The only way I could see "The Fly" done in acoustic, is the way Bono and The Edge started out the song on the Boston DVD. It'd be difficult to do the verses in acoustic, I think.
A street busker once played it for me on his acoustic guitar. This was a few years ago so I don't remember much. I do remember thinking it was pretty cool though. He earned himself a good few bucks from me that night.
you could play the regular verse part, just let the open E or open A (depending on your key) ring as usual. The chorus, just strum it, like the Elevation Boston chorus. the solo, well...
Hi there! This is my first post here and I salute you all!
I'm an U2 fan from Romania and I often do U2 tributes with fans around here. I played twice The Fly acoustic in front of them and it sounded great. For the verse you just keep the rhythm on E for the most part, and then A D. It's all about the strum and the rhythm, but I do not agree with the opinion that this song can't be played acoustic. I know for a fact it can.