Bono and Edge perform two (old songs) in O2 Dublin

[BVS]

oh well excuse me for even suggesting bono may have added a couple notes on guitar to a song.

what an asshole i am!

No one is suggesting that...

But you have to admit, it's just an assumption on your part, I'd like a little more than that to go with...

But it's no big deal, the extra notes are nice, makes you wonder why they didn't do anything with that...

 

[LemonMelon]

oh well excuse me for even suggesting bono may have added a couple notes on guitar to a song.

what an asshole i am!

You're not an asshole. A bit presumptuous, perhaps, but not an asshole.

The person we were joking about...maybe.

 

[bigjohn2441]

i know im not an asshole, just adding to the joking

well let me post my "evidence" again and ill leave it at that.

"if you watch during VDL, bono is sitting in a chair opposite of edge with his red gibson es-335 guitar so i assume that was him adding the extra notes in the beginning, not to mention the guitar tones were completely different and a gretsch white falcon, which edge was playing, doesnt sound like that. and also most of the stuff on the rattle and hum movie was all live, so they probably didnt use "overdubbing" during VDL and desire and the couple extra notes that were played probably werent substantial enough for an "overdub" as i dont think edge would go through all that trouble for like 8 random notes for a 10 second intro."

and i'll also make an even bolder statement and say i can hear bono's guitar on every song where he has one on the rattle and hum movie, and also pretty much all of the other songs where he actually plays not just holds.

if you're a guitar nerd like me and you know what to listen for you'll hear it too.

 

[Utoo]

Meh, I liked it, if for nothing else than to hear them do VDL again. I also liked how relaxed the song was.

 

[buzzkill27]

I love how Bono brought a guitar and did two things:

1. Held it.
2. Used it for percussion.

(Yes, I know he most likely had it for Desire, but, still, Bono guitar jokes are funny.)

Yeah if you go to the U2.com link it sends you to the program called "The View"(no,not the Barbara Walters snoozefest) on Irish RTE relevision....on the history of The Point Depot(a 6 min. segment) there is at least 4 additional minutes of U2 looking around the new venue and a clip of both Bono and Edge playing Desire

 

[last unicorn]

I love how Bono brought a guitar and did two things:

1. Held it.
2. Used it for percussion.

(Yes, I know he most likely had it for Desire, but, still, Bono guitar jokes are funny.)

They only showed a small snippet of Desire, but it looks like Bono is playing the guitar there quite vividly.

On how many occassions has Bono played 2nd guitar in an accoustic Desire version?

 

[U2DMfan]

well let me post my "evidence" again and ill leave it at that.

Actually, I think you're right.

 

[The_Edge89]

They only showed a small snippet of Desire, but it looks like Bono is playing the guitar there quite vividly.

On how many occassions has Bono played 2nd guitar in an accoustic Desire version?

Popmart comes to mind but I can't remember for how many shows on that tour. Axver?

 

[MikeyJB]

and i'll also make an even bolder statement and say i can hear bono's guitar on every song where he has one on the rattle and hum movie, and also pretty much all of the other songs where he actually plays not just holds.

if you're a guitar nerd like me and you know what to listen for you'll hear it too.

Yeah I know what you mean, I'm the same. You usually can tell what part Bono is contributing, he gets far too much flak for his guitar playing methinks.

 

[U2girl]

That's actually Dallas playing backstage, Bono's just holding the guitar chords.

 

[MikeyJB]

Actually I always thought that the guy who is credited as being 'Bono guitar tech' must have one of the most boring jobs! Unless its him hiding backstage playing Bono's 3 chords.....

 

[last unicorn]

That's actually Dallas playing backstage, Bono's just holding the guitar chords.

Actually it's Larry playing the drums backstage with Bono just pretending to be drumming on his guitar.

 

[The_acrobat]

Actually I always thought that the guy who is credited as being 'Bono guitar tech' must have one of the most boring jobs! Unless its him hiding backstage playing Bono's 3 chords.....

I was just thinking the same thing yesterday while watching Slane Castle. However, he did get to have a shining moment during Walk On when he took Bono's guitar backstage and fixed whatever was wrong with it and brought it back out for the song's finale.

I am also a guitar nerd. While I can hear what Bono is playing most of the time, I also think that most of the time it is unnecessary for him to be playing, as he's not really adding much. A few exceptions:

Kite: Bono strumming the acoustic is essential.
Stay ZooTV
Popmart Staring at the sun, where he played the opening solo
Running to stand still
Live version of Hawkmoon 269

Most of the time, I think Bono playing the guitar is just to give him a chance to stand still for a song. Even songs like One, The Fly, Gone that always have Bono on guitar wouldn't sound any different if he didn't play.

 

[bigjohn2441]

see, i think he needs to play more.

a lot of songs live sound like they're missing something. think how much better songs like ISHFWILF and WOWY were on JT and Lovetown when bono played. Also a couple more i can think of that he should play on:

All i want is you
desire
all because of you
HMTMKMKM
pretty much any song that has 2 or more guitar parts at once

and he def. knows how to play, although not as good as edge of course. but he can lay down good rythym guitar from time to time.

if you listen to some of the lovetown stuff, his playing is actually a crucial part to most of the songs

hawkmoon
aatw
aiwiy
knockin on heavens door -sydney

 

[bram]

see, i think he needs to play more.

a lot of songs live sound like they're missing something. think how much better songs like ISHFWILF and WOWY were on JT and Lovetown when bono played. Also a couple more i can think of that he should play on:

All i want is you
desire
all because of you
HMTMKMKM
pretty much any song that has 2 or more guitar parts at once

and he def. knows how to play, although not as good as edge of course. but he can lay down good rythym guitar from time to time.

Yeah, this is especially true with All I Want Is You. They never let this song build up quite like it's supposed to, and I think it has a lot to do with Edge being hamstrung by the basic strumming + need to solo--if Bono could play just A, D, and F on this song, it'd let Edge build things up and go crazy at the end. This song could be a monster live, but they often treat it like an afterthought.

 

[The_acrobat]

Yeah, this is especially true with All I Want Is You. They never let this song build up quite like it's supposed to, and I think it has a lot to do with Edge being hamstrung by the basic strumming + need to solo--if Bono could play just A, D, and F on this song, it'd let Edge build things up and go crazy at the end. This song could be a monster live, but they often treat it like an afterthought.

Couldn't agree more, that song should be absolutely EPIC live, but it isn't. However, when I saw them on Elevation tour (Indianapolis show), Bono did play acoustic guitar on AIWIY and it really did help fill in the sound more. Slane Castle was a few months after that, and he didn't play guitar on that song at that show, so they must have dropped that idea.

I think Bono probably is a good rhythm guitarist. I think that when playing live he just gets so excited and can't be arsed to play guitar correctly. If you watch him during One for example, his strumming is unsteady and spastic, and sometimes he just starts randomly finger picking. Finger picking would sound great on that song, except he doesn't do it for more than 10 seconds then stops playing altogether. But when he does play, he's always playing the correct chords. He knows bar chords and the like. I think he's just got more pressing matters on his mind.

 

[Rosebud]

I think that when playing live he just gets so excited and can't be arsed to play guitar correctly.

This made me LOL.


Ahhh, Bono guitar jokes never fail.

 

[greety]

Did anyone get/make a video link of this?

 

[PopFly]

Oh my god, this sounds amazing. The new melody of the ending.....

 

[mgokelly]

Originally Posted by u2search
Can anyone please explain how VDL and Desire fit into a Ronnie Drew tribute?

From what I understand, VDL and Desire were played to mark the opening of the O2 arena, after that Bono paid some form of moving tribute to Ronnie Drew, the songs probably aren't part of the tribute, (those songs wouldn't make sense in that context).

The second part of Bono/Edges appearance at the O2 was to pay tribute to Ronnie Drew, this was on Irish TV last week. Bono makes a good few appearances it's well worth watching if you have the time YouTube - RONNIE DREW gerry ryan's documentary if this link dosen't work go to youtube and type in 'Ronnie Drew Gerry Ryan' that should work.

 

[purpleoscar]

Thanks!

 

[last unicorn]

Thank you so much for this!

 

[PowerSurge]

Ha! Bono's Guitar playing discussion. Too funny!

I think it was either Adam or Edge who when asked about Bono's "guitar playing skills" they responsed with: Bono likes to WEAR guitar.

or something like that.

I wil admit that he's seemed to have gotten much better over the years. He was very embarassing to watch during the J-Tree/R&H tour days.

 

[purpleoscar]

YouTube - Bono and Edge - The O2 Arena -The View - U2MIRACLE.COM

I missed this. Though I'm not sure what it has to do with Ronnie Drew.

 

[last unicorn]

^ Part of it was shown on Irish programme The View a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't about Ronnie, but about the opening of the new O2 arena (formerly Point Depot), and Bono and Edge were the first to play there ... without audience, but still. On The View they showed Van Diemen's Land and the interview. Shame that Desire never surfaced.