UK Dates next Summer?

[JohnnyBoy]

I read that Bono said playing glastonbury is one thing they want to do and Eavis had said U2 would have to make the first move after letting him down in 95, not that he wouldn't have them.

So maybe it is a possibility. I mentioned in another thread that a mate's relative who is well connected has heard a strong rumour that they will do glastonbury.

Saying that Mighty Boosh are touring soon I think ,so maybe they have lined up to be their support act After all apparantly Bono has approached them before!

But like you all, I'm holding on to my pre sale so will be miffed if no UK date. Even Belfast is a ball ache. Getting to Slane must have set me back £300 just for travelling with the missus and then there was accomodation. It isn't like jumping in a car and crossing from Netherlands to Germany, or crossing some US states, but we have to get a plane or ferry and we get seriously ripped off for it. But if there is no UK date I will save up and see them elsewhere, what I don't want to happen is to be left with my pre sale and no where to use it for.

We bumped into Paul McGuiness at Cardiff and he said they would be back next year, at the time we took that to mean the Millenium Stadium so we're hoping.

And to the person who said Sheffield struggled to sell out. The pit lane for Sheffield closed by about lunchtime (and a working day). There was then a massive queue just to get in normal GA (but that might be because Don Valley is in Attercliffe that is a hole so no-one went boozing!). At Cardiff I spoke to the security staff that I had met at other gigs and he said it took them two hours to fill the pit and they were having to drag people in. So I reckon the north were definitely up for 360 and could easily sell out stadiums if they come back next year.

 

[andyuk]

Millenium Stadium could easily be played in October with the roof closed.

I can't see them not doing another Wembley show and 1 up north either Manchester or Sunderland.

Glastonbury could be a strong possibilty as well does anyone know when they will announce the acts for this? would U2 bring their claw or would they use the standard Glastonbury stage?

 

[andyuk]

The "impossible viewing" seats were covered in black material to prevent people from sitting there. Any red patch was an unused seat.

It's a shame I can't post it in it's full glory, but look around the pitch side seats, the middle tier behind the stage and in the upper regions of the stands to the right. Loads and loads of empty seats

Thousends?????

The first few rows on the bottom tier yeah of course as you would not be able to see. Yes i can see a FEW empty seats but the way you said it sounded like the stadium was only half full!

To me that stadium looks pretty much full up apart from the odd red seat here and there and the attendence on the Saturday was 85,500 and the Friday was 88,000 both being many more than the next biggest ever concert at Wembley being Foo Fighters at 80,000!

 

[JohnnyBoy]

Love the photo - brings the memories flooding back.

I wasn't keen on NLOTH, thought it just needed time but it didn't get me going. I thought I had maybe reached the end of the rd with my penchant for U2 and it is the 1st time since Rattle & Hum that I didn't go and buy the singles.

But seeing them being sung live made the songs come alive and now I reckon it is up there with their other albums (nothing still compares to Achtung Baby though). Moment of Surrender is absolutely awesome.

I just hope they come back - to hear those songs again will top a fantastic summer - the World Cup and U2 - it doesn't get any better does it

 

[waynetravis]

Between the new US dates and the Europe dates, how big is the gap?

 

[hedge]

Between the new US dates and the Europe dates, how big is the gap?

not big enough Wayne.

how was the US trip?

 

[chrissybaby]

Fingers crossed for Glastonbury. Just cos I've already got tickets for that

Won't happen in a million lifetimes....

 

[hedge]

October concerts are possible in Ireland and the UK.

The Police played Cardiff and Croke Park during October 2007.

I would guess a UK & Ireland tour being announced before Christmas

Forgot about the Police shows!

Cardiff - Saturday the 9th October anyone?

 

[gman]

Between the new US dates and the Europe dates, how big is the gap?

Just about 3 weeks Wayne....and remember....it will take time to ship the stage to Europe and set up for the first of the known shows (at this point).

 

[gman]

Just been thinking....even Canada will have had 5 shows by the end of the tour. As much as the whole UK got.
Im still of the opinion that surely they wont snub the UK...when it was the place they made their name.
The more i think about it, the more i am of the opinion that they will revisit the UK at least once more.

 

[waynetravis]

not big enough Wayne.

how was the US trip?

Grand. I'm still on it.
Planning for the next California shows in 2010

 

[hedge]

Grand. I'm still on it.
Planning for the next California shows in 2010

Good man!

 

[U2crush]

October concerts are possible in Ireland and the UK.

The Police played Cardiff and Croke Park during October 2007.

I would guess a UK & Ireland tour being announced before Christmas

this would make me very happy!!!!!

 

[brettredmaye]

Glastonbury line up is not announced till May

 

[ZooMacPhisto800]

Just been thinking....even Canada will have had 5 shows by the end of the tour. As much as the whole UK got.
Im still of the opinion that surely they wont snub the UK...when it was the place they made their name.
The more i think about it, the more i am of the opinion that they will revisit the UK at least once more.

Yeah, maybe, but don't use Canada's # as support for your cause. As it stands, we'll actually have had 6 shows by the end of this tour. We also had more Vertigo and PopMart shows than the UK (and during Elevation, we had 1 less... the UK having 10; Canada having 9).

Given the fact that the UK has already had 5 shows, it wouldn't seem crazy that it not get any additional shows - it could be seen that the "revisited" Germany and France are merely catching up (having received too few shows during Leg 1).

 

[m0nkeyb0y]

At the end of the day, none of the venue decisions are anything to do with fairness to the fan, they are all about money. If the UK could demonstrate to LiveNation that it would be in their interests (i.e. they could make a load of profit) to return then maybe they would. The fact that you could still buy tickets for Wembley 2 on the day tends to make promoters very twitchy and less likely to gamble on another date.

 

[JohnnyBoy]

The answer is simple then - don't play Wembley.

Maybe those in easy commute to Wembley get a bit blaze about big acts and sporting events.

So take those events round the country. We saw it with England friendlies. The old Wembley wasn't selling out and when it was getting knocked down the likes of Old Trafford and St James Park were getting packed for meaningless games.

So get U2 to play somewhere that doesn't get so much choice and they'll easily sell out. Even get Live Nation to hike the prices. I would much rather pay £100 for GA then have the hassle of going to Paris.

I still fancy them to announce Cardiff

 

[vaz02]

Germany is quite a weak market for u2 ( as far as im aware ), why are they getting so many shows on the new European leg ?

 

[gman]

Germany is quite a weak market for u2 ( as far as im aware ), why are they getting so many shows on the new European leg ?

Thats what i was thinking.

 

[Kerwin06]

Newbie to the site, but I'll put my two cents in (or put forth my theory, as it were): I believe there will be at least a UK or Ireland show, possibly both, in the middle and end of the Europe 2 tour.

Here's my reasoning:
- There are at least three Claws - 1 getting torn down, 1 getting used, 1 getting built up, at any one time
- Look at the Europe 2 dates compared to the Europe 1 dates; the Europe 1 Ireland/UK dates begin with Dublin, which is most likely the stage used in Nice. 9 days separate the two cities.
- Dublin -> Chorzow = 10 days
- Europe 2 dates: There is a perfect gap between Istanbul and Munich of 9 days. In that time, the stage from Vienna could be used in UK/Ireland for 1 city/2 nights (Sep 9-Sep 11)
- There's time for the Athens stage to be used in Munich
- There's time for the Istanbul stage to be used in Paris
- There would be time for the UK/Ireland stage to be used in Brussels, and makes logistical sense.

This is TOTALLY a theory made up in my feverish little brain, with lots of wishful thinking behind it, because the wife and I are already planning a trip to Ireland for our anniversary. It would be great to be able to plan it around a U2 concert!

 

[MikeyJB]

Won't happen in a million lifetimes....

I honestly believe that it is on Bono's 'to-do' list for the band. And we know how determined he is on certain things, so I don't think its as out of the question as you might think.

 

[m0nkeyb0y]

How does Bono's 'to-do' list marry up with LiveNation's 'mega-profit' list?

 

[phommel]

Germany is quite a weak market for u2 ( as far as im aware ), why are they getting so many shows on the new European leg ?

yes that's a good question.

And there are many many tickets still available for all 3 2010 U2 concerts. One week ago there were even GA-tickets available again. Now still tickets in the 3 higher priced categories...

Also Southern Spain seems to be poor selling, since there are many tickets still available for the Sevilla show. Remarkable that Sevilla was the only not oficially sold out show on Sticky and Sweet tour (attendance ~47,000). It was almost the worst selling show with almost the lowest attendance on Springsteens Working on a dream tour: attendance: ~24,000. Are the Andalusians not interested in music?

 

[hedge]

by all accounts the Munich show is nearly sold out.

so there maybe an announcement about the Zurich show soon....


if and when it is finally confirmed that the netherlands will not have a show next year - then expect a surge in sales of the other 2 german shows

 

[phommel]

by all accounts the Munich show is nearly sold out.

yes I saw Munich is doing a bit better. However, still few thousands of tickets available and for Hannover and Frankfurt more tahn 10,000. Even the cheapest tickets are still available for Hannover...

so there maybe an announcement about the Zurich show soon....

Yes will probably be announced soon. That diagam is already for weeks on the website.

if and when it is finally confirmed that the netherlands will not have a show next year - then expect a surge in sales of the other 2 german shows

I don't think so. The general public is not aware of that fact and they are not waiting for concerts to be announced. When a show in Netherlands is announced, then demands are high, but the amount of people traveling to Hannover or Frankfurt is limited.
For Gelsenkirchen, Bremen, Koln and Dortmund it would be a different story, but the concerts for 2010 are too far.

 

[hedge]

I don't think so. The general public is not aware of that fact and they are not waiting for concerts to be announced. When a show in Netherlands is announced, then demands are high, but the amount of people traveling to Hannover or Frankfurt is limited.
For Gelsenkirchen, Bremen, Koln and Dortmund it would be a different story, but the concerts for 2010 are too far.

Ok. I guess you would know that more than me!

Has there been more interest in the Brussels shows then?

 

[jayb]

i think it is unfair that london is getting a bad press for just a few thousand tickets unsold for the 2nd wembley show. You have to remember that wembley apart from the nou camp is the biggest stadium on the europe tour and there was more people at this years show 163000 than in 2005. Plus thats more than the foo fighter, muse and coldplay got at wembley and they all had much cheaper tickets. So i don't know how the hell germany have got more gigs when that has always been a slow market.

 

[phommel]

Ok. I guess you would know that more than me!

Has there been more interest in the Brussels shows then?

yes you are right! I know lots of Dutch that got tickets for Brussels.

 

[MikeyJB]

How does Bono's 'to-do' list marry up with LiveNation's 'mega-profit' list?

I think that at this stage in their career, what Bono/U2 wants to do, they can force it through Live Nation or whoever else.

 

[ZooMacPhisto800]

The shows are still a while away... wouldn't the best indicator of German attendance tendencies be to check the attendance at past shows? Did they sell out on Vertigo, etc.?

Anyway, if there's no UK show in 2010, you could always go to a show in another Euro country and expand your horizons