I got into punk rock because I hate shit like this

I hope no one buys into this.

It's an extra $10,000 from attendees who have already paid to attend. What does Tony and the Fest need that amount of money for?

More bands than ever before and running this shit isn't cheap. If you don't like it, don't buy it. I doubt many people will but why shit on them trying to find another way to offset costs. Especially if it means that they can continue to keep ticket prices relatively in check. It's nothing that I would ever be interested in but that's not to say that some of the unitended benefits (lower ticket prices, most of those people probably jumping the line at a bigger venue) would help out the average fear goer anyway

You guys are dicks if you shit on them for trying to make a little extra money.. They spend the entire year putting together one weekend for us to enjoy. That shit isn't easy and damn sure isn't cheap to do. Keeping the Fest tickets so cheap for all the great bands we get to see every year is a miracle. Do you really think they make a decent profit doing this year in and year out I think you're out of your mind.

If they are doing it there will be a good reason. Maybe ticket sales are slow this year, maybe with lack of big venues they had to pay extra, maybe there was some last minute problems that means they might not break even this year. We don't know the reason they have decided to do this but do you honestly think, knowing the history of No Idea/The Fest, that it is a scam or a get rich quick scheme? C'mon.

If by selling 100 of this passes to people WHO WANT to pay $100 to queue jump all weekend they can keep ticket prices low for the rest of us while still booking the best bands from all over the world I say go for it.

The guys that run Fest do an amazing job and it would be a shame if they read a load of comments bitching about an OPTIONAL extra and thought is it worth the hassle to bother with it all next year!

Stay positive people, only a couple of weeks till PBR powered good times!

Yeah, I'd agree that at this point, I think Tony and co. has earned enough of our trust that we shouldn't be looking at this as some kind of money grab. Considering that there were obviously some venue issues, there are still tickets available and they've brought in some really big bands this year, if they need to come up with a few creative ways to balance the books, I don't have any problem with it. I like that they're limiting the number of VIPs so it's not like any non-VIPs are going to lose out because 500 VIPs just jumped them in the Propagandhi line.

I don't have an issue with them making money, I'm all for it. I take issue with people getting special treatment for an addition fee.

Pretty much this and what several other people have said. You guys are much more reasonable than the people on Facebook!

I totally agree with you on special treatment. I just feel that the special treatment in this case isn't so great that it upsets my Fest by not having it. If there was other stuff I'd be angry or try to come up with $100 and join the 1% of Festers who will get special treatment.

Thank you for saying something about the FB discussion. That is the best laugh I have had in a while.

I missed the update on the news page and clicked this because I thought it was some kind of scam or joke...

I'm not faulting anybody for setting this up, feels like the entire state of Florida is hemorraghing cash right now and business is down and liquidity is low in all sectors and everybody is looking for that extra hustle to make ends meet..so, shit, if people will pay it and it amounts to a drop in the bucket numbers-wise and has minimal impact on all us plebes who don't have an extra benjie laying around, well, sure, whatever.

That said, it feels like a rather terrible idea which will end up breeding awkwardness and hard feelings. I can't imagine breezing to the front of a line that's at capacity and then standing there trying to be cool with a bunch of people I just cut in front of, especially if it was a small venue and there was any chance yhat my entry might deny theirs. Ugh.

The one exemption to any of this would be people coming all the way from overseas and spending so much time and money to get here, I could totally understand wanting to pay extra to try to avoid missing some bands you might not get to see anywhere else, and the pound and euro are kicking the dollar's ass, anyway, so yeah, why not cough up the extra weak-ass greenbacks, it's not quite the 1 to 2 days of labor that $100 represents for the average american dirtbag.

I've had 4 years of incredible fun going to Fest. That being said, coughing up $100 to help out the Fest-makers get by and to continue wanting to do this for years to come is a no-brainer.

I'd be happy to spend more money...but goddamn I'd feel like such an asshole getting to bypass everyone else.

Perhaps getting to sneak in through the back like every other civilized cheater may sell me into this.

Yeah, I worry a bit about whether Fest is struggling more than we realise if they're having to do this, and I'd pretty much be willing to pay it to help out, but I wouldn't then actually be terribly comfortable using it...

Yeah the passes are stupid cheap, if they had to go up to $125/150 next year I don't think there would be to many complaints..

I'm with you. This thing is still a good bit cheaper than any comparable festival, and a price increase, honestly, is probably overdue, especially if they're struggling at all.