Above: Steve Wariner and friend |
The exhibition halls contain a variety of stands, mostly organised by the fan clubs of the stars, their record labels, country music radio and TV and affiliated organisations. Broadly speaking, the stands serve three purposes: to let you meet your favourite star, if you're prepared to queue for an autograph and photo; to let you get a photo of your favourite as you pass by (quite literally); and to sell you merchandise when they're not there in person! As a whole this system is surprisingly effective, although you can expect the halls to get very crowded when the likes of Lee Ann Rimes, Alan Jackson and Terri Clark are all signing in close proximity.
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If all you want is a picture, you'll be able to file passed the stand and get your snapshot. If you want an autograph or you want to be in the picture, you'll have to queue. The autograph queues work on two concepts: Some artists will issue a limited number of "tickets" - say 200. They give out the tickets at an allocated time: if you don't get a ticket, then it's probably inadvisable to queue. To find out when (and if) the tickets are being given out, ask at the stand. The stands will advertise when the artist is signing and you can usually expect tickets to be given out first thing in the morning. This means that you'll have to queue at the Fairground gates pretty early too! |
Above: SheDaisy make a new friend
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Above: Linda Davis greets a fan |
The other concept is very simple: join the queue and take your chance. This type of queue tends to start a couple of hours before the artist is due to arrive, so you've got to be prepared to wait! The queues frequently stretch outside the exhibition halls and along their sides. Be warned - when the sun's out it can be seriously hot in the queues. If you must queue in the heat take plenty of bottled water, wear a hat and sunblock. Whichever queuing mechanism is used, if you do get to meet your favourite be realistic - there are 200 other people in the queue and the artist is only likely to sign for two or three hours. Don't expect to be having a chat over tea and biscuits. One of the event staff will take your picture for you with your camera, you'll get your autograph and time to say "hello, I think you're wonderful" and that's it! Some acts do make more than one appearance during the week. They may sign at their own stand on more than one day or - more likely - they will "guest" at one of the record label, radio or TV stands. Keep an eye on the notice boards then, to see who is signing where and when. It's not queues for everyone, however. You can just walk up and meet many of the newcomers. In 1998, there was hardly a queue for a group of young ladies called the "Dixie Chicks". Whatever happened to them? |
The Music Shows | Fan Fair-related Activities