GA is NOT for people who........

[mobaby]

are below 5'6"? Have had knee surgery? Please fill me in on the GA experience and what the general qualifications are to survive.
I'd love to hear some experiences. Good and Bad.

 

[dizzy]

Those who pee on the floor or in bottles.

 

[God Part III]

Those people who pee on me. Yes, I was peed on.
I didn't think that'd happen so far up. Razorlight was halfway through their set, and some old fat guy peed on me in his drunkenness. I swear, if he'd done that during U2, I'd hit him. Hard.

 

[Lila64]

 

[ruffian]

I'm 5'5 and a half and I haven't had terrible problems seeing when I have been a few rows from the front--really just depends on who is in front of you. Regarding the knee issue: you should be prepared, at a stadium show, to stand for at least four hours. You can sit between the opener and U2, and sit right up until the opener if people around you will tolerate it, but really, there's just lots of standing. Also, you'll be standing for at least an hour when the GA line gets ready to go into the venue. If your knee causes you pain when you stand for long periods, then obviously you should consider that.

People who don't do well in the GA: those who can't stand crowds (duh, I know that is rather obvious), people who have a hard time tolerating heat, and people who are used to a pretty sedentary lifestyle. I've never been shoved or pushed much (except at the opener in San Diego) so that has not been a big issue. You should be prepared to get kinda dirty at an outdoor show...lots of stepping through spilled beer and god-knows-what on the way out, not very clean places to sit (bring a trash bag wadded up in your pocket--good for rain or sitting). All in all, I love GA shows. Can't imagine not doing it, even though it's exhausting!

 

[kellyahern]

I really need to start going to Shapes .

 

[fly so high!]

Those people who pee on me. Yes, I was peed on.
I didn't think that'd happen so far up. Razorlight was halfway through their set, and some old fat guy peed on me in his drunkenness. I swear, if he'd done that during U2, I'd hit him. Hard.

I'd friggin give him a king hit him anyway!

 

[mobaby]

I'm 5'5 and a half and I haven't had terrible problems seeing when I have been a few rows from the front--really just depends on who is in front of you. Regarding the knee issue: you should be prepared, at a stadium show, to stand for at least four hours. You can sit between the opener and U2, and sit right up until the opener if people around you will tolerate it, but really, there's just lots of standing. Also, you'll be standing for at least an hour when the GA line gets ready to go into the venue. If your knee causes you pain when you stand for long periods, then obviously you should consider that.

People who don't do well in the GA: those who can't stand crowds (duh, I know that is rather obvious), people who have a hard time tolerating heat, and people who are used to a pretty sedentary lifestyle. I've never been shoved or pushed much (except at the opener in San Diego) so that has not been a big issue. You should be prepared to get kinda dirty at an outdoor show...lots of stepping through spilled beer and god-knows-what on the way out, not very clean places to sit (bring a trash bag wadded up in your pocket--good for rain or sitting). All in all, I love GA shows. Can't imagine not doing it, even though it's exhausting!

Great info.....Mahalo.

 

[sweetie]

GA is NOT for people who........

Have bladder problems. Holy mackeral - I was up against the rail 3x and the more I knew I couldn't go pee the more I needed to!

 

[Carek1230]

Peed on? OMG that is just SOOOOO Gross! If I saw someone peeing I'd probly go a bit ballistic! Seriously, that is just so so wrong...drunk OR sober! In a crowd like that,

In my experience...and I don't like heat, humidity, or crowds, nor am I that "fit".... with bad knees to boot (altho I don't have the weak bladder problem)...... I was pushed in GA once but went to the side rail where we'd parked my sister who was in a wheelchair with crutches (she'd broken her ankle a month before the show and of course we'd had our GA tix for months so were not about to give them up!) and had no problems from there. Actually the view was a LOT better from there....we could SEE the stage without getting cricks in our necks and ALL of the guys came past us on the ramp there.....we got some awesome pics and Bono sang SYCMIOYO right in front of me. THAT was a highlight! I'd take the same spot again. Or somewhere in the back. I've not done GA in stadium tho.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

people actually peed on the floor in europe? classy.

if you're doing GA just don't drink and make sure you pee plenty of times before ya head in... if you're in the ellipse you can pee and still get back to your spot, as long as you're not in the front center.

that's disgusting

 

[Niamh_Saoirse]

Those people who pee on me. Yes, I was peed on.
I didn't think that'd happen so far up. Razorlight was halfway through their set, and some old fat guy peed on me in his drunkenness. I swear, if he'd done that during U2, I'd hit him. Hard.

EEWWWWWWWWWWWWW! I would have smacked that gobshite silly if he had done that to me!

 

[Niamh_Saoirse]

I'm 5'5 and a half and I haven't had terrible problems seeing when I have been a few rows from the front--really just depends on who is in front of you. Regarding the knee issue: you should be prepared, at a stadium show, to stand for at least four hours. You can sit between the opener and U2, and sit right up until the opener if people around you will tolerate it, but really, there's just lots of standing. Also, you'll be standing for at least an hour when the GA line gets ready to go into the venue. If your knee causes you pain when you stand for long periods, then obviously you should consider that.

People who don't do well in the GA: those who can't stand crowds (duh, I know that is rather obvious), people who have a hard time tolerating heat, and people who are used to a pretty sedentary lifestyle. I've never been shoved or pushed much (except at the opener in San Diego) so that has not been a big issue. You should be prepared to get kinda dirty at an outdoor show...lots of stepping through spilled beer and god-knows-what on the way out, not very clean places to sit (bring a trash bag wadded up in your pocket--good for rain or sitting). All in all, I love GA shows. Can't imagine not doing it, even though it's exhausting!

That pretty much covers it!

 

[katiebu21]

I never thought that someone might pee on me at a concert.
That's just not something I would ever expect. If it happened to me, the guy that did it would regret the day he was ever born.

 

[forbonou2]

I for one say it is Definetly NOT for people less than 5'6-that would be Me! Ugh- can't see nothin'g but the head in front of me!

 

[RavenBlue]

Can you wear heels?

 

[karinlv]

Heels wouldn't have done me a bit of good at Vegas 1. I'm 5'2 and somehow got stuck behind a giant of a man. He was 6'5 at least and no matter how I tried, I couldn't see a thing. It was heartbreaking and ruined the show for me. I sold my 2nd night tix for that reason (they were also GA)

I would love to have a good GA experience, but it wasn't in the cards for me that night and I don't know if I'd risk it again if another show were in my future.

 

[Achtung_Meggie]

You're making me giggle with the peeing concerns! When I've been in GA I chug coffee all night and morning because I can't sleep outside, run to the bathroom a dozen times in the day and then not a drop to drink after 2pm because I'm not bouncing on the floor with a full bladder. That'd be a really sucky feeling to ruin the concert.

 

[BEVERLY56]

Its amazing how quickly you forget you have to pee when the music starts.

GA is not for people who... are the least bit claustrophobic, or don't like people touching them.

 

[stonecircle]

..going to have my first GA experience in Honolulu this April. And that after 8 U2 concerts...so I'm pretty excited. Would like to hear experiences of GA not in the Bomb Shelter.

 

[Carek1230]

Heels wouldn't have done me a bit of good at Vegas 1. I'm 5'2 and somehow got stuck behind a giant of a man. He was 6'5 at least and no matter how I tried, I couldn't see a thing. It was heartbreaking and ruined the show for me. I sold my 2nd night tix for that reason (they were also GA)

I would love to have a good GA experience, but it wasn't in the cards for me that night and I don't know if I'd risk it again if another show were in my future.

Ugh LV1 GA was horrible as far as bad experiences! I don't know what the deal was but those around us were obviously not die hard fans, couldn't care less about others and most were drunk.

GA in Hawaii will be interesting. It'll be a stadum first up. I heard they allow beach chairs on the grounds. Don't know how that would work as no one sits during a U2 concert! I have bad knees, am claustrophobic, don't like people invading my space elbowing me, pushing me or stepping on my toes so my friends and I are opting for a side rail or will be just as happy being in the back.

Hehe GA is also not the place for one with a weak bladder to be unless you've got gorillas or bodyguards as friends to fight to get you back into your spot!

 

[Miroslava]

GA in Hawaii will be interesting. It'll be a stadum first up. I heard they allow beach chairs on the grounds.

That was a joke in one of the Hawaii threads



And you were either joking back and forgot about it or maybe you were being serious...

http://forum.interference.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=3355383&highlight=lawn+chair#post3355383

 

[Carek1230]

I am still thinking about bringing my chair. Seriously. In the January post I was half joking, half serious. Now I am serious.

 

[edge32]

hilarious...because that's my first U2 concert memory. on the floor at Exhibition Stadium (Toronto) in October '87 for the JT Tour and some girl right behind me squatting and peeing on the floor...splasing all over our shoes. It was seconds before WTSHNN started...it was almost 20 years ago and I remember it like it was 20 seconds ago.

 

[mobaby]