U2 Live: Best segues/transitions in their class?

[gvox]

I was discussing this with a friend the other day who, while he agrees that U2 has some pretty awesome segues in their live shows, and typically the flow between songs is great, well he feels they can't be the best in the biz. But then he couldn't provide any concrete examples of anyone better either.

U2 has put together amazing segues in their live shows. Listening to some of the boots it's almost as if they have a mix tape like feel to them, and standing in the arena and hearing something like All I Want Is You into Streets is just about as good as it gets, it reminds me of being at a club and hearing familiar notes creeping into the mix and then you get slammed with the song coming in and you get that euphoria...well you likely know what I mean.

I don't know of any other band that does this quite as well, although I'll admit that most of the boots I own are U2 shows

So, are they the best at this? If not, can you name better...and possibly even post links to examples?

 

[mikal]

it's tough to say because i haven't followed any other band's live shows like i have U2's. with that said, U2 is definitely great at it. BTBS-RTSS-WTSHNN from ZooTV is one of the greatest moments in rock concert history, imo.

 

[LemonMelon]

I would gladly give up great segues for greater setlist variation, but they stick with what works, I'll give them that.

 

[gvox]

You know they have an unfair advantage with Streets

 

[Axver]

Explosions In The Sky completely kill U2 in this regard.

And they play varied setlists too.

 

[BVS]

BTBS-RTSS-WTSHNN from ZooTV is one of the greatest moments in rock concert history, imo.

As soon as I read the title of the thread I thought of this...

I think this is part of the reason for static setlists.

I've never seen Explosions in the Sky live, but every other artist that I do follow pretty closely that vary setlists don't seem to think about this type of thing at all, varied setlist really aren't all that impressive as this board seems to think.

 

[Axver]

EITS shows are very cohesive - the gig I saw felt like just one big long song, everything was linked that well. Compare the following.

The show I saw in Melbourne, 16 February 2008:
1. First Breath After Coma
2. Welcome, Ghosts
3. Greet Death
4. Your Hand In Mine
5. Memorial
6. The Moon Is Down
7. Catastrophe And The Cure
8. The Only Moment We Were Alone

A couple of weeks earlier in London (closest complete set I could find, sorry):
1. Yasmin The Light
2. Catastrophe And The Cure
3. Memorial
4. Day Six
5. Greet Death
6. The Birth And Death Of The Day
7. Welcome, Ghosts
8. Remember Me As A Time Of Day
9. The Only Moment We Were Alone

Even the repeat songs are played in different positions, and reviews indicate this show - and any other show - are just as cohesive as the gig I saw. Leaves U2's static segues of just two or three songs for dead.

And honestly, I don't think U2's shows are THAT cohesive. Sure, they'll have a couple of great, seamless transitions that are focal points of the show, but that's it. Bad or AIWIY --> Streets was the only really notable segue of the Elevation Tour. One transition? Big deal. The rest of the largely static set was no more cohesive or linked than anything I've seen from bands who do lots of variation, e.g. Crowded House.

 

[BVS]

the gig I saw felt like just one big long song, everything was linked that well.

I don't think that's necessarily a good thing. Also I think it's much MUCH easier with an instrumental band to make a cohesive live setlist.

 

[theFly51]

Discotheque-IYWTVD (live from Seattle) when I first heard this, it was probably the best thing I heard musically in my entire life and to this day remains my favorite moment in music history

 

[gump]

Power Out > Rebellion has to be one of the greatest segues ever.

 

[An Cat Gav]

I threw a brick-A day without me

 

[AndrewCowley]

Lemon -> WOWY on the Zoo TV DVD is

 

[rastacruz]

U2 does a decent enough job with it, but the Grateful Dead or many of today's "Jam Bands" blows U2 away in this regard.

U2 has had great moments, some listed above, and I'll throw in MLK > Unforgettable Fire > Exit

 

[AndrewCowley]

Can anyone offer up a 4 song combo (perhaps not in keeping with this thread being about segues though) as strong as Bad, October, NYD and Pride that did duty on both the UF and JT tours? That is quality.

 

[gvox]

^ love your username!

I'll be honest, it's hard to not be a bit biased. One of the things I love about doing our band is I'm in charge of setlists and have had the opportunity of not only doing the segues as they do, but also thinking up new orderings and segues..one of my favorite we did in October was going from the One Tree Hill outtro into Crumbs. I love it when people say something like "the way you did Gloria into Bullet was wicked..what show was that from??". I guess it's the DJ background in me. Shows can't feel like one big long song though, it exhausts the audience and people start tuning out. I go for 4-5 songs max and then some type of slower or acoustic to break it up. So I do think that they could improve with even better segues and more variation, yes. Maybe they should hire me dream job

 

[gvox]

Can anyone offer up a 4 song combo (perhaps not in keeping with this thread being about segues though) as strong as Bad, October, NYD and Pride that did duty on both the UF and JT tours? That is quality.

No, combos are appropriate also! It doesn't have to be a steady stream of sound, imo, we can also be talking about a song coming hard on the heels of the one before it and them just flowing so nicely together

 

[mikal]

Also I think it's much MUCH easier with an instrumental band to make a cohesive live setlist.

i agree with this.

 

[Irishteen]

Power Out > Rebellion has to be one of the greatest segues ever.

End thread, this is pretty much the best moment in live music

 

[mikal]

i've never heard the Arcade Fire transition. anyone have a good sound quality boot they could send me?

 

[GretzkyU2Yanks]

U2 does a decent enough job with it, but the Grateful Dead or many of today's "Jam Bands" blows U2 away in this regard.

this is what I thought of when I read the poll question. not my favourite music in the world for the most part, but they do segues big time, AND have changing setlists. Dave Matthews Band is the only 'jam band' I would know well enough to recognize the segues and their's are very very good. their segues often times get their own track listing on bootlegs.

my favourite segue:
Please into Streets from PopMart.

 

[ahittle]

Springsteen is pretty great at this, especially at keeping the momentum going between songs. I've always dug how the band can play these little bridges that set up the key change in their next song and launch right into it without it seeming like a drastic jump.

 

[mikal]

jam bands are kind of supposed to be good at this though.

 

[kassandra]

Power Out > Rebellion has to be one of the greatest segues ever.

 

[FitzChivalry]

No, combos are appropriate also! It doesn't have to be a steady stream of sound, imo, we can also be talking about a song coming hard on the heels of the one before it and them just flowing so nicely together

In that case, The Boss should be right up alongside U2. Him and the E Street Band are absolutely AMAZING at segues.

Also, (I know! Shocker, coming from me!), there's a segue Bloc Party does that is absolutely amazing and has the entire fucking crowd launching into the air every time: Song For Clay (Disapppear Here)-into-Banquet.

And I also have to agree with all the Arcade Fire Power Out-into-Rebellion (Lies) people. That segue is utterly spirit-leaving-your-body great!

But, I'd still probably pick U2 over any of the above . . . just because they do it so well and have been doing it for so long. I often find myself at shows thinking Why can't [insert band here] do some cool, kick-ass transitions like U2 does? I swear to you it's true, I think that at shows!

 

[The Disciple]

I'm waiting for the "Please" in2 "City of Blinding Lights" segue.....

 

[angelordevil]

No, combos are appropriate also! It doesn't have to be a steady stream of sound, imo, we can also be talking about a song coming hard on the heels of the one before it and them just flowing so nicely together

Zoo TV, 1993, Dublin: Running To Stand Still/The End/Where The Streets Have No Name

That combination took me into another sonic dimension when I heard it live on the radio here...just amazing. I remember everything about this day...beautifully sunny, and I was learning how to drive a standard car. I ended up panicking at one point when I stalled, because I knew the cassette that I was recording the show on back home was running out of time on one side.

So, the above combination would be my favourite, but coming in a strong second (from the very same show) is: Bad/Candle In The Wind/Fool To Cry/The First Time/Bullet The Blue Sky

I think I'm partial to this show simply because of those magical segues...

 

[gvox]

I'm waiting for the "Please" in2 "City of Blinding Lights" segue.....

Actually, it works!

 

[zwervers2]

it's tough to say because i haven't followed any other band's live shows like i have U2's. with that said, U2 is definitely great at it. BTBS-RTSS-WTSHNN from ZooTV is one of the greatest moments in rock concert history, imo.

best 15 minutes they have ever done, so imaginative, so powerfull, bono sounds like he is descending from the sky or something.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Hardly! A few good segues here and there doesn't transcend them into SUPER SEGUE TERRITORY, which is a highly exclusive club. Granted, I'm just going by the possibility that there's always someone better at something, instrumental/post-rock or not.

And really, the segues U2 do half the time aren't incredibly interesting. Not that I consider segueing to be a terribly important part of the experience, and it wouldn't bother me what they did, but in this instance, I kind of couldn't care less/don't think they're the crazy ass shit some think.

 

[gump]

i've never heard the Arcade Fire transition. anyone have a good sound quality boot they could send me?

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