SOE 16: Protect This House

[Headache in a Suitcase]

NLOTH was released in February of 2009, and by this time we had official confirmation of that, and a name and date of the first single's release. We don't have anything right now, except the title "Songs of Experience", which has been floating around for awhile. March/April release is possible, but something needs to happen as soon as 2017 begins.

Hopefully Bono spills some beans at Christmas Eve!

And Songs of Innocence was released in September of 2014, with zero advanced notice of anything and/or single release. So nothing HAS to happen a certain way anymore in regards to the release.

The tour, however, is a different story. I think it's safe to say that they'll never start a tour without adequate rehearsal time again, after the PopMart opening debacle. I think it's also safe to say that after the botched release of SOI and the lost opportunity to properly promote the album because of Bono's bike accident that they'll put a premium on a good, solid promotional tour to help the album and ticket sales. Obviously that's not set in stone, and they could announce the album and tour on the same day... but they haven't had a quick turnaround since Pop, and nothing would lead you to think they'll so it again.

A schedule that I think makes sense based on what we know and what we assume we know...

Early to mid January - single release & album announcement.
Mid January - Bonnaroo set with U2 as a headliner
Feb - talk show circuit, maybe an appearance at the Grammys, leading to
Late Feb - album release
Mid March - tour announced, on sale end of week
May - tour begins in NA
June - Bonaroo
July - NA leg ends
August - European leg begins
December - SA leg, maybe outdoors
Early 2018 - Asia/Australia, possibly outdoors
Spring/Summer 2018 - European leg, possibly outdoors
Late summer / Fall - possible outdoor NA tour to finish off.

If sales are strong early I do think they'll take this outdoors... but if a certain region is underperforming (US) they can always go back to the indoor set.


If we get into late spring/summer before release, there's only really time for a short indoor run in the fall and winter... Possibly only in Europe at that point, with the rest of the tour starting again in 2018 in NA.

If we're talking a fall release, then there's no tour for 2017.

If they really are playing Bonnaroo, I'd think they'd want the album well before the gig so people know the songs. They wouldn't want to drop an album right before a festival and then use a festival to promote unknown songs, as a headliner.

 

[Hewson]

^You must be full of Christmas spirit to be so optimistic.

 

[Numb1075]

to go along with the positive vibes: i think the tinkering with the album just wrapped up. holiday vacation for the boys.

Early January, some cryptic thing will happen on U2.com...followed up with a new single.

New album in March and tour announcement

May/June tour begins.

 

[The_acrobat]

I want some of what you guys are drinking! WOOOO! I like that enthusiasm!


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[prbiker15]

Still sticking with the prediction I made in November:

February: SOE
March: Album promo & tour announcement
May - July: Europe (indoor)
September - November: North America (indoor)

 

[BEAL]

I'm still surprised at the festival talk. Just doesn't seem their style. Not even sure that festival has many U2 fans there, so if they play I would assume it would be U2:18 and not really a focus on new material.

I think we've had one art photo from Adam this month, so I still think the silence is a good sign.

But if we were to get some news before xmas, we would have gotten it by now. Think this week will start their 3 week holiday tour


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[Registered Dude]

I hear they're not touring a new album, but they are touring.

 

[Mack_Again]

They must be touring for POP .

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

I hear they're not touring a new album, but they are touring.

Seems crazy to tour without an album after clearly spending so much time prioritising the latter over the former. It would essentially mean the tour gap between 2015 and 2017 was pointless.

I had wondered if this might happen... perhaps they felt they could afford to take 2016 off to record, and that a 1/1.5 year gap was acceptable. Perhaps they feel like they can't put it off any longer, but because of the investment and great reviews, they don't want to scrap the I&E concept, so now touring is taking priority over recording. Or something.

... And if that's the case, then I have zero faith in SoE ever happening. It'll be SoA on the 360 tour all over again. I'm sure they'll say it's still coming, but one delay will lead to another and it just won't. If they couldn't finish it with an entire year uninterrupted, they're not gonna finish it whilst juggling a world tour as well.

 

[Numb1075]

I hear they're not touring a new album, but they are touring.

Damn...wtf

i've heard of taking off several months between legs but this would be ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong, if they toured w/o a new album, i'd still be thrilled to go. But what is there to grab people's attention? Same stage set up, same songs etc...

As of right now, i'd tend not to agree with you, Mr. Registered Dude.

 

[Numb1075]

PS, if SoE album does not happen, i'd say that they are done making new albums.

And if they continued to tour w/o new material, they'd be The Dinasaur Act that they've said they do not want to become (insert any old rock band name here).

So, i'm still gonna say SoE is happening in 2017.

 

[The_acrobat]

He said they won't be touring a NEW album, aka they'll be playing the Joshua tree for the 30th anniversary.

Wouldn't that scream relevance?!

Oh well, I wanna hear RHMT, OTH and Exit live anyway. BRING IT!


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[Bubble]

The Rolling Stones manage to be more relevant in 2016 than U2..think about it

As for 2017,the only shadow of a hope that we have is that little U2.com email last week.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

^You must be full of Christmas spirit to be so optimistic.

Meh... not really. It's just a realistic timeline as to what would have to happen to have a full tour in 2017.

This is still U2, and anything is possible. We know theyve been recording, we've heard at least one track in a remixed form... what the hell they're waiting for, I do not know. If they do, indeed, tour without an album... then yea, SOE is DOA.

If they tour without an album, I'd hope that they would at the very least put out a single or two, maybe an EP, of all the work they have done.

If not? Alright... that's cool. I wouldn't mind if they occasionally hit the road from time to time just because. But if they do they better at least mix things up a little and play some rarities and not just throw out the hit parade.

At least plug some rarely heard songs into the spots that would have been taken by new album tracks.

 

[TheGeekyU2Fan]

Ok guys, what did I miss? I was busy.

 

[Mack_Again]

Ok guys, what did I miss? I was busy.

GAF is somehow very mad at Mikal. nobody is sure of why.

 

[mikal]

My prediction:

Feb 2017: Interference melts down again because of absolute crickets.

June 2017: U2 decides to tour again and plays on the word Experience saying that there was never a new album planned and that the "Experience" was playing their old material.

June 2017: Interference melts down again.

 

[Registered Dude]

U2 could get away with playing a set of old hits for a new tour, if they chose to sell it a little more authentically. rather than try to wrap it in some new sort of spin..


"We're resuming the innocence and experience tour this summer. We'd hoped to have a new record out by this point, but it's taking more time than we'd like. So, we decided to hit the road anyway and play some of our favorite live songs. We're at our most creative when we're regularly playing, so this tour is an opportunity to remind ourselves of why we're in a band, connect with our fans, and fulfill a contractual obligation to Live Nation and get the songwriting juices flowing"

 

[The_acrobat]

Yeah, I figure at some point Live Nation is gonna want them to get their asses out there and make them their money. I know they are the great and powerful U2, and because of that they probably get a little bit of lenience. But at some point, even they have to answer to somebody.


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[Headache in a Suitcase]

i have zero issue with any band touring without an album to promoted. i don't give a turkey about them being branded as a "dinosaur act" for playing without new material or any of that bullshit. musicians play music. frankly i would like to see them tour more often in the off years between albums, even if it's just short tours here and there. everything doesn't have to be the massive U2 machine.

if that's what it is, then so be it - but i still find it hard to believe that they'll tour without an album. they could have been touring this entire time. i'd see that as a sign of defeat, an acknowledgement that they can't finish Songs of Experience, and that they've lost the confidence in their new material and are touring because they make a lot of money touring, which is different than touring because they just feel like staying fresh as musicians.

of course i'd still go, though.

 

[crapstable]

NLOTH was finished right before Christmas and released on March 2.

SOE ist NOT finished yet. A spring release would be a tough race.

In any case the tour will not wrap up before June - no way.

 

[U2girl]

I assume "band being busy" to mean an album and tour in 2017, not a festival show.

 

[BVS]

My prediction:

Feb 2017: Interference melts down again because of absolute crickets.

June 2017: U2 decides to tour again and plays on the word Experience saying that there was never a new album planned and that the "Experience" was playing their old material.

June 2017: Interference melts down again.

Even they aren't THIS stupid.

Or are they


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[The_acrobat]

I'm now about 50/50 on SOE not happening at all. I mean, what are they gonna do... tour all of 2017 and THEN release an album? That makes no sense, unless they plan to tour again through all of 2018?

I am not at all confident SOE will be released in the first half of 2017. There's just no evidence to support that happening. However, there seem to be rumblings of the album not being ready.


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[corianderstem]

I will be extremely disappointed in them if they tour without SOE. Not because I mind the concept of touring without a new album, but because there's no reason there shouldn't be an album.

I'd still go to whatever Pacific Northwest shows they did and will enjoy the shit out of them, but I will be bitching on the interwebs if it happens.

 

[ChargedVT]

Everyone here is aware that if a tour starts with an album not finished then we will not get an album.
Surely it can't be that hard to make 11 decent songs?

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[jeffarido]

Its been 6 years since the band has been to Australia. *Waiting patiently*

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[ChargedVT]

Its been 6 years since the band has been to Australia. *Waiting patiently*

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And at least 7 by the time it happens... i had a feeling i and e wouldn't get here to Australia so I'm glad I made a trip to London!
I'm not sure how avid the fanbase is here these days though... SOI barely made any noise...

 

[kabigon]

A gap of 7+ years will ensure plenty of demand regardless of whether there's any new material. It's not like NLOTH made much noise either, and that was only a 4 year gap.

 

[BVS]

I am not at all confident SOE will be released in the first half of 2017. There's just no evidence to support that happening. However, there seem to be rumblings of the album not being ready.


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What "rumblings"? The last most credible rumor was that they were in the studio with Lillywhite, which means they were more than likely at the end. For all we know, it's done.


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