2016 Fan Club Gift.

[Aaron]

Rumour is that it'll be announced before the end of the month.  But they are really cutting it close. 

I called myself yesterday and was told to subscribe anyway, that they have no more copies of the vinyl to send people, and the gift fulfillment will be the new item anyway. 

How many are sitting with an expiry date on Sunday now?  I'm willing to bet quite a few of us...

[morgan1098]

My original membership expired in November, so I renewed in November. With the extension, my new expiration date is 31 January 2017. So I'm good for this gift, but somehow I feel I'll be experiencing the same renewal crisis next year. 

I'm really hoping for a CD gift this year. I'm old skool that way...

[Aaron]

I'm really hoping for a CD gift this year. I'm old skool that way...

Yeah me too.  I didn't mind the vinyl but I never opened it.  I'd be happy with something on CD.  Far more likely to listen, and enjoy.  As long as it doesn't feature the same track listing as Duals lol.

Surely they must have another old show they can slap onto a disc from the years.  Something we haven't heard? 

[dagobah]

Surely they must have another old show they can slap onto a disc from the years.  Something we haven't heard?

I would love an old show, too . . . . . . a show with live tracks that haven't been released in a physical format (preferably CD).  Let's see here . . . . . . the concerts they played in 2015 qualify.  Those are now old shows because it is now 2016.  Is there any reason why they wouldn't release the best performances of tracks from the concerts in 2015?

[Aaron]

And the gift has been announced:
http://www.u2songs.com/news/u2.com_announces_subscription_gift_four_prints

Four prints.  Designed by Shaughn McGrath and Gavin Friday.  Taken from the #u2ietour.

[morgan1098]

And the gift has been announced:
http://www.u2songs.com/news/u2.com_announces_subscription_gift_four_prints

Four prints.  Designed by Shaughn McGrath and Gavin Friday.  Taken from the #u2ietour.

The announcement mentions that memberships that were extended to January 31 are now extended to February 16... Maybe to give people time to decide if they want the "serigraphs"?

Also, the announcement mentions "special access to music-streaming and downloads." So I'm guessing maybe we'll get a few live tracks thrown in at some point.

[Aaron]

The "Special access to music streaming and downloads" has been part of each package for years.  So I don't expect much from it to be honest.  Typically any downloads have been pretty accessible elsewhere except for the EBW radio mix which was nice...but honestly there hasn't been much content there over the years...i'm a bit underwhelmed by it all. 

[George]

As of this writing, the stream of expletives that I am unleashing has no end in sight.

I thought it was bad enough when, for the first time, NO music was offered two renewals ago and all we got was a soft-cover collection of previously published material.

Now I'm getting 4 prints?  NO music?  NO literature?  Here - hang photos of us up all around your house.  What egos!

I like love their music.  Just give me music.

Honestly, this will just get put at the bottom of a drawer.

So many expletives...

[enaul]

I asked a refund. I did not get the right information on the date of my renewal order.
I was hoping for a nice live show (or some live tracks), but not for this "gift".

[enaul]

Sorry for the delay in replying back. Regarding your request, we wish we had better news. Fan club memberships are non-refundable. For this reason, we are not able to cancel your membership.

We're so sorry we were unable to approve your request.

Have a safe day.

Sincerely,
Jerry
U2.com Team

[Aaron]

They've updated the subscription page.

The "Exclusive Music" example they give is of two years ago when subscribers were gifted "Ordinary Love".  That pisses me off.  "Ordinary Love" was an exclusive?  When you could get it:

- On the CD of the soundtrack in better quality
- On the 10" vinyl for RSD
- On iTunes for 0.99$ as a separate track
- On various European "no compressed" sites in FLAC quality
- Finally as a download if you did buy the 10"

What a joke.  "We also aim to offer exclusive music during an annual subscription: in 2013/14, for example, subscribers could download 'Ordinary Love', the song the band wrote for 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom'."

This just annoys me.  It misrepresents what they actually offer.  It tries to make it look like the u2.com fan club is the only place you could download "Ordinary Love" when it wasn't.  Enaul -- maybe you can use that to ask for a refund?  It's an outright lie. 

[morgan1098]

The crazy thing is that they offered a set of four "art prints" a few years ago--but they were just a throwaway extra with the hardback book and CD of From the Ground Up!!! Now suddenly four art prints are the main event. Ugh.

[Aaron]

The crazy thing is that they offered a set of four "art prints" a few years ago--but they were just a throwaway extra with the hardback book and CD of From the Ground Up!!! Now suddenly four art prints are the main event. Ugh.

That's the problem.  "From the Ground Up" was a hard cover book, prints, bookmarks, and a CD. It and "U22" set the bar very high in my opinion. 

[God, Part II]

I still haven't found what I'm looking for...........so no subscription from me, for a third year. I thought a limited-focus book and a sonically inferior vinyl were bad enough, but this year's offering is truly tragic. So cruel.

[enaul]

I asked a refund. I did not get the right information on the date of my renewal order.
I was hoping for a nice live show (or some live tracks), but not for this "gift".

Just FYI: refund accepted.