Next tour?

[trevgreg]

2009: The vast majority of the shows start off with 4 new songs. Crazy Tonight is played in a remixed form. They play Your Blue Room in stadiums.
2010. U2 play 6 new, unreleased songs, sometimes 3 in one show. They begin their shows with an unreleased song/track.

These are huge risks considering the average audience member of the tour. Also, lest we forget:

2011. U2 play Zooropa live in full time for the first time basically ever.


What more do you people want?

Considering it's a stadium tour, I don't think U2 could have gotten more risky than last time around.

Good points all around. Yet again, people will always have something to say unless they significantly change it every night and replace [SBS/One/WOWY] with [insert rarely played album track].

At one point in the 360 shows, they were actually playing 7 tracks from the new album, and bringing back songs like Ultra Violet and Zooropa didn't go unnoticed either. Playing Your Blue Room wasn't exactly stadium friendly either.

 

[Galeongirl]

Pop in full.

 

[No spoken words]

Not meeting any freaks in Paris would be my fondest wish for the next tour.

 

[corianderstem]

Put me in charge of GA. NO SHENANIGANS.

 

[cleazer]

2009: The vast majority of the shows start off with 4 new songs. Crazy Tonight is played in a remixed form. They play Your Blue Room in stadiums.
2010. U2 play 6 new, unreleased songs, sometimes 3 in one show. They begin their shows with an unreleased song/track.

These are huge risks considering the average audience member of the tour. Also, lest we forget:

2011. U2 play Zooropa live in full time for the first time basically ever.


What more do you people want?

It was easily their best tour ever from a song selection standpoint. I consider myself lucky that I got to hear Unforgettable Fire and Your Blue Room so many times. And I'm still shocked that they brought back Ultra Violet!

They didn't just dig up some old stuff. They found some older tracks and they made them work. (Well, YBR never caught on, but at least UV and Zooropa worked.)

 

[MrPryck2U]

yeah, but 4 shows at MSG kills Bono's voice compared to 1 show at MetLife.

Yes, I agree with that. Plus, it takes longer to set up and break down for the stadium shows, giving Bono a break between tour stops. Selfishly, I'm hoping they go back to arenas because its a lot easier taking the train to and from MSG than driving all the way to NJ and back. After a stadium show, I usually hang in the parking lot until traffic clears and then head home. By the time I get home its almost 3am.

 

[Galeongirl]

Not meeting any freaks in Paris would be my fondest wish for the next tour.

No grouches allowed at shows in Paris that want fuckin' SLEEP rather than spend time with friends.

 

[Partyslammer]

2009: The vast majority of the shows start off with 4 new songs. Crazy Tonight is played in a remixed form. They play Your Blue Room in stadiums.
2010. U2 play 6 new, unreleased songs, sometimes 3 in one show. They begin their shows with an unreleased song/track.

These are huge risks considering the average audience member of the tour. Also, lest we forget:

2011. U2 play Zooropa live in full time for the first time basically ever.


What more do you people want?

Considering it's a stadium tour, I don't think U2 could have gotten more risky than last time around.

I agree with your comments in the context of the 360 Stadium tour. They *did* continuously change up and evolve the set as the tour progressed, far more then the outdoor ZooTV or Pop tours.

Probably my biggest complaint about the 360 tour at least for '09 was I didn't personally care for most of the NLOTH songs which was a big drawback straight away, and the couple that I did like just didn't translate well in a live stadium setting (title track, Breathe) and several classic songs really seemed to have consistantly dull, burned out performances (Pride, WOWY, Mysterious Ways) show after show. On the other hand, the 2011 Anaheim Stadium show ranks near the top U2 shows I've seen (going back to '81) and was by far the best stadium show I'd ever seen them do.

That and it seemed like especially in '09, the level of musicianship with the band seemed markedly down from the Vertigo tour. A key issue with this band is they need to play regularly to get in a solid musical groove but the last tour made it clear they need major breaks between legs and even shows of a tour for their own personal reasons so it's kind of a catch 22 situation.

I have a real hard time believing U2 is going to do a year+ tour playing multiple dates in the same arenas in major cities at the pace of the Elevation and Vertigo tours the next time around. It really seems they are slowing down and have long since peaked as a live band, thus multi-night stands with massive setlist changes from show to show with *solid* performances of lesser played songs is a real long shot for the next tour.

I would rather hear a well rehearsed and well-played version of Gloria than a one-off horribly sung and played version of a favorite long-neglected deep cut like Two Hearts Beat As One.

 

[trevgreg]

I would rather hear a well rehearsed and well-played version of Gloria than a one-off horribly sung and played version of a favorite long-neglected deep cut like Two Hearts Beat As One.

That's another good question. Even if they were able to switch up songs every night and play less-popular tunes, would they even sound good in a live setting? I can think of many songs I like by U2 and other bands where the studio version sounds great, yet the live versions left something to be desired.

 

[lemonfly]

2009: The vast majority of the shows start off with 4 new songs. Crazy Tonight is played in a remixed form. They play Your Blue Room in stadiums.
2010. U2 play 6 new, unreleased songs, sometimes 3 in one show. They begin their shows with an unreleased song/track.

These are huge risks considering the average audience member of the tour. Also, lest we forget:

2011. U2 play Zooropa live in full time for the first time basically ever.


What more do you people want?

Considering it's a stadium tour, I don't think U2 could have gotten more risky than last time around.

I guess every fan has different expectations on how "risky" U2 can afford to be, so if you are content that's totally cool ofc. My thoughts: a grand total of three rarities over the course of the entire tour. A horrendous remix of a craptacular song. Road testing a bunch of new tracks, one of which was in a very sketchy demo stage (EBW), one of which had been a leftover for years (Mercy) and one of which was utter shite (NS). The biggest band in the world can push the boat out a little further imo. They have a vast repository of songs with numerous gems. It'd be a great pity if they are never played live in front of a paying audience ever again.

 

[trevgreg]

You'd be surprised how many bands out there that have been around as long as this one play the same thing night after night after night, with maybe one thing changed down the road for good measure. A few rarities and some unreleased songs are a lot better than it could be, and some people actually enjoyed the Crazy Tonight remix and new songs too.

 

[popacrobat]

Yes, I agree with that. Plus, it takes longer to set up and break down for the stadium shows, giving Bono a break between tour stops. Selfishly, I'm hoping they go back to arenas because its a lot easier taking the train to and from MSG than driving all the way to NJ and back. After a stadium show, I usually hang in the parking lot until traffic clears and then head home. By the time I get home its almost 3am.

word. nothing was worse than the Gillette Stadium traffic after the 2009 shows. I'm 90 minutes from Foxboro but didnt get home until 4-5 am each night because of the awful backup on Route 1/parking lots.

When I went to Giants Stadium (both in 09, 11), I was home by 2:30-3 am, despite living 2.5 hours away.

 

[Nick66]

Selfishly, I'm hoping they go back to arenas because its a lot easier taking the train to and from MSG than driving all the way to NJ and back. After a stadium show, I usually hang in the parking lot until traffic clears and then head home. By the time I get home its almost 3am.

Try a helicopter next time, or if you must drive, hang around backstage until the traffic dies down. Makes for a much more pleasant evening.

 

[BVS]

or if you must drive, hang around backstage until the traffic dies down. Makes for a much more pleasant evening.

Well not everyone has saved a U2 member's life, so we may not have that privilege.

 

[mama cass]

Not meeting any freaks in Paris would be my fondest wish for the next tour.

 

[Nick66]

Well not everyone has saved a U2 member's life, so we may not have that privilege.

One doesn't have to be a band member, or even have been fortunate enough to have verifiably saved the life of one, to get back stage. Friends, family, well-wishers, distant relations, heads of state, Battlestar Galactica cast members and radio station contest winners are often afforded back stage privileges.

And if you're lucky, you just might get a glimpse of Gavin Friday cutting up and taking the piss backstage.

Good ole' Gavin.

 

[digitize]

I'm a head of state

 

[Nick66]

I'm a head of state

The state of intoxication doesn't count.

 

[digitize]

The state of intoxication doesn't count.

One can live in their own little world without being intoxicated.

 

[BVS]

One doesn't have to be a band member, or even have been fortunate enough to have verifiably saved the life of one, to get back stage. Friends, family, well-wishers, distant relations, heads of state, Battlestar Galactica cast members and radio station contest winners are often afforded back stage privileges.

And if you're lucky, you just might get a glimpse of Gavin Friday cutting up and taking the piss backstage.

Good ole' Gavin.

Well I'm a verifiable Battlestar Galactica General to which they based the series off of, but I'm just saying not everyone else among us has these privileges like you and I.

 

[Nick66]

One can live in their own little world without being intoxicated.

Of course. And if you're not the head of state of your own world, then what are you?

Remember, just because it's all in your mind doesn't mean it's not real.

You still won't get back stage though. All the vote rigging "changing" shenanigans have been noticed at the highest level. Oh yes, it's been noticed.

 

[Nick66]

Well I'm a verifiable Battlestar Galactica General to which they based the series off of, but I'm just saying not everyone else among us has these privileges like you and I.

There are no "Generals" in BSG; only Admirals.

Fail. No back stage for you either. So say we all.

 

[No spoken words]

I have "All Along the Watchtower" in my head on myriad levels now.

 

[Nick66]

I have "All Along the Watchtower" in my head on myriad levels now.

Very good. You, and anyone else here who gets that reference, just may have a chance at getting backstage for the "10 Reasons to Exist" arena tour.

 

[No spoken words]

I get intimidated when I'm backstage. I just want a free coke zero and maybe a pretzel at the gig of my choice. Maybe a signed map of Lypton Village.

 

[PhilsFan]

Maybe a signed map of Lypton Village.

Ha.

 

[Nick66]

I get intimidated when I'm backstage. I just want a free coke zero and maybe a pretzel at the gig of my choice. Maybe a signed map of Lypton Village.

No milk. Two words: lactose intolerant. As in one of the band members is (of course I'm not at liberty to say which).

 

[No spoken words]

That's bullshit because nobody in U2 would ever stand for intolerance.

 

[Nick66]

That's bullshit because nobody in U2 would ever stand for intolerance.

Isn't intolerating intolerance intolerant?

 

[BVS]

There are no "Generals" in BSG; only Admirals.

Fail. No back stage for you either.

Ben Affleck played a Hispanic person in one of this year's biggest movies. So Hollywood isn't exactly sticklers when it comes to translating true life to the big screen.

You should know better.

So say we all.

Careful, you'll have your hive membership revoked...