Campaign to bring U2 to Christchurch
In the wake of U2 announcing that their forthcoming New Zealand concert will be on 25 November 2010 in Auckland, at the northern end of the North Island, a campaign has begun to bring U2 to the South Island's largest city, Christchurch.
The campaign is being conducted on Facebook, where the page "Bring U2 and Jay-Z to Christchurch in Nov 2010" has been created by Chelsea Daly, a Christchurch resident disappointed that the city has been omitted from the tour schedule.
It has already received coverage in the media here, where Daly says her aim is to attract at least 2,500 supporters. This campaign is modelled on a similar one earlier this year that succeeded in bringing Metallica to Christchurch after the city was originally not included in their tour itinerary.
To provide some historical context, out of U2's four previous New Zealand tours, three have included a Christchurch concert. Both the Unforgettable Fire Tour and Lovetown Tour had four shows in New Zealand: Christchurch, Wellington, and two in Auckland. However, on ZooTV, Wellington was omitted, and the concert on 1 December 1993 in Christchurch is the last time U2 have performed anywhere outside Auckland in New Zealand. The Vertigo Tour featured just two concerts in Auckland. This time around, one gig has been scheduled in Auckland, and rumour has it that a second Auckland show will be added if the first sells as well as expected.
It looks impossible to add a Christchurch date after Auckland. The itinerary indicates U2 will be bringing two Claws down under; one for Melbourne and Sydney and the other for Auckland, Brisbane, and Perth. Due to the length of time required to set up and take down the Claw, not to mention adequate transportation time, it does not look possible for Auckland's Claw to then go south to Christchurch before crossing the Tasman to Brisbane. However, it may be possible to use either Claw earlier in November, before the Auckland date - there is nothing prohibiting it in the tour itinerary, but whether the band themselves would be available and whether the promoters think a gig would be cost-effective is another matter entirely.
We here at U2gigs are skeptical that this campaign will succeed, but offer it our support and encourage anybody interested in a Christchurch gig to lend their support too. Very rarely, petitions in the past have convinced U2 to extend their touring plans, such as 25 July 1987 in Cardiff. We hope Christchurch is just as lucky.
The campaign is being conducted on Facebook, where the page "Bring U2 and Jay-Z to Christchurch in Nov 2010" has been created by Chelsea Daly, a Christchurch resident disappointed that the city has been omitted from the tour schedule.
It has already received coverage in the media here, where Daly says her aim is to attract at least 2,500 supporters. This campaign is modelled on a similar one earlier this year that succeeded in bringing Metallica to Christchurch after the city was originally not included in their tour itinerary.
To provide some historical context, out of U2's four previous New Zealand tours, three have included a Christchurch concert. Both the Unforgettable Fire Tour and Lovetown Tour had four shows in New Zealand: Christchurch, Wellington, and two in Auckland. However, on ZooTV, Wellington was omitted, and the concert on 1 December 1993 in Christchurch is the last time U2 have performed anywhere outside Auckland in New Zealand. The Vertigo Tour featured just two concerts in Auckland. This time around, one gig has been scheduled in Auckland, and rumour has it that a second Auckland show will be added if the first sells as well as expected.
It looks impossible to add a Christchurch date after Auckland. The itinerary indicates U2 will be bringing two Claws down under; one for Melbourne and Sydney and the other for Auckland, Brisbane, and Perth. Due to the length of time required to set up and take down the Claw, not to mention adequate transportation time, it does not look possible for Auckland's Claw to then go south to Christchurch before crossing the Tasman to Brisbane. However, it may be possible to use either Claw earlier in November, before the Auckland date - there is nothing prohibiting it in the tour itinerary, but whether the band themselves would be available and whether the promoters think a gig would be cost-effective is another matter entirely.
We here at U2gigs are skeptical that this campaign will succeed, but offer it our support and encourage anybody interested in a Christchurch gig to lend their support too. Very rarely, petitions in the past have convinced U2 to extend their touring plans, such as 25 July 1987 in Cardiff. We hope Christchurch is just as lucky.
Posted on by Axver