Will the next tour be in stadiums or arena's in the United States?

[Steve_Bono]

Not too hot for getting some digits though, amirite brah?

Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people

I generally skip the digits and go for the main course immediately. No time like the present.

 

[Steve_Bono]

This really bothers you still to this day, doesn't it?

I wasn't there and had not thought about it in at least a decade until just a few pages ago.

 

[trevgreg]

Can't people leave their cell phone off for two hours? Is that too much to ask considering most people didn't have cell phones on Popmart and did just fine.

Also, you don't have to film and photograph every part of the show. Put your cell phone away and simply enjoy the concert experience.

I had a similar post some time back, but I think that the priorities some people have at any type of concert can be all over the place. Some will go entirely for the experience and just stare at the band the whole time. Some will take their cameras or phones and use them for pictures or video. Some will get drunk or high and try to experience the show that way. A few will be dragged by friends that or more of a fan than they are and be just as into it or more distracted. Some will look at it more as an event to be at, rather than a show, and might use the occasion to talk a lot of the time. And there's other situations besides that, I'm sure...

The cell phone issue can be argued with regards to it 'taking away' from the concert experience or not, but I don't think people have ever been on the same page when it comes to what they do at the shows. There has probably always been a variety of things at play there, imo.

 

[gvox]

I wasn't there

 

[Steve_Bono]

360's GA allowed me to show up at 6:30 and still wander easily into the inner circle.

so count me among the stadium hopefuls. i just think they're too big now to go back to arenas on a full time basis.

getting tickets through normal means will be a bitch and a half.

I still think the band has to be careful when it comes to stadiums in the United States. They never want to risk the Popmart experience again, so planning will be key. They may feel it is safer to underplay the market this time out, by playing arena's, and essentially lock casual fans out of the show in order to build demand for the tour after this one which would go back to the stadiums.

 

[gvox]

They may feel it is safer to underplay the market this time out, by playing arena's, and essentially lock casual fans out of the show in order to build demand for the tour after this one which would go back to the stadiums.

Do you think that if they do arenas casual fans get locked out?

Using Toronto as an example: 4 arena shows vs 2 stadium shows. In both scenarios, lots of casual fans see U2. Lots.

 

[Steve_Bono]

Do you think that if they do arenas casual fans get locked out?

Using Toronto as an example: 4 arena shows vs 2 stadium shows. In both scenarios, lots of casual fans see U2. Lots.

Well, you have 80,000 available tickets over four shows vs 120,000 tickets over two shows. Actually they played Toronto 3 times on 360 so that is 180,000 tickets vs the 80,000 they played to on Vertigo.

No matter how you stack it, people are getting locked out of the show when you only make 80,000 tickets available when your capable of playing to 180,000.

Plus with multiple arena shows, die hards go to multiple shows, perhaps all four shows, which is another factor which displaces and locks casual fans out of arena shows. No, not everyone, but still a significant number.

 

[gvox]

No, not everyone

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Blue Room]

Well, you have 80,000 available tickets over four shows vs 120,000 tickets over two shows. Actually they played Toronto 3 times on 360 so that is 180,000 tickets vs the 80,000 they played to on Vertigo.

No matter how you stack it, people are getting locked out of the show when you only make 80,000 tickets available when your capable of playing to 180,000.

Plus with multiple arena shows, die hards go to multiple shows, perhaps all four shows, which is another factor which displaces and locks casual fans out of arena shows. No, not everyone, but still a significant number.

Most likely they would play there on two legs this time out. 4 the first time and 2 the 2nd leg or vice versa. So that is 116,000 tickets. Still underselling the market but not quite as drastic. If you want tickets for all 6 shows it might be tougher, if someone just wanted to go see them (for one show, like non diehards do) I do not think they would have a problem getting A ticket.

They could also come back on a 2nd leg N. American stadium leg, which would blow your hole argument out of the water.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I still think the band has to be careful when it comes to stadiums in the United States. They never want to risk the Popmart experience again, so planning will be key. They may feel it is safer to underplay the market this time out, by playing arena's, and essentially lock casual fans out of the show in order to build demand for the tour after this one which would go back to the stadiums.

No Line was less popular than Pop, and 360 had zero issue selling tickets.

They're at the point in their careers where they don't have to do anything and they can sell out.

Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people

 

[Steve_Bono]

No Line was less popular than Pop,

That's actually not true as NLOTH was the 7th biggest selling album worldwide of 2009 and specifically in the United States was the 22nd biggest selling album of the year.

Pop was not in the top 20 worldwide in 1997 and finished at #50 in the United States in sales that year.

So in terms of being one of the most popular albums in the year of its release, NLOTH was considerably more popular than Pop ever was. The number of units sold can't be directly compared because many fans today obtain the album for FREE without purchasing it.

and 360 had zero issue selling tickets.

They're at the point in their careers where they don't have to do anything and they can sell out.

Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people

When you attempt to set records on each stadium tour you do, you need all the help you can get and no artist at that level can do just anything and still sell out.

Ever since the end of the Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge Tour in 1995, the Stones have experienced declining attendance with their outdoor stadium shows. Most of the shows their doing on the current tour are avoiding stadiums. So the idea that new songs and material don't matter at all to concert attendance is a myth. In addition, if the myth were true Popmart would have had no problems because by then the band were LEGENDS with 20 years in the business.

In any event, its possible they would do just fine with a full stadium tour this time out, but members of the band and the bands tour manager Arthur Fogel have indicated in several places that it would be smart to scale down for this tour.

 

[Irvine511]

or it means that the U2 audience is old and was still buying actual albums in 2009.

 

[zoopop]

U2 touring stadiums now is different than in 1997. The 360 Tour was the biggest rock n roll production ever and people wanted to see it for that very reason. Concerts now, especially arena/stadium shows are more of a social event for people than a musical experience say 20 years ago. People go just to go and U2 headlining any venue will get people lined up for arenas or stadiums.

I do think they'll start out in arenas this go around and then maybe take to stadiums the following legs. The band doesn't want to top the 360 (not in production) and the new songs will translate better in an arena.

 

[Steve_Bono]

Most likely they would play there on two legs this time out. 4 the first time and 2 the 2nd leg or vice versa. So that is 116,000 tickets. Still underselling the market but not quite as drastic. If you want tickets for all 6 shows it might be tougher, if someone just wanted to go see them (for one show, like non diehards do) I do not think they would have a problem getting A ticket.

They could also come back on a 2nd leg N. American stadium leg, which would blow your hole argument out of the water.

Well, they had the opportunity to do that on Vertigo for Toronto and they didn't. Again, when the band is this popular, there are people that are going to be locked out of the tour if they keep it in arena's. I knew many casual fans who could not get tickets in Philadelphia with 4 shows and Washington DC with 2 shows back on the Vertigo Tour. The first Philadelphia show was soldout entirely through the fan club, they held no tickets back for that one.

Plus when you move to bigger cities like Chicago, New York and Los Angeles that might get six shows, the demand is even greater, so the situation remains the same.

Unless the band experience a decrease in popularity, getting tickets to an all arena tour by the band will be difficult for casual fans.

 

[Steve_Bono]

or it means that the U2 audience is old and was still buying actual albums in 2009.

I suppose its possible, but that would mean its better to have old fans rather than young fans. The album sales figures count the sale of digital albums as well, not just physical albums.

 

[trojanchick99]

I have nothing to contribute, except to note that the apostrophe in the thread title makes me stabby.

 

[Steve_Bono]

U2 touring stadiums now is different than in 1997. The 360 Tour was the biggest rock n roll production ever and people wanted to see it for that very reason. Concerts now, especially arena/stadium shows are more of a social event for people than a musical experience say 20 years ago. People go just to go and U2 headlining any venue will get people lined up for arenas or stadiums.

I do think they'll start out in arenas this go around and then maybe take to stadiums the following legs. The band doesn't want to top the 360 (not in production) and the new songs will translate better in an arena.

Its rather ironic that you say that because many people said the same thing when it was announced that U2 would be going straight into the stadiums for the Popmart tour. Popmart was the biggest rock n roll production ever launched when it started in early 1997 as well. U2 were legends with a massive fanbase at the time and had been in the business for 20 years. It was a shock when they struggled to fill the stadiums after tickets went on sale. Things might be different now, but they were already supposed to have been different for the band back in 1997. I think the Popmart experience made the band be extra careful about all its moves in the studio and for tours.

 

[Steve_Bono]

I have nothing to contribute, except to note that the apostrophe in the thread title makes me stabby.

Sorry, but this is a message board as opposed to some formal document.

 

[corianderstem]

Says you. Every month all the threads get compiled and delivered to U2's offices. In hard copy.

Printed out on a dot matrix printer.

 

[digitize]

I have nothing to contribute, except to note that the apostrophe in the thread title makes me stabby.

I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling this way.

 

[jeevey]

Arena's what? Do we even have a member called Arena? And if so why isn't it capitalized? I ask myself every time.

However I do have to praise interferencers generally for using conventional spelling and complete sentences much more than they need to and a conspicuous lack of text speak. But is this just proof that U2's fan base is either A. nerdy or B. old?

 

[Blue Room]

Well, they had the opportunity to do that on Vertigo for Toronto and they didn't. Again, when the band is this popular, there are people that are going to be locked out of the tour if they keep it in arena's. I knew many casual fans who could not get tickets in Philadelphia with 4 shows and Washington DC with 2 shows back on the Vertigo Tour. The first Philadelphia show was soldout entirely through the fan club, they held no tickets back for that one.

Plus when you move to bigger cities like Chicago, New York and Los Angeles that might get six shows, the demand is even greater, so the situation remains the same.

Unless the band experience a decrease in popularity, getting tickets to an all arena tour by the band will be difficult for casual fans.

I went to 11 Vertigo arena shows and had no problem getting tickets for any of them.

 

[digitize]

Arena's what? Do we even have a member called Arena? And if so why isn't it capitalized? I ask myself every time.

However I do have to praise interferencers generally for using conventional spelling and complete sentences much more than they need to and a conspicuous lack of text speak. But is this just proof that U2's fan base is either A. nerdy or B. old?

C. of above average intelligence.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

That's actually not true as NLOTH was the 7th biggest selling album worldwide of 2009 and specifically in the United States was the 22nd biggest selling album of the year.

Pop was not in the top 20 worldwide in 1997 and finished at #50 in the United States in sales that year.

So in terms of being one of the most popular albums in the year of its release, NLOTH was considerably more popular than Pop ever was. The number of units sold can't be directly compared because many fans today obtain the album for FREE without purchasing it.




When you attempt to set records on each stadium tour you do, you need all the help you can get and no artist at that level can do just anything and still sell out.

Ever since the end of the Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge Tour in 1995, the Stones have experienced declining attendance with their outdoor stadium shows. Most of the shows their doing on the current tour are avoiding stadiums. So the idea that new songs and material don't matter at all to concert attendance is a myth. In addition, if the myth were true Popmart would have had no problems because by then the band were LEGENDS with 20 years in the business.

In any event, its possible they would do just fine with a full stadium tour this time out, but members of the band and the bands tour manager Arthur Fogel have indicated in several places that it would be smart to scale down for this tour.

Explain that myth to the 40,000 people who took a leak during No Line songs...

Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people

 

[The_acrobat]

Even I was bored during Magnificent and Unknown Caller.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

My girlfriend's only point of disinterest during the show seemed to be Magnificent and Get On Your Boots...she got to enjoy a lot of loud guitar screaming at her from the front of the stage from an album she considered tolerable at best. No Line On The Horizon was assuredly the least interesting album they've had in getting the attention of the audience at their shows (and certainly not helped by performing to so many at once in the United States gigs for the first time in 15 years).

Also, concerning arenas vs. stadiums, it should be pointed out how weird it was that the band played arenas in the United States and stadiums everywhere else during the Vertigo Tour. Per capita, the United States has less U2 fans than practically every western country, yet the band had no problem playing so many damn nights for us and often performing for more people in one European stadium gig than they did at a four night arena stand over here.

And yes, the stadium shows are definitely able to meet a higher demand. I honestly feel that the Vertigo Tour had more demand than any U2 tour in their history. The band could have played multiple stadium night stands here in the United States and would have had no problem selling them out with ease. The diehards attending multiple arena shows definitely fucks things up a bit. At a 15,000 capacity two-night arena stand, it's not crazy to assume about 2,000 people will attend both gigs. That certainly does help shut out a lot more of the casual audience. You have to remember that there's tons of people that would go to U2 shows but maybe weren't alerted that tickets were on sale or figured they wouldn't sell out in five minutes.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

This really bothers you still to this day, doesn't it?

Eh, I can see people still being upset. The fan picking was probably the shittiest thing this band has ever done for their fans. The only benefit anyone got out of it was some hot chicks being zoomed in on during the DVD, I guess.

 

[Steve_Bono]

I went to 11 Vertigo arena shows and had no problem getting tickets for any of them.

Ok, but you're not exactly a casual fan. Most casual fans don't by from ticket resellers or scalpers. They buy straight from ticket master and if they can't get anything in their initial attempts, they give up.

 

[Steve_Bono]

Explain that myth to the 40,000 people who took a leak during No Line songs...

Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people

I saw Zoo TV 4 times and 360 3 times. Songs from Achtung Baby on Zoo TV got no better reaction than songs from NLOTH on 360. In fact, a very casual U2 fan who went with us to a Zoo TV show mentioned they could always tell when U2 was playing a new song from Achtung Baby by the crowd reaction. New songs from the new album, unless its a wildly popular single, always get a muted reaction compared to older songs.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I think it depends on the sort of band. U2's massive shows are always going to be filled with an insane amount of people that just know them from their radio hits. Whereas if you go to a show from some indie band that just put out their best album, the crowd will usually be most stoked by hearing those songs. Pretty much nobody is going to go to an Animal Collective show if they haven't heard their most recent album (and many won't go if they didn't like it) whereas U2 may have played to 500,000 people on their last tour that hadn't heard a lick of No Line On The Horizon beforehand.