My GA experience. The list is tainted.

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This line politics is absurd, and one of the reasons why I couldn't be bothered to do any marathon queuing. The other being that it's dead easy to get within 3 rows of the front of stage by arriving at 6pm, making it seem even more futile to queue overnight.

I have to wonder just how much more ridiculous this is going to get before it stops, though. Has somebody started a list for the first show in Boston on the hypothetical next tour yet? If not, get cracking already!
 
Sadly people are going to have an issue either way. Why are we having a lottery? Why are we having a list? I'm so glad this tour is over. Maybe just maybe something will change on the next tour.
 
Axver said:
This line politics is absurd, and one of the reasons why I couldn't be bothered to do any marathon queuing. The other being that it's dead easy to get within 3 rows of the front of stage by arriving at 6pm, making it seem even more futile to queue overnight.

I have to wonder just how much more ridiculous this is going to get before it stops, though. Has somebody started a list for the first show in Boston on the hypothetical next tour yet? If not, get cracking already!
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Yea it's in my backyard right now.
 
Bultproof......you are Tracy...who I hung out with in line in Chicago? Right?
 
gvox said:
But then we come back to "ok, what time do we show up to line up then"? And who decides that, and what if someone comes at 5 minutes before that...and..and..

In a perfect world, we'd all just find a way to sort ourselves fairly at, say 6 am, without too much worry about being number 1 vs number 19, and then hold the line from that point forward.

Sadly, however, some people really do worry too much about being number 1 vs number 19, so it breeds this kind of situation.
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Just show up at fucking 6. Be considerate of venue rules and don't indulge the wishes of obsessed line nazis who have to see Bono's expanding jowls at every gig. Hardcore fans who travel hundreds or thousands of miles to these gigs but don't want to miss 5 days of work are getting fucked over because in-city fans (as well as those who were part of the line clique in the previous gigs) have already dominated it by the time they arrive.

Not living a mile up your own ass is the solution to this problem. Even if I had showed up at 4, I wouldn't have put my name down on that list, purely out of principle.

Furthermore, the difference between #1 and #19 is NADA. It's just inconsiderate people who have more interest in topping the list than having fun and enjoying the concert. There will always be crappy fans; that doesn't stop me from telling them precisely what they are.
 
U2Girl1978 said:
Yea it's in my backyard right now.
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Oh good! Just so everyone knows, the queue for U2's next Melbourne show has already begun in my lounge. There are ten of my best friends on the list so far. They check in on my lounge every once in a while to keep their place in the list.
 
Axver said:
Oh good! Just so everyone knows, the queue for U2's next Melbourne show has already begun in my lounge. There are ten of my best friends on the list so far. They check in on my lounge every once in a while to keep their place in the list.
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No sorry the queue for Melbourne is also in my backyard!
 
LemonMelon said:
Just show up at fucking 6. Be considerate of venue rules and don't indulge the wishes of obsessed line nazis who have to see Bono's expanding jowls at every gig. Hardcore fans who travel hundreds or thousands of miles to these gigs but don't want to miss 5 days of work are getting fucked over because in-city fans (as well as those who were part of the line clique in the previous gigs) have already dominated it by the time they arrive.

Not living a mile up your own ass is the solution to this problem. Even if I had showed up at 4, I wouldn't have put my name down on that list, purely out of principle.

Furthermore, the difference between #1 and #19 is NADA. It's just inconsiderate people who have more interest in topping the list than having fun and enjoying the concert. There will always be crappy fans; that doesn't stop me from telling them precisely what they are.
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You're preaching to the choir here, the difference between 1 and..100+ is nada as far as I'm concerned. Anyone who's hung out with me at a U2 show knows that. I like the communal nature of the line, catching up with people I haven't seen in ages. The number means nothing to me, about as much as it matters to me whether I'm right on the rail or one person back or whatever. I just wanted to see the show with my friends. It worked out, anyways, as I stood right behind them and saw Larry much better anyways :shrug:
 
Question: did anyone who showed up between the hours of 6 and 8, not having their name on the list, get the spot they wanted once they walked into the venue?

Because I totally did.

Sorry I'm getting worked up over this, I seldom do, but it just frustrates me that such a strong leg is being even remotely tainted by fan drama.
 
Hey guess what, you get there at 2 am and you're first in line, good for you. The point is you show up when you want (though it would be nice if people followed the venue policies), you get to know those around you, you use the bathroom now and then, but you stay in the fucking line all day. I have zero tolerance for those who leave for their hotels after signing up for a list days in advance. There's no need for a list, since you're staying in line. If you want to be a diva, get a seat. You'll have plenty of time to shower before the show.
 
gvox said:
Sadly, however, some people really do worry too much about being number 1 vs number 19, so it breeds this kind of situation.
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Exactly! Even if you are #500, you're going to have a better spot than 99.8% of the people at the show. After all of the renumbering, I ended up with #164 and got where I wanted to be, outside rail.

I arrived under the bridge at ~6:30pm on Monday to get my number and got 175. I asked about roll call and I was told it was 5am. I mentioned that I read on Interference that it was 7am and a person told me that was misinformation, it was 5am.

I will admit that it was somewhat maddening to see people later in the day that were in line in front of me that had no number. People that act self-important, self-righteous and/or entitled just piss me off. Then there was the dude with his wife and kid in tow who had obviously marked themselves 56, 57 and 58 and acted indignant when no one bought their story. And the "paper dolls" were ridiculous...saving spots on the rail just as you get there is just plain bullshit. IMO, get there, claim your spot and be seen then go do your business.

Having said that, this was my first GA show out of the nine I have been to and I told myself absolutely nothing was going to ruin my day. I was blessed to be surrounded with some awesome people in line (Kristen and family from Sandusky, a couple from France and Cathy and Karen from Indianapolis). The 11 O’clock Tick-Tock girls and their mothers were behind me. Once inside, the people I was with on the rail and behind me were great as well.

In the end though, it was incredible being that close to the band I love so much. And it would not have mattered if I were #1, 164 or 500. The only advantage the rail gave me was that people were not walking in front of me and I had a handhold for pogo'ing. Nothing else mattered, I was in heaven!
 
U2Girl1978 said:
what i mean is to get into the venue. how would that work out? it would seem like a free for all.

eh i don't think i am explaining it the right way. too tired right now. :doh:
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At the beginning of the day, you're numbered by the venue (security-appointed fan, really), regardless of what the list says. If we didn't have a list, we would still be numbered after the line had formed. Lots of people were re-numbered because the list didn't shake out the way it was supposed to; many people didn't show up on time to take their spot. It's only at the beginning that numbering happened because, on average, the people who show up later are less protective of their spots.

The underlying point here is that the list serves no significance purpose except to allow fans to hold a pen and feel important.
 
You guys forget that U2 security comes down and takes a look at what is going on. They actually like the system and U2 Dave (security) thinks the numbering system helps him out huge.

The list IS important in that it prevents line cutters.

What do I mean? I'll give a Pitt example. A dude cut the line. He had no number on his hand. I called security to come over. U2 Dave has given venue security to deal with line cutter. Time passes. Finally venue security supervisor come over. Dude wrote number 27 on his hand. Hmmm? Wait a sec? He had no number a minute ago! Security supervisor goes over to the list and reads the name. Security then goes to the line cutter, what's your name. Aha! The names do not match. Dude puts up a fight. Bigger and stronger security guard comes. Dude is removed from line.

If there was no list, dude could have cut the line.
 
But correct me if I'm wrong, aren't those of you who use this "list" cutting in line anyway? If your name is on the list two days in advance, and then you rock up at 4pm and go straight to the start of the line, that is cutting, ahead of hundreds of people who had no idea about the list, that is cutting, no? I'd rather Dude cut than get pushed back 100 people.
 
U2BROTHR said:
You guys forget that U2 security comes down and takes a look at what is going on. They actually like the system and U2 Dave (security) thinks the numbering system helps him out huge.

The list IS important in that it prevents line cutters.

What do I mean? I'll give a Pitt example. A dude cut the line. He had no number on his hand. I called security to come over. U2 Dave has given venue security to deal with line cutter. Time passes. Finally venue security supervisor come over. Dude wrote number 27 on his hand. Hmmm? Wait a sec? He had no number a minute ago! Security supervisor goes over to the list and reads the name. Security then goes to the line cutter, what's your name. Aha! The names do not match. Dude puts up a fight. Bigger and stronger security guard comes. Dude is removed from line.

If there was no list, dude could have cut the line.
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No, I understand that, but I think we're talking about two different things.

Lists/numbering systems started on the day of the gig in order to keep things orderly are fine. THE LIST, the one that's shared among 5 fans for a week before the show in order to benefit their gig pals, is not. Some venues are already choosing not to honor those, and I'm hoping that extends to all of them on the next tour.
 
And no, Cobbler, you can't just get on the list and show up at 4 PM. You have to show up prior to the gates opening (although not necessarily 2nd; you could theoretically be 200th and retain 2nd if you make it on time).

You can, however, leave for 2-3 hours and still retain your place in line if you're with friends. I saw it go on all day, but that's a separate discussion.
 
U2Girl1978 said:
what i mean is to get into the venue. how would that work out? it would seem like a free for all.

eh i don't think i am explaining it the right way. too tired right now. :doh:
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how it works everywhere else in the world maybe? i.e. you arrive at the venue at your chosen time, you grab your spot at the back of the line, you stay in line, you wait for the crush when the gate opens, and then if you have survived thus far, you run :wave:
 
Wow, I can't believe this thread has grown so quickly cos one person bore such a sizable grudge that they had go all undercover cop, and post names, photos, video and a silly, bitter whine. And then also post personal messages. That means an instant loss of credibility in their argument for that bad form.

And to do this under a claim of "equality and love"? Nice! ;)

And all us mugs rise to gobble up the bait. Not so nice.

One person got so messed around by one or people at one or two shows they had to vent their fury. And I'm sure other fans got a bit fcked over too. But ... The vast, vast majority of U2 fans respect the self-appointed, unofficial system of the idiots who will line up early to get their Bono-spot. The vast majority of lines afaik were happy, relaxed affairs. This angry hornet has got a disproportionately powerful sting.

Like it or loathe it, many U2 fans are desperate enough for Bono-proximity that they will line up to try to guarantee that. Personally, I think they're all daft. Far better to spend time in the pub, and then lie in, and then be a few further rows back at the show. But these mad fans are still gonna do it, and wisely leave me to my hangover.

You're not going to prevent unofficial lining up in North America. And this is only a North America problem, as queues are anticipated and facilitated elsewhere in the world, where people have lined up for much longer than two days.

Btw bulltproof, you criticised the change in line check-in time in Pittsburgh from 7:00 am to 5:00 am. Then you criticised Lou for challenging this change. Toast isn't normally buttered on both sides. But I'm reluctant to give credibility to your post by picking it apart.
 
So to summarise your gripes:

- unofficial fan line systems are not official line systems according to stadiums in the USA

- the line check-in time was enforced inconsistently

- fans following the unofficial line got vexed at fans following the stadium policies in Chicago

- someone / some people used a +1 system (inconsistently) in Pittsburgh

- someone / some people saved spots on the rail for mates (probably everywhere)

- the list is wrong but you want to be on the list
 
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