U2Fanatic4ever
Blue Crack Addict
^yep.
WHY bring back a lottery system?!
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starsgoblue
Blue Crack Addict
the whole purpose of the lottery is to make sure that not all of the first 50-100 get in, as they are the same people every night. I think the lottery would be great specifically for this reason.
kassandra
Refugee
Exactly. I think the lottery is good. At least your chances are equal to everyone not a competition of sitting in a que for hours.
gareth brown
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
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exactly. If I had the money and lenient enough boss to take a whole month off and go galavanting round the world watching U2 TWENTY OR MORE TIMES and saw the same people getting in to the front every time it would piss me off no end. Sure, they put in the hours but come on, there's "achievement" and then there's just being greedy, borderline selfish and spoilt, and having a supreme feeling of superiority and, as people have said, entitlement.
If there IS a lottery, the only way you could do it fairly is to make EVERYONE enter it, then make sure it really is RANDOM and then whoever enters has a fair shot at getting in. Then the people who turn up in the morning and think they now deserve to get VIP treatment will realise they now have lives to live and go off and do some constructive with their time.
Before someone says "ACTUALLY, I've met lots of people while waiting hours for U2 and have formed great friendships! How dare you say we're not using our time well." that's all very well and good. why not just go see the city you're visiting or something together before the gig instead though?
also - like it's being said all over this thread let's just remember how lucky we are to get to see U2 ONCE. It's common knowledge they sell out in the blink of an eye as soon as tickets go onsale so how people manage to get to so many gigs in a single tour is beyond me.
I feel like some of these people would never do that.
Even if you knew in advance of time that you had a lottery ticket (say they were printed randomly in different colours), that would still have some of the lottery people line up early to get right in the front row, and then it would also possess the people in the general GA to line up to get against the rail.
This is why Springsteen's system seems the fairest and the only one that would really be effective at completely dissuading lining up.
U2Fanatic4ever
Blue Crack Addict
^ yup Springsteen's system is really the only TRUE RANDOM system out there. U2's is certainly not but sorta tries to be somehow.
bratty_cat
War Child
this would be only truely fair way to do a lottery. Clearly the system had been cracked during the Vertigo tour as the same groups of fans were getting in at every show (and bringing in multiples of friends with them).
I was lucky enough to see 8 shows on the US legs of the Vertigo tour - scanned in 4 times. Two of those times, I'd waited in line and got front row rail and the other two I just walked in about 15 minutes before the opener went on and was able to roam around the ellipse and change my vantage point as the show went on. I did put long stints in line the other times and was on the ellipse rail so no complaints. But the waiting in line can be stressful and exhausting so I'd be happy with a random number kind of thing.
starsgoblue
Blue Crack Addict
Not saying this would be you, but I can see people pushing & shoving their way to front if the system is changed to something like resembling Springsteen's, especially since there are stories alleging not everyone played by the rules the last time around. The Springsteen system does sound like a better solution provided people didn't try and ruin it. *shrug*
bratty_cat
War Child
Well, there will always be rude assholes no matter what. The Springsteen model would ensure that #1 in line was truly random and up to chance, thereby removing the need to wait in line for ridiculously long periods of time (and I admit that I'll wait too if it gives me a chance of a better spot on the floor). It's not going to stop asshole behavior (only security can enforce that everyone behaves in a civil manner and if it's up to venue security, that doesn't always happen).
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
Took the words right out of my mouth. 
OP
OP
quadcaster
Refugee
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how did people cheat the system during vertigo tour?
i hadnt heard bout this until now
Irishteen
Blue Crack Addict
I have no problem with a lottery system on the condition that people who show up after gates open don't get into the front. I wouldn't mind a system where all the inner circle spaces were taken up within the first 30 or so minutes after the gate opening, but I don't agree with the idea of people showing up five minutes before the concert starts or after it's started having the same chance as everyone else of being up front
Hallucination
Refugee
Even though the lottery worked for me I don't like it. I had GA tickets for a show in Vancouver on the Vertigo tour and I was about the 40th person in line. Waited all day. Luckily my ticket scanned "VERTIGO" but had it not scanned I'd be pissed. Especially if somone who showed up 45 minutes before the doors opend got inside the Elipse and I didn't. I'm all for first come first serve. Just seems fair to me. Those who want it more shoul get it.
Hallucination
Refugee
That's an absolute crap way to do it. This is how ticketmaster used to do it(maybe the still do) when people still purchased tickets from actual outlets. Twice I got totally screwed. Once for Guns N' Roses. I got #1 out of 200 lineup tickets. You guessed it. They drew #2 and I had to buy my tickets last. Bullshit. Then for U2 on the Elevation tour I had #6 out of 148 lineup tickets. They drew #8. I think it's bullshit but maybe it's just cause my experiences with that type of system have been God aweful.
That's because you assume that those who want to spend upwards of 24 hours in line "want it more" than anyone else.
Hallucination
Refugee
Yeah pretty much. I dont' get this attitude by people who seem to think those who wait hours upon hours have no lives. Maybe it's just simply the fact that U2 is one of the biggest passions in their lives and they make necessary arrangements accordingly. You will never convince me that the person who is unwilling to book time off work months in advance or arrange for a babysitter or whatever the case may be wants it as much or more than those who figure a way to get it done. "Successful people do what unsuccessful people don't" If you're willing to wait YES you do want it more than the person who is not willing to wait. It's the epitomy of common sense.
It's not a matter of unwilling, some people can't.
Others may not be in a physical condition to sleep on concrete and be out there for over a day.
And it seems like the band itself is pretty sick of seeing the same people in the front row at 50 shows, which is why THEY came up with the idea of the lottery to begin with.
Hallucination
Refugee
Some people are willing to but can't wait? Why not? If a more pressing issue in life comes up so be it. It's a choice you make.
Some people are not physically capable? What are they doing with GA tickets than?
And if the band is sick of the same 50 people I get that. But it shouldn't have any effect on the ability of those who will only attend one show to get up front.
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
having a job is a choice?
because standing up for a few hours is different from sleeping on concrete for a long, cold night.
and if they join a queue early enough anyway, even if they don't get into the inner zone they'll still have a perfectly fine spot.
phillyfan26
Blue Crack Supplier
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Just bad luck.
I'm all for a system that doesn't favor people who can clear their schedule and/or stalk the band at will. It's just not realistic, and favors a small minority, most of whom are kind of creepy.
Lemonfix
Refugee
I remember during the first leg of the Elevation tour when you could show up at the end of the GA line between 2 and 3 in the afternoon and STILL get a spot inside the heart. Of course these were in smaller markets, but still...
I used to be a major lottery hater, I didn't bother with GA at all last tour because of it. But I didn't realize that so many people were lining up early at so many different shows! On the Elevation tour I did the line-up-all-day thing twice and assumed that most people could only handle doing that (physically and financially) 5 or so times per tour, at the very most. I guess I was wrong. I do see where U2 is coming from with the lottery system (which makes me wonder, are these multi-show people in North America only? why was no lottery in place on other continents?)
Still, I think the way they do this lottery is pretty dumb. Like everyone has said, it doesn't keep people from lining up and people find ways to get around it. I'm up for doing something similar to what Springsteen does.
I used to be a major lottery hater, I didn't bother with GA at all last tour because of it. But I didn't realize that so many people were lining up early at so many different shows! On the Elevation tour I did the line-up-all-day thing twice and assumed that most people could only handle doing that (physically and financially) 5 or so times per tour, at the very most. I guess I was wrong. I do see where U2 is coming from with the lottery system (which makes me wonder, are these multi-show people in North America only? why was no lottery in place on other continents?)
Still, I think the way they do this lottery is pretty dumb. Like everyone has said, it doesn't keep people from lining up and people find ways to get around it. I'm up for doing something similar to what Springsteen does.
Salome
you are what you is
I have never been way in front at a U2 show
don't think it ever took away from the experience
I can see why the band would want another bunch of freaks at the front instead of the same ones every night though
don't think it ever took away from the experience
I can see why the band would want another bunch of freaks at the front instead of the same ones every night though
Exactly.
I knew at least one pregnant woman (6 months) who was okay standing for a few hours at the show, and wanted to be at the back of the ellipse, where there wasn't pushing, but she sure as hell wasn't going to come at 7 pm the night before. And she shouldn't bloody have to and it doesn't make her any less of a fan.
U2_Muse
War Child
Successful people* don't take a week off of work to sit on their asses on a sidewalk at 7 pm the night before a concert. You seem to think that it's as simple as booking time off of work and that this somehow defines how big of a fan you are. I've been a U2 fan for 17 years. I'm struggling to get time off of work this fall to fly across the country to see them because it's our busiest time of the year. We're also in a recession if you haven't heard that news. If it comes down to me having a JOB so that I can pay my rent and eat versus seeing Bono, then yes, I'm making the choice to not end up at the food bank. But please don't tell me that being an adult makes me any less of a fan than you are.
*Exceptions may apply.
Irishteen
Blue Crack Addict
Ticketmaster seriously did that? I'm glad they never did it here...
Even though I don't love the idea of a lottery anyone who queues up overnight for a show is creepy. I usually show up two hours before gates unless I know I need to be earlier for a good spot. Overnight is madness
skjuls
Refugee
how did people cheat the system during vertigo tour?
i hadnt heard bout this until now
Let's see!
Having multiple wristbands so they could sneak into the ellipse if they didn't scan VERTIGO...
Being friends with the woman who oversaw the whole random process...
It was never truly random when I have seen the person in charge of the process, scan the same ticket multiple times until it scanned VERTIGO so that person could go in....
BTW: I only scanned once and it was great. I took my friend in (who my the way was several people ahead of me and got yelled out for waiting for me....He didn't scan but was waiting to see if I scanned. They told him to move on and didn't believe him that he had a friend still coming through!) and he bought me several beers!
On the times, I didn't scan in I did get prime position on the outside rail so that's why people will still wait. If I don't get in, I want to have a good position. I'm short and rail is essential!
starsgoblue
Blue Crack Addict
Getting to hangout and spend time with people kinda makes the whole experience more fun, but that's just me. I've always liked the community aspect of going to the shows, especially since I have to travel outside of my hometown to see the band.
kassandra
Refugee
^^
True but being clean is nice too
True but being clean is nice too
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