Hey y'all, just wanted to pop back in and share in the interest of accumulating data:
I filled out the form on Monday and originally requested 2 cheapies for Oct 7th and Sep 30th. When they announced the additional shows yesterday, I submitted a new request for Sep 30, Oct 21st, and Oct 7th. Not sure why I switched the order of preference on the second one. Historically the band has gotten better over the length of a tour but because this one is pretty brief it likely won't matter. I'll be working Desert Daze the weekend of the 14th so that's why I skipped that one.
Anyway, got my confirmation email 30 minutes ago for my first preference on Sep 30th, section 404. I'm in the Ultra group as I signed up about a week or so before the announcement cutoff. I'm curious how Cobbler managed to get GAs already being in Violet--was that your first preference?
I'm still not crazy about No Larry, and of course there's the possibility they'll return to this venue later with him performing the same AB-centered show. But this is going to be too groundbreaking of an experience to pass up just in case it's a limited run. And the way they did this by allowing subscribers to select shows like the old days made this a rather painless process, so bravo to them.
I've seen a lot of people on social media complaining about the prices, and while I'm one of the cheapest bastards on this site, I was worried they'd be worse. I don't think enough people understand the all-inclusive aspect--instead of the cheapies being $140 I think we'd be looking at what, $115 before fees and taxes? Something like that. The cheapest tix for E+I were $80, but inflation isn't the only factor here as the size of the venue always meant costs were going to be higher. Here's a page that charts prices across the tours starting with JT:
How U2 Concert Ticket Prices Have Changed Over the Years
The difference this time around is that the GAs are not priced similarly to the nosebleeds, but the GA section is considerably smaller than it was on the arena and stadium tours, so it's hard to fault them for making them a premium this time. Maybe I'm too optimistic, but I expect the pricing to go back to normal when they return to playing large venues in
2024 2026.
Normally I take a friend who's never seen the band before and pay for their ticket, but this time around I'm hoping to cut my losses a little. I don't like Vegas and have no interest in making a weekend out of it; if I was alone I'd probably drive back that night. But hopefully I can find some cheap lodging off the strip--parking if memory serves is free at all the big strip casinos so it's not hard to get my car after the show and return to a hotel further away, and I don't drink at concerts either.
Anyway, congrats to those who got their tix, and good luck to those who are still waiting!
Go Lakers.
