Bono & Edge talk to Dave Fanning

[Chizip]

well having the venue security split the line is one thing but these u2.com folks insist that they are the only ones in the first of 2 lines and beleive me they know how to run the security guantlet ahead of others to get in ahead

mmhmm, well what if venue security had the fans doing the number system split the lines for them? sometimes i think people who don't get their way assume things that aren't true and then post it on messageboards for everybody to believe.

 

[Doppelgang]

if the security splits the line for eg , line 1 is #1-300 and line 2 is 300 on then that is for ease of flow into the venue

i myself experienced the scenario i described wher u2.com members (r u one chip) worked the line in the way i described to an unfair advantage

the reason i wonder if you are a "member' is becuase you used the exact same type of evade and side track the original issue tact these u2.com clubbers used -as i outlined above-to gain an unfair line standing on a day when the presale would not apply, ie, a show added after no1 had sold out and for which no presale existed

 

[Chizip]

but you see the splitting of the line isnt done for "ease of flow" into the venue

the splitting of the line is intended to give u2.com members a chance in the door before non u2.com members

but fans didnt decide on this system, personally i dont like it. it was the bands decision to do it this way, so if you have a problem with it you have a problem with the bands policy, not fans acting shady or whatever.

from u2.com

More On the ‘Elipse’

Want to get into the elipse but didn’t buy your tickets in the presale ?

As you know some of the shows were not included in any presale, so here’s how you GA ticket-holders can get into the elipse. (It’s different if the show had a presale, see here.

As usual there will be two lines, one for all GAers and one for U2.Com subscriber GAers. To show that you are a U2.com subscriber and get into the U2.Com line, print off your PROFILE page, which you will find under ‘MY PROFILE’ in the main navigation bar on the subscriber home page. Bring your profile and photo I.D. with you to the venue so security knows you are who you say you are.

 

[Doppelgang]

but you see the splitting of the line isnt done for "ease of flow" into the venue

the splitting of the line is intended to give u2.com members a chance in the door before non u2.com members

but fans didnt decide on this system, personally i dont like it. it was the bands decision to do it this way, so if you have a problem with it you have a problem with the bands policy, not fans acting shady or whatever.

from u2.com

u2 decided to have fans form 2 lines? even on second added show dates? hmmmm, i would like to see proof of that one as it seems to negate the idea of having an elipse lottery, although it would explain the reason .com are trying to manipulate the line on both days, caravan psychosis and monetary pathos

 

[Chizip]

i just showed you proof

here is the link if you want to read it on the website itself

http://www.u2.com/news/index.php?mode=full&news_id=1487

 

[Doppelgang]

thanx , yes i know where to find the website, but my original point is the unfairness of a 'members ' only line, maybe the band did set this up maybe they didn't just becuase the ga line policy was posted on u2.com does not prove to me that u2 made the policy, i'd have to see who posted the policy on who's behalf, but again thats not the conversation i was trying to invite

 

[Miroslava]

thanx , yes i know where to find the website, but my original point is the unfairness of a 'members ' only line, maybe the band did set this up maybe they didn't just becuase the ga line policy was posted on u2.com does not prove to me that u2 made the policy, i'd have to see who posted the policy on who's behalf, but again thats not the conversation i was trying to invite

Trust me, I hate the U2.com line as much as the next person, and I am a U2.com member. what sucks is that is it established much too late in the afternoon and it causes chaos. I was there for Chicago 1, when Chizip was according to you working this to some sort of advantage, and I can tell you that this was not the case. And if anything, the only people that benefited from that line were the late arrivals that made a run for it and/or happened to be presale ticket holders, and not those people that had lined up early...

 

[Chizip]

thanx , yes i know where to find the website, but my original point is the unfairness of a 'members ' only line, maybe the band did set this up maybe they didn't just becuase the ga line policy was posted on u2.com does not prove to me that u2 made the policy, i'd have to see who posted the policy on who's behalf, but again thats not the conversation i was trying to invite

if something is posted in the U2 news section of the official website, youd have to believe it was u2 who came up with, or at least approved of this policy

 

[Doppelgang]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo

I was at another show, not chicago. But some of the folks that were trying to split the line were bragging how they were attending chicargo shows as well and how the split is how the line went down on all the shows the CARAVAN had attended so far

and I guess i'll have to settle for placing the blame with u2 for a mistake i'm sure thety made in hopes of creating harmony and fairness, i just dont think its worked for all

 

[AtomicBono]

I'm so confused now

Okay I got GAs to Cleveland through the U2.com presale...one for me (U2.com subscriber) and one for my friend (not a U2.com subscriber). So does that mean we're gonna get split up in line...?

 

[Doppelgang]

nope , you and your guest will join the u2.com presale line, it may not be started for a while after a general line starts but then the original line will be split into 2

1 presale line for u2.coms and guests

1 general admission line for those who bought after the presale through regular cahnnels

 

[MTEdge]

u2 decided to have fans form 2 lines? even on second added show dates? hmmmm, i would like to see proof of that one as it seems to negate the idea of having an elipse lottery, although it would explain the reason .com are trying to manipulate the line on both days, caravan psychosis and monetary pathos

Doppelgang, at both NJ shows, venue security -- using huge signs (blinking and all) -- directed ppl into two lines, one was a fanclub line and the other was a non-fanclub line. The caravan did not create the split. Both shows, however, were shows with pre-sales.

The fanclub line was let in before the non-fanclub line. Irrespective of whether there was a pre-sale or not, allowing fanclub members in first is ultimately fair to the fanclub members who spent the $40 on the membership. BTW, being let in first did NOT guarantee ellipse entry. Rather, it simply guaranteed a better position outside the ellipse if you lost in the Vertigo lottery.

With that said, if the "caravaners" have been manipulating the system to their own gain, then that's a damn shame. I believe in the lottery, for the lottery provides everyone the best chance to get into the ellipse. It also prevents the "caravaners" from getting into the ellipse for every single show unless they incredibly win the lottery each time (in that case, they should be in vegas, and not at a U2 concert!).

Also, I am "edge2u" on Zootopia, and I have been updating the "same faces in the pit" thread there. As for why I posted "end of ishtory," there was a somewhat open question as to why U2 imposed the lottery in the first place. Bono's answer to DF's question, I believe, provides the answer to the open question.

Although this may be a bit way too late in the day, the only thing I'd change about the lottery system itself is that I believe that pre-sale GA tickets should be given priority admittance into the ellipse. It should be lottery for everyone else. (This only works IF there were less than 200 pairs of pre-sale GA tickets sold. Otherwise, there would be no need for a lottery if only presale GA's were allowed admittance into the ellipse. Check out my Zootopia posts in the above-noted thread for more.)

 

[AtomicBono]

nope , you and your guest will join the u2.com presale line, it may not be started for a while after a general line starts but then the original line will be split into 2

1 presale line for u2.coms and guests

1 general admission line for those who bought after the presale through regular cahnnels

Okay, I'm down with that, thanks for clearing it up

 

[jeffschmid]

so they were just mad about the line getting split, so they protested???

what songs did they do this for?

 

[Chizip]

so they were just mad about the line getting split, so they protested???

what songs did they do this for?

no, the sit down protest was done in Boston during the Elevation tour. that GA line up was supposedly a first come-first serve type system

but a group of fans were going to most of the shows and taking up all of the best spots every time, so U2 decided to pick some people from further back in line to go in first, so other people would have a chance at the best spots

this pissed off the people at the font of the line, and even though they were still in the heart they couldnt get a rail spot, so they decided to sit down in the back of the heart during the song Elevation

 

[jeffschmid]

hahaha, how many people do you know? can you notice this on the dvd if you look hard?

 

[Chizip]

im not exactly sure how many people participated in the protest

but if you watch the DVD during Elevation there is a part where you can see the back of the heart and you can notice where there is a gap where the people are sitting

 

[jeffschmid]

wow... i really hoped they enjoyed not being able to see anything for that song... oh ya, and the looks the rest of the people were giving them for the rest of the concert like "what the hell is up with those people...?"

 

[Chizip]

from my understanding most of the people in the protest had already been to 10 or more shows, so not being able to see a song wouldnt be that big of a deal to them

after having front row for 10 or more shows would being in the middle of the heart for one show be so bad that youd have to stage a protest? just seems a little silly to me.

 

[pub crawler]

after having front row for 10 or more shows would being in the middle of the heart for one show be so bad that youd have to stage a protest? just seems a little silly to me.

In my opinion it was more than a little silly. It was ridiculous.

And, I would bet that while Hamish Hamilton was editing the film, he was thinking either:

1) What the fuck.
or
2) Those fucking morons.

And, when U2 saw the rough cuts or sat in on editing sessions, they were thinking:

1) What thre fuck.
or
2) Those fucking morons.

 

[jeffschmid]

i love hamish, the guy is brilliant... best in his field...

 

[Lemonfix]

So these people went to more than a dozen shows...all of them GA...all of them in the heart. They still get in the heart for Boston yet because people from the back got to go in before them and get better spots they protest?!

Meanwhile U2 fans around the globe only wish they could see ONE show, from anywhere in the house, but because of money or location issues they cannot.

This is more than silly. More than ridiculous. It is disrespectful and self-indulgent and just plain snobby

 

[u2valleygirl]

So these people went to more than a dozen shows...all of them GA...all of them in the heart. They still get in the heart for Boston yet because people from the back got to go in before them and get better spots they protest?!

Meanwhile U2 fans around the globe only wish they could see ONE show, from anywhere in the house, but because of money or location issues they cannot.

This is more than silly. More than ridiculous. It is disrespectful and self-indulgent and just plain snobby

Yes, it is disgusting. It's too bad that U2 is still haunted by this. They were obviosly hurt. Can you even imagine singing to a bunch a bunch of idiots and trying to keep your cool.

 

[Chizip]

Yes, it is disgusting. It's too bad that U2 is still haunted by this. They were obviosly hurt. Can you even imagine singing to a bunch a bunch of idiots and trying to keep your cool.

While trying to make the show perfect for a DVD no less

 

[randhail]

im not exactly sure how many people participated in the protest

but if you watch the DVD during Elevation there is a part where you can see the back of the heart and you can notice where there is a gap where the people are sitting

Someone brought up that you can see Larry be visible annoyed at what was going on the in the dvd. I went back and watched the beginning of desire probably a good ten times and he clearly shakes his head in disgust and then turns his body back toward the band. I felt like I was analyzing the Zapruder film or something. A pretty sad moment when the pettiness of a few can outweigh the enjoyment of a U2 show.

 

[Catlady]

Wow. I'm so naiive and/or uninformed, I had no idea about all of this, but I agree with previous posters that this is surely part, if not all, of the reason why we now have the lottery system, imperfections and all. I'm curious as to whether the Caravan is attending all the Vertigo shows...

 

[kellyahern]

So these people went to more than a dozen shows...all of them GA...all of them in the heart. They still get in the heart for Boston yet because people from the back got to go in before them and get better spots they protest?!

Meanwhile U2 fans around the globe only wish they could see ONE show, from anywhere in the house, but because of money or location issues they cannot.

This is more than silly. More than ridiculous. It is disrespectful and self-indulgent and just plain snobby

Your post sums up my opinion exactly.

 

[Doppelgang]

and on top of all that this caravan literly has worked some show lines so they can have the split asap and slid their freinds in line for non presale shows

it would be nice to be able to follow the band like the caravaner's but do they need to add insult to injury?

one comment i heard was that one person would like to follow the caravan just to counter harass them by educating local ga'ers against listening to fake roadie caravaners and i think this thread has helped do exactly that

 

[ramblin rose]

Wow, it seems like you really have it in for the caravaners (and ebay ticket sellers).

If I have time later I'm going to track down that long post made a few months ago by one of the protesters. I want to read it again and refresh my memory on their supposed justifications for what they did.

 

[Miroslava]

I still would like to see a picture of this "caravan"

I keep picturing a very cartoonish operation... sort of a cross between gypsies and a SWAT team.