1,500 die-hard U2 fans waiting patiently

Carly Griffen, 38, came all the way from Australia to see U2 in concert. A mother of two children, she left her kids in the care of her husband who felt she deserved the chance to see the band.
Melissa Pruit, 31, of Las Vegas, (left) was the keeper of the priority list. She attended her first U2 show at 17 and was brought up on stage to dance with Bono. She wants to be near Bono at the Anaheim shows, too. Favorite song: "Mysterious Ways'
By 7:30 a.m. fans were making their way across the Angel Stadium parking lot, moving their line from Orangewood Avenue to the entry gates for Friday night's U2 concert.
Mark Woozley, 37, came from London, England, to see U2 in concert at Angel Stadium. He sad he's been to about 15 U2 concerts so far. He lined up for Friday night's concert at 5 a.m.
By 7:30 a.m. fans were making their way across the Angel Stadium parking lot, moving their line from Orangewood Avenue to the entry gates for Friday night's U2 concert.
Danielle Golday, of Los Angeles, spent her 40th birthday in line for Friday night's U2 concert.
The back of the U2 concert stage looms up out of Angel Stadium. It can be seen quite clearly from the 57 freeway. Traffic jams are expected for Friday and Saturday night's sold out concerts.
U2 fans lined up as early as Wednesday for Friday night's concert at Angels Stadium. Friday morning over 400 fans were in line on Orangewood Avenue. At 7:30 a.m. they were escorted to the gates.
Vasthy Flores, of Los Angeles, rests against the parking lot gate on Orangewood Avenue early Friday morning, lining up for the U2 concert. The crowd was escorted to the entry gates at about 7:30 a.m.
A fan, fourth in line, bundles up on a chilly Friday morning waiting on Orangewood Avenue for the U2 concert at Angel Stadium.
Irma Magana, a teacher from Hawthorne, was third in line for the U2 concert. She said she went back and forth to work since Wednesday.
Ariana Martinez, 25, and Patricia Alvarado, of Rancho Cucamonga, arrive to join the line on Orangewood Avenue at 7 a.m.
Pamela Bluesten, 30, spent her birthday waiting in line with a broken knee. Bluesten, a rock band drummer from the San Fernando Valley, was in line since Wednesday night.
J.J. Matis, 40, of Los Angeles was in about the middle of the line of 400 U2 fans waiting on Orangewood Avenue outside Angel Stadium at about 6 a.m.
Early Friday, Dolores Leglar, 27, of Anaheim, was first in line for the U2 concert at Angel Stadium. She had been in line since Wednesday.
Nancy Kimbrough, 45, left, of Rancho Cucamonga, receives the number 78 for her place in line outside Angel Stadium for Friday night's U2 concert. She had been in line since early Thursday.
A U2 fan sleeps the morning away but had secured a place near the head of the line for Friday's concert.
Early Friday, Dolores Leglar, 27 of Anaheim was first in line for the U2 concert at Angel Stadium. She had been in line since Wednesday.
Sonia Valdivia, of Whittier, left, and Shana Fischer, of Pasadena, spent the night outside Angel Stadium to insure a great place in line for Friday's U2 concert.
Lynda Brothen, 52, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, had a pretty good position in the line for the Friday U2 concert and stayed warm by wearing her sleeping bag.
Megan Stevens and Lindsay Kincade, both 18, where out at the crack of dawn to get lined up for Friday night's Us2 concert at Angel Stadium. the pair , sporting their home-made fan shirts, traveled from Tucson, Arizona.
U2 fan Donna McClain, left, marks a fan's position in line on her hand. McClain and fellow fan Melissa Pruit organized the line so that fights would not break out over who was there first. Before the line was allowed to move off Orangewood Avenue to the stadium gates, they had a list over over 300 names.
Friday morning, fans check to see where their name was on a master list that a couple of fans created to bring order to the line that began to form outside Angel Stadium on Wednesday. Fans had a number marked with permanent ink on their hands corresponding with the list.
Christian Palomares, 11, of Monrovia, was the proud owner of field ticket to the U2 concert and had a pretty good place in line early Friday morning.
Denise Medina, left, Danielle Garcia and Victoria Garcia take a photograph of themselves while waiting in line outside Angel Stadium on Orange Wood Avenue. The drove from El Centro, California and arrived at 6 a.m.

By Denisse Salazar | local@ocregister.com | Orange County Register

June 17, 2011 at 2:10 p.m.

ANAHEIM – By midday, about 1,500 die-hard U2 fans have lined up for the sold-out concert at Angel Stadium.

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The earliest arrivals came to the stadium at 6 a.m. Wednesday for a show that begins at 7 p.m. Friday.

“I’m first in line,” said Anaheim resident Dolores Leglar. “I want to be right under Bono’s microphone.”

Leglar has been to more than 30 U2 concerts and has traveled as far as Europe and Mexico City.

“My obsession started April 24, 2001, when they played at the Honda Center,” said the 29-year-old. “I’ve been following them ever since.”

But Leglar is not alone in her quest to catch as many U2 concerts as possible.

Carly Griffen, a 38-year-old mother from Melbourne, Australia, missed just two out of the eight shows there.

“My generous husband said catch a couple of shows in the West Coast to make up for the fact you didn’t catch all the Australian shows,” Griffen said, whose husband is back home watching their 1- and 6-year-old children.

The gates to the Angel Stadium parking lot opened at 8 a.m. to help smooth the wrist-banding process for about 10,000 fans like Leglar and Griffen, who have general-admission field seats.

“These groups have been extraordinarily pleasant and easy to work with,” event manager Calvin Ching said. “We are going to try and help them out as much as possible.”

The gates to the stadium are set to open at 5 p.m. Friday.

Michelle Large, 30, of Huntington Beach is attending the concert both nights.

“We might just finish today’s concert and get back in line,” Large said.

Traffic jams are expected Friday and Saturday around the stadium for the sold-out concerts, which are expected to draw more than 50,000 fans each night.

Authorities are encouraging fans to arrive early, to take advantage of public transportation or to carpool.

Traffic delays are especially expected on Friday, which is a normal work day and some off-site parking lots may be unavailable because businesses will be operating, Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez said.

Off-site parking will be available at the Honda Center and other areas surrounding the stadium.

Officers will be citing concert goers who are caught drinking in the parking lot at Angel Stadium and the Honda Center.

“We do take that serious and we will be enforcing that law,” Martinez said.

It is also prohibited to sell event tickets on stadium property and authorities are encouraging fans to get their tickets from authorized dealers and brokers.

“It’s against the law to resell tickets on the property and we don’t want people being victimized by buying a fake ticket,” Martinez said. “They won’t be able to gain admission or get their money back.”

Contact the writer: 714-704-3709 or desalazar@ocregistger.com