"City of Blinding Lights" at O'Inauguration sealed "Streets" fate on next tour

[Knuckle]

"City of Blinding Lights" at O'Inauguration sealed "Streets" fate on next tour

Personal opinion obviously but...

I'm betting that this band would very much like to get past needing "Where the Streets Have No Name" in their live set for the first time since 1987. This song has brought the house down on every tour since then. So, what's such an ambitious band to do? Show that you don't really need it to put on the best live act in the world. I think that "City of Blinding Lights" was written for exactly that very purpose. I thought that they might try to replace "Streets" with "COBL" on the last tour, but maybe they thought that the world wasn't ready for that just yet.

However, after one full Vertigo tour with "COBL" opening the show and a live DVD showcasing its live prowess, I'll bet that the plan was to tour next time around with that tune as the "Streets" replacement.

This may be a very Yank-centric way of looking at things, but I think that this band may consider that having performed "City of Blinding Lights" on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (where MLK gave his "I Have Dream" speech), and on the eve of Barack Obama's obviously historic inauguration, it may be huge enough to finally inject COBL into the world conciousness such that it can carry the high-point of their live show for a few years to come.

As a nostalgic fan, and in the grand scheme of things, I prefer "Streets" (and all of the memories it brings), but I'm definitely ready to move on; and, I think that the new record will make that obvious. Bring on the future. I'm ready for some creative genius, and I know they have it.

 

[jecofficial]

It will still be there where it always was. It would be cool if they played at a different spot into the show each night though.

 

[rihannsu]

They already said that they wrote COBL to try and replace Streets and they did talk about dropping Streets on the last tour but realized that actually Bono's work actually made performing Streets almost necessary as the lyric was written in Africa and is all about creating Heaven on Earth which was totally appropriate and the segue from Pride into Streets was the representation of what Bono is working towards. Now if the theme for the new tour doesn't have an appropriate place for Streets they probably will drop it.

Dana

 

[digitize]

I'm pretty sure they weren't actually planning on "performing" City at the Onauguration, because they didn't actually perform it. Save Bono's vocals, the entire song was sequenced in. Considering that Edge "played" the song on his One Les Paul, and Bono's Irish Falcon was sitting in the background, my guess is that they were intending to play One but had to switch to City at the last minute (Obama's request?), and Edge didn't have the equipment with him to play City.

 

[rihannsu]

I'm pretty sure they weren't actually planning on "performing" City at the Onauguration, because they didn't actually perform it. Save Bono's vocals, the entire song was sequenced in. Considering that Edge "played" the song on his One Les Paul, and Bono's Irish Falcon was sitting in the background, my guess is that they were intending to play One but had to switch to City at the last minute (Obama's request?), and Edge didn't have the equipment with him to play City.

So the rehearsal was sequenced too? The fans who watched the rehearsals didn't seem to think so.

Dana

 

[BVS]

I'm pretty sure they weren't actually planning on "performing" City at the Onauguration, because they didn't actually perform it. Save Bono's vocals, the entire song was sequenced in. Considering that Edge "played" the song on his One Les Paul, and Bono's Irish Falcon was sitting in the background, my guess is that they were intending to play One but had to switch to City at the last minute (Obama's request?), and Edge didn't have the equipment with him to play City.

Um, nice try

 

[BVS]

They played City because Obama used City during his campaign, nothing more nothing less...

You can close thread now...

 

[phillyfan26]

I'm pretty sure they weren't actually planning on "performing" City at the Onauguration, because they didn't actually perform it. Save Bono's vocals, the entire song was sequenced in. Considering that Edge "played" the song on his One Les Paul, and Bono's Irish Falcon was sitting in the background, my guess is that they were intending to play One but had to switch to City at the last minute (Obama's request?), and Edge didn't have the equipment with him to play City.

It very well could have been sequenced, but One was never expected. They rehearsed the same set the night before. City was not a last minute switch at all.

Bono's guitar being there was just odd.

 

[Knuckle]

They played City because Obama used City during his campaign, nothing more nothing less...

You can close thread now...

Oh, learned scholar of U2ology. You obviously have the inside track of information. I agree. Close this thread without delay.

 

[Knuckle]

Oh, learned scholar of U2ology. You obviously have the inside track of information. I agree. Close this thread without delay.

Oops..didn't see your winking and smiling face (indicating sarcastic humor). Apologies.

 

[BVS]

Oh, learned scholar of U2ology. You obviously have the inside track of information. I agree. Close this thread without delay.

Well the campaign part is true, Bono even introduced it that way...

The closing part was a joke, did you notice the wink?

 

[BVS]

Oops..didn't see your winking and smiling face (indicating sarcastic humor). Apologies.

No problem...

 

[bigjohn2441]

they should only play streets if its like the R&H movie. the song hasnt been the same since jt/lovetown, although the superbowl one was pretty powerful.

the recent versions with bono's rambling during the intro and the aaaaaaaaaaahahahah part really brings the song down for me.

what is it with bono and flapping his gums during parts of songs that should be left to the music, such as guitar solos?

 

[catlhere]

I hope Streets never goes away it's my favorite song ever!

A U2 concert just wouldn't feel right at all without hearing it that night.

 

[digitize]

I really, really don't think that U2 played City to the exact mixing that it was on the album. Nor would Edge ever have played that song on a... Les Paul. Edge was also "singing" backing vocals identically to how they were sung on the album, but as they were never sung live... and the rehearsal tells us more, as Edge was often feet away from the mic when his "singing" was coming out of the speakers. Not to mention, the drumming was identical to studio drumming (very different than any City live drumming before), and was faded in... exactly as it was on the album.

I honestly think that, considering they had all the equipment there for One (the Les Paul and the Irish Falcoln), and none for COBL, that they got off the plane just before the rehearsal, decided to nix One for COBL, edited the bridge and Bono's vocals out of the studio version of City, and pressed 'play'. And repeated the next day.

 

[ShipOfFools]

City Of Blinding Lights, while a good song, doesn't even begin to touch on the brilliance that is Streets.

I hope they're not seriously thinking of replacing it.

 

[The Disciple]

Streets is MAGICAL in person.... that being said, I wouldn't mind seeing it dropped in favor of COBL 2 close out the main set...

 

[popacrobat]

i think i agree that City wasn't really played live. It sounds identical, save Bono's vocals, to the single edit version. Sans the bridge, the guitar being different, etc...

 

[tsweeney]

I remember they dropped Pride during the first few shows of the Elevation Tour but quickly brought it back due to fans' requests. I wonder what would happen if they did drop Streets.

 

[one4u2]

I would love COBL to replace Streets it's a fave of mine I it!

 

[BVS]

I remember they dropped Pride during the first few shows of the Elevation Tour but quickly brought it back due to fans' requests. I wonder what would happen if they did drop Streets.

They did the same on ZooTV, they bragged during the first short leg how they dropped SBS and NYD but they were both back by the time they moved to stadiums, and this was the time when many revisionist fans like to think that U2 didn't care what people thought...

 

[Screwtape2]

If they drop Streets it will more than likely be due to one of the new longer tracks on NLOTH being its replacement, not COBL. That said, Streets could just as easily return on the 2nd or 3rd leg. I don't think they can remove Streets for a whole tour because of the fans though.

 

[popacrobat]

yeah, If they do drop Streets I dont think it'll be because of COBL. I rarely agree with Screwtape but I do agree with that post there.

 

[bonocomet]

I'll be sad if it goes. I haven't seen a zillion shows and become tired of some of the songs. Of course, whatever they play I will enjoy though

 

[Bean Skidds]

I cant see them dropping Streets, particularly for COBL. Maybe a few days here and there, but its so important to the live u2 experience. Nothing makes an arena or stadium go totally fking ballistic like Streets. COBL brings far less of a reaction and I cant see it being a suitable replacement on any level. I dont think any song defines U2 live better than Streets.

 

[PeckU2]

The next tour should have Streets and City flip flop order. I'd even like City Bad Streets

 

[zoopop]

Would be cool to have Streets open the encore or close out shows.

 

[yenlard]

um..........no............cobl isnt in the league of streets. the problem with streets lately is that it is tied to some rant from bono about saving africa. just return the song to its original state. no flags, or talk of saving the world. however...i did like the psalm that bono used as an intro during the elevation tour. that beginning gave me chills.

 

[Muldfeld]

I never wanna hear COBL again!

 

[Axver]

I remember they dropped Pride during the first few shows of the Elevation Tour but quickly brought it back due to fans' requests. I wonder what would happen if they did drop Streets.

To be precise, Pride missed ten out of fifty shows of Elevation's first leg, including the first eight, then rotated with The Fly to close the second leg's main set (it was done at 17 out of 33 shows), then it was back as a permanent fixture for the third leg.

As for Streets, contrary to popular belief, it hasn't been done at every show since it debuted in 1987. It missed 12 of the 30 JT Tour concerts in Europe, plus one show on Lovetown.

Given that the pre-Vertigo promo appearances didn't prove indicative of all that much in 2004 (for example, the full band She's A Mystery To Me didn't reappear after the Brooklyn Bridge gig, THTBA was never done in full on Vertigo, OOTS sure took its time to work into the Vertigo set, etc.), I don't really think the inaugural appearance should be taken as a harbinger, especially not of Streets' demise.