Buenos Aires / La Plata queue update

[4U2Play]

Arrived yesterday (Monday), two days before BA1, and there were already 70 people in line. The first fans arrived Sunday night, three days before the first gig.

Things are really chill. Our group of 20 fans is taking shifts so we don´t have to stay in line for the entire 48 hours. Flavia (Niamh Siourse) is doing a great job organizing everything. She is supercool, too, and has a thick Irish accent, hahaha.

Numbers haven´t been given out, yet, but the line leaders have name lists from all the different groups in the queue. It´s now 11am here, about 30 hours before the gates open, and there are now about 300 people in line.

Media are everywhere, lots of camera crews and newspaper reporters interviewing the fans. Our group got its photo on the front page of the local La Plata paper, featuring Marty from Holland and Flavia. It´s quite an event.

I´m back at my hotel now after spending the night there, scheduled to return at 1am tonight and remain until the gates open for the mad sprint inside.

For BA2, the plan is to use the same name lists somehow, so we should be able to upgrade our position a bit, unless hundreds of fans who didn´t attend the first show will already start lining up while we´re inside.

Weather is decent, warm and sunny during the day, cool and clear at night. Our camping place is on a busy, noisy street, but it´s relatively quite at night. The stadium is gleaming, the roof is brand new, and some people are wondering how good or bad the sound will be, since this will be the first big concert at this venue since the roof was installed.

Joe O´Herlihy is probably having a good old time right now hahaha.

Nick

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

 

[trojanchick99]

Wow. I think getting in line 6am the day of the show is early. But I'm a Californian.

 

[secretly alone]

Thanks for painting the picture for us!

 

[dazzledbylight]

thanks nick
yes, very vivid description

hope that the rest of the line expereince goes well and that
you/our bluecrackers all have a grreat concert show!!!

 

[pepokiss]

have a great time, Nick, and if you see a chilean flag, don't hesitate on saying hello to them... they might know me, ahahaha

 

[ultraviolet7]

Cool. Reminds me of my old GA days. Now as a proper U2 generation gal I'm going for less sacrificed options. I'll be doing RZ tomorrow hopefully on Edge's side!

 

[11o´clock]

Some of the fans in the queue are friends (online) of mine and I´d like to be in the queue with them, but I can´t u.u Because I go to the 2nd concert and they go to the 1st one. So I wish them to have a great time and a great concert

 

[4U2Play]

Stadium has now erected a security fence around the queue so that fans cannot leave during the night. I think it´s to control the surrounding streets a bit better because the stadium is across from a residential neighborhood.

Supposedly, at 8am today (Wednesday), the queue will be moved around the corner onto the main boulevard that passes by the stadium. Not sure if we´ll be able to come and go at will, but since many fans are working the line in shifts, it might be a problem when we all arrive trying to get in without having slept overnight in line... we´ll see what happens.


As of now at 1am on Wednesday morning (first show is tonight), there are about 1000 fans on the number list, with maybe half of them actually staying overnight in line. The atmosphere is light, but not loud or raucous.

My friends and I just left the queue to get a few hours of normal sleep at our hotel before going back at 6am. The security guard at the exit fence asked us all sorts of questions about why we were leaving, when we are coming back, etc. He then told us that he expects some cigarettes and candy when we return hahaha! Corrupt fucker.

I am #101, so I don´t think I can run past 80 people to get a front rail center spot this time, so I´m hoping they allow us to go to the outside rail right away, unlike in Santiago, where they forced the first few hundred fans to go inside the circle.

99% of the fans in line have not seen a 360 Tour show, yet, so we´re banking on them being a bit confused when they run in, which might enable us to bypass a few dozen during the run inside and claim a good outside rail spot. Experience sometimes makes a big difference with this stuff.

 

[domo-kun]

That security guard story, wtf!

Thanks for the updates and success on the field run!
And yes new people are confused , they don't usually understand how to find the entrance of the pit.

 

[4U2Play]

Stadium security left us in place and didn´t move us around the corner, thank goodness. Fans can come and go at will, so we´re back at the hotel for a bit to buy some food and water, then get back in line to get ready for the 4pm sprint inside.

Security is totally relying on our numbering system, which is holding up rather well, so far. Everyone in line is pretty cool, no fights or arguments. Fer Castillo and I, being two of the very few foreigners here, are being interviewed left and right by local media. Weather is beautiful, warm and sunny. Cathalmc is lurking about the stadium somewhere, but haven´t run into him, yet.

This stadium just installed a new half-roof that hangs over the seats, but not the field. Tonight will be the first concert held there with this new roof, so people are a bit concerned about the sound quality. It won´t affect us down in the pit, I hope, but the upper levels might have a different story.

The new rumor is that the second show this Saturday will be filmed professionally, then shown in bits and pieces on tape delay on some local TV show. Fans here are connected to the show somehow, and promised to get the master tape of the whole show at some point so they can upload it to U2torrents.com.

Nick

 

[Chizip]

sounds like hell

 

[Eden]

Even better than the real thing in La Plata?

 

[4U2Play]

Success.

Our team of 20, with numbers #82-101 in line, ended up with seven on the front rail center, two on the outer rail dead center, one with the setlist and another got chosen by Bono to go onstage with him during "In A Little While".

Speed and knowledge of the stage setup helped. I got the outer rail center with barely a sweat, I stood there for 10 minutes before the next fans arrived because everyone else went straight to the pit.

Lots of fans didn´t hustle or ran out of steam during the 150 meter sprint. Others got into the pit ahead of our people, but went to the rail too soon or overshot the center and ended up way over on Adam´s side. I think Muse´s microphone setup also made things hard to judge for the first-timers.

After the show, we went back to the queue to organize the BA2 show. We´re doing it in formal groups again, with our group consisting of 15 fans. We are Group C, with queue numbers 16-30, so we should be good to go for Saturday night, unless our tickets don´t scan.

 

[Popmartijn]

It's bad. I fear I'm starting to like all this queuing...

 

[Popmartijn]

Small update for BA2.
Yesterday (Friday night) around 8PM some people from the production company came round and they handed out some pizza and water. Courtesy of the band!
Earlier in the week, during an interview, Bono had remarked that they should hand out pizza to the people already waiting in line (this after a comment from a journalist that there were already people queuing 2 days in advance). Well, it was apparently not possible to do it for the first show, but for the 2nd show they did come through. A couple of dozen pizzas were handed out (like good U2 fans we shared with others) for the about 150-200 people waiting in line.

You rarely read about this stuff, but this is why I love this band.

(BTW, just to be clear, the band themselves weren't there)

 

[digitize]

Small update for BA2.
Yesterday (Friday night) around 8PM some people from the production company came round and they handed out some pizza and water. Courtesy of the band!
Earlier in the week, during an interview, Bono had remarked that they should hand out pizza to the people already waiting in line (this after a comment from a journalist that there were already people queuing 2 days in advance). Well, it was apparently not possible to do it for the first show, but for the 2nd show they did come through. A couple of dozen pizzas were handed out (like good U2 fans we shared with others) for the about 150-200 people waiting in line.

You rarely read about this stuff, but this is why I love this band.

(BTW, just to be clear, the band themselves weren't there)

That's pretty awesome.

 

[Pop Artist]

Better people than I...my marathon queueing (well the earliest I ever queued was 8PM the night before) days are over as I write this from my Buenos Aires guesthouse. Carching the 14:40 bus there, hopefully traffic is better than Wednesday, although I have Cabecera Sur today (but Field again tomorrow).

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

 

[alanah]

Thanks all for the updates..

 

[ultraviolet7]

How did you lot manage during the storm last night? I was thinking about you. Were you allowed to take shelter somewhere? Now the weather seems to be getting better and the forecast is good for tonight, though it's not that good for tomorrow evening. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

 

[Popmartijn]

You have to look at the right forecast. The one for Buenos Aires is not the same as for La Plata. We did not have any rain on the night before the 2nd show.
Now on the other hand... It's raining with a prediction of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

BTW, I predict today's queue will be chaos. There's no list or number thingie. And there's no chance our group will own the front row again as we did last night. Still hoping for the best (with everyone going for inner circle, maybe outer rail).

 

[Steved1998]

You have to look at the right forecast. The one for Buenos Aires is not the same as for La Plata. We did not have any rain on the night before the 2nd show.
Now on the other hand... It's raining with a prediction of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

BTW, I predict today's queue will be chaos. There's no list or number thingie. And there's no chance our group will own the front row again as we did last night. Still hoping for the best (with everyone going for inner circle, maybe outer rail).

Give someone else a chance at being in the front. No need to 'own' the front row two nights in the row.

 

[ultraviolet7]

You have to look at the right forecast. The one for Buenos Aires is not the same as for La Plata. We did not have any rain on the night before the 2nd show.
Now on the other hand... It's raining with a prediction of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

I'm glad you didn't have rain on Friday night. However FYI normally the weather in La Plata is exactly the same as in Buenos Aires. In fact we had rain this morning too.

 

[domo-kun]

Give someone else a chance at being in the front. No need to 'own' the front row two nights in the row.

This really , you should see the show from different angles,
Its so much more fun.
Its boring for the band as well to have the same people on the same spot again and again,
they clearly stated that on the vertigo Chicago DVD. I actually agree with you on this one.

Trying something new isn't really that scary

 

[Moser]

Give someone else a chance at being in the front. No need to 'own' the front row two nights in the row.

Honestly.

 

[Axver]

The front rail isn't even the best position this tour.

3 or 4 rows back in the inner zone was my favourite, and in Australia you could get that spot by showing up around 5:30pm. That was sweet.

 

[domo-kun]

I preferred the outer rail inner circle spot the most, It doesn't even have to be in the centre, the view is amazing when you have one of those claw legs right in the background, works out for great photo's as well!

 

[Popmartijn]

3 or 4 rows back in the inner zone was my favourite, and in Australia you could get that spot by showing up around 5:30pm. That was sweet.

Maybe. But Argentina is completely different. If you are in the inner circle and don't have rail, expect to be pushed around. A lot! The crush is unbelievable!
In other countries (like Australia) you can stand in 2nd, 3rd or 4th row and have some room to dance/jump around/take your camera out of your pocket/breathe. Not so over here. The difference between having rail (and thus some air) and not having rail is huge.

 

[Pop Artist]

Maybe. But Argentina is completely different. If you are in the inner circle and don't have rail, expect to be pushed around. A lot! The crush is unbelievable!
In other countries (like Australia) you can stand in 2nd, 3rd or 4th row and have some room to dance/jump around/take your camera out of your pocket/breathe. Not so over here. The difference between having rail (and thus some air) and not having rail is huge.

Inner circle in the US gets packed as hell too! Actually was surprised that outside the circle was kinda spacious in La Plata. Last night I had outside rail on the side - no problems at all except during Vertigo, when everyone decided to mosh. On Wednesday I stood about halfway back in front of the disabled field section, it was TOTALLY spacious.