mike7man

How so? The scalpers may not be into U2, but they sell the tickets to U2 fans... Yeah, mostly. But, there are definitely a number of folks with serious $$ who would buy GA tix to a U2 show, even if they weren't that into the band, music, etc.

Join the club, unfortunately. Nobody really knows where the stage is, although a recent information "leak" suggests it may be a true center stage. On the other hand, various other evidence suggests that it isn't. See "Stage Design" thread in the main section. In any case, apparently no tickets have a completely obstructed view--the worst any of them say is "limited view", that kind of thing.

See the post by "13 senses" just a few posts above. And the orchestra thing makes sense given the band's performances of "Every Breaking Wave" during their European promo tour (on various tv shows, etc.), which was a very nice (and very different) arrangement including a string section.

Sorry to hear that--what a bummer for you. I got my Barcelona presale email days ago, however--no idea why you didn't get yours until now. Oh, and the presale is still ongoing--ends 5 PM EST today, I think--so maybe you can still use your code??

I hear you Jeff, but the NYC 7 tix I'm talking about are all lower-level (no price change on this level).

Relatively speaking, you're lucky--because NONE of the NYC tickets (including GA) are credit-card-entry (CCE), as in most other locations. So, your problems are NOT what other people are experiencing. You might try calling ticketmaster about the transfer option--since NYC tickets are not restricted, there's no obvious reason why you can't do that. Failing that, you can simply post/sell your GA tickets (for face value) on this site. Presumably, your tickets will either be mailed to you (hard tix) or emailed to you (e-tix). Either way, you are not in any way prevented from selling them, unlike GA tix in most other venues (New York State has a law forbidding CCE tickets). And don't confuse e-tickets w/CCE tix--they are NOT the same. The latter are not transferable, but the former (like yours) are--even if, because you're in Brazil, you can't transfer/resell them through TM. If you do sell them, I'd certainly be interested.

I definitely think that the new management is an important part of the current problems. Bono getting hurt maybe had some effects too; otherwise, perhaps the band might have been more tuned in to the various issues we're griping about. I remember back on the Vertigo tour, there were some major TM presale problems right at the outset, too--and the band (complete with a message from Larry himself) stepped in and fixed it. No sign of that here. Even so, however, members having problems getting GAs in the initial onsale was a TM problem--not a band thing. Finally, for what it's worth, I wouldn't worry about the "two nights" thing (maybe easy for me to say). They've clearly said that there will be some major differences between the two nights--and what more could they really say, short of giving us some actual setlists? Also, they went to a lot of trouble to set up the "two nights" thing--they must have some substantial differences in mind, don't you think?

I'd bet on a 6th London date as well, unless the 5th is really going slowly (like LA 5 & Chicago 5). Re Paris, it started w/two, and they added two. I'm guessing they only had options for 4 in all there (re dibs on the venue, etc.). But why not extra Koln shows? Not too surprised that a possible 6th London date wasn't announced w/Barca 4--although, maybe your memory is better than mine here--were Barca 3 and London 5 announced at the same time? If so, I take that back.

The reason is pretty simple, since it is based on Ticketmaster picking best available for users, and its algorithm deciding that those were not the best available $312 seats, probably because of an end stage-centric algorithm. The seats in between those two areas were sold at a cheaper price, so people selected those specifically to save money. So, when the system flips from picking seats for you to presenting you with a map to pick your own, what remains is the least desirable, most expensive seats. Not sure that really adds up, or at least not in a clear way. I see what you mean about the "best available thing", but--this pattern didn't happen w/the first 6 NYC shows, despite presumably identical TM algorithms, etc. Unless, maybe, U2 management released some additional staging details to the venue (?)

I know it perhaps sounds a bit harsh, but I'd say "obnoxious" is perfectly fair. Yeah, I know I said above that maybe aspects of the stage/set design might not be finalized (as a potential explanation), but the more I think about it, I don't think that adds up as a reasonable explanation. At least 95%-plus of the stage setup has likely been fixed for quite a while now--probably since before the original tix went on sale. Further, U2 themselves has always been quite involved/aware of the stage/set design through the years--no way they just hand this off to others. And for many people in seats, it's a big deal to know what's up w/the stage. Bottom line, right now, one just doesn't know what one is getting into w/many of the seat locations, and that's key to buying tix (at least for those who care where they are in relation to the band/stage)--and all this is all the more important given how expensive many seats are, not to mention major expenses for travel, hotels, etc. And how are people supposed to judge whether to try for RZ tix without knowing these things? And to top it all off, a few weeks back there was some kind of mistake/leak where the entire design was (very briefly) leaked, right here on u2.com--and then very quickly removed. So again, it's not like any significant stage/set changes have been in the offing for some time now. I don't mind being in the dark about the setlist, special effects, what they're wearing, whatever--but I do mind not knowing where my doggone (and very pricey) ticket is. Now of course, for folks like you who aren't that concerned about these matters, no big deal, but for some of us it is. And oh yeah--this is the first time this (i.e., no real info on the stage design prior to tix going on sale) has happened. For 360, for example, the general setup was disclosed before any tix went on sale. Bottom line, to be fair, if somehow major aspects of the stage/set design have really been up in the air (as you suggest?), OK, maybe all this makes sense--and if information to that effect eventually comes out, I'll eat my words. But if, as I suspect, this has actually been essentially set for months, to not disclose this before tix went onsale is truly obnoxious. After all, for folks like you, it's no big deal either way--but for folks like me, it's huge. I think your last line might answer your own concerns. However, I do seem to recall, although I could be wrong - that is was a few pics released from a fan in Europe (or manufacturer of the structures) initially that gave us a first taste of what the 360 rig was going to look like, before anything from official sources. That was of course, an outdoor rig on a huge scale so very difficult to keep under wraps. With this tour thus far being an indoor tour with regards to venue - much more easy to keep things 'secret', keep fans guessing - all part of the excitement. On a personal level, I just buy ticks without a real preference to position, it's the sound and general atmosphere that carry me, although I appreciate others consider and scrutinise these things more closely. Don't think your use of the word 'obnoxious' is well placed in fairness though in the context of the subject - final plans on set design etc etc would, I imagine, be a bit out of the band members control - they will, in my opinion, be more focused on the how their songs will work sonically and visually within the confines of where they have to work. They'll have input on 'tweaks' only at this stage I would suggest 3 months out from the start of the tour. As usual it'll be up to the odd leaked picture or some formal tour marketing that might give us our first glimpse!

Nothing official yet. Aargh. I think it's really obnoxious that U2 hasn't clearly specified/released this--especially since knowing the design is critical to buying tickets intelligently. Along the same lines, I can't imagine what the justification for withholding this could be. I don't know, maybe some aspects of it aren't yet finalized or something (?)

Wondering if we're going to see any additional dates (besides Dublin, whenever that's announced). I'd lay better than even odds for an 8th and final NYC date; the 7th is selling pretty well (although see below). Additional LA dates seem unlikely, but then again, adding the 5th date there was surprising. Likewise, looks like Chicago will stop with 5. Both LA 5 and Chicago 5 have substantial seats remaining. In Europe, of course, a 4th Barcelona date was just added. Unlike the US/Canada, it's hard to tell how well the European dates are selling (until they're sold out), because in Europe you don't get to see "individual seat" maps. But on general principles, I suspect we may see a 6th London date. Also, it seems a bit surprising that more Koln date(s) haven't been added (yet), given that the first two are sold out and there's room in the schedule for more. Seems like maybe a Berlin show could be added as well (not quite enough schedule room for two), given that the first four are sold out. A couple of odd things I've noticed about some of the US ticket sales patterns. In the 7th NYC show, the remaining available tix are heavily concentrated in two parallel (across the arena from each other) areas for no apparent reason (yeah, a couple of these sections say "side view" (109 & 115), but the sections right next to them (110 & 114) don't, and are even more heavily unsold). Oddly, in contrast, the corresponding sections on the other side of the arena (104 & 120, by the RZs) are mostly sold. This "remaining tix" pattern for NYC shows is new--it didn't happen this way at all in the preceding NYC shows. Also, in some venues (e.g., Chicago), many of the remaining 200-and 300-level seats are in neatly alternating rows, which makes no sense at all (?)--it can't be a price thing, so I can't imagine why that would be the case.

You'll get an email w/the e-tix. The delay will not be very long--maybe a week or two, maybe less. The delay is standard. And E-tix are NOT the CCE thing--they're just like regular tix, but you print them out at home. Congrats on getting your tix, finally!

Wow. This is very, very odd and as far as I know, should not have happened at all, given the CCE rules. You should definitely take your credit card, ID, and print out a TM receipt w/your order number, etc. in case anything strange happens when you try to get in.

What do you mean by "section two"? Usually, there are no sections in GA. The row and seat numbers on the GA tix have no meaning.

As far as is known now, you can't. Only you can use one of the tix; you could sell the other to someone else, but they'd have to go in with you (not separately). The moderators are trying to come up with some workaround (for face value exchanges, etc.), but so far, no luck.

Hmm...that's an idea. For heaven's sake, TM should at the very least be willing to let parents or spouses, etc. show up and give them to their kids/spouses.

Yeah--can't see any other way to handle the "odd" extra dates than to combine the themes somehow.

Doubtful, I'd think. They've already put too much emphasis, etc. on the "pair" concept, and many fans have planned on that, etc. Rather, they'll likely stay w/the pair thing until a final (single) show (where applicable); in this situation, the last show might be some amalgam of the pair setlist (?).

Took a look at the June 3 tix left, and was actually surprised to see it's selling pretty well. Looks like the really slow-selling tix are (not surprisingly) the super-expensive VIP tix; other than that, most of the tix are already gone. So maybe U2 will add a June 4 show after all (?), especially to keep with the "pairs" approach.

Well, not exactly. You may be able to find somebody with an extra RZ ticket (on this site)--e.g., somebody going with them drops out. Then you may be able to buy one from them (you'd have to actually go into the venue with the other person).

Right, but the VIP listing stuff only really means that U2 has the option to add those dates, not that they will do so.

No, nothing's been set up (yet) through this site, although the moderators have ben attempting to work something out (especially regarding CCE tickets; they're the real problem). Unless something regarding CCE (i.e., GA, RZ) tix is worked out, though, you may be better off trying to find somebody w/an extra RZ ticket you can buy and selling your hard ticket separately.

Yeah, but those are only possible dates. Seems to me that if they really wanted to stick strickly to the "pairs-only" thing, they already would have announced two more LA shows, not one.

Wow. If this is for real (and no real reason to think it isn't, given that it was on u2.com, however briefly), that's a big deal, and I was certainly wrong about there being a main stage, b-stage/RZs, and connecting catwalk. Kudos to Kristaps and others who have argued throughout for a true center stage. Although, if the above is true, then there's still odd things that don't make sense--like the ticket pricing clearly favoring one end over the other (in ellipsoid arenas like in the US), and where the RZs are, which now seems pretty random. Also, one drawback (?) of a true center stage is that no matter where you are, presumably half of the time you're looking at their backs. Not thrilled w/that.