No POP songs???

[Chizip]

It is unfathomable (is that a word?) to me that only half the audience knows Bullet. I mean, it's Bullet. How many people at concerts have heard the Joshua Tree?


Annnnnnnnyway, I much rather hear Please too. At this point, if I ever hear Bullet live again it will be too soon. (Did I just write that?)

i actually thought half was being generous. if you look around during bullet the crowd is dead. maybe they are just savoring it, but i think at least half dont know what it is.

i know someone that had great lower seats for one of the shows. she was surrounded by old business type men and their trophy wives/girlfriends. before the concert when dallas walked around the ellipse testing the guitars one of them shouted, look, its the edge its the edge. the only time they ever got excited during the show was during beautiful day and pride. now tell me why U2 should play their hits to make these fans happy rather than their best songs to make the best possible concert for people who actually know the songs.

i dont know where i was really going with that, but it just kind of bothers me when people say U2 needs to play to the masses. the masses are idiots, U2 should just play their best songs and maybe convince the masses they have other good songs besides the hits.

sorry about the rant, it really has nothing to do with any of this

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

U2 should just play their best songs and maybe convince the masses they have other good songs besides the hits.

Best thought of the thread.

 

[Chizip]

I think setlist variation would be cool, I think they have done some actually. May not be the exact songs some of you want or as much as some would like, but it has been done. Thing is, I had the greatest time of my life on one of their most static tours Popmart. Saw 10 shows and loved all of them. I just get the feeling we have alot of glass is half empty people around here these days.

i just think setlist variation is the one and only valid critcism of U2's live shows, and since there is nothing else to complain about that it gets picked on a lot.

 

[jay canseco]

If U2 would put ONE 'surprise' song into each concert, it might solve most of the complaints? They would just have to figure out where to fit this song into the regular setlist.

 

[The OOTS]

I personally dont consider songs that havent been done in 18 to 25 years done to death!! Then you list songs that were staples on tours done within the last 18 years!!??? No, your theory is they are not doing the older non single songs YOU want them to. They could play some of the songs you indicated and I GUARANTEE you there would have been someone saying "why cant they delve deeper into their catalog and bring back non single classics like An Cat Dubh and Electric Co". Its a no win situation regardless of what they do.

It might kill U2 to do the songs you mention. Why? Because if the band wanted to do them, they would be! Its that simple. The band thought about doing Please though, and they still may. Exit was a bullshit rumor. UF I would also like to see done, but its tough on Bono's vocals. It has been in the running though the last two tours. I think it will surface again someday. Thing is, my dream song that I thought would never be done again is being played this tour. Electric Co. So its all about perspective and what YOUR personal taste is. There is NO way U2 can satisfy every single fan. They try to satisfy most of the crowd, not 2% of them.

I appreciate the old songs. If the Electric Co, An Cat Dubh, Gloria segment is for the FANS ....it certainly would not kill them to rotate in a song or two I mentioned previously...at least in multiple city dates. I seriously think that Pride, SBS, or Elevation could be rotated as well.

Don't even get me started on VertigoX2.

 

[The OOTS]

i just think setlist variation is the one and only valid critcism of U2's live shows, and since there is nothing else to complain about that it gets picked on a lot.

Exactly. It is the ONLY criticism I have of U2 live performances.

 

[The OOTS]

 

[U2Man]

i actually thought half was being generous. if you look around during bullet the crowd is dead. maybe they are just savoring it, but i think at least half dont know what it is.

i know someone that had great lower seats for one of the shows. she was surrounded by old business type men and their trophy wives/girlfriends. before the concert when dallas walked around the ellipse testing the guitars one of them shouted, look, its the edge its the edge. the only time they ever got excited during the show was during beautiful day and pride. now tell me why U2 should play their hits to make these fans happy rather than their best songs to make the best possible concert for people who actually know the songs.

i dont know where i was really going with that, but it just kind of bothers me when people say U2 needs to play to the masses. the masses are idiots, U2 should just play their best songs and maybe convince the masses they have other good songs besides the hits.

sorry about the rant, it really has nothing to do with any of this

You're so right, Chizip....and there's a thing to add about Bullet.....musically, we have to admit, it's not really anything special....it's the political thing, that has made people excited about it, but if you just listen to the tune, it's not really something worth remembering. It's time for U2 to give songs like Bullet a BIG rest and play some of the songs that they don't normally play. But it seems like they're afraid to do it....I don't get it......somehow it has to be boring for them, too, playing the same song 300 times every time they go on tour for 25 years

 

[achtungbarry]

bring back pop

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

I agree that Bullet needs to go away for a long time. Maybe people are dead during the song b/c it's boring.

As far as the old men/trophy wives go, yes they buy the expenisve seats. They do so at every concert for just about every artist/group. I saw, screw them. Noone should have to play hits for these people. These are not the masses anyway. You don't have to dump all the hits but dump the stale stuff.

If I had to do the same thing night after night I would be bored out of my mind. I wonder if they get bored?

 

[Zoomerang96]

of course they're bored, how could any human not be bored after this?

 

[dreamletter]

As U2 don't play back catalogue songs they haven't played before very often (The Sweetest Thing being the one exception) I suspect Gone will make an appearance or most likely Staring At The Sun.

 

[U2girl]

One would think having the "Africa" and "War" trilogies would spell it out what the theme of this tour is.

I think last two tours proved it's impossible to please U2 fans in matters of setlist.

 

[AtomicBono]

i wouldnt say Bullet is a "hit," I bet only half the audience at each show knows what it is. if they would just substitute Please in for Bullet I think the set would be so much better

just switch that one song and I'd be in heaven

same here.

I just demand one Pop song. ONE. I don't care which one (though Please would be ), I just can't accept them ignoring one of their best albums the whole tour. I mean, come on, at least play GONE or something. Maybe if they're ambitious enough they'll throw out Mofo which would put me in rapture. Before I would have said "no way U2 would play Mofo again," but um...they just played MISS SARAJEVO. At this point I'm convinced anything COULD happen, setlist wise.

...except Acrobat

oh, and what about Zooropa? They need to play Zooropa songs too.

 

[Zoomerang96]

i agree.

their first leg setlists were quite good compared to what they're doing lately, though they deserve an absurd amount of props for pulling out mrs. sara7evo. that's very cool.

but come on...play please. or mofo. or something from pop AND zooropa. don't make me beg.

 

[guill]

So, you all want :

SBS
Please
LAPOE

and why not

Please
LAPOE
Seconds

The reference to the atomic bomb in Seconds would be very funny and ironic.

 

[Chizip]

So, you all want :

SBS
Please
LAPOE

and why not

Please
LAPOE
Seconds

The reference to the atomic bomb in Seconds would be very funny and ironic.

that would be sweet, I only said Please for Bullet because it would be a non hit replacing a non hit, Seconds for SBS would be a bit of a stretch

 

[zoopop]

I think,

LPOE
Please
SBS

would work better.

 

[The_acrobat]

My thought is that if you write a song as good as Stay, then it's almost sinful to not play it at least every couple of gigs.

 

[starvinmarvin]

My thought is that if you write a song as good as Stay, then it's almost sinful to not play it at least every couple of gigs.

Agreed...we should be complaining about the absence of STAY, and NOT the frigging mediocre piles of shit from Pop

 

[MTEdge]

Agreed...we should be complaining about the absence of STAY, and NOT the frigging mediocre piles of shit from Pop

I've been listening to POP the last couple of days in the car (on the way to work and all), and I must say, it's ahead of its time much like the way Zooropa was. That still doesnt mean that POP or even Zooropa songs should be played on the Vertigo tour though.