a crazy idea for GA lineup in Vancouver-advice needed

[boriel]

I always come up with crazy ideas when i'm almost asleep. Sometimes the next morning they're good, sometimes not. My 'regular' friends wont 'get' this so i'm asking advice from U2 fans instead.

Okay, the idea:

I'm going to buy 100 ONE rubber-band bracelets before the April 29th concert in Vancouver and take them to GM Place the day of the concert. I'm going to (desperately hopefully maybe) win or buy GA tickets and go early to stand in line early on the 29th. Once in line, I'm going to try and get other fans in the GA lineup interested in buying the bracelets at cost, with two conditions for purchase - #1- they have to go to the website listed on the bracelet backing the next day and sign the petition, and #2 - when Bono sings ONE - they all have to roll up their sleeves and raise their hands in the air so he can see a sea of 100 white ONE bracelets.

pros:
-Bono will be astounded at the support from us Vancouverites
-its a good cause
-bracelets are only available in batches of 10 and most people dont know what to do with the other 9
-bracelets will be 'at cost' which is $1.50
-most people have a buck fifty in their pocket
-it will bring us GA lineup people closer for the day

cons:
-some people will not want to sign the petition
-some peple will forget to sign the petition
-some peple will want the bracelet only to be 'cool' and dont necessarily care about the reason behind it
-i may end up with 100 bracelets and NO TICKET (i have to order the bracelets NOW if i want delivery by the time the concert date arrives)

so, comments? ideas? suggestions? arguements? is this a good idea, or is it silly? could it really work or is it not a good way to promote the ONE organization? I"d love to hear any persons thoughts on this - thanks guys.

 

[Techie2000]

That's an astounding idea! What if, we could get this done in every city?

Some thoughts though. First you may want to see if you can get in contact with the One people about such a large bulk order and your idea, as they may be able to either send a represenative or provide you with a supply whereby you can send the unused ones back and get your money back so you don't end up with a big loss if the idea doesn't go over well.

 

[impy13]

I think it's a fantastic idea. I'm a big proponent of the One Campaign even without the U2 connection. Trouble is, naturally, the silicone bracelets have become very trendy and many people would fork over the money just to have a cool white band around their wrist.

However, you'll be with nothing but U2 fans, the best people in the world. I think if anyone is dedicated enough to the band to wait in a GA line all day, they'll support the Campaign and be true to their word when they say they'll sign the petition.

The long and short of it is, I think it's a fantastic idea.

 

[boriel]

i too would love this to catch on in every city, and i think there is time for it to happen, except for the first leg in California maybe. As for being stuck with them, i dont think i'd have trouble selling them to make my money back and even if i can't its still a donation so not a huge deal really. And yeah, i'd contact the ONE organzation first to see if they could rush ship it to me.

the only thing i'm worried about is not getting a tic to the GA on that night. I"m going on the night before, but have seats way up in the bleachers and am going with hubby, and therefore not showing up till at least late dinner time. I dont think he'd be into me standing in line hawkiing bracelets while he waited for me, but if i can do it the day after with my brother, it'd be a neat expericence.

any ideas where to post this idea here at the forum for maximum exposure to other fans so they might 'take up the gauntlet' so to speak?

 

[Norse]

Thats a great and noble idea!

Tickets might be hard. I have been often left outside looking franticly for a scalper at u2 shows.

 

[boriel]

i think the only way it will work - in ANY city - is for one or two people to buy the bracelets first, and then sell them back in the general admission line ups. People always have good intentions, but like i said, not many are going to buy 10 bracelets for themselves, and IF they are available at the stadium for a small amount of spare change, they'll probably snap them up in a hurry. I"d imagine in some of the larger US cities, 100 might be gone in minutes with many more fans in line wanting them and out of luck.

there has to be a way to have this idea spread - i mean, if two women from a tiny place in scotland can put together a website about a fellow in a Lord of the Rings movie who's on screen for about 5 seconds, and within a month this extra's name is all over the internet to the point where he is semi-famous and asked to do conventions and such, surely there's a way to have this idea spread as well?

i can see i'll have to go back and do some serious thinking about how to spread the word.

 

[korczykp]

that is an amazing idea.... hmmm... anyone want to do this for the 28th show too? I have GA for that and I would LOVE to be a part of this

 

[boriel]

that is an amazing idea.... hmmm... anyone want to do this for the 28th show too? I have GA for that and I would LOVE to be a part of this

gah! wish i had GA for that show! wish i could do it that night! wish i could sneak down to the GA area and hold up my sign!

but!!! there is nothing stopping you from trying this on that night...you might not have to do 100 - you could do as many as you can afford...and just sell them to the first people in line, as those people will be directly up front anyways. If we did say....25 the first night and they all stood together, the second night there'd maybe be twice as many, or three times as many, and he'd notice the increase. If other cities did it too, and it spread (like our lame-ass wave at Canucks games LOL) imagine his surprise as each city would show him more and more till there was a sea of white at the very last concert. But we'd still be the first! heh.

how many friends do you have that are going? maybe you could do it that way-enlist them before the 28th and take the surplus to the lineup. That way you'd get most of your donation back.

(too flipping bad that our local radio stations wouldnt help promote this)

 

[korczykp]

gah! wish i had GA for that show! wish i could do it that night! wish i could sneak down to the GA area and hold up my sign!

but!!! there is nothing stopping you from trying this on that night...you might not have to do 100 - you could do as many as you can afford...and just sell them to the first people in line, as those people will be directly up front anyways. If we did say....25 the first night and they all stood together, the second night there'd maybe be twice as many, or three times as many, and he'd notice the increase. If other cities did it too, and it spread (like our lame-ass wave at Canucks games LOL) imagine his surprise as each city would show him more and more till there was a sea of white at the very last concert. But we'd still be the first! heh.

how many friends do you have that are going? maybe you could do it that way-enlist them before the 28th and take the surplus to the lineup. That way you'd get most of your donation back.

(too flipping bad that our local radio stations wouldnt help promote this)

I'm only going GA with one other friend on the 28th... and I have like NO money to order

and they only ship the one campaign wristbands to the USA, don't they? =\

 

[boriel]

i sent them an email about three weeks ago, and they said they were going to change the order form to supply world wide (seeing as how the petition is world wide i told them the bracelets should be too and they agreed)

i emailed them about a week ago asking 'when?' and they emailed me back two days ago - first thing next week, everyone can order them (at least canadian can so i assume they meant everyone)

so...they will be available. They are 10 bracelets for 15 dollars. Maybe you and your friend can go halfers on it, and stick with doing 10 bracelets, and someone else here might read this post and do another 10 for the same concert, and so on.

 

[glenn]

Sounds like an awesome idea, I hope it works out for you.

 

[u2wedge]

Another challenge might be the fact that the One campaign may be on site doing the same thing you are. Similar to the Amnesty International days...

 

[U2BROTHR]

I've never seen a one bracelet.

 

[u2wedge]

I've never seen a one bracelet.

http://vertiblog.blogspot.com/2005/03/one-way-you-can-help.html

 

[boriel]

an update on this idea...now posted in the fan gathering forum. I thought perhaps white tshirts might be easier to attain for all fans rather than the bracelets. For those of you who get email notification on this thread, you might want to check out the new thread here:

http://forum.interference.com/t119182.html

 

[bono=genius]

im goin to the april 28! ga!

 

[boriel]

well, did you read the new thread? (say yes, say yes )

if yes, maybe we should take the rest of this conversation over there so the thread stays on top. How many people do you know that are going too? and can you scare up a white tshirt?

( new thread: http://forum.interference.com/t119182.html )

 

[mr_perfect]

what time is everyone planning on showing up to line up? I think Im going to be there around 9ish...