Instant Karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
U2 knocked the audience at Madison Square Garden off its feet this evening (Nov. 21) by performing a full version of John Lennon’s “Instant Karma” with Patti Smith, who opened the show. Bono introduced the song by saying the band wanted to do “something special for New York City.”
The Lennon tune was followed by the show’s final song, “Bad,” for which Bono led the crowd to sing “People Have the Power” by Smith.
Larry Mullen has written an open letter to U2.com members, which arrived in our mailbox today just in time for our morning coffee break:
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 website 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…
This letter was also published on U2.com.
Thanks, Larry. It’s good to get a statement from a bandmember and truly encouraging to hear you’re looking into this matter personally. Fair play to ya. Don’t be too hard on fans who question, rather than follow blindly. They’re the ones that are prepared to show up even when the going gets tough. Those who love the most, hurt the most, you must know that. Good health to yourself, too and we’ll be seeing you on the road.
If you happen to be in Amsterdam this upcoming weekend, you could do worse than dropping in the Paradiso saturday night. On Saturday the 27th of November, Rough Trade Records will take over this beautiful church converted into club, which helped break many an artist break in the Netherlands.
The “Rough Trade Night” will feature British Sea Power and most of the almost ethereal Low as well as the Delays, Eastern Lane, David Kitt and Baxter Dury.
British Sea Power we definitely found an interesting band the first time I saw them in a similar setting, and I’m quite happy to see them again. Low initially captured our interest after the “In the Fishtank” EP they did with the Dirty Three. Their gig I saw at the Paradiso a while ago was nothing short of amazing, with nearly every member of the audience practially holding their breath at the fragility of their sound. Then there’s the Delays. They’ve been raved about and people have recommended them to me, but I’m afraid they totally failed to capture me at the Isle of Wight Festival earlier this year. Hopefully the small club setting will do them more justice this time around. Eastern Lane, David Kitt and Baxter Dury all come with their own recommendations, that they’ll hopefully live upto. I personally can’t wait for this “rising star” studded night for a mere 12,50.
Additionally, Fabchannel are doing a webcast of the night.