Tech-savvy superfans set up elaborate gigs starring their favorite band for online gamers.
There are some key rules for attendees of a virtual U2 concert. Among them:
"No hoochie hair" ("So that this concert may be enjoyed by the maximum number of people").
"No particle poofs or particles of any kind."
And ... "DO NOT IM the band while the concert is in progress."
Failure to obey these edicts doesn't get anyone physically kicked out because no one is really at the concert. It's all taking place through computers: a massively multiplayer musical experience created and enjoyed by people logging into the virtual world "Second Life"
Since last year, a small group of players has taken advantage of the blank slate and creative flexibility of "Second Life" to create the stage sets, the bodies and the moves of their favorite band: U2. They've helped pioneer the concept of virtual concerts — shows that are attended not at a stadium or club but in front of a monitor and keyboard.