ddarroch

Sorry Max. Was wondering if it was allowed, when I posted it. But as it was a fan recording I thought it'd be ok. But no worries, won't post links again. Is a great fan recording though 😁

It certainly was an amazing crowd, & a great performance by the band too. Yeah, U2 records everything. I wish they'd do simple video edits of their shows, & release them for people that attended the show, or on U2.com. [MOD EDIT: No problem at all by discussing and commenting about fan recordings, but please do not post links to these. Thanks]

Nice. Great photo! One good thing about photos. Yeah, you lose a bit in the moment (or a lot of you're not careful), but then can relive the experience months later. I filmed the majority of one show (Sydney 2, my worst spot). But with my camera attached to the rail, so I could jump around like a lunatic. Haven't had a chance to look at any of the footage, as I've been overseas since the shows. When I return in March it'll be one of the things I'm really looking forward to.

Sorry, you've got it wrong geowickey. Aussies & Kiwis haven't been complaining that fans are arriving early, & waiting in line. They're complaining that fans are arriving early, & NOT waiting in line. They're arriving days early, getting on a list, returning sometime much later, to get their name checked off. Rinse & repeat. NO WAITING. We've never had problems on any other tour. Why? Because people were prepared to wait in line! That's the way it's always worked here, a fair orderly queue. You arrive when you are prepared to wait, & you waited. It's the only fair system. That's what happened in Brisbane this tour. People arrived, waited. Some even camped out, including myself. Nobody complained! The complaints only start when an unfair check-in system is used. It screws over locals, & anyone who can't arrive days before a show. Yes, second row is fine for most people. But not everyone. This is why I'm not fine with second row. Anyway, we'll see what happens in a few more years, if we're lucky enough to be blessed with another tour.

Yeah, I heard it was crossed off the setlist, due to the late start. Same happened in Adelaide, & I believe one of the Singapore shows. Pity that's the song gets dropped, as it's such a highlight.

Wow, you're right, what a crowd! It helps having a stadium sized stage, enveloped by an arena, the seats so much closer. The noise from the crowd was so great! Unlike the gigantic cricket/ALF grounds used in Australia, where the crowd was so far away. But in general, the Japanese crowd were into the show so much more! Looking up towards the seats, & seeing everybody standing for the majority of the show! Love is Bigger got a much, much better reception from the Japanese than the Brisbane crowd, that's for sure. Singing the oh, oh, oh, oh's, in full voice. Of course your experience is influenced by those around you. My girlfriend & I were by the top-of-the-tree, with a young Japanese women directly behind us. She was so into the show! Jumping, crying, screaming! It was such a great experience to see how the show effected her. We had our own private party on many occasions. Turning away from that beautiful screen & the band on the main stage, to sing, dance, embrace & jump like lunatics together. Such a wonderful experience.

They're pulling the wool over your eyes jremyu2! There's nothing fair about the check-in system, they're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. They're self-serving, gaining the best possible spot in the line, with the least work possible. Maybe a check-in system was necessary in the US. But this isn't the case in Australia. Yes, I believe numbering is important, to prevent queue jumping, & keeping entry orderly. But the check-in system is a different beast. It isn't necessary, unless camping isn't allowed nearby (this isn't the case in Australia). Brisbane allowed camping. A local started the line (using numbering), & virtually none of the check-in crew could be bothered to camp out. Only about 30 people camped out, a great mix of 40% locals, & 60% internationals. Anyone arriving in the very early hours of show day, around 4-5am, could get a number from 30-50. Compare that to the check-in system used in Melbourne & Sydney. Specifically designed to disadvantage locals. Melbourne, with a 1pm check-in, impossible for most working locals. Sydney, a line started around 10am, & well over a hundred before locals had even finished work! Those who couldn't participate in the check-in system arrived early on the day of the show to be greeted by a list with hundreds of names on it. Certainly not fair in my book. Thank god Japan was different. Unfortunately, I'd say a high proportion of the earlier entries (first 300) went to foreigners, as they were from the Red Hill presale (less Japanese were signed up before the tour announcement, as U2 hadn't toured there in 13 years). But the very front people (first 50), at least for show 2, were locals as they had their own presales. The exception was Melissa, one of the heads of the check-in crew, who was right at the front of the line for the Sydney shows (I'll just say her first name, as the mods may not like me throwing dispersions about). She came in very late, after the early numbers had been checked & ordered, but were still waiting to get in. Barging through the crowd, flashing her ticket, moving up to the front of the line. Supposedly number 5 in line, the only foreigner amongst dozens of Japanese. After the first show she'd have known that the tickets weren't scanned, the stubs were just torn off. Was she really the only foreigner, with number 5, amongst dozens of locals, or was the ticket doctored. I'll leave that for you to decide, but I know what my money's on, after hearing about her behaviour in Berlin & seeing her in action at Sydney.

It's only gotten worse. The corrupt check-in system started this morning in Sydney, 3 days before the show. A local stooge was rolled out to start the line. "This line is for you Sydneysiders, look a local is running it". The fans visiting our fair city began to join soon after. Taking up the vast majority of the top of the list. It continued throughout the day, while locals were hard at work. More people joining, numbers climbing. By 5pm - as locals finished work & turned their attention to getting on this damned list - well past the century! Well & truely. 110 people on the list by 5pm! This list is for everyone, come join the party, locals. Bull crap!!

U2's own security seem to be in on it, or at least turn a blind eye. Handshakes & slaps on the back at the beginning of the tour. Like long lost friends. Venue's policy is 'no fan managed lines' for days & days. Then, hey presto, there's a backflip to allow these same guys control of the front the line. Despicable! Nothing wrong with first come, first served. Works perfectly. The only reason this check-in system is implemented here is to get these guys the prime spots. Melbourne wasn't the first time, & it won't be the last. Thank God Brisbane line was run fairly, with good old camping.

We need to do something, that's for sure! This is getting ridiculous, & ruining the GA experience for many, many people. This check-in crap serves absolutely no purpose in Australia. Other than getting a few self-entitled fans to the front of the line, with as little effort as possible.

Yep, it's a shame. Not just for the new songs, arena shows are bloody brilliant! Arenas are so much more intimate. Not a bad seat in the house. The expensive seats represent decent value, unlike stadiums, where even the best seats are miles away. Those in the front of arena GA are just about within touching distance of the band, who perform on a much lower stage than a neck-pain inducing stadium stage. It's been a long time between drinks for us with arenas. Not since Lovetown (excluding the Burswood show). While the US has had many arena legs since then. 2 legs for Elevation, 2 legs for Vertigo, a leg each for IE & EI. Hopefully we see them perform an arena tour in Oz one more time.

Thanks for a poorly run GA line Marvel. What a fiasco! For days you were adamant that you wouldn't be honouring the unfair fan-managed check-in system, telling people to arrive at 8am for wristbanding. Only to have a last minute change of heart. Meaning those people who actually abided by your started rules, arrived on time to find they were now behind hundreds & hundreds of other fans. NOT FAIR! This is on U2's OWN security. Who pander to a few self-entitled fans, helping them to implement their unfair, inequitable check-in system. Pressuring local venue security to change their own publically announced policies. This is not the first time this has happened, & it won't be the last. How far up U2's chain does this go? U2 talks about inclusiveness. This is anything but inclusive! It's a very bad look for U2, favouring a few international fans over hundreds of local fans, who have waited 9 years to see their heroes. U2's own security must be told to stop this behaviour.

Sounds like the show starts & finishes earlier in Japan than other places. So maybe no time for an opener. I hope there is though, or even better, a longer U2 set 😂

No idea, sorry. I was expecting to need the credit card I paid on, but maybe not. I have read that Japan had cracked down on scalpers, ahead of the Olympics there. No idea if it's effected ticket collection policies.

I'm staying the Captain Cook from the 21st, so that's probably where I'll start.