July 5, 2011 - Soldier Field - Chicago, IL

[bulltproof]

I'm sure PART of the reason I LIKE U2 is because they go AGAINST the grain.
Look at what Bono is involved in (One, RED, DATA). Why the hell doesn't he leave well enough alone, and go with the flow? Why do they have a pit and GA seating to begin with?

THIS IS WHY:

• For safety reasons, The U2 360° Tour, along with the stadiums, will not permit any overnight camping or lines on venue property. This includes parking lots and streets surrounding the venue. All gates and entrances to these points will be closed.
• We plan on allowing General Admission/Field patrons to begin queuing at the venue entrances between 9:00am - 12pm on SHOW DAYS. This time will be based on local authority's regulations. We will try to post these times on the website once we get this information.
• Local and tour security staff will assist patrons with field/pitch tickets to the general queuing line, which should be one centralized location.The U2 360° Tour will not have any responsibility if field/pitch ticket holders "police" themselves with the use of a numbering system.
• We will only recognize the "first come first serve" system based upon actual entry at gates at the specified time.
• We have requested that the venues provide port-o-lets if no exterior restroom facilities are available.
• Other amenities (for example misting stations and concessions) will be available ONLY at venues where space and permits allow.
• Items such as banners or flags on sticks, coolers, bottles, cans, umbrellas, portable chairs or electronics (other than mobile phones and point and shoot cameras) will be not be allowed in the stadium, so please make arrangements to store these items prior to your entry into the stadium.
• Once the general admission gates open, the U2 Tour Staff with assistance from local authorities will supervise the filling of the "inner circle"
• We ask that these ticket holders proceed in an orderly fashion as to not risk injury to one's self or others. Once the inner circle has reached capacity, the remaining ticket holders will be allowed to fill in on the general field/pitch area.Patrons that gained entrance to the "inner circle" will be either wrist banded or stamped upon their exit from that area. It is important that all patrons keep their tickets in their possession as they may be asked for both forms of proof.

The U2.Com Team

I say NO MORE LIST!
​

 

[U2BROTHR]

I just personally feel like go with the flow is the wrong attitude, but that's me.

I can agree it may be the wrong attitude, but I'll be damned if I let others ultimately spoil my U2 experience. Especially when the rules are made up as we go along. It is me who takes the bull by the horns and decides how i let others treat me and affect my show experience especially when things are beyond what appears to be out of control. The calm in me goes with the flow. There's no need, for me at least, to exhibit otherwise. For me, that is not in the spirit of U2.

 

[cobl04]

I can't see how anyone would argue with you man those guys in that NJ bar aside.

I certainly wouldn't.

 

[LemonMelon]

U2BROTHR had it together. He was the picture of placidity all day. I tried to follow suit, and my conscience wasn't killing me, because I was never on the pre-gig list that pissed a lot of people off anyway. I'm perfectly alright with a numbering system, but if you're giving dibs to people who went to the same gig as you/live in the same city as you, that's absurd and harmful to fanbase morale.

If you can show up at 6 AM and still get a rail spot, list or no list, and the result of the list is hard feelings among fans, I say fuck the list. We really don't need it.

 

[u2shamrock]

U2Shamrock, I think you may have been standing just a little to my left. Was the kid with the nasty women weirdly androgynous looking with long-ish hair? They were super rude to us and my girlfriend yelled at them but we could not quite get them shoved back to where they came from and I think they ended up blocking the view of the people behind them, because one of the women put the kid on her shoulders. What is with these rude people????

Yep, that was the one! Every time Bono came around by us she was yelling at him to sit up higher on her shoulders as if he'd chose him to pull up onstage. Very inconsiderate, but I guess the people behind them didn't have an issue with it as I heard no arguing from that way. If they butted completely in front of me last minute I know I'd say something

 

[SethVincent]

I can agree it may be the wrong attitude, but I'll be damned if I let others ultimately spoil my U2 experience. Especially when the rules are made up as we go along. It is me who takes the bull by the horns and decides how i let others treat me and affect my show experience especially when things are beyond what appears to be out of control. The calm in me goes with the flow. There's no need, for me at least, to exhibit otherwise. For me, that is not in the spirit of U2.

 

[u2rulesmyworld]

I dont get all the complaining about he GA line and who is front and center and how unfair some people are.

I personally know some of these girls you are complaining about, I too dont understand their need to be front and center, i know they 'cheat' to sometimes get a better spot in GA. I know 50-100 people who are in the 'IN' crowd will be at the start of the list. I know people will save spots on the rail for their friends further back in line. I know people jump the line. I know alot of other stuff that goes on is not fair.

What I dont get is after such a great show, why you come back here to complain about all these things. Get Over it, you were at a u2 show.

I was 315 in line, i didnt rush, i didnt push, i didnt run and I got a great spot to see the show. The People around me were nice and we even gave a 7yo girl a spot on the rail so she could see.

Negative people will always see the negative

 

[u2rulesmyworld]

I will also say I came in here to read what other fans had to say about the show, expecting to read some positive experiences, that didnt really happen

It was mostly complaining.

 

[LemonMelon]

Two comments, after scanning this thread in its entirety:

1. No alcohol for Minnesota? I'm 20 and can't purchase it anyway, so a dry concert is a superior concert as far as I'm concerned.

2. The pics here are incredible. My cell phone pics are absolute shit, so thank you to everyone who contributed these.

 

[bulltproof]

Like everything else good in life, there is a dark side.
This is U2's dark side. We have explored it, and do indeed need to move on.
We tend as humans to remember the negatives.
Tell your mum you love her a thousand times. She may remember.
Tell her you hate her once... she'll never forget.

As I said before THE SHOW WAS AMAZING.
However, I was hurt by the selfishness I saw.

I will see more shows. But I will NOT comply with a GA list.
The band says no.
The stadium said no in Chicago.
In the future I'll que when the stadium says, not when a list says.

It's called a line people. A line.
Been around for ages.
You can't jump in front of an Apple Launch for a new phone/iPad because someone made a list; and THAT's commercial! U2 is spiritual!

So close, yet so far.

 

[hand0lotion]

Two comments, after scanning this thread in its entirety:

1. No alcohol for Minnesota? I'm 20 and can't purchase it anyway, so a dry concert is a superior concert as far as I'm concerned.

2. The pics here are incredible. My cell phone pics are absolute shit, so thank you to everyone who contributed these.

Yea, thanks to U2 wanting to reach out to the young people, we're getting university stadiums. I was at Salt Lake (U of Utah), GA pit was nice and civil. I would give anything to have done East Lansing. Uhh, maybe not Nashville cos it was so damn hot there!

I'm going to Stubhub it for Minnesota, $100+ be damned.

About the GA line thing, maybe the solution would be to email all the future stadiums about the fracas, (hope it gets through the customer reps up to the senior management), so they know what to anticipate (how obsessed U2 fans are). I hope all the other stadiums of the tour are learning from the Montreal stampede and such too!

 

[bono_212]

I'm not going to feel bad for being upset about one aspect of the show.

Here's the thing. I have the ability, get ready for this, to separate my emotions! I have come on here choosing to elaborate on an aspect of the show that upset me. I have continued to discuss it because it has continued to be an aspect of the show.

There are many other places on the forum, of course, where I have had nothing but wonderful things to say about the show, because the show itself, that was amazing.

 

[coolian2]

I'm not going to feel bad for being upset about one aspect of the show.

Here's the thing. I have the ability, get ready for this, to separate my emotions! I have come on here choosing to elaborate on an aspect of the show that upset me. I have continued to discuss it because it has continued to be an aspect of the show.

There are many other places on the forum, of course, where I have had nothing but wonderful things to say about the show, because the show itself, that was amazing.

exactly. it's a bit like me saying after nashville "great show, but fuck me the metal flooring is hot to sit on before the show" and someone tells me i can't mention the thing i fancy pointing out because it saw u2.

 

[bono_212]

exactly. it's a bit like me saying after nashville "great show, but fuck me the metal flooring is hot to sit on before the show" and someone tells me i can't mention the thing i fancy pointing out because it saw u2.

You complaining bastard.

 

[corianderstem]

I personally know some of these girls you are complaining about, I too dont understand their need to be front and center, i know they 'cheat' to sometimes get a better spot in GA. I know 50-100 people who are in the 'IN' crowd will be at the start of the list. I know people will save spots on the rail for their friends further back in line. I know people jump the line. I know alot of other stuff that goes on is not fair.

I know this stuff always happens, and by the end of the tour, this kind of shit mentioned above is the kind of shit that makes me feel like I hate U2 fans.

So I bitch and moan about it for a while, and it turns to joking about it with friends, I get it out of my system, and then I feel better.

I don't let it ruin my shows ... but mostly because I either decide not to deal with it, or just don't have to because I have seats.

I feel bad for bulletproof (sorry, I know I misspelled that), because he's new around here and is all fired up, and wants to make things change. But hasn't yet realized that this shit is never going to change, because the people who are causing said shit a) aren't on the forums; and b) don't care.

So fuck them. I love seeing U2. The trick is that you just need to figure out how you don't let that shit ruin your experience.

My trick is that I have to bitch about it later.

 

[bulltproof]

I am new to the forum. I was a propaganda member many moons ago.

I was a "dead head" for MANY years too. That's what I loved about Dead shows. Their parking lot people were amazing. There were no misguided girls/women/whores that thought they had a chance with a member of the band.
There was no drama (unless you count a "bad trip" as drama).

Some of the better quotes you'd hear from other deadheads:

Love is real, not fade away
Space your face
and my favorite: At least I'm enjoying the ride

There was a sense of brotherhood. You can blame the drugs for all the mellow attitudes, but I have met several that didn't do drugs.

U2 fans could be like this. Some are.

Imagine... a happy, caring, compassionate fan base AND a U2 show. Utopia.

 

[corianderstem]

Please don't call them whores.

 

[unforgettable fire]

In Crowd? lol! I didn't know U2 had an "in crowd".... kinda cute in a way. I'm older and started listening to them around 81 or 82. What turned me onto them is the fact that they were "outsiders" at the time. I considered myself to be sort of an "outsider" in high school, during that period in time (82-85). I still like to be a bit of an "outsider". I certainly don't want to be in an "in crowd". When I went to early shows, they were filled with the off beat kids, like me at that time.... that's what I loved about them. I want to be in the "out crowd" please? I look incredibly normal, but I'm really an artist and an outsider at heart. That's what originally attracted me to the music of U2...the politics, causes etc. I know they are now the biggest rock band in the world, but I still feel like they are the alternative band that went against the grain, fought for the underdog, stood up for the non in issues, and the non in people. All the love to the in crowd of U2 fans, but I will always prefer to be on the outside.

 

[u2rulesmyworld]

I am new to the forum. I was a propaganda member many moons ago.

I was a "dead head" for MANY years too. That's what I loved about Dead shows. Their parking lot people were amazing. There were no misguided girls/women/whores that thought they had a chance with a member of the band.
There was no drama (unless you count a "bad trip" as drama).

Some of the better quotes you'd hear from other deadheads:

Love is real, not fade away
Space your face
and my favorite: At least I'm enjoying the ride

There was a sense of brotherhood. You can blame the drugs for all the mellow attitudes, but I have met several that didn't do drugs.

U2 fans could be like this. Some are.

Imagine... a happy, caring, compassionate fan base AND a U2 show. Utopia.

You need to start a commune in montana or somewhere.
You sound like a whining baby to me
Time to get over it and move on

 

[mama cass]

You need to start a commune in montana or somewhere.
You sound like a whining baby to me
Time to get over it and move on

ahhhh that's the spirit!

 

[*Ally*]

There were no misguided girls/women/whores that thought they had a chance with a member of the band.

...

There was a sense of brotherhood.

I'm not going to get into the merits of the GA system-- there have been arguments over how the line should be run going back 10 years. Clearly, the fans will never all agree on a fair line up policy.

That being said, your categorization of female U2 fans as "girls/women/whores" is utterly offensive and sexist. There are just as many --if not MORE -- male fans running the GA lines on this tour. So whatever you're pissed off about cannot be attributed solely to those who you refer to as "whores."

Also, your use of the word "brotherhood" highlights the fact that the term "sisterhood" appears nowhere in your utopian description of fan harmony. Not surprising, IMHO.

 

[*Ally*]

On topic, the show in Chicago blew me away, one of my favorites of the tour. Crowd was loud and energetic and the band fed off of that all nite. One tree hill made me cry, tears of joy not sadness. I was hoping for Bad, but OTH was a bigger gift than I could have imagined. Loved every second, still on a high 6 days later.

 

[No spoken words]

On topic, the show in Chicago blew me away, one of my favorites of the tour. Crowd was loud and energetic and the band fed off of that all nite. One tree hill made me cry, tears of joy not sadness. I was hoping for Bad, but OTH was a bigger gift than I could have imagined. Loved every second, still on a high 6 days later.

You're alive.

 

[bulltproof]

For your assumption that whores equals women just dumbfounds me.
I'm not trying to insult anyone.

whore: to seek that which is immoral, idolatrous, etc

YES, men whore themselves too.

My interpretation is when we sell what should not be sold for something of a lesser value. Such as our integrity for a spot at a concert.

 

[bono_212]

Perhaps that would be a little more believable if it hadn't been in conjunction with "Thought they had a chance with the member of the band."

 

[bulltproof]

Ok, like some guys don't go with the anticipation of playing on stage?
Whatever. That would be their chance.

I tried to edit the post, but can't.

So sorry to offend




though that wasn't my intention

 

[trevgreg]

Additional thoughts...

Still getting over the fact they pulled out OTH at the end. Definitely feeling blessed to have been there for that.

As a previous poster mentioned, I could definitely smell marijuana at one point in the pit. Not sure if I thought I was the only one, but that was definitely a first at a U2 show for me.

Regarding the GA experience, I can't really leave with any complaints from this one. I signed up in the line the night before at around #193 and still managed to get a front row spot just to the left of Edge. Would it have been nice to have been closer to the center like the last show I was at? Sure, no question. But I still got a good show out of it and met some nice people, so not all was lost. I just go with the flow on how the crowd handles the line police, honestly (for lack of a better term, haha). At Chicago 1 in 2009, the security basically told everyone first come, first serve, and that was the end of that. This time around, they didn't seem to fight it too much, and me and lot of other people still got a pretty good spot (and some time inside Soldier Field out of the sun).

So while it could've been worse, I don't really have any complaints about how the night turned out for me. Every venue is going to handle those people differently, and there's not much I can do about it until I see what they're doing and I'll just go from there.

 

[*Ally*]

I tried to edit the post, but can't.

So sorry to offend




though that wasn't my intention

No worries. Hopefully the thread will turn towards the more positive aspects of the show, apart from GA drama.

 

[u2shamrock]

As a previous poster mentioned, I could definitely smell marijuana at one point in the pit. Not sure if I thought I was the only one, but that was definitely a first at a U2 show for me.

I could smell it to the right of me as well, literally as soon as the lights were turned off. The slight breeze worked in our favor though, as I didn't smell it much for the rest of the show.

At my first U2 show ever in 2005 (when I was 15) at the United Center, the group of adults next to us offered my mom and me some pot

 

[trevgreg]

I could smell it to the right of me as well, literally as soon as the lights were turned off. The slight breeze worked in our favor though, as I didn't smell it much for the rest of the show.

Perhaps it drifted my way after that!