IF the shows are General Admission...

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Are there other people who can tell me there experiences?
I'd want to know how many hours you there before the concert start and in which row you were then?
Thanks a lot!
 
it depends on how early depending on the place. i got there at 9am for charlotte, nc and was about 20th in line. ended up front row center right under bono. other shows, like atlanta you needed to be there at 6am, the earliest they allowed you to line up. as someone already said, the tip of the hear on the outside was the place to get. i would get there about and hour and a half before the show and always get the front row at the tip of the heart. 4 times, bono grabbed my hand to pull himself up. i think it is a great way to get a great seat and not spend all day waiting. that said, the charlotte show was the best and you cannot top front row center.
 
9am for Ny and Charlotte and you were in the heart?!
one hour and a half and you got a place front row behind the heart?

Are there more people who could share their experiences? Thanks a lot!
 
I went to both boston and providence in the heart, boston was on a saturday, so we got there around 11am, got second row in front of edge, providence was a weekday, we were probably there around 3pm and were in the middle of the heart- which i must say is nice as is it was not too jammed as the front was. You have an outstanding view no matter where you are, i almost preferred the middle as we could wander around more.
 
Johnovox said:


First, I think the band enjoys he energy from the GA shows, at least partially because they know the real die hards are upfront with the best spots in the house. With seats on the floor, the connected, wealthy, business types and record execs will takeup a good portion of these seats, as they will be considered the best in the house.

As DubbalinGirl said, you shouldn't categorize like that.

I've been an avid U2 fan since 1980. In 1984 I waited on line for several hours and ended up with so-so seats. In 1987 I camped out 29 hours in sub-freezing temperatures and ended up with so-so seats. I wasn't able to see them during the Zoo tour. In 1997 I got tickets through Propaganda that were in the middle of the floor, way off to the side.

In 2001 I was finally in a good enough financial position that I could afford to spend a chunk of money on premium front row tickets and I intended to do just that only to have them go with GA. Since I have job and family obligations and couldn't be sure that I could go and wait in a line (again) for several hours on the day of the concert, I decided to go with the guaranteed 'gold circle' tickets even though it greatly annoyed me that I was going to be paying more for worse seats.

But I changed my mind and ended up not going at all after reading a comment from Adam about why they went with GA. He said that they wanted to prevent the stockbrokers with credit cards from getting the front row seats. I know what he meant by that - they didn't want people who had money just buying the seats because it was the thing to do. But it still ticked me off. Did it never occur to the band members that the stockbroker they are sneering at could be the same person who was sleeping on a street to get seats fifteen years ago? They should realize that the fans who have been with them the longest are now in their late thirties and early forties and are, for the most part, more financially secure. That doesn't make us any less of a fan. By using general admission it seems to me that U2 is turning their backs on their most die-hard fans, not trying to make sure they have the best spots in the house.

I would really like to see U2 again because it is truly an amazing experience so I intend to go next year. But I will be disappointed if they have GA again in an attempt to prevent those of us who can't camp out like we did years ago from getting the best seats.
 
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I think a HUGE factor in how early one needs to arrive for GA is THE TOUR LEG.

On the first leg of Elevation (at the MPLS and Milwaukee shows), you could easily show in late morning and be among the first 50-100.

On the second leg--once everyone figured out how "the heart" worked--it was a different story. I showed up at 11AM at Salt Lake City to be 350th in line. HUGE BUMMER after driving 600 miles one way!!!

The way they had it set up for Elevation, the GA concept was (near)perfect. Because of the "max" 350, no assholes could cram their way up from 208508 rows back (who arrived 2min before the show started). If you were among those magical 350, you were in heaven!!

As for GA vs seated, there's no argument: GA is TOPS. Being in the heart during Elevation was like everyone in the arena watching U2 play a concert for YOU!

It was amazing and I won't see another U2 show any other way.

Plus, the great people you meet in line! Very, very fun.

I CAN'T WAIT for the next tour!!!
 
Zootomic said:

But I changed my mind and ended up not going at all after reading a comment from Adam about why they went with GA. He said that they wanted to prevent the stockbrokers with credit cards from getting the front row seats. I know what he meant by that - they didn't want people who had money just buying the seats because it was the thing to do. But it still ticked me off. Did it never occur to the band members that the stockbroker they are sneering at could be the same person who was sleeping on a street to get seats fifteen years ago? They should realize that the fans who have been with them the longest are now in their late thirties and early forties and are, for the most part, more financially secure. That doesn't make us any less of a fan. By using general admission it seems to me that U2 is turning their backs on their most die-hard fans, not trying to make sure they have the best spots in the house.

I would really like to see U2 again because it is truly an amazing experience so I intend to go next year. But I will be disappointed if they have GA again in an attempt to prevent those of us who can't camp out like we did years ago from getting the best seats.

I take your point that the fans of 15 years ago are todays stockbrokers, but the simple fact is that if they do seats on the floors the front rows are crammed with industry, sponsors, connected people and a few true fans here and there and the fans who can afford to go and buy them for thousands off touts. Big problem there is that it sucks the life out of the performance, bands always end up playing more to the front few rows and if they are sat there like mannequins, the show will flop.

One other thing, what makes anybody on this forum assume that if there is no GA they will be able to get the best seats? Big pockets? This tour is going to be the most successful they have ever done, and millions are going to be chasing after tickets. If there is no GA, they will ALL want to get the front few rows. So how can anybody imply that "I'd have more chance of getting a good seat with no GA" baffles me.
 
cdparky said:


I take your point that the fans of 15 years ago are todays stockbrokers, but the simple fact is that if they do seats on the floors the front rows are crammed with industry, sponsors, connected people and a few true fans here and there and the fans who can afford to go and buy them for thousands off touts. Big problem there is that it sucks the life out of the performance, bands always end up playing more to the front few rows and if they are sat there like mannequins, the show will flop.

One other thing, what makes anybody on this forum assume that if there is no GA they will be able to get the best seats? Big pockets? This tour is going to be the most successful they have ever done, and millions are going to be chasing after tickets. If there is no GA, they will ALL want to get the front few rows. So how can anybody imply that "I'd have more chance of getting a good seat with no GA" baffles me.


First off anyone can get seats in the first few rows seats or not. I have done it with Pearl Jam (not going thru seniority thru the Ten Club and without paying $$$ thru a scalper) Metallica if I didn't do the presale when I was out on the road or , Bruce you name it. The promoters hold seats for fan club presales, or radio presales or if they do not sell any to the public and sell those seats at a later date after its gone on sale. Its possible just got to put time into your show(s).
 
Charlotte was weird, we lined up about 20 minutes before the doors opened (literally like 6:00pm or something) and got front row right at the edge of the heart. Bono grabbed my girls hand during UTEOTW
 
My GA experiences

In response to Zoovation, this is what I just wrote on another thread:

"what bothered me about GA last time was when I stayed in line overnight but still ended up in the middle of the heart or at the back edge because the bullies behind me in the line would just shove their way in the stampede past the doors. it was like a mad rush of people and the bravest, fastest people were the ones who got the best spots in the heart. now I believe in the whole survival of the fittest thing but something must be said for civilized, human decency that says people who wait longer should get first pick. I really would've liked there to be more controlled admission, and wished there were big, burly security guys letting people in one at a time to avoid the mad dash for the heart. In Hamilton, ON, I was like 15th in line 'cause I got there at 11pm the night before, and I still ended up 6 "rows" back from the stage. I had GA in Detroit and Cleveland, too, and I got in the same spot even though I only arrived ~5 hours in advance. Maybe it would be nice to have GA divided up into even more sections with more wristbands, so the first in line get the better section... I dunno - I guess I'll just have to start exercising more and doing sprints to prepare for that mad dash to the front!! so I guess that while u2 are more concerned about safety than other artists, I guess I'm just saying more could be done..."
 
Is reserved seating that bad? I wouldn't know. How is the view from the stage with reserved seats? I am only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds. I fear I would get killed if I tried to do the GA admission, and more than likely end up in the back somewhere anyway. If reserved seating is bad, why are they selling the tix for$100+ a pop?
 
LiLJennie said:
Is reserved seating that bad? I wouldn't know. How is the view from the stage with reserved seats? I am only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds. I fear I would get killed if I tried to do the GA admission, and more than likely end up in the back somewhere anyway. If reserved seating is bad, why are they selling the tix for$100+ a pop?

Compared to many other bands U2 GA crowds are extremely tame so you would have no risk. 20 years ago it might have been an issue, but not today- though you will get a little squashed in the first 20 rows or so. Besides, the chances are that even being towards the back of the GA section you would still be closer than a seat anyway.
 
cdparky said:


Compared to many other bands U2 GA crowds are extremely tame so you would have no risk. 20 years ago it might have been an issue, but not today- though you will get a little squashed in the first 20 rows or so. Besides, the chances are that even being towards the back of the GA section you would still be closer than a seat anyway.

Thanks cdparky! That was very helpful. :) I guess I will be in line early, the day of the show....:rolleyes:
 
I was taping in L.A. for the Nov 19, 2001 show and went in very late (7:00pm) I got about 15 feet from the tip (outside) because that was the sweet spot for taping, but I could have been a person away from the rail pretty easily. The only places it's really tough is if you want to be ON the rail.
 
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