A backstage pass is an employee pass which allows its bearer access to employees-only areas at a performance venue. They are most commonly associated with rock music groups.
Such passes are usually a laminated paper worn on a lanyard, or on chain link or key chain holder at the belt, or a simpler "stick-on" applied to one's clothing. Plastic or paper wristbands may also be used. However, some elaborately designed backstage passes have been used by Bill Graham Productions/Winterland, Beaver Productions and many other regional and local promoters. To deter counterfeiting, passes often include holograms or color-shifting properties.
Some venues (including the House of Blues venues and Irving Plaza in New York) require their own passes to be worn, even by laminate holders for the tour. Large music festivals, such as Ozzfest and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival also usually issue their own passes.
Backstage passes sometimes become memorabilia sold to die-hard fans, especially when the pass is signed by a performer.
The term "Backstage Pass" is now used by companies like Yahoo! and television, radio and magazines for their reference to an area that highlights certain musical groups. Backstage Pass is also a management and production company that manages up and coming talent and established rock acts such as Alt-Rock band Sinch.
There are a number of different types of backstage passes:
Otto and PERRi are well known as the two largest manufactures and designers of passes up until 2003. Reno, Nevada has become the largest source for bands to have their passes printed. Otto is still printing passes and is the oldest printer of backstage passes.