Question for those attending/ed multiple shows

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U2fan05

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I went to 9 shows this tour and honestly I probably would have been just as happy if I attended 2 or 3 if I could choose which ones.

At what point do you start to feel diminishing returns?
 
I don't know. Something I noticed about seeing four of the five MSG shows - the most concerts I've ever attended in a one-week period in one venue - was that I had trouble remembering what events happened at which show. Unlike past occasions where I waited weeks or months between shows, these all kind of all ran together. Not a complaint, obviously, but I do wonder if seeing a single concert would have led to stronger concert memories. I'm going to be seeing them again in Tampa in a week, and I suspect it will feel a little different, if only for the change of venue (and hopefully the extra Achtung Baby tunes). But, I can't be sure. Of course, this is not a 'problem' in any sense.
 
I think your post says it all, IF you could choose. I have seen 8 shows so far, one more to go, and not all of them have been stellar. LV2 was a great show, but I had lousy seats, PHX1, in the ellipse, LA2 (3rdleg) great seats, LA1 Exit girls, long show.

So if I could pick which shows AFTER the tour, and get the exact seats or ellipse, sure, I would only see 1 or 2 shows. But since I don't, the most I really wanna see is about 8 or so..
 
I think if I wasn't hearing any new songs at shows, then I'd be kind of iffy about the number of shows I've been to. I've been to 4 thus far (1 on the first let, and 3 on the 3rd) and I just got a GA to one more. I was pretty much set w/ what I'd been to, but how could I turn down a GA?

Anyway, I heard 8 new songs on the 1st show of the 3rd leg I attended (that I didn't hear at my show on the 1st leg), and each of the other two shows had 2 or 3 more songs that I hadn't heard yet. So, I'm figuring that I probably won't be getting any new songs on 11/21, which probably would have left me thinking I should have called it quits after the previous show, but IT'S GA! I'm officially done after that though. :wink:
 
I'm kinda upset that I went to 4 of the 5 MSG shows and didn't get to hear that many more different songs (Fast Cars, All I Want is You, Crumbs) and now that they're using the AB setlist which I won't get to see.

Mainly I found myself enjoying but not really excited over the most of the shows and holding my breath for the encore only to be disappointed when I hear the first notes of "The First Time"
 
I'm finding it exciting to see the show from different vantage points. I refuse to sit up in the nosebleeds. :no: So I've seen 4 shows so far. 3 of them in Boston - one from loge, 1 from inside of the ellipse and one on the outside rail. The 4th was in Dublin- nuff said :wink:

My last two of the tour :sad: are in Boston (GA again) and in Hartford - loge slightly behind the stage.

I am hoping to get a different mix of songs. Good thing is that I got to experience 3 different legs and a definite different mix of songs. I don't know if I would see multiple shows- back to back - during the same leg. :hmm:
 
If U2 played as much here as they do in the U.S. I would see them a hell of a lot more than the two times I have seen them on this tour (and most likely will see them, unless they come back to Europe for Summer '06).
 
I went to 7 and luckily, each got better for me! My first was 5/7 and this was my first U2 show ever, rear stage seats in the second level. Cool, but definitely room for improvement as far as my position in the arena. Then came 5/9, GA, second row outside the ellipse, friend Laura on stage...I didn't think anything could beat that! 9/20 and 9/21 were better b/c we were on the railing, both outside the ellipse, so still an imrovement position-wise. 10/22 was IT, in the ellipse, 4th person in the door, front row center!!! Honestly, I was so nervous after this show that nothing would stack up....I considered not going to Detroit :reject: I had no expectations for Detroit 10/24 b/c I had a GA ticket, but couldn't get there until 5:30. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I got and ellipse band from the back and ended up along Edge-side railing near the back of the ellipse!!! Then 10/25, possibly my last show this tour if I can't find Cleveland tickets...GA, #21, MY ticket scans for the first time ever AND I get THREE other people in with me and we end up in the front row between Bono and Edge!! Then we get a crazy setlist including MLK, Crumbs, Gloria, and Bad as a closer :drool:

So, each got progressively better in terms of my position on the floor and my overall experience. I'm looking for Cleveland tickets and I really want to just get some halfway decent seats so I can literally sit back and enjoy the show for what it is without the exhaustion and drama of being in a GA line for 36 hrs having no guarantee of even getting a good spot.

In Jan., I decided to commit to two shows and ended up going to seven. I'm satisfied with each one (especially Pittsburgh!!).
 
As much as I live and breathe this band, I've always wondered why people spend so much $$ seeing them in different cities to hear pretty much the same setlist with the exception of a few variations....Don't get me wrong when all is said and done I"ll have seen 5 shows this tour but all in NY, unless of course I take maybe 1 roadtrip :happy:
 
one4u2 said:
As much as I live and breathe this band, I've always wondered why people spend so much $$ seeing them in different cities to hear pretty much the same setlist with the exception of a few variations....Don't get me wrong when all is said and done I"ll have seen 5 shows this tour but all in NY, unless of course I take maybe 1 roadtrip :happy:

I think you answered your own question. U2 haven't played my city since 1981! Also, tickets and gas are really the most expensive things, for me at least, and GA tickets are the cheapest possible. Going GA everytime, you don't need hotel rooms or restaurant food b/c you're basically camping. It's just a matter of getting a ticket, getting some groceries, and driving 3-5 hrs. Out of the 7 shows I've seen so far, I've only once paid for a hotel room, and that was b/c the Palace sucks and didn't allow camping, and the room was only $15 per person :shrug:
 
LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:


I think you answered your own question. U2 haven't played my city since 1981!


That's definately a different story..Where do you live? However if they did play multiple nights would you still travel?
 
I saw 17 shows in this tour 8 in Europe and 9 in US, I used to say that I see U2 any time as the first time.
I have stories of any of 17 shows anyone is different for a fan. I know that sometimes is a little boring hear Bono's speachs in Miracle Drug and One but the music...the music is never enough and I never feel bored in a U2 gig
 
I've been to three so far, with four planned. I think I balanced it quite nicely: two shows on the 1st leg in North America, Seattle and Vancouver, so one in the U.S., and one in Canada. Both great shows. I caught the big show in Barcelona, Camp Nou, Spain on the 2nd leg, which was also great. My final show on this 3rd leg, will also be their last show, in Portland. So though I couldn’t hit 20 shows, I think I had a good plan that saw nearly all. I would have loved to have been in NYC or Boston, but at least I'm catching all three legs without breaking the bank too much. Overall it's been fun and fantastic and I think a well thought out strategy.
 
The first Vertigo show I saw was great and none of the others I have seen afterwards have equaled that experience. I had no expectations and everything was a surprise, when “Wake Up” was played I had no idea the show was about to start. The anticipation is still there but the surprise is pretty much gone and I have to admit I get a little bummed when I hear the same set over again. I still enjoy myself but the wow factor is definitely gone.
 
To make the most out of seeing multiple shows, I think you should try to
(1) have a different kind of seat/view each time (my first time was first row of the ellipse, the second was a lower level seat and they felt like two very different, though both really great experiences. My next show will be side/behind the stage... not the best overall view but I'm looking forward to being very close up)
(2) space out your dates-- I think a huge part of the pleasure of going to a U2 concert comes before it, in the anticipation, and after it, when you think back and reminisce about it. If given a choice I would not want to see two shows back to back; I'd rather wait some time between them. (Also think about the trauma on your eardrums!)
(3) not have such high expectations about setlist changes-- b/c more often than not you'll just be setting yourself up for disappointment. If you get an A+ setlist, lucky you-- otherwise, just enjoy the show for what it is.
 
one4u2 said:
That's definately a different story..Where do you live? However if they did play multiple nights would you still travel?

Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played downtown here at the Fountain Street Church (not really a church) in Dec. of 1981. A few of my mom's friends were there! They play in Michigan, at the Palace in Auburn Hills. I don't see why they can't play in GR since we have decent population (1.5 mil. in the metro area), an arena that's actually near civilization (unlike the Palace, which is 45 minutes from Detroit and there's NOTHING there besides the Post Bar), and most of the U2 fans at the Auburn Hills shows were from west Michigan anyway.

And yes, I'd still travel. Mainly b/c 1-2 shows doesn't cut it for me. Chicago is so close and my bf has relatives that have a condo on Randolph and Michigan there so we can stay there for free and be within walking distance of everything we want to do. I must say though the experience at the Palace has made me NEVER want to go back there again, even for U2. I'd rather travel farther than Chicago and be treated like a human being than go back there. I also went to Pittsburgh on this tour, which is about 7 hrs from me, but that was a spontaneous thing and turned out to be blast. Short of either winning the lottery or having an income that pays off my student loans, I'd never fly to see U2.
 
I was one of the 3 people to get into the elipse with livluv on 10/25! We had an awesome show with a lot of older tunes like Gloria and MLK, and since I've been a fan for 20 years, those are still some of my favorites. I went to two Chicago shows in the spring, and to both Detroit shows. All four were different experiences. I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on any of them. The expense, travel etc is all worth it to me! If they ever play in our home town (Grand Rapids) I would be thrilled to not have to travel, but if I had the freedom and the money, I'd have seen a lot more shows than I did. New songs every night, watching them, hearing their music live, there's nothing like it....
 
LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:


Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played downtown here at the Fountain Street Church (not really a church) in Dec. of 1981

And yes, I'd still travel. Mainly b/c 1-2 shows doesn't cut it for me.

1981 :ohmy:


And yes, I definately agree 1-2 shows are not enough!
 
psychou2fan said:
but if I had the freedom and the money, I'd have seen a lot more shows than I did. New songs every night, watching them, hearing their music live, there's nothing like it....

:up:

And that's exactly why I'm seeing them 5 times this coming week! :D

Perhaps it will be overkill... but too much is not enough, right? I'll be traveling from Miami to Tampa to Atlanta, meeting up with other U2 fans, and getting to see the band that has changed my life.

I've been planning for this since Elevation ended and now I'm finally lucky enough to be at the point in my life where this is possible both monetarily and time-wise. So I'm going to take advantage of it! :D


Bring on the U2!
 
hippy said:


:up:

And that's exactly why I'm seeing them 5 times this coming week! :D

Perhaps it will be overkill... but too much is not enough, right? I'll be traveling from Miami to Tampa to Atlanta, meeting up with other U2 fans, and getting to see the band that has changed my life.

I've been planning for this since Elevation ended and now I'm finally lucky enough to be at the point in my life where this is possible both monetarily and time-wise. So I'm going to take advantage of it! :D


Bring on the U2!


Have Fun!!!!
 
I'd echo what pookybear said about different vantage points. By the end of the year, I'll have seen all seven Boston shows (little kids at home make it tough to travel far), and our seats for each show have all been in different areas: 1 balcony, 1 club, 1 GA, 1 great lower, 1 ellipse(!), 1 rear stage lower, and 1 more GA (hopefully ellipse!).... all spread around the arena.

And with multiple dates in one city, the chances of seeing identical setlists is reduced.

YES, I know how lucky we are in New England!!!
 
i went to 5/7 in chicago, 11/8 in oakland, and my last show will be 12/14 in st. louis. the way i spaced them out, it makes each show feel like more of an event, and i enjoy that. i think if i had scheduled all three of my shows back to back in the same city, i'd be bummed when that short period of time was over. the anticipation is a big part of the fun.
also, i'll have seen each show from a different vantage point, and that does make a big difference. i sat directly behind the stage in oakland and it was completely different from across the stage lower level, where i sat in chicago. and for st. louis i'll be in GA, which i'm really looking forward to.

i'd go to more shows if i could, but i certainly don't feel deprived with my three.
 
U2fan05 said:
I went to 9 shows this tour and honestly I probably would have been just as happy if I attended 2 or 3 if I could choose which ones.

At what point do you start to feel diminishing returns?

i went to about 10 shows on this tour up until the first Amsterdam one, and although having a really fun night every night, I started to notice a lot of familiarity with the sets, and wondered if I was just going through the motions.

I attempted to go to the final Amsterdam gig, but due to having had a good dose of U2 over the previous 2 months, i decided that 150 Euro for a ticket outside, was simply too much to pay, so I kept my money, and went out for a meal with my wife.

When i returned to my hotel, I met some fans who had been to the gig, and I was amazed and gutted to learn that a personal favourite song of mine , Miss Sarajevo, had been played. This song has been in the set all/most nights since, and I have not been able to go, I feel a bit gutted about that, but however pleased and lucky that I was able to go to sow many of the gigs.
 
I have only been to 2 but I spaced them apart. Went to Chicago 5/10 and than to Chicago 9/21. Both times I sat in the same section with the 2nd time only 3 rows back from the first time. Both concerts were still a mind blowing experience for me. Got to hear some songs the 2nd time that I hadn't heard with the 1st concert. Oh and I flew to see them but I was also going out to Chicago to visit my bf so it all worked out. I would for sure do more concerts that require traveling if I could afford it! Have this goal of doing GA at least once,lol.
 
I am pretty damn content with my 2 shows this tour :)

It can be a lot of work though especially if you have GA ( I think I'm getting too old for GA :lol: ) but well worth it. I am not one of those that feels the need to attend every single U2 show in the unvierse. Nor does my checkbook allow it lol.
 
i was feeling a bit worn on the setlist, and then they dropped the bomb at Vegas 2.

it's exactly why i went to several shows
 
I've been to a ridiculous number of shows, and each one has gotten better and better. Maybe it's because I know I have a very limited number left...maybe it's because every time I go to a show, I find old friends and meet new ones and they're becoming family reunions...maybe it's because I just like to travel and nothing could be better at the end of a trip than seeing my favorite band.

My memories of some shows have run together slightly, I'm flat broke, I've heard 6 of the last 9 performances of Party Girl (going back to Elevation) and I'm dying for a REAL rare song ( :wink: ) and I'll be quite deaf a few years earlier now, but overall I don't regret this year at all. I have some incredible stories and friends all over the country. I've been called a groupie by my "normal" friends, and they have threatened interventions, but they've also told me it's cool that I can just run off and do this, since I have no real responsibilities.

I know the set list and the speeches by heart at this point, but I still can't wait for Boston and Cleveland. I am even more excited than I was for San Diego in March.
 
I went to 8 shows at the beginning of the tour and didn’t bother with the third leg. I sold my tickets for LA & Las Vegas. I thought that the set-list had become too predictable. That along with the BS lottery. Yes, they bought back the 'Zoo set' but they were doing that in the SW USA on the first leg!
 
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