Some changes to make the Vertigo setlists twice as good

[redhill]

First of all - dump these three stale and tired warhorses:

13. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
14. Where The Streets Have No Name
15. One / Old Man River (Snippet)

Sorry - they all sound dead.

Replace with Wire, Unforgettable Fire, One Tree Hill, In God's Country, Drowning Man, Mofo, Stay full band/electric, etc.

Then drop ABOY (which lets face it... is a subpar song at best) from the encore. Forever.

Replace it with a scorcher. Perhaps something like EBTTRT (give me one more chance... let me be your lover...) perfect for an encore song!) Or maybe even a late NYD or Like a Song!

Then alternate as they have been closing with 40 or Bad.

While we are at... lets get a full band Yahweh with the bridge included!

I know I am dreaming but it would be almost undeniably a better setlist.

U2 play so well now and have so many amazing songs that they don't have to include greatest hits if they are stale.

 

[cdparky]

First of all - dump these three stale and tired warhorses:

13. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
14. Where The Streets Have No Name
15. One / Old Man River (Snippet)

Sorry but Streets will never get stale and tired played live - no other song creates the same energy in the crowd (not just U2 - any gig I've been to). I could happily live without Pride though.

 

[Bodnex]

I know I am dreaming but it would be almost undeniably a better setlist.

No it wouldn't. Are you seriously suggesting switching Streets for something like Drowning Man? Switch the song that 99.9% of the audience can't get enough of, for a sub-par song that's only been played twice ever?

Off topic, but why do people want songs like Drowning Man, Acrobat, Like A Song and Promenade played? Do people actually prefer these songs to songs like Streets, or is it just because they've never been played before, and they have an extremely rare element to them?

 

[Axver]

Re: Re: Some changes to make the Vertigo setlists twice as good

No it wouldn't. Are you seriously suggesting switching Streets for something like Drowning Man? Switch the song that 99.9% of the audience can't get enough of, for a sub-par song that's only been played twice ever?

Drowning Man has never been played. Those two dates are snippets - miniscule ones at that - during 11 O'clock Tick Tock.

I also wouldn't call Drowning Man 'sub-par'. In fact, I think it's one of U2's five most beautiful songs and I'd love to hear it played. Of course, it can't compete with Streets in its heyday (JT/Lovetown), and probably not today either, but it'd still be cool. And it'd be miles better than Pride or One.

 

[Bodnex]

Re: Re: Re: Some changes to make the Vertigo setlists twice as good

Drowning Man has never been played. Those two dates are snippets - miniscule ones at that - during 11 O'clock Tick Tock.

I also wouldn't call Drowning Man 'sub-par'. In fact, I think it's one of U2's five most beautiful songs and I'd love to hear it played. Of course, it can't compete with Streets in its heyday (JT/Lovetown), and probably not today either, but it'd still be cool. And it'd be miles better than Pride or One.

Oh, didn't realise they were snippets, I actually checked on your website for it!

And I wouldn't call it sub-par either, just said that to piss off the OP. But it definitely is nowhere near my top 20 U2 songs. In fact, it's probably in the bottom half of War.

Does that make it sub-par then?

 

[ponkine]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Some changes to make the Vertigo setlists twice as good

I do agree the setlist should be improved !!!!!

Pride (in the name of love), One and ABOY should be left out, as well Elevation.

The segment With or Without You, Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Yahweh, All Because Of You is totatlly boring

Also I strongly believe they should have a fantastic intro as Zoo TV intro or Pop Musik. Even Elevation remix was good

We need more rockers and less ballads and mid tempo songs , so I woulnd´t go anymore with Miss Sarajevo. Even I´d drop Bullet The Blue Sky... unless they return with a Zoo Tv version

IMO, they must go with Pop numbers as Mofo, Last Night On Earth and Discotheque to make this show stronger. Also Acrobat and Dirty Day should be on.

My setlist for the 4th leg? Could be as follows:

1- Intro
2- City Of Blinding Lights
3- Vertigo
4- Mofo
5- I Will Follow
6- Love And Peace Or Else
7- Even Better Than The Real Thing
8- Mysterious Ways
9- Miracle Drug
10-Sometimes You Can´t Make It On Your Own
11-Angel Of Harlem (full band Lovetown version)
12-Who´s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
13-New Year´s Day
14-Dirty Day
15-Running To Stand Still
16-Where The Streets Have No Name
17-All I Want Is You

encores

18-Lemon (yes, LEMON)
19-Acrobat
20-Discotheque
21-One Tree Hill
22-Yahweh
23-Bad (snippet Walk On The Wild Side and others)
24-Elvis Presley and America

What a killer setlist

 

[redhill]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Some changes to make the Vertigo setlists twice as good

I do agree the setlist should be improved !!!!!

Pride (in the name of love), One and ABOY should be left out, as well Elevation.

The segment With or Without You, Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Yahweh, All Because Of You is totatlly boring

Also I strongly believe they should have a fantastic intro as Zoo TV intro or Pop Musik. Even Elevation remix was good

We need more rockers and less ballads and mid tempo songs , so I woulnd´t go anymore with Miss Sarajevo. Even I´d drop Bullet The Blue Sky... unless they return with a Zoo Tv version

IMO, they must go with Pop numbers as Mofo, Last Night On Earth and Discotheque to make this show stronger. Also Acrobat and Dirty Day should be on.

My setlist for the 4th leg? Could be as follows:

1- Intro
2- City Of Blinding Lights
3- Vertigo
4- Mofo
5- I Will Follow
6- Love And Peace Or Else
7- Even Better Than The Real Thing
8- Mysterious Ways
9- Miracle Drug
10-Sometimes You Can´t Make It On Your Own
11-Angel Of Harlem (full band Lovetown version)
12-Who´s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
13-New Year´s Day
14-Dirty Day
15-Running To Stand Still
16-Where The Streets Have No Name
17-All I Want Is You

encores

18-Lemon (yes, LEMON)
19-Acrobat
20-Discotheque
21-One Tree Hill
22-Yahweh
23-Bad (snippet Walk On The Wild Side and others)
24-Elvis Presley and America

What a killer setlist

Edge could sing the Lemon high notes, Larry or Adam could do Edges old vocals, and Bono could do the rest!

There is (now - for sure) no doubting Edge's falsetto!

 

[redhill]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Some changes to make the Vertigo setlists twice as good

Oh, didn't realise they were snippets, I actually checked on your website for it!

And I wouldn't call it sub-par either, just said that to piss off the OP. But it definitely is nowhere near my top 20 U2 songs. In fact, it's probably in the bottom half of War.

Does that make it sub-par then?

Thanks for trying to piss me off jackass! Drowning Man is not in the bottom half of War. No song is as beautiful and SBS and NYD are the only two as powerful.

 

[Bodnex]

Let's see, 10 songs in War. That means that it must be in the top 5...

SBS - so much better
Seconds - better
NYD - much better
Like a Song - Eh, slightly better
The Refugee - Hate it.
THBAO - Meh...
Red Light - Not a fan (love the intro though)
Surrender - Love it
40 - awesome

So, that leaves it outside the top 5 in War, which makes it sub-par. But funnily enough, War is one of my least favourite albums. It, October and RAH are 3 I've never really cared for.


encores

18-Lemon (yes, LEMON)
19-Acrobat
20-Discotheque
21-One Tree Hill
22-Yahweh
23-Bad (snippet Walk On The Wild Side and others)
24-Elvis Presley and America

Alright, this has to be a joke.

 

[cypress]

I like the setlists the way they've been going and I think most U2 fans will agree. One song I'd like to see make a return to the main rotation would be "Staring at the Sun" which is such a beautiful song. The setlists posted in this thread, while imaginative, are totally unrealistic.

I love "Pride" especially if it is played just right and I certainly don't want to see it retired for lesser songs. I'd prefer to see "Discotheque" played more often and I also prefer the Zoo Station/Zoo TV-type encore being more permanent because it is so fun and different from much of the rest of the songs plus it makes the curtain of lights just come alive like nothing else they have in this tour.

Bottom line is U2 will never go retro. If you look at the setlists as they are currently being played, it is obvious U2 does *not* want to become its own tribute band like the Stones and McCartney have. To accomplish this, the setlists for their concerts need to employ a lot of their newer material, period. Unlike the Stones and McCartney, U2 actually has newer songs of a good enough quality to put on great concerts with mostly 21st century songs.

I'm not making fun of your thread because I, too, have some old favorites I'd like to see them perform live (Acrobat, One Tree Hill, etc.). But in reality I don't want to see U2 become classic rock. In fact, I'd rather see them retire than go that route. I'll put up with some lesser newer songs (like "Stuck in a moment", a song I've never really liked live) in the main rotation because I know that by playing them live 4 times a week those songs will get better or they will eventually get dropped down on the rotation totem pole.

U2 is too good and too current to go backwards. When I want to see some of those older songs no longer played, I just pop in a tape from Zoo TV, Popmart, Elevation, etc.. and after the next tour I'll be saying the same thing about the Vertigo tour. Press on into the future, U2!

 

[Arcadion]

Pride, One & Streets should never be dropped. Ever.

 

[ponkine]

18-Lemon (yes, LEMON)
19-Acrobat
20-Discotheque
21-One Tree Hill
22-Yahweh
23-Bad (snippet Walk On The Wild Side and others)
24-Elvis Presley and America

Alright, this has to be a joke. [/B]

The only one joke is the actual setlist that U2 are playing

 

[Bodnex]

Acrobat? EPAA?!

Do you actually think that these two songs are better than the songs they are playing now, or do have a case of the "Rarities", lke most others here? Doesn't matter if the song is good or not, just so long as it's RARE!

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

I like the setlists we've been getting but I admit it can get a bit boring sometimes and I think what makes it boring are the overplayed classics. I think U2 has enough great songs to put on a great show. Here's an idea:


01. Love And Peace Or Else
02. Vertigo
03. All Because Of You
04. The Electric Co.
05. Elevation
06. Discothèque
07. An Cat Dubh / Into The Heart
08. Bad
09. All I Want Is You
10. City Of Blinding Lights
11. Beautiful Day
12. Miracle Drug
13. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
14. Walk On (acoustic)
15. Yahweh (acoustic)
16. Electrical Storm

17. Zoo Station
18. The Fly
19. Mysterious Ways
20. Original Of The Species

21. Fast Cars
22. 11 O’ Clock Tick Tock
23. 40


I think that's a very believable setlist. Spot number 22 could be reserved for many old (or not much played) songs that would fit that spot well and it would always be a surprise for the fans. It could be songs like Gloria, One Tree Hill, In A Little While, Crumbs From Your Table....

 

[LMP]

Here's one they could play, and would satisfy everyone I think

(/ - rotates with)

1. City of Blinding Lights
2. Vertigo
3. Elevation / Out of Control
4. All Because of You / Crumbs from Your Table
5. Fast Cars / Gloria
6. Electric Co. / I Will Follow
7. Until the End of the World / Gone
8. Beautiful Day / The Unforgettable Fire
9. Original of the Species / All I Want is You
10. Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own
11. Stay / The Wanderer
12. Love and Peace or Else
13. Sunday Bloody Sunday / New Year's Day
14. Miss Sarajevo / Miracle Drug
--- Human Rights ---
15. Running to Stand Still / Please
16. Where the Streets Have No Name
17. With or Without You / One

18. Zoo Station / Mofo
19. The Fly / Discotheque
20. Mysterious Ways / Last Night on Earth

21. Dirty Day / A Sort of Homecoming
22. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stuck in a Moment...
23. Bad-40

 

[Snowlock]

Never drop streets. I'd drop Pride, Bullet and One though. Sub for as you said, EBTTRT or Please, Crumbs, One Tree Hill, All I Want Is You.

ABOY can be saved. It just doesn't do it well live as you say. They need to make it feel a bit more vibrant. I'd use the light curtains during the song and add a second guitar, either by Dallas or pipped in.

If I never hear NYD again live I'd be fine with it. The song never changes. Glad Miracle Drug has been dropped for Oots; wish it had been at my show; as long as it's the full Oots, not the stripped down Leg 1 version.

 

[ponkine]

 

[popacrobat]

ABOY can be saved. It just doesn't do it well live as you say. They need to make it feel a bit more vibrant. I'd use the light curtains during the song and add a second guitar, either by Dallas or pipped in.

they do use the light curtains now for all because of you.

 

[Snowlock]

they do use the light curtains now for all because of you.

No kidding? Crap, wish I'd seen that.

My ideal setlist, assuming they play a top heavy HTDAAB rotation and their regulars: Streets, Pride, BD, Elevation, One (and dropping Bullet, SBS & Miss S)

1. Vertigo - Saw them open with this in Chicago. Believe me, it's the way to go.
2. ABOY
3. Cry/Electric Co
4. Gloria
5. BD
6. COBL
7. Elevation
8. Oots
9. Sometimes
10. Please
11. LPOE
12. Pride
13. Streets
14. One

15. UTEOTW
16. The Fly
17. Mysterious Ways
18. EBTTRT

(I Love the Achtung Baby first enchore)

19. Crumbs
20. One Tree Hill
21. Walk On
22. Yahweh

23. 40

 

[ClaudeF]

There was an excellent interview with Bono by a journalist (in think from Chicago) who raised this very point, that some songs had lost their vitality and should be given a rest. Certainly the "Zooropa" songs have been ignored for FAR too long, as have been fan favorites like "When I Look at the World" and "Acrobat," which never got beyond the soundcheck phase.

I was startled at how well some of the old tracks like "Pride" held up in Tampa this month. They DID sound vital, but for the first time in years. These were exceptions, not the rule. Having suffered through weary, pointless renditions of them in fall '92, '97, and 2001, I'd have just as soon tried my luck with something else, something less familiar, something less TOO familiar, so to speak.

Given a choice between sticking to safety and taking some risks, I think U2 has the luxury of following the latter path. The band may have felt stung by the reaction it got to "PopMart," but that was actaully a very safe, nostalgic setlist when compared to the spring '92 "Zoo TV" tour, which got nothing but raves.

The band has earned our trust, and it should have enough faith IN us as listeners to take some chances.

"Streets" is the band's lucky penny, the song it can always fall back on even if a show is otherwise failing, so I doubt it will ever be dropped. However "Bullet" has gotten way too much attention year after year, while another "Joshua Tree" classic, "Red Hill Mining Town," has been passed over. Why?

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day" may be relevant in a new context given the Global War On Terrorism, but I'd much prefer to hear "Two Hearts" or "Surrender" or "Seconds" if the band wants to use "War"-era material to comment on discord in 2005.

We need new dreams tonight.

 

[DignityPassesBy]

I love one ... it sounds great on the dvd ... and all because of you is actually really good live, i thought it wouldn't be with bono not playing guitar i thought it would sound flat and empty but its really cool i love it ... i'd prefer it to vertigo

 

[1stepcloser]

I think it's important to take into account how the songs sound when you are actually at the gig and not how they sound when you hear them on a simple bootleg recording.

i remember at the gig i was at when the intro to Pride was played it sounded sooo good, i was really surprised. in fact i enjoyed that a lot more than i thought i would. streets and one were great as well. i don't think any of them are 'stale'.

the one song i'd nominate as 'stale' at the moment would easily be Bullet. it just sounded drab and lifeless when i heard it. they should replace it with Crumbs or Kite or something

 

[ponkine]

Certainly the "Zooropa" songs have been ignored for FAR too long,

and POP songs too

 

[Bodnex]

There was an excellent interview with Bono by a journalist (in think from Chicago) who raised this very point, that some songs had lost their vitality and should be given a rest. Certainly the "Zooropa" songs have been ignored for FAR too long, as have been fan favorites like "When I Look at the World" and "Acrobat," which never got beyond the soundcheck phase.

I'd hardly call WILATW or Acrobat fan favourites. Acrobat maybe, as it's never been played before, but that's really only why. Totally agree with you about Zooropa songs though, I think that both Stay and Dirty Day would fit really well into the current set. Maybe the Wanderer, but most other Zooropa songs should be left with ZooTV.

"Streets" is the band's lucky penny, the song it can always fall back on even if a show is otherwise failing, so I doubt it will ever be dropped. However "Bullet" has gotten way too much attention year after year, while another "Joshua Tree" classic, "Red Hill Mining Town," has been passed over. Why?

Red Hill Mining Town was nearly released as a single, but it turned out that Bono couldn't sing it live, so they dropped it. If Bono couldn't sing it then, there's no chance he can sing it now. Bullet gets so much attention first of all as it's reworked after every tour, and it is a centerpiece to U2's anti-war message (or anti-gun re: Elevation), which is pretty central to the band. They're political guys, y'know?

"Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day" may be relevant in a new context given the Global War On Terrorism, but I'd much prefer to hear "Two Hearts" or "Surrender" or "Seconds" if the band wants to use "War"-era material to comment on discord in 2005.

I'd love to hear Surrender or Seconds too [in fact, Seconds is one of my favourite U2 songs full stop, reminds me of my first U2 gig]. But Sunday Bloody Sunday this tour is absolutely brilliant, it's a fan favourite and the "War" trilogy (LAPOE -> SBS -> Bullet) is, IMO, one of the best in the show.Never seen NYD though, but I've always had a "Meh" opinion to it, I wouldn't really care if it was never seen again.

 

[Niceman]

Pride, Streets, One need to go. They are a crutch.

Maybe keep one of them, or alternate between the three.

It's too much...

Bullet is another story. I think it is great live. Maybe they should try going hard again though instead of the "Hands" version.

 

[1stepcloser]

Never seen NYD though, but I've always had a "Meh" opinion to it, I wouldn't really care if it was never seen again.

it's great. trust me.

 

[lemon_vr6]

Maybe I'm not a real "hardcore" fan or whatever, but I have seen 35 shows and look forward to Streets every night. I honestly would not go to multiple shows on a tour if Streets was dropped. Streets IS U2, and they know it. It's not a crutch, it's the one song they can pull out that demolishes anything else I've ever heard live.

 

[Joey788]

I think Streets is an essential but Pride and One can be dropped. The band can have Sarajevo or Running go into Streets and have the Human Rights thing before the encore. The band also has to play more Zooropa and Pop songs. Please can replace One and Dirty Day can be added to the set. Mofo and Daddy's Gonna Pay can be put into rotation for the encore. Finally, drop the acoustic encore. it just kills the momentum of the show. If they want to give Larry a break, drop With or Without You for one of acoustic songs. It could work.

 

[thelaj]

U2//VERTIGO//2006


1// City of Blinding Lights
2// Elevation ~ Gone
3// The Cry/The Electric Co.
4// New Years Day ~ I Will Follow
5// Original of The Species
6// Desire ~ Even Better Than The Real Thing
7// Beautiful Day w/ Blackbird w/ Goal is Soul
8// The Unforgettable Fire ~ I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
9// Staring At The Sun ~ One Tree Hill
10// Miracle Drug ~ All I Want is You ~ Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
11// Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own
12// Love and Peace or Else
13// Sunday Bloody Sunday
14// Bullet The Blue Sky w/ Johnny Comes Marching Home
15// Running To Stand Still ~ Miss Sarajevo ~ When I Look At The World
16// Pride (In The Name of Love)
17// Where The Streets Have No Name
18// One w/ Knocking at Your Door

19// Zoo Station ~ Until The End of The World ~ Mofo
20// The Fly ~ Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
21// Mysterious Ways OR With or Without You OR Fast Cars

22// Bad w/ Ruby Tuesday ~ All Because of You
23// Yahweh ~ Walk On ~ Electrical Storm
24// Vertigo

"~" represents 2nd, 3rd night variation possibilities

This is the same basic setlist as legs 1 and 3, but with more variation on multiple show nights. The basic principle is rotating "lesser" songs around to create variety, ie songs which aren't forming the backbone of the show. The only major change is moving Vertigo to the ending spot, which was brought about by reading another thread where the author argued Vertigo lacked identity because it didn't have its own closer. I thought that was fairly accurate and Vertigo suits Opening or closing the show not being 2nd. In Europe it worked really well closing as it sends everyone out on a high, and COBL is a great opener with its long intro.

All of the "lesser" songs aren't super hardcore, so its not unfeasible to think they would bring them out occasionally.

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

Oops, wrong thread, sorry.