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  1. Originally posted by podiumboy:My point was more do you think covid restrictions will eventually force U2 into retirement. If covid were not a thing, I believe we'd be seeing them in 2022 for sure. But I'm not sure they will allow sold out arenas/stadium anytime soon, maybe ever.

    Yeah you could be right a lot of posts here are fanciful, gigs may well return but on a very limited basis capaciy wise for a long time and apart from covid the band were dropping hints in various interviews on the last two tours that they may well be considering calling it quits so who could blame them if they decide not to carry on they've achieved more in their career than most bands could only dream of.
  2. I am confident that covid has not put a permanent end to touring as we had been used to.

    Whilst last year and this year are looking like a write off, if things progress well with vaccines and no further mass waves of infection next winter, then I think 2022 will see a return of shows.

    If the above turns out to be the case, we may even see U2 popping up in 2022. But possibly not in the way of a tour, maybe some one off shows or as part of a wider post covid event. I'm sure I read recently there was an idea of a post covid 'Live Aid' style gig.

    All being well however, 2023 may be more realistic in terms of a tour.
  3. Originally posted by popmarter:[..]

    Yeah you could be right a lot of posts here are fanciful, gigs may well return but on a very limited basis capaciy wise for a long time and apart from covid the band were dropping hints in various interviews on the last two tours that they may well be considering calling it quits so who could blame them if they decide not to carry on they've achieved more in their career than most bands could only dream of.
    Where these the hints where Edge said he didn’t think Mumbai would be there last show? Where Bono said he didn’t want it to be the last show or where they all spoke about a potential new album? Don’t think there’s been any hints they’re calling it quits. Will they be able to play to a full stadium any time soon? Maybe not but as I mentioned earlier they could hire out a stadium and fill a third of it if restrictions were still in place and still achieve more ticket sales than a big arena.
  4. Originally posted by deanallison:[..]
    Where these the hints where Edge said he didn’t think Mumbai would be there last show? Where Bono said he didn’t want it to be the last show or where they all spoke about a potential new album? Don’t think there’s been any hints they’re calling it quits. Will they be able to play to a full stadium any time soon? Maybe not but as I mentioned earlier they could hire out a stadium and fill a third of it if restrictions were still in place and still achieve more ticket sales than a big arena.
    Bono told the crowd in Berlin on the E&I tour"We’ve been on the road for quite some time, just going on 40 years, and this last four years have been really something very special for us. We’re going away now.” he said something similar in Dublin and in Q magazine he said he would totally understand if someone in the band didn't want to carry on ,now we've heard similar things in the past but the risks of organising a big tour are way too high gigs would be cancelled at very short notice if there was an outbreak in any given city, just because vaccines are coming on stream doesn't mean covid will just disappear there is an awful lot of people who won't take them for various reasons and then you have the trump type conspiracy theorists of which there are many who think it's all some great big hoax.
  5. I think it will be years before there will be concerts again. Certainly not 2022. Vaccination campaigns proceed slowly. The virus mutates fast. Not everyone wants to be vaccinated.

    But then again it will also take years before U2 make a new album!
  6. Originally posted by popmarter:[..]
    Bono told the crowd in Berlin on the E&I tour"We’ve been on the road for quite some time, just going on 40 years, and this last four years have been really something very special for us. We’re going away now.” he said something similar in Dublin and in Q magazine he said he would totally understand if someone in the band didn't want to carry on ,now we've heard similar things in the past but the risks of organising a big tour are way too high gigs would be cancelled at very short notice if there was an outbreak in any given city, just because vaccines are coming on stream doesn't mean covid will just disappear there is an awful lot of people who won't take them for various reasons and then you have the trump type conspiracy theorists of which there are many who think it's all some great big hoax.
    They’ve toured since that Berlin show though and in more than one interview by different band members have confirmed new music has been written and they want to work on releasing it. Edge and Bono even spoke about how important playing new songs live was as well to see what reaction they get. If we go on facts only there’s no suggestion the band are thinking of retiring. The Covid issue is more tricky but I think people are assuming that to get shows back on and have big crowd gatherings we need to be rid of it, that isn’t the case. Just like other viruses still exist out there it’s about managing it. There will probably always be people dying of Covid now I don’t think it will ever disappear but it’s about getting it to a level like the flu where we know there’s going to be deaths but trying to protect the vulnerable as much as possible with vaccines. Most people dying of
    Covid are older or have underlying health conditions already. Once you vaccinate them the death toll comes down then the next step is to vaccinate the people that aren’t at high risk of dying from it. I think by this time next year the number of Covid deaths will be significantly less than the past year.
  7. Originally posted by popmarter:[..]
    Bono told the crowd in Berlin on the E&I tour"We’ve been on the road for quite some time, just going on 40 years, and this last four years have been really something very special for us. We’re going away now.” he said something similar in Dublin and in Q magazine he said he would totally understand if someone in the band didn't want to carry on ,now we've heard similar things in the past but the risks of organising a big tour are way too high gigs would be cancelled at very short notice if there was an outbreak in any given city, just because vaccines are coming on stream doesn't mean covid will just disappear there is an awful lot of people who won't take them for various reasons and then you have the trump type conspiracy theorists of which there are many who think it's all some great big hoax.
    They then announced another tour 8 months later.

    You are correct that just because there are vaccines that doesn't mean Covid will automatically disappear. Covid will be around for a good while, and will most likely mutate every year. However, it has been rumoured that concerts, holiday destinations, and airlines etc will require proof of vaccination if people wanted to attend.

    Theoretically, this could allow concerts to happen at near capacity because everyone in attendance has been vaccinated. The Trump conspiracy theorists can stay at home because they won't be allowed to attend, and we can all get back to rock n roll.

    Saying that though, I don't think we'll actually get to full capacity venues for a good while. If a venue is 50k and everyone in attendance has been vaccinated, I would still expect some sort of social distancing in place - it might not just be at 2m. I would also expect less GA tickets to be sold as normal. So they could aim for 35-40k in a 50k venue. That is still good sale figures.
  9. Originally posted by SJKamal:[..]
    They then announced another tour 8 months later.

    You are correct that just because there are vaccines that doesn't mean Covid will automatically disappear. Covid will be around for a good while, and will most likely mutate every year. However, it has been rumoured that concerts, holiday destinations, and airlines etc will require proof of vaccination if people wanted to attend.

    Theoretically, this could allow concerts to happen at near capacity because everyone in attendance has been vaccinated. The Trump conspiracy theorists can stay at home because they won't be allowed to attend, and we can all get back to rock n roll.

    Saying that though, I don't think we'll actually get to full capacity venues for a good while. If a venue is 50k and everyone in attendance has been vaccinated, I would still expect some sort of social distancing in place - it might not just be at 2m. I would also expect less GA tickets to be sold as normal. So they could aim for 35-40k in a 50k venue. That is still good sale figures.
    Obviously like most people round here i don't know what the future holds for the band or Live music, however with infections and death rates so high particularly in the US I can't see any major act doing a big tour there for a very long time maybe if Trump was still President it would be allowed as he thinks it was no big deal and just some hoax ,but when live music is allowed to resume it will probably be much smaller capacity venues and not in Arenas or Stadiums until the threat is miniscule to the general population.

  10. Originally posted by LikeASong:[..]
    And to think that dozens or even hundreds of fans purchased a year subscription to U2.com in order to secure these Auckland tickets when they went on sale with "overwhelming demand"
  11. Originally posted by podiumboy:[..]
    I don’t think it’s pessimistic, I think it’s realistic. The writing is on the wall. I have not seen anything that makes me believe that the powers that be even want us to go back to having large events. Those are now referred to as “superspreaders”, and won’t be allowed.

    lol
  12. it's not whether we're all vaccinated - it's whether while vaccinated if we can still pass it on, or a newer variant of

    maybe a disclaimer when you book tickets "by purchasing tickets and entering the venue you do so at your own risk"

    "risk if death if attending"

    it might be worth the risk for a rail spot