Sales for second U2 concert in Brazil gone in 7 hours

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - Some 70,000 tickets for a U2 concert in Brazil sold out smoothly in about seven hours, organizers said Monday, avoiding a repeat of chaos last month when nearly 100,000 fans overwhelmed stores and computer systems.

A first show by the Irish rockers sold out on Jan. 16, but organizers were forced to regroup after the 12 stores selling tickets experienced computer problems and were overwhelmed by massive crowds.

Police had to be called in to restore order when some infuriated fans threatened to break into the stores.

The supermarket chain that owns the stores issued a public apology following the mayhem, which kept some frustrated fans waiting in lines for more than 12 hours.

Concert promoters set up a telephone call centre to handle sales for the second show, and organizers said in a statement that it handled nearly 900,000 calls on Sunday from fans seeking tickets.

U2 is scheduled to play at Sao Paulo's Morumbi stadium on Feb. 20 and 21, just two days after the Rolling Stones stage a free concert at Rio de Janeiro's famed Copacabana beach. Nearly one million people are expected to attend.

The bands haven't performed in Brazil since the late 1990s.

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posted by nscafuro @ 8:13 PM