U2 Fans Queue in Mysterious Ways

[biff]

Haven't seen this posted yet.

From The Sunday Times November 16, 2008

U2 fans queue in mysterious ways
Researchers discover the band’s fans even appoint 'line Nazis'

Colin Coyle
For rock stars, they are famously disciplined and so it seems are their groupies. U2’s most committed fans form “selforganised queues” at concerts run by “line Nazis” that function almost identically from city to city, according to American researchers.

A study of almost 500 U2 fans queuing overnight for four concerts in Philadelphia and Atlanta discovered those seeking to gain entry to “the rail”, a sought-after area at the front of the concert, organise themselves in a remarkably systematic fashion without prompting from concert organisers.

The study’s authors, who have a background in anthropology and one of whom describes herself as a U2 fan, discovered that concert queues “are managed largely by fans themselves who organise a system in which the first fans in line keep a list with names and numbers assigned to people as they arrive”.

Venue staff support the system by telling newly arrived fans to get a number from the “line Nazi”, a fan at the top of the queue who invariably takes control at each event.

To test the strength of the system, researchers invented a series of scenarios in which people jumped the queue. Fans were then asked to fill in a questionnaire that assessed their reaction. The academics discovered that fans of the group, who had an average age of 30, got upset even when someone cut in behind them, not affecting their place in the queue. Hardcore fans were more incensed than more moderate devotees.

One of the authors, Marie Helweg-Larsen of Dickinson College, Pennsylvania, said: “Fans were annoyed even when the consequences did not directly influence them. The notion of ‘first-come first-served’ is deeply ingrained, but we noted that some believed there was a special code of honour among U2 fans. Cutting the line may have affronted this notion.”

Helweg-Larsen said some supporters of the Dublin band reacted indignantly to “line-cutters” because it was “un-U2- like”. “Bono wouldn’t like it,” one fan told the researchers.

Previous research has shown queuers see those behind them as “less fortunate”. “The queue is a social system, so perhaps a U2 fan’s sense of social justice may play a role,” she said.

But such concern for others may not be entirely altruistic. “Any threat to the established queue might create chaos to the whole system and threaten one’s own position,” she said. “The moral outrage may be linked to self-interest, especially among dedicated fans who have invested the most time and energy in queuing.”

The authors compared the behaviour of fans queuing for a U2 concert with studies analysing how football fans organise themselves while waiting to gain entry to a match.

“There were similarities,” Helweg-Larsen said. “But the motivation for not cutting the line at a soccer match was partly peer pressure and partly the threat of violent recrimination because of the age of the group and the likelihood that alcohol had been taken.”

The authors are “puzzled” by how “social norms” have emerged among queues for U2 gigs in different cities without rules or enforcement. “Some fans will follow the band from city to city, bringing the system with them, but it doesn’t explain how up to 300 people will fall into line,” she said.

 

[martha]

I remember Ruffian doing something like this on the last tour. Is this her work?

 

[pepokiss]

the funny part is...

that we did THE EXACT SAME THING here in 2006... but I'm not talking about 300-400 people... I'm talking about almost 3.000 people in line, BEFORE 7 AM, waiting to get into the Golden Circle for the Vertigo Tour


I loved that night

 

[4U2Play]

4000 fans waited in line for three days prior to the Feb 2006 Monterrey, Mexico show.

Talking to the fans once we were inside on the floor, they all said the line went smoothly. They had some sort of numbering system, too, with wristbands, I believe.

Not sure who ran the lines, probably Himmler himself.

 

[The Sad Punk]

... wait, why was there a study on this?

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

... wait, why was there a study on this?

perhaps we should commission a study...

 

[VintagePunk]

I remember Ruffian doing something like this on the last tour. Is this her work?

Yup. Her and a colleague, the one cited in the article, worked on this study. The study was actually published a year and a half ago. I wonder why it's getting media attention so long after the publication date.

... wait, why was there a study on this?

In social psych studies, there's a tendency to choose specific behaviours in situations to study, in the hope that they can be generalized into other situations. So, is there academic value in specifically studying U2 line ups? Was it published solely because U2 fans are fascinating creatures? Probably not. But if you look at the line as being a microcosm of society, you can see how perhaps rules and social norms are developed within that one setting, and apply it to other wider settings.

 

[ruffian]

VP!


Hi everyone,
Yes, we did a study of the GA and how fans organize themselves in the absence of formal rules. Turns out quite a few researchers have looked at "queuing behavior," but our results are different than any of the others, in that U2 fans seem to care about who cuts in line behind them and other groups studied don't care at all what happens back there. We collected the data in 2005, submitted the article in 2006, and it just now got published. The wheels of academic publishing turn slowly

The article has received considerable media attention, but always manage to get the facts wrong or have stupid titles, like "how to cut in line and not get caught." sheesh.

At any rate, I'll be writing another article that will be more qualitiative (in-depth interviews with fans who have participated in the GA) rather than quantitative (handing out interviews and crunching numbers) so please contact me if you'd be willing to serve as an interviewee. All responses are confidential, and I probably won't begin interviews till the spring. If interested, PM me with your contact info. Thanks

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

hiya ruff!

I took part in ur study at the Philly show.. I am glad to say that I was a part of something published! very cool!

I saw this a few days ago and knew it was our 'ruffian'

 

[VintagePunk]

VP!


We collected the data in 2005, submitted the article in 2006, and it just now got published. The wheels of academic publishing turn slowly

Ruff! I actually have news for you. I'll PM later.

So it was just published recently? Wow, that is slow. I did a quick search and saw it cited as being from '07, and for some reason I was thinking it was published in the spring of last year. I was wondering if maybe it had attracted attention because you'd just presented it at a conference, or something.

 

[ruffian]

VP, think you probably saw the citation for the American Psychological Society presentation.

U2Fanatic, I'm hittin' you up again!

Good to see you guys...VP, I owe ya a PM. Been a bit swamped.

 

[VintagePunk]

VP, think you probably saw the citation for the American Psychological Society presentation.

U2Fanatic, I'm hittin' you up again!

Good to see you guys...VP, I owe ya a PM. Been a bit swamped.

Ah, that explains it, then.

Yeah, things have changed recently. Will send a brief update tonight.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

VP, think you probably saw the citation for the American Psychological Society presentation.

U2Fanatic, I'm hittin' you up again!

Good to see you guys...VP, I owe ya a PM. Been a bit swamped.

hey count me in girlie.. PM me when ur ready.... I'll be ur test subject..

 

[OrARoundabout]

Aw U2 fans...so organized

 

[lauramullen]

I took the survey in Philly too.