Remember when the New Media was the Big Idea?

It is interesting to note that back in 2001 during the height of the Elevation Tour, there was no such thing as 'Bit Torrent', dvd burners were barely visible on the technological horizon, and if someone called you a 'leecher' you might have been insulted. There were several methods of getting shows, primarily via b&p (blanks and postage) requests in newsgroups, or logging onto sites such as u2bloodredsky.com and hoping your connection was fast enough to get a show or two by the end of the week. How the show was sourced really wasn't a concern and it was actually a status symbol in fan circles if you had a large collection of ... (oof!) mp3's! (lossless schmoshless!!) Broadband internet service was not nearly as mainstream as it is today and we could only dream of the day of being able to download just about any U2 show that was out there, in a fraction of the time (well at home anyway). Actually, some of the best sites for downloading live shows have already come and gone (i.e. sharingthegroove.org ..). We also couldn't have imagined that a gadget called an 'iPod' (which was introduced for the first time more than halfway through the Elevation Tour) would eventually be branded in U2 black & red. So here we are today, in 2005, and our expectations are justifiably higher. With digital recording devices getting smaller and providing better quality audio and video, it is not surprising that there are groups getting organized to 'document' the upcoming Vertigo Tour. The Vertiblog has just received an email from the crew at u2preservation.com and they're having a fund drive to help subsidize their tour travels this year. 2005 will undoubtedly provide U2 fans with unprecendented live recordings from the die hard fans and tapers whose passion it is to capture the live experience. We can't wait to hop on the first torrent...

Mel and Bono

A girl named 'Mel' probably has the lead in being one of the most devoted U2 fans on the planet as her blog (u2.modblog.com) would indicate. Having met the band several times and actually being on a first name basis with them, she tells a story about a recent meet-up with Bono right before the Grammy's...

The following is reprinted from Mel's blog (which is a great blog), read it!
Mel: Got to the hotel @ 10 am. Saw their security. Bono's bodyguard waved at me. I was the only fan there. Bono came out shortly thereafter. (approx 5 mintues later) I talked to him for a good 20 minutes.
[Private conversation removed]
B: So, we're playing Sometimes tonight...
Mel: Why not Vertigo?
B: That's hard to answer... It's been played, y'know - over played. People know it. Even a band as big as U2 has to sell new songs... Change it up... (he continues on about change and keeping things new and different)(pause)
Mel: So... the presale fiasco...
B: (following summarized for key points) The sad thing is the whole thing happened because of Edge's situation. The tour was canceled 5 times. People worked round the clock just to keep the tour alive. Some people got snubbed and they've a right to complain, but some people are taking it too far -- those people aren't fans, they've an agenda. The heartwrenching thing is -- there's a little girl fighting for her life... It's our fault. It was an error. And we're doing everything we can to fix it.(Security calls him to leave. As Bono walks away he turns back towards me with his hand extended and a pleading tone.)
B: You'll tell the people won't you? Will you tell them? You'll tell them what I said, right?
Mel: I'll tell them.

Hola! | 'Vertigo' sweeps three categories at the Grammy's...

'Vertigo' swept all three categories in which it was nominated: Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, Best Rock Song, and Best Short Form Music Video. The band performed 'SYCMIOYO' and Bono also performed as part of an all-star chorus, singing the Beatles' 'Across the Universe' as a fund raiser for victims of the Asian tsunami in late December.

An Open 'Thank You' to Larry Mullen, Jr...

At tonight's Grammy Award Ceremony, Larry Mullen again stepped up to the plate and apologized to U2 fans about the situation that was 'out of their control' regarding fans standing in line for hours only to be left empty handed. After Edge and Bono spoke, there was a moment of discussion among the band and Larry stepped up to the mic and reiterated the band's regret at fans 'standing in queue overnight and not get any tickets..' It was also interesting to hear about how close the band was to not performing at all in 2005. Larry mentioned that they were almost not able to play at the Grammy's and almost not for the entire year and that 'playing live is where they live'. Vertibloggers speculate that he was referring to the 'family illness' that has delayed the start of tour. Edge's dedication of their Grammy to 'Sian' can only refer to one of his children who may be suffering from a serious illness. Edge earlier this year sued a British tabloid for revealing the individual's name and condition to the public. The Vertiblog crew gives back an open 'Thank You' to the band for keeping things real and making the effort of addressing the fans directly regarding the snafus surrounding the Vertigo ticket sales. We find it ironic that there will be no heart-shaped stage this time around, as it would be most appropriate considering the circumstances surrounding the tour this year.

Vertigo Tour Outdoor Stage Design Revealed...

There has been wide speculation that the outdoor stage design for the Vertigo Tour would be somewhat different than the indoor arena shows. Vertiblog has obtained a stage sketch that appears to confirm that rumor.

$1,776 for 2 tix... The times they are a changin'

An auction for two relatively good seats for the San Diego Vertigo show went for an amazing $1,776.00. When contacted by the Vertiblog crew, eBayer 'jderegt' commented that he was "...Crazy I guess! Actually tried to buy through the presale and got nothing. And my feeling is, if you aren't close then stay home. These were the best seats available in Southern Cal. So, although these were expensive, I have been very blessed and treated myself. I will definitely get some photos, if allowed. U2 rocks. Don't we all need a little U2" Well jderegt... we tend to agree. And make sure to send us those pictures from the show!

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery...

The Vertiblog staffers were amused to see at least two other U2 blogs now offering Gmail giveaways... we take that as a compliment.
(note to other U2 bloggers: if there are any other ideas or suggestions you'd like for your own sites, please email vertinfo@vertiblog.com, we'd be happy to offer some advice :-))

New Video on U2.com | Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

U2 has put up their new video for "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own (SYCMIOYO)" on U2.com. The song is a tribute to Bono's relationship with his father who died during the European leg of the Elevation Tour. The video is one of the more poignant from the band in recent memory. Seeing Bono alone, while being supported in the background by his bandmates, and then together with them on an opera house stage is telling of the struggles he went through and of the strength he received from his lifelong best mates.

Free Gmail Account to New Vertiforum Members!

The Veritblog staff is happy to announce that we are going to be offering a free Gmail account to the first 100 members who sign up for The Vertiforum and make 10 qualified posts to the new forums. We're trying to get some interest going in what we believe will turn
into the best Veritigo related forum on the web. Join today: http://www.vertiforum.com/!

U2 VerTiVo | Videos and interview with the band...

TiVo is now showing both videos for "All Because of You" and "Vertigo (full Apple version), as well as an interview with the band on "The Mood of Veritigo". If you have a TiVo, check it out! Edge states the the cut of "Vertigo" on the album was their best take of the song up to that point.

Vertigo stage details continue to Please...

Thanks to dray9111 for providing an image capture of a briefly posted stage design for the Glendale Arena show in Arizona. It is not known yet if the inner portion of the oval will be open as the Elevation Tour's heart shaped stage was, or if the circular stage will 'rotate' within the inner circle and then allow the band to work the runway portion of the stage. General Admission tickets will certainly be a hot ticket and those who initially thought that they may be at the opposite end of the stage might find themselves pleasantly surprised if this stage setup proves to be true.

An Open Letter from Larry Mullen...

This is not something that I would normally do, but I feel that I have to do something to redress this situation.There was a mess up in the way the tickets were distributed through U2.com for the Vertigo pre-sale. Some of it was beyond our control, but some of it wasn't.

I am now in the process of figuring out a way of distributing the tickets for our intended return to North America in the fall. The only fair way of doing this, is to give U2 Propaganda members, who are now U2.com members, priority in the queue.

After that, people will be given priority in the order in which they joined. Many people who joined U2.com and didn't get tickets are understandably angry. They now have the option to get a full refund of their subscription fee.

The idea that our long-time U2 fans and scalpers competed for U2 tickets through our own web site is appalling to me. I want to apologise to you who have suffered that.

If your U2.com pre-sale experience has left you disappointed, I hope this will go some way towards reassuring you of our total commitment to our audience.

Slainte
Larry.

By the way, a note to those so-called U2 fans who are quick to accuse U2 of unseemly behaviour, I've only got two words for you...

(above was posted on U2.com)