popbellydancer
Refugee
I would see them in tents already for the next one when I was leaving. At a certain point it is obsessive/stalker and you wonder when it stops being about the music. I don't wonder, I know-I've seen it in action and known a couple of people.
I was also hassled once by a line Nazi person when I had my butt on that pavement all day, only to find out later that they cheated and put friends there who showed up hours later. GA shatters any delusions one may have about any sort of superior honesty of U2 fans as a general "rule". I guess that was some sort of defensive distractive measure on her part regarding her cheating.
I enjoyed every U2 show I ever went to long before they ever had GA. The GA has created a sense of entitlement/obsession among some fans and this ridiculous notion that you can't enjoy a U2 show any other way.
The reason for some of the same people being up front all the time is cheating..I said some of course, not all. I have heard about it from people I know to be honest and decent. There was crap going on with wristbands, etc. The fact that people bringing that up here are labeled as "jealous" and dismissed doesn't make it untrue. That's the sense of entitlement-that you would cheat to get that. Add on top of that that some of these same people are going to multiple shows all over the country/world.
I'm in favor of lottery too-but it would help to somehow crack down on cheaters if that could be possible. And nothing against kids but that shouldn't get you in either.
I'm going to one show this year with one GA. It would be nice to be on a level playing field and not have to deal with cheating. I can't and won't camp out and wherever I end up will be ok with me. But all I ask is a fair shot, especially when some others will be up close numerous times (and cheat for it if they have to). I know one thing for sure, I wouldn't-even if it means being in the back. I've had GA a few times on other tours and had a few good spots-and all were 100% legit. I also had seats and enjoyed that too-partly as a break from GA hassles/ bad experiences. I also got screwed over by that Boston thing in the first GA I ever had. But I still got a great spot and I didn't participate in any sitdown or any thing of the sort. I tried to reason with them too-no luck there. I guess they got over it because I heard they have already been seen on the promo tour, etc.
Yes, i remember seeing people with these last tour..
the same people had them on elevation too. but trust me when i tell you, that the folks i'm talking about DO NOT let themselves be glimpsed by other people with multiples. there is a group that's been doing it a LONG time, and they know how keep under the radar. so lottery or no, that's gonna happen. and since u2's people know about it and thought it was amusing, don't expect to not see it again. sorry if that's upsetting, but some of those people have gone to 50 to 100 shows per tour since JT or Zootv. that doesn't make it right, but it does help that they "know" people. all it does is gets them inside the ellipse. it does NOT get them rail.
NO ONE CAN GET RAIL WITHOUT CAMPING OUT. PERIOD.
the lottery did not cut down on this at ALL btw!! instead, i started seeing a bunch of other newer people with wristbands, and those people were blatant about it!! i dare say that the lottery spawned more of this than NOT having a lottery. cuz only a secect few did it on elevation. anyway....my point is that i understand many of you believe it cuts down on this....but it does not....in fact it 's a JOKE how badly it worked. so, what's the point? they could just go back to a seated field if they really wanted to cut down on the same faces. but you know what...bono doesn't take "line nazis" (as some of you call them) onstage 3 to 6 nights because he doesn't like seeing their faces. he loves all his fans. so, i dunno...i just wish people realized how much worse things got with the lottery.
if it was fair..... fine. if there was no sneaking.... fine. if the blonde lady alison couldn't pick and choose who she did and didn't want to let in .....fine. if you ONLY got one guest.... fine. but then you see some people get in with 6 guests....not fine. alison and her live nation crew would give out wristbands to who they felt like at any time....INCLUDING when the line was going in. she would make sure kids got in and their whole group....why is that fine? it was not even. it was not fair. if i posted all that happened to me and my friends on that tour it would stun you. but out of some respect for the powers that be i won't.
anyhoo, my point again, is that ...IF THEY TREAT IT FAIRLY, FINE...IT MIGHT NOT SUCK SO BAD. but they don't ....so, it's a joke.
imho.