Indie Rock SCAM: uses U2 for ratings

[mofo82]

U2 and its fans have been disgraced and lied to in what I few are criminal acts by Indie 103.1, a rock station in Los Angeles. Here's my message.

I belong to a U2 Fan Forum, U2 Feedback. There were reports that a Los Angeles radio station, Indie 103.1, was going to play the new U2 single "Vertigo" during an all day marathon. They had sound clips in their commercial saying that they would be playing it, but not when. The marathon played out all day until at 7:00 PM Pacific Time Henry Rollins interrupted the U2 Marathon and started bad mouthing the band and their music. The marathon continued at 9:00 PM til 10:00PM Pacific when another radio show came in and interrupted the "24 Hour" marathon. Midnight has come and gone and they did not deliver on their word. This indie rock station lied to fans worldwide and got them to try out their radio station through live web streaming broadcasts. People from around the world come to this U2 Feedback website and post info. Indie 103 must have gotten their highest ratings and profitted off of a lie that costed many people their time and energy in the hopes that they were telling us the truth. I even recieved emails from Mr. Henry Rollins himself, a DJ on the station and a known hater of U2, that lead me to believe that this was a plan to use U2 and their music for ratings. I truly feel this needs to be investigated.



Thank you very much and I hope this email is taken very seriously.


ANY MODERATORS IN THIS FORUM, PLEASE GET THIS MEASSAGE OUT AND TAKE IT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. I've already emailed Interscope Records, but I feel Principle Management needs to be aware of this situation. I need help getting the word out.

 

[starsgoblue]

Go baby go!

 

[U2girl]

I don't know if that "B-Sides, live songs...and the new single Vertigo" qualifies as false advertising as they didn't actually use the words "we will play it".
However, it was very likely a hoax, especially knowing Rollins' history with U2.

 

[beli]

Mofo82, get your anger out and then go to bed. Its been a long night for you yanks. It will seem less worse in the morning.

 

[EvolutionMonkey]

U2 and its fans have been disgraced and lied to in what I few are criminal acts by Indie 103.1, a rock station in Los Angeles. Here's my message.

I belong to a U2 Fan Forum, U2 Feedback. There were reports that a Los Angeles radio station, Indie 103.1, was going to play the new U2 single "Vertigo" during an all day marathon. They had sound clips in their commercial saying that they would be playing it, but not when. The marathon played out all day until at 7:00 PM Pacific Time Henry Rollins interrupted the U2 Marathon and started bad mouthing the band and their music. The marathon continued at 9:00 PM til 10:00PM Pacific when another radio show came in and interrupted the "24 Hour" marathon. Midnight has come and gone and they did not deliver on their word. This indie rock station lied to fans worldwide and got them to try out their radio station through live web streaming broadcasts. People from around the world come to this U2 Feedback website and post info. Indie 103 must have gotten their highest ratings and profitted off of a lie that costed many people their time and energy in the hopes that they were telling us the truth. I even recieved emails from Mr. Henry Rollins himself, a DJ on the station and a known hater of U2, that lead me to believe that this was a plan to use U2 and their music for ratings. I truly feel this needs to be investigated.



Thank you very much and I hope this email is taken very seriously.


ANY MODERATORS IN THIS FORUM, PLEASE GET THIS MEASSAGE OUT AND TAKE IT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. I've already emailed Interscope Records, but I feel Principle Management needs to be aware of this situation. I need help getting the word out.

12 hours is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Diemen]

A little melodramatic, aren't we?

 

[Tomer]

 

[Diemen]

Oh, and I don't think you'll get much sympathy from Interscope and Principle Management. If anything, they'd be the ones calling to threaten legal action IF the radio station played Vertigo.

Sorry to drag the level of hysteria down a notch, but really, get over it and move on.

 

[innocent_eyes]

it's not really fair that the fucking station uses U2 and us for their own gain, that just pisses me right off.

Many of us were up late waiting for it and these bastards get a handful of cash for decieving tons of people.

On top of this, Henry fucking rollins comes on and insults the band. WTF?? during their own marathon, that was just disrespectful and adding insult to injury. It was just unecessary and decietful, I mean, WTF did we do to diserve this treatment? Why should they prophet from this scam?

 

[Laura M]

But all the songs were repeated. Surely you realised that you weren't going to hear it especially as nothing had been mentioned on u2.com about a new single being out then. I would only take something as genuine when I read about it somewhere like that.

 

[mikal]

^^^^^^

please understand that the station advertised "24 hours of U2, including the new single Vertigo".

that's why i'm upset. i was skeptical from the beginning, but then when they advertised it, i wasted hours waiting for it.

 

[EPandAmerica]

Oh, I think we'll hear the whole song way before U2.com mentions anything.

 

[starsgoblue]

What is wrong here is that this station used U2's name for their own personal gain. That's unethical and illegal.

What makes it worse it that there were people that tuned in world wide to listen to the station (myself included)....There was plenty of other things I could have done with my day...in fact I cancelled plans so I could hear what the station kept teasing us with. We aren't being melodramatic. Disgruntled, yes. And think about it....I doubt that U2 would be OK with thier name being exploited in a PR stunt.

 

[Zoorock Girl!]

Big deal. So they didn't play it, yeah it was dumb of them to advertise it, but so what. We'll hear the song within weeks anyway.

 

[mikal]

Big deal. So they didn't play it, yeah it was dumb of them to advertise it, but so what. We'll hear the song within weeks anyway.

i guess it must just be hard for the people that weren't around yesterday to understand the frustration that myself and so many others felt last night.

 

[Laura M]

i was listening to it and im not feeling frustration

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I think they should be sued for false advertising... someone start something... i'll put in a dollar...

Seriously, that station did a dick thing...

 

[mikal]

i was listening to it and im not feeling frustration

did you hear them advertise "vertigo"?

personally, i find it frustrating when a business falsely advertises their product. but that's just me.

 

[innocent_eyes]

yeah, i'm pissed too!

That's not right. Didn't some band, years ago, name their album 'U2' and had U2 on the cover in really large letters, in an attempt to sell a lot of copies. how would you feel if you brought that cd home and it wasn't U2?

It's just not right to use someone's name/credability for your own gain. If I was U2 i'd be a little pissed, i'm sure U2 doesn't appreciate how that Indy radio treated thousands of their fans and bad mouthed them afterwords.

That's what really bothers me, sticking it to the fans by not only falsey advertising Vertigo, then they bad mouth the band..what assholes, they knew TONS of U2 fans would be listening to. What a dick, that henry rollins.

 

[U2girl]

yeah, i'm pissed too!

That's not right. Didn't some band, years ago, name their album 'U2' and had U2 on the cover in really large letters, in an attempt to sell a lot of copies. how would you feel if you brought that cd home and it wasn't U2?

Negativland put huge letters U2 on the cover, a war plane picture and they even had samples of (I think) U2's I still haven't found what I'm looking for on that CD.
U2's label sued them, while Negativland argued they were going for a parody and that copyright/misleading laws shouldn't apply. They settled it outside of court, Negativland had to pay money.

It was in the early 90's, I think and while some say this incident made U2 look like a giant bully taking on the small music fish like Negativland, I think U2's label had a good case.

 

[Bono's shades]

I think its funny that the people at this station despise U2 so much but will play their music as a stunt to get ratings and attention. If they don't like U2, that's fine, it's not like anyone's forcing them to play their music. Just don't grossly insult people who do like them. Is that too much to ask, especially of a station whose slogan is "Respect the Music"?

I feel like a loser because I listened for nine hours straight and didn't get to hear Vertigo. I had my doubts when I first heard about this because I knew U2 supposedly didn't want it played yet, but then again I couldn't believe they would risk getting in trouble for false advertising. I should have known better when I looked at the homepage and saw Henry Rollins, a notorious U2-hater, has a show on this station.

It's too bad that in a world where Clear Channel dominates radio that one of the few indie stations on the airwaves shows so little class. All they are doing is alienating a whole bunch of potential listeners. I liked some of the music they played when they weren't playing U2 but there is no way in hell I'm going to listen to this station ever again.

 

[starsgoblue]

It's just not right to use someone's name/credability for your own gain. If I was U2 i'd be a little pissed, i'm sure U2 doesn't appreciate how that Indy radio treated thousands of their fans and bad mouthed them afterwords.

That's what really bothers me, sticking it to the fans by not only falsey advertising Vertigo, then they bad mouth the band..what assholes, they knew TONS of U2 fans would be listening to. W.

I agree!!! I've sent several emails to the station (NOTE: not Rollins) about this because they seriously crossed a line here. If I were U2 I'd go after them.

 

[starsgoblue]

did you hear them advertise "vertigo"?

personally, i find it frustrating when a business falsely advertises their product. but that's just me.

Amen. Especially when one becomes a slave to the computer for 9+ hours listening to a station that's basically just bending you over. Sorry for my frankness but my time is valuable to me.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Big deal. So they didn't play it, yeah it was dumb of them to advertise it, but so what. We'll hear the song within weeks anyway.

What do you mean, "so what"? I wasted eleven hours of my life (some people wasted even more) waiting for that pitiful excuse of a radio station to play some new U2. We sat through the same songs over and over again, the same adverts over and over again, even through the rants of that numbskull Rollins, and for what? Nothing. What they did was unforgivable. Yes, we'll hear the song soon, but it's the whole principle of the thing. People shouldn't be allowed to get away with things like this.

 

[starsgoblue]

What do you mean, "so what"? I wasted eleven hours of my life (some people wasted even more) waiting for that pitiful excuse of a radio station to play some new U2. We sat through the same songs over and over again, the same adverts over and over again, even through the rants of that numbskull Rollins, and for what? Nothing. What they did was unforgivable. Yes, we'll hear the song soon, but it's the whole principle of the thing. People shouldn't be allowed to get away with things like this.

I agree...it's like what happened to my friend recently. She went to go see the farewell concert of Phish, had her tickets and everything. She sat in traffic for FORTY HOURS and then she got turned away! And she's getting compensated for it too! How's this any different?

 

[BAW]

It's too bad that in a world where Clear Channel dominates radio that one of the few indie stations on the airwaves shows so little class. All they are doing is alienating a whole bunch of potential listeners. I liked some of the music they played when they weren't playing U2 but there is no way in hell I'm going to listen to this station ever again.

They aren't as independent as they'd like us to think...Entravision (their parent company) owns 50+ radio stations, 40+ TV stations, etc. They've also got a nice little deal going with Clear Channel.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_1_26/ai_112360635

To pull off the switch to an edgier rock lineup, Entravision has brought in broadcasting giant Clear Channel Communications Inc. to sell advertising. Terms were not disclosed, though one source with knowledge of the deal said Clear Channel would pay Entravision a flat fee for all the ad time on both stations, which it would then resell. The companies would split evenly any revenues after sales exceeded the fee amount.

Entravision will retain ownership of the stations, and under Federal Communication Commission rules it is responsible for programming.

 

[Diemen]

What do you mean, "so what"? I wasted eleven hours of my life (some people wasted even more) waiting for that pitiful excuse of a radio station to play some new U2. We sat through the same songs over and over again, the same adverts over and over again, even through the rants of that numbskull Rollins, and for what? Nothing. What they did was unforgivable. Yes, we'll hear the song soon, but it's the whole principle of the thing. People shouldn't be allowed to get away with things like this.

No offense, but if you wasted 11 hours listening to that station, and didn't even get the suspicion that they weren't going to play it after the first hour when they started playing the same songs again, and even after Henry Rollins came out to insult the band, then perhaps it's just you're own fault for being so gullible despite the signs.

I listened for about an hour. Probably less, actually. And in that hour, I heard them play about 7 individual U2 songs total. When they started repeating songs they'd only played 20 minutes ago, I turned it off and did something else. Besides, if they DID play the song, I'd see it on the net tomorrow. I decided it wasn't worth my while sitting around listening to the same U2 songs over and over again just in the off chance that I might hear a song that, if played, I could hear the next day whenever I felt like it anyway.

Yeah, it sucked that the radio station did that. But come on! Let it go and move on.

 

[starsgoblue]

Diemen...if you don't care about the situation then why do you keep posting to "let it go". Just ignore this thread.

 

[Diemen]

Because, to be honest, all this hysteria and letter writing is only representing the U2 fanbase as a gullible and bitter crowd to the outside world.

 

[GibsonGirl]

No offense, but if you wasted 11 hours listening to that station, and didn't even get the suspicion that they weren't going to play it after the first hour when they started playing the same songs again, and even after Henry Rollins came out to insult the band, then perhaps it's just you're own fault for being so gullible despite the signs.

I listened for about an hour. Probably less, actually. And in that hour, I heard them play about 7 individual U2 songs total. When they started repeating songs they'd only played 20 minutes ago, I turned it off and did something else. Besides, if they DID play the song, I'd see it on the net tomorrow. I decided it wasn't worth my while sitting around listening to the same U2 songs over and over again just in the off chance that I might hear a song that, if played, I could hear the next day whenever I felt like it anyway.

Yeah, it sucked that the radio station did that. But come on! Let it go and move on.

Of course I was suspicious. I wasn't sitting there with a gleeful grin on my face saying "OMFG, LYKE THER GONNA PLAY NEW U2 OMFG@!!11@21". If I didn't actually hear them announce the fact that their 24-hour marathon would feature the "new U2 single, Vertigo" I would have turned it off. But there was always the possibility there that they would indeed play it. It was pure, blatant false advertisement so something should be done about it. I couldn't give a flying fuck if you think we're over-reacting - I'm just frustrated that people can do these things and not receive any sort of punishment.