how did people get vip passes for the tour?
I assume you are talking specifically about George Lynch but I am just going to dive into this in general. At the end I can explain specifically about the time I spent with Lynch last week.
There are a lot of ways. All methods are going to require time and/or money and/or work and/or travel. One advantage I have is that my dad was into meeting musicians and taught me a lot early on. I've also been doing this for decades and you build skills and knowledge with time.
The monetary route includes:
VIP tickets from the ticket vendor (Ticketmaster for example)
VIP tickets from the venue
VIP tickets from the artist
Meet and Greets from the artist/venue/promoter
Meet and Greets from specialty organizations (like National Acts, please & thank you, etc)
VIP or Meet&Greets from contests, donations, Patreon, social media channels, etc. Through the artist, promoter, venue, etc.
Things that take more skill, time, finesse, being outgoing, and genuine interaction. These methods can take a fine line. While bands and musicans often love people who engage with thier work, going too all in on these sorts of things below can go negative and get you labeled as a groupie, stalker, etc. I can say, from personal experience, it is important to pay attention to how the artist prefers interacting with people. Knowing to only talk about things they have posted on social media or in interviews if you are one of those people who has dug way into their past. Bringing up strangely personal things that they didn't, personally, put out there with distinct openness and purpose can be uncomfortable for everyone. I go into many of these things with the "treat them like a normal person" attitude because there are a lot that don't like the rockstar pedastal. (Lynch, Lawless, Bach, and a few others verbally have mentioned these things in my presence)
More long term, footwork ways:
Becoming acquaintances with all sorts of people involved from the musicians themselves to merch people, tour managers, promoters, venue owners, etc.
Share and promote a band's events which overtime may lead to more friendly interactions.
Working as a stage hand, this requires getting into your local stage hand guild or other similar group or directly with a venue/promoter depending on how it works in your area.
One great way is to engage with, promote, and get to know local bands in the same genre. Local bands can become bigger bands and they may well end up openning for other larger acts as well.
Following what the artist offers.. guitar clinics, charity events, record release parties, holiday parties, contests, and any other special events that they might hold.
Follow the musical equipment that they have partnerships with. If they are an ESP guitar person, follow ESP. If they are a special artist for Sweetwater or something follow that company. Check in with your local guitar or instrument store to see if they partner with any artists routinely (Or check in on their site and social media)
Knowing artists that hang out freely after shows, at their merch tables, etc. and interacting with them in this capacity.
Getting involved on things like Patreon, Talk Shop Live, Intro, Bands in Town, Social media or any of the other places that allow for artists and fans to interact. (Be sure to respect any boundries in place on these platforms)
I suspect you are asking specifically about Lynch since that is who I just saw. There are a couple of things. First, when the Mini Tour came up the venue was offering a meet and greet. I bought this initially. Then I started hearing George talk on social media about reviving the Tiger Club. This was his old fan/guitar clinic thing. That made me watch really closely. As soon as he announced opennings for Tiger Club I jumped on that because I knew what it was. I used to be a member of the Tiger Club in one of its older versions. This took some work on my part to reach out via email, etc. (Only reach out via email when the artist asks for you to and only on the specifics that they give to reach out under. This goes triple if you end up with a tour manager, artist or someone else's phone number in an exchange). Once that was there I started watching George/Lynch Mob's feeds everywhere because Tiger Club was guitar clinics and I was wondering if he was going to offer one. Sure enough, Music Zoo (one of the guitar stores in the area) posted about George doing a guitar clinic the day before the show. So that is the wild ride over about 6 months (maybe more) of how I ended up spending so much time with George over two days. It was definitely not a one and done situation.
One thing important to mention is that when you go into any VIP/Meet & Greet scenario be sure to read all the information. Some artists/venues/etc offer multiple levels. Be sure the level you purchase or get involved in includes what you are looking for. Do you want a meet and greet, Q&A session, personal items signed, photos with the artist, soundcheck, etc. Of course artists may or may not offer all of those but if they do offer something you specifically want double check that it is the one you purchase. I also cannot tell you what is worth it or not. There are some artists where the value of the interaction is not worth the cost and others where the cost seems so cheap. However, no one can value that for you. Your desire to meet the artist, what the artist means to you, how you value different interactions and what value you place on the things offered is a personal decision.
Be sure to follow ALL the directions given by the person leading the meet and greet/VIP/experience. This will come in three sections; the description of the meet and greet/VIP at ticket or space reservation, an email or other communication you will usually get somewhere between a day and a week before the show, and the directions when you get on site. If you have questions when you get the email or correspondance about the event don't be afraid to ask. (Example: LA Guns said small items for signing only and I asked about my banner bc it felt large to me. The person organizaing the event said the band said it was ok to bring so I did) Many artists have specifics about how they want to interact. If they say no personal items signed do not bring those. If they say the artist doesn't want physical contact then don't ask for it. If you are supposed to stay seated or not record/take photos during a Q&A then don't. These can lead to negatives, sometimes well beyond the specific event you are currently at. I always ask politely and thank for everything... a hug, signing something, time spent, questions answered, etc. Polite is the way to go ALWAYS with everyone at the venue, in the artists tour people, and the artists themselves.
I know that was a lot but I hope it answered your question.
