an idea: LA fans should protest U2 at the grammys

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Look, I sympathize with the people who think they got screwed. I spent the vacation day from hell on Tuesday. But I'm over it. At times over the last couple days I've actually felt embarrassed to be a US U2 fan. I've seen many European/English fans, which I witnessed have a much harder time than we had in the US take everything much better. Most of them have been happy that they got tickets (most times at almost twice the cost of us) and that they're going to the show. Some of them got GA's, some didn't, but they were still happy and planning for general sale.

Yes, there was a big screw up, no one can deny that. I don't think any of it was intentional. They underestimated the demand for tickets. Maybe they thought that since the cities were so limited that many people would not or could not vie for the tickets in other cities. Maybe they didn't contemplate the entire 90,000 fans that joined U2.com would go out to try and buy the tickets for those 13 NA cities. As I've seen even some Europeans/South American/Australian fans opted to use their presale code for tickets in the U.S.

What I don't understand though are the people who are freaking out, talking lawsuits, boycotts, throwing things on stage at the band, contemplating strategies to ruin the show. Give me a break. If you feel you were so wronged then fine, I can understand that, get your refund from U2.com & ticketmaster (as we've seen its not impossible) and move on. If you think U2 tried to personally screw you, lied to you, fucked you over, I can buy that, get you money back and don't go to any shows. Why would some of you even want to go to see a show of a band that you think are a bunch of underhanded thieves? I know some of you have said you're not going, I respect that, but I don't get all of the other people throwing around insults, lawsuit & boycott strategies in one breath, and then planning how they're going to get their GA tickets in the next. WTF, why do you even want to go see U2 if you feel so insulted and conned.

Personally, I'm thankful they're touring, I've been looking forward to this for 4 years. The shows will sellout whether I do go or I don't.
 


u2shirt.gif

With a "Bono / Media Come Talk To Me" on the back. PLUS I'll get the whole thing on video. [/B]
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:lol:
 
More ridiculous babble about not getting tickets. . .

I think people are showing an awful lot of selective memory on this issue. The email that I received - the same as everyone else, I imagine - said that a $40 membership entitled you to "ACCESS to priority seating," not a ticket guarantee, barring failure. And that's exactly what the membership gave us - ACCESS to the presale. Some got tix, some didn't. They never PROMISED anyone tickets. People are reading meaning into that, and I think it's bullshit that the media has now latched onto this without doing their homework and finding the actual quote from the u2.com offer stating that the membership got you (I say it again) ACCESS only.
 
frozenmuze04 said:
More ridiculous babble about not getting tickets. . .

I think people are showing an awful lot of selective memory on this issue. The email that I received - the same as everyone else, I imagine - said that a $40 membership entitled you to "ACCESS to priority seating," not a ticket guarantee, barring failure. And that's exactly what the membership gave us - ACCESS to the presale. Some got tix, some didn't. They never PROMISED anyone tickets. People are reading meaning into that, and I think it's bullshit that the media has now latched onto this without doing their homework and finding the actual quote from the u2.com offer stating that the membership got you (I say it again) ACCESS only.
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frozenmuse and everyone who thinks that fans are reading meaning into our privleges as members, read this and then tell me that people weren't somewhat deceived. A columnist at 'atu2.com' made a timeline of the announcements and emails sent about the tour. It started as 'Priority Booking', which seems like a guaranteed ticket order, and ended up a 'Presale'. Definitely read this everbody.

http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=3738
 
:yawn:

personally i think everyone who's pissed but got tickets anyway should protest the tour by not gowing to any shows and giving all their tickets to me.

i will then take what i need for myself and disperse the rest of the tickets out to all of those out there would give up their first born just to get inside the building... free of charge.

then everyone can be happy.`
 
nothing wrong with bringing attention to the matter. You'll be across the street though, fans can't get up to Staples, unless you go to stubhub.com and pay $2500 for your Grammy ticket in the very back row. I still can't believe Bono, Edge would ever be happy with what has gone on.
 
As the little people vs. something like ticketmaster/clear channel/SFX/USCorp, there is nothing at all we can do other make some noise and try to embarass the corporations involved, and hopefully get some political traction out of this scam, for future reform. I think it's safe to say that there really is nothing you can do at this point which will have a real impact, but making a stink at the Grammy's, or outside the concert venues, and having a reporter pick up your story is probably the best (and only) meaningful thing anybody can do.

I got some of the worst tickets available at the FleetCenter during the pre-sale scam - back corner of the arena, as far from the stage as possible, 10 rows back. WORST seats in the arena for $100. I had no idea at the time about the scandal breaking and just figured that I should consider myself lucky and buy them. I was kind of numb with that "You have 1 minute" warning in red to decide what to do. Once I realized what was really going on, I got extremely angry and planned to eBay the tickets. Instead I gave them to a co-workers daughter at face value, she's 16 and doesn't understand the evil business that U2's management has turned into, she just loves the new disc and has been really sick lately, and I know her family's gone through a lot. We were all discussing this in the lunch room the other day, everybody had read the Boston Globe article and were bitching about U2. This woman mentioned how at 16 her daughter was simply too young to know or care about any of this stuff and it got us to talking about the good old days of going to a rock show and having a great time without all these modern hassles. So I hope this girl and her friend has a great time at the concert. U2 won't ever see a dime of my money again, and I feel like I was able to remedy a hateful situation by doing some good for this sick girl.

Since I bought the tickets during the pre-sale scam, I can't even use my pre-sale code for future concerts because it was "spent" on these crap third deck, back corner, 10th row seats. I am completely hamstrung by the situation. But at least I feel better about myself now.
 
"Protesting the Grammys?? Give me a break. Get over it people, ya didn't get tickets!!"

The band made roughly $3.6M (90,000 x $40) through fraudulant advertising. Don't pretend that anything else happened. Had the sales pitch been different and honest, nobody would have an excuse to complain. Don't pretend that after a week has passed, it's no longer that big of a deal. I'd expect this from Celine Dion, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and other "corporate" acts... but was kind of blind-sided when a band like U2 decided to rip their own fans off.

Protesting at the Grammy's would be the best way a small group of pee-ons could actually do something to get a small, tiny bit of revenge for this $3.6M fleecing of the fandom. It would only take about 25-50 people to make enough noise to get CNN, E!, MTV etc. to cover it, even briefly.
 
"Revenge" is an idea that traditionally is not associated with U2 and, I feel, a very short-sighted and selfish response to the ticket fiasco.

Protesting at the Grammys will accomplish nothing - except to further embarass and demean the very people you say you love (U2)!

Where is the sense and rationality in all that? Will it accomplish anything CONSTRUCTIVE?

NO! it will simply be a b#tch party for people who have not yet learned the larger lessons of life - forgive and accept.

Until all the facts are in, we really know nothing about who is ultimately to blame for this ticket debacle - the facts will probably show that TM, Clear Channel, U2.com and others had an unspoken alliance to deceive the public to rake in the money.

THE ROLE OF U2 THEMSELVES IN ALL THIS IS STILL VERY UNCLEAR - and I think it is only fair to the very people we say we care for to give them the benefit of the doubt until it is all sorted out.:yes:

Any other response from us is just plain selfishness. :tsk:
 
Sigh... as I've mentioned before, you can be a fan of the band, the music the create in the studio, and the effort they put forth on stage - and yet still be very much against the corporate interests that have taken over the band's business interests.

Most people will just roll over, shrug and say to themselves "There's nothing I can do about it" and smile while they get raped more and more with each passing concert. Or you could do something about it. Simply posting your anger on U2 message boards has already caused the band to change some policies, issue some aplogies, and hopefully reform future practices. If everyone had just shrugged this all off and not expressed their anger, would U2 Corp. have done anything at all to remedy the situation? I think if there are any LA-area fans who have the time, protesting a bit at the Grammy's would be an interesting way to keep the bright media spotlight on these dubious business practices.

You can call it "whining" or "bitching" or whatever else you want to call it, but the palpable anger was clearly loud enough for the band to hear and has put them on track to remedying the situation.

The best news for the fans was when Rollingstone, Boston Glone, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, etc. picked up the story and made a national story out of the $3.6M fleecing of the fandom. Without that coverage Ticketmaster/Clear Channel/U2 Corp. would have done nothing at all.
 
I can understand that people are upset about paying $40.00 and not getting what they thought they had coming to them but I personally think protesting by picketing the grammys, making t-shirts or sitting down during the first song are silly.

First of all if you didn't get tickets as far as I know U2.com are offering full refunds-If thats true then U2 are not stealing your money(Heck they'll likely even let you keep the keychain). I think this proves that it wasn't a money grab, with u2 having no intention of giving what they promised

If you got tickets at the presale but aren't happy with the seats you could probably sell them for a profit. Nothing wrong with that.

One of the main reasons there is such a descrepency between demand and availability
is that the first leg is much shorter than originally planned. I was planning on going to toronto to see them as they were rumoured to play there twice this leg before things got shifted around. The T.O dates have been pushed back to the fall so i'll wait. As far as I know a major reason for this is the condition on one of edges relatives.

There are a lot less tickets available for the first leg(you can blame Edges relative if you like) than u2 anticipated but they seem to be trying to rectify things- if you didn't get tickets get your money back, since they're offering(as they should). If you got crappy tickets, sell them-make yourself some extra cash, but it's time to put things in perspective folks
 
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bostonmike4444 said:
Sigh... as I've mentioned before, you can be a fan of the band, the music the create in the studio, and the effort they put forth on stage - and yet still be very much against the corporate interests that have taken over the band's business interests.
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So you're a fan of the band and appreciate the effort they make to create music, then perform it live for the fans? That's nice, I'm so pleased to hear you say that after your week's worth of rants.

Oh wait, what's this??

protesting a bit at the Grammy's would be an interesting way to keep the bright media spotlight on these dubious business practices.
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Hmmmm, make your mind up Mike - are you protesting the corporate interests of U2, or just interested in a little payback on the guys themselves? Aren't you just contradicting yourself with these two comments from the same post.

You are such a fan of the band that you would encourage or maybe even participate, in a protest that would humiliate them globally? Yeah that'll show 'em huh?

I tried to appeal to your good sense last week Mike, but it's clear that you just don't have any at all. But then I'm one of U2.com's minions engaging in damage control aren't I - isn't that what you said last time?

I mean why should you listen to me, I'm the enemy. Ooooooooooooooooooo!
 
I will always love U2 the band, won't give another dime to U2 the brand.

It's actually pretty simple, sorry I over-complicated, I realize English is a second language for a lot of you.

Complaining LOUDLY has gotten U2 to actually hear what is going on, and has actually gotten them to change their policies, issue apologies, and take action against scalpers. If everyone had just shrugged and said "that's life!" none of these new policies would have taken place.
 
bostonmike4444 said:
Complaining LOUDLY has gotten U2 to actually hear what is going on, and has actually gotten them to change their policies, issue apologies, and take action against scalpers. If everyone had just shrugged and said "that's life!" none of these new policies would have taken place.
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It's one thing to complain loudly to the corporate powers that be, it's a completely different thing to stage a protest at the grammies, (which is what this thread implies).
 
I was complaining just as loudly as most here and I even faxed them a few letters, but look what they have done! It's FAR more than they have ever done in the past to make things right. People can now get a refund, Ticketmaster is calling people, they are trying to go after the scalpers with a hands on approach etc, etc. I think they learned their lesson on this and will change the way they do it in the future. If not, then I'm sure all the people that gave them a second chance will call it a day. But everyone deserves a second chance and a chance to redeem themselves. U2 is trying and I think they deserve it.
 
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