swanny66

Hope you get some different stuff than we did over here.  But, they are always so choreographed, I would;t get my hopes up.  Over here one song changed in the setlist was a big deal.  Which is par for the course for them.

 

Gonna see the band 3 times in London later this year but at the mo I'm not excited about it at all. I haven't read many reviews, seen set lists or watched YouTube for this tour like I would previous. I'm 46yrs old now been following them for 30+ years but not feeling the love this time around. Maybe when the tour gets here things might be different or maybe we've come to the end of the road U2 & Me ?

 

Parky, I think half the trouble is that we just don't feel things the same way as we did when we were young.

 

I have lived and breathed music since I was about 12/13. I remember buying Sounds, Record Mirror, Melody Maker and Kerrang! religiously every week and quickly reading them back to front just to see if any of my favourite bands had announced new gigs. (The pre-internet trickle of information seems ridiculous now!)

 

If new gigs were announced, I would have been queuing up outside the venue (usually Hammersmith Odeon) for hours and hours before they went on sale, to make absolutely sure I had the best tickets possible. I would then count down the days until the gig, even if it was months ahead. I would plan the day of the show with military precision, (including making sure I was wearing the perfect T-shirt). My excitement levels as the show approached were frankly ridiculous.

 

Now as I approach 50, I still enjoy going to gigs, but it can never get anywhere close to the obsessional devotion I had as a teenager.

 

Took me a while to get my head around it, but I have come to accept now that (for me at least), it is just a part of my evolution as an individual, and I just enjoy gigs at a lower level of intensity and don't worry about it.

 

Strangely I have tickets for 3 nights at the O2 as well.

 

Are you me in disguise?

 

Good post!  I think that is how I handle it.  I go to a fraction of the shows and relax in the back when I do go to them.  I do like seeing PJ every time and they are exciting and fun to watch and will always go out of my way to see them.  Great shows every time .  And Muse as well as some other smaller ones.  but now, with life being what it is, if I miss it....no biggie.  There is always another.  

Gonna see the band 3 times in London later this year but at the mo I'm not excited about it at all. I haven't read many reviews, seen set lists or watched YouTube for this tour like I would previous. I'm 46yrs old now been following them for 30+ years but not feeling the love this time around. Maybe when the tour gets here things might be different or maybe we've come to the end of the road U2 & Me ?

Kind of how I felt.  And the setlist is heavy on their new album which is poor in my opinion.  It just isn't the same for me when I saw them this time around.  Go and try and enjoy it as you never know how it will be if you don't have an open mind.  Some fans will like everything they do no matter what and others will remember how it was in the 'good old days' and have a hard time with them measuring up to that.  It is an internal battle you will have to fight or accept it and move on.  

Merch selection has been pretty weak this tour.

Pride is amazing btw. Not a fan of One but will sing if they play it, but I do tend to skil itnin the car. Why would they play only three new songs on a tour for a new album? I for one don't want a greatest hits show. Blah. Thank God opinions are just that...

Well, did you ask them that during 360?!  Check the setlist on the second leg of the NA tour and count the NLOTH songs.  2 in MSP and most other stops.  You must be a noob 

Again, 99% of the fans will like what they put out there.  Just felt weird during that show and the flow was mediocre. Just my (and my friends') thoughts.  

I was in loge 11.  The fans around me were awesome and Boston crowds are great.  The band was so split up half the time with Bono doing his thing and all.  Just wasn't up to U2 standards.  Unfortunately, a couple of buddies from Chicago called today and asked what I thought.  They sad 'Yeah...we wanted to tell you but not ruin it for you.  We are not going to another show of theirs.  PJ, Muse, Foos blow U2 doors off'.  I would have gone either way as I was flying in from MSP but they are die hards from the War era and they too were disappointed and felt like they were just going through the motions.  So it isn't just me!

I am going to be a bit of a downer and thought the show was good but nothing special.  I do not at all like the new album so 7 songs from that is probably a part of it.  But the whole thing going through Bono's childhood with these poor new songs.....they made their first 3 albums about basically the same thing.  Maybe break some more out of those and cut down the new stuff to 3?  Seemed not as much like a band with so much Bono-centric stuff.  And when they played Even Better in the cage it killed their energy.  U2....in a cage.....  

Not a fan of no Bono singing One.  Pride can just go away please.  Very predictable show with the band seemingly going through he motions.  Only during Bad did the band seem to lift out of their doldrums.

I know the band is 53-55yo and we are on the downhill slide.  And it is not fair to compare to shows from 83 and the like.  But this was my least favorite show easily.  But a mediocre U2 show is still a good show by any band standards.  

Flame suit......engaged!

Heartland

Heartland

Heartland

Heartland

Heartland

Heartland

Heartland

Heartland

At Boston #2 please!!!!!!!   

Tool also does not allow phones or recording.  Security would let you smoke weed....but no way was a phone allowed.  They were all over that.

Bono needs to remember like 30-35 songs max.  They play 22 songs and mix up a couple per night and those are always the same as well. over the length of the tour.

PJ puts on a great show.  It is different from U2 but I don't have PJ expectations of U2 since they have been the way they are (playing same setlist every night) since I saw em first in 83.   Tool is the same as U2 playing pretty much the same thing every night too.  Just the way some bands are.

I cannot GA any more.  This is the first U2 show I will be in seats.  I like rolling in whenever to see the show rather than lining up, etc.  My time is limited and I just would prefer the comfort of my spot, hitting the bathroom when I want, etc.

PJ and U2 are both significantly different show experiences.  With the production U2 puts into a show, I think there is little if any room for surprises.  Which is unfortunate.  But U2 has always pretty much maintained the same setlist throughout a tour even when the production was much less than current shows like in JT era.    Just go look it up.  It is a futile request.  I feel lucky if ONE song deviates from the norm.  

I enjoy both types of shows.  PJ put on  killer show here this fall.  They are really in their prime from a live perspective.  

The ticketing for fan club....the reason I left PJ was due to going to this lottery.  I went from getting tickets to almost every show I wanted to rarely getting tix.  So i just said screw that and went secondary market.  I think U2 has a good ticketing and I always have gotten tickets.  I have no complaints.

I like the paperless to be honest.  

I don't care where it is at.......I am there!

 

Set a note on your calendar or on your phone or something to check back the week that you're supposed to renew on a yearly basis and you'll never forget again. What good is modern technology if you're not using it?

They send reminder emails too.

I think it's fair to reward those that don't let their subscriptions expire. Otherwise what's gonna stop people from paying subscription once every 5 years when U2 goes on tour?

That said, shit sometimes happens and they could put up a policy to allow one month grace period after expiry to give time to get the seniority reinstated.

Sound post. I dig it. I am lucky mine expires around my birthday so I remember without the email though.

Relax Francis. Go watch some Star Wars and veg.

I wasn't assuming. Just looked at your profile and the date and saw a post where you said you wish there had been a policy in place for tickets. So I am chill dude.

Why would minors have memberships when they don't have a cc if they are worried about tickets? There was a policy in place for this presale that was 2 tickets per membership. I saw you posting elsewhere that there was not. I read it before ordering and had no complaints. The household thing is a ticketmaster issue, not U2 one.

In the end, why is it U2's obligation to provide tickets to whole families because you belong to their Fanclub? The membership entitles you to an OPPORTUNITY for tickets. You are acting like they are to provide you tickets because you are in the Fanclub all of 5 days. Do you understand how badly this can be exploited when the two ticket one is being pushed?! Answer me that please. The two ticket limit is absolutely fair. The GS and secondary sources are available for tickets outside that limit. Just like every other show in the universe you would want to attend with your family.

I was suggesting accommodating children under a current U2.com subscriber's allotment because children (even at 16 which is probably the average age of a "child" at a U2 concert) don't have their own credit cards and they can't get their own credit cards so they are left unable to purchase from ticketmaster even if they have their own U2.com account and presale password.

Still did not answer how anyone could prove having a child in order for this to be honest. It would easily be exploited. Again, even if this in some other universe did fly, that would mean less tickets for the adult paying members. That I think nobody here would agree to with the tight allotment of tickets. I guess I am asking why the other methods I mentioned don't apply for you such that you need special allocation because you have children? That is what everyone else has to do. The Fanclub is not beholden to every member of a member's family.

Kind of discriminatory against those of us without kids. So I would perhaps get locked out of tix because you need two more for your kids? Is that fair to others? I think it is fine the way it is. If they played stadiums 4 would be allowed again I suspect. But these are arena shows. There is always general sale, after market if you absolutely think you HAVE to have your kids attend. But taking the opportunity from other fan club members who are childless is selfish I my eyes.

How would you even prove having kids?! Everyone would do that. Hell, I would. It is so easy to cheat and exploit. Look at how this system is already having enough cheaters ruin it for us.

We are going to show 2. Red Sox/Yankees at Fenway Friday night. That is how we are doing the weekend!

I popped off em because I cannot stand all night anymore. We are using points for hotel and miles for the flights. So our main expense is the ticket. At least that is how we sold it to each other

Cannot do GA any,ore so it was the $$$$$$$ seats for me. We got lower bowl side. Had row one but ended up row 13 which is just fine with me. I have been close plenty of times. I want to roll in whenever to enjoy the show......and Boston when visiting.

Yeah.  I am cool with it.  I would rather wait and thin the scalpers out.  I mean....it is 7 months away!

Our tickets still show unable to print.    But there is a confirmation so I assume all is cool.