Cranky New Year In The O.C.

Some VIP ticketholders for the Orange County New Year’s Eve bash at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, Calif., are reportedly miffed that advertised amenities for the $125 to $150 ticket price weren’t exactly as advertised.

But OCNYE promoter Richard Goodwin told the Orange County Register that the event at the Live Nation-run venue was a success despite the evening’s alleged shortcomings.

"We put on a really great event," the promoter said. "Of 8,000 people, 7,500 had a good time."

VIP packages were said to include shuttle service, free parking, free drinks and a separate lounge area and bathrooms away from the masses. Ticketholder complaints ran the gamut from long lines at the bar and the bathrooms to alcohol running out by 10:30 p.m. to less-than-stellar seating for the concert.

The event, headlined by Third Eye Blind, was scheduled to be held at Oaks Blenheim Event Center in San Juan Capistrano until permit problems led Goodwin to seek another location. The event was moved to the Irvine shed just weeks before year’s end, according to the Register.

Goodwin said he had received 20-40 complaints but they were mostly about the beverage service. He told the paper that amphitheatre staff wasn’t fully prepared for that large a crowd.

"The general concession lines were very long," he was quoted as saying. "We braced for 6,500 people and wound up selling [tickets] a little bit better than we thought."

The promoter’s company, RGP, is said to be offering free VIP tickets to next year’s OCNYE to anyone who was unhappy with this year’s event in place of refunds, the paper said.

Pollstar’s attempt to reach a Live Nation rep was unsuccessful at press time.