GA Policy Posted.

[LyricalDrug]

I don't agree. In Chicago we got there at 9am and were about 250 and didn't make it in the heart. In Atlanta we got there about 7am and were about 150.

Well, it doesn't matter for San Diego anyway, since there's no lining up allowed before 9 am. I called the San Diego Arena on Monday and they have the system all worked out already. No line-ups before 9 am, period.

 

[bort269]

It'll prolly be like it was at Oakland for Elevation.

There was the North Entrance and the East Entrance (where the subway station is)

Most of the fans were at the North Entrance (and some of these fans went to the East Entrance to tell the few there that everyone was up North) then at 9am they opened BOTH doors and everyone drove/ran to the GA line that was setup and there was a big ol' fight between the Northern U2 fans and the Eastern U2 fans and it was mad chaos for a little while. (but there were maybe 40 northern fans and 10 eastern fans)

Then all the northern fans got into the line they had agreed upon prior to 9am (everyone had numbers written on them) and let the Eastern people sit wherever they had landed.

It was pretty lame, but all in all not the end of the world and the rest of the day went smoothly.

As for times... it varied from show to show:

i got to San Jose #1 at 6am and was first in line... but later shows were very different... i suspect the same will be true here. There will be more people showing up earlier for the 3rd leg than the 1st one.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Well, it doesn't matter for San Diego anyway, since there's no lining up allowed before 9 am. I called the San Diego Arena on Monday and they have the system all worked out already. No line-ups before 9 am, period.

Although there`s a rumour circulating now on the Wire list that even though line-ups are permitted as of 9am, the venue will be instituting a lottery at 4pm. Not entirely sure why anyone would bother lining up all day if that`s the case!

If people are calling the SD Venue, I would seek clarification on this one particular aspect.

 

[tomdalton]

Lottery at 4

I hope you are right.I fly in from CT at 2:30

 

[cmb737]

Although there`s a rumour circulating now on the Wire list that even though line-ups are permitted as of 9am, the venue will be instituting a lottery at 4pm. Not entirely sure why anyone would bother lining up all day if that`s the case!

If people are calling the SD Venue, I would seek clarification on this one particular aspect.

I straight out asked them this question and they said they have no knowledge of any such policy. I think it is just that, a rumor. Of course, I could be wrong.

 

[oliveu2cm]

It's hard to get a straight answer out of security people, in my experience.


That, and they might not even know themselves how they are going to handle this situation.

 

[anitram]

What was the Elevation GA lineup like in Toronto? Were people lined up early in the morning? I'm just curious to know so I have some idea of what to expect this time.

I arrived at around 7 am each of the two days.

I was #23 the first day and #21 the second day, if that gives you some idea.

 

[SoCalMusicLover]

Re: Re: GA Policy Posted.

Im glad they have stated its only one entrance for GA.
Does anyone remember the fiasca the last time in San Diego.
People who had been waiting in line from the early hours didnt get in the heart because they opened another door at the other side of the venue and let them in first.. These people had just showed up.
There was nearly a riot. I remember screaming at a security to let me thru. I wasnt waiting since 4am only for people who had just showed up to get in.
I think a few people got hurt.
I got in the heart but some people didnt.

Yeah...my gf and I were 2 such people. We had been in line since 10 AM, and were about 80 people from the front. Some at the front had been there since 4 AM, and yet, did not make it into the heart due to the EXTREME INCOMPETENCE of the SD Sports Arena staff. I cannot believe that this arena was chosen to start the tour, after their screw up last time. I vowed then, never to attend another show at the arena if I could help it, and so I am going to Anaheim instead.

There was at least 1 person who got injured in the stampede which ensued. I should also point out, that there was no line on the other side of the building at first. It only formed around 1 hour prior to the doors opening, when the idiots at the arena....who had absolutely NO PLAN OR ORGANIZATION, took it upon themselves to start a new line at the last minute, after the original line had been in place for 12+ hours.

I stand here today and state.....I will not be at all surprised if they manage to somehow screw the whole process up again this time. That is the one arena I would be very hesitant to wait in the GA line for, because there is no guarantee you will get the spot you were after, due to the staff running the facility. But hey, that's Amerika for ya.

 

[SoCalMusicLover]

It's hard to get a straight answer out of security people, in my experience.

That, and they might not even know themselves how they are going to handle this situation.

Don't worry...they'll figure it out on the fly, hopefully by showtime. The last time at the Sports Arena, the people in line kept asking and asking and asking and asking.....get the point.....and asking.....when there would be a procedure announced regarding entrance into the arena and the floor.

Up until the final minute......the absolute final minute....when the arena management took it upon themselves to open a brand new door on the other side of the arena, they had ABSOLUTELY NO PLAN WHATSOEVER! I would not be surprised if this year is similar. After all, it takes a great deal of intelligence to devise a simple and coherent plan to let an orderly line of people into a building in a orderly fashion, and it's clear that the people running this facility have Zero Intelligence. Good luck to GA holders in SD, you may be in for quite the eye-opening experience if things are run the same as they were during the Elevation tour.

 

[LyricalDrug]

Up until the final minute......the absolute final minute....when the arena management took it upon themselves to open a brand new door on the other side of the arena, they had ABSOLUTELY NO PLAN WHATSOEVER! I would not be surprised if this year is similar. After all, it takes a great deal of intelligence to devise a simple and coherent plan to let an orderly line of people into a building in a orderly fashion, and it's clear that the people running this facility have Zero Intelligence. Good luck to GA holders in SD, you may be in for quite the eye-opening experience if things are run the same as they were during the Elevation tour.

When I called the SD Arena the other day, I asked if it was going to be better organized than last time. I was told that it will be. Whether that's true, who knows. But that's what I was told. I was also told no lining up before 9 am. After that, you line up, and it's first come, first served.

Seems like a straightforward policy to me. No doubt tons of online fans will be freaking out from now until the day of the show, and raising all sorts of apocalyptic hypotheticals, but that can't be helped.

 

[Hewson]

Not to mention with what happened at the infamous Boston show where all the GA people who had been waitng overnight didn't end up at the front b/c of..well, to this day, nobody knows exactly who was responsible for that..band, promoters, the NBC crew filming, or a combo of all three. I wasn't in the GA for that show, but hung out during the afternoon with some folks in the front. It was mostly (I"m ashamed to admit it) a large bunch of Wirelings who had gone to maybe 20 shows already (I know who they are) who sat down in the Heart. They had become their own little extended family by that point. That was the best of the 4 Boston Elevation shows and SO much better than the one that ended up on the DVD, yet b/c of three minutes in the Heart, that rendered the film unusable.

Not for nothing, but that sit down protest is the show that got on DVD.
The DVD is Boston 2, with a small amount of Boston 1 footage spliced in at spots to help fill things out (hence you can see Edge's guitar switch from black to red and back during Gone, and the Boston 1 smashing makes it on the DVD).
And I think most of us who attended the Boston shows would say Boston 4 was the best show (even with the DB9 stage rush )

 

[Super_Fan]

I will be calling the arena again. If not well I will have to go down to the arena and get an answer. Worst comes to worst, a GA line list will start outside the arena property. The best way to get around this is lining up at the Gas Station I am not sure if its on the arena property, but hey you can go to the bathroom, get food etc. The sidewalk at the Sports Arena is the other option at the moment along with Tower Records across the street.

 

[Super_Fan]

Not for nothing, but that sit down protest is the show that got on DVD.
The DVD is Boston 2, with a small amount of Boston 1 footage spliced in at spots to help fill things out (hence you can see Edge's guitar switch from black to red and back during Gone, and the Boston 1 smashing makes it on the DVD).
And I think most of us who attended the Boston shows would say Boston 4 was the best show (even with the DB9 stage rush )

There have been 2 bad GA Line debacles with U2 on the Elevation tour. Boston DVD, and Continental Airlines Arena October 28. Yes San Diego possible could be a F' Up and the first Anaheim show. So GA ticket holders campng out beware. Anaheim will screw you all like Metallica November 27, 2004.

 

[SoCalMusicLover]

So GA ticket holders campng out beware. Anaheim will screw you all like Metallica November 27, 2004.

Last time in Anaheim was a breeze compared to San Diego. I had no problems whatsoever. I can't recall whether it was the first night or the second, but I got up to the stage.

What happened with Metallica in Anaheim?

 

[one4u2]

what happened at continental?

 

[Super_Fan]

Last time in Anaheim was a breeze compared to San Diego. I had no problems whatsoever. I can't recall whether it was the first night or the second, but I got up to the stage.

What happened with Metallica in Anaheim?

There were people who camped out overnight and there were to sides to the GA line in front of the Arena doors. They moved the people that were there since 6 a.m. to the other side when doors opened. I was lucky since I had good karma.

 

[Super_Fan]

what happened at continental?

Continental October 28, 2001 every entrance into the arena allowed people onto the floor. Alot of people were upset and vowed never to go to Continental. Security and Continental is Corrupt. Next time Metallica is there hopefully I will shit in their face.

 

[cmb737]

Next time Metallica is there hopefully I will shit in their face.

Super_Fan this is Super_Lame.

Tower won't let people line up there. Let's make it the sidewalk, even though it is arena property.

 

[Super_Fan]

Super_Fan this is Super_Lame.

Tower won't let people line up there. Let's make it the sidewalk, even though it is arena property.

I was talking about Continental Airlines Arena. You have no idea what I am talking about since I was escorted with someone with an all access pass since I know people that work for them. Also I have filmed for Metallica for historical purposes.


Gas Station would be fine except it might be on the property of the arena. The sidewalk across the street would be fine facing the loading dock/box office on the side where GA will start. Thats about 200 feet away from the starting point where the GA line will start.

 

[BAWenrich]

Gas Station would be fine except it might be on the property of the arena. The sidewalk across the street would be fine facing the loading dock/box office on the side where GA will start. Thats about 200 feet away from the starting point where the GA line will start.

Ok so... we're saying a likely pre-9AM Line up point for the San Diego show will be the sidewalk across the street from the venue? How early are people planing to head out? We were thinking 6 or 7 AM.

 

[Super_Fan]

When they release the Hounds!

 

[oktobergirl]

Ok so... we're saying a likely pre-9AM Line up point for the San Diego show will be the sidewalk across the street from the venue? How early are people planing to head out? We were thinking 6 or 7 AM.

there will be many many people that do not honor that line that is off property (including the arena). i wouldn't suggest it.

 

[impy13]

I had a similar experience with Incubus in Dallas. I had been lining up for maybe 6 hours (which is a lot for Incubus) and they opened every side of the venue, not to mention a seperate GA line at the other end of the doors. I was probably 4th in line all day and wound up being close to the 200th or 300th in.

 

[Super_Fan]

there will be many many people that do not honor that line that is off property (including the arena). i wouldn't suggest it.

They will honor it. They honored it with no problems on Elevation in Miami, Atlanta, Baltimore, D.C, Philly, East Rutherford and other shows as well. So would the venue be responsible for a riot or fans pushing and stampeding into the arena? I don't think so or there would be another Who concert incident like in 1979 with a big lawsuit over San Diego Arena's head. A list with regular check ups every 2 to 4 hours would work out like the last tour.

 

[cmb737]

I might suggest the sidewalk on Sports Arena Blvd as opposed to the street behind the venue. Hell of a long walk to any facilities or food if you can't go through the parking lot.

 

[cmb737]

I was talking about Continental Airlines Arena. You have no idea what I am talking about since I was escorted with someone with an all access pass since I know people that work for them. Also I have filmed for Metallica for historical purposes.

great...but still saying you are going to shit in someones face is a bit lame.

 

[YellowKite]

Well, it doesn't matter for San Diego anyway, since there's no lining up allowed before 9 am. I called the San Diego Arena on Monday and they have the system all worked out already. No line-ups before 9 am, period.

You are kidding yourself if you think that there will not be a line before 9 am. In ALL of the many U2 shows I have been to and especially the Elevation GA there was always a group lingering. Even back in War and Tree years I could always hook up with fans outside before the shows. True there was no access to official venue areas, but as long as we behaved, we never had a problem.

I bet you see a line off site no later than 5 AM headed by the typical well mannered U2 fan [hopefully] who is ready with the infamous notebook and sharpie. As long as everyone plays fair there shouldn't be a problem.

Place nice people! U2 fans have a good rep for a reason. Respect private property and any officials that come calling. Attitude will kill the line - fast.

M

 

[Super_Fan]

You are kidding yourself if you think that there will not be a line before 9 am. In ALL of the many U2 shows I have been to and especially the Elevation GA there was always a group lingering. Even back in War and Tree years I could always hook up with fans outside before the shows. True there was no access to official venue areas, but as long as we behaved, we never had a problem.

I bet you see a line off site no later than 5 AM headed by the typical well mannered U2 fan [hopefully] who is ready with the infamous notebook and sharpie. As long as everyone plays fair there shouldn't be a problem.

Place nice people! U2 fans have a good rep for a reason. Respect private property and any officials that come calling. Attitude will kill the line - fast.


M

There will be a line of fans anyways or there will be a stampede of U2 fans running to the GA entrance. The San Diego GA Line is getting too hype up . Lets line up at the gas station which I am not sure if its not on the arena's property. Worst comes for worst we will line up close by or at Soma's. I will speak to someone next week at the arena to clear out all the details with whoever is in charge of the Sports Arena. Clearly you have to speak to the Arena General Manager instead of the Event Coordinator.

 

[cmb737]

What gas station? I don't remember there being one there. New or what? I am sure there will be no problem with pretty much any place it happens.

 

[Super_Fan]

What gas station? I don't remember there being one there. New or what? I am sure there will be no problem with pretty much any place it happens.

Its on the opposite side of the building.