2015 U2 Tour - General Discussion Thread IV

[Wendyandkevinca]

GA's went very quickly. Plenty of seats left at some venues.

And some of those lots of tickets just upped and disappeared and now showing as sold. So pissed I did not take any screen shots of of the empty seats in the first 11 rows of the middle six 300s for TO1 and 2. This makes me sick and now I know TM or someone is doing something. So who buys few hundred 300 dollar seats that sat empty all day? Smells like stinky fish.

 

[ClaytonsKitten]

Gah, only single seats left at Chi1 in the $300 sections. So much for the family doing both nights.

Someone get Mullen on this. Because clearly the resellers bought up entire blocks KNOWING that the demand would be driven up.

Joke's on them when no one buys and we all wait for 2016.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app

 

[BigMacPhisto]

It's pretty ironic (or disheartening) that we were all entering captchas all the time today and sticking to all of these Ticketmaster imposed limitations yet they themselves (and some unaffiliated groups) literally just bought everything in bulk.

The simple solution is to just not buy from a reseller or only do it if the price is so close to the ticket's initial value that you might as well take the plunge in order to secure those seats in advance. Nobody wins when morons just say "OK" and plunk down exorbitant amounts of cash.

 

[ClaytonsKitten]

It's pretty ironic (or disheartening) that we were all entering captchas all the time today and sticking to all of these Ticketmaster imposed limitations yet they themselves (and some unaffiliated groups) literally just bought everything in bulk.

The simple solution is to just not buy from a reseller or only do it if the price is so close to the ticket's initial value that you might as well take the plunge in order to secure those seats in advance. Nobody wins when morons just say "OK" and plunk down exorbitant amounts of cash.

Nobody buy a THING from resellers today. Heck, don't buy until closer to the show.

I'm secured for Chi2. Would LOVE to secure Chi1 as well but I will wait. Not doing $300 a ticket when I paid $30+ fees this am.

And I agree. Setting ticket limits and then blatantly reselling thousands of seats per show is ridiculous. Get Mullen on it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I'm not the sort of person that lets any later career stuff affect how I feel about an artist's early material/actions (because it should never negate the older stuff)...but I just feel so downright blue over U2 of late. They delivered an album that I pretty much detested (and this coming after some underwhelming singles in the year prior) and then sold themselves out to the highest bidder...pricing their tickets at exorbitant rates and also letting them get snatched away by re-sellers (and you think they would have paid attention to Springsteen's situation and those of other artists recently...of course the same shit would affect the biggest band in the world).

And we're just left with nothing, really. As long as people don't get crazy, I wouldn't be surprised if these nosebleeds ended up selling around face value and that I attend one or two of these shows in a few months, but at this point I'm just not so sure I want to...I'm just not liking the new music, the new management, the new ways they try to reach people...and hell, call me cynical or just more informed, but I'm pretty disgusted by Bono's own "world-healing" actions as they reek of naivete, falling too often into the hands of global capitalism and the people that cause so many of our problems in the first place.

I'm basically just over it and even being able to hear two different setlists with a ton of old rarities at this point just feels like the same way I feel about the Stones pulling out deep album cuts from Sticky Fingers or whatever. I just don't really care anymore.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Ah, and everyone want to know one more irony?

Those $300 tickets are priced so horribly that even the scalpers don't want them!

Seriously, why do you think so many are still available for the San Jose shows? The scalpers honestly don't think they can flip all those and I don't think they can either. U2's new manager helped price themselves above what scalpers even think they can sell them for...

 

[ClaytonsKitten]

Live Nation probably had more to do with the pricing than Oseary. Touring is where the $$ is anymore. Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience tour nosebleeds started at $100 each and that was PUBLIC SALE price, not reseller. My mom was going to buy a set and take my sis & I until she saw the asking price on TM. Same reason she won't go see Maroon 5. They want close to $100 for upper level.

U2 charging $30 for nosebleeds is cheap. Especially given today's market.

The trouble is the "limits" imposed on fans that were supposedly to deter scalpers when TM just hoarded things for themselves, apparently.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app

 

[popacrobat]

Joke's on them when no one buys and we all wait for 2016.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app

Joke is on you if you really think people won't scoop up 90% of the tickets on the secondary market.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Yeah, the thing is that nobody could really access those $30 tickets. Some dribbled out, of course, but I guarantee out of all the tickets that those are the ones that Ticketmaster explicitly made sure were bought by their own groups (and the evidence supports that). There's no way in hell they were going to let the biggest band in the world let people into arenas for that price and in this current environment of re-sale mania. GAs were mostly a done deal anyway due to the fan club sales and what may well be an inability to effectively resale the damn things.

 

[popacrobat]

Live Nation probably had more to do with the pricing than Oseary. Touring is where the $$ is anymore. Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience tour nosebleeds started at $100 each and that was PUBLIC SALE price, not reseller. My mom was going to buy a set and take my sis & I until she saw the asking price on TM. Same reason she won't go see Maroon 5. They want close to $100 for upper level.

U2 charging $30 for nosebleeds is cheap. Especially given today's market.

The trouble is the "limits" imposed on fans that were supposedly to deter scalpers when TM just hoarded things for themselves, apparently.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app

Except U2 are charging $300 for upper levels in some arenas.

 

[popacrobat]

Yeah, the thing is that nobody could really access those $30 tickets. Some dribbled out, of course, but I guarantee out of all the tickets that those are the ones that Ticketmaster explicitly made sure were bought by their own groups (and the evidence supports that). There's no way in hell they were going to let the biggest band in the world let people into arenas for that price and in this current environment of re-sale mania. GAs were mostly a done deal anyway due to the fan club sales and what may well be an inability to effectively resale the damn things.

I know a lot of brokers intentionally identified the $30-45 seats, since they could turn an easy profit here.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Joke is on you if you really think people won't scoop up 90% of the tickets on the secondary market.

Well, people effectively have to because that's probably about how many tickets will have ended up in their coffers. I'd say about a third of the tickets will have actually been sold in most venues. A couple thousand GAs (or however many there are) mostly through fan club sales and another couple thousand through the on-sale. A venue's overall non re-sale percentage is going to come down entirely to how many of those crazy $300+ tickets they can sell because it's not like the nosebleeds were widely available anyway (and not the cheap seats for that matter). But otherwise, it should be at least half of the tickets being sold via re-sellers and that's probably considered "normal" for a band of this caliber and the current market environment.

BUT, I don't think people are going to pay specifically over what's being asked. Purchasing GAs via these sellers is very iffy given the circumstances (how are they going to be in line with you at 5 AM or whatever? Or agree to walk in with you hours before the show?)....people don't even want a lot of $300 tickets to begin with....so the scalpers aren't going to be able to juice people for too much...although I think they will get most of their action out of the nosebleeds (which happens to be where about 2/3 of these re-sell tickets are coming from). $40 total was a great deal for cheap seats, so people will surely pay slightly more and I can easily see the $80 total seats going for $120 on average down the road, etc.

However, like I said, they aren't going to get the pay day they expect. A ton of the hardcore fans already nailed GAs, so they really aren't going to be able to twist the casual audience into paying ludicrous amounts. They just won't go.

 

[RoKKeR]

So... What's the deal with these shows? Are they selling out? I thought Vertigo shows would sell out in like minutes yet there are still seats at almost every US show.

I've been in the thick of finals week but what's been up with all of this? Ticket pricing?

 

[popacrobat]

Oh, of course not. They won't get what they're asking for on a bunch of the tickets. The $35-40 for $100? They'll get that I'm sure.

Beyond that? Dubious. And why not shoot for the stars right now? The concerts are half a year away. They might as well ask for 8-10x and see if people are dumb enough to pay up (Hint: they are).

But yeah, the prices will come down as we get closer to April.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I know a lot of brokers intentionally identified the $30-45 seats, since they could turn an easy profit here.

Yep, just as I hypothesized in my longer post above and we can clearly see from the evidence. The nosebleeds were clearly the way for them to make money because the lower levels were already too damn expensive (and therefore risky) and the GA tickets have this procedure going on.

If U2 had just made those cheap seats, say $60, the brokers may have avoided them outright. There's brokers now selling them for $64 before fees last I looked (fees were like fourteen bucks each), so that tells you right there that the market forces are already pushing them to that level. These are obstructed view seats from the worst angles in the arenas...

 

[popacrobat]

Sounds about right.

 

[ClaytonsKitten]

Yeah, the thing is that nobody could really access those $30 tickets. Some dribbled out, of course, but I guarantee out of all the tickets that those are the ones that Ticketmaster explicitly made sure were bought by their own groups (and the evidence supports that). There's no way in hell they were going to let the biggest band in the world let people into arenas for that price and in this current environment of re-sale mania. GAs were mostly a done deal anyway due to the fan club sales and what may well be an inability to effectively resale the damn things.

Um, I bought 3 of the $30 seats. At 11am EST for Chicago (10am venue time). I did it at a TM retail outlet and never tried the app or website. $130.32 total cost for 3 seats in section 324 at United Center. AND the hard tix were in my hands within seconds of my card being swiped.

Old school every time.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app

 

[BigMacPhisto]

So... What's the deal with these shows? Are they selling out? I thought Vertigo shows would sell out in like minutes yet there are still seats at almost every US show.

I've been in the thick of finals week but what's been up with all of this? Ticket pricing?

The shows have basically had half their tickets go to scalpers and in some areas aren't even close to selling out due to charging $300 for the lower level seats (and even higher for more of those seats). Some places like Toronto got burned and U2 literally charged $300 for the tickets in the rafters.

Again, the full demand isn't totally there and that's in part because most of the more affordable tickets in the balconies were scooped up by scalpers (practically all of them, really).

To reiterate, Vertigo was not like this. Most of the tickets went into the hands of fans on the on-sale day. There was that much demand and the ticket prices were much lower on average. Shows went on sale, actual people bought most of them and then more shows were put on sale. We've never had U2 shows where half the tickets instantly went to re-sellers. Evidence is supporting the assumption that this happens to be the case for the current tour...

It's a colossal joke, but I just really think the fans are going to be indifferent because so many of them have their fan club GA tickets and are satiated. If the band saw these numbers that I'm posting, they'd be royally pissed. Their effectively is almost no actual ticket sales and concert goers are expected to buy from these other agencies.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Um, I bought 3 of the $30 seats. At 11am EST for Chicago (10am venue time). I did it at a TM retail outlet and never tried the app or website. $130.32 total cost for 3 seats in section 324 at United Center. AND the hard tix were in my hands within seconds of my card being swiped.

Old school every time.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app

Yep, in person access was likely through TM's system and not through their website...much better success rates reported on here for what you did and the people who used the app. There was literally nothing available online and they basically lied about certain areas saying they were sold-out two minutes in while people were snagging GA tickets and other types on the app up to 10-15 minutes after that and again later in the hour.

And again, I know some were able to get what they wanted. It always happens. Some people even snagged GAs during the first leg of the Vertigo Tour's pre-sale (even though TM allotted almost zero tickets for that). They always let some dribble out in order to give the appearance that availability was there and the demand was just too high...

 

[Hewson]

Now TM is just taunting me, showing on the Boston2 map that GAs are available. So I click on BUY - only to be told that "another fan beat you to 'em". OUCH!

(Joke's on me, as I'm sure they aren't really available now at all...)

Can't tell you how many times I clicked, added 2 GAs and got the "someone beat you to them" message...I'm like that rat that keeps biting the elctrified cheese (or Bart Simpson).
Clearly its a glitch in the matrix and there are no GA seats available, but when I see the area in blue I have to check again.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I really think there could be more GAs that they didn't unleash because it's their worst nightmare. They can't really re-sell such tickets and they don't want to flood the market with the best tickets at the cheapest price because they want people to freak out and pay hundreds in the secondary market for seats. Would not shock me at all if Ticketmaster is secretly sitting on thousands of GA tickets and wondering just what to do with them. Financially, it would make the most sense to just chuck them out there not long before the actual show. Just lie and say "oh look, we found more!" because by not having access to GA tickets, it will drive up the prices of everything else.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Can't tell you how many times I clicked, added 2 GAs and fgot the "someone beat you to them" message...I'm like that rat that keeps biting the elctrified cheese (or Bart Simpson).
Clearly its a glitch in the matrix and there are no GA seats available, but when I see the area in blue I have to check again.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Sounds about right.

It's looking that way. Cheap seats are available for night two for San Jose at $65 right now via scalpers. If U2 would have priced the cheapest seated tickets at around $60 before fees, I really don't think the scalpers would have bothered with those.

The question on my mind is whether or not they're going to go up. If a lot of people are paying $100 for rafters to Maroon 5 or whatever than $65 for U2 would be kind of a steal...it'll be interesting to watch it play out. I for one just won't do it out of principle...that's still about exactly double what those tickets were supposed to cost right out of the gate ($80 via scalper when including fees vs $40 total via TicketMaster).

 

[ClaytonsKitten]

I really think there could be more GAs that they didn't unleash because it's their worst nightmare. They can't really re-sell such tickets and they don't want to flood the market with the best tickets at the cheapest price because they want people to freak out and pay hundreds in the secondary market for seats. Would not shock me at all if Ticketmaster is secretly sitting on thousands of GA tickets and wondering just what to do with them. Financially, it would make the most sense to just chuck them out there not long before the actual show. Just lie and say "oh look, we found more!" because by not having access to GA tickets, it will drive up the prices of everything else.

Will TM slowly dribble out the GAs? Or drop them in a huge bunch? May just go the GA route and stay towards the back for Chicago1 if it gets us in the door. (Not doing rail spots even though it's a bucket list item of mine simply bc our 9yr old son is gonna be with us.)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app

 

[Hewson]

I think they might have gone a little conservative on GA's until they have the exact stage/runway set up and know exactly how much space is available, could see some released around mid May.

 

[ClaytonsKitten]

I think they might have gone a little conservative on GA's until they have the exact stage/runway set up and know exactly how much space is available, could see some released around mid May.

Maybe as early as April if they test the stage setups? Obviously they have to build it and see where they can walk, during which arrangements, etc. I'm thinking of being patient and buying Chi1 around March or so. Gah being broke sucks. Wish I'd been able to just buy 1 & 2 today. We're lucky we got our tix, though. Thanking the U2niverse for that.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using U2 Interference mobile app

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I think they might have gone a little conservative on GA's until they have the exact stage/runway set up and know exactly how much space is available, could see some released around mid May.

Yep. This whole thing is so rushed and it's lame that we don't have enough explanation about how it's going to work. But your point makes sense. If they don't even know the actual measurements they will need for the stage and the surroundings, then they don't know how many people they can actually fit on the floors of these arenas. Possible that it's the band's camp holding some of those tickets back...

As for me, I just really don't ask for much the more I think about it. I only went after GAs because of their price point and how close you get to the band. If we had snagged a pair for each night of the cheap nosebleeds, I'd have been a happy camper with all of this today (although still acknowledging most of the awfulness). It's the price points and the pandemonium caused by resellers that have turned it into a huge ordeal. I just wanted fairly priced tickets to see my favorite living band. That's it. I don't care how far away from the action said tickets happen to be.

It honestly breaks my heart for the other fans shut out. There's plenty of fans who U2 means even more to than the group does for me. Even the ones who got tickets saying how they couldn't have gone without nabbing GAs because of the prices is just plain heartbreaking. These are the people that have been the life and soul of this band and spent endless money and time traveling to see them, buying the merchandise and perusing this board and the tickets are priced at such illogical heights that the very people U2 should be seeing out there in the crowd are being shut out or barely even managing to make it in.

Now I'm sitting here fruitlessly trying for GAs from time to time when Ticketmaster is working. It's the only miracle that can happen because god knows every affordable seat is currently sitting on another website.

 

[Wendyandkevinca]

They will have to submit specs to the venue to ensure local fire codes for square feet per person requirements are met. Then release more GA to fill in the space and release all the tickets held back for important people.

 

[kramwest1]

Yep. This whole thing is so rushed and it's lame that we don't have enough explanation about how it's going to work. But your point makes sense. If they don't even know the actual measurements they will need for the stage and the surroundings, then they don't know how many people they can actually fit on the floors of these arenas. Possible that it's the band's camp holding some of those tickets back...

As for me, I just really don't ask for much the more I think about it. I only went after GAs because of their price point and how close you get to the band. If we had snagged a pair for each night of the cheap nosebleeds, I'd have been a happy camper with all of this today (although still acknowledging most of the awfulness). It's the price points and the pandemonium caused by resellers that have turned it into a huge ordeal. I just wanted fairly priced tickets to see my favorite living band. That's it. I don't care how far away from the action said tickets happen to be.

Now I'm sitting here fruitlessly trying for GAs from time to time when Ticketmaster is working. It's the only miracle that can happen because god knows every affordable seat is currently sitting on another website.

Looking at the SJC mess on TM is equal parts fascinating and annoying. I bet you are absolutely right in your assertions. I mean WTF? How else can you explain those ticket sold/unsold/resale patterns?

That said, I'm glad I used my Experience code to get great $95 seats for the May 18 show. But, I think it was only early code users that could have had access to decent seats. (I got 218, Row 1.)

Crazy. F**k TM. F**K LN.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

And your last point, WendyandKevin, proves everything to me. Where do the majority of U2's celebrity fans end up watching them????????????????

That's right. In the friggin' GA pit. Again, their cheapest ticket is the one that everybody wants. It's just bonkers how much lower they price it compared to everything else. The so called richies and celebrities of the world want GA tickets just like everybody else. Nobody is willingly paying a premium for the expensive seats instead of getting GA tickets...those pretty much always go to people that were shut out of GA tickets. And the band just doesn't realize that.

So when you don't get GA tickets and end up buying an expensive seat because you want to get close, it's Bono saying "You're rich and this is what you wanted!" when the actuality is you got shut out of the standing room floor tickets two feet from you and are now subsidizing the same tickets that you actually wanted in the first place.

Again, the mess could simply be changed if they charged more for GAs and lowered the cost of everything else. You could charge $200 for those dang floor tickets and people would scoop them up. The diehards would do it because it gets them close to the band (and for that price point, no inner-circle Vertigo BS, please) and the richer folk that want those tickets simply show up later to the show and get on the floor (and don't care because it's only a couple hundred bucks).

And to willingly only protect the most sought after/cheapest tickets with this paperless route is almost criminal. The band's inadvertently saying "looks like you didn't get the best seats in the house, so now you can pay double that for a decent view ticket via a reseller in the nosebleeds"....I mean, come on!