Vote up or down on having a GA Lottery

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Vote up or down for having a GA Lottery system

  • up / yes

    Votes: 143 40.1%
  • down / no

    Votes: 214 59.9%

  • Total voters
    357
Status
Not open for further replies.
STING2 said:


That assumes you will remain in your spot once inside the building and not go to the bathroom which could make for a rather nasty experience.

The goal here is simply getting into the ellipse period. Once inside the ellipse, your rist band allows you to go to the bathroom, get a drink, and still be allowed back in. I had one friend on the Elevation tour who thought once you got in, you could not go out and come back in. He did his business in the middle of the Heart while friends stood around him in horror.

The lottery allows you to save 10-24 hours of your life that you would otherwise not get back, per show, period. It allows you to not burn a personal day in many instances, and pretty much solves a huge problem from last tour with people hoarding the heart.

It amazes me that U2 will sell their fans the best tickets in the house for $50 bucks (when they could easily sell them for 6x that) and people will make it their mission in life to make a stink about it.

The point is when you make GA ticket prices so that EVERYBODY is able to afford them you have to give EVERYBODY the same chance to get in the ellipse. They didn't want the same people in the ellipse at every show. The only other way to prevent that would have been to charge $300 a ticket, but then they'd have a bunch of rich dolts in there. Then everyone would be bitching about THAT. The lottery is not perfect, but it is far from the travesty that people make it out to be.

The band has done the U2 community a huge favor with the lottery giving those who can only attend 1 show and those that attend 30 shows the same opportunity to have the same experience. My 10 hour drive to a show is just as much a sign of my devotion to the band as someone who can stand 10 hours in line.

For chrissakes... the tour is almost over, drop the f@#*ing debate about the lottery. They're not going to scrap it this leg, and no one's going to remember this thread in four years anyway when they tour again (let's hope!)

Talk about anal retentive... it's time to squeeze this one off Sting! :wink:
 
Last edited:
u2wedge said:


and no one's going to remember this thread in four years anyway when they tour again (let's hope!)


I disagree :wink:

In four years people will still remember this thread. Heck, it might take that long to close this mofo thread and it will get replaced by another thread and poll.

Poll Question - After four years, has your position on the GA lottery changed?

YES - 4%
NO - 96%
 
u2wedge said:


The lottery allows you to save 10-24 hours of your life that you would otherwise not get back, per show, period. It allows you to not burn a personal day in many instances, and pretty much solves a huge problem from last tour with people hoarding the heart.

It amazes me that U2 will sell their fans the best tickets in the house for $50 bucks (when they could easily sell them for 6x that) and people will make it their mission in life to make a stink about it.

The point is when you make GA ticket prices so that EVERYBODY is able to afford them you have to give EVERYBODY the same chance to get in the ellipse. They didn't want the same people in the ellipse at every show. The only other way to prevent that would have been to charge $300 a ticket, but then they'd have a bunch of rich dolts in there. Then everyone would be bitching about THAT. The lottery is not perfect, but it is far from the travesty that people make it out to be.

The band has done the U2 community a huge favor with the lottery giving those who can only attend 1 show and those that attend 30 shows the same opportunity to have the same experience. My 10 hour drive to a show is just as much a sign of my devotion to the band as someone who can stand 10 hours in line.

For chrissakes... the tour is almost over, drop the f@#*ing debate about the lottery. They're not going to scrap it this leg, and no one's going to remember this thread in four years anyway when they tour again (let's hope!)

Talk about anal retentive... it's time to squeeze this one off Sting! :wink:


This poll is going to continue until the end of the tour, that is what I stated when it was started.

Getting tickets to a U2 show has always been "first come, first serve" ever since U2 first came to the United States in December 1980. There was no reason to change that.

U2 only comes around every 4 years. If one cannot use spare vacation time once every 4 years to simply stand in line for 12 hours, then that is their problem, just as it is their problem if they can't get to the show that U2 is playing on that night in their CITY.

Your also forgetting that many people love the experience of standing in the line that long and meeting other U2 fans, some from other countries. Not everyone considers it to be the sacrifice you make it out to be, but then again, one makes sacrifices of time and other things in order to get things that one considers a high priority.

Plus, look at this poll. What do the majority of U2 fans want to see?
 
STING2 said:



Your also forgetting that many people love the experience of standing in the line that long and meeting other U2 fans, some from other countries. Not everyone considers it to be the sacrifice you make it out to be, but then again, one makes sacrifices of time and other things in order to get things that one considers a high priority.


The lottery does not take this 'experience' away. It does ensure fresh faces into the ellipse which is its intention.
 
The OOTS said:


The lottery does not take this 'experience' away. It does ensure fresh faces into the ellipse which is its intention.

I think the idea that it was the same 300 people every night on Elevation is a myth. Sure, there might have been a dozon or so people they went to every show and did this, but its something that is not really noticed when they are 300 people in the heart. Hell, I have friends who could not find each other in the Heart. Considering how busy U2 are on stage, and what they can really see from their position, I doubt they notice many of the people inside the heart/elipse from night to night.

"First Come, First Serve" has worked for decades, there was no reason to replace it with this system. Think about all the people who made special plans to line up to insure they got into elipse only to have their efforts swamped by a lottery system that was announced only around show time in San Diego after the entire tour had soldout. Many people who tried multiple times to get inside the Elipse were unsuccessful this time around, but we still had hotels and vacations booked around standing in line so we could get inside the heart like on Elevation. These things were planned well before the new policy was announced and took effect.
 
STING2 said:


I think the idea that it was the same 300 people every night on Elevation is a myth. Sure, there might have been a dozon or so people they went to every show and did this, but its something that is not really noticed when they are 300 people in the heart. Hell, I have friends who could not find each other in the Heart. Considering how busy U2 are on stage, and what they can really see from their position, I doubt they notice many of the people inside the heart/elipse from night to night.

"First Come, First Serve" has worked for decades, there was no reason to replace it with this system. Think about all the people who made special plans to line up to insure they got into elipse only to have their efforts swamped by a lottery system that was announced only around show time in San Diego after the entire tour had soldout. Many people who tried multiple times to get inside the Elipse were unsuccessful this time around, but we still had hotels and vacations booked around standing in line so we could get inside the heart like on Elevation. These things were planned well before the new policy was announced and took effect.

STING2, I'd like to hear your thoughts on why the band or its management instituted a lottery. If they thought the old system worked well....why the hell do you think they changed it???
 
u2wedge said:


The lottery allows you to save 10-24 hours of your life that you would otherwise not get back, per show, period. It allows you to not burn a personal day in many instances, and pretty much solves a huge problem from last tour with people hoarding the heart.

It amazes me that U2 will sell their fans the best tickets in the house for $50 bucks (when they could easily sell them for 6x that) and people will make it their mission in life to make a stink about it.

The point is when you make GA ticket prices so that EVERYBODY is able to afford them you have to give EVERYBODY the same chance to get in the ellipse. They didn't want the same people in the ellipse at every show. The only other way to prevent that would have been to charge $300 a ticket, but then they'd have a bunch of rich dolts in there. Then everyone would be bitching about THAT. The lottery is not perfect, but it is far from the travesty that people make it out to be.

The band has done the U2 community a huge favor with the lottery giving those who can only attend 1 show and those that attend 30 shows the same opportunity to have the same experience. My 10 hour drive to a show is just as much a sign of my devotion to the band as someone who can stand 10 hours in line.

For chrissakes... the tour is almost over, drop the f@#*ing debate about the lottery. They're not going to scrap it this leg, and no one's going to remember this thread in four years anyway when they tour again (let's hope!)

Talk about anal retentive... it's time to squeeze this one off Sting! :wink:

GOOD post. U2 should have reserved seating on the floor next tour. Then, everybody will realized how spoiled they were for this tour and the Elevation Tour.
 
Ok..here's my 2 cents... what I am seeing about this whole debate.. I for one prefer the first come first serve. This had the heart full everytime.. no having to walk around the floor handing out extra wristbands to fill it up. It was full by the time the opening act came on. This time around the ellipse isn't full by this same time. This lottery system is not bringing in fresh faces as what was initially the reason behind it. I am seeing the same faces in the GA line and inside the ellipse everytime. There are several groups of people that are somehow getting into the ellipse many, many times in a row. THIS ISN'T RANDOM FOLKS! People are cheating the system here!! Resulting in the same group of people inside the ellipse at every show. One person, has been inside the ellipse 9 times in a row and counting. Not going to mention names here but I know a few of these people..And it isn't luck thats getting them in there. So this procedure didn't succeed in its purpose to bring in fresh faces, giving everyone an equal opportunity.. it is BS! :mad:
 
U2Fanatic, I frankly think that's untrue. I made the ellipse 2 times out of 2 by sheer good fortune and I know someone who made it six times in a row also by sheer good fortune. I don't think there's any way to cheat the system.
 
Axver said:
U2Fanatic, I frankly think that's untrue. I made the ellipse 2 times out of 2 by sheer good fortune and I know someone who made it six times in a row also by sheer good fortune. I don't think there's any way to cheat the system.

it is. i have spoken to someone close to the person who got in 9 times in a row. Now as I said I don't know if this person got scanned everytime but this person's group manages to get into the ellipse everytime. They are cheating the system. I won't go into details here but its happening..I was told how its being done. or at least one way. so far. For these people it is not sheer fortune.. For people who are just going in honestly then it is random and good fortune but not for this group.
 
The OOTS said:


STING2, I'd like to hear your thoughts on why the band or its management instituted a lottery. If they thought the old system worked well....why the hell do you think they changed it???

I don't know, but I do know that they stated that The Elevation tour for them was the best tour they had ever done. I don't recall them complaining about the Heart and the policy then. Perhaps someone in management decided to throw this in, but regardless of where the idea came from, most U2 fans do not want it and I can't really see how having "first come, first serve" would really impact the band.
 
Utoo said:
You know, having gotten front row of the rail on Wednesday night, I'm going to say that I'd rather get there at 6:30am and get front row of the rail than camp overnight and get 3rd row of the ellipse (if it were first come first served).

And with 10/19 being my only GA experience, I'm also going to say I'm all for the lottery to get rid of shady fan practices. The line was run pretty well on Wednesday, but there were a few dick moves. First off, I'll say that half the people in the very front, while they slept overnight, were out of line for hours on end during the daytime. What the hell is that? So you slept overnight, but you can leave for most of the show day? That's crap. Also, I'm very glad that the lady with U2 came out a few minutes before doors opened because there were some shady dealings for a while. Some folks were trying to convince the MCI people to let the Fan Club line in 10 minutes early--and then telling all the rest of us that it happened that way at every other venue, when it certainly did not. That's crap.

As cool as all us U2 fans are, we really can't be allowed to do much more with lines than putting numbers on our hands. Ouside of that, the band needs to run the line & the GA rules (it can't be the venue because then you'll have different practices all over).

I slept both nights outside MCI Center. I had to leave in the middle of the day for a class (3 hours), and 4 and a half hours to take an exam. Everyone around me understood the situation. I was in Philly on the Elevation tour in November and the guy behind me had an exam and we let him in at 4 p.m. back in line. I got into the Ellipse the second night and was outside the ellipse on Wednesday. If you were to blame anyone, its CSC for not understanding what the heck is going one as well as the Drunk Girl that shouts outloud.:lol:

There are shady practices but I believe that its up to the people around you and understanding if you have to leave for a little bit or for 3 to 4 hours to wash up change back at the hotel. In Pittsburgh I stayed in line almost the whole time with about 3 and a half hours of sleep.

I believe U2 should have their fan club move involved with the fans than just ticket sales. They should hire 3 to 4 people to monitor the GA line. Alison should just do the scanning and 3 to 4 people to deal with fans outside the arena for General Admission.
 
Last edited:
Super_Fan said:


I slept both nights outside MCI Center. I had to leave in the middle of the day for a class (3 hours), and 4 and a half hours to take an exam. Everyone around me understood the situation. I was in Philly on the Elevation tour in November and the guy behind me had an exam and we let him in at 4 p.m. back in line. I got into the Ellipse the second night and was outside the ellipse on Wednesday. If you were to blame anyone, its CSC for not understanding what the heck is going one as well as the Drunk Girl that shouts outloud.:lol:

There are shady practices but I believe that its up to the people around you and understanding if you have to leave for a little bit or for 3 to 4 hours to wash up change back at the hotel. In Pittsburgh I stayed in line almost the whole time with about 3 and a half hours of sleep.

I believe U2 should have their fan club move involved with the fans than just ticket sales. They should hire 3 to 4 people to monitor the GA line. Alison should just do the scanning and 3 to 4 people to deal with fans outside the arena for General Admission.

I absolutely agree that people should be able to go for up to 3 hours to shower, etc., if they slept over or whatever. But are you saying that you were gone for 7.5 hours because of your class & test? I'm not really sure if that's so fair. It's pretty much the same as the people who camp out, get a number, and then go to work all day. To me, it's not just if the people around you think it's okay. If you're going to be gone for an hour or two and the people around you are cool with that, that's fine. But if you're going to be gone for huuge chunks of time, you're kind of screwing the people way behind you. If you're gone for 7.5 hours, then the people who come halfway through that time are getting screwed. (Correct me if you were gone for 3 hours one day and 4.5 the next, not on the same day). One of the guys next to me had to go for about two hours to pick up his ETS ticket. We were fine with that. Had he been gone for 4 or 5, though, that would've sucked.

All I'm saying is that from the time they split the lines (around 11:30/12 or so), the space in front of us significantly became more and more vacant. There was a point where, based on my number, 3/4 of the people ahead of me were gone--for hours. Basically, if I get there at 6AM and spend the whole time in line, and you get there at 2AM, are 30 people ahead of me, but you spend 4 hours showering, etc.----we spend the same 12 hours in line, yet you're 30 people ahead and are now fresh as a flower. That doesn't quite seem right. Where's the "sacrifice" of sleeping over?

Basically, the leaving-the-lines thing isn't really what irked me that day. The thing that really annoyed me was how some of the people were trying to get the fan club line in 10 minutes early----and then saying that it had happened at every other venue and that if we didn't notice it before, then we must have been too far back to notice. Such a thing did not happen at every other venue. From the stories I've heard & pictures I've seen of other show dates, the people who were trying to say this are people who have been to many, many shows---and should really be ashamed of themselves.
 
You have to remember that a lot of Pleba chicks/dudes leave the line to go stalk the band at the loading dock. They'll leave the line as early as 11 to go behind the venue to wait until 4 or 5 for the band to arrive. So while they are not "in line" they are still at the venue.
 
Chizip said:
You have to remember that a lot of Pleba chicks/dudes leave the line to go stalk the band at the loading dock. They'll leave the line as early as 11 to go behind the venue to wait until 4 or 5 for the band to arrive. So while they are not "in line" they are still at the venue.

I know. Still, it makes me question the validity of some of these camping out practices. Do you want to 1). Shower, nap & get a change of clothes, 2). See the band drive up, or 3). Get first row? In a way, I feel like if you want #3, then you have to really stay in line for it (bathroom breaks excepted). Otherwise, you're just putting out orange cones in the street all day to save your parking spot. For all the talk about deserving more and getting screwed by the lottery, I don't really see much of a sacrifice being made by some people. And saying "I slept on the hard sidewalk" doesn't matter to me if you didn't spend the entire rest of the day there. :shrug: If you want choice #3, then you've got to sacrifice whatever other choices there are. Otherwise, I don't really see how much "deserving" there is. Until people really camp out, I don't think folks have much of a right to bitch about the lottery.
 
Last edited:
STING2 said:



This poll is going to continue until the end of the tour, that is what I stated when it was started.

Getting tickets to a U2 show has always been "first come, first serve" ever since U2 first came to the United States in December 1980. There was no reason to change that. And how old are you Sting2, if I may ask? Have you been buying U2 tickets since 1980? When did you buy your first U2 ticket? I bought mine in 1987 and seem to have adjusted to the ellipse policy just fine and have actually benefited from it.

U2 only comes around every 4 years. If one cannot use spare vacation time once every 4 years to simply stand in line for 12 hours, then that is their problem, just as it is their problem if they can't get to the show that U2 is playing on that night in their CITY.

Your also forgetting that many people love the experience of standing in the line that long and meeting other U2 fans, some from other countries. Not everyone considers it to be the sacrifice you make it out to be, but then again, one makes sacrifices of time and other things in order to get things that one considers a high priority.

Plus, look at this poll. What do the majority of U2 fans want to see?

So you're saying that you're against the presale as well because that took away first come first served priviledge for some fans by giving priority to those who bought into the system? That is inherently unfair using your logic as well. But if you benefited from it, I bet you're for it.

Just because 'it's always been that way' doesn't mean that it should always be that way... obviously someone in the U2 camp saw a problem and this was their way of addressing it. If it didn't work, they could have easily scrapped it this leg. And you're right about sacrifice... I just spent 15 hours in a car this weekend driving to see them in Pittsburgh... that time is just as valuable as spending it in line. Hell, people were probably sleeping in line while I was dodging traffic.... hmmm.. who's busting their ass to get to the show more? I wound up 3rd row rail right next to someone who had number 18 written on their hand.

In Toronto I got front row, an experience I never would have had due to my professional career and constraints on my schedule. Trust me, I'd love to be able to blow off my responsibilities to go stand in concert like I've done in years past, but jobs and 'real life' responsibilities have their place too. U2 recognizes that their fans are older now and have families and I believe they instituted the lottery so that younger fans didn't monopolize the whole tour. And you know what I HAVE taken 3 or 4 days this year just for U2 and some of those were for non GA shows. I've taken time off for MSG, Toronto, Pittsburgh, and will be taking a day off for Buffalo. I'd argue that for people who are willing to take time off of work for travel they should have the same shot as the front row as those who stand in line all day. It's all the same passion for U2 that makes fans get GA tickets... where you live should not decide whether or not you get front row live... (bad play on U2 lyrics, but you get the point)

And your poll does not represent all U2 fans, it represents U2 fans who visit _Interference_ , which. statistically, would trend toward those who would give their arm and a leg to get into the front row, so obviously they will be against the ellipse. I bet if you actually took a scientific poll of fans generally, the results would be entirely different much closer to 50/50 than this tally shows.

Did you ever go see the Dead? Their whole ticket operation was a lottery. You did a mail order and got your seats by the luck of the draw. Same with Dave Matthews Warehouse tix... you put your name in and tickets are selected for you. Seniority plays a factor as well.

What would you rather have, because as I see it you only have two options for floor tickets:

1. GA tix for 50 bucks with a random shot at getting up front.

2. GA tix for a couple hundred dollars with even higher prices for ellipse seating, stand in line all you want.

Don't you realize that if they sold ellipse tickets outright you would have an even LESSER chance of getting them? If not just by the odds themselves (400 tix sold per venue), but by scalpers/ebayers selling them for $5000 a piece.

Be careful you might get exactly what you wish for next tour. This gives so many more fans the chance to get front row than otherwise would be possible. You guys should be THANKING U2 for doing this instead of complaining about it. Work smarter, not harder is a good rule to live by.

Don't forget that the GA experience is 100x better when you're not exhausted, rained on, or dehydrated after spending 20+ hours in line, too. There are two points of view on this, and I think U2 is just siding with their veteran fans.

(and can't the mods just sticky this so you don't have to bump it all the time?)
 
Last edited:
Utoo said:


I absolutely agree that people should be able to go for up to 3 hours to shower, etc., if they slept over or whatever. But are you saying that you were gone for 7.5 hours because of your class & test? I'm not really sure if that's so fair. It's pretty much the same as the people who camp out, get a number, and then go to work all day. To me, it's not just if the people around you think it's okay. If you're going to be gone for an hour or two and the people around you are cool with that, that's fine. But if you're going to be gone for huuge chunks of time, you're kind of screwing the people way behind you. If you're gone for 7.5 hours, then the people who come halfway through that time are getting screwed. (Correct me if you were gone for 3 hours one day and 4.5 the next, not on the same day). One of the guys next to me had to go for about two hours to pick up his ETS ticket. We were fine with that. Had he been gone for 4 or 5, though, that would've sucked.

All I'm saying is that from the time they split the lines (around 11:30/12 or so), the space in front of us significantly became more and more vacant. There was a point where, based on my number, 3/4 of the people ahead of me were gone--for hours. Basically, if I get there at 6AM and spend the whole time in line, and you get there at 2AM, are 30 people ahead of me, but you spend 4 hours showering, etc.----we spend the same 12 hours in line, yet you're 30 people ahead and are now fresh as a flower. That doesn't quite seem right. Where's the "sacrifice" of sleeping over?

Basically, the leaving-the-lines thing isn't really what irked me that day. The thing that really annoyed me was how some of the people were trying to get the fan club line in 10 minutes early----and then saying that it had happened at every other venue and that if we didn't notice it before, then we must have been too far back to notice. Such a thing did not happen at every other venue. From the stories I've heard & pictures I've seen of other show dates, the people who were trying to say this are people who have been to many, many shows---and should really be ashamed of themselves.

I left the line for 7 hours but it was for class. I never had a chance to shower in D.C. and in Pittsburgh I was in line the whole time except for 30 minutes. The 10 minute think was the dudes fault that works for CSC. He is one of the heads in the D.C./Maryland/Northern Virginia area . Alison must have given him that scenario as well as some fan ask about letting the Fan Club line in 10 minutes in advance. There is no advantage in either line unless you are going for the outside of the ellipse.
 
Super_Fan said:


I left the line for 7 hours but it was for class. I never had a chance to shower in D.C. and in Pittsburgh I was in line the whole time except for 30 minutes.

See, IMHO, that's really not cool. I understand that class & the test were important---but so were the work that I skipped or the work that u2wedge couldn't skip. It doesn't matter if it's okay with the people next to you in line--what's it matter to people who are #'s 2 and 3? It matters to the people who could legitimately come and stay in the line over those seven hours. And it's not like it was "made up for" in Pittsburgh.

Sorry, dude, but this kind of save-a-spot-then-bolt is one of the many things that the lottery attempts to remedy. Without the lottery, there would only be more people trying to do the same thing.
 
Last edited:
Super_Fan said:

The 10 minute think was the dudes fault that works for CSC. He is one of the heads in the D.C./Maryland/Northern Virginia area . Alison must have given him that scenario as well as some fan ask about letting the Fan Club line in 10 minutes in advance.

As for the 10-minute thing, even if it was a security guy's idea (which I really doubt because they had no idea of anything at all), or Alison's (which I also doubt because there's no reason why she would suddenly come up with this halfway through the leg and then not even use it later in the day), it was still a fan who then told other fans that the 10-minute thing was standard practice and that we were all mistaken if we thought otherwise. And not just any fan, but a very old, wisened, and experienced fan who really should have known better.

Basically, even though we U2 fans are on the most part very cool and easygoing, I really do think that whatever attempts are made by the band to make the whole process more fair should be applauded.
 
u2wedge said:


So you're saying that you're against the presale as well because that took away first come first served priviledge for some fans by giving priority to those who bought into the system? That is inherently unfair using your logic as well. But if you benefited from it, I bet you're for it.

Just because 'it's always been that way' doesn't mean that it should always be that way... obviously someone in the U2 camp saw a problem and this was their way of addressing it. If it didn't work, they could have easily scrapped it this leg. And you're right about sacrifice... I just spent 15 hours in a car this weekend driving to see them in Pittsburgh... that time is just as valuable as spending it in line. Hell, people were probably sleeping in line while I was dodging traffic.... hmmm.. who's busting their ass to get to the show more? I wound up 3rd row rail right next to someone who had number 18 written on their hand.

In Toronto I got front row, an experience I never would have had due to my professional career and constraints on my schedule. Trust me, I'd love to be able to blow off my responsibilities to go stand in concert like I've done in years past, but jobs and 'real life' responsibilities have their place too. U2 recognizes that their fans are older now and have families and I believe they instituted the lottery so that younger fans didn't monopolize the whole tour. And you know what I HAVE taken 3 or 4 days this year just for U2 and some of those were for non GA shows. I've taken time off for MSG, Toronto, Pittsburgh, and will be taking a day off for Buffalo. I'd argue that for people who are willing to take time off of work for travel they should have the same shot as the front row as those who stand in line all day. It's all the same passion for U2 that makes fans get GA tickets... where you live should not decide whether or not you get front row live... (bad play on U2 lyrics, but you get the point)

And your poll does not represent all U2 fans, it represents U2 fans who visit _Interference_ , which. statistically, would trend toward those who would give their arm and a leg to get into the front row, so obviously they will be against the ellipse. I bet if you actually took a scientific poll of fans generally, the results would be entirely different much closer to 50/50 than this tally shows.

Did you ever go see the Dead? Their whole ticket operation was a lottery. You did a mail order and got your seats by the luck of the draw. Same with Dave Matthews Warehouse tix... you put your name in and tickets are selected for you. Seniority plays a factor as well.

What would you rather have, because as I see it you only have two options for floor tickets:

1. GA tix for 50 bucks with a random shot at getting up front.

2. GA tix for a couple hundred dollars with even higher prices for ellipse seating, stand in line all you want.

Don't you realize that if they sold ellipse tickets outright you would have an even LESSER chance of getting them? If not just by the odds themselves (400 tix sold per venue), but by scalpers/ebayers selling them for $5000 a piece.

Be careful you might get exactly what you wish for next tour. This gives so many more fans the chance to get front row than otherwise would be possible. You guys should be THANKING U2 for doing this instead of complaining about it. Work smarter, not harder is a good rule to live by.

Don't forget that the GA experience is 100x better when you're not exhausted, rained on, or dehydrated after spending 20+ hours in line, too. There are two points of view on this, and I think U2 is just siding with their veteran fans.

(and can't the mods just sticky this so you don't have to bump it all the time?)

I think the fan club issue is a little different from this, but yep, I'd prefer the old way of doing tickets, especially after the hell that happened with the first round of fan club tickets back in January with Larry making an apology at the Grammy awards. Obviously the band or the bands management has already made some mistakes this year and I still think that the Lottery is one of them.

No one here should be lecturing anyone about "responsiblities", "professional jobs", and "real life". Everyone here has some or all of these things, some in degrees for greater than the average person. Some people here have spent the better part of the last two years in a place called IRAQ, but have been able to use the little time they had off to arrange to wait all day in line if necessary in addition to the time it took to get to the particular venue.

The point here is that with the old system everyone still has the opportunity to get inside the heart as long as they were willing to make the sacrifice to do so. So something in your particular life prevents you from waiting in line all day, so something in someone else's life prevents them from seeing the show that night.

People purchased tickets and made arrangements for the entire in preperation for spending a day in line for one or more shows and then the band or the bands management threw in the lottery system.

Say what you will about the accuracy of the poll, its a hell of a lot more accurate than simply making a presumption that a scientific poll would be 50/50. Such a scientific poll may in fact reveal an even stronger level of support for "first come, first serve" than this poll shows.

Yep, I did go see the DEAD. I had seats up in the nosebleads, but then walked down to the field and up to the front of the stage. No security, nothing. Then again, a lot of people at that point were not really interested in the music.

The options you give for being on the floor were not the options you had on Elevation. On Elevation all tickets were $45 dollars and you got into the Heart by simply being one of the first 300 people in line. Very simple. It worked and the band at the time called it their greatest tour.

I think your forgetting what happened on the Elevation tour. Fans got tickets and got into the Heart. The system worked.

There are things one can do to prevent them from being dehydrated, exhausted, and rained on after waiting an average of 12 hours in line. Most "veteran U2 fans" know this. Just ask anyone at Red Rocks in 1983.
 
STING2 said:


I think the fan club issue is a little different from this, but yep, I'd prefer the old way of doing tickets, especially after the hell that happened with the first round of fan club tickets back in January with Larry making an apology at the Grammy awards. Obviously the band or the bands management has already made some mistakes this year and I still think that the Lottery is one of them.

No one here should be lecturing anyone about "responsiblities", "professional jobs", and "real life". Everyone here has some or all of these things, some in degrees for greater than the average person. Some people here have spent the better part of the last two years in a place called IRAQ, but have been able to use the little time they had off to arrange to wait all day in line if necessary in addition to the time it took to get to the particular venue.

The point here is that with the old system everyone still has the opportunity to get inside the heart as long as they were willing to make the sacrifice to do so. So something in your particular life prevents you from waiting in line all day, so something in someone else's life prevents them from seeing the show that night.

People purchased tickets and made arrangements for the entire in preperation for spending a day in line for one or more shows and then the band or the bands management threw in the lottery system.

Say what you will about the accuracy of the poll, its a hell of a lot more accurate than simply making a presumption that a scientific poll would be 50/50. Such a scientific poll may in fact reveal an even stronger level of support for "first come, first serve" than this poll shows.

Yep, I did go see the DEAD. I had seats up in the nosebleads, but then walked down to the field and up to the front of the stage. No security, nothing. Then again, a lot of people at that point were not really interested in the music.

The options you give for being on the floor were not the options you had on Elevation. On Elevation all tickets were $45 dollars and you got into the Heart by simply being one of the first 300 people in line. Very simple. It worked and the band at the time called it their greatest tour.

I think your forgetting what happened on the Elevation tour. Fans got tickets and got into the Heart. The system worked.

There are things one can do to prevent them from being dehydrated, exhausted, and rained on after waiting an average of 12 hours in line. Most "veteran U2 fans" know this. Just ask anyone at Red Rocks in 1983.

I'm not forgetting anything, and I'm not lecturing, well, if stating facts is lecturing, then I'm guilty as charged... I'm just giving you my point of view. You're so focused on how this affects the relative minority of fans who get the first few hundred spots in line beginning at 2am, that you're not considering the other 1600 who are just as gung ho as those people who would be there if they could, but again, have to travel day of show to get there (while burning their personal time in the process). They aren't any less deserving of getting front stage than anyone else. Why should they be penalized? U2 is doing that whole group of hard core fans a HUGE favor, at least that's how I see it. I just see the lottery as a way of sharing the love instead of letting people hoard it, preventing, to use your example, that person who spent the past two years in Iraq from getting a chance for front row. After that sort of sacrifice, who knows, maybe with an injury, why make them stand all day when they might not have to? There are so many scenarios on both sides, you could argue this forever, and by the looks of this thread, you have every intention of doing so. My reference to people having responsibilities was not meant to sound like other people don't have those responsibilities, of course, we all do.

And you're right, I didn't have the ticket options this tour that I had during Elevation, and you know what, my Elevation experience, as awesome it was at the time, sucked in comparison to Vertigo. And during Elevation it was not for a lack of effort or creative ways to get tickets. There was no presale, and there was no lottery, as a result I was boxed out of getting GAs. And when you think about it, getting tickets is a lottery in the first place. Some people score GA's and some people don't. Some people simply buy GA's in order to make hundreds of dollars, what's your opinion on that?

You state that fans got tickets and got into the heart during the Elevation Tour like that's not happening this tour. You never stated how old you are. I'm guessing early to late twenties? I'm just asking, don't take that as an attack. When I was that age, I'd probably be on your side regarding this issue even though I was not in the Heart during Elevation.. and to be completely honest, I feel old for taking the position I am. However, for me, the Veritgo lottery has been a total hook-up and I'm not saying that as though it's given me any sort of unfair advantage. Conversely, it has allowed me to experience something that, again, from my perspective, was only something that someone with a hell of a lot more spare time than I have could experienced.

So for that I give U2 a big 'Thank You!' and hope that they keep the system around if they tour again in 4 years. Who knows, maybe there won't be an ellipse and they'll go back to a boring box staged setup. Or maybe they'll make the GA's $160 tickets and the lower bowl the $50 seats... How many GA shows would you be able to go to then?

We're just two fans who happen to disagree with one another. And if I was alone in the GA line and my ticket got scanned for the ellipse, as a fellow fan I'd offer you the 2nd slot and I'm hoping your attitude is that you'd do the same.
 
Last edited:
u2wedge said:


I'm not forgetting anything, and I'm not lecturing, well, if stating facts is lecturing, then I'm guilty as charged... I'm just giving you my point of view. You're so focused on how this affects the relative minority of fans who get the first few hundred spots in line beginning at 2am, that you're not considering the other 1600 who are just as gung ho as those people who would be there if they could, but again, have to travel day of show to get there (while burning their personal time in the process). They aren't any less 'deserved' of getting front stage than anyone else. Why should they be penalized? U2 is doing that whole group of hard core fans a HUGE favor, at least that's how I see it. I just see the lottery as a way of sharing the love instead of letting people hoard it, preventing, to use your example, that person who spent the past two years in Iraq from getting a chance for front row. After that sort of sacrifice, who knows, maybe with an injury, why make them stand all day when they might not have to? There are so many scenarios on both sides, you could argue this forever, and by the looks of this thread, you have every intention of doing so. My reference to people having responsibilities was not meant to sound like other people don't have those responsibilities, of course, we all do.

And you're right, I didn't have the ticket options this tour that I had during Elevation, and you know what, my Elevation experience, as awesome it was at the time, sucked in comparison to Vertigo. And during Elevation it was not for a lack of effort or creative ways to get tickets. There was no presale, and there was no lottery, as a result I was boxed out of getting GAs. And when you think about it, getting tickets is a lottery in the first place. Some people score GA's and some people don't. Some people simply buy GA's in order to make hundreds of dollars, what's your opinion on that?

You state that fans got tickets and got into the heart during the Elevation Tour like that's not happening this tour. You never stated how old you are. I'm guessing early to late twenties? I'm just asking, don't take that as an attack. When I was that age, I'd probably be on your side regarding this issue even though I was not in the Heart during Elevation.. and to be completely honest, I feel old for taking the position I am. However, for me, the Veritgo lottery has been a total hook-up and I'm not saying that as though it's given me any sort of unfair advantage. Conversely, it has allowed me to experience something that, again, from my perspective, was only something that someone with a hell of a lot more spare time than I have could experienced.

So for that I give U2 a big 'Thank You!' and hope that they keep the system around if they tour again in 4 years. Who knows, maybe there won't be an ellipse and they'll go back to a boring box staged setup. Or maybe they'll make the GA's $160 tickets and the lower bowl the $50 seats... How many GA shows would you be able to go to then?

We're just two fans who happen to disagree with one another. And if I was alone in the GA line and my ticket got scanned for the ellipse, as a fellow fan I'd offer you the 2nd slot and I'm hoping your attitude is that you'd do the same.

That certainly would be my attitude.

Fans on the Vertigo Tour who bought tickets for certain shows and made other arangements in order to be able stand in line all day in order to get into the Heart/Elipse were left in the cold when the band/management switched to the lottery and made the whole process of standing in line essentially irrelevant for those simply intending to get inside the Heart/Elipse. So there are a lot of people who made sacrifices in vain which is part of the reason many here wanted a return to "first come, first serve". If the band and management had announced the policy earlier or at least prior to the sell of any tickets, then this would have saved a lot of people time and money.

I got into the heart ONCE on Elevation but failed to get into the Elipse at all on this tour. Of course, getting into the Heart on Elevation was planned and I was willing to make the arrangements so it could indeed happen. On this tour, that was simply impossible with the lottery and look at the results.

Spending 12 hours in line is not a hell of a lot more time, then someone who is able to get to the show on time. U2 only tour every 4 to 5 years, and if you have any ability to take off work in the given year, one should plan ahead to do so. If not, thats understandable, but should not be a way to penalize others who can. Remember, some people are out of the country for this tour and will have to wait until 2009(unless there able to travel to Australia or elsewhere downunder) to see U2, I'm sure you would not suggest that U2 postpone the tour a year simply so they can see it.
 
STING2 said:


That certainly would be my attitude.

Fans on the Vertigo Tour who bought tickets for certain shows and made other arangements in order to be able stand in line all day in order to get into the Heart/Elipse were left in the cold when the band/management switched to the lottery and made the whole process of standing in line essentially irrelevant for those simply intending to get inside the Heart/Elipse. So there are a lot of people who made sacrifices in vain which is part of the reason many here wanted a return to "first come, first serve". If the band and management had announced the policy earlier or at least prior to the sell of any tickets, then this would have saved a lot of people time and money.

I got into the heart ONCE on Elevation but failed to get into the Elipse at all on this tour. Of course, getting into the Heart on Elevation was planned and I was willing to make the arrangements so it could indeed happen. On this tour, that was simply impossible with the lottery and look at the results.

Spending 12 hours in line is not a hell of a lot more time, then someone who is able to get to the show on time. U2 only tour every 4 to 5 years, and if you have any ability to take off work in the given year, one should plan ahead to do so. If not, thats understandable, but should not be a way to penalize others who can. Remember, some people are out of the country for this tour and will have to wait until 2009(unless there able to travel to Australia or elsewhere downunder) to see U2, I'm sure you would not suggest that U2 postpone the tour a year simply so they can see it.

Let me just say that I've been planning for this tour since the Elevation tour ended, and have burned up more personal/vacation time than some people would consider prudent to get to the shows I was able to get tickets for. Using personal time from work to get to shows IS planning!

I am missing the relevance of your point about people in foreign countries...
 
Last edited:
u2wedge said:


Let me just say that I've been planning for this tour since the Elevation tour ended, and have burned up more personal/vacation time than some people would consider prudent to get to the shows I was able to get tickets for. Using personal time from work to get to shows IS planning!

I am missing the relevance of your point about people in foreign countries...

While it true some will not have time to stand in line for 12 hours to insure a spot in the Heart/Elipse, some people are on deployment overseas and will not be able to see the tour at all unless they can get to Australia in 2006. Otherwise they will have to wait for the next tour. The point here is that everyones situation is different and some will have more time than others, just as the person who can't see the tour this year can't expect U2 to postpone the tour a year for them, ones individual lack of time is not an excuse to change the system of "first come, first serve" which has always been the policy in the past.

By the way, from what I have heard about the shows in Europe, getting into the Elipse or getting into the area close to the stage was, "First Come, First Serve"!
 
Sting, can't you just let this thread die? You've been bumping it up constantly for months and the tour's almost over. If someone wants to revive it, let them, but it's annoying to see the pages constantly filled with your posts solely containing a period because you won't let this drop to page two until the tour is over. Plus, there hasn't been a dramatic increase in voting; I think everyone that's wanted to participate in this poll has done so already :shrug:
 
Queen Bee said:
Sting, can't you just let this thread die? You've been bumping it up constantly for months and the tour's almost over. If someone wants to revive it, let them, but it's annoying to see the pages constantly filled with your posts solely containing a period because you won't let this drop to page two until the tour is over. Plus, there hasn't been a dramatic increase in voting; I think everyone that's wanted to participate in this poll has done so already :shrug:

:up:
Let someone else beat that dead horse if they want to.

Hmmmmm....maybe it's time I bump up one of my threads from April.....:hmm:
:wink:
 
Utoo said:


See, IMHO, that's really not cool. I understand that class & the test were important---but so were the work that I skipped or the work that u2wedge couldn't skip. It doesn't matter if it's okay with the people next to you in line--what's it matter to people who are #'s 2 and 3? It matters to the people who could legitimately come and stay in the line over those seven hours. And it's not like it was "made up for" in Pittsburgh.

Sorry, dude, but this kind of save-a-spot-then-bolt is one of the many things that the lottery attempts to remedy. Without the lottery, there would only be more people trying to do the same thing.

If you think about it I was away for 3 hours on Wednesday. Then 4 hours on Friday. Legit I had a class on Wednesday I could not miss and an exam on Thursday. 7 hours total out of a possible maxium of 48 hours waiting outside in line from Tuesday evening to Thursday showtime is ok. Everyone should take 3 to 4 hours at least taking a break if you sleep outside in line. I got very little sleep and its legit because it was understandable with the people around me and I ask everyone as well if it was ok.

When I did October 8 MSG I stayed in line the whole night until noon time. The place I was staying was outside in New Jersey, so it took me 3 hours to wash, shower etc and to drive back into the city.

The lottery sucks because you do not know where you are going to be when showtime comes, and you could be separated from people that you know if you are a group of 8 with GA Floor tickets
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom