01st November Los Angeles - Staples Center

[dsmith2904]

Please post all reviews of the November 1st show here.

 

[broker]

Los Angeles, November 1

The boys seemed in great spirits tonight, and the crowd was great (which is not necessarily a given for a weeknight LA show) -a lot of fun moments (the band in their Larry Mullen Band t-shirts, Exit doing Out of Control . . .) - overall great energy in the place. This was my fourth show of the tour, and I actually came away startled at how fabulous the show was - you would think I would have learned by now not to underestimate this band.

 

[speedracer]

Towards the end of the main set (?), Bono spotted the girls with their signs -- one said "It pays to advertise" and another said "The girls play rock and roll -- guitar, bass, drums, singing", signifying that they were a four piece band. Bono asked them, "what do you want to play?", and there was some back and forth. I thought maybe they couldn't hear each other, and a crew guy said "we'll get back to you." I thought they had missed their chance there.

Halfway through the encore, the crew guys brought them up, Edge handed Courtney the Explorer, Adam handed Susan a bass, Pamela sat behind Larry's drum kit and Trevi laughed nervously in front of the mike, whereupon they proceeded to rip into "Out Of Control", with U2 sitting down. Edge and Bono joined in later.

Bono brought up a girl for "With Or Without You", and managed not to lose his voice during the song.

Some lady in the ellipse held up a sign that said "Professor For Hire". Eventually Bono noticed it, approached her, and asked her, "What do you mean by that?" She gave him a verbal version of her CV and a book. Bono mumbled something about him getting books and Larry getting all the girls, or something like that. Alas, only now do I realize what I should have done -- I should have written a sign that said "I'm A Prof Too -- So What?" and tossed Bono the copy of Joe Silverman's "Advanced Topics in the Arithmetic of Elliptic Curves" that I had been reading while waiting in line. Sigh.

 

[dream chaser]

He also said that Edge gets the scientists (or was it nerds?) and Adam gets the big <insert body part>.

Great summary, btw, speedracer!

Oh, and the girl was DD aka Adam Groupie

 

[i_love_adam]

Adam gets the big <insert body part>.

Whatwhat? Boobs or penises?

We shouldn't be ashamed about what God gave us!

And I cannot believe ppl can just go up there and do a U2 song. AT A U2 CONCERT!!!

 

[speedracer]

One last item -- Bono pulled up a ~8-10 year old girl (Mary, I think) from the ellipse during Sunday Bloody Sunday. He tried to get her to start off the "No more" chorus. Mary was understandably a bit shy about it, but managed to do it after three bars.

And according to this website, the girls have been playing as a band for quite a while now; they had their act together.

It started the other night with that dude in Dallas playing "Angel Of Harlem", and U2 decided hell with it, they'll go all the way with a cover band. I guess U2's music is way too good for them to keep to themselves.

 

[alanu2]

last night was unreal, I wanted to hear OofC so badly and didn't mind it was EXIT who played it, it sounded really good, what a great show

btw, it should be MAMACITAS and not Mama sitas =0)

 

[BAW]

Whatwhat? Boobs or penises?

We shouldn't be ashamed about what God gave us!

I believe he said "and Adam got the enormous penis"

 

[gucci]

Great show last night. The LA crowd was a little less "into it" than other shows I've been too but that could have just been the fact that it was a Tuesday night or maybe it seemed more like that because I wasn't on the floor like I was for the previous two shows I attended.

I thought Exit on stage was the most memorable moment of the night. The drummer...rocked. She was absolutely amazing to watch. It was one of those cool moments that you couldn't script any better.

As for U2, they were stellar as always. I liked the set list quite a bit and love Yahweh/40 as the closer. Overall, a typically great evening and I'm only bummed because I don't know when the next time is that I'll see them.

 

[KilleneyMan]

Any recommendations for parking? The prepaid parking is not available on ticketmaster and the parking number provided by Staples keeps you on hold for 10+ minutes.

Thanks!

 

[ultraviolet353]

Incredible show--was 100 times better than either of the 1st leg shows in Los Angeles. I was in the ellipse, and what an incredible experience! Highlights for me were Electric Co., LAPOE, MD, SYCMIYO, SBS, WOWY, Miss Sarjevo, Yahweh, Stuck, 40--and the girls from Exit playing OOC was a Top 10 moment for me out of all the 20 or so U2 shows I have seen. Overall, an incredible show--Bono's voice sounded great.

I still think a U2 show without Bad is a sin, but hopefully they will play it tonight. As far as the setlist is concerned, I think there are certain songs that IMO should not be played, or have really lost something. The first of which is Pride--this song just doesn;t do it for me anymore--but it is a moot point because it is the one song that will be played every night for eternity. But I will say that my biggest problem with Pride is that it is not a good choice to transition into Streets. Also, I have seen 3 shows and The Ocean was played twice--the whole arena goes to sleep--If you are going to play a song that 98% of the people do not know--it has to be an unptempo song, IMO. The First Time is one of my all time faves, but the acoustic version is lacking, and IMO it is PIANO that makes that song. My final comment is that I feel that this tour is marked by the boys putting on a amazing "show" whereas in past years I was always struck by how emotional and uplifting the shows were. Don't get me wrong, the emotion is still there, it's just the choice of songs, setlist, and song sequence I think takes away from the emotional element a bit.

I can't wait for tonight! By the way there is a great lot on Figueroa and 8th. 5-10 minute walk from Staples, and only $5!

 

[speedracer]

Pride has been dropped from the setlist in previous tours, but the Pride/Streets/One troika is a fixture for this tour because of the Africa theme.

I do agree that this theme seems a bit forced musically (and lyrically with Streets, as Bono has admitted himself).

The other songs that have been used before Streets are Running To Stand Still, All I Want Is You, Bad (with a snippet of 40, Ruby Tuesday, or something else as a transition), and Please.

Oh yeah, there was that one show in New Orleans where it went Beautiful Day -> MLK -> Streets. Wouldn't mind hearing that again...

 

[ultraviolet353]

What is great about the songs you mentioned is that they all soar into Streets whereas Pride uses the crowd to make the transition (oh oh oh oh oh's) to make the transition which I do not think is as powerful.

Oh, I aslo forgot to mention how much better Vertigo has gotten IMO. It was always a good solid rocker, but they seem to take their time with it a bit more, and it feels much more intense.

 

[xtihn]

i have to say i had a great time...more so because of bono's theatrics and the band's energy and mood rather than the setlist. i love achtung baby and i wish he'd played more songs from that album... i heard they played "who's gonna ride your wild horses" in some other shows and i was hoping they'd play it yesterday, but oh well. i loved how they played "the first time"... i would never have expected them to sing that song... what a treat. i was also disappointed that they didn't play bad or new year's day. nevertheless, i still had a great time singing along to everything else. and i thought bono's vocals on "miss sarajevo" was absolutely amazing.

i think the highlight was when the 4 girls went up on stage to play out of control. i donno about you but i think they were actually better than U2!

it was larry's birthday on halloween, so towards the end the four guys were wearing "the larry mullen band" t-shirts. that was cute.

 

[u2valleygirl]

Hi!

What an amazing night. I was next to to the sweet girl that Bono pulled up on stage. She really deserved it! Bono's voice was sounded amazing! Bono just had a great sense of humor last night. He really played with the audience. Amazing show!

 

[adam's_mistress]

What an incredible show! Everything from the lights to the stage set up to the band were just awesome.

It's been since the final Anaheim show during the Zoo tour that I've gotten to see U2. This time around, my tickets came at the last minute through an acquaitance of my brother, so I felt really blessed and enormously lucky! Was glad to bring along a friend who's last concert was the Anaheim one all those years ago.

Of course I'd read about how U2 brought back some of the old songs, so I was hoping they'd treat L.A. to some classic U2 tunes. I was freaking out when I heard Electric Co, since the last time I heard it live was when they opened with it in L.A. during Unforgettable Fire. When they'd play the older tunes, it was like a flashback and I'd get this rush of energy like I was reliving my youth.

They were all in top form and I enjoyed the playfulness they exuded on stage. It's amazing to me how much Bono's retained his showman persona when he's strutting his stuff on stage, trying to reach as many people as he can on stage. When he brought up the little girl to the main stage, when he danced with the woman clutched in his arms as he stroked her hair during With Or Without You, and when the girl band Exit came to take on Out of Control, everyone turning on their cellphones to create a "milky way" inside the venue... seeing that human element brought onto the stage in front of thousands of people reminded me why I've loved the band for so long and why I loved to see them live.

I totally dug the stretched and somewhat stripped down intro to Elevation, I enjoyed Miracle Drug and one of the highlights for me was Miss Sarajevo which was a welcome moment.

All in all a great time had by my friend and I. It's good to have the live element of U2 back in my life.

 

[Shade]

If you're a group of musicians, and you've just been given the opportunity to come up onstage and use U2's instruments for a song, why in the FUCK wouldn't you play one of your own original tunes? You've got an audience of 20,000+ people, plus four music legends with a history of producing small bands, and a VIP pit full of music luminaries! Play your own song! I'm sure playing "Out of Control" on the instruments used on the album for all those screaming fans was a blast, but what a gravely wasted opportunity.

 

[LuminousTimes]

If you're a group of musicians, and you've just been given the opportunity to come up onstage and use U2's instruments for a song, why in the FUCK wouldn't you play one of your own original tunes? You've got an audience of 20,000+ people, plus four music legends with a history of producing small bands, and a VIP pit full of music luminaries! Play your own song! I'm sure playing "Out of Control" on the instruments used on the album for all those screaming fans was a blast, but what a gravely wasted opportunity.

Did you really think U2 would have let them play an original? That seems like asking for too much considering it was a U2 concert.

 

[Partyslammer]

Did you really think U2 would have let them play an original? That seems like asking for too much considering it was a U2 concert.

Not to mention they are primarily a U2 cover band.

T.B.

 

[Shade]

Did you really think U2 would have let them play an original? That seems like asking for too much considering it was a U2 concert.

Yeah, I do think they would let somebody play an original. You know why I think that? Because, it's happened before. In Tampa, October 10, 1992, a guy got up onstage and told Bono he was a songwriter and had a song he wanted to perform. Bono gave him his guitar, and he sang a six-minute song called "An Eye For An Eye Makes The Whole World Blind" while the band watched. U2 and their audience loved it. This is well-documented.

As far as Exit is concerned, yeah, they're primarily a covers band. So what? They have originals, too. I think it's debatable how "original" their originals are, but they have them on their website. And, I hardly think it would matter to U2, who would be sitting on the stage watching while the song was played anyway, what song was actually played. Personally, I think the band would be delighted to hear some fans play an original song, especially since U2 have actually played the song themselves thousands of times. And, from the perspective of the audience, who needs to hear a U2 cover when you're actually at a U2 concert?

I stand by my statements, fellas. History has proven you wrong. Unless someone from Exit says "they wouldn't let us play an original" - which would be ridiculous, given that the band had just given them use of the stage and all their gear in the middle of a concert - I think it was a fantastically squandered opportunity for a young band to move upward.

 

[LuminousTimes]

Yeah, I do think they would let somebody play an original. You know why I think that? Because, it's happened before. In Tampa, October 10, 1992, a guy got up onstage and told Bono he was a songwriter and had a song he wanted to perform. Bono gave him his guitar, and he sang a six-minute song called "An Eye For An Eye Makes The Whole World Blind" while the band watched. U2 and their audience loved it. This is well-documented.

As far as Exit is concerned, yeah, they're primarily a covers band. So what? They have originals, too. I think it's debatable how "original" their originals are, but they have them on their website. And, I hardly think it would matter to U2, who would be sitting on the stage watching while the song was played anyway, what song was actually played. Personally, I think the band would be delighted to hear some fans play an original song, especially since U2 have actually played the song themselves thousands of times. And, from the perspective of the audience, who needs to hear a U2 cover when you're actually at a U2 concert?

I stand by my statements, fellas. History has proven you wrong. Unless someone from Exit says "they wouldn't let us play an original" - which would be ridiculous, given that the band had just given them use of the stage and all their gear in the middle of a concert - I think it was a fantastically squandered opportunity for a young band to move upward.

You seem to know a lot about Exit. Are you involved with them somehow?

 

[Partyslammer]

Yeah, I do think they would let somebody play an original. You know why I think that? Because, it's happened before. In Tampa, October 10, 1992, a guy got up onstage and told Bono he was a songwriter and had a song he wanted to perform. Bono gave him his guitar, and he sang a six-minute song called "An Eye For An Eye Makes The Whole World Blind" while the band watched. U2 and their audience loved it. This is well-documented.

Not to get into an argument about this but it's almost certain based on what I've read that it was the girl's call about what song they wanted to play. I would bet they thought they stood a better chance of getting on stage if they played a U2 songs versus something of their own much like the band (who's name I forget) back in New York did on the first leg when they played a punkish version of "I Still Haven't found~"

Another thing. Despite the fact that they have some original material, they are first and foremost a U2 cover band. If they really want to get noticed in a wau you seem to think they should, they'll stop covering U2 songs exclusively in their set and play mostly if not all originals and book and promote themselves as a original band.

Squandered opportunity? Maybe. What they *did* accomplish was getting onstage and being one of if not *the* highlight of the LA 2 night stand and that's nothing to dismiss. Frankly, I don't think an unknown song by an unknown band at the tail end of a U2 show would have gone down nearly as well as what they did covering OOC. Plus, you're trying to second guess 4 people who had the smarts, skill and guts to do what 20,000 others in that arena couldn't. If I was a label scout at te show that night, that would count for something.

T.B.

 

[adam's_mistress]

Wow, harshness.

I thought Exit did a great job, so why the hostility and harsh criticism. The drummer was especially awesome. Exit added a spark of spontenaity to the show and their rendition of Out Of Control was pretty good if you ask me and the thousands of others who were cheering them on Tuesday night.

Plus, by doing a U2 song, it allowed The Edge and Bono to get in on the action and jam on stage with them.

In my opinion it wasn't a squandered opportunity. If you were a cover band and you got a chance to play on stage with your musical heroes' gear AND have your musical heroes jam right along with you with their crowd cheering and singing right along, wouldn't that count for something?

 

[L_Brown]

Another thing. Despite the fact that they have some original material, they are first and foremost a U2 cover band. If they really want to get noticed in a wau you seem to think they should, they'll stop covering U2 songs exclusively in their set and play mostly if not all originals and book and promote themselves as a original band.

Squandered opportunity? Maybe. What they *did* accomplish was getting onstage and being one of if not *the* highlight of the LA 2 night stand and that's nothing to dismiss. Frankly, I don't think an unknown song by an unknown band at the tail end of a U2 show would have gone down nearly as well as what they did covering OOC. Plus, you're trying to second guess 4 people who had the smarts, skill and guts to do what 20,000 others in that arena couldn't. If I was a label scout at te show that night, that would count for something.

T.B.

While we're clearing up misconceptions...

Exit are *not* primarily a U2 covers band. For the past few years they've been writing originals and now that they're working with a new singer that itself has moved into another phase. Their recent gigs have indeed had one or two token U2 songs along with covers from other bands (of particular note a version of 'Underglass' by the amazing Irish band 'The Frames') but they're in the vast minority in terms of setlist and mixed in with originals. As they build up a larger catalogue the mix will continue to progress to include predominately original work.

Other than that, I couldn't agree more with you (partyslammer). Only someone thinking from an utterly 'business' point of view would suggest that what they did was less valid because it wasn't *their* song they were performing. Fortunately for everyone at the concert, the girls didn't do it for business, and that's what made it worth everything. They did it for the love of it, and people can connect with that.

Would Bono or Edge have felt as free to jump in if it was 'Like Fire' or 'January Sky'? Probably not. Would the audience have reacted in the same way? Absolutely not. It has nothing to do with the relative quality of either band's songs and everything to do with correctly assessing the situation. Ironically enough, by *not* choosing such a (inappropriate) venue for airing one of their new songs, they probably created more publicity for themselves than if they HAD played one of their songs. And by doing it well, and playing with some actual spirit they certainly fueled one of the greatest and most memorable moments of the tour so far.

Oh, and, just while we're on the subject, where is that incredibly well-documented singer-songwriter who so wisely took the opportunity to play his own song to 72,000 fans, four music legends, and, presumably, a pit full of music luminaries?

Don't know?

Well, neither do I.

And it doesn't really matter, does it?

 

[U2phan]

....I would bet they thought they stood a better chance of getting on stage if they played a U2 songs versus something of their own much like the band (who's name I forget) back in New York did on the first leg when they played a punkish version of "I Still Haven't found~"


T.B.

The Bank Robbers right? that was a kickass performance

anyways I was at LA 1 myself, my first U2 concert ever...so great.

My personal take on Exit, they did a great job on Out of Control, and I think it was smarter to play that song then an original.
I mean, it comes down to two paths.

Take the road of promoting a song to thousands of fans with music critics in the audience, and hopefully catch the ear of a industry executive. Grab some fans along the way. Or not. There's always that risk of failure and embarassment if you screw up.

Or the other choice...
HAVE FUN! Play an awesome gem from your favorite band's back catalogue and let thousands of people sing along...while Bono and Edge jump in and play....I mean as a guitarist myself, I would never, ever, EVER pass up an oppurtunity to jam with my rock heros and musical legends on stage. Besides, singing a song to thousands of people in an arena by yourself seems kinda lonely.

ANYWAYS as for the review, the show was fudging phantastic. I have no comparison to any other shows, as being my first show, but if Bono's voice sounds like that every night, then every U2 show must be as orgasmic as this one. Well my favorites are too numerous, COBL, Vertigo, SBS, BDAY, Streets, One, First Time, 40 were all grand. They all were.

 

[Partyslammer]

By the way, in today's LA Times, there's a long, glowing front page article about "Exit" in the Calendar section. Despite "Shades" opinion that they blew it not playing one of their own songs, they seemed to have really grabbed the music industry's attention as several major record labels have contacted them due to what industry reps saw that night. Turns out that there was a *lot* of industry reps at the show and according to the article, reps were text messaging each other asking "who's that band?!?" before U2 had even finished their set.

I can tell you that based on the article, they are at least for now, the talk of the LA music industry. Good for them.

T.B.

 

[speedracer]

Here's the LA Times article. It wouldn't hurt the editors to do some research into U2 lyrics though.

The crowd loved it, U2 loved it, and the band caught the attention of some industry contacts -- sounds like a win-win situation to me.

 

[moon_is_playing_tricks]

I thought Exit on stage was the most memorable moment of the night. The drummer...rocked. She was absolutely amazing to watch. It was one of those cool moments that you couldn't script any better.

Coming into this thread late... but, yeah. Pam's come a very long way since I first saw her play back in 2001. She's worked really hard (the entire band has) and I've always enjoyed watching her play.




Moonie