U2 fan Mark Pratt queued from 5.30am outside the ticket outlet at Berwick Pharmacy to secure concert tickets on Monday.By Narelle Coulter
U2 FANS queued in the name of love at Berwick on Monday to secure tickets for the Irish rock band’s Melbourne show next March.
Narre Warren South fan Mark Pratt was prepared to fly to America to see his rock heroes.
Luckily for his bank balance, Mark was one of the few diehard U2 followers who secured tickets at the ticket outlet at Berwick Pharmacy.
Mark joined the queue at 5.30am. Others had camped out overnight.
With eight tickets firmly in his grasp, Mark was in no doubt that the wait was worth it.
“I met three good blokes in the line, we are now all sitting together at the concert,” he grinned.
“I am off to the UK next week and tried to get tickets for the US but couldn’t.
“U2 is definitely the only band I would do it (queue) for.”
Elated with his Melbourne tickets, Mark was back at Berwick Pharmacy on Monday afternoon to snap up tickets to the band’s Adelaide show.
With the queue snaking down Paternoster Lane, friends Samantha Seddon of Pakenham and Phaedra Duke of Berwick waited patiently near the head of the queue.
“We don’t know if they will ever come back,” said Phaedra, who has seen the band on their two previous Australian tours.
“They have a good message and do a lot more than rake in merchandise and CD sales. Their music appeals to a wide audience.”
Ahead of the girls in the queue was Jessica Humphreys of Berwick, who queued despite being sick.
She was after tickets for her father who was sitting an exam to become a train conductor.
“I’ll get killed if I don’t get them,” she laughed.
“I have four friends sitting on their computers at home trying to get tickets. This is worse than trying to get VCE scores.”
Monica Sellick, of Narre Warren, was less than pleased to be in the slowmoving queue, trying to get tickets for her husband and his three mates.
“My husband made me do it,” she smiled ruefully.
“I’m not doing it again. He can come next time and take the day off.
“I’ve left my one year old with a neighbour saying I would be back to 9.30 or 10am. It looks like I will be here a lot longer than that.”
Possibly the oldest person in the queue was 78yearold Val Kolsovsky, of Berwick, who responded to an SOS from her granddaughter, who had been unable to log on to the Internet.
“I had just got out of the shower when she rang. I was very surprised to see how many people were here,” said a slightly bemused Val, who was worried about making her 12.30pm doctor’s appointment.
Close to 50 fans in line at Berwick were left disappointed when the concert sold out just after 11am. One woman had to break the news to her husband that he wouldn’t be getting tickets in his Christmas stocking, while another fan had to drive back to Phillip Island empty handed.
However, one group of ladies near the tail of the queue were already swapping mobile phone numbers and devising plans to help each other secure tickets for an anticipated second show.
