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U2 Joshua Tree Tour 2017 / 2019 **No Ticket Sales**
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Guys, the fan club goes back a long time and so does the pre-sales. I have been a member since around about '91 when Achtung Baby was released. So I'll fill you in a bit on my memories of how it worked. You used to get 4 magazines per subscription in the post, not necessarily over a one year period, but rather just released as and when, but usually between 2-3 mags per year. I have no idea how much it cost, but I still have the magazines in the attic so I must dig them out and check out the subscription page. Then one year, they sent a limited edition Collectors CD with one of the magazine issues. Ever since then, subscribers got some kind of gift along with their subscription. I've got some mad stuff from Zoo baby condoms, Fly Glasses, membership keyrings, CD's, vinyl records, Books, Lithographs. All of it pretty cool.
I remember one time getting a letter in the post from a fellow fan, well actually a few fans, old and young from Sweden (I even remember her name
), Liverpool, USA, Uruguay and many more. I can't remember which one came first though. So I was confused as to why I got this, but when the next magazine arrived I realised why. I had sent something off to the magazine, can't remember what maybe just a tick box on my subscription or something, but whatever it was, I wasn't aware that my name and address were going to be put up on the Grapevine. That was the page in the magazine where fans could reach out to one and other and become pen pals. I guess I was popular as I was in Dublin, but I'm sure I would have been even more popular if they knew how close to Bono I lived! Anyway, loads of penpals for a few years, some of them even came to Dublin just to meet me. :eek:
Then I remember getting a letter in the post, offering me the chance to buy a guaranteed 4 tickets for the Popmart show in Lansdowne Road. I filled it in an sent it off hoping for the best. Probably had to send off money orders in those days :eek: 4 tickets arrived and I was happy as a pig in sh1t. I remember swapping 2 tickets for the second show and went on the 2 nights. Think I may have an old photograph or 2 from one of the shows. Must dig them out too. Slane was next up and again I got an option to buy pre-sale tickets. Actually, maybe that was the one I swapped tickets for the second show
. Funny what you remember, but I recall meeting a girl at her office around Dawson street somewhere to swap tickets. Anyway, again, I went to both shows. I remember getting lost from my mates at Slane 2 and spent half the concert and the trek home alone. But I was flying! Poor aul Bob had just kicked the bucket.
If you have any old CD's, records or even tapes, check out the inlay and there is probably a bit of info there on how to sign up to the fan club Propaganda. I imagine that is all gone on the more recent prints. Obviously the internet came along and shook things up from then on. Personally, I don't have much interest in the website and would much rather get the old fashioned magazines in the post. I nearly never log onto the website, but I still sign up, but contrary to popular opinion, I don't sign up to get pre-sale tickets, my main motif is to get the free gift. It's a true limited edition collectors item (although not as rare or limited nowadays) but I have the whole set and a pretty tasty U2 collection at this stage, so I just like to keep it complete. There have been occasions where I didn't renew my subscription as the gift hadn't been released so it lapsed for interim periods. Once I remember dropping down the ranks in the presale (360 tour I think) as I either hadn't renewed on time or signed up with a new email address as opposed to just changing my existing one....stupid move. Still got my tickets though :cool:
Anyway, it appears here that some people seem to harbor a grudge at the fan club presales option, so I just wanted to shed a bit of light on it and let you know that the fan club is really much more than just a presales option.
Was is done fairer back when I got a letter in the post with my ticket options? Absolutely. But times change and things are very different nowadays. Could it be done fairer, of course it could, but whatever way it is done, there will always be people who are not happy.
IMO it should be along the lines of this.
Propaganda Members - long time, worldwide members who have been constant subscribers since the magazine. - First Presale.
Beautiful Day Members - constant worldwide subscribers (10+yrs) since the fan club moved to u2.com - Second presale
Horizon members - members over 1 year - third presale but the first hour restricted to members who's address is in the country of the concert.
Innocence Members - within the last year - fourth presale but again, first hour restricted to members resident in the country of the concert.
Bandwaggoners - members since tour announcement. Personally I don't think they should be allowed, but as it has been done now, there will be no going back on it. Again, there should be a restriction though and fans with an address in the actual country of the gig get first dibs.
General sale should also be first offered to country of residence, but as it is done through ticket master presale codes don't apply so hard to police. restrict IP access (I know there are ways around that, but it would help)
While I don't agree that bandwaggoners should be allowed to sign up to presales via TM and understand most of you guys had a gripe about that, we have to accept U2 are a business and part of their business is to generate revenue. Album sales are not what they used to be and there is only a limited number of concerts they can perform so they need to look at other avenues for generating revenue. U2.com membership is not something easily advertised and sold, so to do it when they are releasing tickets is a clever move. Unlike signing up before ticket release and hoping for the best with regard to getting tickets, last week gave you the option to secure your tickets first so you knew what part of the ground you would be in before actually committing to membership, so all in all, that was pretty fair.
Look, it was an option to guarantee tickets. Some of you seem to consider it an extra cost to the tickets, but really you do get more whether you use it or not. That is like me saying Sky charge me €90 just to watch the golf on Sky Sports, but in actual fact I could also watch football, rugby, tennis etc should I choose. But when you break it down per ticket it was only and extra €10 (membership was only €40 on U2.com - €50 via TM(I presume they need their cut), so not a lot of money to guarantee a ticket in what we all knew would be a quickly sold out concert. So the option was there and tickets were available all day last Thursday for anyone who wanted them, so you can't really complain to much, because you knew you were taking a chance in the Monday morning madness, all for the sake of not wanting to give an extra tenner per ticket.
Ticket allocations are a different story. There should be a clearly visible and defined allocation that allows everyone to know how they are being released and where they are going. Presales was restricted to 4 but should have been a max of 2 in a foreign country. TM - 8 was way to much. I think 4 is quite fair if you have a group going that want to stay together, especially families. As for them holding tickets back, Seatwave etc...... well something needs to be done, because it is corrupt as fock.
Oh yea, and interesting to note there were 35,000 subscribers to Propaganda back when they released Melon, the first gift. Would love to know how many they have paying membership now........... must be millions, certainly in the hundreds of thousands0 -
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lazer.blue wrote: »Do you remember the 'U2 Info' newsletters that preceded Propaganda?
I'm not old enough for that
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Do you really expect me to divulge that, as I said I'm very popular when gigs are announced, don't bother with them myself, I only bother when there is a good comedy act coming.
Hopefully you being a long term fan, you got your tickets. The demand was unreal, TM staff were under huge pressure from promoter and band to ensure fan club were looked after.
Was only asking as I don't know you from Adam and for all I know your info is coming from a man on a bar stool somewhere who heard it from a friend who knows somebody working in a ticketmaster outlet
Not that I doubt you of course, was just wondering as most of the time people would ask for a source when stuff like that is said. I leak a bit info myself from time to time on the golf forum & I would not divulge who it comes from, but most of the lads there know me from the society and know where the info comes from.
If they wanted to look after the fans though, then they could have structured the pre sales abot better and not allow anybody sign up straight away with the wires group. That was fair enough to do that IMO, but the wires should have had first craic.
Thankfully yea I got my tickets last Wednesday in the Red Hill sale0 -
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