The U2 Thread - Vertigo Tour

[bajanswife]

Hi there,

Well, I haven't been to anymore shows since 4/6 in Los Angeles. Luckily, I have GA's to LA again 11/2 and Vegas 11/4. However, not sure I can wait that long!!

I'll try to answer some of your questions Bajanswife...

Absolutely go alone if you're able and willing!! I've seen and heard of quite a few people going on their own...I would do it in a heartbeat! Of course, it's always fun to have someone to share the experience with but you'll meet all kinds of great people at a U2 concert!!
As for whether or not to get GA or seats. I had GA in Anaheim, CA and then nosebleeds in LA. Personally, GA is the way to go!! Although, we waited in line for 12 hours, we met lots of people and the time truly flew by. As I've posted before, at 6am we were 50th inline and got a great spot on the railing, about 5 feet from center. Being that we were up against the rail at the very front of GA we didn't get pushed around at all!! In fact, the people behind us played poker with us while waiting in line and really respected our space. I've heard a few people who were in the middle of GA say they were pushed around a bit but nothing scary. I haven't been to Toronto so I can't help with the arena info but ticketmaster claims the seating capacity is 18,000 to 20,000 so it's not a huge place. Just a tad bigger than The Pond in Anaheim and just about every seat in there is good.

Anyway, good luck and have a great time!!! Can't wait to hear back!

BTW I also wanted to tell everyone that I picked up a copy of Bono in conversation with Michka Assayas and it's a great read!!

Thanks! So, if I had GA tickets but didn't go and stand in line all day, I'd just get stuck at the back? I'm assuming the view's not so great back there?

If I stand in line at the box office instead and get an actual seat, that means I don't have to arrive that early for the event itself, am I right? Standing in line all day to get into a show makes for a loooong day, but if I can line up at the box office the day before for a confirmed seat, that might be better.

 

[Dizneyholic]

Thanks! So, if I had GA tickets but didn't go and stand in line all day, I'd just get stuck at the back? I'm assuming the view's not so great back there?

If I stand in line at the box office instead and get an actual seat, that means I don't have to arrive that early for the event itself, am I right? Standing in line all day to get into a show makes for a loooong day, but if I can line up at the box office the day before for a confirmed seat, that might be better.

You know, I'm not sure about the view from the back GA! Some people purposely went straight to the back of GA when they could have been in front. I'm assuming they were scared of being smashed so it can't be that bad back there. I guess it depends too on how tall you are. Also I forgot to add...there's always a chance you'll get in the ellipse. If your ticket is scanned as one of the 400, no matter what time you got there, you get to go in the ellipse or "bomb shelter" as Bono's calling it. It's completely random though.

So far at both shows there were about 50-100 people waiting for tickets at the box office the day of. As far as I could tell, almost all were able to get some kind of ticket. The bad part is that scalpers are also part of the line. In Anahiem they released tickets around 3:30ish but it could be different at each place. I know people were already waiting there at about 6am. Anyway, whatever you decide, you're going to have a great time!!

In case anyone is interested...a great resource for tour info and tickets are the Yahoo Groups fan boards. Go to Yahoo.Com and click on GROUPS (icon on top left). In the Search field type U2. It will bring up about 400 different U2 groups you can join. I belong to about 10 of them and have found tickets, bootlegs & mp3's of entire shows. Definitely a must for any U2 fan out there!!

 

[Dizneyholic]

Where is everyone?? I want to hear about your concerts!!!

Just a reminder that U2 will be on Good Morning America this friday (5/20). It starts about 7am here on the west coast. They'll be showing some pre-recorded stuff from the tour. From what I've heard, it's at least 5 songs. So, if you couldn't make the shows, this is a great chance to check out the tour!!

 

[ElaineMarch]

Bajanswife,
I am a 38 year old woman who will be trying to get a ticket for the Toronto Saturday night U2 show. I read on one of the yahoo groups mentioned above that some tickets for shows have been released on ticketmaster.com the night before the show. I luckely only live a few hours away and would be able to get there, I will try for GA's and hope to get in the ellipse. As a single person at a concert though, you can work your way fairly close to the stage without getting into other people's space, just be friendly! If you can't get within 20-25 people away from the stage it is better to stand back, you will be able to see more that way. Good Luck!!!

 

[Desnik]

We will be going to the concert tonight!!!!! Can't wait. I will post when we get back.
Anyone go last night? How was it? Dumb question, I know it was probably great!!! But I want details!!

 

[dis4me]

We went last night and sat in the box for the first time. The show was great!

 

[disney-pins]

Saw U2 at the Continental Arena in NJ last night...wish I could have gone tonight too. If anyone is debating whether to spend the bucks for this show, don't hesitate. The concert was fantastic...the best I've seen.

Bono and the Edge were amazing as usual.

The opening act was horrendous..The Kings of Leon.

The girl sitting next to me was so wasted that she took a nose dive and caused a domino effect of people falling for up to three rows ahead of us. What a waste of a ticket for such a great concert.

I can't get the songs from last night out of my mind....they are even making me forget about my upcoming Disney trip next week. Have to get tickets for MSG now. If I was rich I think that I would follow U2 on every stop of this tour. Bono is my idol.

Anyone else go last night????

 

[LoraJ]

I have tickets for the fall, but I was thinking about trying to get a ticket for one of the MSG shows.

 

[Dizneyholic]

The opening act was horrendous..The Kings of Leon.

I agree. We didn't care for them much either. U2 hasn't annouced an opening act for the 3rd leg yet, wonder who it will be???

 

[Desnik]

The concert last night was GREAT!!!! DH and I had such a great time. They sounded great, as usual. The opening act stunk! Not too many people were sitting watching them. Did anyone else here go last night? They played for almost 2 hours!! They did 2 onchors. We left there with all the songs stuck in our heads! They are all so great. Wish we could go see them in the fall.

 

[cinmell]

Was anyone at the MSG show on Saturday night? I was just wondering what you thought of it.

I'm FINALLY going tomorrow night then again on Saturday so I'll let you know how the shows were!

 

[bajanswife]

You know, I'm not sure about the view from the back GA! Some people purposely went straight to the back of GA when they could have been in front. I'm assuming they were scared of being smashed so it can't be that bad back there. I guess it depends too on how tall you are. Also I forgot to add...there's always a chance you'll get in the ellipse. If your ticket is scanned as one of the 400, no matter what time you got there, you get to go in the ellipse or "bomb shelter" as Bono's calling it. It's completely random though.

So far at both shows there were about 50-100 people waiting for tickets at the box office the day of. As far as I could tell, almost all were able to get some kind of ticket. The bad part is that scalpers are also part of the line. In Anahiem they released tickets around 3:30ish but it could be different at each place. I know people were already waiting there at about 6am. Anyway, whatever you decide, you're going to have a great time!!

In case anyone is interested...a great resource for tour info and tickets are the Yahoo Groups fan boards. Go to Yahoo.Com and click on GROUPS (icon on top left). In the Search field type U2. It will bring up about 400 different U2 groups you can join. I belong to about 10 of them and have found tickets, bootlegs & mp3's of entire shows. Definitely a must for any U2 fan out there!!

Hey, thanks for the Yahoo Groups tip - I will definitely check then out? Is there any particular group you recommend?

 

[bajanswife]

Bajanswife,
I am a 38 year old woman who will be trying to get a ticket for the Toronto Saturday night U2 show. I read on one of the yahoo groups mentioned above that some tickets for shows have been released on ticketmaster.com the night before the show. I luckely only live a few hours away and would be able to get there, I will try for GA's and hope to get in the ellipse. As a single person at a concert though, you can work your way fairly close to the stage without getting into other people's space, just be friendly! If you can't get within 20-25 people away from the stage it is better to stand back, you will be able to see more that way. Good Luck!!!

Hmmm... now that I know there's a chance I might get in the ellipse, GA is sounding better! Thanks for the Ticketmaster tip - I should be able to get online either at my friend's house or at an internet cafe to see if i can get a ticket, if I haven't found one by the time I get there. I do not want to have to stand in line for a ticket, so I'll even pay a bit more to avoid that.

 

[Dizneyholic]

Hey, thanks for the Yahoo Groups tip - I will definitely check then out? Is there any particular group you recommend?

Here's a few I belong to...

Wire-U2 (part of Interference.com)
Just a warning, this group has thousands of members so you get a ton of email sometimes. I get the daily digest instead of each email individually. However, sometimes you can miss out on stuff since you have to wait for there to be enough emails to fill the digest. Sometimes people can get off track but it's generally a good place to get great U2 info.

U2 Tours (part of U2tours.com)
Another heavy traffic group but again I get the digest. This is a good place to buy and sell tickets.

Here's a few others I belong to...

U2Mp3
U2trading
VertigoTour2005
These groups can sometimes go days without a post so not the best but I have found good info here and there. You should really weed thru some of the others listed on Yahoo. Last time I searched the Yahoo groups there were over 400 for U2. I would have liked to join a few more but I just don't have the time to read all those emails.

Also, have you tried looking on Ebay.com for tickets? I've been checking for various shows and some are going for face value. You might get lucky.

Cinmell - I would have loved to be at the MSG show!! I had tickets to the Oct 8th show but we had to sell them since the fiance was asked to be in his best friends wedding that same day. I almost begged them to change the date.

 

[debster812]

Well....here's the report from Tuesday night's show at the TD BankNorth Garden (aka the Fleet Center, aka The Gahhden)

The show was GREAT. We were up in the stands, directly in front of the stage (so all the way behind the floor seats, and behind the sound board) so from that vantage point, the sound was GREAT.

I am very bleary eyed this morning, but it was worth it.

Anyone in NE with tickets to future shows, you're in for a treat.

 

[bajanswife]

Here's a few I belong to...

Wire-U2 (part of Interference.com)
Just a warning, this group has thousands of members so you get a ton of email sometimes. I get the daily digest instead of each email individually. However, sometimes you can miss out on stuff since you have to wait for there to be enough emails to fill the digest. Sometimes people can get off track but it's generally a good place to get great U2 info.

U2 Tours (part of U2tours.com)
Another heavy traffic group but again I get the digest. This is a good place to buy and sell tickets.

Here's a few others I belong to...

U2Mp3
U2trading
VertigoTour2005
These groups can sometimes go days without a post so not the best but I have found good info here and there. You should really weed thru some of the others listed on Yahoo. Last time I searched the Yahoo groups there were over 400 for U2. I would have liked to join a few more but I just don't have the time to read all those emails.

Also, have you tried looking on Ebay.com for tickets? I've been checking for various shows and some are going for face value. You might get lucky.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll check them out!

I actually have a saved search on e-Bay, and I also posted a "want it now" for a ticket. So, I get advised of all new postings. I have to rule out most because either they are two tickets and I only want 1 (and I can't sell the other on e-Bay b/c I can't get Paypal), or from sellers with not enough feedback (too risky), or the sellers require Paypal (which I can't sign up for as I don't have a US bank account). So you see it is difficult for me. I was bidding on one ticket, and I set it up to snipe, but I lost it to a higher bidder. Next time I might have to set my max price a bit higher. Lots of time until Sept though, so I'll keep looking - I might get lucky. Or I might get GA tickets the night before from Ticketmaster.

 

[cinmell]

Well I went to the show last night and it was fantastic! The crowd was awesome and into the show the entire night. Bono was on, Larry was smiling, waving and laughing, Adam and Edge were great too. We had awesome seats in the loge on Adam's side and we got some great pics!

The place went absolutely mental as soon as the first chord or Streets played, that song ROCKS. When Vertigo started Bono said this isn't a spanish town it's an irish town so instead of uno, dos, trece, catorce, he counted in Gaelic. One was incredible and I just love Miracle Drug. He also said it's great to be home referring to Boston.

I admit, prior to last night, Love and Peace or Else wasn't one on my favorite songs off the new cd, but it ROCKED live.

Excellent show, worth every red cent. We go back Saturday with GA's hoping for the ellipse aka bomb shelter. I'll post pictures from last night's show if I can figure it out.

 

[cinmell]

$2,000 for nothin': Cyberscalpers leave U2 fans out in the cold
By Thomas Caywood
Thursday, May 26, 2005 - Updated: 03:56 AM EST
BOSTON HERALD

Instead of rocking with Bono and The Edge, hundreds of U2 fans were
forced to ``walk away, walk away'' from the sold-out FleetCenter show
Tuesday night when their scalped tickets proved bogus.

Some heartbroken fans broke down in tears as they were turned away
clutching worthless pieces of paper they shelled out as much as $2,000
for.

``There was a number of people that were just crying,'' recalled Matt
Whelan, the FleetCenter's director of ticket operations. ``There were
people that didn't know what to do. They were stunned. They had come
from all over the world.''

It took Whelan and his staff a while to figure out what was going on,
but a pattern soon emerged. The counterfeit tickets mostly were
computer printouts bought online from cyberscalpers.

``They were devastated,'' Whelan said. ``They have a tremendous
passion for this band, and they just wanted to go in and see the show.
It was really tragic for a lot of these people. They were taken
advantage of.''

Ticketmaster's ticketFast technology allows online buyers to print out
a ticket on their home printer with a unique bar code. The system is
credited with helping to stymie scalpers because who in his right mind
would hand over $1,500 to someone he doesn't know for a sheet of paper
printed from the Internet?

An unscrupulous scalper could print the same ticketFast sheet 100
times or just slap it on a decent copy machine. But the bar code
scanners at the venue doors will only accept each bar code once.

``I wouldn't buy a print-your-own-ticket from a stranger for 10 cents.
You have no proof of anything,'' said U2 fan and ticket veteran Jim
Holzman, president of Ace Ticket Agency in Brookline.

FleetCenter spokesman Jim Delaney agreed.

``On an average concert night we have zero, zilch, zip problems with
counterfeit tickets,'' Delaney he said. ``Apparently, U2 has whipped
this city into such a frenzy that people are willing to take a risk.''

Boston police reported no scalping arrests outside the arena, and
Delaney said only a handful of turned-away fans called yesterday to
complain.

``Sadly, I think the people that had these illegitimate tickets
realized they've been had,'' he said.






Yahoo! Groups Links

 

[Dizneyholic]

Someone had also posted this on the yahoo U2 groups and I just have to say how heartbreaking!! There has got to be some way Ticketmaster can control this. I personally have not bought ticketfast tickets from a 3rd party because I'm aware of the risk.

Too bad U2 couldn't have a one time counterfeit tickets only concert.

Bajanswife: I see that you found the Yahoo Groups ok. I saw your post today!! Good luck!

 

[ChefBilly]

I'll post pictures from last night's show if I can figure it out.

I was there, too!
LOVED the show. I was directly behind the sound board.
I posted my pics here: http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/burkeBlog/
(Camera phone. Low res.)
That was the fifth tour I've seen them on, sixth show over all.