The decision by Roger Waters [ tickets ]' tour organizers to move his show into larger venues in several markets has created a ticket exchange rush for ticketholders hoping to land similar seat locations at the tour's new venues.

Waters concerts in Syracuse, Columbus, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Atlanta have moved to different venues in the past week to allow for a more elaborate production than envisioned when the shows were first booked. A Cleveland show was similarly moved last month and the tour's Indianapolis date has been postponed with no new date yet announced.

The short lead time to the actual show dates has dictated quick cutoff dates, which include an exchange end date of August 6th for the Columbus and Pittsburgh shows and August 5th for the Atlanta show. Exchanges for the Baltimore show will be available through August 16th, while no cutoff date had been set at press time for Albany (formerly Syracuse).

Such moves can be complicated for venue operators, since the new venue must create some semblance of proper seating allocation for ticketholders from the old venue. The process generally involves placing a number of the venue's best sections on hold to allow existing ticketholders to exchange their tickets for similar seating locations.

With a show quickly approaching, the new venue generally must establish a cutoff date to free up the unused premium seats in time to allow them to sell. While logistically sound from the venue's standpoint, cutoff times can create a bottleneck for ticketholders who used a credit card to purchase their tickets either online or through a phone agent. According to venues contacted by liveDaily for this story, online and phone customers are being referred to local Ticketmaster information numbers to ensure they don't get shut out of the opportunity to exchange their seats.

In all but one market, Waters' show will take place on the same night albeit across town, leaving the burden on local promoters to work with radio stations and make sure fans arrive at the proper venue.

The ''In The Flesh'' tour is Waters' first formal live outing in twelve years. Ticket sales for the initial round of bookings were brisk, including some near-instant sellouts.

According to recent radio interviews, Waters plans to return to the studio in early 2000 and is hopeful that a new production of The Wall can be mounted during the year, following the pace set by performances in 1980 and 1990. A DVD version of the movie is set for release later in the year, promising commentary by Waters and added footage.