A backstage pass is a credential which allows its bearer access to restricted areas at a performance or conference venue, most commonly associated with
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
or
R&B music groups, though have since become commonplace across many entertainment events.
Backstage passes can come in the form of lanyards, stickers or wristbands. To deter counterfeiting, these passes often include holograms and unique artwork. After the performance, backstage passes sometimes become
memorabilia
A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...
sold to fans, especially when the pass is signed by a performer.
Types of passes
There are a number of different types of backstage passes, they can differ greatly depending on the scale of the event:
*Access All Areas (AAA) allows the bearer access to the venue before, during and after the performance. Such passes are usually restricted to the performers, promoters and artist management.
*Very Important Person / Guest (VIP) allows the bearer limited access before, during, and after the performance to specific rooms within the venue, such as the
green room
In show business, the green room is the space in a theatre or similar venue that functions as a waiting room and lounge for performers before, during, and after a performance or show when they are not engaged on stage. Green rooms typically have ...
. Such passes are usually allocated to close friends of the performer and promoter.
*After Show allows the bearer limited access strictly after the performance to specific rooms within the performance venue, such as the green room. Such passes are usually allocated to friends of the performer and promoter.
*Working allows the bearer access to the majority of the venue, usually apart from the dressing rooms for the performer. Such passes are usually allocated to production, lighting and sound technicians.
*Local Crew passes are used by those who construct the event, such as setting up the stage. These passes are usually only valid before and after the performance, not during.
*Photo passes permit photographs with a professional camera. These cameras usually have a detachable lens, or lens bigger than 35mm and subsequently are deemed "professional cameras" by many venues, meaning they are usually banned to the general public. This pass may also entitle the bearer access to the front of the stage for a short amount of the performance; a three-song rule, meaning only photographs for the first three songs of the scheduled performance, are common procedure for many large-scale concerts.
*Meet & Greet allows the bearer limited access to a (typically) pre-show event where performers will meet with fans, pose for photographs and sign autographs. Such passes are usually allocated via performers' fan-clubs, radio-station contests, or via certain "VIP Experience" type premium-tickets.
*Other employee passes for people who work specific jobs in support of the act, such as catering, security, publicist, and merchandising personnel.
See also
*
Road crew
The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians. This catc ...
*
Ticket
Ticket or tickets may refer to:
Slips of paper
* Lottery ticket
* Parking ticket, a ticket confirming that the parking fee was paid (and the time of the parking start)
* Toll ticket, a slip of paper used to indicate where vehicles entered a tol ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Backstage Pass
Ephemera
Business documents