Vote for the lottery - ONLY if you had/have GA's

[Eliv8]

I'm just curious. Please only vote if you had GA's for the first leg or have GA's for the 3rd leg. Be honest!

 

[Axver]

No complaints about the lottery from me.

 

[Carmelu2fan]

Same here!! But this is my first time having GA's but from what I heard it is cool? You have a 1/5 chance of getting into the ellipse!Instead of the first come first serve policy which would not benifit me at all because I could not get there untill after 4

 

[U2dork]

Since it's looking like I might have some problems arriving before 4pm for the first Atlanta show, I voted yes. It would be nice to think that even with the BS I have to go through the first part of the day I could still get a super spot with a little luck.

 

[NumbMacphisto]

I voted yes. I've had good and bad experiences with the lottery, the bad being waiting for San Diego 1 starting at 6am and getting a rail spot outside the ellipse and the good being showing up for Chicago IV at 4pm and getting second row in front of Edge.

 

[Chizip]

been to 5 shows, waited over 84 hours in line total, never been in the ellipse

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

been to a few shows waited hours upon hours.. Never been the ellipse either!

 

[Lila64]

Had GAs for 2 shows, no ellipse. But I also didn't stand around all day either. I have 1 GA for a fall show... Maybe the third time will be a charm?

 

[Chizip]

I have to say one of the worst things is when youre inside waiting for the show, you're tired, your hungry, your thirsty but you cant do anything about it in fear of losing your spot outside the ellipse. Then you see these jackass fans, who really only know the hits and somehow lucked into GA tickets, walking in a few minutes before the show starts, with a beer in each hand, going in and out of the ellipse as they please (taking bathroom breaks during An Cat Dubh because they don't know it).

Then I think about the people all around me, huge diehard fans that have been waiting in line with me for 8, 12, 24+ hours. Who have taken off work or school, travelled from other cities, who have made a big commitment for the show and to U2. And U2 rewards them by not allowing them into the ellipse, but outside it to deal with all the pushing and shoving, not being able to see, and never being able to leave your spot. They decide to reward the fans who decide taking off work/school was not important enough for them, that they didn't feel waiting in line for a U2 concert was worth the time. The people who won't know all of the songs anyway.

I don't want to get into a "no fan is better than another" debate, but when I see that I always get a bad feeling in my stomach.

 

[ramblin rose]

I have to say one of the worst things is when youre inside waiting for the show, you're tired, your hungry, your thirsty but you cant do anything about it in fear of losing your spot outside the ellipse. Then you see these jackass fans, who really only know the hits and somehow lucked into GA tickets, walking in a few minutes before the show starts, with a beer in each hand, going in and out of the ellipse as they please (taking bathroom breaks during An Cat Dubh because they don't know it).

This description of events has depressed me.

 

[ruffian]

This description of events has depressed me.

no kidding. unfortunately, he's damn accurate. and i don't have the courage to be one of those people who decides to just sleep in and take my chances with the ellipse. i got scanned in ONCE on my own ticket out of 14 shows on the first leg.

having said that, i don't know how i feel about the lottery. i can't get to atlanta till just before the first show starts, so i'll hope for the ellipse, i guess...and in that case the lottery is a good thing.

 

[ruffian]

Since it's looking like I might have some problems arriving before 4pm for the first Atlanta show, I voted yes. It would be nice to think that even with the BS I have to go through the first part of the day I could still get a super spot with a little luck.

hey, we are both arriving late for the first atlanta show! let's hope we both get scanned in...

 

[Axver]

Since it's looking like I might have some problems arriving before 4pm for the first Atlanta show, I voted yes. It would be nice to think that even with the BS I have to go through the first part of the day I could still get a super spot with a little luck.

Yep, it's great like that. I showed up at 5pm for Boston II and was front row on the rail in front of Edge. Boston III, got my numbered wristband for the queue around 11am and found myself in the ellipse on the walkway rail just across the entranceway from where I was at Boston II.

2 shows, 2 ellipses. That flight from Australia was incredibly worth it.

 

[ruffian]

you came a long way--i'm so glad you got in!

Yep, it's great like that. I showed up at 5pm for Boston II and was front row on the rail in front of Edge. Boston III, got my numbered wristband for the queue around 11am and found myself in the ellipse on the walkway rail just across the entranceway from where I was at Boston II.

2 shows, 2 ellipses. That flight from Australia was incredibly worth it.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

I was right outside of the ellipse for Philly 2, after waiting in line for the entire day. I was disappointed that I didn't get it, but as it turns out, my friend and I had fantastic spots right on the rail (I look at my pictures from the show and still can't believe I was that close to Bono and Adam and didn't pass out!), so I can't complain. I'd go early in the day whether there was a lottery or not.

So I guess that's a long way of me saying I don't care one way or the other...

I can't wait for Philly. I have GA for sure the second night, but I'm hoping to work out some sort of trade to get me GA for both nights, because it was such an amazing experience.

 

[Liesje]

I don't even WANT to be in the ellipse, but I want everyone in front of me to be able to b/c I want the outside rail spot.

 

[ruffian]

I don't even WANT to be in the ellipse, but I want everyone in front of me to be able to b/c I want the outside rail spot.

i sort of agree, in that you really can't see the whole show when you are front row in the ellipse. i'm not tall enough to really see what's going on out on the b-stage. but from outside rail you can see everything. however, there is lots less pushing in the ellipse, and i think the idea that you can leave and get back in and still be relatively close is a cool thing.

 

[Axver]

you came a long way--i'm so glad you got in!

Thanks.

It really helps to go with another person - if you can team up with someone else, do it. My ticket got my friend and I into the ellipse at Boston II, while my girlfriend's ticket got her and I in at Boston III.

(Or you can just talk to your ticket and bribe it like I did. I was bored in line, don't look at me like I'm crazy. )

 

[Carek1230]

I voted for the lottery even tho my first GA experience isn't until Vegas. I've read and heard HUNDREDS of accounts on the pros and cons and of people's good AND bad experiences in GA. Chizip's account in this thread is disturbing and would certainly piss me off as I plan on "camping" out in line to save my spot, hoping for the elipse or a shot at a good rail spot with my friends. I consider myself a die hard fan, I don't miss a minute while U2's on stage.....I am tall too, but I am the kind of person who would move for or allow a shorter person in front of me to see. It will be interesting whatever my first GA experience turns out to be. I am determined to have fun no matter what.

 

[martha]

I liked the lottery for Phoenix, even though I didn't get scanned in. It was nice knowing I had a chance since I couldn't get to Phoenix in time to get in the front of the line. I was close to the front of the crowd, but I had to get away because of all the pushing.

I ended up way in back, unable to see. I wasn't sure I'd like GA. Now that I've done it once, I don't think I need to do it again.

 

[jphelmet]

i was one for one on my ga tickets, and i still vote no. there were so many very frustrating fans to me in the ellipse. people complaining about gloria, and the ocean- talking the whole time, just not seeming very interested at all. very frustrating that so many casual fans get in the ellipse with the current system.
elevation was great, i go in the heart 3 times, the other 4 times i go the front row on the outside rail by showing up about an hour before doors open. i say lottery is a bad idea, and it worked great for me.

 

[nuke126]

if you want to be in the ellipse bad enough (if you are a big enough u2 fan) then you should get a SURE spot inside if you get up in the morning and get to the venue before 400 other people. the hardcore fans are the ones that should get in first, and they also must be willing to sacrafice sleep for it. it kinda sucks when nonfans get in and then hardcore fans don't. i can't say that from experience though because i was front row in San Jose. the lotto worked for this mega fan, but i just hope it'll work again in oakland on nov. 9th

 

[Another Day]

The lottery fucking sucks.

I'm 3 for 4 in getting inside the ellipse, but it still fucking sucks.

For two months prior to the shows, I anxiously worried every damn day about that moment when the security plebe scans your ticket as you wait like a total sap to see whether the laptop screen turned red or blue.

No doubt, getting the red screen thrice in a row felt like winning the goddamn million-dollar lottery, instead of some bogus seating lottery.

But once I stopped jumping up and down and yelling YEAH! and pumping my fists in the air and laughing at all the other fans who got the blue screens, I realized what a crock of shit it is to make us hardcore U2 nuts suffer the hours and hours of standing in line outside chewing our nails wondering whether or not our tickets will get us inside the holy zone.

When I hear of some people's frustration and anger about not getting in, I actually feel bad for them, along with all the other sad-looking faces who stared at us enviously from the outside rail as we came and went as we pleased.

Unfortunately, as most of us know, this all came about because of the pushy Line Nazis during the Elevation Tour who followed the band all over the U.S., cut in line, bossed other fans around and always ended up inside The Heart in the front rows of numerous shows and made sour faces at the guys whenever they played "Pride" or "New Year's Day".

If I were up there trying to put on a great show and all I saw every night were the same disapproving mugs staring at me and yawning, I'd get sick of them, too.

It's because of the greedy, boorish behavior of those few dozen "fans" during the last tour that we all now have to suffer this bullshit lottery system here in the States this time around.

Well done, guys.

 

[Chizip]

The lottery fucking sucks.

I'm 3 for 4 in getting inside the ellipse, but it still fucking sucks.

For two months prior to the shows, I anxiously worried every damn day about that moment when the security plebe scans your ticket as you wait like a total sap to see whether the laptop screen turned red or blue.

No doubt, getting the red screen thrice in a row felt like winning the goddamn million-dollar lottery, instead of some bogus seating lottery.

But once I stopped jumping up and down and yelling YEAH! and pumping my fists in the air and laughing at all the other fans who got the blue screens, I realized what a crock of shit it is to make us hardcore U2 nuts suffer the hours and hours of standing in line outside chewing our nails wondering whether or not our tickets will get us inside the holy zone.

When I hear of some people's frustration and anger about not getting in, I actually feel bad for them, along with all the other sad-looking faces who stared at us enviously from the outside rail as we came and went as we pleased.

Unfortunately, as most of us know, this all came about because of the pushy Line Nazis during the Elevation Tour who followed the band all over the U.S., cut in line, bossed other fans around and always ended up inside The Heart in the front rows of numerous shows and made sour faces at the guys whenever they played "Pride" or "New Year's Day".

If I were up there trying to put on a great show and all I saw every night were the same disapproving mugs staring at me and yawning, I'd get sick of them, too.

It's because of the greedy, boorish behavior of those few dozen "fans" during the last tour that we all now have to suffer this bullshit lottery system here in the States this time around.

Well done, guys.

 

[martha]

Even as a pro-lottery person who doesn't like GA all that much because I'm too short, I have to agree completely with Another Day.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I voted no. I had GA's for the two of the three shows I went to on the first leg, and for all four shows I'll be going to this leg.

I got into the ellipse (front row, dead in front of Edge) at my first show, but only thanks to daafish's ticket scanning and Sicy taking me in with her. At Philly 1, DaveC and I managed to get a pretty good spot on the outside rail. That said, while both shows were awesome, it irked me to see fans who hadn't been there all day waiting with the rest of us "die hards" get in, people leave during certain songs, drunk assholes who left to pee a hundred times, etc. I'm not saying that every person who gets into the ellipse should be the ultimate U2 guru, but for these people who haven't been waiting all day to weasle their way in at the last minute then complain loudly to their friend, "What's this song? I only have their new album, this sucks" just sucks.


ETA: Another Day's post.

 

[onebloodonelife]

I only have one chance to get into the ellipse and I'm going to skip school, risk getting detention, and sit outside for hours to get relatively close to the band. If the choice is between a diehard fan who knows every song, bought their tickets months ago, and has been counting down the days until the concert and a "fan" who only has their most recent album and says that all of the songs from the back catalog suck, the person who gets in should ALWAYS be the diehard fan! Also, Another Day

 

[Noopie]

If I ran the whole thing it'd be either the first 100 people get in and there's a lottery for the remaining 200 spots, or the first 300 people to answer 3 U2 related trivia questions correctly. hah...that'd be sweet in my opinion.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

I voted 'no' for the lottery even though I won it.

I had GA's for 2 shows in chicago. For the first one I lined up and waited all day and didn't get beeped in. I ended up with a crappy spot about 3 people deep on the outer rail. The girl standing next to us kept trying to inch us out of the way and when we said something to her she was a nasty bitch about it.

On the other hand, I scored a GA the day of the show thanks to one of my friends who found a girl selling one for face. I rushed down to the UC and it was about 5:30 when I got there. I got in the fan club line and ended up 1 person back from the stage in front of Adam.

That said, I still don't like the lottery. It should be a first come, first served process.

 

[U2Girl1978]

I found this on u2log.com

Toronto GA Policy
The Air Canada Centre has issued the following statement about general admission procedures for the Toronto U2 concerts:

The general admission line for all four U2 shows will form on the sidewalk on Bay Street (east side of the building), starting at Gate 2 on the morning of the show. The line for general admission will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. No placeholder wristbands will be issued to allow ticketholders to leave for the day and return prior to the show, and ticketholders will not be able to hold places in line for ticketholders arriving later.

So, they’ll be no sneaking away from the GA line to go up the CN Tower!