chrissybaby
Refugee
I don't really care too much about them not doing other UK shows, I just think that Glastonbury is a bit of a risk. I'm gonna go over to see some shows in Europe next summer, but only if the shows are on the back of new songs...
UK Dates next Summer?
- Thread starter gman
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To be fair though I'm sure you can easily get to gigs in Belgium, Germany and Paris quite easily by car/train in a few hours from the Netherlands.
phommel
Refugee
Yes it's true. Especially the gigs in Brussels (2,5 hours by car) and Paris (5 hours by car) are on a relative close distance. (However, London-Brussels is also just 5 hours and London-Paris is ~6 hours by car) . But remember those gigs sold out within hours (and a lot of Dutch are going there too...). I don't mean that I cannot get there. The point I wanted to make is that there probably just isn't enough demand in the UK. In the Netherlands there is a huge potential demand. The first Amsterdam concert sold out in 10 minutes, the second a few hours later. In 2005, 3 gigs were sold out within 80 minutes. Belgium the same: the two Brussels gigs were both sold in one day. How long did it take to sell out the UK dates...?
But 'we' also do not get more dates. Of course the Dutch can go to other places, but for the general public it doesn't work like that. 'We' the big fans are willing to travel. The general public wants to go to a gig in their own country, and are probably not even aware of dates in neighbouring countries. The people get active when a gig is announced on the radio/local media.
OP
OP
gman
New Yorker
Well...bang goes your theory about playing where there is demand then!
phommel
Refugee
Hey jimmmm. Of course you are disappointed. I am disappointed too...
The UK is not the only country who has been incredibly supportive of the band throughout their career. And U2 does not only play because they owe the people of a country something. They play if they are able to sell a substantial amount of tickets. They also don't play a gig in Indonesia, while a friend of mine who lives there has been incredibly supportive of the band.
But the band did not ignore your country. In fact it does the opposite (they played 5 gigs in 2009 and one in 2010). If they would see enough market to sellout multiple stadium shows, maybe they would have added more dates.
Probably the UK sold more albums of NLOTH than other countries (except the US), but that's not a fair comparison. You should look at numbers corrected for population if you want to make a fair comparison.
In that light you should also look at tickets sales. You say they give saturation coverage to the US, but if you look at relative numbers they played to a higher perecntage of UK's population compared with the US. And probably they also gave the UK saturation coverage.. In that light the UK is by far not the country with highest ticket demand.
phommel
Refugee
Well, then probably I have to spin my theory.
The requirement* for having a show at a particular place is that there has to be enough ticket demand.
Besides, of course there are other factors. Logistic reasons, for example the limited time they wanna be on the road, the res of the tour itinerary and the availability of decent locations.
* I don't know if this is the right word, English is not my native language
I think the Netherlands, despite having obvious demand for multiple shows, is a victim of circumstance - no sufficient venue available at the time U2 want it. U2 really should have done more gigs there this year while they could.
The UK/Ireland, on the other hand ... I do think the band could sell out at least one gig in London and Dublin, but the ticket sales for 2009 weren't that great. Of the five UK shows, only London I sold out on the day - the others, you could easily pick up tickets for a good while after the onsale began. Combine that with not being able to easily fit the UK into the 2010 tour schedule and you end up with no shows, rightly or wrongly. I guess they see Glasto as a good way to reach their UK fans.
The UK/Ireland, on the other hand ... I do think the band could sell out at least one gig in London and Dublin, but the ticket sales for 2009 weren't that great. Of the five UK shows, only London I sold out on the day - the others, you could easily pick up tickets for a good while after the onsale began. Combine that with not being able to easily fit the UK into the 2010 tour schedule and you end up with no shows, rightly or wrongly. I guess they see Glasto as a good way to reach their UK fans.
Living in the far sw of England it takes me 4 hrs to get to Cardiff and 5 to get to London to get Eurostar onwards.
I'm sure if they announce 1 uk gig it would sell out pdq especially if we knew it would be the 1 and only.
And if U2 LTD see Glasto as a good way to reach their fans then they are as out of touch as the Bankers taking thier bonuses!!
Next time one of them says about loving the Uk
KEVIN051269
Refugee
All this is true but I think people are a bit pissed as they were holding out for shows in their countries, whether it the UK or Holland. Because of the LN policy of drip feeding tour dates people are now left holding access codes they cant use and scrambling around for tickets for sold out shows. Would it really of hurt LN to wait until January and relase all the tour dates in one go ($$$$$$$$)
Maoilbheannacht
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2 is NOT ignoring the UK. The facts are that ticket demand was exhausted in the United Kingdom. Scotland sold less tickets than it did on Vertigo. Despite the 360 set up, Cardiff was only able to sell a few thousand tickets more than the Vertigo show. Despite only having one show, Sheffield took weeks or months to sellout and has the lowest attendance of the tour with the exception of Vegas. Wembley one soldout, but Wembley two did not.
The only area of the UK that you could argue that ticket demand was not completely exhausted is in northern England. U2 are not going to come back and play to stadiums that are only half full with a 360 set up. If U2 don't think they can fill a stadium to at least 75% capacity, then they are not going to do a show there with this set up.
So again, U2 is willing to play anywhere where there is enough demand to nearly fill or sellout a show. The UK had its shows, and its obvious with the possible exception of northern England that demand there was exhausted.
Maoilbheannacht
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Your right, although someone is claiming that there was only one price for Scotland. I remember there being at least two prices for the Dublin shows.
Maoilbheannacht are you not contradicting yourself a little by saying wembley 2 did not sell out? as according to the boxscores it did, and i have seen you argue that point on this site more than once that if the boxscores say it was a sell out, then it was sold out?
And how can anyone predict what demand for show would be like a year after the orginal shows?, whose to say glastonbury wouldnt of helped promote a round of new shows?, or the supposed new album they are working on?
And how can anyone predict what demand for show would be like a year after the orginal shows?, whose to say glastonbury wouldnt of helped promote a round of new shows?, or the supposed new album they are working on?
I don't think that's the point, I think its a great way to reach new fans. If this is something they want to do for themselves at this stage in their career, I think they've earnt it.
They are ignoring the UK in that they aren't playing any proper UK gigs!!
Glastonbury isn't a U2 gig - 180,000 will be there whether its U2 or Rolf Harris or Jedward headlining. If they only play one 360 show in Newcastle or Sunderlandor Wembley in 2010 I'm certain it would sell-out. How many saw them last year? 350,000? (not looked figs up) I'm sure at least 1/4 would want a ticket so that would mean only Wembley has the capacity.
What like Insurance companies etc who give better deals to new customers while ignoring existing ones
I'm sure there will be a huge surge in sales of the backcatalogue after Glastonbury to boost their pensions.
ZooMacPhisto800
War Child
Interesting, possibly confusing, choice of words for those who live outside of Europe (proper).
Hold on - you've spent months / years going on about a show having "targetted sell-outs" to justify when a show is "sold out". By your own definitions and arguments Wembley 2 was "sold out".
I mentioned this earlier on in the thread but never gor a reply.
phommel
Refugee
I agree that Maoilbheannacht contradicts himself a bit. Fact is that Wembley 1 and 2 were a sellout. All tickets given free were sold.
However, they could have sold more tickets for Wembley 2, but probbaly didn't do that because of lack of demand, thereby preventing a not sold out concert.
See previous discussions about a technical sell out versus a full stadium sellout
Altogether, there seems to be not enough demand to make U2 decide to give more concerts in the UK. Maybe they could sell out a show, however they might prefer selling out multiple shows on a future occasion and win new souls from the 'open minded music lovers' at Glasto...
And that is what Maoilbheannacht means, I guess?
gareth brown
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edit - never mind
gareth brown
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
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i wish some people in this thread weren't getting so angry and quote, "disgusted" by U2 not adding more U2 dates and "ignoring us". It's bollocks. They don't OWE us anything in the UK.
yeah we love them and go to the gigs and so on but how many people saw them this year?
If you missed the gigs this year then I guess you have a right to moan but knowing a lot of people here I bet one or two have already seen them (possibly even more than once) in the UK this year and are still getting angry because they don't get to add another notch to the bedpost.
Maybe it is the fact that it's not worth it since some didn't sell out or whatever? Maybe the Glastonbury show is an exclusive UK show? I couldn't say as I don't know if that was a stipulation, obviously, i wasn't there
but yeah, PLEASE don't get so angry about it. It's not disgusting. We're not being IGNORED. They're playing the fucking greatest festival on earth. It's going to be one of the best glastonbury sets ever. So yeah, let's make do with that.
and I haven't even got a ticket.
yeah we love them and go to the gigs and so on but how many people saw them this year?
If you missed the gigs this year then I guess you have a right to moan but knowing a lot of people here I bet one or two have already seen them (possibly even more than once) in the UK this year and are still getting angry because they don't get to add another notch to the bedpost.
Maybe it is the fact that it's not worth it since some didn't sell out or whatever? Maybe the Glastonbury show is an exclusive UK show? I couldn't say as I don't know if that was a stipulation, obviously, i wasn't there
but yeah, PLEASE don't get so angry about it. It's not disgusting. We're not being IGNORED. They're playing the fucking greatest festival on earth. It's going to be one of the best glastonbury sets ever. So yeah, let's make do with that.
and I haven't even got a ticket.
What like Insurance companies etc who give better deals to new customers while ignoring existing ones
I'm sure there will be a huge surge in sales of the backcatalogue after Glastonbury to boost their pensions.
Yeah but I don't think U2 owe me anything. They can do what they want.
Greenlight
The Fly
I don't think there's any doubt that U2 could have sold out a couple of stadiums in the UK next year or at least sold more than enough seats to make a decent profit.
It's more likely that they just couldn't find suitable dates in the schedule. It must be a logistical nightmare trying to fit in concerts when they have to allow 3 days to build the claw,play the concert itself then a couple of days to dismantle it and returf the ground etc. I read an article, can't think where now, which said that UK stadiums are generally much more utilised than others in Europe with more gigs and sporting events taking place so perhaps there just wasn't a long enough window in the UK. Muse have just announced tours dates next September at Wembley and Old Trafford so maybe they pipped U2 to the post
Anyway I'm just happy that U2 are still playing anywhere and whilst I wish I'd taken the chance to get Glasto tickets this year which I nearly did, wrong decision if ever
I'll be happy enough to watch it live on TV. You never know they may even have something planned here for 2011.
It's more likely that they just couldn't find suitable dates in the schedule. It must be a logistical nightmare trying to fit in concerts when they have to allow 3 days to build the claw,play the concert itself then a couple of days to dismantle it and returf the ground etc. I read an article, can't think where now, which said that UK stadiums are generally much more utilised than others in Europe with more gigs and sporting events taking place so perhaps there just wasn't a long enough window in the UK. Muse have just announced tours dates next September at Wembley and Old Trafford so maybe they pipped U2 to the post
Anyway I'm just happy that U2 are still playing anywhere and whilst I wish I'd taken the chance to get Glasto tickets this year which I nearly did, wrong decision if ever
I'll be happy enough to watch it live on TV. You never know they may even have something planned here for 2011.ZooMacPhisto800
War Child
Highly unlikely to be the issue.
vaz02
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
The football season starts around the European dates.
ZooMacPhisto800
War Child
The schedule is open-ended; they go where they want to go. If they want to play at a show, they'll find a venue and suitable date - it's the same story everywhere.
No its not, for the simple reason there so no way the english premier league would allow a switch a fixture due to a concert.
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