Elizabeth Platt ([email protected])
Thu, 10 Dec 1998 16:52:51 -0800 (PST)
> Subject: What I know RE: 2000 show
>
> I seemed to have a rather large amount of people e-mailing me asking all
> about this 2000 gig thing. I don't know much about it at all. I just
> decided to post the address so that anybody who wanted to find out more
> about the event could.
>
> This is what I know. About a year ago now I was watching the news down
> here (Canberra Australia). I think it was 10 capital but I ain't sure.
> ANYWAY, there was a report on the different ways people are gunna
> welcome in the year 2000, all about where the sun will rise first, what
> various counties are doing yadda yadda yadda, then the reporter said
> something like "but the eyes of the world are all looking to the USA for
> big party plans and in California perhaps one of the biggest parties
> ever is set to go down" She went on about how over a million tickets had
> already been sold and how they had to limit the tickets to 2.5 million
> or something 'cos they couldn't find a place to take any more people.
Whoa, there, Brian--this was a YEAR ago? Or even a week ago...? The
reason I ask is, I live in California (San Francisco) and I have never,
ever heard of any event that has sold 1 million+ tickets for any venue in
this state! And trust me--I pay close attention to the news, so I doubt
that this would have gotten past me. Why have I never seen any _local_
news coverage of this "event", no adverts, nothing? Nor have any of my
friends down in Southern California. So, what's the deal with these guys,
anyways? Why are they getting big hype in Canberra, but no one in
California seems to have heard a peep from them?
> I took great interest in this 'cos, as I said, I'm going to be in that
> part of the world then. The reported also said that "though the band
> list is a long way from finalised the organiser's are out after the
> biggest and best acts in the world, Artists that are hoped will take the
> stage include" then she rattled of a really impressive list with bands
> like Radio head, Pearl Jam, Garbage, REM and heaps others (they're just
> the ones I remember) and at the end she said "negotiations are also
> taking place to lure U2 to headline the event... but nothing has been
> confirmed yet.
Well, a big "duh" to the media people there! Perhaps the bands won't
confirm because the promoters are full of shit? Seriously--if they're
running around the globe, boasting that they've sold a million or more
tickets to a party/concert that doesn't even have a lineup, I'd be quite
wary of booking a band with them. Especially since I've never seen any
place selling tickets to this event! Maybe the promoters come from really
*large* families, and all the tickets got bought by their 1 million
relatives? :P
Oh, and I'm not even getting into the issue of how jealous/territorial and
monopolistic the various national/regional concert promoters can be here
in the US...
> I figured that an event like this would have some kinda web site. So I
> looked around and that's the site I found (www.party2000.com)
And another Wireling has confirmed that they have yet to approach U2 in
any professional/official capacity, yet seemingly have on qualms about
hijacking the band's name to hype an event that remains a mystery to most
of us in California.
> That's all I know. If anybody out there is in California and can find
> out more for me I'd be grateful. There is something mentioned about
> group discounts or something if anybody can find out about this for me
> and let me know it'd be great. I'd die to be there particularly if U2
> are gunna play. But the price are kinda high plus I'm gunna be alone in
> California so I don't know anybody to go with. If somebody could find
> out more or maybe wants to get a group together to go let me know
As ever, I'm a skeptic about these things--I've seen U2's name get
appended to pert damn near every festival or concert bigger than a
backyard bar-b-que, and 99% of the time, there wasn't even a chance in
hell that the band could/would appear.
Another thing to consider: Where in California can anyone hold an event
that will draw 1 million people? Do you have any idea how massive that
would be? Are these promoters the same who were giving off about how they
were going to hold some "millenium party" on the beaches of Southern
California? A million people on the beaches--I doubt that would be
workable. Between the Coastal Commission and the wealthy home owners
along the shore, you bet there'd be a ruckus if this was going to happen.
All in all, I'd advise playing the skeptic (I do!) and not make any travel
plans until we hear from a _credible_ source that U2 (or anyone else, for
that matter) will be playing some New Year's concert, be it on the
California beaches or over the Internet or in someone's rec-room! Last
year, we had the stoopid rumor that U2 were going to play on New Year's
eve in Times Square in New York--yeah, right.
Wait until someone who actually works for U2 confirms or denies anything.
Until then, save your plane fare for the next tour....
Slan,
Elizabeth Platt
[email protected]
P.S. And does anyone else out there find the mere *idea* of being in the
midst of a million drunken New Year's revelers to be the most...horrific
thing imaginable? We already see enough folks act like eejits and drink
until they puke on New Year's eve. Charging them money and rounding them
up at some mega-event could only make things worse....
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Thu Dec 10 1998 - 16:54:35 PST