December 13th and 14th 2010 - ANZ Stadium - Sydney

[Purplereign]

Anyone know what time GA tickets can be picked up from the stadium on Monday?

I picked up the GA tickets I bought a week ago . . . Red Zone box office is opening at 12noon on show day so I guess it would be safe to assume the same time for the rest?

I've got Glastonbury (which, if they pull it off - and I was there this year for Edge/Muse/Streets and it was... unbelievable - I think will end up being one of those singular, 'for the ages' U2 gigs), and praying these UK/Ireland rumours come true. If I get to see them in Dublin, with all respect, Sydney can shove it

oh hell yes . . . I have a feeling there will children sold, and a thousand favours hauled in if the Dublin rumours become a reality . . . . . . and you were at Glasto for Edge/Muse . . .wow, I was streaming that live on my phone and I had tears in my eyes when that man walked on stage . . . you lucky lucky thing

Now starting to get real bummed I won't see them in Sydney... in front of 90thou... and a chance to meet some really cool interferencers too...

there's still time . . . tuesday definitely not sold out . . . and I'm sure I saw some GA tickets for Tuesday on sale here . . .

my countdown is now in hours

 

[quadcaster]

About to jump on plane now. See you soon Sydney siders!

 

[Purplereign]

just found this map of road closures around the Opera House on Tusday 14 December

Oprah Winfrey - map

 

[AndrewCowley]

Any thoughts as to how crazy the GA line will be on Monday? For Melbourne and Brisbane I've been arriving in the queue between 9:00am and 11am and have easily made it into the front section.

I've got a (bad) feeling that Monday might be nuts and an earlier time might be required, which will be hard for me since I'm lining up with someone who isn't as mad keen as me and I don't want them to suffer too much.

So any thoughts as to what time to get there at the latest to secure a spot in the inner section? Reckon 11:30am would be too late? That's what I was planning.

 

[cobl04]

if Melbourne & Brisbane are anything to go by (the Melb 1 line was pretty fucking nuts) then you really should have no trouble at all getting into the inner zone if you arrive between 9 and 11

 

[dan_smee]

So you're ignoring a stated fact in a published article, presumably based on informed research, in favour of your own uninformed hypothesis?



Do you have any examples of this on the 360 tour, apart from on-the-day pre-show soundchecks?

Who took the jam out of your donut??

When you say 'stated fact' I think it was on the Triple M website... so equivalent of all the stated facts on the News of The World website...

I am just wondering what earthly need they have for 3?

Presuming one started in Auckland, one in Melbourne. Auckland one went to Brisbane, Melbourne to Sydney. Brisbane then to Perth??

Where does the other one fit in?

No real examples, but there are tons of on the day rehearsals, and with talk of 'new stuff for Australia' and recording here, it seemed not too far of a stretch to think they may? Probably not, but I never said they definitely would.

 

[coolian2]

i'm fairly sure our experts here have determined that there are two claws bouncing around down here.

there are extended rehearsals at times on this tour. your blue room first started to appear in zagreb, and i believe there's a lengthy recording (or at least people begging for a recording of) a new song and other stuff from gothenburg, and before dublin 3, just off the top of my head. it won't be as extended as turin or auckland, but they do run through new and different stuff mid-leg.

 

[cathalmc]

Who took the jam out of your donut??

Or the scarlet from my strawberry jam sponge cake. I'm a bitter drunken bastard with an elephantine memory for perceived minor slights ...

No real examples, but there are tons of on the day rehearsals, and with talk of 'new stuff for Australia' and recording here, it seemed not too far of a stretch to think they may?

There are tons of on-the-day rehearsals, but you were suggesting that U2 have rehearsed on the days *before* gigs, and perhaps this would happen in Sydney after the Claw was set up so early. Afaik they've only rehearsed the days before opening shows of each tour leg.

You can add pedantic to bitter and drunken ...

 

[cathalmc]

i'm fairly sure our experts here have determined that there are two claws bouncing around down here.

Yeah but logistical experts on Interference can speculate all they want. It'll only be resolved when someone who actually, properly, definitively knows says how many stages they're using says so in the press.

I heard radio interviews with Jake Berry and Paul McGuinness whilst I was in Auckland. They said they're using six 747 jets to transport the stage, but they didn't say if that was for one, two or three stages.

 

[ramblin rose]

There is only one stage.

 

[AndrewCowley]

I think the term 'stage' is being used loosely and cathalmc actually means 'claw' as in the whole thing.

Anyway... on the subject of rehearsals and soundchecks. AIWY got a workout in the Brisbane soundchecks. If U2 weren't playing it, then what would be the point? I was thinking at the time it means this song might get a look in for either Brisbane or Sydney. But if U2 weren't playing it then this would not be the case, right? The idea of U2 not soundchecking sits very comfortably with me. But it gets turned on its head when new songs get played.

 

[mrnathan15]

Maybe it could be a surprise in Perth since it's been 13 (?) or so years since they were there. Not sure

 

[AndrewCowley]

But if U2 weren't doing the soundcheck, then surely AIWIY being done doesn't count for a whole lot. That's what I don't understand. Yes everyone says that U2 don't do the soundcheck. But we get excited when a song new to the setlist is soundchecked.

 

[mrnathan15]

Oh yeah sorry I forgot it was a crew soundcheck. It's a tough one, some may say the crew are "getting the sound right for that song", but I thought Edge etc would just have presets ready to go for it if they wanted to play it.

So that makes me think that if the crew/techs soundcheck random songs they're probably just having a play around, purposely trying to mess with us

 

[AndrewCowley]

Agree... would have thought the presets would be all there ready to go. Need someone who understands what has gone on in the past with soundchecks to explain.

 

[cathalmc]

There is only one stage.

Look, *I'm* the most pedantic bastard around here alright!

 

[quadcaster]

The band themselves soundchecked AIWIY before brisbane 2. Edge was singing the lead vocals (yes, strange). Five minutes later we were standing in front of the gates to enter with a great view of the band rehearsing Mercy twice.

 

[quadcaster]

Btw, any idea how many are in line yet? Usual suspects?

 

[bono_man2002]

It wouldn't bloody surprise me!

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Oh yeah sorry I forgot it was a crew soundcheck. It's a tough one, some may say the crew are "getting the sound right for that song", but I thought Edge etc would just have presets ready to go for it if they wanted to play it.

Lots of different reasons for soundchecking, so I wouldn't really read too much into any of it. Why they soundcheck and what they soundcheck would be determined by many many things, but of course the main one is - to state the blindingly obvious - that every venue is unique/dramatically different. Stadiums are difficult, and the shape and size of the stadium makes a huge difference to the sound. Massively different acoustics and effect on sound (echo etc) in a smaller, closed in, high on all four sides, Suncorp Stadium to a far larger, far more open, high on only two sides ANZ Stadium.

I imagine that at a minimum, they at least make sure they check at least one example of different sonic 'types' of songs. They probably only need to sound check one of the bottom heavy Vertigo/Elevation/Boots and see how that sort of sound works in the stadium, get it right. More delicate All I Want/Bad/IALW (etc) - just one of those. One of the expansive COB/Streets (etc). Beyond that - could be for any reason - technical/sound/rehearsal/whatever.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Please don't tell me there are actually people already lining up. That's really sad.

 

[bono_man2002]

Please don't tell me there are actually people already lining up. That's really sad.

There were people lining up for Melbourne on the Monday before the gig, a whole bloody two days.

In brisbane the other day I overheard someone from South America saying the GA queue starts like 3 weeks in before the shows over there?!?

 

[coolian2]

It wouldn't bloody surprise me!

i bet they got to sydney before the band did.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Stupidity of the highest order. Especially if they're people who (a) see 45,342 shows on every tour, and (b) have travelled halfway across the globe, just to spend their time in a new country sitting on a small patch of concrete. You can stroll in well into the evening and get a great spot. Makes you wonder what it is they actually enjoy about the show/s and the whole experience.

 

[cathalmc]

I think we're gonna have the same discussion about the merits of lining up for 48 hours in every concert thread - although this one is just based on hearsay at the moment. We still haven't been told if anyone is definitely in the queue just yet.

I think some people actually like queuing, as incomprehensible as that may seem to non-queuers.

Or it could be viewed more abstractly as prolonged 'pain' to earn brief but deep pleasure, like six weeks of candy-free Lent before stuffing your face with a giant Easter egg, or a bit of flagellation before a rude word beginning with f. I'll try explaining that theory to the fans at the front of the GA queue on Monday!

 

[ramblin rose]

Look, *I'm* the most pedantic bastard around here alright!

Sorry, George.

 

[Purplereign]

I drove by the stadium yesterday afternoon (slight detour / wrong turn taken on the way to somewhere else ) and there were about 5 or 6 people in a marked off area near the main gates looking very settled ~ card tables, chairs etc ~ I think it's a little nutty but you know what, if that's what floats your boat go ahead and enjoy it . . . I got a particular thrill just driving by so I am not gonna say a word

 

[quadcaster]

I drove by the stadium yesterday afternoon (slight detour / wrong turn taken on the way to somewhere else ) and there were about 5 or 6 people in a marked off area near the main gates looking very settled ~ card tables, chairs etc ~ I think it's a little nutty but you know what, if that's what floats your boat go ahead and enjoy it . . . I got a particular thrill just driving by so I am not gonna say a word

Any sign or shade for the GA line?

 

[Purplereign]

there is limited shade later in the afternoon . . . and there was no sign when I drove past but it all looked pretty orderly and organised so I doubt you'd have a hard time finding them . . .and I just heard on MMM radio a little while ago that there are about a dozen or so die hards (possibly more by now) who have settled in for the soundchecks, ga wait ~ possiblity of a press conference as well, just not sure if it will be at the Stadium or not

big excited butterflies dancing in my belly right now

hope you get your favourite spot and have a bloody awesome time

 

[Purplereign]

Triple MMM on their way to ANZ stadium now so mayhaps that press conference is happening there after all . . . hope those dedicated souls get something fabbity as a reward for their madness