GA Tips and Tricks

[Babydoll]

"see that guy in the black shirt? He probably got here at 6a. Wait a sec, that's Dan!"

 

[trojanchick99]

"see that guy in the black shirt? He probably got here at 6a. Wait a sec, that's Dan!"

Or is it the President?

 

[DRay9911]

rich called me george hamilton this morning

 

[popacrobat]

FYI, I was GA for Baltimore, got in line I don't know, around 4:50? maybe 4:45. got in the inner circle and was essentially on the rail on edge's side - the rail closest to the stage. There were two people ahead of me directly against the rail, (obviously the whole rail had people, but i'm just talking right ahead of me), and there was room for me to squeeze in if i REALLY wanted, but I was well taller than both (i'm 6'), so I didn't bother doing that.

Definitely true that you can show up middle of the afternoon and get an excellent spot in the inner pit. some of the people around me had been there for hours. I don't know what time the inner circle got closed off, though.

 

[U2alli]

i have a question...regarding miami GA as this is my 1st u2 show this tour...
what if i'm going with someone and she can't make it to the stadium til 4pm but i'm able to get there early (like 10am). is it an issue holding someones spot in line?

 

[corianderstem]

Some people will tell you flat-out, "Yes, it is an issue. It's unfair, so don't do it."

Others will tell you to talk to the people in line around you to see if they're okay with it.

But the line-runner might not even allow you to save the spot, so she won't have a number, making it very difficult for her to join you without being accused of line-jumping.

Considering you can still get a great spot by showing up in late afternoon, I'd say either wait until you can get in line together, or you can try and save a spot for her inside (not in the line), but obviously, that might not work.

 

[cpa1982]

U2 Spartan Stadium Experience

Just wanted to write a quick review of my first U2 concert and the overall GA experience. Not sure if things were different because the show wasn't in a huge metropolitan area but it seemed like things went a lot smoother than I could have planned. We got to the queue around 4:30pm and entered the roped off maze for the GA tickets. There was a pen being passed back and I was number 918. We quickly made friends with the people around us in line and had no problem whatsoever getting in and out of line to use the bathroom all the way up until 5:30pm when they opened the gates. It helped that they had portojohns right nearby. We entered the stadium and got a spot dead center about 3 people back from the front of the outer circle. The guy directly in front of me said he had been in line since 1:00pm. We really had no issues leaving our spots and using the bathroom all the way through the opening act, it did help that we really tried to get to know all the people around us. I think if we wanted we could have tried to make it in the inner circle, but I really liked that we could see the whole stage and the screen and were still only about 10 feet away from the guys when they were out front on the catwalk. Overall really an amazing show and an incredible experience.

 

[kramwest1]

Just wanted to write a quick review of my first U2 concert and the overall GA experience. Not sure if things were different because the show wasn't in a huge metropolitan area but it seemed like things went a lot smoother than I could have planned. We got to the queue around 4:30pm and entered the roped off maze for the GA tickets. There was a pen being passed back and I was number 918. We quickly made friends with the people around us in line and had no problem whatsoever getting in and out of line to use the bathroom all the way up until 5:30pm when they opened the gates. It helped that they had portojohns right nearby. We entered the stadium and got a spot dead center about 3 people back from the front of the outer circle. The guy directly in front of me said he had been in line since 1:00pm. We really had no issues leaving our spots and using the bathroom all the way through the opening act, it did help that we really tried to get to know all the people around us. I think if we wanted we could have tried to make it in the inner circle, but I really liked that we could see the whole stage and the screen and were still only about 10 feet away from the guys when they were out front on the catwalk. Overall really an amazing show and an incredible experience.

^This is pretty much how to do GA stress-free.

Glad you had fun.

 

[adenoid_hynkel]

.

 

[Chrisedge]

"see that guy in the black shirt? He probably got here at 6a. Wait a sec, that's Dan!"

True statement!

 

[beegee]

The only reason to get there at 6am is to try and get a rail spot.

At Anaheim 2 I had my first rail spot and it was beautiful. I should have had it at the first Vertigo show in San Diego but the fucking lottery took it away from me. For Ana 2 I got in line at four a.m. The line was fun and super stress-free. We made a few new friends and basically just enjoyed the day.

It's true that you can get in line much later in the afternoon and still get a great spot. However, being only a couple inches taller than five feet, if there's even one person in front of me I can't see anything. Being on the outer rail was the first time I can remember being at a show and being able to see everything that was going on. It was awesome.

Also, holding spots in line for people without numbers should never be tolerated, IMO.

 

[mads]

Also, holding spots in line for people without numbers should never be tolerated, IMO.

Agreed.

I'm also getting pretty tired of running into the circle and finding people on the front rail with their arms spread way out, saving spots for who knows how many people. It's one thing to hold a spot for a slow runner who spent all day in line with you, but for people who were way back in line? Not cool.

 

[Babydoll]

Also, holding spots in line for people without numbers should never be tolerated, IMO.

Yes! And people who write their own numbers on their hands.

 

[tabmanmatt]

Just to be clear...do you need a special ticket for the inner circle?

 

[corianderstem]

Your GA ticket gets you into the inner circle, unless they've stopped letting people in after a certain time (based on it being too full).

 

[tabmanmatt]

Ok, thanks. So I'm assuming you can come and go if you want? As long as there is room?

 

[corianderstem]

Yes. If you get into the inner circle, you get a stamp (usually on the neck, it seems - ha) so you can come and go as you please.

 

[kramwest1]

Yes. If you get into the inner circle, you get a stamp (usually on the neck, it seems - ha) so you can come and go as you please.

Try not to sweat it or rub it off--Although a couple of kind words or a smile to the security guards, and they will probably remember you.

 

[theu2fly]

Ok, thanks. So I'm assuming you can come and go if you want? As long as there is room?

Have a friend hold your spot so that way there is no fuss... my buddy went to grab a hot dog in Denver and I held onto the front rail until he came back.

 

[kramwest1]

Have a friend hold your spot so that way there is no fuss... my buddy went to grab a hot dog in Denver and I held onto the front rail until he came back.

Try and talk to the people around you, too. They'll help watch out for you.

The guy next to us at Anaheim 1 brought his daughter for her first-ever concert. We held their spot so they could go watch the CLAW from the back of the GA area for a couple of songs.

 

[U2Jams]

My son and I signed in the GA queue line for Miami shortly after 5 am the day of the show. We were numbers 132 & 133. We asked to put my wife and son's girlfriend's names on the list when we arrived, but were not allowed.. Number 1, Noah, arrived the previous day at 4 pm and started the list. Others we met in the queue with numbers near 40 were there by 5 pm on the previous day. We quickly made friends with the families just behind and in front of us, and some more in the immediate vicinity. Throughout the day these families near us shared food, drink, chairs, card games, and helped us pass the time. Early in the day we explained how my wife and son's GF could not make it till later in the day. We hoped they could meet up with us in the circle, but the plan was that if they didn't make it in, we would meet them outside the circle wherever in the field they would be and Rock On!!! My wife and son's GF arrived just before 4 pm. The GA line had passed 1000 by now and numbers were no longer being written on hands. Near 5 pm we were advised that the GA line would be allowed inside the stadium in groups of 100. The security staff hired for the concert came by the roped off line, surprisingly without Noah's official list, and asked us to put our hands up and show our numbers. I had asked Noah a little earlier up to what number the list reached and he told me that it was stopped at 190, although queue numbers were written on hands up to 900 or 1000 If I'm not mistaken. We had the opportunity to sneak our significant others in line once we realized the list wasn't being confirmed, but opted not to as this would not only be dishonest, but unfair to all those that had weathered the storm in the queue. As our group of 100 was moved up in line to be next, we noticed many unfamiliar faces that had obviously cut or butted the line. We were finally brought around the staging area single file to the gate. My ticket had to be scanned 3 times before it read OK. My son and I did a sprint walk/jog/run, even though we were told not to run, and made it to the inner circle rear rail more towards Adam's side. Yes, my son and I sat down with legs extended across the bottom edge of the rail to save space for our ladies. Less than 15 minutes later, the girls showed up and we all had huge smiles. If you look at the fancam pic we are behind a girl holding up a green white and red U2 sign that blocked our faces - lol. Everyone on the rail had arms touching so that no one would cram in-between but people did anyways. The inner circle was way too crammed, at least where we were. We were on the back rail, so if we needed to exit the circle we would have to move through 2500+ people and lose out spots so we didn't move. We had several very drunk, or on drugs, try to make it past us looking for an exit, that we had to argue with and explain that exits were in the other direction. We even called out for security behind us in the space between the circle crowd and the platform to let them know but they weren't much help. I think security is there to protect U2 from the crowd, not to protect the crowd from the crowd. The songs were great, the sound was incredible, the show as seen from the inner circle rear rail was unforgettable, but I was not comfortable and had the uneasy feeling of not being able to properly protect my group, in regards to exiting, from our position. We had made it inside the heart twice during the Elevation Tour, and the inner heart crowd was no where near as crammed then. It was a million times more comfortable standing, and you felt like you could always reach an exit if you had to. Maybe I'm just being overly cautious, it's a rock concert field crowd after all, but the cramming in did take away from my experience. At least for me.

 

[hand0lotion]

I felt very physically prepared for my Chicago GA show, so I want to share my GA line tips with y'all:

-Conciously drink more water days before the show, and hydrate a lot the night before show day (you know the feeling when you have to pee every 10 minutes, and the pee is all clear? Now that's what I call hydration)

-on show day, while in GA line, continue drinking lots of water all through the morning and noon (I alternate between water and gatorade). You can leave your spot for a quick pee, and toilets are decent in the morning. Only cut back on the water-drinking at around 2pm, so your bladder is all clear by 3pm (the crunch time, line tightening up time)

-wear a loose-fitting white shirt because it allows air flow and absorbs the least heat. (I bought an XL touristy "Chicago" shirt for only $6 at a downtown Walgreen's the day before. Or pack your own)

-for cripe's sake, don't act macho: bring an umbrella and use it. The heat can really drain you, and you need your reserves for standing 6 hours in the pit

-get your calories. I eat chocolate bars periodically through show day to get enough sustenence to last till the end of the night. Sneak small foods (energy bars/chocolates) in your pocket to eat after the opening act to give you the last boost. A pack of gum or mints won't hurt either.

 

[I Move in Mysterious Ways]

^ All true

I'd also advise buying a bottled water (or two) once you're inside the stadium. It's good to have on hand in case you really need it.

 

[superblue]

+1000

Heat and lack of hydration are energy killers. You'll be DOA before the band even comes out if you don't pay attention to those things. Your timings are also spot on.....drink drink drink and stop at 2pm, then just minor little sips from there on out. It's amazing how long you can go when you just follow those steps and still not feel uncomfortable. In Dublin we followed those rules to the letter and was still able to make the walk back to St. James Sq from Croke Park without having the need to "go".

 

[kramwest1]

I felt very physically prepared for my Chicago GA show, so I want to share my GA line tips with y'all:

-Conciously drink more water days before the show, and hydrate a lot the night before show day (you know the feeling when you have to pee every 10 minutes, and the pee is all clear? Now that's what I call hydration)

-on show day, while in GA line, continue drinking lots of water all through the morning and noon (I alternate between water and gatorade). You can leave your spot for a quick pee, and toilets are decent in the morning. Only cut back on the water-drinking at around 2pm, so your bladder is all clear by 3pm (the crunch time, line tightening up time)

-wear a loose-fitting white shirt because it allows air flow and absorbs the least heat. (I bought an XL touristy "Chicago" shirt for only $6 at a downtown Walgreen's the day before. Or pack your own)

-for cripe's sake, don't act macho: bring an umbrella and use it. The heat can really drain you, and you need your reserves for standing 6 hours in the pit

-get your calories. I eat chocolate bars periodically through show day to get enough sustenence to last till the end of the night. Sneak small foods (energy bars/chocolates) in your pocket to eat after the opening act to give you the last boost. A pack of gum or mints won't hurt either.

^ All true

I'd also advise buying a bottled water (or two) once you're inside the stadium. It's good to have on hand in case you really need it.

+1000

Heat and lack of hydration are energy killers. You'll be DOA before the band even comes out if you don't pay attention to those things. Your timings are also spot on.....drink drink drink and stop at 2pm, then just minor little sips from there on out. It's amazing how long you can go when you just follow those steps and still not feel uncomfortable. In Dublin we followed those rules to the letter and was still able to make the walk back to St. James Sq from Croke Park without having the need to "go".

For Moncton, I'll remember to bring Gatorade powder packets. I wish we had those in MTL. Water was helpful, but you need salt (and a little sugar, too) if you're sweating. MTL had lots of potato chips for sale--good for salt.

Really wish I had had an umbrella, too. I may shop for a couple of small white ones just to keep around to block the sun here and there and in the future.

One guy at Montreal one had frozen Powerbars he brought. Smart, because later in the day they weren't total mush.

For Lalapalooza in 2007, it was beastly hot. We brought these neck bands that have super water absorbing crystals in them and so as you wear them you get the evaporative cooling effect. I swear I'm going to get booths on the festival circuit and sell them. Amazing.

 

[paulrg]

For all that Montreal had a much larger than usual GA crowd (and that the second show took place on a Saturday) we were still able to make it into the pit for the second show despite arriving at 6.35pm (we'd lined up all day the day before and couldn't stand doing it twice in a row). We just had to walk the entire length of the field and keep going. At that time the pit was pretty full so we stayed back and had a good time backstage with loads of room and at least the guys came round a few times. The extra space made the show far more enjoyable than the night before when we were on the back rail of the pit between Bono and Adam squashed in by late arriving Greenpeace gangs and Very unImpressive Persons.

 

[I Move in Mysterious Ways]

If someone behind you audibly proclaims they are not feeling so well before the concert starts, you may want to consider moving out of the vicinity. We had an Exorcist re-enactment during Beautiful Day.

 

[mama cass]

freezing bottled water before leaving for the gig is good too - i've never done it for concerts but have done for horsey events in the heat and it was a great way to keep hydrated in the heat with ice cold sips of water on tap - if you can keep them in a cooler bag they keep nice and cold for quite a while, and you can have little ice cold sips as the ice starts to melt... so refreshing when you're hot and sweaty and grimy lol

and chewing gum too - i never eat properly on the day of a gig, too distracted, too busy and too excited! usually just nibble on one sandwich over the day, and then stick to chewing gum and water, then dive into a big bag of chips (fries) with lots of salt and ketchup from one of the many street sellers on the way back to the hotel - by that time, food has never tasted so good lol

 

[hand0lotion]

For Moncton, I'll remember to bring Gatorade powder packets. I wish we had those in MTL. Water was helpful, but you need salt (and a little sugar, too) if you're sweating. MTL had lots of potato chips for sale--good for salt.

Really wish I had had an umbrella, too. I may shop for a couple of small white ones just to keep around to block the sun here and there and in the future.

One guy at Montreal one had frozen Powerbars he brought. Smart, because later in the day they weren't total mush.

For Lalapalooza in 2007, it was beastly hot. We brought these neck bands that have super water absorbing crystals in them and so as you wear them you get the evaporative cooling effect. I swear I'm going to get booths on the festival circuit and sell them. Amazing.

You know what, I bought a light grey umbrella over a black one, and wondered if it was the smartest choice. See, the light grey cloth didn't really block out the light, while black would have. Except with black, you might have a warmer air current going on UNDER your umbrella

Hey guys, how come we're getting reports of today's Toronto show being so hot, weather-wise? I thought the northern cities would get some reprieve! How's Minneapolis predicted to be on 23 July?

 

[GraceRyan]

Waiting in line all day for GA is comparable to any endurance sport. You need to alternate your electrolyte drinks and water. I know someone brought their Power gel. I plan to do that for Moncton. Also, even if it is hot and you are not hungry - eat. Take a short walk. At Montreal 1, a girl who had waited for days in line and had a very low number lost her spot because she suffered dehydration and needed to be lifted out of the pit. That's a damn shame.