A lot of people have asked me how we did it ...
A couple weeks ago U2 had a locked-down high-security invitation-only "club" show in a small theatre near Boston. The demand to get into this show was insane. Boston is probably their biggest fan-base, selling out over 100,000 tickets every time they tour here - yet only 100 Boston fans were given tickets.
Desire ...
One of the city's biggest radio jocks said this was the "toughest ticket" he's ever seen. His cell phone wouldn't stopped ringing with calls from the heads of two Boston pro sports teams, a "singer in a major rock band" and "every client we have or would like to have." "I can't get anyone ... in, so stop calling!" he begged.
Security was intense for this event. 50 cops surrounded the theatre with crowd barricades in anticipation of the tens of thousands of U2 fans, who wouldn't be getting in, filling the streets around the theatre. Everyone wanted to get into this show and no one could. They were even having the lucky ticket holders bused in from a secret location so there wouldn't be any confusion in front of the theatre about who the legitimate ticket holders were.
Mission Impossible ...
I'm a huge U2 fan. I'm also a fan of spur of the moment adventures. So last minute, my wife and I set out to pull off the "impossible" - sneak into the U2 show.
We did no planning. We had no insider help. We just wanted to see if we could walk right off the street into the most coveted show of the decade - with nothing but our impulses and our faith to guide us.
A Sort Of Homecoming ...
We arrive just an hour before the show, walk out of the subway terminal and head straight for the theatre. The police are everywhere. Crowd barricades are up and a large crowd has formed behind them across the street from the theatre. Instead of joining the crowd we head straight for the theatre doors. I know U2 is already in there and I just want to see how close we can get. Surprisingly we get pretty close before the cops start barking at us to back off.
The police start clearing the street and the sidewalk so I instinctively pull my wife, Heather, into the "press line" that has formed right next to the theatre. I say "hi" to a well known radio personality who flew all the way from Seattle just because he was wait-listed and just "maybe" has the chance to get in. Even for him it didn't look good. But I figure standing in this line gives us at least a one-in-a-million chance - which is all that we need.
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight ...
Suddenly the buses arrive filled with all the music insiders and contest winners who somehow got tickets. As I'm watching the ticket holders get off the bus, I can feel something is about to happen because my heart starts pounding hard inside my chest. My heart usually starts racing right before I do something crazy - even if I don't know what that crazy thing is yet. It's my body's way of saying, "Get ready..."
The ticket holders start getting off the buses and being corralled right past us in the press line and there's only a small crowd barricade between us and this procession of ticket holders. I nudge Heather to stay close. I suddenly get a strong inner impulse to join the procession of ticket holders, so I hop around the crowd barricade into the stream of ticket holders and start cheering like I'm one of those lucky fuckers getting into the U2 show. Heather, having been through enough of these kinds of situations with me, instinctively jumps in with me.
My heart is racing as we walk with the procession of ticket holders. I can hardly breathe so I scream just to get all that extra energy out of the way. "Yeah! U2!" I can't believe we aren't getting busted! I can't believe no one's noticed us!
The TV news cameras are in our faces. "How does it feel to have tickets to U2 tonight?" I instinctively back off and push a real ticket holder in front of us. I don't want to get busted by the media if they ask too many questions about our tickets.
Out comes security and says "Okay everybody, remember what we told you. You're to hold up both of your hands in the air. Hold up your right arm showing the wristband we gave you and hold up left hand with your ticket in hand."
Bad ...
We've beat the wristband thing before when we were kids too young to get into clubs. Just hold up your sleeve and pretend like the wristband is buried underneath it. But the ticket thing is a whole new dilemma. How can we beat this?!
I look to Heather, "We're so fucked. There's no way we're getting past this." Heather, in her sweet way, reminds me of our mantra "What's the worst thing that could happen?"
Whenever we're doing something really crazy, that's what she says right as it's dawning on me that there's no going back after the next step. The first time she ever said this to me was 10 years ago in Jamaica when my answer had to be, "We'll end up in a Jamaican prison!!!"
Tonight's answer was, "We'll get arrested and have to beg our babysitter to stay with the kids until we can get out of jail." Not nearly as bad as a Jamaican prison ... We're going for it.
Moment Of Surrender ...
I figure our best shot - as lame as it sounds - is to dig though my wallet for ticket-like things. I give Heather the best I can find - a subway ticket. For myself, all I've got left is my buddy's business card who's a cop. I figure maybe if the swarm of police officers at the door see the police emblem, maybe they'll think I'm a cop too and cut me a break.
The security MC pipes up again and says, "Alright everybody - form two lines - Men on one side, women on the other."
As we approach the door and Heather gets farther away from me in her line I'm praying for a miracle. I'm doing my best to believe we belong here. I'm clearing the space in my mind for the possibility of a miracle.
Mysterious Ways ...
I see Heather get up to the police and security guards. They check her over and she gets through. "Unbelievable!"
Now it's my turn. I step up to the three police officers and a few security guys. I'm holding up my sleeve in one hand and in the other hand is my buddy's business card held up like a ticket for all to see. They proceed to frisk the hell out of me. I must have looked nervous ... or dangerous ... or both ...
Then they push me forward. I am stunned. The Chief of Police looks me in the eye and says "Smile already! You got in!"
Something about what that Chief said feels like a blessing.
I grab Heather and we face the next hurdle together ...
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For ...
In front of us, blocking the entrance from the lobby into the main theatre, there is a line of security guards in front of a wall of decorated police officers. The security guards are methodically grabbing each and every person's wristband and holding up a black-light to them, then they're laser-scanning the person's ticket that they're supposed to hold in their left hand.
I look to Heather and say, "There's NO WAY we're getting passed THAT!"
Now I know there's been a lot of talk about "the power of positive thinking" but from my experience the talk's not quite right. Realism is important too. I was having frequent realizations of the impossibility of what we were trying to do and I think these "negative thoughts" may have grounded and protected us a bit. If we had just been unrealistically "positive thinkers" we would have walked right up to that line and gotten busted.
No Line On The Horizon ...
Overwhelmed by the impossibility of the situation, I realize I'm not going to outsmart this thing. We're going to need another miracle.
When you see movie heists like the ones in "Oceans 11," it makes you think the way to pull off the impossible is to outsmart the system with practically omniscient planning, impeccable preparation and flawless execution. I'm starting to wonder if that's ever true.
My experience tells me that pulling off the impossible is all about coming to peace with the worst case scenario, throwing yourself into the ring anyway, and being willing to trust your impulses, and having the faith to let Divine Providence throw you some much needed miracles.
Vertigo ...
Now when I say, "follow your impulses," I'm not talking about superficial impulses - I'm talking about those impulses from the depths of your being - from your soul - that prompt you to "jump!" or "go for it!" even when you're scared. I'm talking about those impulses that lead you so far outside of your comfort zone that you get vertigo, you feel light-headed, disoriented - like you're outside your own body.
These terrifying impulses are what I call "miracle impulses" because they seem to stem from something so deep that you are not in control of them - something much bigger takes you over - you have no idea what you're getting into, but it feels dangerous and alive; and you know you're about to do something crazy.
If God Will Send His Angels ...
So I'm looking for a sign. My impulse is to just wait by the left most side of the line of security and cops. I keep Heather with me. We just stand there watching the spectacle of intense security ... and then suddenly my heart starts racing again. I grab for Heather ...
Someone bumps into my left shoulder as they pass me from behind. I feel the impulse to follow him closely as he walks into the jaws of the wall of security and police. It's all or nothing now...
I Will Follow ...
It's "go" time! We immediately start tailing that guy who bumped into me. All of the sudden we're surrounded by a flock of 5 guys with U2 badges hurrying through the security line - security steps aside like the parting of the red sea - and we're whisked right through with the U2 badge holders straight into the theatre. We've literally just walked right past security without being stopped!
We can see the stage! "Holy Smokes!"
We JUST... WALKED... IN... to the most exclusive U2 show ever!
In God's Country ...
I'm astounded by how many lines of security we penetrated without so much as a ticket in hand.
Even inside we had to beat yet another four more security details checking for wristbands and tickets, just to stay in for the show. Each time I trusted my impulses and we managed to duck into just the right place at the right time. Before we knew it we found ourselves standing in front of two empty seats and the show began.
We could never have never done this without miracle upon miracle upon miracle helping us through each and every passage - and it was trusting a certain kind of impulse that allowed us to be open to those miracles. Your miracle impulses are an amazingly powerful force that can guide you to be able do just about anything. They impel you to do just the right thing at just the right time. All you need to do is develop the sensitivity to notice your miracle impulses and the faith and courage to follow them, then you become a force of nature. You are unstoppable.
How do you tap into your own miracle impulses? Discover more here: MiracleImpulse.com
By the way ... it was a great show.
Beautiful Day.
Tickets for U2's next U.S. tour go on sale today! - Check out U2.com for more details.