Alright here's my RZ Review of Gillette. We were in Red Zone 2 (Adam's side) for Sunday, and in the Circle for Monday (because we were One volunteers).
Day 1.
We arrived at the venue at about 4pm and went to will call to get our tickets. There were about 30 people already lined up at the separate RZ entrance...and probably 2000 in the GA line, no kidding. After having read how people went in at 6 and still had some rail space, we decided to go back out and tailgate for a while. After about, oh, one drink, I started to get antsy. So I convinced my girl to go with me back down to the line. We got back down at about 5:30 and the gates - originally scheduled to be open at 5 - weren't open yet. In fact, it put us at ease in the lot a little because you could still here the sound check at like 5:15. We were yet to have our best soundcheck experience, however.
At about 5:40, they opened the turnstiles. We were probably within the first 20 people in our Red Zone. We went all the way to the front of the stage - as far as we could get. One thing to be careful of here, and we learned this the hard way, DO NOT GET RAIL SPACE RIGHT IN FRONT OF SECURITY. Our guy was really nice and didn't bust our chops at all, but he was about 6'5". Two factors make it tough to see. 1. They don't move. Not at all. There are little stands on the back of the rail that box them in right where they are. 2. Because the stage camera is attached to the walkway, security has to stand very close to your rail, making them even harder to look over.
As for the show itself - great, of course. There was something a little off with the energy of the entire night that I couldn't quite put my finger on....until night 2 when they blew the fucking doors off the place. One thing that was a little odd and a little disappointing: Bono did not walk, run, crawl, or do the worm anywhere near us. If the walkway was a clock, he spent all his time between 6 and 12. We had lots of Edge, Adam, and Larry though, and the experience was fantastic. Don't get your hopes up too high and you most certainly will not be disappointed. The vantage point is pretty incredible.
Overall, Red Zone, totally worth it. When I saw my friends in there on Night 2, they were 2 back of the rail right where we were on it the night before, no one pushing or shoving them, and they went in at like 7:30. My vantage point to see them was much better than I had hoped...
Red Zone: Two enthusiastic thumbs up.
Night 2.
Volunteering for One. I won't answer questions on how I got the gig. Just will tell you that I was excited to help out - much moreso than my somewhat (okay, more than somewhat) shy girlfriend was. I'll spare you the stories from the lot - I could go on all day. Great experience meeting lots of people and pitching One to them. I'll leave that out but I'll go through the schedule of my day - which ended up being a RIDICULOUS U2 experience - sometimes accidentally.
We got to the venue at 1:45 to meet up with the other volunteers at 2. They directed us to the Employee Parking Lot, which was located behind the venue. We didn't know that we weren't supposed to go in the Employee entrance, so we did. They checked our bags and directed us to where we were supposed to go. When we walked in, we realized that we were in the tunnel. Thinking that we'd be in and out of there all day, we didn't even take our time. "Oh look, there's Paul McGuiness's office." "Yeah, and there's the band's dressing room!" Whoops. Probably should have asked the really nice gentlemen outside if the boys might be available for a photo op with a couple of One workers.... Not to be.
Anyway, we walked past the locker rooms and McGuiness's office and each band's dressing rooms, feeling pretty giddy about the day. We knew we'd be on stage later that night, but we were kind of nonchalant about it. It was cool, but it's not like I was playing Party Girl with 'em or anything. (Gonna try for that again in Vegas...unsuccessful at Gillette, despite a KICKASS sign.) I wanted to put my time in for One - it's an important organization to me and to the world. We met up with the other volunteers as they were walking into the front of the venue (Patriot Place entrance). They were shocked to see us coming from backstage.
After our first session, break time was 5pm. We went back into the venue, and the boys were on stage sound checking. On the entire pitch, there were like 40 people maybe. We walked out, but got asked to go back to the back of the field. Still, here we are, watching a private U2 show from the back of the field, and they're playing Your Blue Room like it's 9:30pm. It was something that I will never forget. Bono was commenting on the tinny sound of the venue and asking his techs to do various things. "Alright, let's do Beautiful Day into Your Blue Room again." Just sick. Full daylight. Every once in a while, when it was quiet, Edge would let off a GIANT riff from Magnificent or something. By itself, it was just amazing. I can't even begin to describe it. From silence to filling the entire stadium (and parking lot) with the flick of the wrists. Insane.
After the check was over, we went back to work. At 8:30, we were waiting for U2's coordinator for the volunteers, when I heard Space Oddity. I started getting antsy. She finally shows up while the fog is coming from the stage and The Kingdom is playing. She was super apologetic. Evidently the band was to go on about 15 minutes later than that, after we got situated. As I hear the song that I thought should have opened every show of the tour open up its first, I'm now fuming. I know we're missing something special.
After giving us all the instructions, we finally get escorted into the circle at the start of Mysterious Ways. Fourth song of the night. Glad I got to see the entire intro the night before - nothing more exciting than that first anticipation.
After about 4 minutes, my girl has to use the bathroom. They won't let us backstage now, so I have to take her about 17 miles away to the closest place. I'm jumping out of my skin. Your Blue Room. Beautiful Day. Alright, cool....but I saw those already that day so I was okay with it.
We get back for Unknown Caller. Until the End of the World was off the hook - Bono brought a girl up that I'm pretty sure I've seen on stage before to dance with him (and by herself). It was intense.
So the plan is to meet at the end of Vertigo right by the backstage entrance. We all meet there and are pooled together. The Crazy remix - which I thought SUCKED from on YouTube prior to the show - is absolutely fucking fantastic live. Now it hits me:
WE ARE GOING ON STAGE WITH U2! HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!
About 50 people are back there, bouncing and dancing and singing and throwing high fives. The energy level? Indescribable. So they finish Crazy and do Sunday Bloody Sunday - about 100x more intense than the night before, be it my state of mind or actual, does it matter? MLK. Walk On. Oh-oh-oh-u-oh-oh-oh. I'm jumping out of my skin again except now it's WAY different. The next 3 or so minutes was so much fun, and seemed to take so long, until finally we're walking with our masks in front of us. I blew a kiss to my buddy that hooked it all up, squeezed my girl's hand, and off we went.
As I walked up on stage, the crowd was singing and going bullshit crazy (it felt like, anyway), and I started looking for my friends in RZ 2. Finally I have to stop, and I haven't walked by them yet. All of a sudden I see them frantically bouncing and waving from the second row, cameras out.
My hair is standing on end, I'm singing with U2, and my girl is beaming. Looking out from that vantage point is something that I will never forget, and every time Walk On plays in my house or car or in public from now on, it might get a little dusty...
If you liked my story, and you haven't yet, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go sign up for One at
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Thank you!
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Band members in every direction!
I've been pretty sick all week (still kind of ill right now, actually) and I'm so glad I have Red Zone. It seems to have all the perks of GA without the horrible crushing and rushing.
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Lucky he saw it, it's tucked away on the side by the box office. Here's a picture of the entrance we had
Oh! There was a guy who was pretty wasted and heckling a lot of people to my right. Yelling songs in their faces and elbowing people. Security actually came and kicked him and his equally obnoxious wife out. I've never seen that in regular GA before. Usually you just have to suffer with them.
That's great!
I can still go to Ticketmaster right now and see mine. When you are signed in and go to your upcoming events it says right there I have won RZ1. I'm surprised if it's not the same for all the auctions. Anyways... it may not even matter to know ahead of time because isn't there the chance they can change which side is which at different venues? 
