Is U2 playblacking live sometimes?

[Jack Bauer]

I never went to a U2 concert yet, but someone on some forum said she went to the Vertigo shows in Poland and she noticed some parts were playback.

I noticed that The Edge is playbacking his vocals on some grammy performances, but everyone playbacks during the grammys anyway, and it was only the vocals.

But yesterday i watched the Chicago DVD again, and i noticed during Zoo Station, and then i started laughing, because around 3:52 in, when Edge crosses Bono, Bono starts walking but you can clearly hears Bono's voice "Aaaahhhaahh", hahahaha, was this an editing failure, or was Bono playbacking or something?

Here is a youtube clip,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsni9fEl4ws

Sorry for my crappy english.

 

[quadcaster]

thats an editing mistake, because two nights footage were cut together to make the dvd. U2 have been doing this for years and it means that there are moments during these dvd's that you can notice little things like that.

Also, edge's vocals at the grammy's werent pre-recorded, that was done live. The band use backing tracks on some songs though, but most of the keyboard stuff is done by their un-official "5th member" Terry.

 

[Dustybot]

The bit in Zoo Station on the Vertigo DVD is just bad editing, but U2 uses a lot of backing tracks live, and has for a long time. Some of them are simply practical (keyboard parts, additional guitar tracks), some of them...less so (I know it was neat having Larry out front with the tom tom on Love and Peace, but was it really worth having a backing track for the drums?).

I'm not sure how much of it Terry Lawless does under the stage these days, but certainly a good portion of it is pre-recorded stuff.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Yeah i noticed U2 uses backing tracks on bootlegs and stuff, but i thought this was too obvious to be true, i guess its an editing error.

Quadcaster, i know during beautiful day they also have a backing track during Edge vocals, but during the grammy performance, at around 2:50 you clearly see The Edge not singing, lol, you can even hear that other people notice that as well, lol.
YouTube - Grammy Awards - U2 - Beautiful Day

 

[powerhour24]

I feel like they do some loops when playing on TV shows, they never seem to go full out like they do in their own performances, but yeah that DVD was shot on multiple nights (it just wasn't edited as well as U23D, although we can't scrutinize that as much).

 

[BVS]

at around 2:50 you clearly see The Edge not singing, lol, you can even hear that other people notice that as well, lol.

I don't think that's what you are hearing. Obviously those are two spliced shots at that moment, and the audience reaction is to Bono.

 

[the tourist]

Sorry for my crappy english.

I thought you were American, Mr. Bauer.

 

[Jack Bauer]

I don't think that's what you are hearing. Obviously those are two spliced shots at that moment, and the audience reaction is to Bono.

Yeah that makes sense i guess. But i thought maybe they broad casted the shots that appear on tv also live there, because people are aware when they are on camera.

 

[ahittle]

I don't think it was ever any secret that Edge wasn't handling that whole BD backing vocals bit.

Sure, he's in there somewhere live, but it's a virtual choir of Edges (and I always heard a little Danny in there, too ). I mean, nobody's playing the keyboard parts either - without some pretty crucial backing tracks, BD would not be what it is.

 

[Zoo_Fly]

I can hear Edge singing at 2:50. No, its not the choir vocal, its a shorter, cleaner 'dayyy'..

 

[Jack Bauer]

Same goes with Breathe at the Canal Plus performance, at the end you hear Edge but he isn't near the microphone

 

[ahittle]

We've had this discussion a bunch of times. Basically if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Obsessing over it probably will just wreck your enjoyment. You really could pick apart most of their live songs for extra elements here or there.

 

[david]

The Paris Joshua Tree DVD during With Or Without You after the band has stopped playing due to the tear gas incident you can hear the backing drum track continue.

 

[ahittle]

The Paris Joshua Tree DVD during With Or Without You after the band has stopped playing due to the tear gas incident you can hear the backing drum track continue.

Yeah, but I don't think the band ever presented that as anything other than a loop. Larry just hangs out until it's time to play, you know.

I used to be bothered by the addition of loops or Terry or whatever, but I appreciate the band's obligation to get the sound right. I think most people would be surprised how limited four guys on a stage could be - even with Edge's arsenal. I mean, your typical post-Lovetown U2 show has extra elements on nearly every song, with the exception of NYD, SBS, Pride, ISHFWILF, and some of the more obvious straight-forward tunes.

Of the modern era, I think "Vertigo" and "Elevation" are the only big songs that doesn't have something backing them...

 

[popbellydancer]

they do it every night w/a bunch of songs. beautiful day for one.

 

[last unicorn]

U2 songs are very layered, you cannot transfer all of them into a live setting with just 4 guys on stage. Some stuff has to be playback. like layered vocal/choir elements. Come on, Bono and Edge might have certain supernatural powers, but I don't think they can sing with 30 voices at the same time.