UPDATED— Big contest: Win Radiohead tickets
Posted By Mike Orren in Square Pegs on April 7, 2008
UPDATED: This first version of the contest didn't work out. You can find the re-do here. To be clear, the contest below is no longer valid and the new one is on the other side of this link.
Story so far: Upstart local publisher realizes that rare local appearance by indie-rock darlings Radiohead will assuredly sell out. Said publisher purchases four (4) lawn tickets to said concert with explicit desire of using same as marketing ploy. Subsequently, Interwebs mogul solicits ideas on how best to dispense with said tickets. Meantime, tickets start selling for ridiculous prices online.
There were lots of good suggestions -- I particularly liked those involving Rock Band, torture and, well, more torture.
But, in the end, the suggestion that we create a contest for this international band that highlights support of local music seemed the most apropos.
So here's how the contest will work:
We have a series of things you can do on the site between now and Wednesday, May 14 that will earn you points towards a free pair of the tickets. Top two point-getters win.
Here's how the points break down:
Posting a qualifying comment on a local band's PegNews page will get you one point (for each comment posted). In order to qualify, your comment must say why you like or dislike the band; name at least one favorite song of theirs; and give a description of their sound that compares them to some well-known band.
Posting a qualifying review in the comments of a concert event page will get you two points for each review posted. In the review, you must name at least three songs performed at the show and say something substantive about why you liked or disliked. This will be on the honor system, but if we catch you red-handed claiming attendance at a show it is proven you weren't at, you'll be disqualified and publicly mocked.
(Note that to post comments requires you log in with a free PegNews user account.)
In the event of a tie, the match point goes (in order) to the user with a.) a photo on their profile and b.) the most individual items (of any kind) favorited in their profile.
That's it. The two highest point-getters will be deemed local music freaks and will each be rewarded with two tickets to the Radiohead gig. A fair amount of work, for sure, but given the price of scalper tickets, a bargain.
Ready? Go...

Scott Doyle, says:
Any chance y'all picked up Toadies tix for the show in Ft. Worth on 6/21? I'd do much crazier stuff for those than Radiohead...
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1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Scott Doyle, says:
Also, a promise is a promise: <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/blogs/pegasusnewsblog/2008/mar/21/radioheadprecontest/#c23420">Shenanigans!</a>
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James Scott, says:
While I don't get out to see local music as much as I'd like - bravo for choosing a great contest, even though I won't be in the running. Looking forward to seeing which one of us has the most time on our hands to win this thing.
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xdavidwattsx, says:
Doyle - WTF, man?
Toadies have played Dallas a half billion times since 1997 and Radiohead hasn't been here once. Radiohead continues to put out interesting albums and the Toadies..well...nuff said.
Anonymous
1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Scott Doyle, says:
Dave, you're gonna have to get over this Toadies beef at some point - otherwise you'll be angry for a very long time. I'm not much of a Radiohead fan; don't care how little they've been here. I wouldn't care if they canceled their show and never scheduled another Dallas date.
I've seen the Toadies once out of those half billion times, and it was enough fun that I'd pay to see 'em again. Unfortunately, I'm not hardcore and didn't remember to buy tix before they sold out (same day iirc). And hey, a free show is a free show. Considering PegNews is all about local, and Toadies started locally, seems there's a good chance they'd have gotten their hands on tix.
That's TF, Dave. That...is tf.
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xdavidwattsx, says:
Well, you're definitely not a Kinks or a Jam fan, I'll give you that.
Anonymous
1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Scott Doyle, says:
Btw, "Radiohead continues to put out interesting albums" - what's been interesting since Hail to the Thief in '03?
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Mike Orren, says:
Scott, unfortunately we did not get Toadies tix. Slipped right by us and we kinda blew our anemic budget on this one.
And even as a non-Radiohead fan, I'll vouch for the recent In Rainbows release. Good stuff.
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1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
xdavidwattsx, says:
Doyle - In Rainbows is easily one of their best albums since OK Computer. Much better than Thief.
Anonymous
1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Erin Rice, says:
A tip for those going to shows to review: If you will favorite the show before it happens, once it's over you can simply go to your user page and find it under "Past Events." That makes it much easier to find after the fact to comment/review.
Remember, you also get a point for each band you comment on with substantive information. If we don't have one of your favorite local bands in our database, let us know and we'll get it up asap.
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Scott Doyle, says:
Hmmm...I'll be sure to legally obtain <i>In Rainbows</i> when I get home.
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SteveM, says:
Does past performance count? I've seen about 240 bands in the past 16 months (and written reviews, too! some of them coherent!). That's worth a point or a hundred, ain't it? ;)
Anonymous
1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Mike Orren, says:
Steve, you've done an amazing job of keeping us honest on show corrections over the past year, but I don't see any reviews:
http://www.pegasusnews.com/users/Stev...
So, I'm guessing that the part about posting comments on local band pages should be reeeealll easy for you. And that you're going out to a lot of shows in the next month.
No bonus points, but I'm taking you in the office pool.
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1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
SteveM, says:
yeah, all the reviews are on my blog. i was only kiddin anyways.
the only problem i have with the contest - i wish there was a way to verify attendance other than the "three song" rule - of all the shows i've been to, there are very, very few where i actually knew the names of three of the songs from each band. unfortunately, i don't have an alternative to suggest, but that one's gonna be a problem for most people.
now i just gotta figure out if radiohead is worth all the trouble - they sorta lost me after amnesiac
Anonymous
1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Mike Orren, says:
Indeed they are on your blog:
http://adventuresinlivemusic.blogspot...
Good stuff. Want to be a content partner?: http://www.pegasusnews.com/content-pa...
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1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
SteveM, says:
man, that's a lot of legalese on that form. i'll have my lawyers look at it, and i'll get back to you. ;)
Anonymous
1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Tom Urquhart, says:
btw, Dave...
I saw radiohead open for R.E.M. about a dozen years abo in the then-names Starplex. Most of the folks were talking over the opener until "Creep" was performed.
Would love to see Radiohead perform again in north Texas, especially to pull off the non-rock stuff ala "Thief" (even though I heard artists like Autecher doing similar stuff years before, they didn't have the mainstream access RH has).
Guess I'll get ready to post-post-post... :)
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xdavidwattsx, says:
Hey peeps - Although it amuses me greatly that you guys call me Dave, any student of rock and roll should know that David Watts is a purely fictional character crafted by those gents in The Kinks and carried on by The Jam.
Recognize your roots!
Anonymous
1 year, 8 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Scott Doyle, says:
Thanks for the update, Dave.
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