No corporate conspiracy theories here, just the facts: I’m a member of the U2 Fanclub, and as such I get pre-sale opportunities to buy tickets for their upcoming tour. So far, they have announced dates in September for New York (Giants Stadium), on the 24th and 25th (Thursday and Friday). I’ll be there on Thursday. Then, the tour goes to Washington D.C. for a show on Tuesday the 29th. The tour then heads south. Many of you will notice that the weekend of Sept. 26-27 has not been announced.
I live in Philadelphia– smack between Giants Stadium and DC. Why no Philly show (at least not yet?). Philly is a great tour stop, and is perennially NOT disrespected by being passed by bands going from NY to DC. Why is there no U2 weekend show scheduled for Philly?
A-ha. The NFL just announced their schedule tonight, in a trumped-up “prime-time show” on ESPN. Lo and behold, the Eagles will be playing at home on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1:00. Against traditional rivals (NOT) Kansas City. No word yet from U2.com .
Who holds the trump card here? U2 obviously held out to schedule a Philly show or two that weekend between their NY and DC stops. The NFL just announced an Eagles-Chiefs game for 1:00 Sunday at the Linc. In my opinion, U2 and all of the fans get screwed. Can they stage a Saturday show and be ready for the Eagles-Chiefs by 1:00 on Sunday? I doubt it. I guess they can have a Monday night show and still get to DC for Tuesday, but whose interest is served by that? Not the fans who have to come out on a weeknight, and not the band and the road crew who have to knock down and then set up overnight.
Why does the NFL have such clout, especially given that U2 seems to have left their entire international tour schedule open for a Philly stop (or two) until the NFL announced its schedule? I have no beef with NFL ticket holders, nor with rabid Eagles fans who could care less about U2’s international tour, but I think this episode illustrates how incestuous is the relationship among TicketMaster, the NFL, major touring bands, and the stadiums. Whose interests are NOT considered?
Ours, the paying public, who at this point (if you live in the Philadelphia area) may have to either travel hours north or south (to NY or DC) on a weeknight, or may be shut out of the U2 international tour so that the Eagles can face the Chiefs at the Linc on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1:00.