next date in doubt after protests?

[KUEFC09U2]

Just wondering if this could be quite serious? couple of articles below:

U2 gig in doubt after protestU2's next date on a global tour is in doubt after protesters held up removal of a custom-built stage in Dublin.

Scores of residents mounted a picket outside Croke Park stadium after they finished three gigs in front of 240,000 fans before heading to Gothenburg.

They are unhappy with Dublin City Council for allowing work through the night after three noisy concerts
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July 28 (Bloomberg) -- U2’s schedule for its 360-Degree Tour may be disrupted by a protest at Croke Park in Dublin that is holding up the dismantling of the stage after three concerts at the weekend.

Residents near the stadium in U2’s home city are protesting against two days of non-stop work at the arena after the concerts. Tour director Jake Berry said the plan was agreed with the council and that crews need that time to make the next show.

“We based all our things on that schedule to make the next show,” Berry said on RTE radio today. The protest “affects” the tour schedule, he said, declining to say whether the band could miss a show.

Around 80 protestors blocked trucks from entering and leaving the area around Croke Park at midnight, when work was due to begin. Residents agreed this morning to allow trucks in until 4 p.m., when they will resume the protest.

While three stages are leapfrogging each other across Europe as part of the tour, the sound system, lights and screens are moved immediately after each show to the next city, according to U2’s Web site. The band -- lead singer Bono, guitarist the Edge, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton -- plays its next concert in Gothenberg on July 31.

Barbara Ward, who lives near Croke Park, said that around 1,200 houses in the vicinity are affected and that residents only get entered in a raffle for 200 tickets for the concerts.

“They should have known what was going to happen,” said Ward. “Everyone knew we were unhappy.”

About 250,000 people attended the Croke Park concerts on July 24, July 25 and last night. U2 crews and stadium ground workers planned the two days of work to take down the “Claw” stage and lay the stadium’s pitch before Gaelic football matches next weekend.

“It’s just really put a damp squib on something which was a fantastic experience,” Berry said of the protest.

 

[Morgoth321]

Surely if there's three Claws on the go at any one time, this protest shouldn't affect the schedule. Are there three Claw structures but only one lighting / AV / PA system perhaps?

Every time there's a concert or major event at Croke Park, the residents are never happy. Yes, they have to put up with a lot of disruption, but is it churlish to suggest that nobody forces them to live in the vicinity of a huge stadium? It doesn't stop some of the residents setting up stalls outside their houses selling drinks and merchandise though.

The thing is, anyone who was in Dublin over the weekend will have realised that the city was buzzing with atmosphere and hiving with people. Economically, the city will have done very well and so - one suspects - Dublin City Council weigh up the legitimate gripes of local residents against the financial gains for the city as a whole. It's therefore a no-brainer for them to sanction three U2 concerts, because if they don't, where else can they perform? Lansdowne Road's not ready yet, the RDS is too small, Slane and Punchestown are outside the city, and Phoenix Park? Well, I can't think of any reason against Phoenix Park, other than the 360 Tour being intended for large stadiums.

 

[bathiu]

2009-07-31 - Gothenburg, Sweden
2009-08-01 - Gothenburg, Sweden
2009-08-03 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany
2009-08-06 - Chorzow, Poland

so Gothenburg's Claw is just waiting for the screen, Gelsenkirchen's Claw is being built right now, probably, wich means it's Chorzow's Claw taken hostage in Dublin
I'd like to make a statement: If something happens to that show I will personaly go to Dublin and make the lives of those people miserable

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Lets just hope it doesnt come to that.

 

[gvox]

Doesn't it seem a bit odd that they waited till AFTER the shows completed to mount their pathetic protest? "Hey U2, thanks for the business and tourism dollars. Now, rest of the world, go fuck yourselves!". Why didn't the block the road before the shows? Oh, wait - that's right - they were going to the shows.

I can fully imagine that a bunch of trucks rumbling out of the stadium at midnight would cause some noise...but what do these morons do? Instead of taking a pill or having an extra shot of whiskey to drop asleep, they decide to camp outside the stadium, and I guess they didn't get much sleep doing that all night, did they?

Fucking idiots.

 

[last unicorn]

It's not the Claw that's the problem but the stage, screen, lightening etc. They have three Claws, but only one stage and screen. These people protesting there are idiots. If they are holding up the removal now, it will take longer and there will be more noise. What's the point of doing this? People can be so stupid. I don't know what they expect to come out of this protest, now that the shows are over. These cowards should have protested before the first show, I'm sure Bono would have had some not so nice words for the "neighbors".

 

[BVS]

Doesn't it seem a bit odd that they waited till AFTER the shows completed to mount their pathetic protest? "Hey U2, thanks for the business and tourism dollars. Now, rest of the world, go fuck yourselves!". Why didn't the block the road before the shows? Oh, wait - that's right - they were going to the shows.

I can fully imagine that a bunch of trucks rumbling out of the stadium at midnight would cause some noise...but what do these morons do? Instead of taking a pill or having an extra shot of whiskey to drop asleep, they decide to camp outside the stadium, and I guess they didn't get much sleep doing that all night, did they?

Fucking idiots.

This was my exact thought while I was reading this.

You wait till after, you stay up during the hours you were complaining about, and this is after U2 just gave a small stimulus to your country?

WTF

 

[djerdap]

It's not the Claw that's the problem but the stage, screen, lightening etc. They have three Claws, but only one stage and screen. These people protesting there are idiots. If they are holding up the removal now, it will take longer and there will be more noise. What's the point of doing this? People can be so stupid. I don't know what they expect to come out of this protest, now that the shows are over. These cowards should have protested before the first show, I'm sure Bono would have had some not so nice words for the "neighbors".

I would suggest you read what you wrote again. It's easy to call people idiots and cowards when you don't have any perspective of the situation. They are irritated by the fact that they have to face the noise for already 5 days, so they decided to take desperate measures like this one. The fact is that no one should be robbed of their sleep for 3-4 days in a row, let alone for some spectacle. I'm wondering why they decided to do this protest after the show and not a day or two before, since I don't believe this would bring good results for anybody. I can't say it is smart to do this now, but the fact is those people have been neglected by the City (who is the one to blame, not U2, since the crew is working the night to clear the pitch for it to be ready for the bank holiday weekend) for months and they are belting their admittedly understandable frustrations now. Still, a painfully wrong method and I hope Chorzow or any future shows will not be damaged by this.

 

[gvox]

I would suggest you read what you wrote again. It's easy to call people idiots and cowards when you don't have any perspective of the situation. They are irritated by the fact that they have to face the noise for already 5 days, so they decided to take desperate measures like this one.

Ok, fine, they chose an idiotic and cowardly method to register their concerns, thereby prolonging the process and the inherent agony (if it is in fact bad enough to call it agonizing).

 

[SBU2]

They should be protesting to the council, at the end of the day there the ones on behalf of dublin who let the concerts go ahead, but yeah, its a little daft protesting after the concert, wheres it going to get you, protesting before would make more sense.

 

[telephone88]

It's not the Claw that's the problem but the stage, screen, lightening etc. They have three Claws, but only one stage and screen. These people protesting there are idiots. If they are holding up the removal now, it will take longer and there will be more noise. What's the point of doing this? People can be so stupid. I don't know what they expect to come out of this protest, now that the shows are over. These cowards should have protested before the first show, I'm sure Bono would have had some not so nice words for the "neighbors".

Don't be a dick. I walked past these peoples houses for the 3 nights. Their cars were covered in rubbish and had wing mirrors knocked off. People were pissing in their gardens and causing just a general mayhem due to the adrenalin and alcohol. The residents have every right to cause a bit of havoc themselves as they have had to endure it for nearly a week themselves

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

while i totally understood residents getting upset when the third date was added before there was approval, this is just ridiculous. what do they expect, honestly? the band to have a week's break in between cities to take their time dismantling the claw? and as others have said, why wait until after the three concerts? and as it's also been said, it's not a smart move to block trucks from entering and leaving, as that just delays the process.

assuming all the neighbours like the band, they got three free shows. even if they don't, they made a pretty penny selling refreshments and parking spots in their driveways and back yards. surely they all didn't just realize it wouldn't take the crew five minutes to take everything apart.

 

[last unicorn]

I understand residents are upset, but still it's the wrong way to protest. By protesting now, they are basically prolonging the process of deconstruction and therefore also the noise. If they want to protest, do so to the city council and don't punish U2 fans. That's what I call idiotic.

 

[gvox]

Don't be a dick. I walked past these peoples houses for the 3 nights.

Since you were part of the problem, did you offer to help clean up?

 

[telephone88]

I understand residents are upset, but still it's the wrong way to protest. By protesting now, they are basically prolonging the process of deconstruction and therefore also the noise. If they want to protest, do so to the city council and don't punish U2 fans. That's what I call idiotic.

I call it smart. If they are inconvenienced then they are gonna want to cause some inconvenience to the tour. They can't do that with a letter to the council.

There's nothing that can be done. There is no other Irish venue to fit this thing into. If they skipped Ireland the band would be written off so the only choice is Croke which is in a residential area which means its gonna piss people off. Pissed off people want to get their own back and that is exactly what they are doing.

I'd be fucked off if Madonna was being belted outside my house every night for a week and people were pissing on my car as a result

 

[telephone88]

Since you were part of the problem, did you offer to help clean up?

Nope. I just quietly made my way out of the area. And there are no other routes. Doesn't mean people need to cause damage and piss on peoples property

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I wonder if the people who were selling paraphernalia and burgers outside of their homes were protesting? I also wonder if the people who I saw enjoying the show from their rooftops and their balconies during the show were protesting too?

 

[WildMiele]

I agree with those who have said protest to the council not U2.

This can't be the only time they have to deal with large crowds, the stadium wasn't just built for U2.

 

[telephone88]

I wonder if the people who were selling paraphernalia and burgers outside of their homes were protesting? I also wonder if the people who I saw enjoying the show from their rooftops and their balconies during the show were protesting too?

some will have and some won't. No win situation. The protestors could just be protesting because they have nothing better to do, or they could be genuinely pissed off people. I doubt they will hold up the tour schedule though.

The Irish press just love to jump on a bit of U2 bashing

 

[last unicorn]

I wonder if the people who were selling paraphernalia and burgers outside of their homes were protesting? I also wonder if the people who I saw enjoying the show from their rooftops and their balconies during the show were protesting too?

They're seeking attention and using U2.

I agree it's NOT okay for concert goers to behave like pigs, but that's not the band's fault and also not the fault of the majority of people who I'm sure didn't piss on anyone's car or lawn.

With people in the neighbourhood reacting like that, U2 should really think twice before they play there again.

After all, the many fans travelling to Dublin for the concert bring the city and the country a huge amount of money. I'm sure it's very welcome in times of crisis.

 

[gvox]

The bottom line is it is not U2's responsibility or fault if a few idiots vandalize property off premise of the venue after a show. It is the police's responsibility to secure the city and moderate citizen's behavior, and U2 paid council to have them present. Take your protest to the council chambers or whatever they call them there, don't take it to U2.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

Right, so when there is a match of any sorts at Croke Park, are all the fans orderly? Surely they are not. I made sure not to buy a damn thing from those people selling items or performing outside of their homes while I was walking to or from the stadium.

Didn't I read on here that kids from the neighborhood threw eggs at the people waiting in the GA line?

I have no tolerance for hypocrites.

 

[telephone88]

Right, so when there is a match of any sorts at Croke Park, are all the fans orderly? Surely they are not. I made sure not to buy a damn thing from those people selling items or performing outside of their homes while I was walking to or from the stadium.

Didn't I read on here that kids from the neighborhood threw eggs at the people waiting in the GA line?

I have no tolerance for hypocrites.

Gaelic matches are always during the day and mostly attended by locals. For a U2 show there are sooo many people from all over the place attending inevitably meaning that some twat is going to act a knob, pissing off residents (hypocritical or not) leading them to protest in this way.

Its bound to blow over and the stage components needed for the next show will arrive on time

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I am sure they will find something else to bitch about. I understand the annoyances that something like this can bring to the neighborhood and I probably would have been upset if it disrupted my day to day routine, but I doubt I would protest unless something extraordinary (like my property was vandalized with graffiti, human biowaste was rampant, property had items stolen) happened to my property or if it impacted my job.

 

[coolian2]

Nope. I just quietly made my way out of the area. And there are no other routes. Doesn't mean people need to cause damage and piss on peoples property

so the residents are delivering a "fuck you" to the fans in sweden?

nice

 

[last unicorn]

Where I was living for 8 years before I moved to my current place we had construction work going on all the time, sometimes even by night. Still no one protested to the city council. I'm working in the city, very close to the government buildings area, we constantly being contronted with barricades where we cannot access certain areas of the inner city, or with protest marches, or with construction and reconstruction of stuff for festivals or political rallies, still we don't protest to anyone. I mean what's the big deal of having some noise for a couple of days in an area where noise and crowds should be something you're used to? If you live near such a big stadium, you should be aware that there will be some invonveniences from time to time. I have the impression they are pointing out U2 to gain some attention.

 

[YBORCITY]

Crap!

Is/Will Bono be okay?

 

[gvox]

So I guess it would be a socially acceptable form of protest if I were to start launching SAMs at passenger jets that fly over my house after 11 PM? I mean, I know it's up to city council to regulate this stuff, but for fuck's sake, those bastards on that plane aren't innocent angels either, they're flying over my house!

 

[hatrickpatrick]

A cynical man could guess that the reason they're waiting until after the shows to make trouble is that if they succeed in wrecking the tour schedule, U2 will think twice before ever using Croker again.

If this happens I will personally camp outside Croke Park for an extra week after all the fuss dies down with a PA system, U2's greatest hits albums, and a megaphone. They're trying to cause enough trouble to ensure that U2 don't play there again - I mean if you were in a huge band and you cared about your fans impression of you, as U2 definitely do, would you ever risk having to cancel another gig at the last minute and disappoint the next 80,000 people who are waiting to see them next weekend? If it happens this time you can bet that'll be the end of Croker for U2.

They had better not succeed.
Still, if the trucks manage to get underway some time this afternoon, and the gig is on Friday night, doesn't that still give them three days to get everything up and running?

 

[mikal]

if i were to purchase a house next to Croke Park, i would expect that it could get noisy every once in a while. some people just need to get over it and buy some earplugs. bunch of whiny bitches.