MERGED-->Not just the tour...U2 hasn't treated fans well lately...+Everything That Th

[Westport]

Everything That They Did Was Wrong

Examples follow...


1. Putting Fast Car on some special edition package set in order to get true fans to shell out a whole lot of extra money for basically one additional song. (oh yeah, there was some gibberish and artwork that I looked at once). And you wonder why people just exchange MP3s on the net.

2. Having their lawyers banish lyrics from all outside websites. Another attempt to drive fans to pay for U2.com

3. The demand that even previous Propaganda members whose memberships were still active pay MORE money to join U2.com.

4. The continued allignment with ETS package services. This is a move by the band to increase revenues. It's basically a way for the band to share additional money by charging an extra $100.00 per ticket (oh yeah, we'll throw in salad for dinner and a few meatballs). Oh yeah, they'll also take away the GAs here...a fan who was smart enough to go this route could have optained GA tickets for $150 a piece but then were told that they were giving them back to the band but were giving the opportunity to shell out an extra $120.00 for an "upgraded" ticket.

5. Take the money run = U2.com

 

[BigMacPhisto]

1) I agree that this was a cheap scam......the book version didn't have lyrics, so they figured fans would buy the album twice....

2) You can "Google" song lyrics with ease.....it's pretty lame that they hit fan sites that support the band.

3) Yep, another scam. Prop members should've had it for free.

4) I've heard that people like the old ETS packages.......

5) Indeed

Four (and possibly five) strong points you've made there........all have been letdowns.

 

[starsgoblue]

How long to sing this song....?

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Another double account from a long-time member!

 

[Westport]

Not just the tour...U2 hasn't treated fans well lately...

Examples follow...


1. Putting Fast Cars on some special edition package set in order to get true fans to shell out a whole lot of extra money for basically one additional song. (oh yeah, there was some gibberish and artwork that I looked at once). And you wonder why people just exchange MP3s on the net.

2. Having their lawyers banish lyrics from all outside websites. Another attempt to drive fans to pay for U2.com

3. The demand that even previous Propaganda members whose memberships were still active pay MORE money to join U2.com.

4. The continued allignment with ETS package services. This is a move by the band to increase revenues. It's basically a way for the band to share additional money by charging an extra $100.00 per ticket (oh yeah, we'll throw in salad for dinner and a few meatballs). Oh yeah, they'll also take away the GAs here...a fan who was smart enough to go this route could have optained GA tickets for $150 a piece but then were told that they were giving them back to the band but were giving the opportunity to shell out an extra $120.00 for an "upgraded" ticket.

5. U2.com basically = take the money and run.

6. This massive mess with the pre-sale. The lack of reserving enough seats for the fans that paid their $40.00 to join U2.com

7. I'm a huge fan of the band and I believe in capitalism but today I honestly feel they are trying to squeeze every last dime out of us.

 

[riderka]

starsgoblue, I agree with you.

I'm tired of these topics... Sorry. But it was enough. U2 are not a charity. They still don't do what other bands do...

Why are you still blaming the band? If you don't like them just don't buy their ticket for a concert.

Sorry, but I can't help to not react finally.


Have a nice day

 

[Westport]

Don't be so naive...the band is the CEO...this is a huge corporation with huge revenues and massive cash reserves. They look at P+L (profit and loss) reports. They know where they make money and how they made it. It is all rather brilliant.

 

[matt_tx00]

Re: Not just the tour...U2 hasn't treated fans well lately...

HAVE U2 JUST BECOME GREEDY BASTARDS?

Examples follow...


1. Putting Fast Cars on some special edition package set in order to get true fans to shell out a whole lot of extra money for basically one additional song. (oh yeah, there was some gibberish and artwork that I looked at once). And you wonder why people just exchange MP3s on the net.

2. Having their lawyers banish lyrics from all outside websites. Another attempt to drive fans to pay for U2.com

3. The demand that even previous Propaganda members whose memberships were still active pay MORE money to join U2.com.

4. The continued allignment with ETS package services. This is a move by the band to increase revenues. It's basically a way for the band to share additional money by charging an extra $100.00 per ticket (oh yeah, we'll throw in salad for dinner and a few meatballs). Oh yeah, they'll also take away the GAs here...a fan who was smart enough to go this route could have optained GA tickets for $150 a piece but then were told that they were giving them back to the band but were giving the opportunity to shell out an extra $120.00 for an "upgraded" ticket.

5. Take the money run = U2.com

6. I'm a huge fan of the band and I believe in capitalism but today I honestly feel they are trying to squeeze every last dime out of us.

The only reason I would ever join a fan club is to get better than average tickets for a concert.

This has been my experience so far...

Amazing fanclub: Prince. You pay a one time membership fee of $25 and get a LIFETIME membership to his fan club. You can purchase a pair of tickets for as many shows as you want. I got real FRONT ROW tix for his Houston show through the pre-sale. I just could not believe it!

Pretty good fanclub: Elton John. He sells 50 pairs of tickets through pre-sale for each of his U.S. shows that get sold directly to fans, and you can buy a pair for as many shows as you want. The tix are great seats. A counter tells you exactly how many of the tickets are left.

Crap fanclubs: U2 and Madonna. Both fan clubs cost $40 and you only get a membership for a year. Madonna's fan club seemed to give out more fan club tickets than U2's and didn't go through Ticketmaster which was an advantage. As far as location Madonna's tix were about the same quality as U2's (nothing real close to the stage).

 

[beau2ifulday]

 

[z00ropean]

Re: Not just the tour...U2 hasn't treated fans well lately...

HAVE U2 JUST BECOME GREEDY BASTARDS?

Examples follow...


1. Putting Fast Cars on some special edition package set in order to get true fans to shell out a whole lot of extra money for basically one additional song. (oh yeah, there was some gibberish and artwork that I looked at once). And you wonder why people just exchange MP3s on the net.

2. Having their lawyers banish lyrics from all outside websites. Another attempt to drive fans to pay for U2.com

3. The demand that even previous Propaganda members whose memberships were still active pay MORE money to join U2.com.

4. The continued allignment with ETS package services. This is a move by the band to increase revenues. It's basically a way for the band to share additional money by charging an extra $100.00 per ticket (oh yeah, we'll throw in salad for dinner and a few meatballs). Oh yeah, they'll also take away the GAs here...a fan who was smart enough to go this route could have optained GA tickets for $150 a piece but then were told that they were giving them back to the band but were giving the opportunity to shell out an extra $120.00 for an "upgraded" ticket.

5. Take the money run = U2.com

6. I'm a huge fan of the band and I believe in capitalism but today I honestly feel they are trying to squeeze every last dime out of us.

Hear, hear!
U2 has indeed become "greedy bastards."
"GREED IS GOOD!" Am I quoting you right, Mr. Paul Hewson?

 

[danielle]

Yeah..the book with the CD was a major dissapointment. I was too eager to buy the album. I wish I waited a few hours to hear more about the book, cuz I wouldn't have gotten it. At least it could have had the lyrics in them!

Also...what about those of us who were Prop. members and never go the infamous letter. I wrote them 4 times about it, and never heard back. So I had to pay 40 when I should have only paid 20. I solely did it for the tickets, I can get my U2 fix on free web sites out there otherwise.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

ok lets just change the story for gods sake, this really is getting beyond a joke, did you have to buy the stuff? no, did U2 come round to your house, threaten to piss on your kids if you didnt buy the stuff? no,

jeesus

 

[biff]

This has all been said before, over and over and over.
There's nothing here that hasn't been said a bejillion times.
Sigh....

 

[Lancemc]

Stop fucking complaining, it doesn't change anything.

 

[Laura M]

ok lets just change the story for gods sake, this really is getting beyond a joke, did you have to buy the stuff? no, did U2 come round to your house, threaten to piss on your kids if you didnt buy the stuff? no,

jeesus

I've seen you post stuff like this in other threads, you can't even say it in a polite way, maybe that's why nobody really listens. Just because someone doesn't have the same opinon as you and says something negative about U2 (it's not that big a deal, get over it) it doesn't mean you have to come in throwing your weight around. The stuff you say is just as tired as the story about U2 being greedy (which I think is true)

Westport, the moment I thought U2 were really trying to squeeze every single penny out of their fans: When I saw copies of HTDAAB for sale in The Clarence. I bet that could somehow be ticketmasters fault though and nothing to do with U2 at all.

 

[sonofabono]

it seems like the boys have lost touch with the real world and the people who live there,us!or do they need to kick their management right up the arse!!

 

[Vertigo Fly]

Yeah we are all U2 fans around here so there is no need to jump on our backs just for saying something negative about the band.
People weren't forced to buy the membership, but most were under the impression that they would have been getting a better service and benefits from it than they got. So they are allowed to complain about this. Hopefully I won't be back to add to this topic with more complaints tommorrow after I attempt to make use of the presale for Dublin

 

[stevec]

I don't really have a problem with the music as such, by which I mean the buying of alternate CD's with additional tracks. The short answer is that if I couldn't afford them, I wouldn't buy them or would wait until I could afford them. If I need to wait 2 months before I can afford the CD, then I wait 2 months and save for it. Simple. However, I would prefer to see just one CD package sold broadly speaking, which would certainly be better value for money all round for those whose budgets are thin.

Ans yes we all know what a mess the presale was/is/will continue to be probably too. I'm NOT disagreeing at all, but let's now see how that issue is addressed by band, management, promoters, etc. We've said our piece in here time and again, so let's now see what is going to be done about it. If nothing, then by all means continue to bitch about it, as would be your right.

Ticket costs are high - a fact I certainly agree with in principle. I'd rather not be paying £50 plus fees, but if I couldn't afford it, then I wouldn't be paying for it. Besides, I may get to the concert for a day out with close friends, enjoy the support act, enjoy the U2 performance and decide that £50 wasn't bad after all.

I can't comment on the propaganda membership versus U2.com membership costs/benefits, as I don't know enough to be able to compare them. By all accounts though, many propaganda members have said that the propaganda presale system was better. Maybe the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" saying applies here?

It IS however a pity about the lyrics being removed, as my terrible guitar-playing was often augmented by downloaded lyrics and chords. That in all probability was because lyrics were being provided as part of the U2.com membership. However, even the lyrics printed inside an artist's album cover, are only reproduced WITH permission of the respective publishers. In that sense, the publishers (not U2) are exercising their rights as guaranteed by law. It's shitty, but it's a fact.

As for ETS, do you actually know how the cost breaks down? Are you saying that because ETS charge more for tickets, that U2 are handed more money back? I would have assumed that the additional cost is purely to line the ETS pockets, as they would already have had their ticket allocation anyway. Again I'm not sure, but are you?

I DO think U2.com needs to think again about a hell of a lot of things, so hopefully some attention is being paid to the comments in here.

 

[Westport]

I, too, am tiring of this, so I'll refrain from posting on this subject for awhile.

I didn't get tickets through U2.com or Ticketmaster but have booked a fairly expensive package through ETS....shit, I may be pissed but I'm not going to miss out on seeing this tour. It's just that the possibility of seeing them more than once or twice is just about gone. The cost is just getting too prohibitive if you don't luck out at the outset. And the wallet and the credit cards will only go so far...

Would someone do the math on what a family of four would be paying to see this gig at cost, please? It's a fortune.

In response, ETS is officially connected with U2, that is the ONLY way ETS gets their ticket allocation....go to: U2tours.com....you can bet that the band is compensated very well for this arrangement. There would be no other reason for them to have this tie-in. Unless, the band were just interested in promoting what ETS calls the "pub crawl" through the stop in Boston. That's actually why I'll be flying to the New England gigs.

That's it for me on this subject.

So long, and thanks for all of the fish.

 

[jick]

U2 are great musicians. Always have, and always will be.

But because they are uneducated, the are easily swayed by external forces like management to squeeze the last dime from them. Their lack of education also shows in their high-handed and uncouth way with dealing with fans. They don't know how to deal with people well.

Look at the beggars on the streets who are also uneducated, they aren't exactly the best when it comes to dealing with people. But they can make good music with their beat-up guitar and people throw dimes at their bins.

U2 are just like that but in a larger scale. So while they aren't great in treating fans, they make great music and I think that is what really matters the most.

Cheers,

J

 

[ramblin rose]

Check out this thread. Its time for some good news:

http://forum.interference.com/t111867.html

and here:

http://forum.interference.com/t111884.html

 

[isabelle_guns]

Stop fucking complaining, it doesn't change anything.

He's free to express his/her opinion as with all of us.