VIP Packages + (RED) Zone Auctions - All Discussion HERE

[ntalwar]

U2 to give €9m of tour profits to charity - News, Music & Gigs - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Monday, 30 March 2009

Rockers U2 will donate an estimated €9m of their summer tour profits to charity, it was revealed last night.

The artists will give away 100pc of their income from VIP auction ticket sales at up to 100 worldwide concerts.

Up to 600 stage-front tickets per gig are being sold off via auction, with minimum starting bids of between €95 and €1,015.

Every cent band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr earn from the sale of tickets in the 'Red Zone' will go to charity.

Thanks - great info.

I The second e-mail stated that my credit card had been authorised and I had 4 tickets in RED2 and they even gave row and seat numbers.

Oh - didn't know they assign seats and section. Wonder if they do it based on bid prices. A friend and I were going to each do our own bidding for 1 ticket and meet at the venue. Based on this, I guess we may not even be able to be on the same side.

 

[beershack]

Thanks - great info.



Oh - didn't know they assign seats and section. Wonder if they do it based on bid prices. A friend and I were going to each do our own bidding for 1 ticket and meet at the venue. Based on this, I guess we may not even be able to be on the same side.

Its just for accounting purposes , like the section & row on regular GA's

 

[powerhour24]

Foxboro Red Zone is getting too rich for my blood.

 

[powerhour24]

But its great to hear that its 100%, rather than some mystery percentage (that could have been like 1%) contributed.

 

[ntalwar]

Its just for accounting purposes , like the section & row on regular GA's

But there are actually seats in the red zone, so I think it may be real. They also have to balance out the 2 zones.

Foxboro Red Zone is getting too rich for my blood.

If a 2nd show is announced, it should go for less, which has been the pattern so far.

 

[powerhour24]

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for.

 

[beershack]

But there are actually seats in the red zone, so I think it may be real. They also have to balance out the 2 zones.

.

They have seats that you can sit in somewhere before the show (after you access the "exclusive" merchandise tent), there wont be reserved seats to sit in during the concert

 

[ntalwar]

They have seats that you can sit in somewhere before the show (after you access the "exclusive" merchandise tent), there wont be reserved seats to sit in during the concert

Is it different in Europe? The Amsterdam one says "Built-in seating for pre-show comfort".

Ticketmaster.nl: U2 Auction

 

[Acrobat08]

Geez, I can't believe U2 have stooped to this level, that's sad. Well, at least they haven't started selling Ellipse tickets to the highest bidders, yet.

Can you imagine all the rich assholes in those red zones, drinking wine and talking on their cell phones during the slow songs. You'd have to pay me to stand in those areas

Jealous of people who have more than you? that's mature

 

[vjacqb]

But its great to hear that its 100%, rather than some mystery percentage (that could have been like 1%) contributed.

It says 100% of what the BAND earns as income, though, which I don't think would be 100% of the ticket price. I believed from the beginning that the band's not making money at all from these seats. But the question is how much does the venue or LiveNation take from these seats?

I was actually thinking instead of percentage, it may be a fixed price. For example, the most optimistic scenario is that the venue and/or LiveNation would get $55 from each seat sold in the Red Zone ($55 being the same price a GA ticket would cost). Thus when they open the auction, they have a minimum price, that is higher than what LiveNation is getting from the set price. Thus it essentially guarantees the charity will get some money from the proceeds of the auction, and regardless of the $ amt of the ending bid, LiveNation still gets $55/seat. Higher bids won't benefit the venue or promoter. Plausible?

 

[innominata8]

so...what if i get a pair of tickets in the red zone and pay with my credit card - do both tix have my name on them and i can bring the guest of my choice?

 

[theedge111]

so...what if i get a pair of tickets in the red zone and pay with my credit card - do both tix have my name on them and i can bring the guest of my choice?

No, Bono picks your guest.

 

[4U2Play]

Jealous of people who have more than you? that's mature

I'm not jealous of people in the Red Zone. Some of those tickets went for only 95 euros, that's affordable to me. I don't think people in the Red Zones will have "more than me". On the contrary, I think the Red Zone areas aren't that good. I stood in a similar location in Estadio Azteca, Mexico City in 2006, and didn't enjoy the angle or the sound there at all.

Once again, my original remarks from 18 days ago were directed at the LA and Vegas shows I had planned on attending at that point, which will probably be filled with the types of people I described. Acrobat08, let's hope you aren't one of them I'll be perfectly happy waiting all day in line with my 80 euro GA tickets, and hopefully getting inside the ellipse in front of the stage, rather than on the far sides outside the ellipse.

Now that U2 have finally announced how much of the money is going to charity (100% of U2's take), I'm less critical of the idea. Nine million euros is very generous. Funny how they made the announcement only today, though, I wonder why they waited. Was it always going to be 100% of the band's proceeds given to charity? Did criticism of the auctions spur them along? We'll never know.

 

[doctorwho]

I was actually imagining the scenes in the LA and Las Vegas Red Zones when I wrote that post, rather than somewhere in Europe. I think the Red Zones might be a completely different deal here on the West Coast.

But, do you really think it's a no brainer, even at the bargain auction price of 100 pounds? You can get a GA for Glasgow right now on eBay for 65 pounds. You just spent an additional 35 pounds to guarantee yourself a spot way off to the side on the outside of the ellipse. Instead, you could buy a GA for face price, spend the day in line hanging out with other U2 fans, and have great shot at getting inside the ellipse in front of the stage... try and think before wasting money like that next time

I still have to side for the group that aren't "rich".

I have normal, but expensive seats for Chicago and Boston. That's where I used my U2.com membership. As there are second shows, I will try to go for Red Zone. This allows me to be closer, get something a little special, still enjoy GA, but not have to wait outside all day, not have to be disappointed because I didn't get into the shape, not have to be pushed and shoved outside the shape, etc. As I live on the west coast, I was thinking of also trying for Red Zone for LA.

I do have an upper limit (don't want to pay $1500 for some special ticket), but I also feel that this is a good way to enjoy GA without the hassle. Plus, money goes to a charity I support.

Just my views...

 

[ramblin rose]

Now that U2 have finally announced how much of the money is going to charity (100% of U2's take), I'm less critical of the idea. Nine million euros is very generous. Funny how they made the announcement only today, though, I wonder why they waited. Was it always going to be 100% of the band's proceeds given to charity? Did criticism of the auctions spur them along? We'll never know.

Could you please post some of the critical articles surrounding the auctions? That would interest me a lot.

 

[ullchen]

I gave my Indian postoce which is also only numbers and it accepted it. I had also called ticketmaster before submitting my bid - and they said that if you have a winning bid and for some reason your credit card doesn't go through you can always calll them and get it processed on the phone.

But they confirmed that the RZ is open to people from anywhere in the world and you can pay with any valid credit card.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your info, it encouraged me not to give up but to try on and on and finally I succeeded in bidding for Wembley and... I've just received the confirmation mail that we'll be in the red zone. Yeah, yeah, yeah!!!!!!! Thank you again and I wish you tons of fun with U2 in Dublin

 

[4U2Play]

Could you please post some of the critical articles surrounding the auctions? That would interest me a lot.

Here's one:

http://my.telegraph.co.uk/wwwnoelbell.blogspot.com

 

[VegasBono]

Am I right in thinking that, if people are winning RZ tickets for the minimum bid price, that the Red Zone can not have sold-out in those stadiums?

My questionable "math" skills are telling me that if there was any actual competition for tickets, the minimum bid price would have been exceeded.

 

[ramblin rose]

Here's one:

Whoops! Browser Settings Incompatible

Thanks, but that's a blog. I was looking for news pieces.

 

[4U2Play]

Thanks, but that's a blog. I was looking for news pieces.

I don't think someone's opinion of U2's Red Zone auctions qualifies as news nowadays.

 

[Skoobz]

I don't think someone's opinion of U2's Red Zone auctions qualifies as news nowadays.

I don't think some random whiny blog is going to affect U2's decisions.

 

[ntalwar]

It looks like for cities with two shows, the auction starts at $115. For other cities it starts at $150 (DC, Charlottesville, etc).

 

[bonocomet]

Can someone tell me when the auction starts for RZ in LA? I can' find it at TM, is it the same time as the public sale?

 

[ramblin rose]

Can someone tell me when the auction starts for RZ in LA? I can' find it at TM, is it the same time as the public sale?

Starts tomorrow at 12PDT.

Ticketmaster

 

[bonocomet]

Thank you I was on the U2 ticket options page but can't see how you got to that page, thanks!

 

[ramblin rose]

Thank you I was on the U2 ticket options page but can't see how you got to that page, thanks!

Press the tab to the right of "More Info"

 

[bonocomet]

Press the tab to the right of "More Info"

Ah got it! I was still about two pages away from that page even.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

It looks like for cities with two shows, the auction starts at $115. For other cities it starts at $150 (DC, Charlottesville, etc).

I hope that you're on to something here. Were all the first shows of NA's first wave (Toronto 1, NY 1, Boston 1, and Chicago 1) starting at $115?

 

[ntalwar]

I hope that you're on to something here. Were all the first shows of NA's first wave (Toronto 1, NY 1, Boston 1, and Chicago 1) starting at $115?

Yes, they started at $115. Although Tampa does as well, but maybe because it is smaller/less affluent. LA starts at $115 too.

The 3 US auctions ending tomorrow are $230-300 or so. I'd thought about getting a $250 seat as a backup to the auction for DC and C'Ville, but I don't want to pay that much for a seat 50 yards away. So I will just do the auction.

 

[powerhour24]

Anyone know what the fees end up being like after the auction?