What happened to the Second Leg setlists?

[Niceman]

Right before the second leg U2 started to rehearse all of these different songs and talk about mixing things up. They talked about adding POP and ZOOROPA songs even!

Until the End of the World, Crumbs, Electrical Storm, Wild Horses, but it has turned out to be WAAAY more static than the first leg.

What happened?

 

[bono_man2002]

Less Multiple Show in Cites and U2 in Stadiums does get Static.

 

[pulle28]

It also has something to do with U2 trying to find the right formula on the first leg. I wouldn't expect too many experiments when they return to the states.

 

[Niceman]

It's too bad. You would think they would want to play different songs just for their own sake....

I mean, why put the songs on the album at all if they don't feel that strongly about them?

 

[AndrewCowley]

Right before the second leg U2 started to rehearse all of these different songs and talk about mixing things up. They talked about adding POP and ZOOROPA songs even!

Simple answer. Stadiums. People will tell you it is the "big production".

 

[Miricale_Drug]

It's a big production and you also get more casual fans who will go because they know U2 is a big anme and they want to 'be seen' Hence WOWY, AIWIY AND ISTHWILF, none of which were staples on the firstt leg but are this time around. They're all well known U2 songs, more th an somethings that have been dropped such as Gloria. (I personally would rather gloria but they have to appeal to the masses rather than the few i suppose)

Even adding in 'Miss Sarajevo' is a nod towards a greatest hits set. Afte all it was in the charts in 95 but (I Dont think) RTSS was never a single

 

[KUEFC09U2]

plus... the songs in the setlist now create a theme to the tour, a story if you will, from love and romance, to war and terror, and then to prayer

 

[Niceman]

plus... the songs in the setlist now create a theme to the tour, a story if you will, from love and romance, to war and terror, and then to prayer

Yeah, but a story that could be told different ways.

For example, they used to play Gloria, or An Cat Dubh instead of I Will follow. It tells the same story, but mixes it up a little. I thought it kept the songs fresher....

Miss Sarajevo is doing something very similar to what Running did, and Please could be chosen to do close to the same thing....if they wanted to.

Wouln't you prefer it if every few nights they mixed in Electrical Storm, or Crumbs somewhere - even at the expense of another great song?

 

[scottyT]

they don't have to make it an opera. we know what they stand for, and they make that point... if they throw a few interesting ones in there it doesn't at all detract from the message.....

ultraviolet... acrobat..... electrical storm.... hold me thrill me.... sweetest thing.... hawkmoon.... drowning man (haha, hopeful)..... but seriously.... they could do this.

who's gonna ride your wild horses sounded great and met great reaction!

 

[The_acrobat]

I am following 2 tours setlists right now. Dave Matthews Band and U2. U2 is really boring me as a setlist watcher. I know it's not really about the people watching on the internet, but I just think they should get more variety in there for their own sake, so they don't get stale. Check out these DMB setlists from 2 back to back night I went to in Cincinnati in 2003 at the Riverbend Music Center, for example.

6/23/03
1. What would you say
2. Crush
3. Rhyme and Reason
4. Kit Kat Jam
5. Bartender
6. When the world ends
7. Fool to think
8. Minarets
9. Typical Situation
10. Grey street
11. Sleep to dream her
12. Jimi Thing
13. Grace is gone
14. Pig
15. Too Much
16. Cry Freedom
17. What you are

6/24/03
1. The Stone
2. One sweet world
3. You never know
4. Don't drink the water
5. If I had it all
6. Satellite
7. Song that jane likes
8. Seek up
9. The last stop
10. Dreaming tree
11. #41
12. Where are you going
13. Stay (wasting time)
14. The maker
15. Trippin' Billies
16. I'll back you up
17. Two step

There you have it. 2 shows, 2 entirely different sets. Not one song played at both shows. I'm not saying U2 has to do it this drastically, but changing things up keeps DMB shows fresh, and the audience on it's toes wondering what's going to be next? What surprises will there be tonight? What will the opener/encore be? Rather you like DMB or not is not the point. I'm saying that for DMB fans, it's a much more exciting experience cause you don't know what's coming.

 

[quasi1970]

3rd leg will be a copy of the 1st leg

I think I've resigned to the fact that the 3rd leg setlists will be IDENTICAL to what we are seeing in Europe (which are pretty much IDENTICAL to what we saw in the first leg). Pretty much meaning 2-3 song difference.

Oh well, enough time has passed from April for me that by the time that I see them in November, it'll still be exciting. Not sure I'll be pumping my fists during Sunday Bloody Sunday or singing the "oh oh oh ohs" in Pride, but it'll still be great.

 

[MissZooropa]

On the paper, I agree it's static. Live, it's LIVE! It's not static! How many of you have been to multiple shows on the european leg? Question is just because I see you are from US and Australia mainly.

I thought it was gonna be a bit "boring" when I saw how they started to play the same setlist after Dublin (I saw all three in Dublin and was blowned away by the setlist the third night). Then I saw three shows in five days, with the same setlist and realised that it made it for me just as much every single night, even without the changes. During Elevation, I could find a setlist boring even if they changed songs because it still wasn't the right songs.

The setlist they have now I must admit is an optimal one and works so well, for all kinds of attendents.
Since they are NOT changing, I can relax and just enjoy the songs and not think about what's gonna come next and get "disappointed" if they don't change. And if they DO change now, it definatly comes as a surprice.

Never thought I was gonna say what I've just said but U2 keeps surprising my own mind and how I think.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

I am following 2 tours setlists right now. Dave Matthews Band and U2. U2 is really boring me as a setlist watcher. I know it's not really about the people watching on the internet, but I just think they should get more variety in there for their own sake, so they don't get stale. Check out these DMB setlists from 2 back to back night I went to in Cincinnati in 2003 at the Riverbend Music Center, for example.

6/23/03
1. What would you say
2. Crush
3. Rhyme and Reason
4. Kit Kat Jam
5. Bartender
6. When the world ends
7. Fool to think
8. Minarets
9. Typical Situation
10. Grey street
11. Sleep to dream her
12. Jimi Thing
13. Grace is gone
14. Pig
15. Too Much
16. Cry Freedom
17. What you are

6/24/03
1. The Stone
2. One sweet world
3. You never know
4. Don't drink the water
5. If I had it all
6. Satellite
7. Song that jane likes
8. Seek up
9. The last stop
10. Dreaming tree
11. #41
12. Where are you going
13. Stay (wasting time)
14. The maker
15. Trippin' Billies
16. I'll back you up
17. Two step

There you have it. 2 shows, 2 entirely different sets. Not one song played at both shows. I'm not saying U2 has to do it this drastically, but changing things up keeps DMB shows fresh, and the audience on it's toes wondering what's going to be next? What surprises will there be tonight? What will the opener/encore be? Rather you like DMB or not is not the point. I'm saying that for DMB fans, it's a much more exciting experience cause you don't know what's coming.

does it matter what they do? that big are no where near as big as U2, i hadnt even heard of them until i joined this forum, were people constantley compare U2 between them and pearl jam

as has been said did you moan about the Zoo setlists?

 

[Niceman]

Yeah, Dave Matthews is no U2.... I'm definately not a fan of his/theirs.

I'd take U2 playing just Pride over those two nights put together...

 

[Muad'zin]

Interesting that whenever U2's static setlists get questioned they always bring in these nickle and dime artists who play in barnyards compared to U2's stadiums. Nothing against these artists but its apples and oranges really. For the purpose of real comparison we need artists who also sell millions of records, have similar size fanbases, can fill stadiums easily, have similar size productions that back them up and then, and only then, come up with massive setlist variations from night to night. Anyone who knows such acts?

Also, for any act, not the size of U2, that does mix things up massively, there are also acts of the same stature that play the same setlist night after night. Audioslave is an excellent band of good musicians but all boots I have of their current tour feature the same setlist. As do those boots of System of a Down.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Interesting that whenever U2's static setlists get questioned they always bring in these nickle and dime artists who play in barnyards compared to U2's stadiums. Nothing against these artists but its apples and oranges really. For the purpose of real comparison we need artists who also sell millions of records, have similar size fanbases, can fill stadiums easily, have similar size productions that back them up and then, and only then, come up with massive setlist variations from night to night. Anyone who knows such acts?

Also, for any act, not the size of U2, that does mix things up massively, there are also acts of the same stature that play the same setlist night after night. Audioslave is an excellent band of good musicians but all boots I have of their current tour feature the same setlist. As do those boots of System of a Down.

its a simple equation, U2+LARGE fanbase=standard setlists, now, why is this so i hear you ask, well its pretty simple, with a large fanbase likes U2's crowds tend to spread themselves out over multiple days in some citys, i.e. some will decide to go one day and others will decide to go the next, so say for instance U2 played pride, streets, one etc, then dropped them the next night, some fans the next night would be pretty dissapointed, because there the songs that the majority now go to a U2 concert to hear, also this brings us to were people are saying, well why cant they rotate the electric co for gloria every other show, well they cant for the same reason, the people at the first night would be "wow great electric co" but the people going to the second night might get gloria, but may have been looking forward to getting the electric co,

see quite confusing really

so to make it easier U2 just take one theme, one setlist and go out on the road with it, and we do get the odd change, i.e. miss sarajevo for the second half of stadium shows, but the truth is U2 are trying to please the majority, not the minority who have seen U2 in every tour since the boy tour, but really they are now trying to please these guys this tour by playing the electric co,

 

[zwervers2]

why cant they rotate the electric co for gloria every other show, well they cant for the same reason, the people at the first night would be "wow great electric co" but the people going to the second night might get gloria, but may have been looking forward to getting the electric co,

Shouldn't they be glad they went to a U2concert in the first place?
That is what I've been hearing for the last 4 months or so

 

[U2Man]

Shouldn't they be glad they went to a U2concert in the first place?
That is what I've been hearing for the last 4 months or so

(you gotta admit KUEF, he caught you there!)

 

[zwervers2]

(you gotta admit KUEF, he caught you there!)

not to mentoin the fact that supposedly 90% of the people attending the second concert don't have a clue that elec.co was played in the first place because they won't read the setlists on some fansite.

 

[Hawkfire]

Interesting that whenever U2's static setlists get questioned they always bring in these nickle and dime artists who play in barnyards compared to U2's stadiums. Nothing against these artists but its apples and oranges really. For the purpose of real comparison we need artists who also sell millions of records, have similar size fanbases, can fill stadiums easily, have similar size productions that back them up and then, and only then, come up with massive setlist variations from night to night. Anyone who knows such acts?

Bruce Springsteen:
Sells boatloads of records? Check. Born in the USA is a 10M+ seller in the US alone, latest album went to #1 on Billboard

Has massive fanbase? Absolutely, by any quantifiable measure

Can fill stadiums easily? Yes, sold out Giants Stadium a ridiculous number of times.

Regardless of whether you care for Bruce Springsteen, he is on the level of U2 and not some "nickel and dime" artist.

I saw him in May, played for 2.5 hours nonstop, 25 songs.
I saw him on Sunday, played for 2.5 hours nonstop, 25 songs.

The concert Sunday featured 14 different songs from the show in May. Now that's setlist variation!!!! I wish U2 would see his show and take some notes.

 

[U2Man]

not to mentoin the fact that supposedly 90% of the people attending the second concert don't have a clue that elec.co was played in the first place because they won't read the setlists on some fansite.

The roles have been switched on this forum!

 

[zwervers2]

The roles have been switched on this forum!

hahaha...you can realy tell I'm still not feeling well

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

what's going on here?! *gasp*

Roles? Reversed?

 

[U2Man]

what's going on here?! *gasp*

Roles? Reversed?

Don't worry about it, it's a long and boring story about setlist attackers and defenders.....just don't change your role as my sweetheart in here and everything will be fine

 

[Muad'zin]

Bruce Springsteen:
Sells boatloads of records? Check. Born in the USA is a 10M+ seller in the US alone, latest album went to #1 on Billboard

Has massive fanbase? Absolutely, by any quantifiable measure

Can fill stadiums easily? Yes, sold out Giants Stadium a ridiculous number of times.

Regardless of whether you care for Bruce Springsteen, he is on the level of U2 and not some "nickel and dime" artist.

I saw him in May, played for 2.5 hours nonstop, 25 songs.
I saw him on Sunday, played for 2.5 hours nonstop, 25 songs.

The concert Sunday featured 14 different songs from the show in May. Now that's setlist variation!!!! I wish U2 would see his show and take some notes.

Last time I heared Springsteen is playing unplugged. That gives him a lot of freedom. Also, what kind of production does Springsteen carry with him on tour normally? Gimmicks? Big screens with screensaver imagery?
But thanks for bringing in Springsteen. At least he's more on U2's level then the DMB. Still, in order to hit eachother around the head with statistics we still need a bigger cross section. Only U2 and the Boss don't cut it. How static were the setlists of mega rockers like Queen? Dire Straits?

 

[Nisse]

not really into those bands but how about Iron Maiden? Metallica? Rolling Stones?

 

[The_acrobat]

The Rolling Stones are a good example. They are playing the same venues U2 are playing. They change the setlists up a lot too. Probably about half the show gets changed around frequently. Say what you want about the stones being irrelevant or whatever, but they are on the same level as U2, and they have more people to coordinate these songs with. I mean, at some point they have 13 people on stage playing songs that they didn't play the gig before.

 

[Zoomerang96]

yeah but...pssh...

the rolling stones??

...ha.

like...does ANYONE ever see them anymore?

i mean...ha...aren't they doing like some club shows? yeah...BIG BAND THERE.

 

[lazarus]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Dave Matthews Band does not play in "barnyards". I don't know what sized venues they play in Europe, but in the U.S. they are a stadium act, a multiple night stadium act if they choose.

I am certainly no fan of the band; I actually can't stand Matthews' voice, but they do know how to shuffle a setlist and don't cater to the Top 40 crowd.

What happened to Bono's "fuck the pop kids; we don't need 'em"?

 

[CPTLCTYGOOFBALL]

So back when Bono was a rebel they changed up their setlists more than they do now?