What songs will NEVER be played again?

[digitize]

Interesting- I thought I had read that Bono couldn't bring himself to sing it after 9/11, the lyrics hit too close. THAT LIAR!

Yep, it was played fairly regularly in acoustic form through the third leg of the Elevation Tour. Additionally, the band did it once in full electric form on that leg, in Baltimore. It was also thoroughly rehearsed during the Vertigo Tour. I'd say that, of Pop songs, it's one of the most likely to see the light of day again.

 

[popacrobat]

It was also thoroughly rehearsed during the Vertigo Tour.

That's news to me. I know Discotheque, Mofo, Velvet Dress were rehearsed often, and that a Pop encore was supposed to occur during that run of 5 MSG shows and then on a potential stadium leg in '06 in the US, but that never happened. Never heard of Please being rehearsed extensively on Vertigo.

 

[Axver]

That's news to me. I know Discotheque, Mofo, Velvet Dress were rehearsed often, and that a Pop encore was supposed to occur during that run of 5 MSG shows and then on a potential stadium leg in '06 in the US, but that never happened. Never heard of Please being rehearsed extensively on Vertigo.

It was being rehearsed on the first leg - that's why it started to be snippeted.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

BOY:
Another Time, Another Place
Shadows and Tall Trees
I think everything else on this album has a chance, if they ever get in a nostalgic mood

OCTOBER:
I fall down
Rejoice
Fire
With a Shout
Stranger in a strange land
Is that all
- I think we can all agree it's very likely Gloria and October will be played again at some point. Wishful thinking, but I'd love for them to bust out I Threw a Brick! Tomorrow might be snippeted in a Bono/Edge type fashion someday.

WAR:
Seconds
Like a song
Refugee
Red Light

UF:
Promenade
4th of July
Indian Summer Sky
Elvis Presley and America

JT:
Red Hill Mining Town
Trip through your wires

RH:
Heartland
Hawkmoon 269

AB:
So Cruel
TTTYAATW
Acrobat

Zooropa:
Babyface
Numb
Lemon
Daddy's gonna pay...
Some days
Dirty Day

POP:
DYFL
LNOE
Miami (Look for snippets when U2 play Miami)
Playboy Mansion
Velvet Dress

ATYCLB:
Wild Honey
Peace on Earth
WILATW
New York (possible snippets in NYC)
Grace

HTDAAB:
Miracle Drug
L&POE
Crumbs
One Step
OOTS
Yahweh

NLOTH:
NLOTH
Unknown caller
SUC
Fez-BB
White as snow
Breathe
Cedars

Well, good list but they could still come back with Seconds, LNOE and NLOTH.... to me they are the best chances from your list. Didn't they talk about Seconds being rehearsed on the Vertigo or 360 tour?

 

[Galeongirl]

I would add a couple more, mostly non album songs.

Drowning Man(It was rehearsed SO MUCH, obviously didn't work so will not be touched again)

Electrical Storm(Same reason, even though it was awesome, apparently they didn't like it)

A Celebration
Sweetest Thing
THe Hands That Built America

 

[The Panther]

I feel confident that "Life on a Distant Planet" will not be played again.

 

[The_acrobat]

I feel confident that "Life on a Distant Planet" will not be played again.

If they were to play a pre-boy song (other than 11:00 tick tock) this should be the one. Underrated song, and I think it'd sound great.

Didn't Edge say something along the lines of "LNOE is no NYD or SBS... otherwise we'd still play it".

U2 could play anything off the Joshua Tree and the crowd would mostly know it. I mean, the album did sell 20 million copies. More people know IGC and Exit than GOYB, for example.

 

[IanIinTheSky]

I don't know. Depends on the city/venue. I bet more of the casual American fans in football stadiums would know GOYB more than Exit.

 

[gvox]

Wow, am I the only one who did not know about that murder case?

Apart from maybe a bit of a U2 reference, it's not surprising that younger generations didn't hear too much about it.

I heard about it fairly extensively at the time, it was a high profile case.

Young people studying privacy laws may have heard about it, also.

The case was the catalyst for new privacy laws at the DMV (and equivalent departments in Canada): iirc, he got her address by having someone search DMV records which were super easy to get at the time.

So it was more notable for that issue, than the U2/Exit connection, really..

 

[YBORCITY]

I'd welcome not hearing Get on your boots again...

See Bonocomet I didn't have to say anything!!!

I know Dirty Day wouldn't be played again but I wouldn't mind it.

 

[Blue Room]

That's news to me. I know Discotheque, Mofo, Velvet Dress were rehearsed often, and that a Pop encore was supposed to occur during that run of 5 MSG shows and then on a potential stadium leg in '06 in the US, but that never happened. Never heard of Please being rehearsed extensively on Vertigo.

It was not rehearsed extensively. However it was worked on during the first leg with the thought that it could be a part of the European stadium tour setlist rotation. It was the full band version. Never transpired obviously. U2 has a lot of great ideas and some poor ones as well when they "tinker" with stuff in soundcheck. I would say there are a TON of songs that are very unlikely. But I would never say never on just about anything that has made an album.

The "Popcore" was actually being worked on for the tentatively planned for use on the N. American Vertigo stadium leg for the summer of 2006. When that was cancelled rehearsal of the Popcore, specifically Mofo, stopped. Although they began working on Velvet Dress prior to the MSG shows occurring. I do not know if they had thoughts of using it for those.

Someone else pointed it out, but did anyone realistically expect U2 to play An Cat Dubh ever again? Not many, if any. So you never know.

 

[dismantlemyfly]

Womanfish.

Although with a new album supposedly coming out....

 

[YBORCITY]

It was not rehearsed extensively. However it was worked on during the first leg with the thought that it could be a part of the European stadium tour setlist rotation. It was the full band version. Never transpired obviously. U2 has a lot of great ideas and some poor ones as well when they "tinker" with stuff in soundcheck. I would say there are a TON of songs that are very unlikely. But I would never say never on just about anything that has made an album.

The "Popcore" was actually being worked on for the tentatively planned for use on the N. American Vertigo stadium leg for the summer of 2006. When that was cancelled rehearsal of the Popcore, specifically Mofo, stopped. Although they began working on Velvet Dress prior to the MSG shows occurring. I do not know if they had thoughts of using it for those.

Someone else pointed it out, but did anyone realistically expect U2 to play An Cat Dubh ever again? Not many, if any. So you never know.

Great post..... how about them breaking out YBR and less shockingly UltraViolet... You never know I guess... I wonder how they decide what they should play?

 

[IanIinTheSky]

I think The Ocean was the most surprising song from their last few tours

 

[trevgreg]

I wonder how they decide what they should play?

Someone here gave a great post in that respect, but I can't remember who or exactly what they said. It was something along the lines of...

a. What do they feel like playing? If so, are all four on board with it?
b. Can Bono still give the vocals justice today?
c. Does it even sound good in a live setting?
d. Does it fit with the theme(s) of the tour or their newer material?

I'm sure it's a bunch of different things in the end.

 

[U2Fan101]

I'd say if it was not a single, it's good as gone. Then if it was on October, Rattle and Hum, Zooropa, Pop, HTDAAB and NLOTH, those albums are gone too. I bet it'll pretty much be greatest hits plus new songs. I don't want to get my hopes up anymore.

 

[trevgreg]

I'd say if it was not a single, it's good as gone. Then if it was on October, Rattle and Hum, Zooropa, Pop, HTDAAB and NLOTH, those albums are gone too. I bet it'll pretty much be greatest hits plus new songs. I don't want to get my hopes up anymore.

They pulled out album tracks like Ultra Violet and Zooropa on the last tour, so I wouldn't put money on saying the non-singles won't be played again.

 

[popacrobat]

I'd say if it was not a single, it's good as gone. Then if it was on October, Rattle and Hum, Zooropa, Pop, HTDAAB and NLOTH, those albums are gone too. I bet it'll pretty much be greatest hits plus new songs. I don't want to get my hopes up anymore.

this is sort of ridiculous when you look at the last two tours

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Yes we will get a few surprises like on the last 3 tours. But I pretty sure the main 10 warhorses will survive

 

[trevgreg]

Yes we will get a few surprises like on the last 3 tours. But I pretty sure the main 10 warhorses will survive

It'll be fine though. That still gives them 10 or more songs to switch around, which more or less happened on the 360 tour. Plus, out of the 11 songs they played consistently on the last tour, 3 of them were new ones. Take away Streets (which everyone wants to hear live anyway), and that's 7 older songs that got played consistently. And I'm sure those will change too on the next go-around.

 

[popacrobat]

I'd say if it was not a single, it's good as gone. Then if it was on October, Rattle and Hum, Zooropa, Pop, HTDAAB and NLOTH, those albums are gone too. I bet it'll pretty much be greatest hits plus new songs. I don't want to get my hopes up anymore.

they'll also never play Stay, All I want is You or Vertigo ever again either. come on.

 

[brooklynmike]

Someone here gave a great post in that respect, but I can't remember who or exactly what they said. It was something along the lines of...

a. What do they feel like playing? If so, are all four on board with it?
b. Can Bono still give the vocals justice today?
c. Does it even sound good in a live setting?
d. Does it fit with the theme(s) of the tour or their newer material?

I'm sure it's a bunch of different things in the end.

All of the above, with "d. Does it fit with the theme(s) of the tour or their newer material?" being the gateway to being sent to filter through the other 3 options.

Vertigo had a decent amount, but I think 360 had the most "holy shit, really!?" songs.

 

[brooklynmike]

I have a feeling that Bullet will be back and they'll surprise us with 2 of the horses being sent to the bench. Of course, at least one of the two horses will be back after 6 shows or at least after the first leg.

If I had to choose 1 warhorse to be shelved, it's a toss up between One and WOWY because of the lack of intensity of the past 3 or 4 tours. I'd have to go with One.

 

[gvox]

I have a feeling that Bullet will be back and they'll surprise us with 2 of the horses being sent to the bench. Of course, at least one of the two horses will be back after 6 shows or at least after the first leg.

If I had to choose 1 warhorse to be shelved, it's a toss up between One and WOWY because of the lack of intensity of the past 3 or 4 tours. I'd have to go with One.

I agree with seeing Bullet come back. It's timeless IMO

I can't see them ever giving up on WOWY or One. Even superstars like these guys need what I like to call the "win" songs at regular intervals in the show: the songs where you get the maximum love possible back from the audience. These are 2 of the (if not the 2) songs they get the biggest returns from. Can't see them letting go of that. I sure wouldn't.

 

[dazzledbylight]

I loved it if BTBS returned!

Ha... in the '11 shows i saw it was the first time in several tours that i enjoyed One agin

but One or WOWY are far from my favs

yeah i suppose UC won't be played


oh god I'd love IGCElectric! I don't remember it live when it was played on the JT tour- the one show i saw.

I was ecstatic hearing Zooropa live! Omg! And i didn't mind choosing to be "spoiled" (looking under the spoiler tag or equivalent of one) at all!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I agree with seeing Bullet come back. It's timeless IMO

I can't see them ever giving up on WOWY or One. Even superstars like these guys need what I like to call the "win" songs at regular intervals in the show: the songs where you get the maximum love possible back from the audience. These are 2 of the (if not the 2) songs they get the biggest returns from. Can't see them letting go of that. I sure wouldn't.

I agree about Bullet, and wish we coule have had it on 360... but only if it's angry Bullet solo, not the subdued Bullet solo from the Vertigo tour.

As far as huge giant songs going away... I've seen Springsteen 15 times. I've seen Thunder Road performed only twice, and went my first 10 Bruce shows without seeing it played once... which made when I finally got to hear it live all the more special and goosebumpily.

But on the flip side, he's played Badlands at 14 of the 15 shows I've seen, and it gets me going every time.

So I think there's an argument to be made with both sides of the story. I don't know which one is more right than the other.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I have a feeling that Bullet will be back and they'll surprise us with 2 of the horses being sent to the bench. Of course, at least one of the two horses will be back after 6 shows or at least after the first leg.

If I had to choose 1 warhorse to be shelved, it's a toss up between One and WOWY because of the lack of intensity of the past 3 or 4 tours. I'd have to go with One.

I think One has lost some of it's gusto live because of the preachy long winded intros that have accompanied the song of late.

My favorite version of one freon the past two tours was from Glastonbury, when they played it like 4 or 5 songs in, and just went right into the song with no prolonged intro.

 

[gvox]

I agree about Bullet, and wish we coule have had it on 360... but only if it's angry Bullet solo, not the subdued Bullet solo from the Vertigo tour.

You can say that again. There's only one Vertigo Bullet solo worth listening to again IMO and I think it wasnt even intentional. Iirc it was one of the nights in Toronto and either on purpose or by mistake his distortion or od was left cranked up..so picture the style of Vertigo but with the grunge of Zoo..really cool. I remember him making a face at the end of it like he wasnt pleased but after hearing the neutered version 20+ times by that time I was like "THANK YOU!!" Lol. But otherwise I tend to agree the best Bullet solos are pre Vertigo all the way!

 

[Blue Room]

Bullet needed a break for a tour. I would guess it is back next tour and will be ready to hear it again. It is Paul McG.'s favorite U2 song so they will probably bring it back. I was a little surprised it was not on 360. I just wish they would go back to Running following it. Vertigo Bullet did not have the greatest solo or punch but for the first leg it was followed by Running which is a great combo IMO and made up for it to me.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Bullet needed a break for a tour. I would guess it is back next tour and will be ready to hear it again. It is Paul McG.'s favorite U2 song so they will probably bring it back. I was a little surprised it was not on 360. I just wish they would go back to Running following it. Vertigo Bullet did not have the greatest solo or punch but for the first leg it was followed by Running which is a great combo IMO and made up for it to me.

I don't really think it's about getting a break or not, I think it's more about how they approach the song. Streets was getting a little thin during Vertigo as well, but came back with a vengeance on 360.