An Ode to Tickets

A few times I’ve been asked the question, “what would you try to save if your house burnt down?”. It’s one of those clichéd questions that’s more interesting for what it reveals about the individual answering the question, rather than the actual answer itself. I wouldn’t consider myself a particularly materialistic person, so in my case there’s only two objects I can think of. The first is boring: my laptop, just because of all the work that would be lost. The second however is a bit different, and something that’s considerably sentimental to me. This is a big folder that I have containing the tickets for every gig I’ve ever been to.

I was thinking about this when composing the blog entry I published last week about my best and worst gig experiences. As I said then, I’ve been to a hell of a lot of shows, and there’s close to 400 tickets in this collection, each representing a unique memory. On top of all the tickets, I’ve also saved all my festival wristbands, and occasionally a few other mementos from the various performances. I’m lucky to have seen some really brilliant artists over my time.

Whilst it’s only a small irritation in the grand scheme of things, this is why I feel something of a regret over the current trend towards printed-out or mobile tickets. Whilst I do still save all my printed-out copies – which have taken up more and more space in recent years – there’s just something attractive about holding on to the original ticket. It’s certainly more pleasing aesthetically, and the fact that each one is unique and one-of-a-kind appeals to me on an individual level. The vulnerability of each ticket, and the fact that it could be lost or destroyed with no option for replacement makes it seem that bit more precious.

This may sound like conceited and garbled nonsense to some people, but I’m sure there’s many music fans who feel the same way. As I say, each ticket is more than just a ticket; it’s a prized memory, and altogether they collectively represent some of the greatest memories I hold. In this way, each show lasts more than just one night, as every little souvenir of this sort can last a lifetime.