GA Experiences So Far- Good, Bad, Ugly?

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Looking at that video, this whole process is simply retarded and asking for someone to get hurt. I don't know what was so aweful about having a random (or theoritically random) scan of tickets where you don't encourage fans to camp out and then partake in a mass rush...with the carrot for the "best" fans being in closest proximity. If the greater volume of GA tickets with stadiums makes scanning impracticle, you could designate a gate letter printed on the ticket that gets announced as the gates open (i.e. if your ticket says enter at Gate A...you go inner area). I know this has been debated ad nauseum in the past with a vocal group that favors the rewards going to those most willing to "sacrafice", but that group aside....is THIS really better?

I like the idea of right off the bat when you buy the ticket, you are either in or out and know it. Before someone mentions scalpers getting those "golden tickets" for the inner/closest area and making a killing on resale, you simply do what they are doing with Miley Cyrus tickets (don't ask...just feel sorry for me having a 10 year old and at least be happy for me that my wife is going and not me), namely no tickets but scan the credit card you used to purchase at the venue to gain entry. How on earth does the biggest rock band in the world not have a silimar system in place that cuts the scalpers out of the equation and does not allow them to gauge their fans?

Anyhow, looks like a late arrival and taking in the show from in front of the mxing desk for me which is a great vantage point to take in the whole specticle of the show. I loved my one time in the inner circle, but if it means getting out to the venue at 8am and hoping the gate you line up at doesn't open 5 minutes later then the others, I'll pass. If there was a true first come first serve basis of one line/one gate, I was contemplating doing the camp out at one of the 3 shows I have GA's, but queing all day to not get in the inner area because another gat opened earlier would have me major pissed and just is not worth the blood pressure/stress.
 
The Miley Cyrus system is stupid, if you don't have a credit card you can't go? That's the dumbest way to ever sell tickets and just cuts people out
 
Irishteen said:
The Miley Cyrus system is stupid, if you don't have a credit card you can't go? That's the dumbest way to ever sell tickets and just cuts people out
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weird. aren't most of her fans not even old enough to apply for a credit card?
 
elevated_u2_fan said:
thats what parents are for...

All I can say is that if you are doing GA expect some sort of BS, it's pretty much a given.
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yep. the fact that i don't care where i end up is going to help me enjoy the Chicago show so much more. instead of lining up early, i'll be drinking early and drinking often and enjoying the show from who knows where. :wink:
 
the restroom...throwing up. have fun :D

hopefully you don't get too drunk, i've never understood people who get too blitzed to enjoy the show.

-dan
 
me either, not only are you spending a lot of money on tickets (which you probably bitched about on a fan forum) and then god knows how much on beer at the stadium, now you are too drunk to even remember half the show...

that was general observation btw, not directed at anyone personally…
 
I found on a Bruce site that Giants Stadium only has one entrance for GA tickets. So that should cut down on some of the shit..hopefully. :shifty:
 
Irishteen said:
The Miley Cyrus system is stupid, if you don't have a credit card you can't go? That's the dumbest way to ever sell tickets and just cuts people out
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We'll agree to disagree. I would venture a guess that the vast majority of U2 tickets sold by ticketmaster are sold by credit card. If the alternative is allowing your fans to get absolutely raped by brokers which is exactly what happened the last go around for Cyrus and every time for U2 fans since Joshua Tree, I'll take having a few people without credit cards left out then having a large portion of tickets sucked up by brokers who have no intension of attending and are buying on on speculation for resale. Who really doesn't have a credit card or debit card anymore...and has the where with all to afford a top concert cost? If you force a person buying a ticket to show up at the venue the day of the event with a credit card (or photo id), you virtually eliminate scalpers ability to profit off reselling of tickets and actaully allow your fans access at face value instead of double or triple face.
 
The big downside to that plan (while I definitely see the advantages), is that there's very likely no chance for fans trading tickets or selling for face value, like what goes on with this site and others like it.

So that would suck.
 
corianderstem said:
The big downside to that plan (while I definitely see the advantages), is that there's very likely no chance for fans trading tickets or selling for face value, like what goes on with this site and others like it.

So that would suck.
Click to expand...

Yes and no. If you could get tickets to the shows you actually wanted to go to easier, you would not have to "get what you can get" and try to trade/deal into what you actually want. There is NO reason that a system could not be put in place to facility transfer/sale at face among fans. For instance, I am a season ticketholder for University of Wisconsin hockey and they have a ticket marketplace for season ticketholders where I can post tickets for sale to games I can't attend and buy extra tickets for other games if I have a few extra people that want to go to a particular game. When you use this system, the printed tickets I have have their bar code voided and the buyer gets a valid bar code issued on a new ticket (in a ticketless system...this is even easier as there is no "bad/invalid" ticket floating out there. This technology or method is hardly unique to Wisconsin hockey and is pretty standard with most sports teams.
 
That's good to know, thanks for the info. I hadn't heard of that.

By the way, I have relatives in Rockford and am from Wisconsin originally. :)
 
Man I think I'm officially scared of GA now after watching that video I have never done Ga for any concert before, and I've had four leg surgeries and don't want someone to trip me up and rebreak one of my legs:|:sad: Knownmy luck I run fall and every runs over me I had that at a Daughtry show when everyone went to meet him and the band I was trying to get away from the people so I could go home got pushed down next thing you know I was ran over by a bunch of screaming girls bleeding and everything when I got up. Good part from that I got to meet the band they didnt.

Hopefully in Phoenix they are a bet oranginzied. Or I get lucky to meet up with some people that can run fast and save me a spot ;)

Now for you cheese heads, I do have to say Go Packs! Sis's soon be husband plays for them
 
Well.. GA today was a mixed bag. We arrived at Amsterdam Arena quite late, around 11:30 am. There was a huge qeue already, so we gave up on getting inside the inner circle. In past years we were there always around 9:00 which worked for great seats (though not getting into the heart at Elevation tour).

This year it seemed people were going there crazy early. At 7:30 there were already some 400 people there!

The first in liners had their stuff organized quite well, but the further down the line the wore the organization. There were simply no fences, so people were cutting in line all the time, which cause a lot of stess and nervousness, whith lots of movement of the line. The last hour or so before gates opened we were all pushed forward and were stuck like sardines in a can.

Now for the good part.. we DID make it to the inner circle, albeit slightly behind Edge, and we were there tohether with some of the people who had been there at 7.30. They had the bad luck of being in the same line as some dumbass who brought a full unopened backpack, which had to be completely searched...

The view from where we are was not bad, but not great either. At some times it was obstructed by the drawbridges...which would have been OK if they had moved around more. We saw only one short sigthting of Bono.. So for me the 360 degrees thing is a don't believe the hype story! Give me good old popmart or ZooTV anytime!

Still.. great show, good to see them again after so long! Back again tomorrow with seats:)
 
mrmac said:
This year it seemed people were going there crazy early. At 7:30 there were already some 400 people there!
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That is just insanity.Queuing up for nearly 12 hours.

Btw what are they using to signify people in the pit ?
Wristbands,stamper ?
 
There's two entrances, both left and right and they gave a stamp so you could go in and out.

It WAS crazy, and only worth it in my opinion of you really get a place in front of the band (so not to the sides)...
 
I agree with the system on "first come, first serve" basis, it's the only thing I know from big concerts and those who are there early to line up should also get the best spots. BUT I don't agree with the way the inner circle is filled, at least how it was filled in Berlin, where they let far too many people in. You couldn't even move when you were standing on the sides. You couldn't even go to the back to get some more space, because there was no space. I have been to hundreds of concerts, but I've never seen anything like this. IMO it's irresponsible from organisers to pack so many people into that circle. It was too full and there was a lot of aggression, people trying to get in or out and got stuck halfways, a lot of bad words and arguments. Not nice. It's great to be in there and be close to the stage, have the bridges move over you and all, but there has to be an end to letting people randomly into this area. With other shows, you don't get into the front of stage area after a certain time, period. If you arrive too late, you have to stand somewhere farther back. For U2, that's not a huge problem. In fact, view of the screen, visuals, lights, the whole stage is much better if you're outside the circle. My spot at the catwalk in Milan was perfect. Being directly in front of the stage brings the advantage of being close to the band and in the middle of the action, but on the other hand it also gives you a sore neck because you have to look up the whole time, either to the stage, which is quite high, or to the screen, which is even higher. And it's so crowded, that's just not funny any more, especially if you have so many people pushing from all directions, let alone the many getting drunk. :|

I wish people followed some basic rules when they go to concerts, like not drinking litres of beer, having to go out of the circle all the time and then back in again and half an hour later go back out because they need a potty break, that's just not funny. And no one can expect their spot to be kept free for them if they leave and there are so many people in the circle. Some people were realllllly being super annoying in Berlin.

Apart form that, everything was organised pretty well in Berlin. Entrance was ok, getting inside the stadium and into the circle also wasn't hard, and I was actually surprised how smoothly things went when the concert was over.


I'll do GA again and again because you just cannot compare the atmosphere to the seats (except for Milan ... now that was great, but Italian fans are different), but for my next concert I'll try for the catwalk again, because I really believe it's the better spot for this show.
 
Thanks for the info, Everybody. I have GA for Phoenix and Vegas (but not sure if I'll be able to go to PHX :sad:), and this info is invaluable. I'm not sure how I'll handle this yet. I have never seen U2 live and so I really, REALLY want to be as close as possible. However, having chronic pain issues makes me not really want to stand in line all day. I'll have to see how I'm feeling the day of the shows and make a decision based on that. Of course, in Vegas I'll be with two people, one of whom likely will want to be there early. The other takes forever to get ready, so it will be interesting! :D

At any rate, no matter where I am, I'll be STOKED to be seeing U2 live!!!! :rockon: :yippie: :happydance: :loveshower:
 
I just hope the crowds are a little calmer for NA, although I remember the mad dash and then the crush from the 10/28 Elevation show so I'm not setting my hopes high.
 
this is probably a really stupid question, but for those who were inside the heart/ellipse over the past two tours...how much bigger is that area on this tour compared to the previous two?

from the youtube clips i have seen, it doesn't look all that much bigger because of the shape of stage the band is on and it does not look all that great if you are in front of adam/edge because the angle looks bad for seeing the other side.

maybe i'm wrong, but i'm very curious.

-dan
 
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