Music: RE: [u2tour] Re: GA procedure, my experience in Pittsburgh

Since you asked, here I am. But bear in mind, I'm just an asshole, as you've proclaimed me to be. Most people know me as Amp, and most people who've met me don't describe me as an asshole, but hey, your opinion from behind a computer screen is probably the most accurate one, right? What do I know.

For starters, Khelia is a friend of mine and has been called multiple names (which I refuse to repeat) for the same reason that you've called me an asshole: the simple fact that she also tends to be towards the front of lines. She gets hated on for it, pure and simple. The fact of the matter is that the people who have been to multiple shows are seasoned when it comes to how the GA lines have worked. It's not a matter of one person adding 10 other people to the list. I was in Anaheim 1 when people tried to create a list for Anaheim 2 and still others wanted to add 5 or 10 friends each to it. I personally tore up that list because of it. The topic of back to back shows is for another time, but feel free to call me an asshole for doing that, I welcome it.

There's no secret society. As hard as it may be for you to grasp this concept, I have a full time job, paid vacation, and an understanding boss which all allow me to travel and get to stadiums well in advance. I know I'm lucky to have all those things, so I don't run around making wild accusations about people who've been to more shows than I have. When you go to numerous shows, you start running into the same people over and over and you make friends. Last I checked, that was part of what everyone enjoyed about the GA experience. Sorry to use your own argument against you.

I show up, I get my number, and go by the rules that the people starting the line put forth, plain and simple. If they want me to check in every 4 hrs like in Montreal, I do it. If they want daily check ins like in other cities, I do it. Based on seeing how line ups went, my group decided on twice-a-day check ins in Philadelphia. Most of the feedback I got was very positive up until the time they moved us into the stadium. I'm going to say this using one syllable words, "It takes a group to run a line". If you think you can show up at 6am and have a few hundred people just organize themselves on the spot, you're rather naive.

I assume that lines are going to start 2-3 days in advance because guess what? That's what's been happening this whole leg. I'm smart enough to know a pattern when I see it. Is that what makes me an asshole? I can tell you that a lot of this early queuing came from the social media age, where we now know through facebook, twitter, and for me, my own personal experience, about the line ups in Latin America. People show up for a week. And, despite the fact that you seem to know how much it disgusts the band, I spoke to Bono about it in Johannesburg and he was amazed at the passion that it took to line up...to the point that he told me to go there and experience it (it wasn't in my original plans). He said it with a smile and said the word "wow". But he must have really been disgusted inside. In Brazil and Mexico, people show up in groups, pitch a tent, and spread out their things. They don't actually stay there for 7 days on end unless they want to. People come and go freely, but generally leave a member of their group, and their stuff. And, mind you, the best self-policing I have ever seen was in Mexico City. I showed up 3 days in advance and was almost 400 in line. Security is different in Latin America and venues aren't as worried about getting sued as they are in the US, so they don't kick people off property. Here in North America, we have to work around that issue, and this is the system that evolved from it. At every show I went to, the people who ran the line had someone from their group on site 24 hours a day.

Apparently some people seem to think that it would be better from a logistical standpoint if 200 people all showed up at 6 or 7am and chaos ensued (or 4am, as you plan for your 'revolt'). I'm sure venue security would have been overjoyed at that!! 200 people trying to figure out who gets to line up where. I can tell you first hand that every single early line-up that I did this leg involved the same discussion with venue security. Mass chaos gets everyone kicked out. Large groups of people camping gets everyone kicked out. We have to work around their rules and with them to prevent chaos on the morning of the show. So since you're so willing to call other people assholes, try running a line yourself and see how it is to plan and work it out. I don't like having to get to a city 2-3 days before a show, but that's how it is now. I loved being able to show up at 3am on Elevation and being 30th in line. But hello...3000 GA arenas and 14000 to 40000 GA stadiums are JUST a little different. Or did you completely forget about the difference in numbers? Oops.

Let me know how that massive group at 4am works out for you, I'll be waiting to hear about it. When venue security calls the police and they arrest the entire group, let me know about that too. And if you don't believe me, it almost happened in Montreal. Ask anyone who was there at 5am about the cops.

For anyone who reads this post and thinks I'm somehow boasting, I'm not. I apologize sincerely if it came off that way because that absolutely wasn't my intention. I'm defending myself and trying to share just a little knowledge in the process (seeing as how so many people have made accusations and have reached conclusions with minimal knowledge). I do have to say, though, that I'm dying of laughter here at the ones who want to complain and at the same time have no idea who Dave is. That's just freaking CLASSIC.

--Amp

> --- In u2tour@yahoogroups.com, cal roach <cal@> wrote:

> >

> >

> > I could go on and on about this; it's hard to know where to start. I remember

> >there being different bullshit systems on the ELEVATION tour, and personally, I

> >didn't really care; I got there early, took my ace of spades or whatever with a

> >number on it and either got into the heart or right outside on the ramp (which

> >was just as cool if not better). I'm not obsessive about needing to be right on

> >top of 'em. But back then I wasn't really aware of any major fan organizations

> >on the internet; I just went to u2tours to look at setlists. The list-makers

> >told us they were a fan-organized thing to self-police the line and I swallowed

> >that whole. They seemed nice enough; I never felt bullied.

> >

> > The VERTIGO system was definitely the best. No idea why they went away from

> >that. Landed in the bomb shelter once and, well, that was unforgettable.

> >

> > I'm a little confused nowadays about where these people organize their secret

> >exclusive society. I imagine at least a handful of them are reading all these

> >posts and snickering to themselves. How about coming out of the woodwork,

> >assholes? Explain what gives you the right to sleep in and then butt in line

> >after the real fans show up before dawn for the only show of the tour they can

> >afford to go to and get shuttled back because they aren't hip to your made-up

> >rules? Can I coax out some self-righteous justification about how devoted you

> >are and how you've EARNED your place in line, even though you've surely read (if

> >you're such a big fan) about how it disgusts the members of the band?

> >

> > We've got a few years to ponder this issue and see if we can come up with a

> >solution for the next tour. It's just a case of people taking power and that

> >power corrupting a system that might even have been well-intentioned to begin

> >with. The rest of us now have the right to revolt, right? Organize a massive

> >group for the first date of the next tour to head to the venue at 4 a.m. and

> >tell the list-maker to shove it up his or her ass. Or perhaps the band will come

> >up with a better solution. Let's hope.

> >

> > --Cal

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