Bono's lacking the energy on this tour compared to DM

[STING2]

One thing I'd like to add to this discussion is that I think there is a bit of a difference in DM's audience then U2's audience in concert, and alot of that has to do with ticket prices. U2's top face value price is $165 and DM's top face value price is $85, even the best seats at the DM show are cheaper then alot of balcony seats at the U2 show. I really feel that high ticket prices are making the audience at the U2 shows more boring because a bunch of rich yuppies who are only fans of the hits go to impress their friends that they have executive U2 tickets, these are the people who are sitters in the lower loge sections at all the shows. I'm 24 years old and I know alot of people my age who would love to go see U2 but simply can't afford it and I personally would rather go to a show that was packed with an excited younger generation of kids who had never seen the band before. This is what I saw at the Depeche Mode show, tons of kids in their 20's who have assimilated DM's music into their generation and not only sang along to the hits but also sang along to album cuts. At the DM show I was at I didn't see anyone sitting the whole show, and it was a seated floor, it just felt like it was a hipper show in terms of the crowd and that's because of ticket prices. The one reason I hope U2 does a large stadium tour next year is so that they can do shows that are cheaper to get into because the demand won't be so easily satisfied.

I've been to a lot of shows including DM, but I've never seen a more vocal and energized crowd than a U2 crowd on average. The four shows I saw this year everyone was standing the entire show.

 

[ntalwar]

One thing I'd like to add to this discussion is that I think there is a bit of a difference in DM's audience then U2's audience in concert, and alot of that has to do with ticket prices. U2's top face value price is $165 and DM's top face value price is $85, even the best seats at the DM show are cheaper then alot of balcony seats at the U2 show.

The Rolling Stones charge $450 for the highest price seats - I wonder who pays that.

 

[gherman]

How many fucking shows has U2 done compared to DM. Its been non stop for U2

 

[Layton]

There's some truth to the idea that U2 is less about crowd participation, this tour. I'll take two examples from the Chicago DVD.

First, BTBS. They've completely reworked the ending. They've dropped all the dramatic gesturing of the 'slap 'em down, 100, 200's' in favor of a more chilling/haunting section dominated by the 'Johnny' snippet and a very hushed Edge guitar part.

Second, RTSS. Take the Hallelujah ending and compare it to previous Hallelujah endings. Again, it's delivered in much less dramatic way. Now it's more like a prayer than a call and response moment.

Those are just a couple of examples of how I think U2 have changed the feel of this tour compared to past ones. I think crowd participation has been deemphasized a little, this time around.

 

[blueyedpoet]

nothing beats the "people got the power" in Bad though...nothing

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Maybe the difference is drugs.

 

[JCOSTER]

Can i join in? I was right behind the stage at msg oct/nov. Bono and the boys are the hardest working guys I have ever seen and at 39 1/2 I can't even imagine doing what they do night after night 5 years older. All I need is Bono in a chair to sing. After he ran around the ellipse after Edge at full speed he stopped and went into almost an opera like verse. I'd say the man is in pretty good shape.

 

[Thanksandy]

Who the hell cares. You are way too critical and there is no point going around moaning that Bono doesn't run round the stage anymore. I have seen U2 twice this tour, Twickenham and Cardiff, both concerts were excellent.

I know Bono always had the reputation of moving around the stage and interacting with the audience, but he is older now and maybe is doing things differently. He still has great presence on stage and interacts with the audience with his powerful messages/speeches and brings people on stage.

In the end though, I don't care, as long as the music sounds great and Bono can still sing the songs and atmosphere is good, then that is all you should care about. Even the stage design shouldn't really matter, even though I did prefer this tour to Elevation, that was a little too simple for my liking, but still a great concept.

 

[ahmad]

That's a good point about Bono being more like Gahan during ZooTV - and don't get me wrong, I think Dave Gahan is definitely one of the best frontmen of the last twenty years or so. But I think seeing Bono act like Dave Gahan *now* (you know, a little chubbier than his Fly-days) would be frightening. It just goes to show that there is more than one way of being, you know, messianic!

 

[doctorwho]

On the very first show I saw this tour (in Chicago in May), I might have agreed with the first poster regarding a "lack of energy". I found that all the members of U2 - not just Bono - barely used the ramp (ellipse) and stood mostly on stage. There seemed to be a minimal of crowd interaction, with no one pulled on stage.

However, having just seen U2 for the 7th time on this tour (in Boston on Dec. 4th), I feel Bono and U2's energy level is outstanding.

While we, as an audience, no longer have the "jubilation, elevation" type endings, we are treated to funkier beginnings and different endings. Bono and Edge might not do their bullfight during "Until the End of the World" (which I adored), but they do run around the ramp. Larry is out on the ramp and he's even singing!!! Adam walks around the ramp several times during the show!!! I've seen Edge bouncing up and down. Bono seems a cross between his JT days and Elevation days, where he's light-hearted and fun with the crowd, engaging them at all times, yet he's also very preachy. But as he's so light-hearted, his preaching is more heartfelt (and endurable).

Maybe we don't have Bono running laps around the ellipse during "Streets", but I think their energy is very high - just expressed differently this tour. And that's a GOOD thing. I don't want to see "Elevation - Part II". Part of me feared this. I'm glad that U2 have changed how they perform songs, because it keeps it fresh.

Therefore, while I might have agreed with the overall sentiment of the first post of this thread once upon a time (in May), U2 have convinced me otherwise. The energy is there - just expressed differently.

 

[doctorwho]

Oh, and I want to add that not only did Bono and Edge run around the ramp on Dec. 4th, but this tour had Bono's voice in top form (despite what some fans and critics here think). For Bono to nightly hit those operatic verses in "Miss Sarajevo" is brilliant. Sometimes he is SO good there that the audience is truly moved. My friend was stunned at how beautiful Bono's voice was! He didn't do that on the last few tours!

So while we may not see Bono doing acrobatic stunts, we have a more powerful singer! And I'll take that any day!

 

[bombergirl1978]

At the first Philly show, there was plenty of energy I thought, but Im looking forward to the Charlotte show, because they haven't played there yet this year. Im hoping for some great energy

 

[kellyahern]

Bono looked pretty energetic dancing that jig with Santa in the video clip paulrg posted