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FullonEdge2 said:Can you believe some people wanted to stage a protest at the Grammys?
Everytime I think about that thread I get a stomach ache.
What kills me is that there was someone in that thread (the guy who burned copies of his U2 Cd's in order to sell them the day of the presale) who was still arguing that it would be a good thing to do (even after Larry posted the original apology).
Roland of Gilead
Gunslinger
My thoughts go to the Edge and his family. If for some reason there is no tour, then so be it. I could not imagine seeing one of my two children go thru this.
gorman said:
I'm hoping so too, the dedication from Edge and Bono mentioning Edge when he got that award in France is worrying, but this is a positive sign IMO. Hopefully Sian is doing better and Edge's dedication was an optimistic one.
What a bad luck U2 has with this tour... the songs will resonate for Bono and Edge IMO. I was hoping the newspapers were wrong with the family illness story...
Liesje
Blue Crack Addict
*feels guilty*
sharky
New Yorker
I think we were all swept up in the heat of the moment when we so burned by the ticket sale snafu. In the end, we were all guilty of that and cooler heads are prevailing now, which is a much better way to deal with this.
It's definitely hard for Edge and his family now, but as a cancer survivor myself [Hodgkin's, which is also a blood-borne cancer], I am hopeful and praying for the best.
It's definitely hard for Edge and his family now, but as a cancer survivor myself [Hodgkin's, which is also a blood-borne cancer], I am hopeful and praying for the best.
LostAtMoon
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
FullonEdge2 said:Can you believe some people wanted to stage a protest at the Grammys?
There is something that would never cross my mind, no matter how right I was. That would have been terrible and shameless, even if all this speculation made any sense. The band has never let their fans down and I'm sure they have had the chance (often).
Tolerance is a great virtue, a very rare one nowadays.
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LostAtMoon said:
There is something that would never cross my mind, no matter how right I was. That would have been terrible and shameless, even if all this speculation made any sense. The band has never let their fans down and I'm sure they have had the chance (often).
Tolerance is a great virtue, a very rare one nowadays.
As unbelievable as it sounds:
http://forum.interference.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=111106
fmattyh said:
Sorry fmattyh, rather than providing you with an answer to your post (seeing as no-one else apparently has) I can only echo your confusion over this matter?!?!?
The only possible explanation I can offer, fmattyh is:
a) We are complete sceptics and require more evidence than the average U2 fan, to convince us of the general consensus that the majority seem to have reached
b) We are TOTALLY missing something really simple but crucial in understanding some of the conclusions that have been made over the last 24 hours.
PLEASE GUYS - put us out of our misery!!!
From the little evidence I can gather we have:
1) Larry's Grammy acceptance speech:
"Some of you might know we nearly weren't going to be able to play live tonight, and we didn't think we were going to be able to play live for the rest of the year.
Live is...where we live. And due to circumstances beyond our control, a lot of our long-suffering fans ended up queuing overnight and didn't get tickets. And I'd just like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the band, to apologize to them."
I can't refute this evidence at all folks...but he doesn't explain the reason for almost missing the performance and the tour???
2) Melissa's Blog:
Me: Hey, Mr. B! I'm you're only fan today.
B: (rubbing hands together) That's ok. (grin)
(B gives me a big hug that I so totally needed, lol)
Me: Do you remember me? Melissa from Boston... (cut off)
B: Of course I do... with yer long hair now. (he flips my hair)
Me: Yeah, I decided to grow it out... But, y'know, (I play punch his arm) I have to ask....
(he rolls his eyes facetiously)
Me: Did you get my note?
B: No, I didn't. What did it say?
Me: Oh, I thought I couldn't come by because I'm writing a script and have had interviews in North Hollywood.
B: How's it going?
Me: Really well!
B: Did you go to school for writing or are you just making it up as you go along?
Me: I went to Boston College.
B: What's it called?
Me: *title of film*
B: Cool... What's it about?
Me: *synopsis of film*
(his eyes light up and he smiles at me)
B: *title of film*, that's a good poster!
(pause)
B: So, we're playing Sometimes tonight...
Me: Why not Vertigo?
B: That's hard to answer... It's been played, y'know - over played. People know it. Even a band as big as U2 has to sell new songs... Change it up... (he continues on about change and keeping things new and different)
(pause)
Me: So... the presale fiasco...
B: (following summarized for key points) The sad thing is the whole thing happened because of Edge's situation. The tour was canceled 5 times. People worked round the clock just to keep the tour alive. Some people got snubbed and they've a right to complain, but some people are taking it too far -- those people aren't fans, they've an agenda. The heartwrenching thing is -- there's a little girl fighting for her life. (pause) It's our fault. It was an error. And we're doing everything we can to fix it.
(Security calls him to leave. As Bono walks away he turns back towards me with his hand extended and a pleading tone.)
B: You'll tell the people won't you? Will you tell them? You'll tell them what I said, right?
Me: I'll tell them.
This is probably the best evidence but forgive my ignorance of who the interviewer is??? Anyone?? Who on earth is Melissa and how credible and trustworthy is this interview? If I was to post a transcript of Interview I had with Edge would it be just as gospel?
3) Reuters claim that Edge's daughter, Sian is "reportedly suffering from leukemia, although the band had not commented on the matter"
So where did they get this....and why wouldn't the band comment if Melissa's interview is genuine, what with all the comments that Bono had made in it?
I really don't want to be cynical about this folks - all I want is the truth. I'm as concerned about Edge and family as the rest of you but I just can't seem to swallow, what most of you are now taking for granted. Tell me I'm just being a thick sack of shite, but at least shed some light in my direction and illuminate my ignorance.
Back in to my soapbox I'll go now
No worse that faxing/phoning PM every few hours that some people were suggesting.
I filed a formal compaint against TM once. That helped me (i think) getting the GA's they sold me after the fact.
Let's face it. Some people got hosed, and many people deal with it the way they want to. I still would have liked to bitched (nicely) to Bono on video.
I filed a formal compaint against TM once. That helped me (i think) getting the GA's they sold me after the fact.
Let's face it. Some people got hosed, and many people deal with it the way they want to. I still would have liked to bitched (nicely) to Bono on video.
VertigoGal
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
Hmm...so I guess the rumor is true, and i hope she gets well soon.
On the other hand, I too have a hard time believing that fan-meeting just yet (sorry for doubting if I'm proved wrong). It's just very suspicious, IMO.
On the other hand, I too have a hard time believing that fan-meeting just yet (sorry for doubting if I'm proved wrong). It's just very suspicious, IMO.
Corner, that wasn't an interview. That was fan that has met U2 on a number of occasions. She wrote that in her blog. I think Edge's daughter being sick is hard to refute at this point. With his dedications and his legal actions that outta be all we need to know that rumour is true.
sharky
New Yorker
corner said:
I really don't want to be cynical about this folks - all I want is the truth. I'm as concerned about Edge and family as the rest of you but I just can't seem to swallow, what most of you are now taking for granted. Tell me I'm just being a thick sack of shite, but at least shed some light in my direction and illuminate my ignorance.
There are some things the band owes us as fans. A better explanation about how the ticket system will be better next time or the best show they can do for the tickets we pay for or even a great album that we buy. But we are not their family, we don't go out for drinks with them on a regular basis. U2 is special because they are not sympathy mongers or ego-maniacal celebrities that must always talk about every detail of their private lives. If we wanted to be fans of those kinds of celebrities, we would be on a Britney Spears message board debating the finer details of the latest letter to her fans about her dogs.
This is a private matter for the band and that's all we need to know. You can believe what you want about it, but they don't owe us anything when it comes to this private matter.
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
BostonAnne said:
Indeed, and that would be awesome if things were going positively for her, 'cause I feel so bad for Edge, too (and Sian, for having to go through all this). I just want to go find him and give him a big hug, wish I had some magic wand or something to wave around and make this all better.
Oh, yeah, no, I certainly wouldn't be upset with them at all about cancelling anything. I'd love to go see these guys live, no doubt about that-it'd be my first time seeing them live and everything, which would be wonderful. But I also know that things, such as illnesses, come up and there's no control over that, and if they ever have to cancel anything to take care of these personal family problems, by all means, please do so. Their families come first-I'm willing to wait around, and I'll be rooting for them in the meantime, hoping everything will get better.
Angela
It's actually a bit strange for me, as somebody who works in a lab which researches pediatric leukemia. I grow these cells, I make cDNA out of them, experiment with them and I honestly never really think about what little kid they came from. It's just not the nature of research to do so, but knowing this story does make me stop and consider it for a moment.
If she has leukemia, I "hope" it's ALL rather than AML, that would at least be some sort of tiny blessing.
If she has leukemia, I "hope" it's ALL rather than AML, that would at least be some sort of tiny blessing.
Lisa71 said:
Yep...that's cool. You've probably been right all along whilst I've been stubbornly performing my Judas/Doubting Thomas act.
Posted by Sharkey: "This is a private matter for the band and that's all we need to know. You can believe what you want about it, but they don't owe us anything when it comes to this private matter."
What makes me squirm a little is that Bono apparently "pleads" to Melissa to "tell the people". If this is a private matter Sharkey, why would Bono do this?
I don't mean to be obtuse about this folk...I really don't. But if Bono was so desperate to communicate this to us, perhaps Larry could have given him an IT lesson in posting messages onto U2.com?
sharky
New Yorker
corner said:
Bono didn't say "Edge's daughter has cancer and she's going to be ok but we didn't know at the time...blah blah blah." He told her about "Edge's situation" and that's it -- no extra details. We don't have to know what exactly is wrong with his daughter, when she's going to get better, what kind of treatment she has had, why they thought they wouldn't be able to even do the tour at first, etc. All he said was "Edge's situation" and he said more privately to a fan who posted on her blog -- he didn't say it in an acceptance speech in front of millions of people. Even Edge just said "this is for Sian" not "This is for my daughter who is sick, which is why we weren't sure about doing the tour etc. etc." We should not be deciding how much the band should tell us and how much is enough for us to actually believe it. It's the band's decision to give out information as they feel necessary. It's not our right to demand it from them.
Can we please separate, the...
Edge's Family Illness (ie...Tour Delay, possible tour cancelation, etc...)
from the Screw Up?
(ie...TM overload, Overselling of u2.com memberships, not enough GOOD seats in the pre-sale, Adam's Brother, etc...)
Obviously ALL of us are sensitive to any illness that might be in the bands family. That said, sounds like the boys are using the illness as an "excuse" for some of the "Screw up" (NOT THE DELAY or anything that was truely caused by the illness)
Edge's Family Illness (ie...Tour Delay, possible tour cancelation, etc...)
from the Screw Up?
(ie...TM overload, Overselling of u2.com memberships, not enough GOOD seats in the pre-sale, Adam's Brother, etc...)
Obviously ALL of us are sensitive to any illness that might be in the bands family. That said, sounds like the boys are using the illness as an "excuse" for some of the "Screw up" (NOT THE DELAY or anything that was truely caused by the illness)
sharky said:
I agree 100% with you Sharkey. It would have been inappropriate of Bono (or any member of U2 for that matter) to give us all a blow by blow, detailed account of something that is personal. The fact that Bono was discreet about the situation by briefly mentioning "Edge's situation", I totally respect and admire.
What I still don't understand though, is why he felt unable to communicate this simple and discreet message himself or through U2.com. Something to the effect of "Due to personal difficulties there were problems with the presale and we apologise for the inconvenience this has caused many of you " would NOT have been inappropriate surely?!?
Perhaps I am being a dick again (more than likely) and U2 have already issued a sensitive statement: that personal circumstances surrounding the band accounted for recent ticketing difficulties.
If not though, and Bono really did want to "tell the people", why would he rely on one fan to successfully achieve this?
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here...
yolland
Forum Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
- Messages
- 7,471
corner said:
Something to the effect of "Due to personal difficulties there were problems with the presale and we apologise for the inconvenience this has caused many of you " would NOT have been inappropriate surely?!?
I agree with you and fmattyh--it's strange that everyone seems to be taking the reliability of this blogger's 'discussion' with Bono for granted, especially since earlier stories pertaining to the same topic (from far more reliable sources, like the London Times and the Press Gazette) aroused so much hand-wringing about 'rumours.'
Also, again as you said, it's strange that Bono would openly allude to 'a little girl fighting for her life' AS A REASON FOR THE TOUR DELAYS--and then purportedly urge his listener to spread that news, no less!--when the band have yet to offer any formal public explanation for the delays beyond 'routing issues.' Not to mention that Edge has a lawsuit going against the Daily Mirror for violating his family's privacy by reporting exactly the same thing...
And Sharky, I don't get why you're going after these two--they're not the ones claiming OFFICIAL PROOF of any rumours about Edge's daughter based on this blog; on the contrary, they're questioning other posters for making that assumption.
doctorwho said:When the tour wasn't cancelled, I hoped that perhaps the rumors were wrong. After all, losing one's aging father - as traumatic as that is - isn't quite the same as a child fighting for her life. So when the tour plans continued, I felt that perhaps the illness wasn't nearly as bad as rumored.
Sadly, it appears all rumors are true.
I'm curious--you were one of the ones, several weeks back, taking the stance that U2 ought to publicly address the rumours about Edge's 'family situation,' if only for damage control purposes. What do you think now? Do you think the comments from Edge and Larry at the Grammys, however vague, represent a tacit acknowledgment of sorts that your position was correct?
(I'm not trying to put you in the spotlight here, sorry--I just remember you being among the more articulate proponents of that view.)
Well spoken Yolland..."articulate" was certainly fully realised in that last post of yours.
I feel slightly less guilty now, about my reluctance in accepting seemingly 'common knowledge' amongst the majority of folks on this thread.
That said though...I really hope the difficulties (in whatever shape or form they might take) which accounted for the ticketing debacle, are resolved as quickly and painlessly as possible.
to y'all & u2
I feel slightly less guilty now, about my reluctance in accepting seemingly 'common knowledge' amongst the majority of folks on this thread.
That said though...I really hope the difficulties (in whatever shape or form they might take) which accounted for the ticketing debacle, are resolved as quickly and painlessly as possible.
to y'all & u2
jesseu2
Refugee
o my god, i hope everything gets better.
me and Edge after November 19, 2001 show in LA
my prayers are with u and your family, edge; the best guitarist ever known!
me and Edge after November 19, 2001 show in LA
my prayers are with u and your family, edge; the best guitarist ever known!
sharky
New Yorker
corner said:Well spoken Yolland..."articulate" was certainly fully realised in that last post of yours.
I feel slightly less guilty now, about my reluctance in accepting seemingly 'common knowledge' amongst the majority of folks on this thread.
That said though...I really hope the difficulties (in whatever shape or form they might take) which accounted for the ticketing debacle, are resolved as quickly and painlessly as possible.
I'm confused. So because Edge hasn't said "My daughter is sick" you don't believe that is the full reason for the tour delay?
And Yolland, if you were around the U2 Tour forum, you would have found this "rumor" has been going around for at least a month. This isn't just some blogger saying some conversation with Bono. This is the lawsuit Edge brought against an Irish paper, NME reporting it, etc.
AliEnvy
Refugee
Chrisedge said:
Wow...using the illness as an excuse? Ok, I've been quiet on this board about the whole fiasco up until this point...but since you need someone to connect the dots for you...
Since the illness (diagnosis) was sudden and unexpected, and obviously after MacGuiness announced the tour would start March 1 in Miami (did that in Dec?) all tour plans must have been initially cancelled.
Once the illness/prognosis/treatment situation became clearer and it looked like the tour could happen but had to be delayed (likely for treatment and recovery period), everyone in U2's organization would have been in a tailspin focused 24/7 soley on tour logistics ("routing issues") to make the tour happen AT ALL.
They pulled off a complete redesign of the first leg in a matter of weeks which I imagine is something that normally takes months. Keep in mind that the NHL season wasn't dead just yet which complicated venue booking even further.
Whatever plans that were pending for the pre-sale, specifically processes for Prop members and ticket allocation deals (GAs & GCs) with TM, venue managers and promoters, had to be left behind and the whole thing handed over to TM to manage even though they probably knew it would be a nightmare.
There were simply too many balls in the air so they had no choice at the time...and unfortunately it was the pre-sale ball that fell with a very loud thud.
This a good enough excuse for you?
AliEnvy said:
I'm glad someone responded to that ridiculous post. Personally I was too pissed off to actually respond coherantly.
I also might add that the ticket situation was immediately addressed (basically it was the presale of the 25th which was truly fucked up). Practically everyone else who wanted GA's got them in the subsequent presales (both in Europe & the US).
It obvious to me at least that some people will never be satisfied or accept any type of apology or explanation.
U2@NYC
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Chrisedge said:No worse that faxing/phoning PM every few hours that some people were suggesting.
I filed a formal compaint against TM once. That helped me (i think) getting the GA's they sold me after the fact.
Let's face it. Some people got hosed, and many people deal with it the way they want to. I still would have liked to bitched (nicely) to Bono on video.
I think you are mixing up two different things... I faxed PM many times since the pre-sale was a mess... this has zero to do with the problems with Bono's health, Edge's little daughter (all my prayers are with her) or the changes in tour dates. I think that most of the people that, like me, bashed Principle Management for a horribly run pre-sale have a point.
So I would suggest, in my humble opinion, that you do not mix up two different things. A protest at the Grammys would have been an attack on the band members themselves, and not on their management.
And, naturally, I completely disagree with the poster that seems to indicate that the band is using illness as an excuse... that would be way too cheap and not worthy of the reputation and history of U2.
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sharky said:
To be honest, I didn't really intend to make a big deal out of this Sharky. I guess what it boils down to, is being cynical about the validity of Melissa and her chat with Bono. Its certainly conceivable enough, that 'Edge's situation' could be true, in which case, its pretty obvious how this explains the tour delay.
Don't however, expect me to believe that Bono (or the rest of the band) really wanted us to know about 'Edge's situation' (as Melissa would have us believe). IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!
Do you really think U2 were restricted to the following 2 options, in getting the message accross to us:
1) Tell one fan about Edge's daughter and make cryptic references during Grammy's
OR
2) Splash all the gory details of Sian into the public arena, through inappropriate and intrusive statements.
If there had been a family illness (which I don't discount) and if U2 had WANTED us to know about it...they would have - as simple as that. Even as much as a "personal circumstances" comment would have sufficed with a "no further comment" for anyone nosey enough to ask.
Oh yeah...and if there are any vital facts that either Yolland or myself have failed to pick up over the last month - all you have to do is enlighten us. Just because a rumour has been floating around for a while, it doesn't make it anymore credible. Maybe if you'd lived in a gossipy village for 20 years, you'd come to that conclusion too though.
GibsonGirl
ONE love, blood, life
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- 13,270
FullonEdge2 said:Can you believe some people wanted to stage a protest at the Grammys?
I know, it's completely beyond me. That post was absolutely disgusting.
My prayers are with Sian and Edge's family. I lost an uncle to lukemia about two years ago, and that was hard enough. I could hardly imagine what it must be like to have your own child suffering with the illness. Here's hoping to a speedy recovery...
