PRESS RELEASE
HELLO! HELLO! OVATION’S BACK WITH VERTIGO!
September 6, 2006 – Kingston, Ontario

The music industry was shocked earlier this year to hear about the demise of ETS Travel Services, an industry pioneer dating back to 1973. Attention shifted immediately to the hundreds of clients who had booked with ETS, and were now searching for answers regarding their purchased U2 ticket packages! As one of the major selling outlets for ETS, Ovation Travel felt the effects of their closure first hand. Friends quickly found themselves without work, and the existing OTX staff struggled to keep our own product moving forward. Despite the confusion and hardship, we did not forget about those left in limbo that we had the chance to help! Ovation immediately contacted The Next Adventure (TNA) and offered our assistance to the U2 community, and to help solve the dilemma. The folks at TNA graciously promised to take care of everyone who had booked with the former ETS, providing quick answers to concerned U2 fans. With Ovation’s help, those fans were contacted and once again given the chance to see U2 live in concert!

Ovation Travel’s hassle-free U2//Vertigo packages are available from Brisbane to Honolulu, as the tour treks its way across the Pacific Ocean. Check out our website at www.otx.ca for the latest in hotel accommodation packages, or pre-concert Experiences. For those planning to attend the tour finale in Hawaii, Ovation offers a special once-in-a-lifetime package; a Spectacular Hawaiian Luau. A celebration of U2 for the closing show of the U2//Vertigo 2006 tour. Be part of the U2 Hawaiian Fan Luau at Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park on December 8 in Honolulu! This spectacular event will be the largest fan gathering of the entire U2//Vertigo tour. Enjoy dining, dancing and a party that lasts all night featuring a live performance by a premiere tribute band. The fun starts at 4:00 pm, and the lights go off at 2:00 am. Authentic Hawaiian Hula and Fire Dancers will perform, with the entire event hosted by a special celebrity guest. U2 Fan Luau packages include general admission tickets to the December 9th U2 concert at Aloha Stadium, with special guests Pearl Jam. We feature exciting packages from US$49.95 (with a special early-bird price of US$35.00 for fans already attending the concert itself) for the Official U2 Hawaiian Fan Luau. Also available are a limited number of U2//Vertigo General Admission packages at US$169.95, including the Hawaiian Luau.

ABOUT OVATION
Started in 1969, Ovation Travel Experiences is an organization made up of fresh minds, seasoned industry veterans, and some key employees of the former ETS Travel Services, providing you with over 100 years of combined music and travel experience. We have provided entertainment travel packages to literally thousands of clients both locally and internationally. For more information on Ovation Travel Experiences, please visit our web site at www.otx.ca. For more information on OTX event packages, contact info@otx.ca.

Our friends at U2japan.com have learned that the Tokyo Dome has been reserved on December 14 and 15 for U2′s use. They report that the promoter and U2 management are locked on the issue of ticket price. U2 want to keep prices fair; the promoter wants to sell “premium” tickets. If U2 perform at the Tokyo Dome, it will likely be to fans all sitting in reserved seats because of Japan’s strict fire codes.

U2japan.com also has learned when and where U2′s stage set is to be delivered to their part of the world. An employee of the sea transportation company that will be handling U2′s set revealed the company expects U2′s set to arrive in Yokohama Port in September or October. If this information is true, it may mean U2 intend to rehearse in Japan before beginning the tour again in Australia and New Zealand in November (the current rumored tour commencement date) — or it may mean the first rescheduled dates will be in Japan — or it might mean nothing other than Yokohama Port is a common delivery point for sets and equipment.

We’ve heard from several sources that the tour route will be slightly different than originally planned, with Australia getting their rescheduled dates first, followed by New Zealand, Japan, and Hawaii. The show at Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium may be a New Year’s Eve show, which fits with the publication of a curious item at Ticketmaster.com on March 1. For a short time on that date, Ticketmaster.com listed an event at Aloha Stadium on December 31st for $1. When questioned about the event, Ticketmaster said it was a placeholder in the system for an event to be announced later. Even then, fans suspected it was for U2′s rescheduled show.

Perhaps the most interesting news we’ve heard is there may be additional concerts in countries that were not previously listed on the tour schedule and countries that have already been Vertigo-ed. Yes, that means the United States. Again.

Of course, we need to point out that all of this information could be rubbish, or it could be true for the moment and false tomorrow. Whatever the case, we like tour talk and are ready for more.

“This was such a great year for U2. A No. 1 album in 20 countries, 110 shows all sold out, 3.3 million tickets sold, 100% of the tickets we put on sale. Nine million-plus sold of the current record, 3 million catalog, 2 million DVDs. U2 have never been bigger or better. Next year after Mexico, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, we will end the Vertigo tour in Honolulu.”

We’d say that was a pretty good year too, full of many numbers.

The buzz is the Honolulu show will be officially announced next week.