redandblack
Babyface
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2005
- Messages
- 14
The following was my expierence for the GA line at the San Diego 2 show. Im writing for those with Ga tickets at future dates so they can get an idea on what to expect. and If you dont have GA just read it anyway, it may be entertaining.
Tuesday March 29th
4pm
Wake up after finally recovering from monday nights concert. It was my first U2 show and it blew me away. Im even more excited though for whats to come the next day....my first GA U2 concert. Time to check interference boards for any news on how the GA lines are gonna work.
Wednesday March 30th
Midnight
Been trying to get to sleep for the last couple hours as I know it will be along day, but the excitment is keeping me u. I cant get the concert out of my mind.
5 a.m.
I had decided to leave at six to head to San Diego and get there around 7. I get all my stuff packed and head down still havent gotten a wink of sleep.
6:45 a.m.
Arrive at Sports Arena. Pleastly surprised to see fans had started an orginized list and seemed to have the cooperation of Sports Arena security. I get spot #81. I met my culturally diverse line neighbors. A woman from Iran, a guy from mexico city(more on him later), and a drifter who claimed he just stayed in hotels everywhere.
7:30 a.m.
A new higher up security official arrives and busts up the line saying we cant form on Sports Arena Property. They say to come back at 9 a.m. Everyone moved the line out to the sidewalk and security hung out and assured us our numbers would be honered and no one could queue ahead of us.
9 a.m.
The first controversy. The first siteing of an actual U2 Vertigo Tour rep brings the news that the line will be split into two lines U2.com presale members and regular old joes like myself. Most people wanted one line and argued that it made no sense to have a second line because there was no presale for this show. The mob of 160 chanted "One Line! One Line! One line!" Victory is ours. U2 official says one line and adds they will meet about what to do in the future on non presale dates. We march over to where we will queue until doors open.
11 a.m.
More controversy. U2 tour dude comes back and says that afterall there will be two lines....one for U2.com members and one for everyone else. He says you can prove membership by your card, or a print out of your profile(since many had not recieved there cards). Now people searched out for the nearest Kinkos(copy store chain in the US) to log on and print there profiles. I was bummed on the two seperate lines but what can you do. I didnt think it would make that much of a difference. But if it meant the difference between on the rail and 4 or 5 deep........
1 pm
No sleep for 21 hours+blazin hot sun with not a bit of shade since 7 a.m.+no food=me getting grumpy. TIME TO EAT!
6 pm
Uneventful until now. Good news is I managed to get about 15 minutes of sleep. Didnt help much, since I awoke in a sweat under the sun. Spent the rest of the time chating with different fans. Hearing old tour stories and counting the minutes until doors. Soe teenage girls ran over crying and seemed like they were about to pass out. Apparently U2 had arrived and had signed autographs on the other side of the arena.(which brought me the thought....at which stage in a bands career do the fans start arriving at the venue before the band does?) 6pm was the original doors time we were told so everyone was getting a bit antsy.
6:30pm
Doors never opened at 6(surprise!) now the second time we were told has come and past.
6:45 pm
Ive now officially been in this line for 12 hours, combine that with the lack of sleep, the sunbuirns, and the lack of communication from security, arena and tour personel and I am just about ready to lose it. Then I am told that much of the security for tonights event is a local junior college tennis team doing volunteer work. Fantastic, I feel safer already.
7 pm
The damn doors finally open. I think a couple of my line mates think Im buts as I have been cursing under my breath for the past 5 minutes. As I finally pass in I notice that they are not making sure the people in the U2.com members line are members. Doesnt surprise me that this crack team of tennis teenagers wasnt told what to do. The Sports Arena always seems to have a few things screwy. Get thru the doors and have my ticket scanned....no ellipse for me.....or my line mate that I teamed up with. Oh well not a big deal. I just wanted to be close to the rail on the outside. Ever since I heard about the lottery I considered getting into the ellipse a bonus. Get down to the floor. Rail is full but I got right behind the shortest person on the rail so it was pretty much like being on the rail. My spirits were low at this point though......27 hours no sleep, dehydrated because I didnt want to have to goto the bathroom once inside, my feet and my back were killing me. I felt bad as I sat down for most of Kings of Leon(I did enjoy what I heard). I honestly at this point had thoughts of getting out of my spot and trying to find somehwere to sit way up somehwere. Boy am I glad I didnt because......
SHOWTIME!
U2 came out and brought the house down. Lifted my spirit along with everyone else in that arena. They seemed twice as energentic, twice as comfortable, and Bono seemed twice the front man then mondays opener. I know alot of it has to do with being in GA. But I really think the boys turned it up a couple notches over the other night. More moving around, more going out on the walkway, and Bono was more playful with audience(even given it the finger at one point...in a purey comical way. no insult intended by him). One highlight of the night for was when Bono called out to the audience for help on how to say Love is a drug is spanish(before they played miracle drug). He looked down into the ellipse and said "do you speak spanish?...Come up here" And who pops up but the man I met from Mexico City way back when I queued at 6:45 in the morning. I had sat with him for most of the 12 hours, and heard of his love of U2 and admiration of Bono. I knew it had to be the highlight of his life. Bono whispered two phrases in his ear for him to say in spanish. When you see a moment like that it just makes you happy. And in turn tonight became one of the greatest nights of my life. Great show U2, you even brought my sour puss, sleep deprieved attitude around.
So learn from m:
SLEEP BEFORE GA MARATHON.
BE PREPARDED. bring your membership card, profile print. whatever you think might help. You dont want to be on the outside looking in.
Unless you are really addicted to getting that rail then dont come until 3 or 4 hours before doors. There were alot of people directly behind me that hadnt gotten there until 3 pm. You can get there then and only be 3 or 4 deep. And honestly, the ellipse really is random, I only recognized about 10 people from the top two hundred of our line. As further proof....#1 and #2 in our line were both on the outside.....they had lined up at 5 pm and the night before.
Oh yeah, If the grammer or spelling is off in this(or there are missing words) Forgive me...I have now passed the 32 hour mark .....goodnight.
Tuesday March 29th
4pm
Wake up after finally recovering from monday nights concert. It was my first U2 show and it blew me away. Im even more excited though for whats to come the next day....my first GA U2 concert. Time to check interference boards for any news on how the GA lines are gonna work.
Wednesday March 30th
Midnight
Been trying to get to sleep for the last couple hours as I know it will be along day, but the excitment is keeping me u. I cant get the concert out of my mind.
5 a.m.
I had decided to leave at six to head to San Diego and get there around 7. I get all my stuff packed and head down still havent gotten a wink of sleep.
6:45 a.m.
Arrive at Sports Arena. Pleastly surprised to see fans had started an orginized list and seemed to have the cooperation of Sports Arena security. I get spot #81. I met my culturally diverse line neighbors. A woman from Iran, a guy from mexico city(more on him later), and a drifter who claimed he just stayed in hotels everywhere.
7:30 a.m.
A new higher up security official arrives and busts up the line saying we cant form on Sports Arena Property. They say to come back at 9 a.m. Everyone moved the line out to the sidewalk and security hung out and assured us our numbers would be honered and no one could queue ahead of us.
9 a.m.
The first controversy. The first siteing of an actual U2 Vertigo Tour rep brings the news that the line will be split into two lines U2.com presale members and regular old joes like myself. Most people wanted one line and argued that it made no sense to have a second line because there was no presale for this show. The mob of 160 chanted "One Line! One Line! One line!" Victory is ours. U2 official says one line and adds they will meet about what to do in the future on non presale dates. We march over to where we will queue until doors open.
11 a.m.
More controversy. U2 tour dude comes back and says that afterall there will be two lines....one for U2.com members and one for everyone else. He says you can prove membership by your card, or a print out of your profile(since many had not recieved there cards). Now people searched out for the nearest Kinkos(copy store chain in the US) to log on and print there profiles. I was bummed on the two seperate lines but what can you do. I didnt think it would make that much of a difference. But if it meant the difference between on the rail and 4 or 5 deep........
1 pm
No sleep for 21 hours+blazin hot sun with not a bit of shade since 7 a.m.+no food=me getting grumpy. TIME TO EAT!
6 pm
Uneventful until now. Good news is I managed to get about 15 minutes of sleep. Didnt help much, since I awoke in a sweat under the sun. Spent the rest of the time chating with different fans. Hearing old tour stories and counting the minutes until doors. Soe teenage girls ran over crying and seemed like they were about to pass out. Apparently U2 had arrived and had signed autographs on the other side of the arena.(which brought me the thought....at which stage in a bands career do the fans start arriving at the venue before the band does?) 6pm was the original doors time we were told so everyone was getting a bit antsy.
6:30pm
Doors never opened at 6(surprise!) now the second time we were told has come and past.
6:45 pm
Ive now officially been in this line for 12 hours, combine that with the lack of sleep, the sunbuirns, and the lack of communication from security, arena and tour personel and I am just about ready to lose it. Then I am told that much of the security for tonights event is a local junior college tennis team doing volunteer work. Fantastic, I feel safer already.
7 pm
The damn doors finally open. I think a couple of my line mates think Im buts as I have been cursing under my breath for the past 5 minutes. As I finally pass in I notice that they are not making sure the people in the U2.com members line are members. Doesnt surprise me that this crack team of tennis teenagers wasnt told what to do. The Sports Arena always seems to have a few things screwy. Get thru the doors and have my ticket scanned....no ellipse for me.....or my line mate that I teamed up with. Oh well not a big deal. I just wanted to be close to the rail on the outside. Ever since I heard about the lottery I considered getting into the ellipse a bonus. Get down to the floor. Rail is full but I got right behind the shortest person on the rail so it was pretty much like being on the rail. My spirits were low at this point though......27 hours no sleep, dehydrated because I didnt want to have to goto the bathroom once inside, my feet and my back were killing me. I felt bad as I sat down for most of Kings of Leon(I did enjoy what I heard). I honestly at this point had thoughts of getting out of my spot and trying to find somehwere to sit way up somehwere. Boy am I glad I didnt because......
SHOWTIME!
U2 came out and brought the house down. Lifted my spirit along with everyone else in that arena. They seemed twice as energentic, twice as comfortable, and Bono seemed twice the front man then mondays opener. I know alot of it has to do with being in GA. But I really think the boys turned it up a couple notches over the other night. More moving around, more going out on the walkway, and Bono was more playful with audience(even given it the finger at one point...in a purey comical way. no insult intended by him). One highlight of the night for was when Bono called out to the audience for help on how to say Love is a drug is spanish(before they played miracle drug). He looked down into the ellipse and said "do you speak spanish?...Come up here" And who pops up but the man I met from Mexico City way back when I queued at 6:45 in the morning. I had sat with him for most of the 12 hours, and heard of his love of U2 and admiration of Bono. I knew it had to be the highlight of his life. Bono whispered two phrases in his ear for him to say in spanish. When you see a moment like that it just makes you happy. And in turn tonight became one of the greatest nights of my life. Great show U2, you even brought my sour puss, sleep deprieved attitude around.
So learn from m:
SLEEP BEFORE GA MARATHON.
BE PREPARDED. bring your membership card, profile print. whatever you think might help. You dont want to be on the outside looking in.
Unless you are really addicted to getting that rail then dont come until 3 or 4 hours before doors. There were alot of people directly behind me that hadnt gotten there until 3 pm. You can get there then and only be 3 or 4 deep. And honestly, the ellipse really is random, I only recognized about 10 people from the top two hundred of our line. As further proof....#1 and #2 in our line were both on the outside.....they had lined up at 5 pm and the night before.
Oh yeah, If the grammer or spelling is off in this(or there are missing words) Forgive me...I have now passed the 32 hour mark .....goodnight.