Would you do GA again?

[kafrun]

^ Maybe both.

My experience hanging out in the GA line was a bit of a dud. The people around me were not interested in talking to anyone not in their own little groups, so that was a big bummer.

But further up the line were a few folks I'd met before, and we hung out a bit. But I was hoping for the GA experience of talking with fellow fans and whatnot.

My second experience hanging out in line was a total bust - Portland's weather was so miserable I only lasted about a half hour before I said "screw this" and went back to the hotel.

Yeah, that's the thing with GA. Either the people you meet are really cool or they're off in their own little clique, sometimes downright frigid to outsiders What's that all about?

 

[corianderstem]

i was in Portland GA... wish I had of known ya then you could of hung with me. Yes, the nastiest weather ever...

Aw, dang! I saw Miroslava on my way back to the hotel, but she was the only person I recognized. I was miserable after even just a half an hour.

I don't regret it. I got to back to bed, stay warm all day, read, and hang with my non-GA-ticket-holding friend I'd driven down with.

 

[FitzChivalry]

Yeah, that's the thing with GA. Either the people you meet are really cool or they're off in their own little clique, sometimes downright frigid to outsiders What's that all about?

Luckily, I've only had the "really cool" people experience.

In Anaheim, I went down to The Pond b/c I heard they were releasing tickets the day of the show. I was fairly far back in line. I got there at Noon. They would release a few tix at a time, so the line moved soooooooo slow. I waited NINE HOURS and they cut the line off FIVE people in front of me when U2 took the stage.

But I had chatted all day with the people in line next to me, and when none of us got tickets, we went across the street to a restaurant for beers and dinner. Weird. Total strangers bonding and having dinner together of their shared love of U2.

My friends all think I'm extremely weird for doing that, but I thought it was cool.

(And, I even saw those people later that year in November at The Staples Center shows. Though I couldn't get over to them to say, "Hi.")

 

[Lila64]

The GA line in L.A. seemed friendly enough. And byt he time we made it to Hawaii, we knew a lot of people from the board were gonna be there, and hung with them throughout the day. Even met up with some for dinner the night before! There's a picture of that floating around somewhere on this board

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

Aw, dang! I saw Miroslava on my way back to the hotel, but she was the only person I recognized. I was miserable after even just a half an hour.

I don't regret it. I got to back to bed, stay warm all day, read, and hang with my non-GA-ticket-holding friend I'd driven down with.

hmm... I was with Miroslava for a while in the GA line there.. we must of passed by each other at some point.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

Because of the weather, Portland on the Vertigo tour was my worst experience every. Being a good trooper, I stayed out in the rain and snow the entire time, huddling in people's tents but still getting soaked. What did I get for it? I passed out halfway through the show - ON THE FRONT RAIL. My face was blue from the cold for three days afterward.

I was able to get Adam's autograph on a ATYCLB cover, but since it was pouring it has almost faded.

oh noez! u passed out!


cool about the autograph.. Yeah I heard that he was out there signing..I was too wiped out to go over there...

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

I had a seat and a warm bed for Portland. You folks who did GA for Portland deserve either a medal or head exam.

I think you can officially say we were nuts...

 

[corianderstem]

Holy crap, Romi! That's no way to enjoy a U2 show. Man.

U2Fan, I think when I walked through the line, most people were huddled in tents, under tarps or so buried in their coats, I didn't see many faces. If I remember correctly, I ran into Miroslava away from the line, as I was leaving.

I ended up coming back to the arena just after they started letting GA inside - and was STILL stuck outside in the rain for at least a half hour. I hung out back by the rail, ended up standing next to the guy who had sold me my ticket, and enjoyed the show.

I went to Buffalo expecting to be outside all day. I had on long underwear and three pairs of socks, along with a sweater over two other shirts. They ended up letting us inside, and I got so hot that I was sweaty by the end of the concert and ended up getting one of the worst colds of my life.

I can handle extreme cold - I would have prefered that! I can't handle cold, sleet, ice, snow and rain, which was pretty much what Portland was like that day. The night before, there was an ice storm, and my friend and I almost didn't make it in to Portland ... we definitely missed the @U2 party, which really bummed me out, since so many people I knew online were there.

Stoopid December Pacific Northwest weather.

 

[romi]

I ended up coming back to the arena just after they started letting GA inside - and was STILL stuck outside in the rain for at least a half hour.

At the frotn of the line, there were some very skittish people who, when I tried to stand under the overhang, started yelling that was I was cutting. This was three hours before the doors opened. They made me get completely soaked, even though the overhang was only 10 feet away from us. Oh, and I only had 5 or six people in front of me.

 

[corianderstem]

At the frotn of the line, there were some very skittish people who, when I tried to stand under the overhang, started yelling that was I was cutting. This was three hours before the doors opened. They made me get completely soaked, even though the overhang was only 10 feet away from us. Oh, and I only had 5 or six people in front of me.

Oh my god! Was it the people right at the front of the line? They hassled me, too, when I first showed up that morning.

I wasn't sure where the main entrance was, so had no idea which way the line was going. Like I knew if they were the front of the line or the end, as they were the first people I saw. So I asked, and they got all snotty "Uh, the end of the line is THAT WAY."

Oh, excuse me for daring to near your holy ground, princess.

 

[zuropa_fit]

In Utah, it was FREEZING / snowing that morning. So I figured I could only handle about 7 hours, get there at noon, secure a decent place in line, make friends with those around me, take turns getting coffee and whatnot, right?

When I got there at noon I discovered they'd been handing out numbered tickets since early that morning so nobody had to wait in the cold. They wouldn't even let you line up until 4 or 5. I was pissed but learned a valuable lesson- find out what the venue's policy on cueing up and whatnot BEFORE the day of the gig. Live and learn I guess.

 

[U2opra]

Well, I'll be in New Orleans next year (July time), hopefully U2 will be performing there when I am there. Can anyone tell me what place specifically in or around New Orleans, they will perform at if they do perform?

Also, I'd be up for meeting some people from here there, that would totally be cool, since I'll probably be on my own anyway

 

[shannonkv]

First ever U2 show in Toronto (Sept. 17th).....slept outside. Had a great experience waiting in line. And ended up with a "winning" ticket, so I was front row for the show. Needless to say, that is one of the best experiences in my life thus far.

Would I do it again? Hell yes!

 

[anitram]

I would do GA again, absolutely.

But I don't think I'd bother lining up at dawn or heaven forbid sleeping out there unless they manage to start touring while I'm still a student and have nothing better to do.

 

[Mrs. Edge]

Making one of my rare visits to the forums...and wow, it was fun to read this thread! It brought back so many (wonderful and horrible!) memories and I am already getting excited about the next tour!

I can see the benefits of seats, but ONLY if you have several GA shows first! I absolutely HATED the lottery system and dearly hope it will never see the light of day again. I think if you are willing to do the time, you should get in the front, period. It was such an unfair system. Out of 10 shows I got in the ellipse once, and I think that was my husband's ticket, not mine. At the same time, all of my other friends and acquaintances got in for pretty much every show. Very frustrating being stuck on the other side....

But all of that aside, getting in the first 2 rows of the outside rail was absolutely fantastic, and before I get too old and decrepit, I am willing to give it another go!

About Boston...I did love their policy of sending you home after you get your number, but that just meant that everyone started lining up the night before, so it still meant endless lining up, just at a different time of day. I am really not so sure I can brave that cold again!

 

[u2search]

edit: wrong thread.

 

[achtungbaby23]

I have not done GA in the past but I most certainly will on the next tour. I hate being in the seats surrounded by boring people. It takes away from the experience. Since I try to ignore them and enjoy it the way I want to, I probably annoy the hell out of them. Oh well! Next time I'll join the other die hards on the floor and hopefully get up close. Hopefully they will play two dates here like last tour. I'll go both nights to improve my chances!

 

[Bottle Bono]

VIP is the only way to go.

 

[jphelmet]

Oh well! Next time I'll join the other die hards on the floor and hopefully get up close.

if they have the lottery again, and your lucky enough to get inside the heart, ellipse, whatever, you won't be surrounded by diehards. that is just one of many, many reasons the lottery sucks.

 

[suzannagirl]

I would do GA again...only way to go...

 

[*browneyedgirl*]

if i do it again it will be ga and not seats like i had last time the first u2 concert i've ever been to

 

[Cask]

Nope, never did GA and probably never will. I can't stand making long lines for several hours before going into a concert. So until they change their current pricing scheme, I guess I'll have to be on the back on the numbered seats.

 

[gvox]

if they have the lottery again, and your lucky enough to get inside the heart, ellipse, whatever, you won't be surrounded by diehards.

I can think of a great many (a few?) diehards on this forum that can attest otherwise.

 

[scottyT]

The last two times I did GA I was surrounded by drunks and idiots.

 

[FitzChivalry]

The last two times I did GA I was surrounded by drunks and idiots.

Yeah, it's a risk you take for being close and in-the-mix. But also realize, just as easily, you could be surrounded by drunks and idiots in a seat as well . . . trust me on this one!

 

[Purplereign]

Haven't done GA for YEARS but am going to give it a bash if they tour oz again sometime this millenia - before I need my walking frame at any rate

and Fitz . . . think you must have been sitting near me at the last tour - aye carumba!!!

 

[lauramullen]

I would do GA again. I loved camping out and meeting other fans. I didn't like the lottery though. Sometimes I thought it was fixed because the same people got in everytime and I went to 6 shows and didn't get in once.

 

[Purplereign]

I would do GA again. I loved camping out and meeting other fans. I didn't like the lottery though. Sometimes I thought it was fixed because the same people got in everytime and I went to 6 shows and didn't get in once.

i don't like the sound of this lottery business at all . . . but I'll take my chances - hope you have better luck this time round

 

[lauramullen]

Thanks. So do I. Even if it doesn't GA for me is the only way to go.

 

[wendynz]

I Would definetly do GA again. Fortunately here in little old NZ we did not have a lottery system, it was the first 2,000 people who were queued up that got into the eclipse and it all quite orderly. The experience being upfront and being able to see the band rather than looking at the screen was great. The fans all singing and being able to dance was something you would never get in the seats and to be so close to Bono that you could see the hairs on his arms was irreplaceable. I am only 5'4'' and I managed to get a first row position at one of the arm stages so I had a great view. At the second concert you were finding that taller people let you go in front of them ( we are a friendly lot downunder) and if you wanted to go to the loo before the concert started your place was saved. The bouncers at the barrier were also good keeping drunk and pushy people away that had pushed in.