that it's quite likely the age restriction WILL be printed on the tickets.
Still, I think you're very unlikely to be questioned, unless you child does happen to look really young for their age.
@BDB I really really want to be a rebellious child of rock. But it's probably not good manners.
I can't really see the problem - surely if you are willing to flout the age limit (and who wouldn't be) then you should be happy telling him to lie about his age - it's no good getting moral about things when you are both happy to go along with breaking the rules in the first place.
If it was me I'd just take him along and tell him to lie though - who does it hurt ? I reckon the last thing the venue/promoters want is someone turning up and then being truthful about being too young - they've only put the age limit on to cover themselves not out of any concern for your son's welfare.
When venues put age restrictions, it's often as much to do with alcohol licencing laws and they 'might' be more inclined to enforce it (I'm thinking places like O2 Academys, which tend to be a bit 'corporate' anyway).
Since it's clearly not the venue themselves that are bothered in this case, it's probably not something they'll put much effort into enforcing on the door.
Interesting. When I posted I did think there would be more people saying 'rules is rules'.
And more sneering at anyone actually wanting to go to see the Kaiser Chiefs.
I can't imagine an accompanied 12 year old will be questioned. A group of 15 year olds without an adult is much more likey to have to prove their age.
If you're happy taking him and he's responsible enough to not wander off in a crowd of people I wouldn't worry.
cheers Alybea. We were just looking forward to going as a family, with an 18 year old and a 12 year old its getting more difficult to find things all to do together.
Since when did a cut off ever exist for 14 year olds?! Seems quite a token age requirement there.
I'm sure most people have done something regarding tickets that's not 100% allowable "By the book", but in reality is completely acceptable.
Using someone else's ticket for a football game for example. Something that is paid for, but not strictly allowed by the club, but something noone is ever gonna check.
Can't have any problem with what you're trying to do..especially as you booked in good faith
What i did find odd to handle, was being at the Inbetweeners film the other night, and seeing 2 parents rock in with their clearly underage teenagers (15 certificate).
I can't get my head round why either party would want to be with the other for a film that is pretty much all sweary filth!
!
When I was a teenager I'd have been mortified to be seen with my parents at a concert (or pretty much anywhere, really).
So not cool!
I am 'thinking' about introducing my young teenage son to the inbetweeners as a life lesson - I will not be staying in the same room as him while he watches though - I am not hard core enough for that.
Says so much about society.
Is there much difference between what a 12 year old would know and a 14 yo?? I mean, is there much anything that a band would do or say that a 14 yo would understand that a 12 yo wouldn't ??
Does that make sense