I just saw that MTV news thing, and according to Bono they considered not playing Streets at all this tour because it became such an emotional song after 9/11 but then he remembered he wrote the lyrics to Streets while living in a tent in Africa. According to him Streets has come home.
Never thought I'd say it...'Streets' has lost it's energy.
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amerrydeath
War Child
I don't know about earlier concerts, but Streets sounded UNBELIEVABLE at Boston 3. EVERYBODY was jumping, even the unenthusiastic losers sitting around me. It was otherworldly, the best song of the night.
blake
Babyface
Gotta weigh in.
Bono says often, as he did a few weeks ago, that they could have the absolute crap concert, but when they play Streets, it's like God walks through the room. I.E. it's their anchor, the one song they feel as a band, they can always go to. When you hear Strees begin, it's like church bells. Bono sings from his soul. It's a song that makes you want to sing from your soul. It sounds good this go around because it goes to its roots, the plains of Africa. Other tours had great presentations. I would agree with people who say the Popmart version was a great presentation. But that's what it was, a presentation. It didn't have the passion that it has had on these last two tours. It's like it awoke again, on the elevation tour. And this time, although a different presentation thatn before very tight. Bono sings it better than he had in Many, MANY years.
Bono says often, as he did a few weeks ago, that they could have the absolute crap concert, but when they play Streets, it's like God walks through the room. I.E. it's their anchor, the one song they feel as a band, they can always go to. When you hear Strees begin, it's like church bells. Bono sings from his soul. It's a song that makes you want to sing from your soul. It sounds good this go around because it goes to its roots, the plains of Africa. Other tours had great presentations. I would agree with people who say the Popmart version was a great presentation. But that's what it was, a presentation. It didn't have the passion that it has had on these last two tours. It's like it awoke again, on the elevation tour. And this time, although a different presentation thatn before very tight. Bono sings it better than he had in Many, MANY years.
Neenie
War Child
clerks said:
Sorry, couldn't help myself
U2Fan101
Refugee
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- 1,197
NHChris said:
That's it! Streets hasn't lost its energy. It needs to either open a show, be preceded by something powerful or open an encore. Pride is a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE choice to be infront of Streets.
Ghostwriter
The Fly
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U2Fan101 said:
Pride fits well in the setlist after Streets, not before like they are currently doing.
Perhaps we've just heard it played too much.
your non-obsessive fan would only hear it played live once every four years.
I don't know about this tour but, it always gets a huge reception from the crowd, and elevation was no excpetion.
your non-obsessive fan would only hear it played live once every four years.
I don't know about this tour but, it always gets a huge reception from the crowd, and elevation was no excpetion.
DubbalinGirl
The Fly
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I've followed this discussion closely because I felt the same way, sadly. I (seriously) figured it was the lack of red backlighting that accompanies the intro, myself. But now listening to the boots of the Boston shows, I realize it's the song that preceded it. When I hear Bad, Running to Stand Still or Please, I always start hearing the intro to Streets right after it because of how well it's been blended on previous tours. I think there was just no way to fade Pride into Streets successfully and it was just a bad segue. Let's hope they iron that out, I miss my Streets!
The best ever performance of it for me was the last Boston show in 01 when there was a long blend of the two songs and Bono sang snippets of Allison through it....just amazing. The whole lead up to the start of Streets is like a climax in itself, and then you get the song. That's what's missing!
The best ever performance of it for me was the last Boston show in 01 when there was a long blend of the two songs and Bono sang snippets of Allison through it....just amazing. The whole lead up to the start of Streets is like a climax in itself, and then you get the song. That's what's missing!
Clark W. Griswold Jr
War Child
Actually, I think they should shake it up a little bit and open a show or two w/ streets. Neither COBL or LAPOE are mind-blowing openers, IMO (great songs, just not openers)
It's not totally outside the realm of possiblity when you consider the homage they've already paid to AB and their early material in the setlist so far.
If they killed the lights at the start of the show and made the back drop glow a burning red, the crowd would go insane.
It's not totally outside the realm of possiblity when you consider the homage they've already paid to AB and their early material in the setlist so far.
If they killed the lights at the start of the show and made the back drop glow a burning red, the crowd would go insane.
IMHO DubbalinGirl and NHCHRIS had it exactly correct, the song seems to beg for a strong lead in. I too think of Street's opening Joshua Tree shows and then following Bad in later tours. When I read this whole thread at first I thought to my self unfortunately Street's may have run it's full course. Now as I think about it at NJ 1 and Boston 2 the crowd went insane. I probably would have left the shows missing that song.
No spoken words
Blue Crack Supplier
I still think it's a highlight, regardless of whether it is better or worse than past versions. I don't spend a lot of time comparing U2 to anyone, let alone U2, I kind of let the songs, at the time, speak for themselves. Everyone goes berserk during Streets, including myself, and the last thing I think during the performance of the tune is "This was better 4, or 8, or 12 years ago". It's pointless, at least for me.
I've seen them on every tour since JT, so I have seen them a lot, but I just don't think it's productive, or even fair, to compare and contrast different versions to the point that it precludes me from enjoying the show I'm at. Might as well stay home and listen to my favorite LIVE versions of each song as opposed to going to a concert at that point.
I've seen them on every tour since JT, so I have seen them a lot, but I just don't think it's productive, or even fair, to compare and contrast different versions to the point that it precludes me from enjoying the show I'm at. Might as well stay home and listen to my favorite LIVE versions of each song as opposed to going to a concert at that point.
BB Mac
War Child
the stadium shows in Europe Streets will come alive 
its a stadium anthem
BB Mac
its a stadium anthem
BB Mac
U2NZ
The Fly
Yup agreed, the more people in the audience, the better the song. Now I watched my first Vertigo tour video last night, and found the build up was amazing with the flag/ light curtains ... but I think one thing that stood out, and coincidentaly thought about it feeling flat before reading this thread ... and saw that lighting was a noticable change, usually when the build up finishes and all the lights in the arena all light up at once, and the crowd just goes crazy, but they didn't have it on this version of streets. Do you guys reckon that's part of the reason too.
Muad'zin
Refugee
It seems simple to me, put Streets in front of Pride after RTSS. That way you can run the human rights thingy over the intro and Bono can combine his massive preachings from the Pride outro and One intro into one. Although I fear that would be so massive his head would explode.
But please, please Bono, if you and the guys or someone who works for you brows through this forum, whatever you decide to do, please stop doing those stupid African chants during the Streets intro. You are U2 for god sakes, not the Police.
But please, please Bono, if you and the guys or someone who works for you brows through this forum, whatever you decide to do, please stop doing those stupid African chants during the Streets intro. You are U2 for god sakes, not the Police.
EPandAmerica
New Yorker
I've been fortunate enough to have seen Streets live since Love Town, and yes this tour it has lost that something that made it unworldly.
I don't even know if moving it around in the set list would help.
I don't even know if moving it around in the set list would help.
ZOOTVTOURist
Refugee
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Maybe those of you complaining might have lost their feeling for that song? To me it is one of the most inspired versions they play: with the "Africa" theme giving it new meaning and challenge to perform ...
Reggie Thee Dog
Blue Crack Addict
I dunno, I think it still has something, but the presentation may be lacking a bit.
IMO Bono was somewhat verbally subdued on the American Leg. I love Bono's pontifications, it's what make the show more personable I think.
IMO Bono was somewhat verbally subdued on the American Leg. I love Bono's pontifications, it's what make the show more personable I think.
kellyahern
Blue Crack Supplier
amerrydeath said:
I was there too. There was this moment when Bono was leaning on Adam at the tip of the ellipse and all the lights came on . . . it was the perfect moment
First 4 times I saw it...nothing. Like I was expecting the flood or rush...that never came.
It happened at Chicago 3 though, not like always...but close. He finally had his rhythm of the "Also an African dream, from the bridge of Selma on the Mississippi to the mouth of the river Nile, from the swamplands of Louisiana, Bigotry!.. to the high peaks of Kilimanjaro...from Dr. Kings America...to Nelson Mandela's Africa...the journey of equality moves on...ON!" speech. He finally believed his own words it seemed. Conviction was in the delivery, and that was conveyed to me.
The imagery there of the crossing of the bridge from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama...the Nile...the mountain peaks, the heartland of America. He is a poet. He is a master showman. He isn't always spontaneous though...and it takes him a while to hit his best notes sometimes.
I have always been a fan of U2's idea of America. Their criticism and praise isn't always well received...but their version is a country I want to live in. They have always helped me visualize what it is I find good in this country and what needs work. It is that irish sensibility that I remember from my first generation grandmother. Tell it like it is, the truth. This country embraces the memory of Dr. King...sometimes. It embraces its race history...sometimes. It is the heat of the contradictions that are so uniquely American. U2 has always been able to paint with these colors more vividly and with more passion than others. Perhaps they understand what it is to be American...not the geography or economics of it...but the spirit of what so many of us want it to be. The Ellis Island stories, the big ideas, going to the moon, race riots, bigotry, religion, the Irish American story, foreign policy, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The underdog...bleading from his lip...but still fighting. A blue collar band with aspirations of royalty. Is there anything more American? Street's celebrates this...and connects this countries tumultuous past with present day Africa. It is the most challenging version of the song I have seen, and I thank them for it.
It happened at Chicago 3 though, not like always...but close. He finally had his rhythm of the "Also an African dream, from the bridge of Selma on the Mississippi to the mouth of the river Nile, from the swamplands of Louisiana, Bigotry!.. to the high peaks of Kilimanjaro...from Dr. Kings America...to Nelson Mandela's Africa...the journey of equality moves on...ON!" speech. He finally believed his own words it seemed. Conviction was in the delivery, and that was conveyed to me.
The imagery there of the crossing of the bridge from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama...the Nile...the mountain peaks, the heartland of America. He is a poet. He is a master showman. He isn't always spontaneous though...and it takes him a while to hit his best notes sometimes.
I have always been a fan of U2's idea of America. Their criticism and praise isn't always well received...but their version is a country I want to live in. They have always helped me visualize what it is I find good in this country and what needs work. It is that irish sensibility that I remember from my first generation grandmother. Tell it like it is, the truth. This country embraces the memory of Dr. King...sometimes. It embraces its race history...sometimes. It is the heat of the contradictions that are so uniquely American. U2 has always been able to paint with these colors more vividly and with more passion than others. Perhaps they understand what it is to be American...not the geography or economics of it...but the spirit of what so many of us want it to be. The Ellis Island stories, the big ideas, going to the moon, race riots, bigotry, religion, the Irish American story, foreign policy, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The underdog...bleading from his lip...but still fighting. A blue collar band with aspirations of royalty. Is there anything more American? Street's celebrates this...and connects this countries tumultuous past with present day Africa. It is the most challenging version of the song I have seen, and I thank them for it.
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L03VIk
War Child
They should bring back the red lights...
Zooropa man
Refugee
Yeah, I took a bathroom break in Anaheim 1 during Streets...... uuurgghhh!!! ;-(
I think this version is one of my favorites, maybe the "oh oh oh oh" from Pride is a bit awkward to be a transition, but I enjoy the "journey of equality" speech and the African chants - I felt on Elevation the song sunk a bit after the great transition and intro scream from Bono.
Besides the lights still flash in the song, only later on.
Besides the lights still flash in the song, only later on.
sleus
Babyface
No way ´Streets´ has lost its energy
I went to the Gelsenkirchen show yesterday.
It´s not the red lights that do the trick.
It´s the crowd together with the band that cause the energy high peak of the show.
I went to the Gelsenkirchen show yesterday.
It´s not the red lights that do the trick.
It´s the crowd together with the band that cause the energy high peak of the show.
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