i found this image comparing the size of the US to Europe (i tinkered with the color to make it easier to see). i can say that for most of us in the US, the plane trip would be much much farther than it was for those European fans.
i mean, Cali isn't even on the map, its off to the left, nor is my state on the map, i'm off to the right. the distance from London to most of Europe is not far at all, i mean, i've DRIVEN farther than that in a day.
i think this is a large part of what is going on.
and lets see, orbitz.com says plane tickets roundway for me would be between mostly between $600 and $800. Europebyair.com is showing me tickets from Madrid to London from about $200 to $400. from berlin to london i'm seeing $300 to $400.
i think this is the largest part of why people aren't going to LA. for the majority of us, i'm sure its more expensive.
i think the largest groups of fans in the US are either on the west coast in Cali or on the East Coast. as for the fans in Cali, i have no clue what's stopping them, but for those of us on the east coast, the cost is quite steep.