Anybody know why they always play the same songs?

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pulle28

The Fly
Joined
Aug 19, 2004
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I've been a fan for almost 20 years.
Seen them 10 times.
And it's NOT new to me, that their setlists never seem to change, when a tour is rolling.
But...I'm going to see Springsteen this summer, and the last few weeks I've been following setlist postings on different Springsteen websites.
Now, that is variation for ya...
In comparison, U2 seems to me a band so afraid of taking chances.
And a crowdpleaser - which is to be understood positively.
I'm not trying to stir things up here. Just want better to understand the "philosophy" behind U2's approach to setlists.
Looking at Zootv - the setlists are almost identical.
I remember Edge talking about the flow of a concert.
But does a Springsteen concert not have a flow, just because he uses different setlists?
Maybe U2 is more interested in getting the "spirit in the house", and from their perspective, that means playing their biggest hits.
I mean - I hate seeing Pride on the setlist, but it was actually that particular song that took the audience to the ultimate level last time I saw them.
To me, it seems like they approach a concert as if it was a play at a theatre. Bono shouting "you didn't come all the way out here to watc tv now did ya", and "now they take my calls". And Bono playing with the edge during UTEOTW (elevation tour).
I know Bono is an intelligent person, so why is he alway using the same phrases.
Look at me, just babbling...
Anyway, to sum it up: Pros and Cons of putting spontaneity in the background and routine in the foreground?
 
I have heard they like the concerts to also have a "play" feel about them, like acts in a play, certain songs, make up those acts, and if something doesn't quite "fit" with the act, kinda messes up the flow.

Some people may only see one concert, for that person, it's probably more surprise/magic, than say someone who goes to 5 or more? Just a guess.

U2 have played less known songs, spontaneous to those who get the chance to hear them, I got to hear "the Ocean," absent for years from a setlist. However, it didn't get nearly the response "New year's Day" got. Though, NYD, think it's the one song they nail every time, every gig.

Who was expecting to hear "Gloria" this time around? I'm bummed it wasn't during one of gigs I went to, but oh well.

With a solo act, it's easier to mix up the setlist, change it every night, it's just the one person, with U2, you've 4 people, who all have to remember how a song is played. Bono forgets lyrics, Edge doesn't remember how to play certain songs, Adam and Larry may have simply blocked out some things of their past, which might include songs. Probably joking, but both admit to not remembering a lot of things from their early days.

I have come to the conclusion that Adam's walks around the ellipse were not planned occurences. Even the "fog thingy" is mentioned on the set list. People expect Bono to be all over the catwalk, who expected Adam to? Even Bono seems genuinely surprised by Adam on this tour.

Hehe, one of my favorite new things this tour. ;)
 
I know Springsteen is doing it solo this time. But even when he´s performing with the E-street band, the setlist have much more variation than a U2 setlist.
What I think they have in common is that they have a huge pool of songs that almost everybody knows. I think Springsteen takes more advantage of that than U2.
I know the Ocean is not really a crowdpleaser, but that doesn´t necessarily mean that you have to play NYD every night to get the crowd going.
In that respect I think they could learn something from Springsteen.
It's still possible to surprise even hardcore fans without having to play exit or acrobat.
walk on, with or without you or even better than the real thing would qualify as a surprise performance this time around.
 
Bono said "New Year's Day" belongs to Adam. Perhaps this is the song when all the Adam fans make themselves known? ;)

It happens to be one of my favorite U2 songs, even if the song is a year younger than me.
:ohmy:
 
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A few reasons:

- U2 like to play a series of the same songs consistently well rather than varying it up and delivering sub-standard performances due to a lack of practise.
- Bono was recently quoted as saying that while other bands play a series of individual songs, U2 strive to play a flowing concert (not necessarily just sonically, but also thematically) and they maximise the emotional peaks they can climb, thus creating a static nature in the set.
- It works easier with the technology.
- Above all, it just seems that U2 are creatures of habit.
 
Good stuff Pulle...they could easily do it if they really wanted to. For whatever reason, they are just not able to dedicate/commit themselves to complete setlist spontaniety like Bruce or The Dead. For first timers, no big deal. For us oldies, it does get stale. As long as ticket sales remain this strong, they have no reason to change anything.
 
Artists who are creatures of habit - isn't that a contradiction in terms?
 
thrillme said:
Bono said "New Year's Day" belongs to Adam. Perhaps this is the song when all the Adam fans make themselves known? ;)

It happens to be one of my favorite U2 songs, even if the song is a year younger than me.
:ohmy:
Click to expand...

seems we were born the same year...cheers
 
A U2 setlist tells a story. The songs are measured how they complement each other so they become a rollercoaster ride. You cannot just mix things up and expect to get the same result. Pearl Jam also likes to mix setlists up but I have this one bootleg and there is just no coherent flow to the show, its just a collection of random songs. Like as if a random setlist generator spews something out.
Now if you can fault U2 anything is that for every tour they create just one setlist when it could never hurt to have more then one setlist that flows. That way for multiple nights you get more variation then just a few songs that get swapped.
 
Maybe they want to have lots of fans attending one show each instead of having a handful of fans attending multiple shows. Is that such a bad thing?

I had tickets to multiple Boston shows, but after torrenting the first few concerts, I decided to give up all but one of my Boston tickets.
 
OK - let me tell you something.

Back when I heard that Bad was off, that I Will Follow was off and that With Or Without You was off I was very happy. We're talking when we'd just heard the San Diego 1 setlist. I was sad that Pride was on. I didn't really care for Streets. You know, all those overplayed songs, to hell with them.

But then I heard the boot of Streets. And by just imagining myself standing there, singing along, I had tears in my eyes. Not because I love the song to death. It's not near my U2 top 20. But what it does have is the ability to make the entire crowd go nuts. Even if I look more forward to hearing The Electric Co. and Zoo Station and Mysterious Ways - I know that it's either Streets that's going to be the highlight(OK, so if they throw in Until The End Of The World I may change my mind...). Simply because that is when every soul in the stadium will is fixed towards the music. The same goes for hearing Bad from Phoenix. I thought "FUCK! NO ZOO STATION! I'M GONNA KILL 'EM!" But then, simply by hearing the great crowd response of the boot I knew that inside, I'd rather hear Bad.
I guess they play those song each time because they know that even if they like it or not, their fanbase is made from these songs.

So go ahead with all the classics.
New Year's Day too (!)
 
Axver said:
A few reasons:

-- Bono was recently quoted as saying that while other bands play a series of individual songs, U2 strive to play a flowing concert (not necessarily just sonically, but also thematically) and they maximise the emotional peaks they can climb, thus creating a static nature in the set.
Click to expand...

The is the above all and end all. Bands vary in the setlists they play. You go see a band like Pearl Jam, Phish, the Dead, Bruce, etc - they're going to play different stuff every night. In fact, in 3 nights in Boston last year, PJ repeated ONE song. They played something like 105 tracks. They were fantastic. But there's a difference.

There were mistakes. And there wasn't 1/10 of the emotion of a U2 show.

Whatever they're doing, they're doing right. And they are mixing it up. They must have surprised the hell out of Chicago by closing with Bad. I know I would have been moved.
 
The backlash from all the haters who didn't get Pop has done damage to U2 that cannot be understated...

That was their last really "out there" moment, and too many people b#ched about it...
 
And I think they just play the same, and simlar sets in each city so nobody misses out....
We can sit here and whine in the setlist party :), and go to every show of the tour, and complain that we get the same set....
 
The band doesnt remember the entire back catelog of music either. But more then anything I think the reason the setlist doesnt change much is because 90 percent of the people going to these shows are going to 1 show only and why shouldnt they get the same quality that somebody going to 10 or 15 shows gets?
 
MrBrau1 said:
They're not good enough musicians to play songs w/o rehearsing them alot. Thus, the very limited sets.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the variation on the Lovetown tour meant all the songs sounded like shit. :rolleyes:
 
But this discussion of a flow... I'm not sure I accept it.
The logic in this seems to be, that all of a sudden "pride" has to be followed by "where the streets". And "Yahweh" has to be followed by "40".
But all the older songs have had different "song-neighbours" during the many tours.
I accept that U2 needs to feel secure about the flow. I just don't accept that some songs only make sense in connection with particular other songs.
 
pulle28 said:
But this discussion of a flow... I'm not sure I accept it.
The logic in this seems to be, that all of a sudden "pride" has to be followed by "where the streets". And "Yahweh" has to be followed by "40".
But all the older songs have had different "song-neighbours" during the many tours.
I accept that U2 needs to feel secure about the flow. I just don't accept that some songs only make sense in connection with particular other songs.
Click to expand...

Remember, on each tour, the band are striving to create a different and individual impact with the particular tour. Hence why they will keep some songs very closely together: for example, note the theme created by Pride/Streets/One this tour. The songs may have had different neighbours in the past, but in the past, the band were striving for a different effect.

That said, I don't see why they can't create the same effect of Pride/Streets/One with Crumbs/ISHFWILF/Pride or something like that ...
 
Or something like this:
Stay/Silver & Gold/Where the Streets/One

(Maybe some people think S&G is a rarity - I think alot of people have listened to R&H for years and years, thereby most people will be able to recognise it. And...my littlefinger to hear the words: "OK Edge - play the blues")
And: It leaves a place in the middle for Bono to talk one more time about Africa)
 
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PopMart2005 said:
The backlash from all the haters who didn't get Pop has done damage to U2 that cannot be understated...

That was their last really "out there" moment, and too many people b#ched about it...
Click to expand...

I agree with this post, and I will add that it wasn't just Pop, but the tour that went with it.

Is it any wonder that not even ONE song off of Pop has been played so far on this tour?

:tsk:
 
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