# U2 tickets



## geegee (3 Feb 2005)

What is the surefire way of getting tickets online on Friday? I rarely buy tickets so if there is anyone out there who does please advise.

GG


----------



## Marbill (3 Feb 2005)

er... get yourself to HMV NOW and start queing...!!


----------



## legend99 (3 Feb 2005)

*..*

They have planning for 3 concerts...the Fri, Sat and Sun. If they choose to play all three that must be 215 tickets I would guess....surely it will be possible to pick some up...


----------



## maranello (3 Feb 2005)

If you haven't already registered with U2.com there is no sure fire way - unless you're first in the queue outside HMV as suggested above. Personally I'm not panicking - I'll pick up tickets later in the year and if it means paying a slight premium I'll just live with it. U2.com charged €40 just to register anyway!


----------



## MissRibena (4 Feb 2005)

Anyone having any luck online with these?


----------



## rainyday (4 Feb 2005)

Just got through to an agent on the phone 0818-719300 - Got Sat night tickets for lower Hogan stand, about 1/2 way down the pitch - woohoo!


----------



## MissRibena (4 Feb 2005)

No offence rainyday, but I HATE YOU


----------



## MissRibena (4 Feb 2005)

And now they are bloody sold out! I wouldn't mind but the same thing happened to me when they were in Slane.  And I didn't get to see them there either. And me, who bought the Joshua Tree when I was 9 and faithfully rewound and played til I had every word of every song written down.  Going for a bloody breakfast roll. Boohoo


----------



## capaill (4 Feb 2005)

Ecommerce at its best.  Ticketmaster web site down for most of the time and when it does come back up the concert is sold out.

C


----------



## cullenswood (4 Feb 2005)

Got mine over the phone aswell at about 8:05


----------



## legend99 (4 Feb 2005)

*..*

Got three meself for the lower Canal End. Saucy enough to be honest...85 squids for a ticket + add in about 70 quid for ticketmaster handling, service charging, blowing your nose for you charge....

Rang them up using the non 0818 number. Rang over a Dublin number. 01 4569569

Got a ring tone about 8.15, got talked to at about 8.30, maybe 8.35.

As I said earlier, I know 100% they have planning for the Sunday night as well. I know this because a friend lives in the Croke Park residents association cathment area and he got a letter saying that from that organisation saying planning was being applied for the Fri, Sat and Sun.

Should have fecking bought 6...could have had a few people offering me serious favours for them!!!


----------



## rainyday (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: ..*



> Ecommerce at its best. Ticketmaster web site down for most of the time and when it does come back up the concert is sold out.


Not true - It was up & servicing all those other customers - It just didn't like the look of you!   Do you slag off the phone network because people got engaged tones during the peak rush?


----------



## cushtie (4 Feb 2005)

got mine for the saturday. Covered all bases and queued from 5.30 yesterday. was in the top 15 in the queue. (Did a shift change at mid night) 

woohooo!!!!


----------



## D (4 Feb 2005)

*Aaaaaaaaghhhh*

So,

One phone in each ear from 8 a.m. onwards, online continuously also and NOTHING.

Got to the third page online only to be told I don' have cookies turned on and I need them on to purchase tickets!!!!!

SINCE WHEN(been always able to before)

Ah Well, c'est la vie - I'll just have to try again when they announce the third date

Well done to those who managed to get tickets.

p.s. And I got up early and everything!


----------



## mollser (4 Feb 2005)

*u2 ticks*

FFS

[broken link removed]

according to gaa season ticket holders, the stadium is booked for a fourth night as well...


----------



## sunnyday (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: Aaaaaaaaghhhh*



> p.s. And I got up early and everything!


Tell me about it! Though I have to say, as I sat warm and dry infront of the PC, I did feel bad for all those people who had spent hours/days standing in queues to get tickets. I didn't manage to get any, but can't complain. I do hope everyone in the queues did get some though.


----------



## ISBN (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: u2 ticks*

D, I had the very same problem, when I got to the third page, it said that I didn't have graphics or cookies turned on!!

When the Sunday goes on sale, I'm definitely queuing up.


----------



## legend99 (4 Feb 2005)

*..*

Mollser, I'm not sure that the original planning for the rebuilding of Croker allowed for more than 3 non football events(i.e. concerts).

Jaysus though, theres some insane amount of tickets for sale already on ebay and other such dodgy reselling sites...

Bear in mind too, that when they announced the second Slane gig, there was no notice, they just put them straight on sale...


----------



## capaill (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: ..*

Hi Rainyday

I spent my spare time when the site was down researching the error code displayed and it pointed to a bug/error in the configuration of the server.  My guess is that the site crashed.  Also no user friendly error displayed, simply an obscure Apache error message.

When I rang the phone number and got the engaged tone I knew it was due to volume and simply tried to ring again.  In this scenario it was hard to know was it a problem with their site, my connection, my PC or my browser.  I would be interested to see if they did process any online tickets and if so how many.

As someone who works in the IT industry specifically advising clients on how to deploy, manage and support high volume ecommerce sites I have to say, in my humble opinion, Ticketmaster have not impressed me on this occassion.  Then again it is rarely they get demand this high for tickets so why spend money on an infrastructure to support the peak demands when the tickets will be sold anyway by phone.

Then of course I am probably just sore 'cos I didn't get my tickets

C

Quote:

---------------------------------------------------------Not true - It was up & servicing all those other customers - It just didn't like the look of you!  Do you slag off the phone network because people got engaged tones during the peak rush? 
----------------------------------------------------------


----------



## legend99 (4 Feb 2005)

*..*

I was lucky enough to get tickets.

But something really annoys me. U2 bang on about being from ireland, and loving Ireland etc etc. And lets me honest, thanks to the artist exemption taxes Ireland has been pretty good to them.
So why is it beneath them to play more irish concerts? lets be honest, they could do 3 nights in Croke Park and they could do another 3 or 4 around the country and they would sell out in the same frantic pace. 
I mean, I know there are issues setting up at too many venues, but they could have quite easily played 3 Dublin gigs and 2 or 3 nights in Cork, Limerick or even Thurles at Semple Stadium.

I personally think its an enourmous snub to us all. They are playing London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester in the UK. But they can only lower themselves to play one city here. 

They love ireland me backside...


----------



## MissRibena (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: ..*

legend99, I thought it was just me. I have loved u2 all my life and will still love them when I calm down from this but I have been feeling a bit peeved with them lately.  This charging for the website carry-on is a bit Irish (harhar) and then I think I heard a quote from Larry this morning more or less saying that fans who complain about it are not real fans and they can f*ck off. Hope the lads aren't getting a bit arrogant in their old and extremely wealthy old age. 

Back to snivvelling into the keyboard now  
Rebecca


----------



## TarfHead (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: U2*



> I personally think its an enourmous snub to us all. They are playing London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester in the UK. But they can only lower themselves to play one city here.



The population of each of those cities is possibly each in excess of the population of Ireland. It's all about the numbers - the pocket over-rules the heart.


----------



## Baz (4 Feb 2005)

*U2 - No Sunday concert*

04 February 2005
U2 dates sell out, smashing box office records
U2 have broken all box office records in Ireland, with 160,000 tickets for their Dublin shows in June selling out in 50 minutes.

Promoters MCD have confirmed that a third concert will not be taking place.    

Tickets for the concerts at Croke Park on 24 and 25 June went on sale this morning at 8am, with lengthy queues having already formed at outlets days in advance.


----------



## MissRibena (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: U2 - No Sunday concert*

Ah now, Glasgow has only a population of approx 600,000. Fair enough the UK population is a lot more than ROI's but I wonder what level U2 fans per 1000 of population works out at compared to here!  

Rebecca


----------



## Monsieur Bond (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: U2 - No Sunday concert*

*Promoters MCD have confirmed that a third concert will not be taking place.*

...Until they suddenly announce with no warning that there is one. Wait and see.


----------



## TarfHead (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: U2 - No Sunday concert*



> The population of each of those cities is possibly each in excess of the population of Ireland





> Ah now, Glasgow has only a population of approx 600,000.



Well, I did sort of make up that Glasgow is more populous that Ireland  .

Between Edinburgh and all towns in easy commuting distance, they have a bigger pool of punters to fish from, more so than, say, Killarney.

Probably  .


----------



## legend99 (4 Feb 2005)

*..*

Are you going to honestly say after what was seen this morning that they would not be able to sell another 200,000 tickets in this country??

there is no way in the world they would nto see out a third Croke Park, along with 2 nights in Cork, or 2 nights in Thurles. 

And anyone who says otherwise is taking the p*ss. 

P.S. I speak as someone who has every album on CD, many of the CD singles, and who has seen them in Cork, Slane and Boston.

I am genuinely disgusted they seem unwilling to play extra irish gigs. As i already said, its the least they could do to reward irish fans.

And it drives me nuts too to hear Bono banging on about drop the debt. He doesn't seem to go out of his way to help too many of his fans. I say this based on not being allowed bring bottled water into Slane and then being forced to pay abotu 2 quid a bottle. Add in about 5 quid for a manky burger. 
You might claim that its contracted blah blah blah for the food sellers, but you can be well sure a lot of it ends up in bonos back pocket.


----------



## oysterman (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: ..*

Interesting to note that while the tone of posting on AAM is inevitably free-market oriented, as soon as it comes to U2 it seems that they "owe" their Irish fans something. It's a business - they don't care about their fans and why should they? They'll maximise their returns from this tour ("manky burgers" and all) - their Irish fans are just sources of revenue.


----------



## maranello (4 Feb 2005)

*U2*

For those interested, Larry has posted a statement on the U2 website regarding various complaints from fans about cock-ups on the ticketing front - www.u2.com.

At the end of it he takes a pop at people claiming to be U2 fans and simultaneously criticizing the ticket "fiasco".

Well excuse me Sir Mullen but being a fan of a band does not mean you are not allowed to criticize them.

Would have to agree with people who are pissed off there are only going to be 2 Irish concerts (that we know of), speaking as one who has every U2 CD album, quite a few singles, 3 or 4 videos, books about U2 etc. I am seriously considering not bothering about Croke Park at this stage.


----------



## paulocon (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: ..*

Well said oysterman.

Sure, wasn't there all that mullarky about a free concert in Dublin some years back which never came about....

Lets face it, U2 are a marketing machine. All they care about is selling as many tickets as they can at the highest price possible. All this nonsense Bono spouts about 'coming home to the people' is exactly that - nonsense. This premium for the website is another example of the band's desire to get as much lolly out of the genuine fan as they possibly can.

I'd be very suprised if there is not another concert on the Sunday night. No doubt after a lot of messing about, 'the boys' will come out and announce that they have pulled out all the stops to sacrifice yet another night of their hectic schedule to their Irish fans because they love us all so much. Slane all over again, the dogs on the street knew there'd be a second night long before it was announced.

Anyway, rant over. Apologies in advance to all the U2 fans I may have upset....


----------



## maranello (4 Feb 2005)

*U2*

paulocon,

far from being offended judging by the comments on this thread most of us U2 fans are starting to agree with you!


----------



## Gabriel (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: U2*

I would have liked to go to the concert. I'm not a hardcore fan but I like them nonetheless. However, I refuse to pay 40 euro to u2.com for the privelage of being allowed pay them more money for a ticket. I'm not daft enough to queue somewhere in the cold for three nights for a one and I value my kidneys too much to hand one over to a lowlife, s***bag tout.

U2 do actually owe their Irish fans something. Every big band owes their fans (especially the ones who made them) something. It might sound idealistic but it happens to be true. I don't think I've seen worse treatment of fans in a long time.

No band/concert is worth this hassle.


----------



## MissRibena (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: U2*

The music industry might be more about industry than music nowadays but not everyone involved in it is motivated by money. Art is about creativity and music is about collective appreciation and the money side is supposed to be ancillary.  I'm with Maranello and Gabriel. I didn't think being a u2 fan made me the same thing as a Girls Aloud fan but they are proving me wrong fast.   The bit I don't get is that they already have the money which makes it seem all the more icky.

I might even go so far as to argue that their latest album is their least innovative in a long time and hope that it doesn't signal that they are going to start making their music to a formula.  But it sticks in my craw to say that about them... yet.  

Rebecca


----------



## cullenswood (4 Feb 2005)

*Re: U2*

Does anyone know what the story is with the refund that U2.com are offering to their members????
www.u2.com/news/index.php?mode=full&news_id=1318


----------



## legend99 (5 Feb 2005)

*..*

"They'll maximise their returns from this tour ("manky burgers" and all) - their Irish fans are just sources of revenue. "

I would have thought that they would maximise their income by far by playing in Ireland because that is where the have the most fans willing to pay the most money.

if they were following the free market then it would make sense to put more concerts on in Ireland...bear in mind, they'd have no accomadation costs either....they go just scoot off back home to bed!

Secondly, if they owe anything to anyone it is the Irish people. We're the country who allow them take their royalty income tax free....

And while I personally think its great to have such an incentive for the arts, is something like 100k not enough to take tax free. Why there is not a threshold above which you start paying tax is something I cannot understand or accept...


----------



## sueellen (5 Feb 2005)

"Just got through to an agent on the phone 0818-719300 - Got Sat night tickets for lower Hogan stand, about 1/2 way down the pitch - woohoo!"

Rainy,

Must feel like your birthday so!


----------



## paulocon (5 Feb 2005)

legend99,

Would have thought accomodation costs would be one of the smaller cost elements involved with bringing the tour to any city. I hardly think Bono is going to invite all the roadies back to his gaff somehow....  

Totally agree with you as regards the tax incentive, it's bewildering when you think how much must be taken in by the band each year in royalties. I could be wrong but the last time I checked, I didn't see Bono and The Edge busking on Grafton Street trying to collect enough money for a pint of Guinness..

Personally, I think the band have been lacking creatively for quite some time. I like my music but I'd be hard pushed to name the tracks from their last few albums (is it just me or does Elevation sound like Vertigo?). Don't get me wrong, I liked some of their earlier stuff and thought they were awesome at Live Aid but I'd imagine most true fans must feel more and more alieniated by the huge marketing machine that surrounds the band (and indeed that seems to have become the band).

This nonsense of "We're playing another night... hold on, we're not (wink wink)......but wait, maybe we are....' really ticks me off. Why not just put the three nights up for sale at the one time. Most people do have lives to be getting on with after all...


----------



## legend99 (5 Feb 2005)

*..*

So taking into account the fact that the GAA premium ticket holders had option to purchase, the U2.com ticket allocation, the tickets held back for the crew etc as its the hometown concert...I wonder how many tickets were actually for sale today?
It was obviously nowhere near the 160k mark. Would there even have been 120K i wonder?


----------



## daltonr (5 Feb 2005)

*Re: ..*

Decided after Slane that I'd seen U2 enough times Live
(Zooropa in RDS, Pop Mart in Lansdowne, and of course Slane).

First two gigs were great.  Jason McAteer's goal was the best part of the Slane gig.   I didn't try to get tickets for Croke Park.   Can't say I'm too bothered about going.

Bono's chatty bits between the songs seem to have gotten more scripted and quite frankly patronising.  It's as if he believes that everything he says is monumentous and historic.

Maybe he was always like that and I've changed, I dunno.

Anyhow, enjoy the gigs if you got tickets.

-Rd


----------



## speirbhean (5 Feb 2005)

*tickets *

No tickets. Am gutted. Queued from early this morning but no joy... saw them in Croke Park in '87 and many times since then. But... for the first time... I'm starting to get peeved. Never thought I'd hear myself say it but yeah, I do think they should play more Irish gigs, and show some respect for the phenomenal demand here. And this lark of 'will they won't they' for the third gig is just appalling. What are we supposed to do, keep the radio on constantly in the hope that we're walking past a Ticketmaster outlet when they go on sale for, oh, 20 minutes or so? I'm a huge, huge, huge U2 fan but the sad truth is that their live shows are now the source of more grief than enjoyment - ie the months of fretting about tickets, the queuing in the cold and then, worst of all, the crowing from the eejits who blagged corporate tickets and then spend the whole event in the bar. Sorry. I'll probably regret this rant later. But once again I'm looking at weeks spent begging borrowing or (hopefully not) stealing a precious ticket and it's starting to get to me.
PS - I don't necessarily agree with the interpretation of Larry's letter on the site - I think he was getting at the people who complain about 'U2 inc'. But on a day like today...
What I'd really love to see is him turning up incognito and sitting out side a record shop for an entire Irish winter night. Might change the oul attitude...


----------



## JoeTheFlow (5 Feb 2005)

_Touting spam deleted_


----------



## maranello (5 Feb 2005)

_Offensive response to touting spam deleted_


----------



## spwizard (5 Feb 2005)

Well said!


----------



## oysterman (5 Feb 2005)

With you all the way, legend.

U2 earning gazillions in tax-free royalties on output which is, well spotted Ribena, becoming increasingly formulaic while spouting on about Dublin being the only place they want to live where they can utilise the public services funded by the taxes paid by families struggling to keep things together and who couldn't afford to pay U2.com €40 for ****-all in return even if they wanted to is simply beyond parody.

Would Dublin still be the only place they'd want to live if their tax breaks were capped (as legend suggests) or abolished (as I would like). Do you ever get the feeling that they would be suddenly drawn to Monte Carlo rather than Killiney?

Do they claim children's allowances?

Okay, I'll stop now.


----------



## Alan Moore (7 Feb 2005)

*Larrys quote was.......*

"By the way, a note to those so-called U2 fans who are quick to accuse U2 of unseemly behaviour, I've only got two words for you..." which is a bit different from the accusation made.

My view and it won't make me popular is that U2 put together a process to guarantee tickets (at a cost of $40) to guarantee tickets. It was in every paper and on every radio station in the days leading up to the issue. If people didn't use it, it's very hard to grumble especially knowing that it was almost impossible to get tickets for Slane.

I'm alright Jack.


----------



## setanta (7 Feb 2005)

*Re: Larrys quote was.......*

sorry rainyday but it  makes Jonesboro almost ligitimate.


----------



## legend99 (7 Feb 2005)

*..*

But Alan. I think the precise problem is havign to pay the 40 euro. For example, Bono said most tickets should be about 60 euro. But I would think the vast majority of tickets sold for 60 euro were bought by those who paid another 40 euro for the privelge. So it seems to me that the 40 euro subsidised the 60 euro.

In addition, and a lot of people in America seem to think this judging from other mssage boards, is that what they did made it riduclously easy for touts(or scalpers as it seems to be called in the States) to get hold of tickets...

I was trying to make a very simple point Friday. if they love ireland so much as they profess to, why not play more gigs here. 3 Croke Park gigs, 2 gigs in Cork, 2 gigs in limerick at the very least. 
MCD themselves said they could sell a million tickets. So why not, in that case, make more tickets available by putting on moe gigs. In fact, it makes no financial sense to not put on more gigs in light of that comment from MCD. If you have a product, and you know you can sell more of it, then why not make it available.

Like others here i have seen them live in Cork in 93(Zooropa). Boston in 97 and Slane the last time out. I have even been to many tribute bands over the years. And right now, I'd have to say I get more enjoyment out of the tribute band gigs. Theres more fun, and you know that you're not going to be ridden for more cash.

personally, it wouldn't surprise me if there was a premium jacks you can use to take a leak in Corke Park on the day for a euro a go, or else you get to take your chances in the free jacks covered in crap. Nothing would surprise me at this stage as to how they could try and make more money out of me...


----------



## Alan Moore (7 Feb 2005)

*Put yourself in Bonos little shoes....*

I didn't mind as I was getting 4. So it worked out at about €7-€8 euro extra each and I didn't have the hassle of queueing.

They probably could have done either 4 or 5 gigs here and possibly another 100 in the US. Why do they owe the people of Ireland anymore than they do their US fan base? 

As a fan I was most happy with the U2.com arrangement . Have a ticket for Dublin and also a ticket to Rome. No hassle.

A good system, yes extra cost but the way I look at it is that U2 could have charged €100 a ticket and filled each venue and they didn't.


----------



## Joe Nonety (10 Feb 2005)

*Re: Put yourself in Bonos little shoes....*

Anyone know when ticketmaster will be posting out the ones bought online?


----------



## soy (10 Feb 2005)

*u2*

why not play more gigs

first rule fo showbiz - always leave them wanting more....


----------



## legend99 (10 Feb 2005)

*..*

The ticket lines said it would be April when they were posted.


----------



## extopia (15 Feb 2005)

>>Bono's chatty bits between the songs seem to have gotten more scripted and quite frankly patronising. It's as if he believes that everything he says is monumentous and historic.

Well yes, he WAS always like that -- even back in '79. That's one of the reasons they got where they did, pure self belief, even when it was far from justified.

I'm sure U2 pays plenty of tax by the way as they have plenty of income from their commercial ventures which are not covered by the artists exemption...

And it's debatable that U2's Irish fans are what made them. Like most artists of their era (the Boomtown Rats, Sinead O'Connor etc.) The band didn't become "huge" in Ireland until they'd made it abroad. Back then we didn't have the self confidence as a nation to create our own superstars. They were playing little places like the SFX Centre until as late as 1983.

I didn't get tickets either, by the way :-(


----------



## Brendan Burgess (18 Feb 2005)

I got two tickets for Brian Wilson in Vicar Street. He was sold out 6 minutes after going on sale...


----------



## Alan Moore (18 Feb 2005)

D'oh. I forgot they went on sale this morning.


----------



## rainyday (19 Feb 2005)

Is Brian still doing impressions of [broken link removed]?


----------



## Alan Moore (1 Mar 2005)

*Brian Wilson...*

Many thanks to that lovely person that gave up their Brian Wilson tickets and thanks Brendan for orchestrating the transaction.


----------

