Why the Ellipse lottery sucks!

[amarks86]

Ok. I'm sure many people have posted this after being bitter about not getting into the ellipse. This is from the opposite side. This was all at the 4/29 Vancouver show.

I have only been to one concert in GA, and was lucky enough to get into the ellipse. Since I was waiting since 10 am that morning, I also got front row on the railing row in front of Adam. The night and experience was amazing, nothing ruined the experience, but only one thing could have made it better.

During Beautiful Day Bono made his first walk around the ellipse since COBL, which caused a bunch of people in the ellipse to move towards him. The girl right beside me was so excited she ran away from her spot on the railing even. The freed up a lot of room at the front since everyone was near the back of the ellipse to see Bono.

This is when two stupid, dumb, ill just flat out call them whores decided it was their time to make their way up to the front of their ellipse, push me aside, and grab a spot along the railing. I tried resisting but didn't want to be too obvious about it because security was right in front of me and the last thing I wanted to do was get in trouble with security for getting into an altercating with another fan (they might think I was drunk or something and just toss me).

So anyways, these 2 girls were not U2 fans. I would be suprized if they had heard more than just Vertigo in their life. Throughout the night, the were contantly pointing out their other friends in the crowd, text messaging them, talking the entire time, all while Bono was standing no less than 10 feet away from them. Even during the emotional intro to Miracle Drug when Bono talks about the boy in their High School they were shouting at each other so they could hear each other, basically ruining that one moment live for me.

As if that wasn't inappropriate enough, they would just cheer at the dumbest moments, during Bono's talks about human rights and poverty they would cheer and just yell when you arent supposed to, then be busy talking during the speech, just cheering intermittently to act like they were listening.

During Running to Stand Still one of the girls left to get more drinks, and came back complaining that they stopped selling drinks.

They ended up leaving before Yahweh, and some REAL U2 fans that had to stand behind them all night got to squeeze in where they were, which I had no problem letting them do since I felt so bad for them all night. These were the people standing behind me that I had seen waiting in line earlier that day, singing along to the songs, you know, stuff a fan would do. Not dumb whores that probably showed up 20 minutes before the show, needed security to tell them what the ellipse was when they got in, then pushed to the front when they had a chance.

Anyways, that story is just my perfect example of why the ellipse lottery sucks. It prevents the real commited fans from getting up close except for a few songs at the tip of the ellipse.

Before people go saying that the lottery is nice because it gives people a chance to arrive late? Who CARES! U2 tours once every 4 years, take a damn day off work. You don't have to follow them accross the country just ONE day.

Well, thats my complaining and I just feel terrible for the people that arrived so early and didn't get into the ellipse. I know I was lucky as hell, and it was an amazing experience, I just wish everyone that wanted to could have that experience, and not have morons in their position instead.

 

[Do Miss America]

Oh the 'real' fans vs. the non-real fans argument again. I love how everyone's an expert about who's a real fan or not. Those girls could have been huge fans but just happen to be bitches. It's true not all U2 fans are nice and considerate.

 

[amarks86]

Oh the 'real' fans vs. the non-real fans argument again. I love how everyone's an expert about who's a real fan or not. Those girls could have been huge fans but just happen to be bitches. It's true not all U2 fans are nice and considerate.

korczykp said he heard them say "When are they going to play a song we have heard of"

Also, what kind of a fan would leave to get drinks in the middle of the show?

What kind of fan would be pointing to their friends and waving while the band is less than 10 feet away? Not just once or twice, but literally for half the show. I think the only time they looked up at the band is when they were trying to flirt with Adam.

 

[Popmartijn]

I've been in the heart during some Elevation shows and even then there were people like you described.
Morons are everywhere...

 

[HappyFatBono]

Me too Popmartin...

Similiar thing happened to me - except it was about a group of 5 bitches & bastards. They were busy talking to each other and too worried about getting thier next beer. They only seemed to respond when U2 played songs off thier current album.

Course this was when I was in the heart during the elevation tour....funny...they didn't have a lottery for that.

 

[The OOTS]

During the Elevation Tour, there were fans in the heart who had come just to see No Doubt. They went to the back of the heart to watch U2.

So...there are people who attend shows who aren't hardcorers.

I guess I'm tired of the lottery complaints because there are always arguments for and against it.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Yeah, sorry you got stuck with some idiots, but I like the lottery system, it gives everyone an equal chance to get in. And who's to say those girls don't get into the Ellipse anyway?

 

[amarks86]

I'm sure there are more huge fans though because the people in the heart must have waited all day. Even at 8:30 there was only about 4 peopel deep behind me in the ellipse.

 

[HappyFatBono]

I'm sure there are more huge fans though because the people in the heart must have waited all day. Even at 8:30 there was only about 4 peopel deep behind me in the ellipse.

I don't really remember seeing my group waiting in line...they were probably friends with the line nazis.

 

[The OOTS]

I'm sure there are more huge fans though because the people in the heart must have waited all day. Even at 8:30 there was only about 4 peopel deep behind me in the ellipse.

My point was that there are always those type of people you described in GA.

In the heart at Oakland, there were some meatheads with their beers who had muscled up to the front and were yelling not so nice things at Bono during one of his speeches.

Stuff like that happens regardless of whether there is a lottery or not.

 

[BVS]

korczykp said he heard them say "When are they going to play a song we have heard of"

Where is this?

Also, what kind of a fan would leave to get drinks in the middle of the show?

What kind of fan would be pointing to their friends and waving while the band is less than 10 feet away? Not just once or twice, but literally for half the show. I think the only time they looked up at the band is when they were trying to flirt with Adam.

Why are you making so many assumptions about what makes a true fan?

Maybe they were thirsty, god forbid someone drink at a U2 concert. And maybe they were pointing to and texting their friends saying how exciting they were.


Maybe we should require a quiz before allowing anyone to buy a ticket, then only 'true' fans will make it to the show.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Also, what kind of a fan would leave to get drinks in the middle of the show?

alcoholic real fans

 

[amarks86]

Where is this?




Why are you making so many assumptions about what makes a true fan?

Maybe they were thirsty, god forbid someone drink at a U2 concert. And maybe they were pointing to and texting their friends saying how exciting they were.

Wow, people really ragging on me, when you weren't there. Its like you guys are looking for every single excuse to try and tell me these people were fans. I was there, you were not.

This might have happened on Elevation, I don't know, but at least people that waited all day got in.


Also, you obviously didnt read my whole post, because when I mentioned the drinks, I said they stopped selling them, obviously indicating alchohol, which means water was still on sale. If you are thirsty you buy water, you don't come back with nothing and complain about it.

 

[amarks86]

Where is this?

I went with him

 

[BVS]

Wow, people really ragging on me, when you weren't there. Its like you guys are looking for every single excuse to try and tell me these people were fans. I was there, you were not.

This might have happened on Elevation, I don't know, but at least people that waited all day got in.


Also, you obviously didnt read my whole post, because when I mentioned the drinks, I said they stopped selling them, obviously indicating alchohol, which means water was still on sale. If you are thirsty you buy water, you don't come back with nothing and complain about it.

I'm not trying to defend their actions. I just can't stand the arrogance of claiming who's a real fan or not and how the lottery is to blame for this. Obviously this happened when there wasn't a lottery also.

I mean I could easily say a true fan wouldn't bitch about a lottery that the band wanted. But of course I wouldn't do that.

 

[BVS]

I went with him

That wasn't made clear. I just have a hard time believing that 2 females of drinking age who bought u2 tickets wouldn't know the majority of the setlist. I would say it's almost impossible to be at least 21 and only know 'Vertigo'.

 

[korczykp]

Where is this?

in my long review in the fan gatherings sub forum

but i'll give you the gist... first off, they were really pushy and rude when moving into that spot, hitting me aside with their butts and just giving me a rude "move aside honey, we're coming in here"

this was, like marks said, about at the time during beautiful day...

that was ok, they were having a good time during the song, and it's GA after all, so i'm not complaining about the pushing or anything..

but then when the Elevation, Boy songs, and the "lesser known" HTDAAB songs hit, they pretty much stopped caring about the band, and just started focusing on themselves, and talking the whole time.... during elevation... when Bono made the whole crowd sing the "ELEVATION"... I swear I could hear them say something along the lines of "WHAT"S THIS GUY SINGING?" ... referring to either me, or Bono, or.. well, I don't even care who

They'd whip out cell phones, call people, right in the middle of songs... and this wasn' t the innocent call someone and leave the phone on for them to hear a bit of the show... but the whole..

"WHAT?!"
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
"WHAT?!"

right in the middle of some of some songs.

then Miracle Drug hit... and I had to actually STRAIN to hear what Bono was talking about, because of all the yelling to eachother they were doing during the intro, when Bono was talking about how the boy was able to breathe because a little pill opened his chest... and meanwhile, they were talking to each other the WHOLE time...

at one point, they even said "when will they finally play somoe more songs we know?!"
"WHAT?!"
"WHEN WILL THEY FINALLY PLAY SOME MORE SONGS WE KNOW?!"

and that was pretty much RIGHT AFTER New Year's day... during which they clapped a bit, but seemed bored

...all during Bono's emotional intro to MD... which I now can't wait for the boot so I can hear what I missed ...

finally when Bono mentioned our doctors and nurses, they seemed to take notice, because everyone else in the arena cheered

the random cheers at inopportune moments I didn't even mind THAT much, because at least then they were showing that they were having fun, and not just yelling to eachother and complaining

I mean, I personally seriously can't see how you can be first row in the ellipse, and not have a good time, even during the songs you don't know... granted I'm not 'sitting intside their head' so I can't guess too much about what they were thinking... and I tried to block them out as much as I could, so I don't remember half they things they were talking about.. and I'm glad for it, because I wouldn't let the most amazing experience be ruined by those two people

then the encore hit, and zoo station came on and they pretty much then just left and as mentioned, two other people squeezed into the same spot, and the difference was incredible.

the new girl beside me wasn't even outwardly showing that much emotion or anything, but you could feel and just from the look on her face, you could see she was having an amazing time

the difference in attitude was black and white

but regardless, it was an amazing experience, I blocked them out as much as I could... 'just me and the band' and it was awesome

 

[amarks86]

That wasn't made clear. I just have a hard time believing that 2 females of drinking age who bought u2 tickets wouldn't know the majority of the setlist. I would say it's almost impossible to be at least 21 and only know 'Vertigo'.

19

 

[BVS]

first off, they were really pushy and rude when moving into that spot, hitting me aside with their butts and just giving me a rude "move aside honey, we're coming in here"

Well at least she called you 'honey'.

 

[BVS]

19

I'm talking about the girls, if they were drinking they were at least 21. Or is the drinking age different in Vancouver?

And it's obvious from the other review that they did know more than 'Vertigo'.

 

[amarks86]

I'm talking about the girls, if they were drinking they were at least 21. Or is the drinking age different in Vancouver?

Yes, it is 19

 

[BVS]

Yes, it is 19

You crazy Canucks.

 

[Quiet1]

On Friday it appears several changes took place in regards to my prior U2 concert experiences.

3 generations of U2 fans, Grandparents, children and grandchildren, all arrived at 4:00 am.

To our delight we are first in line.

A few minutes later a couple, sister and brother arrive. These folks were really nice people and I formed a quick friendship with J and through the day we discussed the many things that U2 fans seem to hold in common, e.g., ethics, morality, U2 experiences, music, Love and Peace or Else in general etc.

About 6 am, along came a couple of guys who identified them selves as "U2.com website members" and stood quite close to the front of the line. They asked us if we had tickets and informed us that the line would be split in 2 this day, i.e., one line for u2.com'ers and 1 for those of us who had not paid the 40 dollar fee to join the website. They also told us that "their" line would form where we were currently sitting, closest to the door. I know now that this was the first in a series of social engineering tactics we would see from the some u2.com members throughout the event to get the best spot possible on the floor.

Now remember we only have a total of 12 people at present and these 2 want us to move over to the other side so they can start their u2.com'er line.

Well we had already agreed with the other 2 folks’ {who came about the same time as us} suggestion to start a number list to allow movement in and out of the lineup and to avoid people unfairly getting in ahead of other early starters.

The U2.com lads reluctantly take their place in line after several minutes of questioning and attempts to split the line, its now about 6:20.

The exact chronology of happenstance from that point blurs a bit but the summary of occurrences is still all too clear.

People had 2 general reactions to the number list. One was that they were thankful and felt this was a good way to ensure fairness on a first come first serve basis. The second opinion I heard a lot of was that we should be forming separate lines as above, one for u2.com and one for GA only ticket holders. Those of the second opinion also had a third. We might as well split the line asap to avoid the inevitable split that would be foist upon all of us by a third group. Who this third group was, would be changed as each new u2.com'er made a request to split the line and move the ga'ers to the other side of the landing, and allow the .com line to be closest to the DOOR. So who would be the authority to split the line? I heard that it would be the venue security and then that it would be some one from Principal Management, U2's personal team, i.e., Paul MacGuiness and Co.

I spoke with the 2 Orca Bay Security guys (venue) and they went from saying they would honor the list to saying they would not, and then to siding with the idea of 2 lines to move people in faster. These guys would not say who split the line the day before. It was only later around 11 am when things got tense that the OBS guys said it had been a security official (again no mention of who's security) who split the line (announced over a bull horn) at about 4 PM the preceding day.

11 am and 2 lads in their early 20,s appear. Man are they with U2 management, are they roadies, film crew? Nope just 2 u2 .com'ers- dressed similar to all the crew we had seen around the back of the arena at the video shoot- acting very official. These guys end up getting the list and splitting the line. How this happened is that they wore the ga'ers down with deceit and spin doctoring that I now am sure has been well planed and used several shows in a row since the elevation tour (more on that later).

The sad thing is that we already had "One" line with mixed feelings and now these guys and their fellows really started working on us fans that could not or chose not to buy a subscription to u2.com.

Their logic? The line was split yesterday and WILL be split today by the pre-mentioned and still unnamed authorities, so why not get it over with now? This was only after they tried the whole U2.com membership / presale thing equates to "special privileges" tact.

Basically the argument was, "We paid 40 dollars to be members and we can buy tickets before the sale to the general public." Where this logic is faulty is that you CAN'T get presale tickets to a show added at the exact minute that ALL the first show tickets (presale and general ) are SOLD OUT and U2's management adds a second show!

Voices were raised, security was non committal other than to playing their own self serving games and finally as one of those against the split the .com'ers were working I said, "Fine then go split the line if you can but you and I and everyone know this is unfair bullshit based on a smoke and mirros argument which is really an attempt to show up late in the day and move up in line , next to the door and in an overall better position to race the other GA ticket holders to the floor." But .com's guilty consceince would not allow that as the last word. They had to keep going on with their circular logic until they were told to "shut up, and go away to make their line."

Is this a U2 concert ?

Lets move on past all the new attempts by the people in the now split and moved over line to pacify and justify, past all the incidents where those friends of U2.com slip in at various points of their special line.

Yes on now to the official announcement over the bullhorn as prophesied. "Folks," said an Orca Bay (venu) official, "this is the general admission line area, all seat ticket holders can line up around the East Side of the building, thanks." What no mention of the sacred U2.com people, no blessing by Bono ,Edge, Larry, and Adam who appear to greet the mighty .com all with their backs to us lowly ga'ers? awwww.

Anyways, the magic moment arrives and heres where the whole thing comes clear. At # 4 in the ga'er line while security sifts through a purse, the now # 15 or so person is rushing through in their U2.com line to the floor or to the bar to secure the top of the vat for their friends who are racing ahead to the floor.

Now here's the interesting , God was smiling on me part. I pass my ticket to the second scan person and 'beep" ! So I retrieve my wife who is ahead of me and trying to get to the floor while #'s 16 to 20 or so from the U2.com line are racing her and we get a front rail spot in the ellipse with me right in front of the edge's gear.

But, more to come. I again tell one of the 2 U2 garment clad lads from above to leave me alone after he says, "See you got a good spot."

Then I need to switch spots with my wife so that someone's boyfriend, standing behind his girlfriend beside my wife, will take his elbow out of my wife’s rib and place it mine. I try to explain that he is in the second row, the first row is full, and that he needs to release his death grip on the rail and stop pushing. He says no as the booze breath fills my nostrils and his glassed eyes say, "and what of it?"

Now here is where I see the difference between the security team outside and inside (i believe they are 2 different company's). The security guy directly in front of me politely and calmly tells me to relax and let him handle things. He then tells the guy behind that if does not remove his elbow from my ribs, he will be escorted out. The guy behind me then says, no , again. Security says okay its your choice lets go. The guy behind then apologizes and shakes my hand, which I accept and we all somehow were completely comfortable throughout the show.

Back at the far edge of the ellipse my grandkid's parents are trying avoid my grand's being crushed by more drunks who say they "don't fucking care" about their pushing or the 4 and 8 year old that we felt would be safe on the floor as per the fact that this was not some power speed black thrash death metal act.

Here again inside security and in fact U2's floor crew come to the rescue and gets my granddaughter out of the fray and into the sound pit. I was told earlier that the night before that some young children and an elderly couple (75 yr. olders) were "invited in " to the sound pit for the same reasons." okay now we start to see the real U2 conduct the band is known for.

Anyway thanks if you read all this. I will be speaking with Orca Bay Management, sending my respective concerns and thanks to the separate security teams, and also I will be navigating the appropriate Principal Management and U2.com staff channels in an attempt to let the band know what we experienced.

I DONT BLAME U2 IN ANY WAY, THEY DO NOT HAVE AND DO NOT NEED AN ASSHOLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

Anyway thanks AGAIN if you read all this. And yes I did apologize to God, my family and myself for my poor conduct, and yes I am still so disappointed with the new crew that seems to be attending shows. Apparently in Boston the .com'ers got upset when they weren’t given preference over people that the Band and Video crew selected randomly from the crowd, you know people who can't afford to follow the band a network of successive shows, hook up friends in a special line, KNOW how to BE the #1 fan at the exact spot they WANT all so they can yell into their cell phone while your trying to hear the band, "HEY MAN, GUESS WHERE I AM YOU LOSER?

Amen

 

[korczykp]

Pentz, sounds like you had quite the experience

but it's been U2's policy to split up the lines for ALL shows... so they would have been split sooner or later

as for the split, it was a LOT smoother on friday than it was on thursday, which was a huge mess

personally I thought the fans did an excellent job in working with the number system to minimize the amount of people cutting in line, etc... which would have been MUCH worse without the numbers

and the split would have happened eventually... it happened at all other shows up to this point, and I was just happy they did it early instead of doing it at 4pm like on Thursday

 

[Chizip]

the lottery sucks but ive come to accept it

 

[ZOOTB]

Maybe we should require a quiz before allowing anyone to buy a ticket, then only 'true' fans will make it to the show.

Excellent idea!

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

the lottery sucks but ive come to accept it

Exactly. I understand the logic of having a lottery, though personally I don't like it. I also don't like that U2.com members get their own GA line, but there's no use complaining about it now. We're stuck with this system for at least the first leg. It seems pointless to me to point fingers and accuse other people at shows of not being as big a fan.

There are jerks everywhere in the world. This is unfortunately a fact. U2 fans for the most part are great, and I'm sorry to hear that some people have had less than great concert experiences because of jerks. I think the best we can do is make a pact that we'll watch out for one another at shows whenever possible. But doesn't that go without saying? The people who are on here probably aren't the ones pushing, getting completely plastered and being rude, or trying to cut in line.

Can't we all just get along?

 

[Westport]

Agee...the lottery does indeed suck. What it does is kill the energy of the crowd up front (with a lot of ho-hum fans) and since that is where the focus is...it helps to diffuse the energy of the entire arena...

Not a lot we can do about it...the polls, the comments seem to have fallen upon deaf ears.

 

[scottyT]

" Oh the 'real' fans vs. the non-real fans argument again. I love how everyone's an expert about who's a real fan or not. Those girls could have been huge fans but just happen to be bitches. It's true not all U2 fans are nice and considerate."


haha, it's so true i know a huge bitch and she's a U2 fan. haha.

 

[Eliv8]