Thursday, March 19, 2009

To queue or not to queue for U2

It's that time again. 4 years have passed since the last time you got up in the dark early hours of a March morning to go take your chances in a queue at the nearest Ticketmaster outlet. Or if you're really hardcore (nuts) you're already queueing, living out of a sleeping bag & dining on McDonalds. 


I did the queueing at the crack of dawn thing last time around. It wasn't easy leaving the bed at 5am to stand on a freezing Nassau St watching the sun come up but the experience was pretty enjoyable despite not getting any tickets (due to bad choice of vendor). There was great banter among everyone who was out, people doing coffee runs once shops started to open. Even the Gardai were having a laugh. I'm not as crazy about the new album this time around but Bono & the boys do a good show so I'm game for the ticket rush once more. I'm not sure if I'll queue or go for the internet option yet, maybe you'll help me make my mind up. Here's some pointers if you're new to the whole thing:
  1. Tickets are on sale at 8am, limited to 6 per transaction. They will go fast.
  2. To better your chances of successful online purchase, get to a computer with as fast & reliable a connection as possible
  3. If queueing is your thing, go to a proper Ticketmaster vendor. Places like Sound Cellar on Nassau St only get a pre-printed batch to sell over the counter (my fail last time around). Here's a list of Ticketmaster vendors.
  4. Queue early - I'm talking a minimum of 2hrs previous (6am) if you're in Dublin city centre.
  5. Consider buying for gigs abroad - there's a load of European dates on sale tomorrow at 8am, tickets will probably be cheaper, you'll have a better chance of sunshine & why not make a weekend of it?
  6. Make sure your credit/debit card is in date & has enough credit on it!
  7. Don't lose the head - I didn't get any on the day but a friend of a friend had a spare a few weeks later, win win. 
If anyone's game for being my online wingman (i.e. shop online while I shop in person) let me know. Good luck!