By Cara Sulieman
THESE desperate music fans queued for hours in hail and pouring rain today (Fri) to get their lucky hands on the first T in the Park tickets – shortly before Scotland’s biggest music event announced it had SOLD OUT.
All briefs were gone within an hour and a half, making the Thursday night wrapped in blankets and huddled under umbrellas during freezing weather worthwhile for those lucky enough to get them.
But their spirits were raised when Ripping Records on South Bridge – which could easily have been named ‘Dripping’ Records because of the rain – opened half an hour early to start selling the coveted tickets to drenched fans.
With a line up boasting US rapper Eminem alongside British band Muse, around 200 fans didn’t want to risk missing out on the music festival at Balado this year.
“Very wet”
One group of friends from Edinburgh, who have never been to the festival before, had arrived outside the music shop at 6pm on Thursday to make sure they didn’t miss out.
Blair Thomson, 17, David Collins, 17, Sophie Myles, 17, Mari Bell, 16 and Alex Heriot, 17, had spent the night chatting and trying to sleep, in between trips to the nearest McDonalds.
Blair said: “We’ve been here since 6pm last night. We got very wet and went to McDonalds and hung our clothes off the heaters.
“But they told us to move them because they were blocking the security cameras.
“We just had our chairs and brollies, we weren’t really ready for this weather. But it’s worth it for the experience.”
And David had started his birthday sitting on the pavement outside the record store.
“Extra banter”
He said: “It’s my birthday today. These tickets are a present. I can’t wait to go to T, it will be ace.
“None of us have ever been before but our friends have and say it is great. I want to see Jay Z, Eminem and the Prodigy.”
Sophie said that most of them had bought four day camping tickets, so that they could get a good spot in the campsite.
She added: “We’ve all got camping tickets, most of us have the four day one. You want to make a party out of it and get extra banter.
“It’s all about the banter.”
A small number of tickets for the 17th T in the Park went on sale the day after the festival ended last July, but the main bulk were snapped up this morning.
“Delighted”
Geoff Ellis, Festival Director at DF Concerts: “We know that we have an exceptionally strong line-up for 2010 but you can’t be complacent, it’s still momentous for us to sell out now as it was the first time we did and we’re really delighted.
“It’s great to know 85,000 music lovers think we’ve made the right choices and can’t wait for July 9th, and we can’t wait to put the best T in the Park yet on for them.”
People were already taking advantage of the record sell-out today (fri), with pairs of camping tickets reaching £600 on auction site eBay.
The festival is on the 9th – 11th July in Balado near Kinross.
