Bono called in from Fez on Friday morning to chat with 2FM's Gerry Ryan about the U2360 Tour. He talked about why U2 doesn't just play random songs ("When you leave the concert, we want you to feel like you've been through something."), said the band hasn't tried to perform "Moment of Surrender" live yet, and they haven't figured out the setlist at this early date. But we hope he's serious about the promise in the headline: "It's not gonna be too choreographed." :-) (Thx Cathal et al)
Wake up to Boston Pre-Sales
2 has added two new shows in Europe this summer, and announced the first pre-sale dates for North America. Here's the scoop:
New shows are confirmed for Paris (July 12) and London (August 15).
U2.com pre-sales for Chicago, Toronto, Boston, and New York will all run from 10 am on Tuesday (March 24) to 12 pm on Thursday (March 26). The public on-sale for Chicago will begin March 30th.
NOTE: For Boston and Chicago, the pre-sale isn't just for U2.com subscribers it seems. Season ticket holders for the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears have also been given access to the pre-sale starting on March 24. It does appear that "Horizon" subscribers to U2.com will have a two hour jump start on the pre-sale before the Patriots' and Bears' season ticket holders.
Sales Down, Still at #1
John Williams
It was a bittersweet win for U2 on the Canadian album charts this week.
The Irish rockers captured the top spot once again, despite seeing sales of their latest effort No Line on the Horizon drop by 67 percent.
U2's numbers reached just over 21,000, down from the 65,000 they sold last week, according to data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.
Their entry last week achieved the best first-week sales this year to date.
Two new entries challenged U2, but ultimately fell short -- Kelly Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted came in at No. 2 with 14,000 in sales, and Johnny Reid's Dance With Me premiered at No. 3 on sales of 13,000.
The new debuts sent Lady GaGa's The Fame, Nickelback's Dark Horse, and Jason Mraz's We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things all down two positions to No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6, respectively.
Rounding out the top 10 was Kings of Leon's Only by the Night at No. 7, Mario Pelchat and Michel Legrand's self-titled disc at No. 8, Dede's A Travers Les Brumes at No. 9, and Taylor Swift's Fearless at No. 10.
In the U.S., Kelly Clarkson debuted in first, followed by The-Dream's Love vs. Money came in second, U2 in third, the J. Holiday's Round 2 in fourth, and Taylor Swift in fifth.
© Canoe Inc., 2009.
LIVE NATION
Live Nation to offer 10,000 $30 tickets for `360 Degrees' road show
Red Zones
As seen on the Ticketmaster Netherlands web site, two sections of GA tickets are being auctioned off to raise money for Product (RED).
They're calling the two sections "(RED) Zones", and according to the auction page, the package includes:
- Special VIP entrance and greeting by (RED) Zone Hosts
- High profile General Admission areas on the field adjacent to the stage runway
- Built-in seating for pre-show comfort
- Access to special concession and merchandise stand
- As a special bonus, the top 10 highest winning ticket bids for each show will also receive a pre-show backstage tour of this highly anticipated, revolutionary product design.
Tour FAQ's DIRECT FROM U
U2 TOUR PRE-SALE FAQs
Q - Do I have to be a U2.com Subscriber to participate in the U2.Com Tour Ticket presale?
A - Yes, this pre-sale is only for Subscribers of U2.Com who have purchased a Subscription.
Q - When is the latest I can join U2.com to be involved in the Internet ticket pre-sale?
A - Anyone who is a current Subscriber to U2.com can participate when ticket presales take place but those who have been Subscribers longest get the earliest opportunity to enter the presale. 'Horizon Subscribers' have access starting on the morning of Day 1 of the presale, 'Breathe Subscribers' have access from the morning of Day 2 of the presale and 'Boots Subscribers' have access from mid afternoon on Day 2 of the presale. The presale for each concert closes at Noon / Midday on Day 3. The public ticket sale will start after Day 3 of the presale. The exact times for access will be emailed to you and made available on the tour page of U2.com.
Q - How do I know what presale priority group I am?
A - There are three groups of subscribers taking part in the presale and the email you received with your presale code details which group you are in. Our 'Horizon' group of longtime subscribers have access to the first day of the presale. Our 'Breathe' group, who also subscribed to the site before the tour details were announced, enter on the second day. Our 'Boots' group, who have subscribed since the tour announcement, join the presale on the third day. Only after this does a public onsale begin.
Q - What is an Internet presale?
A - An Internet presale is an advance window to access tickets prior to the general public sale of the tickets.
Q - How do I gain access to the U2.com Tour Ticket presale?
A - To gain access to the U2.com Tour Ticket presale you will need your unique and personal Presale Access code that has been allocated to you as an eligible current Subscriber of U2.com. You will be notified of how and when to access the presale ticketing pages via email. The presale ticketing pages FOR EACH CONCERT will also be available via the tour pages of U2.com once the presale for that concert has started
Q - Where is my Presale Access Code
A - In advance of the tour announcement on Monday March 9th, all current paid-up eligible Subscribers to U2.Com will be emailed (at the address they registered on the site with) details on how the presale works, including a unique presale access code they will need to use to take part. Eligible Subscribers will also be able to see this unique code on the tour pages when they log into U2.com on the tour page.
Q - Does the Internet presale start on the same day for all shows?
A - No. Following the tour announcement you will be able to see all the shows that have been announced and the presale start dates for each of our Subscriber groups - Horizon, Breathe or Boots - on the tour pages of U2.com.
Q - Do I have to buy my U2 presale tickets in a specific timeframe?
A - U2.Com are able to offer Subscribers the chance to access presale tickets in all price-ranges but as capacity in each category may be limited all presale tickets are sold on a 'first-come, first-served' basis. The presale window of access for each show will start three days before the public sale, the earlier you participate in the presale for the show(s) of your choice the more chance of getting your choice of ticket.
Q - How Many Tickets Can I buy?
A - As a paid-up U2.com Subscriber you are eligible to purchase up to FOUR tickets for any ONE show in Europe in a single transaction OR up to FOUR tickets (in total) against up to four shows in North America. (This is because ticketing vending arrangements are different on the two continents. The code can be used ONCE only against up to four tickets at any one show in Europe. The code can be used up to four (4) times against up to a total of four (4) tickets at up to four (4) shows in North America. eg two tickets at one show, two tickets at another or one ticket to one show and three to another.)
Q - If I miss the presale for the show of my choice am I able to use my unique U2.com ticket access code for that show?
A - No. After the presale has ended for a show, any remaining tickets allocated for the presale for that show, will go on sale to the general public.The links to the ticket vendors that are selling tickets for the public ticket sale will be available on the tour pages of U2.com. If there are subsequent presales then your unused code will still be eligible to take part in presales for alternative U2 2009 concerts.
Q - What if I do not receive an email or my unique access code?
A -
1.Please ensure that the email you have provided in your 'Profile' (which you find when you log-in to U2.com) is easily accessible by you.
2. If you find you are not receiving emails from us on your email account, it may be because of SPAM blockers on your mail account. You need to check with your ISP to see if they have SPAM blocks, and if so ask them to remove U2.com This will ensure that you do not miss this mail.
3. Your unique access code will also be available on the tour page when you log into U2.com.
Q - How do I enter my personal presale code to take part in the presale?
A - When the presale for your chosen show opens, you will need to visit the presale ticketing page for the ticket vendor selling presale tickets for that show. On the presale ticketing page of the ticket vendor, there will be a box for you to enter your code. The links for the ticketing vendor presale ticketing pages will be notified to you via the registered email address that you provided to U2.com. The links will also be available on the tour pages of U2.com
Q - What do I do if my personal presale code does not work?
A - 1. Check that the presale for your priority group has opened for the show that you are trying to purchase tickets for. You have been notified of your priority group -- either 'Horizon', 'Breathe' or 'Boots' - - in the email containing your presale access code.
2. Check that you have entered your code correctly into the ticket vendor website. Your code is 13 characters long, contains NUMBERS and UPPERCASE LETTERS and begins with U2. Please be sure to enter your code carefully. The codes are case-sensitive. If you are using 'copy & paste' to enter your code, please ensure that you have only copied the 13 characters of your code and that you have not included any spaces by accident. 2. Check you have not exceeded the ticket limit for your code. Each code is only valid for 4 tickets for any one (1) show in Europe and cannot be re-used OR 4 tickets (in total) for up to four shows in North America.
3. If this does not resolve the problem, in order to contact the appropriate Customer Service Team, please follow the instructions given at the ticket vendor website that has rejected your code. U2.com customer services can be reached from the Help page.
Q - Am I able to buy U2.com presale tickets over the telephone?
A - No. U2.com presale tickets are only available to purchase over the internet via the local ticket vendor handling ticket sales for each of the shows.
Q - How much do the U2.com presale tickets cost?
A - Any tickets purchased during the presale will cost the same as the tickets available during the public sale and any charges made by the local ticket vendors will also be the same. The U2.com presale privilege gives you advanced access to tickets, it does not provide you a discount on ticket prices or charges.
Q - Once I have purchased, when will I receive my tickets?
A - Tickets are sent out well in advance of the show. If you haven't received your tickets 7 days prior to your show please call the customer service department of the ticket vendor from whom you purchased your tickets.
Q - Once I have ordered will I receive an order confirmation?
A - Most ticket companies provide an online order reference number as confirmation of your purchase.
Q - If I have any questions concerning my purchase can I contact someone?
A - You must always contact the customer services of the ticket vendor from whom you made your purchase.
Customer service information for each of the local vendors will be added in advance of an individual territories pre-sale commences.
If you have any questions prior to making your ticket purchase please refer to the U2.com tour information page.
Q - Can I get replacement tickets if I lose my tickets?
A - Policy concerning lost tickets can vary from venue to venue so contact the customer service department of the ticket company you purchased from to discuss your options.
Q - What forms of payment are accepted?
A - U.S. + CANADA - All major credit card types are accepted including American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Diners Club. UK - Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Switch and most UK debit cards Ireland - Laser, American Express, MasterCard and Visa.
Q - What happens if a show is rescheduled or cancelled?
A - Your tickets will be honoured at the rescheduled date, but if you cannot attend the new date or the show is cancelled you will receive a refund.
Q - How do I know where my tickets will be located?
A - If you are buying seated tickets, then the specific seating location can usually be seen during transactions that are booked online.
Q - Am I able to cancel my tickets if I am unable to make the show?
A - There are no exchanges, refunds or cancellations.
Q - How can I purchase tickets for disabled access?
A - In North America you can click the accessible seating icon on the 'event detail' page, and fill out a form, which sends an email request to Ticketmaster's e-care for handling. The form contains a field to accept your access code. If you are booking tickets for European shows and you require special needs seating please follow the instructions on the relevant page of the website that is selling the tickets for the show of your choice.
Where are you going to be ?
U2 360° Tour (presented by BlackBerry) will visit 14 cities across Europe including dates in Milan, Gothenburg, Amsterdam, Paris, Nice, Dublin, Chorzow, Berlin, London, Sheffield and Glasgow before finishing at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on August 22.
The European tour will be followed by dates in North America beginning at Chicago's Soldier Field on September 12th, 2009.
In September and October, U2 360° Tour will also visit: Atlanta, GA; Charlottesville, VA; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Norman, OK; Phoenix, AZ; Tampa, FL; Washington, DC and Vancouver, BC. Complete Tour and ticketing information to follow.
Long-time U2 Show Director Willie Williams has worked again with architect Mark Fisher (ZooTV, PopMart, Elevation and Vertigo), to create an innovative 360° design which affords an unobstructed view for the audience. U2 360° also marks the first time a band has toured in stadiums with such a unique and original structure.
Summerville was fun
But even shrunk down to the cozy Somerville Theatre for the final gig on its three-city "secret show" promotional blitz, the quartet exuded its signature widescreen, "greatest band in the land" charm and swagger. For an audience of 800 or so ecstatic fans, and those tuned in around the world via radio simulcast, the Irish rockers spent 60 minutes powering through a handful of tracks with stadium-size energy and gamely fielding audience questions with poise and good humor.
The performance portion blasted off with the fuzzy clangor of "Get on Your Boots." Bono urged folks to hop out of their seats and crowd the area in front of the stage and they didn't need to be told twice, deliriously jamming into any space not occupied by video equipment. (The show was taped for future use).
The "Horizon" songs may have not seeped in for fans yet but the band made a forceful case for their quality in the bass thrum and keening uplift of "Magnificent," the muscularity of "Breathe," and Bono's falsetto flights and the Edge's chiming guitar on "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight." The mini-set ended with a kinetic "Vertigo" with plenty of help from the crowd on vocals.
Five minutes later the band members returned to sit in director's chairs and field audience questions read by Sway.
The queries covered everything from what song Bono wished he'd written - Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," a chorus of which he sang - to memorable fan encounters. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. recalled a show at the Paradise in Boston when a female fan tried to handcuff herself to Bono's leg. "That's how I met the missus," the singer quipped.
One of the night's treats was hearing from less-quoted members like Mullen and bassist Adam Clayton. Mullen in particular thoughtfully responded to a question about advice for aspiring bands. He spoke of good songs and even better arguments but stressed democracy "where everybody feels a stake in what they do. The idea of hired hands in bands just doesn't work, it's about respect for the individual."
During station breaks the band bantered with the audience, Bono sent a shout out to Senator Ted Kennedy, and got everyone to sing "Happy Birthday" to Clayton.
Bono brought the night to a gracious close by verbally throwing his arms around the audience, saying "Thank you for the great life you've given us."
A chant of "one more song," which rose immediately and went on for a few minutes, sadly went unrewarded but the buzz of having seen something special lingered in the departing crowd.