MERGED --> ALL QUESTIONS/COMMENTS about the ELLIPSE HERE + "Ellipse" GA Policy U2.com

[trevster2k]

I can't believe I agree with Sting on something.

Just joking, Sting2.

 

[Sicy]

I haven't looked at my tickets, but I have the fan club membership card. Will the card get me in the fan club line, or is it a special code on the ticket?

Did you read back a few posts? The whole policy is posted from U2.com. It didnt say anything about membership cards. They just scan your tickets and its all random.

 

[bono=genius]

im so worried cuz 3 of us are goin....

 

[LuminousTimes]

im so worried cuz 3 of us are goin....

I would be too. I was there last night and as it stands now if you are lucky enough to have one of the three people in group get the "golden ticket" you will have to choose who goes and who doesn't. By my estimation each person has somewhere between a 15% - 20% chance of getting in. So odds are none of you will anyway. Either way it would suck.

 

[lancerla]

So when should I go?

I know the drawing is random, but...

does that mean that the drawing has already been done on tickets sold (barcodes) and the computer has already chosen the winners before the show or does it mean random people get in depending on their line position?

So the question is, random by ticket, or random by time in/place in line?

Does that make sense?

I've got GA for Friday and Saturday (from scalpers before I knew about this stupid lottery) and my wife refuses to get pushed, so we're either in the ellipse or near the soundboard. Quick side question -- how many people fit against the ellipse on the outside? She would do that if she could be against the wall and I was behind her.

 

[zsuzso]

hi
i've read the u2.com news but i also read the news on the www.atu2.com website. and there is some line about the membership card:

According to several sources, for shows that had no internet presale for U2.com members, your U2.com membership card is what will be used to determine if GA ticket holders belong in the U2.com line or the other line.

i have 2 questions about this how to get into the ellipse

a) what is if i have membership card, but my ticket is not a presale one (but on THAT concert was also presale for u2.com members)...
b) if the Selection will be on a random basis what is the different between membership card/presale ticket and normal ticket????? everyone has the same chance...am i right? so then why we have this membership card?? is it good for something?
or if im standing in the persale line i have bigger chance to get into the elipse?

anyone any idea?

cheers

 

[beegee]

it was all bullshit.

i fucking slept in my van outside the arena the night before the show. we all lined up, it was very organized, with numbers on our hands. mine was 90. so at ten pm the night before the show there were already nearly a hundred people waiting outside.

in the morning, they announced that they would respect our line, and not randomly give wristbands. we cheered and hugged. it was going to be fair.

by nine am the sleepers are starting to show up. people who smelled nice, and were wearing clean clothes.

security lines us up in order, and herds us to the back. as we passed security, they checked our tickets. two lines form. one for u2.com, and one for the others. and this is when the problem starts. it was announced that the two lines would be entering at the same time. leaving me, basically screwed. but i sat there, in the pouring rain, hanging onto the hope that i could still get into the circle.

until they announced that getting into the circle was going to be a matter of chance.

the unfairness of this system is staggering. people who showed up whenever the hell they got around to it were in the circle. and people who had been in that parking lot before i was, were not. i ended up trying to see the show from behind a girl with the number 175 on her hand.

and to add insult to injury, sold a ticket that got someone else into the circle.

think about that for a minute.

 

[lancerla]

That really does suck. And it also illustrates my main complaint. If you're going to make this a lottery, tell us beforehand.

I don't think U2.com members should have priority over anyone else in the arena. We got tickets (at least for the third leg), and that was our reward. But we would have made a different decision if we knew what was going to happen to our chances of being in the ellipse.

What about the first 300 people in line get into ellipse and a lottery for the last hundred? Or split it evenly? It doesn't matter -- the people who make the sacrifice should be rewarded.

My wife and I took vacation days for this, and dropped five hundy to scalpers (because we got screwed in the first pre-sale), knowing that it would be worth it to be in the circle.

I feel for all the campers, I really do.

 

[Cleasai]

answers to frequently asked questions

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions regarding the whole GA/Ellipse thing.

* Being in one line versus the other does not give any more of an advantage getting into the ellipse than someone who is in the other. The only advantage of being in a U2.com Fan club line would be that it's shorter. That means there is less of a wait to get inside.

* Having JFAN, WFAN, MFAN, etc on your GA (Fanclub) ticket does NOT give you any more advantage of getting inside of the ellipse than someone who bought a regular GA Ticket.

* If you have a U2.com membership but you didn't buy your ticket from the pre-sale, then you line up with the regular GA line. It does NOT matter if you have a membership card. The ticket itself must have the *FAN code.

* Both lines walk through the doors at the same time. One line will not get to enter the arena before the other.

* The membership card you got for being a U2.com member is just a plastic souvenior. It does not grant you any special priviledges. Being a member, though, grants you access to content on U2.com it is not a absolute way to get into the ellipse.

* If you are lucky enough to get inside of the ellipse you are only allowed to bring in ONE other person in with you. It does NOT matter if you came with a group of 3, 4, et cetera.

* Arriving at the arena at 2am versus 5pm will only get you closer to the head of the line. That only means you get to walk in the entrance sooner than someone who has arrived after you. Being one of the first few who arrived does not give you any advantage of getting inside the ellipse. So in other words, if you want to get settled inside faster, get there sooner just don't expect to get inside the ellipse.

* The inside of the ellipse can fit around 400 people. They will not allow any more people to get inside even if the inside of the ellipse does not fill up.

 

[nuke126]

i went with 2 other people, so out of the 3 of us, at least 2 would have to have a "winning" ticket for all of us to get in. but for openning night, only 1 of our tickets was a "winner" so i was on the outside. i don't like the policy, but i was very happy with my position on the floor.

 

[Chizip]

it was all bullshit.

i fucking slept in my van outside the arena the night before the show. we all lined up, it was very organized, with numbers on our hands. mine was 90. so at ten pm the night before the show there were already nearly a hundred people waiting outside.

in the morning, they announced that they would respect our line, and not randomly give wristbands. we cheered and hugged. it was going to be fair.

by nine am the sleepers are starting to show up. people who smelled nice, and were wearing clean clothes.

security lines us up in order, and herds us to the back. as we passed security, they checked our tickets. two lines form. one for u2.com, and one for the others. and this is when the problem starts. it was announced that the two lines would be entering at the same time. leaving me, basically screwed. but i sat there, in the pouring rain, hanging onto the hope that i could still get into the circle.

until they announced that getting into the circle was going to be a matter of chance.

the unfairness of this system is staggering. people who showed up whenever the hell they got around to it were in the circle. and people who had been in that parking lot before i was, were not. i ended up trying to see the show from behind a girl with the number 175 on her hand.

and to add insult to injury, sold a ticket that got someone else into the circle.

think about that for a minute.

wow that sucks, i was really hoping you had gotten in

i think the worst part was that they waited so long to tell people what the process would be. they should have posted the official GA line policy on u2.com way in advance (even before they went on sale) so everybody knew what they were getting into.

i was #169 and behind and next to some people who had numbers in the 300's, its very annoying and you just wonder why they decided to mess up the perfectly fine first come/first serve system they used for elevation...

 

[beegee]

and someone mentioned in this thread the difficulty in choosing who to take in with you if you get in. groups of three have a real dilemma. it makes me wonder how many friendships will be tested by this system...

 

[zsuzso]

That really does suck. And it also illustrates my main complaint. If you're going to make this a lottery, tell us beforehand.

I don't think U2.com members should have priority over anyone else in the arena. We got tickets (at least for the third leg), and that was our reward. But we would have made a different decision if we knew what was going to happen to our chances of being in the ellipse.

What about the first 300 people in line get into ellipse and a lottery for the last hundred? Or split it evenly? It doesn't matter -- the people who make the sacrifice should be rewarded.

My wife and I took vacation days for this, and dropped five hundy to scalpers (because we got screwed in the first pre-sale), knowing that it would be worth it to be in the circle.

I feel for all the campers, I really do.

i think it's not fair... i want to go into the elipse, i would go there early morning or i would do anything, but im not a lucky kind of people so i have not too much chance.... and that is really sad. i paid my u2.com membership, i bought presale tickets, i would stand there hours or days front of the stadion to get into the elipse...but with this system it's sucks

 

[trevster2k]

and someone mentioned in this thread the difficulty in choosing who to take in with you if you get in. groups of three have a real dilemma. it makes me wonder how many friendships will be tested by this system...

Yup, this is one of my problems with this whole thing. I got a GA and I am going by myself so I have to find a buddy to take me in or viceversa if I win. But it really sucks to have to choose between your friends for something like this. Let's face it, we are human and no one likes being left out by a friend. I know people say well don't go in the ellipse, easy to say yet hard to do. Also, you are going with friends so you can share the experience with people you love. What a bonehead policy.

 

[U2WOJO]

Well if they will only allow 1 friend and you come with 2 and all my begging, bribing and cajoling won't work, I guess the thing to do is get the wrist bands so a couple of you can go in and out and check it out and maybe later if you are nice and they let a few others in if the area is under capacity, you are only trying to get someone to let 1 person in that needs a wristband not 3. I guess I understand you got to draw the line somewhere/somehow though, otherwise everyone would "be there" in a group of 3, ...or 4, ...or 5. I think it would be nice to give someone the discretion to make an exception ocasionally. I guess I hang on to my extra GA for Montreal instead of scalping it the night of. I was only going to go for face out of fears of being a Yank not wanting to try my hand with the canucks justice system (it's one thing to get unlucky selling a ticket over face to the wrong person an hour from home, but a little different when it involves a plane ride and a different country). My luck 1 of the 3 I keep beeps and the 4th I sold also beeps. Maybe I need to get a legal contract drawn up that if one of my 3 beep, and the one I sold beeps, that persons "guest/friend" needs to be one of my group. Anyone know a good lawyer who can whip something like that up? lol

 

[Johnovox]

it was all bullshit.

i fucking slept in my van outside the arena the night before the show. we all lined up, it was very organized, with numbers on our hands. mine was 90. so at ten pm the night before the show there were already nearly a hundred people waiting outside.

in the morning, they announced that they would respect our line, and not randomly give wristbands. we cheered and hugged. it was going to be fair.

by nine am the sleepers are starting to show up. people who smelled nice, and were wearing clean clothes.

security lines us up in order, and herds us to the back. as we passed security, they checked our tickets. two lines form. one for u2.com, and one for the others. and this is when the problem starts. it was announced that the two lines would be entering at the same time. leaving me, basically screwed. but i sat there, in the pouring rain, hanging onto the hope that i could still get into the circle.

until they announced that getting into the circle was going to be a matter of chance.

the unfairness of this system is staggering. people who showed up whenever the hell they got around to it were in the circle. and people who had been in that parking lot before i was, were not. i ended up trying to see the show from behind a girl with the number 175 on her hand.

and to add insult to injury, sold a ticket that got someone else into the circle.

think about that for a minute.

That really sucks. They should have communicated their new policy system earlier.

However, I have posted at length regarding this issue and I did feel that U2 was going to do something "official" this time. For many reasons, I prefer a lottery based system, and believe U2 does as well, which is obvious now, but I understand that others disagree. Hopefully now that the policy is out there, people will not have to go through this ordeal in the future.

 

[rizon]

Ellipse policy is BS

This is total BS imo.

The only system that makes sense is first come first served, with a possible preference for pre-sale ticket holders.

People who are prepared to wait outdoors for 15-24 hours in the cold, rain, etc. are obviously real fans and deserve to have first choice at the best spots. This crap about 'people who have to work all day blah, blah ...' is a pile o crap. If you are really that big a fan, take the day off, enjoy the build-up experience with others and enjoy your reward for waiting.

I have had 3 GA opps. For Zooropa I got to Wembley stadium around midday, probably #300 in line and we were let in around 6pm or so. I was probably 5 rows back from the rail - dead centre. By the time the boys were due to start the incredible crush behind squeezed me and my friends (3 women) off to the side and eventually where we couldn't see anything. We ended up way in the back about 60 yards from the stage eating shit.

For Elevation, we arrived at Earls Court at 7:00am and were about #30 in line. 12 hours later ended up on the rail 5 feet from Edge - most mindblowing experience of my life.

For me - I'm only 5'8" 160lb, if you're not at the rail or a row behind, you're toast. I'm quite prepared to camp out overnight in order to be at the front or in the heart. If you wait that long you have a right to choose where you want to be -- some computer shouldn't decide that for you.

Rizon

 

[Diamond Eyes]

Why not decide ahead of time who get to be the "guest" of the person with the magic ticket if only one in the group gets it, rather than anyone having to choose one friend over the other?

Obviously, I'm new to this site but have experienced the same thing in my Bruce life. It really feels like home here because people have the same gripes as everyone over there. I went to several shows on The Rising tour, a couple in "the pit," more in reserved seats. No doubt the pit was more exciting but it's just not possible, or at least it's unlikely, that you get to be there everytime. I still had a great time at every show I saw and think people need to get over this idea that if they don't get into the ellipse, it can't possibly be a good time. These tickets are all a prime commodity as anyone who got shut out at TM knows, and we should all just be happy to be in the house. I've got GA for Atlanta and sure, I'd like to be as close as possible and ideally in the ellipse, but if I'm not, I won't spend the show fretting over where my spot is, I'll just enjoy it from whatever angle I've got. I know I'll be accused by some of not being a "real fan" with this attitude and so be it. Just my $.02.

 

[beegee]

By the time the boys were due to start the incredible crush behind squeezed me and my friends (3 women) off to the side and eventually where we couldn't see anything. We ended up way in the back about 60 yards from the stage eating shit....For me - I'm only 5'8" 160lb, if you're not at the rail or a row behind, you're toast.

this is another thing that really bothers me.

i have heard so many U2 GA stories about people being crushed, passing out, etc. i was at the tip of the circle, one person back from the rail. one girl nearly passed out from being crushed, the girl next to me left before U2 even came on stage because of the crowding and lack of air. and i hate to admit this, but i had to be carried over the rail by security because i was being so crushed, i honestly felt like i was in danger, and i'm a pretty strong person. i spent the rest of the show in tears.

i've been to plenty GA shows in my life, and never had to be carried over. hell, the nine inch nails fans were more polite than the ones at monday's show. so much for the "gentle U2 fan" theory.

nice though, to think that all of the fans i "owed" something to, who insisted i should use some sort of "honor code among fans" and not jack up the price of my extra GA are the very same "fans" who now owe ME the much deserved experience of enjoying my hard earned space at the tip.

pfft. honor indeed. where was the honor in that GA crowd when i was begging the guy next to me to let me get some air? where was the honor in that crowd when the guy in front of me wanted to bring his friend up from the back, leaving me more crowded than i already was?

ha.

and while i ended up selling my ticket at a mere twenty dollars over face value, having employed this silly "honor system", none of these so-called gentle fans can EVER give me back what i lost monday night.

 

[Sicy]

I'm scared

 

[mofo23]

Originally postes by rizon
"This is total BS imo.

The only system that makes sense is first come first served, with a possible preference for pre-sale ticket holders.

People who are prepared to wait outdoors for 15-24 hours in the cold, rain, etc. are obviously real fans and deserve to have first choice at the best spots. This crap about 'people who have to work all day blah, blah ...' is a pile o crap. If you are really that big a fan, take the day off, enjoy the build-up experience with others and enjoy your reward for waiting."

I'm hoping this is being sarcastic. People who have to work all day blah, blah is a pile o crap? The tickets were already expensive enough, asking someone to take a day off to just get an opportunity to get into the ellipse is absolutely rediculous and will only end up costing that person more money. That's really unfair.

This board has so many opinions, I don't know what the concensus is.

 

[rizon]

I don't think that's unfair in the least. This is U2 - world's biggest entertainment act. They have probably the largest, most diverse fan base in the world and it's a rare privilege to see them live. Much more so if you're up front / in the heart.

Quite honestly I don't think it should be easy to be at the front rail, or in the heart, if that's where you want to be. It should be a challenge - the reward is usually a magnificent, uplifting, spiritual, unforgettable experience. At least it was for me when I was on the rail in 2001.

This happens every 4 years - 4 years! If you (by that I mean anyone) can't take a day off in 4 years to make a little effort for your experience to be extra special - I dont think you deserve to be in the heart. It doesn't mean that much to you ...

Rizon

 

[tkramer]

The concensus is easy to see. No one who was actually at the show likes it. The only folks who do haven't been to it yet. The PR machine at U2.com pulled a quote from someone who showed up at show time and got in the elipse. Well of course that guy likes it, why wouldn't he? This system is not only inferior to the last tour, it's not even a good lottery.

 

[stonethrowerj]

How dare they let someone into the ellipse without a "true" fans permission.

 

[tkramer]

How dare they let someone into the ellipse without a "true" fans permission.

Please don't start this crap again.

That isn't the point. The point is a fair system to let old and new fans alike into the elipse. Right? This doesn't do that. While we're at it, let's review Ticketmasters GA defintion:

My tickets say "General Admission." What does that mean?

General Admission refers to seating or standing areas that are not assigned or reserved, and are occupied on a FIRST-COME, FIRST_SERVED basis. When purchasing tickets for a General Admission event, you may be quoted section, row, and seat numbers, however these are for inventory purposes only and do not reflect any actual seating location...

This proves the point that people did not get what they thought they were buying. That has nothing to do with "true fan" or whatever you're talking about.

 

[Hallelujah Here She Comes]

I'm scared

Me too.

 

[oceane]

The concensus is easy to see. No one who was actually at the show likes it. The only folks who do haven't been to it yet. The PR machine at U2.com pulled a quote from someone who showed up at show time and got in the elipse. Well of course that guy likes it, why wouldn't he? This system is not only inferior to the last tour, it's not even a good lottery.

While there is no 'consensus' because many people have different opinions (and that's inevitable), it's very clear from reading the boards that he vast majority of people don't agree with the system.

I also find it pretty insulting that U2.com manages to call it a success. But now they started a thread themselves in Zootopia ('U2.com team') asking about people's opinions, and there is about 25 pages of complaining, with a few people here and there who agree. I think they genuinely care about what we think, and if enough explain them why we think this system if crap, they might change it.

Like I said before, a lottery per se is not necessarily a bad idea, it all depends on how it's done. This system in particular is too complicated and only rewards people who will show-up late anyways.

 

[stonethrowerj]

While there is no 'consensus' because many people have different opinions (and that's inevitable), it's very clear from reading the boards that he vast majority of people don't agree with the system.

I think that's the issue - the majority of people who will post on a U2 fan board or pay $40 and post on the U2.com fan board are not your typical fans.

A very large majority of U2 fans do not post on forums and therefore a concensus can never be made based upon responses from a forum.

We hate it because we're the freakos who will wait in line all day and are most negativly affected by this policy.

 

[Sicy]

Me too.

 

[tkramer]

I think that's the issue - the majority of people who will post on a U2 fan board or pay $40 and post on the U2.com fan board are not your typical fans.

A very large majority of U2 fans do not post on forums and therefore a concensus can never be made based upon responses from a forum.

We hate it because we're the freakos who will wait in line all day and are most negativly affected by this policy.

I see your point, but I think that anyone would agree that the ONLY up side is if you show up late and get into the elipse. That's it. Is there any other? It's true the band doesn't have to see the same faces at every show, but come on, that's a pretty lame up side.

I'm not completely against a lottery either, but not like this. This is just odd.