Will U2 sell the remaining tickets to make this tour a complete sell out?

[The_acrobat]

Rough numbers of what's still left. Floor tickets not included;

Detroit- Map N/A, people seem to think it's selling pretty well.
Buffalo- 6,200, will require some curtains like Pittsburgh
Minneapolis- Less than 500, pretty much sold out
Indy- 1,800, will appear sold out to those at the show
Kansas City- 4,700- Will have a 90% sold out look to it, may not even use curtains
New Orleans- 8,200- Big sections blocked off, people relocated
St.Louis- 7,500- Same as New Orleans
Phoenix- 7,800- Same as New Orleans
San Diego- 2,500- They'll sell this one out

They need to lower these upper levels and then advertise the shit out of these shows if they want people up there. If they're okay with what they did in Pittsburgh, then okay, but they COULD sell those tickets if they were willing to follow the laws of supply & demand. Clearly, there are no more people willing to spend $165 or even $100 on an upper level seat... so drop the price! I'd want asses in the seats, no matter what I had to do!

 

[Chino]

I am surprised that San Diego is doing quite well considering how past tours (Zoo TV and PopMart) the stadium looked half empty.

 

[CosmoKramer]

I am surprised that San Diego is doing quite well considering how past tours (Zoo TV and PopMart) the stadium looked half empty.

If I remember correctly, the San Diego show on the Elevation tour was one of the only shows that was not listed as a sell out.

Edit: I just checked Wikipedia and it is listed as a sellout but I could swear that it wasn't.....

 

[Pop Artist]

I am surprised that San Diego is doing quite well considering how past tours (Zoo TV and PopMart) the stadium looked half empty.

Perhaps it's because it's not the same leg as LA this time? Also, it was the only show in the region this leg until Phoenix was announced later.

 

[coolian2]

If I remember correctly, the San Diego show on the Elevation tour was one of the only shows that was not listed as a sell out.

Edit: I just checked Wikipedia and it is listed as a sellout but I could swear that it wasn't.....

It's all a lot of bollocks. How did I get a ticket from the box office on Coldplay's sold out tour? My mum and her friend got relocated on the 360 tour as they may not have wanted their seats that were covered by a black tarp. I understand that show was sold out too.

All it means is the ticket allocation gets changed very fast. Sold out concert tour is becoming as pointless a phrase as fake news, or liberal elites, or safe space.

 

[bono2017]

It's all a lot of bollocks. How did I get a ticket from the box office on Coldplay's sold out tour? .

Its called a ticket drop. Ticket drops are often small in number and easy for the promoter to sell, insuring a sellout.

My mum and her friend got relocated on the 360 tour as they may not have wanted their seats that were covered by a black tarp. I understand that show was sold out too.

As long as all the tickets put on sale or sold, the show gets marked as a sellout. Does not matter if you get moved to a different part of the stadium, or if there is an entire section of seats that is empty or has a tarp covering it. Seats behind the stage at most stadium concerts are not sold because the view is completely obstructed. But just because they are not sold does not mean the show is not a sellout. It depends one whether the seat was put up for to be sold or not.

All it means is the ticket allocation gets changed very fast. Sold out concert tour is becoming as pointless a phrase as fake news, or liberal elites, or safe space

This is the same system that has been in use since at least 1976 for determining sellouts. Go to any Billboard boxscore in 1976 and you will find the SAME venue selling out at different attendance levels, by different artist. Just like you see in 2017. Some shows sellout, others don't. The factor in determining sellouts though is the capacity level which is set by the promoter and is often not the full physical capacity of the venue.

 

[Wide Awake n AZ]

If Phoenix comes within 5000 of a sellout, it will still be a successful event. That's the part that gets missed. Where is left that they haven't been where they could throw 40,000 tickets down on a Tuesday night in the 3rd wave? Too much obsession about a "sellout", not enough on what is actually there on a Tuesday night on the way to San Diego. It will be profitable, it will be easier with the tour progressing in that general direction, and it will be full enough to create an atmosphere. And, yeah...they lost a few. The above poster doesn't have to believe that we do go to LA and Vegas often for concerts as a city fan base, but that is the fact. And if that number is 2,000 that went to Rose Bowl I, II, or San Diego (or both locations like me), or 4,000, or whatever, there is some impact.

I still think it will come in at a reasonable number, comparable with anywhere else they could have played on a Tuesday night after already covering major cities.

 

[bono2017]

The above poster doesn't have to believe that we do go to LA and Vegas often for concerts as a city fan base, but that is the fact. And if that number is 2,000 that went to Rose Bowl I, II, or San Diego (or both locations like me), or 4,000, or whatever, there is some impact.

I know that people travel for concerts because I'm one of them. But a few hundred people from Phoenix making a trip to San Diego or LA is not going to make a "significant" impact. The overwhelming majority of people at any of these concerts come from the metro area where the show is being played.

 

[Martinski]

Well im not sure this has been posted on here yet, but anyways.

U2's Joshua Tree Tour on Track to Be Biggest of 2017 | Billboard

 

[rennowba]

Has there been anymore box scores posted?

 

[Hewson]

The factor in determining sellouts though is the capacity level which is set by the promoter and is often not the full physical capacity of the venue.

And of course the promoter suddenly changes said capacity level once he realizes how poorly the show is selling like Arthur Fogel did with so many shows on The Police reunion tour.

June 12, 2007 announcement:
The Police : East Bumfudge USA, Copeland Arena August 15, Capacity 18,512. Tix on sale Friday.

June 18 Update: The Police East Bumfudge USA: 4,277 tix sold out of 20,000 capacity.

August 15 Box Score: The Police : East Bumfudge USA, Copeland Arena: 5,869 Tix Sold, Capacity 5,869: SOLD OUT!

 

[Y2K]

Has there been anymore box scores posted?

Yep. Just posted today:

Current Boxscore | Billboard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joshua_Tree_Tour_2017#Tour_dates

 

[bono2017]

And of course the promoter suddenly changes said capacity level once he realizes how poorly the show is selling like Arthur Fogel did with so many shows on The Police reunion tour.

June 12, 2007 announcement:
The Police : East Bumfudge USA, Copeland Arena August 15, Capacity 18,512. Tix on sale Friday.

June 18 Update: The Police East Bumfudge USA: 4,277 tix sold out of 20,000 capacity.

August 15 Box Score: The Police : East Bumfudge USA, Copeland Arena: 5,869 Tix Sold, Capacity 5,869: SOLD OUT!

If that were the case, every show would be soldout. I'll list all the shows that are not soldout on the latest Billboard boxscore chart when it gets released.

This has been how the industry does it since at least 1976. The promoter tries to estimate what the artist can do and sets the appropriate capacity level. Those tickets are released for sell and the hope generally is that the initial sell of tickets will sellout leading to more tickets being put up for sell.

You can see this for the POPMART tour where there are dozens of shows that failed to sellout their initial set capacities. They thought they could sell at least 30,000 tickets in Oregon, but initial sales were far below that and they ended up only making it to 25,000. Initial capacity for Denver was 45,000, but they only made it to 28,000. Sometimes you succeed and sometimes you don't.

That's the way it has always been since at least 1976 when Billboard first started listing the top boxscores each week. Its rather simple and obvious why its done that way. Staging and lighting often mean many seats can't be sold until its known whether they will be obstructed view or not. So this naturally led to promoters having to decide initially what part of the physical capacity of the venue they wanted to use.

The Police Re-union tour did not do anything unique at all. Van Halen's tour at the same time used the same method and even had sellouts as low as the fake figures you use above. Their Hersheypark Arena show actually soldout at a mere 5,000 or so even though the venue can hold 12,000.

 

[bono2017]

Just look at the boxscores for the Las Vegas shows on the ZOO TV TOUR and POPMART TOUR

U2 - ZOO TV TOUR
November 12, 1992
Whitney Nevada
Sam Boyd Stadium
Attendance: 27,774
Capacity: 37,011
Shows: 1
Sellouts: 0

U2 - POPMART TOUR
April 25, 1997
Whitney Nevada
Sam Boyd Stadium
Attendance: 36,742
Capacity: 36,742
Shows: 1
Sellouts: 1

In the first case, the promoter overestimated what U2 could do in the Las Vegas market. In the 2nd case, a sellout was achieved, but at a lower capacity than the ZOO TV show. If the promoter could just magically make any show a sellout, then every show on POPMART would have been listed as a sellout. But there are several dozen shows that failed to sellout, because the promoter overestimated how many tickets the band could sell.

 

[womanfish]

Looks pretty damn good. Averaging 52,000 per show on the first leg.
The thing is, that it doesn't really matter how the third leg shows sell. Like someone said - if they get within 5000 on these shows, it still looks like a great turnout and as more importantly the press for this tour has been excellent.
Popmart press was all about poor selling shows. This one is all about how huge the amounts of tickets are that the band is selling.

So in the big scheme of things, people are noting this as a huge, successful, monster summer tour - now on track to be the biggest of 2017.

 

[coolian2]

Its called a ticket drop. Ticket drops are often small in number and easy for the promoter to sell, insuring a sellout.



As long as all the tickets put on sale or sold, the show gets marked as a sellout. Does not matter if you get moved to a different part of the stadium, or if there is an entire section of seats that is empty or has a tarp covering it. Seats behind the stage at most stadium concerts are not sold because the view is completely obstructed. But just because they are not sold does not mean the show is not a sellout. It depends one whether the seat was put up for to be sold or not.



This is the same system that has been in use since at least 1976 for determining sellouts. Go to any Billboard boxscore in 1976 and you will find the SAME venue selling out at different attendance levels, by different artist. Just like you see in 2017. Some shows sellout, others don't. The factor in determining sellouts though is the capacity level which is set by the promoter and is often not the full physical capacity of the venue.

So you essentially repeated what I said, but decided to repeat it back to me in a condescending way? Nice.

 

[bono2017]

Yep. Just posted today:

Current Boxscore | Billboard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joshua_Tree_Tour_2017#Tour_dates

Well, interesting seeing two of the shows that people were most curious about on this leg:

U2 Joshua Tree Tour 2017
June 14, 2017
Tampa Florida
Raymond James Stadium
Attendance: 52,958
Capacity: 52,958
Gross: $6,125,415
Shows: 1
Sellouts: 1
Average Ticket Price: $115.67

U2 Joshua Tree Tour 2017
June 16, 2017
Louisville Kentucky
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
Attendance: 45,491
Capacity: 45,491
Gross: $4,810,535
Shows: 1
Sellouts: 1
Average Ticket Price: $105.75

I think U2 might have the attendance record for Louisville.

 

[bono2017]

So you essentially repeated what I said, but decided to repeat it back to me in a condescending way? Nice.

No, I corrected a lot of the points you made. Read it again.

Most important point, the system for determining sellouts has been the same since 1976!

 

[bono2017]

Looks pretty damn good. Averaging 52,000 per show on the first leg.
The thing is, that it doesn't really matter how the third leg shows sell. Like someone said - if they get within 5000 on these shows, it still looks like a great turnout and as more importantly the press for this tour has been excellent.
Popmart press was all about poor selling shows. This one is all about how huge the amounts of tickets are that the band is selling.

So in the big scheme of things, people are noting this as a huge, successful, monster summer tour - now on track to be the biggest of 2017.

Pittsburgh is the lowest seller so far. I wonder how New Orleans will compare with Pittsburgh?

 

[coolian2]

No, I corrected a lot of the points you made. Read it again.

Most important point, the system for determining sellouts has been the same since 1976!

You didn't correct a thing, Sting. I said the sellout system is there to be gamed, you said the system is there to be gamed. I said you only need to sell out the inventory you put out there, and you said effectively the same.

Also no shit I know what a ticket drop is. That's just you being your typical condescending prat you've been since I've been on this website.

God I wish the ignore function on this forum could be more effective.

 

[Hewson]

Pittsburgh is the lowest seller so far. I wonder how New Orleans will compare with Pittsburgh?

N'awlins will be a sell out, Attendance 31,922 Capacity 31,922.

 

[dmalezi]

Rough numbers of what's still left. Floor tickets not included;

Detroit- Map N/A, people seem to think it's selling pretty well.
Buffalo- 6,200, will require some curtains like Pittsburgh
Minneapolis- Less than 500, pretty much sold out
Indy- 1,800, will appear sold out to those at the show
Kansas City- 4,700- Will have a 90% sold out look to it, may not even use curtains
New Orleans- 8,200- Big sections blocked off, people relocated
St.Louis- 7,500- Same as New Orleans
Phoenix- 7,800- Same as New Orleans
San Diego- 2,500- They'll sell this one out

They need to lower these upper levels and then advertise the shit out of these shows if they want people up there. If they're okay with what they did in Pittsburgh, then okay, but they COULD sell those tickets if they were willing to follow the laws of supply & demand. Clearly, there are no more people willing to spend $165 or even $100 on an upper level seat... so drop the price! I'd want asses in the seats, no matter what I had to do!

I'm planning on going to the Buffalo show with my girlfriend who can't do GA. So...it seems like getting the $35 upper level tickets might be a goog idea since those sections will probably be curtained off and relocated closer on the sides (like in Pittsburgh). Think so??? Also noticed that the closer upper side sections that were $100 for Pittsburgh are now $165 for Buffalo. Really?! I'd never pay that price, but I'm normally a GAer.

 

[Martinski]

110,642 / 110,642 tickets sold for Metlife, surely there was more than 55 thousand in the audience at Metlife???

 

[The_acrobat]

I'm planning on going to the Buffalo show with my girlfriend who can't do GA. So...it seems like getting the $35 upper level tickets might be a goog idea since those sections will probably be curtained off and relocated closer on the sides (like in Pittsburgh). Think so??? Also noticed that the closer upper side sections that were $100 for Pittsburgh are now $165 for Buffalo. Really?! I'd never pay that price, but I'm normally a GAer.

I can about guarantee that if you buy the $35 tickets for Buffalo you'll be moved to better seats somewhere.

 

[The_acrobat]

110,642 / 110,642 tickets sold for Metlife, surely there was more than 55 thousand in the audience at Metlife???

I just checked stats by Coldplay, Guns N Roses and Bruce Springsteen, and yeah 50-55K seems to be the capacity for a show at MetLife with the end stage config. Just goes to show how many more seats they could sell on the 360 Tour! FedEx Field in 2009 U2 had 85,000 or something, and in 2017 they had 49,000! Both shows were sold out, but what a difference it makes!

 

[bono2017]

I said the sellout system is there to be gamed, you said the system is there to be gamed. I said you only need to sell out the inventory you put out there, and you said effectively the same.

That is NOT gaming the system. No one is gaming or cheating etc. All artist when playing a venue have the promoter decide what part of the venue they are going to use for a show. Those tickets are put on sale. If those sellout, and there is additional space, more tickets may be put on sale. This is nothing new although you mistakenly think that it is. This is how sellouts have been determined in the industry since at least 1976. Your comments clearly showed you did not understand that. I corrected them.

 

[bono2017]

I just checked stats by Coldplay, Guns N Roses and Bruce Springsteen, and yeah 50-55K seems to be the capacity for a show at MetLife with the end stage config. Just goes to show how many more seats they could sell on the 360 Tour! FedEx Field in 2009 U2 had 85,000 or something, and in 2017 they had 49,000! Both shows were sold out, but what a difference it makes!

FedEX Field has permanently removed thousands of seats in the upper levels in the past 6 years because they could no longer sell them for Redskins games. Plus, while there were 84,000 there in 2009 for 360, the stadium was not 100% filled in terms of using all the seats. Most of the upper level sections still had empty seats not used along the outside of the individual sections. FedEX field used to have a seating capacity of 95,000 plus whatever you could add on in terms of general admission on the field.

 

[Wide Awake n AZ]

Phoenix has 7800 left, the show is months away, and we will have a steady barrage of "Remember the Joshua Tree in Tempe? How the impeachment of a governor, a holiday to honor a civil rights leader, and an Irish band were forever tied together 30 years ago RIGHT HERE!!!" stories on 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, radio, etc. If U2 does any print or billboard ads here, it wouldn't be all that bad an idea to have a picture of Bono from Rattle & Hum and a graphic like the old ad is being torn away next to the new Joshua Tree tour ad and pertinent information. Local radio ads, if ran, should be the intro keyboard to Streets with some kind of sappy "in 1987, U2 and the Valley of the Sun were joined together for a historic event (song progresses to the 2nd explosion)...re-live the experience this September/next week..." blah, blah Joshua Tree something something BOOM.


There is this extra little factor related to the Phoenix area and U2 in relation to the Joshua Tree and Rattle & Hum. They became a part of our political landscape. Their presence was felt by the opposition. It's a built in ad. Management needs to be pushing press kits with choice footage of the 1st show of the tour when they castigated Mecham and Bono lost his voice and the crowd picked him up, and of the $5 show. On Kimmel's network local news, use the clip of him talking about the $5 show. It is a 2.5 minute package that just about writes itself (I used to do this for radio in a past life...TV is sooooo much easier). Flood the local media with a pre-written narrative and some clips and they will go nuts to put it in between a story of shootings on the west side and how clouds formed earlier in the day and we almost got rain (Weather Alert...When weather threatens the Valley of the Sun, Fox 10 Meterologist (whomever) has you covered).


With just a modicum of effort, they can chase this to within a couple thousand of a sellout.

 

[coolian2]

That is NOT gaming the system. No one is gaming or cheating etc. All artist when playing a venue have the promoter decide what part of the venue they are going to use for a show. Those tickets are put on sale. If those sellout, and there is additional space, more tickets may be put on sale. This is nothing new although you mistakenly think that it is. This is how sellouts have been determined in the industry since at least 1976. Your comments clearly showed you did not understand that. I corrected them.

Your actual argument is they aren't gaming and cheating, but here's how they can game and cheat.

You are still essentially agreeing with me. The most pointless dick measuring contest ever. We're making the same point and you just want to mansplain it to me as if I didn't have a damn clue what I was talking about.

Sting, the only win you get is I didn't know/care that it was 1976 that measure became standard.

 

[Martinski]

I just checked stats by Coldplay, Guns N Roses and Bruce Springsteen, and yeah 50-55K seems to be the capacity for a show at MetLife with the end stage config. Just goes to show how many more seats they could sell on the 360 Tour! FedEx Field in 2009 U2 had 85,000 or something, and in 2017 they had 49,000! Both shows were sold out, but what a difference it makes!

Wow ok, and here i thought Metlife Stadium could take more people than Ullevi stadium and Friends Arena.. I mean when Coldplay played at Ullevi stadium this June they had 66k people at both gigs. But the GA field at Ullevi is huge and takes like 25k. But it has quite low number of seats and most of them are shitty. I was honestly surprised about how "tiny" the GA was at Metlife.

There's like 70k people at this concert. And Ullevi only has like 40k seats in the full bowl.

Also Friends arena can support like 55-60k during concerts.

Bruce played 3 gigs at a "sold out" Ullevi for about 65-67k each night last year and played 3 gigs in 2013 at Friends arena for 55-56k each night. So it's very understandable that he come here that often.