Sending to a concert venue can be tricky, but can also lead to some great successes.

First, you have to make sure your requests gets there in plenty of time, because it will have to be accepted and sorted through the venue office before it has a chance of getting to the performer.

Second, some venues will pass along mail and some won’t. They all have their own policies, so you may want to contact the venue first before sending.

Third, if the mail gets there in time, and if the venue passes along the request, it will go to the band/artist’s tour manager. It’s then up to them to decide if they are going to give it to the band/artist.

Fourth, the band/artist has to decide to sign your request.

Fifth, the venue (or sometimes the band manager) has to send it back.

So, as you can see, there are many “gatekeepers” in getting a venue success. That being said, I have had some great concert returns over the 4 years I have been collecting autographs. Some of the successes I have received are:

Alice In Chains
Judas Priest
Dear Leppard
Poison (twice)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (twice)
Rush
Duran Duran
George Thorogood and the Destroyers
Megadeth
Stryper
Tesla
REO Speedwagon
Foreigner
Styx
Weird Al Yankovic
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats

And a few others.

But, there have been PLENTY more requests that I never saw again, so it’s definitely not a sure thing.

Hope that helps!

BTW, as mentioned above, Phil Collins will send you a pre-signed photo from his fixed address. He won’t sign your photos. But it’s only one per person, and they keep track of people who request an autograph.

Collins does sign TTM. Strictly limits it to one per person.

Hey guys,

So a musician who I have admired for a really long time is playing a show at a venue in my town, and I have tried getting his autograph before and got a generic pre-signed picture and letter explained he is so inundated with fan mail that he doesn't sign things anymore.

This led me to think, what if I mail the venue the item and they pass it along to him? Do you think he would sign it then?

Does anyone have any stories of this working where they send an item to a venue and the artist then signs the thing after their agency says they can't?

PS. The artist is Phil Collins if anyone knows for certain he would or wouldn't sign it.