AVSean

We bought the "cheap" VIP package (without the parking, food and drinks included). Bought them the morning the AmEx package was available and that was the box offered. (I figured we'd have to eat and drink a heck of a lot of food to make up for the price, and I was just as happy to be in the garden boxes vs the pool circle (I wanted to see the pyrotechniques, and we could barely see them from our garden box as it was!) As far as the X stage deal, we ran up right when they started setting up the keyboard and drum kit before Princess of China- we were really the first people to get there. Already in the aisle between the first row of garden boxes (directly under the X stage) and the second row of garden boxes, Gwyneth and Cameron Diaz were already standing , with two suited and earpieced VIP security guards keeping the peace. Once a few other people started to crowd the aisle in front of the X stage, the suited and earpiece guys called in the yellow jacket guys to clear the aisle- with the exception of the VIP contingent right in front of the stage- I would assume they has special permission to be wherever they wanted! My wife was lucky enough to a) be mistaken for part of the Gwyneth/Cameron entourage, b) didn't have a cell phone or camera to take pictures of them, and c) Gwyneth and Cameron and their entourage were cool enough to let her stay at their VIP "aisle" spot (now protected by security with their backs to the entourage and facing the aisle and crowd) with them until the end of the set. Meanwhile, everyone in the aisle from me on were asked to return to our seats. My wife was just lucky enough to make the cut given her gender, position in the aisle, and penchant to dance and be into the band and not bother the girls. One guy who blatantly tried to take a picture of them from the box in front of them was relocated to a different box by security (he was obnoxious and tried to shove his cell phone in their faces, practically. Gwyneth kindly but firmly asked him to "respect the band and stop", he didn't, and the yellow jackets walked him (I presume) to a different box. Hope that all makes sense.

Awesome, right? We were in box 361, got the VIP package using AmEx the moment they went on sale in January. Best money I have ever spent! I am usually not a celeb follower, but it was a bit hard to not get caught up in the scene. Luckily, the real celebs for my wife and I are Chris, Will, Johnny and Guy, so we had no problem fully enjoying the show. Too bad I didn't have a chance to meet other on here at the show- would have been nice! The only bad part of the night was seeing a Dad and his ~18 yeah old kids get turned away at the gate in front of us for having fake tix. There are truly some people in this world who have no heart.

I'm still buzzing from the show. We had seats in 3rd row of the Garden boxes, just behind the pool circle. It was like a Hollywood "who's who" before the show- my wife and I had our heads on a swivle between eating our picnic, drinking our wine, and all of the celeb watching. Of those we saw... Jim Caviezel was in the box directly next to ours, John Tesh (is he a celeb?) was down in the Pool Circle with his daughter, Tony Kanal (from No Doubt) was in the row behind John Tesh, I literally ran into Giada de Laurentiis on my way to the bathroom before the show. Best of all, though, is that my wife and I walked up to the aisle in front of the X-stage as soon as Princess of China came on- we looked to our left, and Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz were literally RIGHT next to my wife. I swear the overload of CP right in front of her and the two A-listers dancing with her to her right almost was too much. Suited up VIP security eventually made me and most of the others in the garden boxes who had gathered in the aisle in front of the x stage go back to our seats, but they let my wife (a blond who danced along side a dancing Gwyneth and Cameron, and didn't have a cell phone out trying to take a picture of them) stray in their inner circle for 7 songs until Paradise! I could see the three blonds from my box seat and they were so cute just partying and dancing without abandon to Chris and the boys. Best of all, though, were the boys. Chris sounded better than ever (This was our 5th show dating back to 2005) and gave the show an amazing amount of energy. The MCA tribute was great, and the set list was spot on. Sorry for the crap quality of the photos- I need a new mobile phone!

What a week for you Dianne!!! How will you ever top this?? :)

That's awesome, but it would have sucked to be the people in the rows behind him. He's nearly 7 feet tall, after all!

Exactly! I figured we'd have to purchase a TON of drinks to make up for the ~$230 difference in ticket prices....

Great Shot LFDianne of the venue! Can't wait for Friday night. Seats in the Garden boxes! Been itching to see them again since the night on the UCLA tennis courts. Anyone else get the VIP package in the garden boxes? Wonder what the VIP "host" really means. Someone to fetch bottles of wine at a premium price from the on-site store??

Doesn't look like much of a GA pit- I'm guessing the free Samsung Krush tix are not GA...

MTM = too slow for a live show, no?

6:30

So excited for tonight! Would love updates from those who arrive early (iDuran!) as to where the line is, size of the line, any indication of seat location, etc. Unfortunately, I am stuck at work until 4pm and then heading up to hopefully arrive by 5:30... Crossing fingers they play a full set...can't wait to hear the first note of MX (assuming they start with that). Wonder if there will be the fireworks they have been using at the festivals?? So many questions!!!

Thanks MartinFan

Any guesses on whether the better seats will be given to people who show up early- or if seat distribution (assuming the free tix are not GA Pit tix) will be totally random? ie. if I show up at 5:30 and wait in line for the gate to open, will I have a better chance of a closer seat, rather than if I showed up at 7:30?