VIP Packages + (RED) Zone Auctions - All Discussion HERE

[Skoobz]

€1000 for 2 seats? seriously? Well I spose its nice that you're in a position where you're able to do that.


I have more of a problem that its an auction than the fact they want VIP seats. Auctions mean any of the less affluent people have no chance to save/economise for the likes of this, as theres effectively no price, and no price limit.

I also just dont like the idea of "queue/get lucky with the lottery and get near the stage with €60 tickets" or "pay €?? for a guarenteed space".
Theres just something about the whole "highest bidder" idea that really gets to me.

Sure there's a price limit. I don't even think my price limit will be close to the amount it takes to get these seats. I'm not mad about it either. I think we can all agree that the best way to distribute tickets would be for U2 to personally interview every fan club member and give us all the best seats!

The truth of it all is that the best seats at most concerts are split in the following way (IMO):
- 50% people who are at the show because it's the place to be and paid a high price for their tix
- 25% fans who lucked out with the ticketing systems and got great seats at great prices
- 25% fans who didn't luck out with the ticketing systems and, being huge fans and if financially able, paid a high price for their tickets

Unfortunately, the GA/ellipse system doesn't really guarantee anyone much of anything.

 

[XBL_AchtungBaby]

One good thing about it, if the prices doesn't escalate to astronomical levels is the fact that if someone is travelling to the show. One doesn't have to spend the whole day at the stadium to be in a good standing area (Best still will be in front of stage, regular GA). You can enjoy the city you are traveling to during the day and see the concert at night.

Right now its still 95/105Euro for A'dam1

 

[phommel]

So what is the point? I don't get why you (and others) are upset over what is basically standard practice in the concert industry these days. Especially with a group like U2, who still allow fans to buy tickets at a very cheap rate, with the opportunity that they could be front row. How does having a little section on each side of the stage change your concert enjoyment in any way? No one is forcing you to buy these tickets.

My concert enjoyment will not change and indeed nobody forces me to buy these tickets. Yes, it's indeed only a small section. But i just don't like the principle of doing an auction
-with the goal to maximize the profit
-to play with the conscience of people with stating it is for a good cause while they don't even say how much goes to this cause
-to give the 'richest' people the biggest chance to get these tickets and be close to the stage

Honestly, I think some people just like to complain for the sake of finding something wrong with anything they do.

well, I can tell you that's not the case. Not for me at least. I think some people seem to defend the band whatever they do and cannot handle if someone gives a little bit critisism...

 

[phommel]

And the high priced seat buyers are subsidizing the lower priced tickets:

dream on

 

[u2search]

Technical detail:
- High profile General Admission areas on the field adjacent to the stage runway
- Built-in seating for pre-show comfort

That sounds as if the 'runway' (catwalk I call it) might have some (pull down?) seats on the outside which can be used until the concert actually starts. I think it's a nice way to accommodate people willing and able to pay for comfort. I don't see anything wrong with that. And they're positioned on the sides so they're not even in the way of most normal GA fans.

 

[Liesje]

If they want to make some sort of charitible contribution, they could go about it better.


Like have a percentage of the tours proceeds going to (RED) or something.

I agree. I've never been against (or really cared) that Bono and the band do this and that for charity and humanity but I want a U2 show to be a U2 show. A short speech or shout out here and there is OK, but save the charity stuff for the charity gigs.

 

[quadcaster]

they did vip packages in aus/nz on the vertigo tour, and they were always let into the stadium an hour or two after the regular punters.

 

[Axver]

actually i think it's not a bad idea, if they can have auctions like that then at least some of the money will be going to a good cause rather than into scalpers' pockets

I don't think donating a "portion" of the proceeds to charity makes official scalping any more justifiable. If they want some money to go to Product Red, there are plenty of ways they can incorporate it into the tour without lowering themselves to authorising scalping.

Axver, I see you're rapidly closing in on 100,000 posts, and you seem to be the most prolific member on here. Just out of curiosity, how many posts would you make on an average day / week?

Too many.

 

[zuropa_fit]

okay so these red zone packages are the tickets around the ellipse not inside?
so pretty much if you have GA and dotn get inside the ellipse you wont be that close?
can someone please clear this up for me...

Ad, didn't you see the map on the 1st page of this thread?

 

[d.darroch]

I'm all for charity, & kinda ok with this. So long as the 'portion of the proceeds going to charity' is quite large. I guess this won't be the case though, with LN & ticketbastard (a 45 euro fee is ridiculous). It's probably all about profits. More transpaency about the 'portion of proceeds' would be nice.

I also hope the red zones aren't quite so large. Deep is ok, but a quarter of the catwalk each, plus the area behing the stage. That only leaves a quarter for GA, seriously reducing the chance of a rail if you don't make it inside the ellipse/crab pit (what are we calling this area again?)

doesn't look too much like the original 360° animation, does it!

 

[KUEFC09U2]

By the looks of it the whole area behing the stage will become the enclosure,

what do you mean it doesnt look like the animation? its a seating plan not an animated image, and it does actually represent what was showing in the animated version, with the c-shaped cat walk and round stage.

 

[mtnfox]

If you compare this chart to the one on page 1, they are quite different. The one on page one looks like the red zones are set back from the catwalk a bit. This one makes it look like the red zones are immediately next to the catwalk. What color is really the catwalk - light gray or dark gray?

 

[anitram]

If this diagram is proportional, then that's a lot of seats/spots in the red area.

 

[bridonohue]

i don't get the uproar over these seats. it's like any other expensive commodity. everyone might want it, but everyone can't afford it, so some are disappointed. should seats be means tested. should i have to submit a w-2 before i buy a ticket. seems to be a good deal of jealousy/hatred for someone who is fortunate enough to be able to pay for these packages. and btw, the richest guys in the stadium are going to be up on the stage.

do any of the complainers spit at people sitting in first class on airplanes?

full disclosure, the most i paid for a u2 ticket was $300 for a scalped seat 8th row at yankee stadium. had to eat ramen noodles for a couple of weeks to afford it.

 

[DeVaul]

more revealing thing is that the opening of the semi-circle on this chart is facing the "back" as opposed to the "front" that we had been led to believe....

 

[ramblin rose]

So is the grey circular part the Catwalk? I thought the grey areas were the actually people sections. The way I interpreted the "Red" section was actually behind the regular GA people and divided by a corridor area.

 

[malcolmbeaton]

the dark grey chunk is the GA ticket area, the red is the red auction and the light grey is the catwalk, so instead of GA surrounding the stage, it only is the lottery area and everything out in front of what would be typically cosidered the "front" of the stage area..

if this is wrong, U2 should get the maps updated, maybe they will have GA standing behind the red area, as you should have plenty of space to do that

 

[ntalwar]

the dark grey chunk is the GA ticket area, the red is the red auction and the light grey is the catwalk, so instead of GA surrounding the stage, it only is the lottery area and everything out in front of what would be typically cosidered the "front" of the stage area..

if this is wrong, U2 should get the maps updated, maybe they will have GA standing behind the red area, as you should have plenty of space to do that

Light gray seems to ring the entire field, including in the back. Different stadiums and countries might have different fire regulations, etc. and therefore different layouts. e.g. Japan's GA was a lot different (broken into sections) last tour.

 

[ramblin rose]

Okay, I didn't interpret the light grey area as the Catwalk.

 

[malcolmbeaton]

light grey is walking area (either for the fans or the band), but its probably dreadfully not to scale

 

[ramblin rose]

light grey is walking area (either for the fans or the band), but its probably dreadfully not to scale

It's either the Catwalk or walking area for the fans can't be both.

 

[Johnovox]

I think the complainers should take their fight to Larry. I am sure he would be thrilled. This time, its not people mad about not getting GAs, its people who are upset that their position may not be as close to the stage because U2 has the audacity to offer some of these tickets at auction for charity.

 

[Kinsa]

i don't get the uproar over these seats. it's like any other expensive commodity. everyone might want it, but everyone can't afford it, so some are disappointed. should seats be means tested. should i have to submit a w-2 before i buy a ticket. seems to be a good deal of jealousy/hatred for someone who is fortunate enough to be able to pay for these packages. and btw, the richest guys in the stadium are going to be up on the stage.

do any of the complainers spit at people sitting in first class on airplanes?
.

Hilarious! So true. The complainers on this thread just show me how spoiled U2 has made their fans over the years - how many other bands of their size allow the best spots in the stadium to go for the cheapest price tour after tour?

Selling some great seats/areas for a high price is called capitalism, get over it, as I said before, last I checked U2 is not a non-profit agency. They don't have to give any portion of this money to charity, and that they chose to give some speaks volumes. If the people who bid on these tickets are concerned which portion goes to charity, then they can either try to figure it out, or don't bid. And no, I can't afford these Red Zone tickets I'm sure, but I certainly don't begrudge those who can. Good for them!!

 

[pepokiss]

let the people who can pay go there... that's not REAL GA, BTW

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

as long as the seats are actually good and it's not too ridiculous, i'd probably do it for a show. since i'm not going to be able to afford to travel around to see a ton of shows, it might be worth it for me personally to be able to get good seats for a show without standing in line all day. since i won't be seeing them on the first u.s. leg anyway, i'll wait and see what anyone who buys that ticket says.

 

[pudgie_child]

This seating chart (of Stade de France) was posted in another thread ("Best stage/pitch diagram seen yet") by dclawyer:

The (RED) Zone Auction areas appear to be pretty fuckin' huge. Only a fraction of the outer rail appears to be available to non-lottery-winning GA ticket holders.

 

[mama cass]

BIG. DEAL. Let them sip their wine from their fancy glasses...

I'll be on the rail drinking from Bono's Champagne bottle, like I did in Portland.

now that's rock n roll! hahaha

 

[ntalwar]

This seating chart (of Stade de France) was posted in another thread ("Best stage/pitch diagram seen yet") by dclawyer:

That seems to be among the more detailed maps we've seen. I think I see 2 ramps in the back from the stage to the "ellipse", and another ramp to the stage from the back of the stadium. The U2.com animation left that out.

 

[ntalwar]

Another good thing about the auctions - tickets can only be picked up after 6pm at the venue .

"Tickets will be available for collection at the (RED) Zone VIP entrance at the venue on the day of the event from 6pm onwards. "

 

[anitram]

It looks to me like there will be a LOT of seats in those sections, that might help keep the prices somewhat moderate.