Red Flag Day Appreciation Thread

[AtomicHorizon]

A lot of people have mentioned this song's sonic connection to War. I personally love the connection between Sunday Bloody Sunday's "I can't believe the news today," and Red Flag Day's "Not even news today," lines. Sunday's younger, more innocent man is shocked and horrified by what is going on in the world. He is angry to the point that he wants to shout it out to the world to stir a peaceful revolution. On the other hand, the older, more experienced man is also shocked and horrified, but for a different reason. It is because the Syrian civil war's atrocities, which are far worse than the events of Bloody Sunday, continue on without the same public outrage. People are risking their lives and dying in the sea and elsewhere every day trying to escape to a normal life and the outside world does not even seem to care.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

Anybody else think the next single should be a double A side of red flag day and summer of love?

Sure why not, at this point there really isn't anything to lose. Make it an EP with some cool remixes and release it. I dunno. I'm out of ideas with this band or why they do the things they do. RFD should have been the lead single for SOE, maybe SOL could have been 4th single timing wise, as usual they botched the single choices and the album is a beached whale.

We've been under wildfire warnings lately and I keep hearing "Today is a Red Flag Day" on the news, so of course I immediately think of this song and then have it stuck in my head. Baby don't start a fire!

Ha - same here

 

[AtomicHorizon]

How are they not playing this song every night? It is fun, energetic, catchy, short, and excellent! A perfect song for the radio. This should be the next single/official release to radio after Love is Bigger.

 

[FazeCraze]

How are they not playing this song every night? It is fun, energetic, catchy, short, and excellent! A perfect song for the radio. This should be the next single/official release to radio after Love is Bigger.

I went in with no spoilers Thursday night and was bummed not to hear it. I was expecting it-seems like a perfect choice.

 

[super fly guy]

https://twitter.com/u2songs/status/1024740603144404993?s=19

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

They would totally wait until summer is over to release Summer of Love

 

[lazarus]

They should call this single "U2 Little, 2 Late"

 

[zoopop]

Glad to see Red Flag Day get a single push.


Great U2 song

 

[Macfistowannabe]

It took a few listens for me to really dig this one, but it belongs not only on the album, but the set list. It's even better live, and they're crazy if they've left it behind already.

A single? I don't know. That tends to get rewarded to the songs that are the most immediately accessible. Would it get much airplay?

Conceptually, a great follow-up on the album after "Summer of Love."

I wonder if they've played singles safe by rule since after "Discotheque."

At the time, they didn't even consider "I Still Haven't Found..." to be tossed as a single, and Bono was second-guessing himself with "With Or Without You."

I could go with "Lights of Home" as one. An accessible fan fave.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

So do they think that because Love Is Bigger got a little burn that people have forgotten about the first three turd bowl singles and they'll now release the good songs?

 

[trevgreg]

Considering at least two of the three did somewhat respectably in terms of airplay, I doubt they're regretting much at this point.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Considering at least two of the three did somewhat respectably in terms of airplay, I doubt they're regretting much at this point.

Two out of four.

Get Out and American Soul were DOA.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Get Out hardly made even the slightest dent in the airplay charts...it was embarrassing for a 2nd single.

AS was promoted like it was a single with the SNL performance, the videos created for it and March Madness promo but it never made ANY airplay charts. Perhaps they gave up on it when they realized it made no traction.

SOL should do well (for a U2 song) on the airplay charts.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Such another waste To show the world that they can still make great music. Red flag day and Summer of love should have been the singles.
Best thing and GOOYOW should be burried 1000 feet down the ground.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Such another waste To show the world that they can still make great music. Red flag day and Summer of love should have been the singles.
Best thing and GOOYOW should be burried 1000 feet down the ground.

I agree, very strange choices going on. I feel Summer of Love sounded fresh and different enough from what people expect from U2 that non fans would have got in to it.

Equally baffling is why Little Things was dropped completely, it's clearly an album standout and if placed in the right part of the set would have been a highlight of the live show.

 

[DeVaul]

They're dumb.

 

[The_acrobat]

They saw casual fans heading for the exits last summer when they closed with “Little Things”, and they lost all faith in the song. They stopped playing it halfway through, and never spoke of it again.

I say that like it’s a joke, but it’s probably not far from the truth. Closing the concert with an unreleased new song that is a bit of a slow burn was not a smart choice.

 

[The_acrobat]

The should’ve put “Little Things” at the beginning of the encore (in 2017). Let it start slow and then swell to the epic finish we all know it is... then play BD, Elevation, Vertigo etc immediately after. Would have made people actually listen to the new song, instead of flocking to the exit to beat the traffic.

Edit: sorry to get off topic. I appreciate Red Flag Day, as the thread title suggests.

 

[An Cat Gav]

They saw casual fans heading for the exits last summer when they closed with “Little Things”, and they lost all faith in the song. They stopped playing it halfway through, and never spoke of it again.

I say that like it’s a joke, but it’s probably not far from the truth. Closing the concert with an unreleased new song that is a bit of a slow burn was not a smart choice.

Yeah, I think you're almost definitely right. It should be played earlier on in the second set. Same can be said for Moment of Surrender, again, it's a great song but a terrible concert closer and should have been played much earlier.

Sorry for going off topic, I listened to Red Flag Day on the way to work just now and it really is a gem of a song, top3 on the album for me, no doubt.

 

[cseggleton]

Originally Posted by cseggleton View Post
only thing I can guess is they will release summer of love or red flag day to coincide with the tour. Otherwise i am baffled a band is this capable of writing really solid tunes and no clue about singles. Said it way too many times but it started with Gone and then Kite never being released...criminal!!

****I posted this back in April...I should have put coincide with 2nd leg of the tour!! HA!!

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Should have been the lead single followed by Landlady

 

[U2freakboy]

Adam recently said they’re now ready to “fully commit” to Red Flag Day. I wonder if it could still be a single.

 

[Zephyrpilot]

Starts kind of meager but is awesome once it picks up momentum. A nice companion to EBW