Bad Omen for the Tour...

[PurpleSeven]

Perhaps it is just me, but is seems that the events leading up to this tour have not exactly been the greatest omen for what is to come.

With the initial annoucement being delayed -and now the debacle that was the pre-sale - it's looking a little dark on the horizon. I just wish that there could be some sort of proactive work being done by the band and its management to let us know what's going on.

When the album was realeased - and for some time before - there was this full on U2 assault on our senses, and now it seems that they've just retreated. I understand that this time is being spent on rehearsal/last time with families for quite a while, but just throw us a bone here.

All that it would take would be a simple statement from either a band member of Paul McG saying "Look - what happened with the U2.com memberships was not right, and it will be corrected." They could even go on to say something along the lines of "we know that the number of dates announced so far is limited, but we have every intention of adding more."

The U2 organization is large, and gets even larger for a tour. They are looking at our sites. They know the anger and resentment that their most loyal fans are feeling. Instead of a quick reaction to stem the effects, there is silence.

We know that there will be a third US leg added, and that the tour schedule will probably be beefed up considering the amount of off days between shows as of now. It's kind of like on the Slane DVD, when instead of leaving after Pride, Bono says they'll just skip the whole bit of going off stage, while the crowd shouts for more and the audience is finally rewarded. It's just going through the motions, and we're smarter than that. So why not treat us like we're smarter than that?

Instead what we have is this media black-out that you could expect from a political administration. They have to know what the reaction of their fans to this is - and if they don't they truly are clueless as to how this new-fangled thing called the 'internet' works, which should have been a good indication on whether or not to become a member of their site.

This should be the most exciting time for a fan, and for the band. As a long time fan, the anticiptaion leading up to the show can only be compared to the way I would feel as a child on Christmas Eve.

The possibilities of the set list, the emotion, the techincal genius of the show - all of this is what it should be about right now. But right now, it's miles from that.

 

[innocent_eyes]

yep...i fear something grim on the horizon also....I have been waiting for now, the tour getting started, for 4 years and i thougfht i would be exstatic, new album, new tour, see some shows.....

...i'm misserable, and i'm an optomistic, laid back guy, i don't even get stressed over university exams....and boy do i feel uneasy about all this....ever since i saw the tour dates and locations, i knew it was gonna be sour.

 

[JOFO]

All that it would take would be a simple statement from either a band member of Paul McG saying "Look - what happened with the U2.com memberships was not right, and it will be corrected." They could even go on to say something along the lines of "we know that the number of dates announced so far is limited, but we have every intention of adding more."

The U2 organization is large, and gets even larger for a tour. They are looking at our sites. They know the anger and resentment that their most loyal fans are feeling. Instead of a quick reaction to stem the effects, there is silence.

Instead what we have is this media black-out that you could expect from a political administration. They have to know what the reaction of their fans to this is - and if they don't they truly are clueless as to how this new-fangled thing called the 'internet' works, which should have been a good indication on whether or not to become a member of their site.

The possibilities of the set list, the emotion, the techincal genius of the show - all of this is what it should be about right now. But right now, it's miles from that.

yes.
I agree with everything you say.
being a u2 fan since 1984, I've never experienced such a sour note from them....come to think of it, I've never felt there's been anything really sour until now.

man...we're all dropping $400 ona presale and u2 talks about being "the biggest and best band in the world" and nobody in their organization can even drop an email?

 

[U2@NYC]

Do not give up the fight. Continue faxing today (I will re-fax the ones I sent yesterday to both offices).

Principle Management NY : +1 (212) 765-2372
Principle Management Dublin: + (353) 1 6777 276

 

[KUEFC09U2]

maybe yesterday i would have said "wow this isnt looking good" but today, there are many that couldnt buy tickets yesterday. that have now been able to me included, so things are getting sorted. slowly.

 

[artdirector]

I agree too. I've been thinking they won't be into the actual tour with all that is happening with the Edge and all. (if its true) And if its not true, 13 dates in the U.S. is really weird. The U.S. is supposively the proving grounds for them, according to Bono, and they are only doing 13 dates? The u2.com fiasco and Adams brother on Dave Fanning pretty much saying "take it or leave it, we don't care" is a sure sign that the tour (if you want to call it that) is going to be not one of their best. Luckily I didn't spend more than $100 bucks on tickets. Well $140 with the stupid membership at u2.com added in.

 

[JOFO]

Do not give up the fight. Continue faxing today (I will re-fax the ones I sent yesterday to both offices).

Principle Management NY : +1 (212) 765-2372
Principle Management Dublin: + (353) 1 6777 276

I'm going down to ticketmaster in person in a bit to demand better seats and some answers as to what happened.

 

[JOFO]

Adams brother on Dave Fanning pretty much saying "take it or leave it, we don't care"

what does that mean?

 

[jammin909]

Principle didnt supply ticketmaster with enough good tickets to the presale. If ticketmaster only allotted principle so many tickets, then its still their fault bc they let too many members join. When enrolling 90k members, u2.com knew there was not going to be enough tickets to go around. THIS IS NOT TICKETMASTER, and is U2's fault I believe!

 

[Lo-Fi]

I think the lack of first leg dates is down to the situation with Edge and they couldn't book anymore as they would have clashed with the stadiums in Europe, so the US is looking a bit sparse than what you are used to. But I have the upmost confidence that u2 will announce an additional US leg nearer the summer for the autum (or fall).

Right now, most people are just pissed at how it's all panned out. But if Edge is in a situation, this may be the reason why no one from the band has been in touch. Maybe they have other things on their mind than if fans got tickets in presales. Some things are bigger than what you do for a living, u2 are no exception.

Give it time, and we'll see. The fact that we still haven't seen SYCMIOYO video, and we've only seen Bono out and about of recent times, suggests there is something wrong that we don't know about, and the band feel should be kept private. They certainly aren't out as often as I expected at this time.

Maybe the band just want to keep it all private. We're a passionate bunch, and don't take shit from the band, but maybe we should just give them a little space this now, and wait and see.

 

[artdirector]

A friend of mine in L.A. saw the Edge at a restaurant yesterday with a woman. He's not a big fan like myself of the group so he didn't know if it was his wife or not. Just an fyi. Edge is in L.A. What that means I have no idea.

 

[Shawn Bonneau]

Well, remember how the Joshua Tree Tour started? That was worse.... Bono's chin, the shitty sound.... Tickets...

SMB

 

[Halup]

Artdirector, you've confirmed my feeling that Edge would be in LA this month, since he does have his home in Malibu and I expect that until early May, he will not spend more than a couple nights away from L.A., as U2 will fly in and out for shows in the western US, using L.A. as their hub. I think the band rearranged the first leg to give him an easier time in dealing with whatever is going on with his family.

 

[Lisa71]

I do have to say I am somewhat surprised that they have said nothing yet. I hoped that they would have at least made a statement regarding this but there's nothing.

I have loved u2 since 1985 and I am kinda of sadden by the silence. They used to be so close to the people, so in touch. Now, to me, it almost seems like they are so out of touch with the everyday person and the amounts of money they can afford. To them, $175 for a seat is no skin off their backs. I'm still reserving judgement for a few days but, God, I hope they TRY to fix this or at the very least say they are sorry for all the problems. If they don't, I'm going to be very disillusioned.

 

[isabelle_guns]

I was thinking the same thing as well, I'm not going tobe able to look at U2 THE SAME on stage again.

 

[amniar]

Surely it's a good omen?

 

[PurpleSeven]

I do have to say I am somewhat surprised that they have said nothing yet. I hoped that they would have at least made a statement regarding this but there's nothing...it almost seems like they are so out of touch with the everyday person and the amounts of money they can afford. To them, $175 for a seat is no skin off their backs.

It's easy to see how this can happen. No matter how much they want to be a part of the people, there is no amount of humility that will make them truly understand how it would feel to devote a sizable chunk of a paycheck to attend a show.

They have made true and heartfelt comments about how much we as fans have given them - but there needs to be reciprocation on their side as well. We're not asking for much - just an admission that this didn't work as they had anticipated.

It appears that due to potential litigation reasons, the legal side of their organization may be preventing any official comments to prevent possible financial loss - but you can not alienate those which cause the financial gain in the first place!

But here we are, on day two - business is closed for the day in Ireland, and still nothing. What could be their direct line of communication to their fans, U2.com, is still living in ignorant bliss.

 

[PurpleSeven]

Surely it's a good omen?

As omes go, probably not so good.

 

[ascender_RS]

I'm very disappointed (as I've said before) by the ridiculous cost of the tickets and the band's reaction to it all.

But more worryingly, every time I log on, there seem to be more stories about Bono's plans to save the world. Which I applaud whole-heartedly, its just that the music almost seems to be taking a back seat.

Remember the days of Zoo TV when they recorded Zooropa on the road? I just can't see them doing this sort of thing again which is disappointing. That was a great period of experimentation and a productive one for the band which produced some great songs.

I don't know, I'm just getting a wee bit disillusioned after the last few days.

 

[PurpleSeven]

We will never be able to revisit the past - but the notion that a large organization such as U2 is often times too much of a behemoth and the decisions that they make require months, often years of planning is ludicrous.

Ultimately, the five officers of the corporation (the band + Paul McG) have the ability to affect change. What is is the quote that is in the deluxe edition HTDAAB CD/DVD - 'Be the change you want to see in the world' - it's just that easy.

If U2 (those five officers of the corporation) demanded lower ticket prices - they would have it. If U2 demanded a ticket plan that would be technologically sound and fair - they would have it.

Come down from the mountain, and see with your own eyes - not through those of an accountant, or a lawyer, or a publicist - see with your own eyes how it is.

There was so much talk on the last tour of being 'back to the basics.' I wish it could be back to the basics in the sense of returning to a tour of lower profit margins - of taking more risks with scheduling - of just simply treating the fans with the respect they deserve!

 

[Lisa71]

Ultimately, the five officers of the corporation (the band + Paul McG) have the ability to affect change. What is is the quote that is in the deluxe edition HTDAAB CD/DVD - 'Be the change you want to see in the world' - it's just that easy.

If U2 (those five officers of the corporation) demanded lower ticket prices - they would have it. If U2 demanded a ticket plan that would be technologically sound and fair - they would have it.

I agree with this. I have never been one to really get pissed off at U2. I've given them the benefit of the doubt for years. I'm still trying to give them a chance. In the end, they are the president and CEO of their company. They are responsible, no matter if they personally messed up the presale (memberships issues etc) themselves or if TM or Fanfire did. They are the ones that makes the decisions to price tickets a certain way and to use people like Fanfire. I just want them to acknowledge there is a issue or problem here and try to work something out.

They have a history of trying sweep the bad stuff under the carpet and not addressing it. They need to step up to the plate and do something RIGHT for the people that have supported them for years and years. Even a simply Sorry this happened and we are working on trying to fix it would be better than silence. Silence to a lot of us now = We dont' really care about fans, we just want your money. That may not be the truth but that's how a lot of people are taking it!

 

[girlwcrimsonnls]

I felt something was up when they didn't announce the tour like they had in the past. It was too quiet, well now that I think about it, it was pretty much non-existant wouldn't you say?

 

[Axver]

For those who are talking about how short the first leg is now, you should check out the first leg of the Joshua Tree Tour. This isn't unusual.

 

[Desert Dog]

Ya and me and some friends waited in line all night to get tickets for the opening night of the JT Tour in Tempe. Got some pretty decent seats a few rows up from the floor. They cost $16.00 a piece - now they cost $160.00 a piece

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

U2 have spent 25 years building a pefect image of themselves and fuck it up in 2 days..... because of poor management and hidden facts about what is really going on!!!

What the hell with the ticket prices???????? Bono is talking about the third world and that we should cancel the debts.... great, but it's not a reason to sell $165 tickets!!!! I've never seen that, not one band has ever asked for so much money!

The worst thing in this whole story is that I would pay $165 to see them live, because I 've loved them too much the last 15 years.....

 

[Chrisedge]

Principle didnt supply ticketmaster with enough good tickets to the presale. If ticketmaster only allotted principle so many tickets, then its still their fault bc they let too many members join. When enrolling 90k members, u2.com knew there was not going to be enough tickets to go around. THIS IS NOT TICKETMASTER, and is U2's fault I believe!

Says you...When ticketmasters site crashed on me THREE DIFFERENT TIMES, going from the best seats in the house LL12 opening night, to LL18, then LL22...Then finally an hour and a half later, me getting FUCKING NOSEBLEEDS in THE TERRACE T11, you can fucking blame Ticketdisaster.com

U2 / U2.com had no part of my issues, other than issuing codes that bombed out once TM.com tried to "use" them, even if the order didn't go through...

 

[PurpleSeven]

For those who are talking about how short the first leg is now, you should check out the first leg of the Joshua Tree Tour. This isn't unusual.

I understand that there is precedent for this, but the Joshua Tree tour needs to be but into perspective.

While that tour was being scheduled, there was no way that they would be able to understand the monster that Joshua Tree was to become - especially in the US. Sure they had a devoted and large fan base before that point - but they became - in the words of the Time magazine cover article - 'Rock's Hottest Ticket.' The went from a being a college band to being the biggest stars in music.

The difference between then is that they know where they are at now - they fully understand that they can sell-out arena's with no problem. They've been able to do that since JT. I would be able to understand timidity if they were undertaking a tour on the physical size of Pop - and had to tour stadiums just to fit the stage in, but they're not.

Simply put, it's not the fall of '87 anymore. You can't get into a concert with a $20.00 bill, and come out with change - and if a fan has to accept the massive increase in ticket prices, the artist has a duty to accept that they can no longer rely on a model that is based on the way they did it 17 years ago.

 

[Popmartijn]

What the hell with the ticket prices???????? Bono is talking about the third world and that we should cancel the debts.... great, but it's not a reason to sell $165 tickets!!!! I've never seen that, not one band has ever asked for so much money!

Then I think you need to look around a bit more. U2 are about the last of the mega-artists to have such a top ticket price. On the last tours, Madonna had higher prices (even on her 2001 Drowning World tour), the Rolling Stones had higher prices, the Eagles had these kind of prices the last time they toured, Billy Joel & Elton John have these prices. Maybe the only mega-act not to have these prices is Bruce Springsteen, but that's about it.
Oh, and when prices would've been lower (like $50 or $100 tops), then the massacre would've been even bigger yesterday (and coming week when the general tickets go on sale) as everyone plus their mother would try to get tickets...

C ya!

Marty

 

[cdparky]

I think the lack of first leg dates is down to the situation with Edge and they couldn't book anymore as they would have clashed with the stadiums in Europe, so the US is looking a bit sparse than what you are used to. But I have the upmost confidence that u2 will announce an additional US leg nearer the summer for the autum (or fall).

There will be more dates added in each of the cities they are playing, U2 are not going on the road and playing 13 shows in 2 months in the USA. Just like there will be extra nights in London, Manchester, Dublin & Amsterdam. All tours these days get announced and sold a show at a time so don't worry about the relatively few number of dates on the 1st leg. They will do 30ish on the 1st leg and the same again in the Autumn.

 

[PurpleSeven]

Then I think you need to look around a bit more. U2 are about the last of the mega-artists to have such a top ticket price. On the last tours, Madonna had higher prices (even on her 2001 Drowning World tour), the Rolling Stones had higher prices, the Eagles had these kind of prices the last time they toured, Billy Joel & Elton John have these prices....

The rationale of 'Everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?' may have made for a good album title, but it doesn't work for this situation.

The very spirit of this band - their soul through song - has led me to believe that this type of rationale is contrary to it all. I understand that there are marketplace factors at work, and I'm sure that their accountants will remind them of the financial levels of success they must attain.

My question is this - if they are not going to be putting on a spectacle that will rival that of Popmart and Zoo TV combined (which they won't be able to solely for the fact that it is an arena tour), then how can they justify charging a fan the price of those tickets plus that of the JT, UF, War, October and Boy tours combined?

I know that ticket prices are destined to rise over time, but imagine the possiblilities of a band the magnitude of U2 saying 'No - let's make it reasonable to go to a show.'

This is the cloud that is hanging over this tour, and it hasn't even begun!