U2 2010: Which songs will be left out of their next tour?

[4U2Play]

Hopefully, U2 is not yet done with the Vertigo Tour, and we will all have a few more shows to talk about later this year or next.

However, I'm already thinking about how tough it will be for them to figure out their setlist on their next presumptive tour in support of the their new album.

I would love to be in the room when they argue about what should and shouldn't be included.

Assuming the new album will get 6-8 songs played per show, that leaves only maybe 14-18 available slots in the setlist to fill in with other tunes from their vast back catalogue.

A number of songs played on the Vertigo Tour will need to be dropped, at least for the standard setlist.... which ones should they be?

Here are my candidates:

NYD
SYCMIOYO
Miracle Drug
BTBS
Electric Co
40
Elevation
Miss Sarajevo
RTSS

U2 also needs to stop playing cover tunes. John Lennon, Bob Marley and Patti Smith songs are cool, but U2 has so many great songs of their own that I hate it when they waste valuable concert time playing other people's stuff.

Forget "Instant Karma", play "Rejoice" or "Stay" or "Staring At The Sun" instead.

 

[IanIinTheSky]

I don't think Sometimes or BTBS will be dropped.

 

[russmadem]

Keep 40 in the set. Whether you like the song or not, it is the perfect closing song. On special nights, the song is still being sung even after the band has sped off to the airport. I waited nearly 20 years for them to resurrect the song. I for one hope it stays where it belongs, the last song of the concert.

 

[pepokiss]

DROP BULLET

 

[innominata8]

i pray that bullet will be dropped, however i kind of like the covers. i was fortunate enough to see instant karma! done in boston on 12/5 and it was simply amazing!

 

[Joey788]

Out of what's played almost every show, these songs are what I think will be dropped:

Miracle Drug
OOTS
ABOY
LAPOE
Elevation
Miss Sarajevo
Yahweh
Electric Co.
Zoo Station
The Fly (hopefully not)
RTSS
NYD (Maybe)

 

[1stepcloser]

i hope to god they don't drop NYD or The Electric Co.

 

[romi]

I want dropped (not that it will ever happen):
LAPOE
Bullet
Pride
One
SBS
Yawhweh
RTST
SYCMIOYO
40
BD
MW
Zoo Station
ABOY

 

[kinkajou7]

Bullet's got to go (but probably won't). I don't think Sometimes will be played on the next tour either....

 

[pepokiss]

I think this ones should come back:

Even Better (is a must)
Discotheque (the new version can go anywhere)
Crumbs (it's a long due)
Angel Of Harlem or When Love Comes To town (R&H is so underrated)
Out Of Control (every damn show!)
The Unforgettable Fire ( )
Dirty Day (just for a replacement for ZS)
Walk On (to end some set)
Desire (full band, hopefully ala Zoo TV)
Electrical Storm (the best closer they could've had for the Vertigo Tour... yet they didn't see it)
Yahweh (full band)

The acoustic section: but not for Desire or crap like that, but for a lot of play, like: In God's Country, Van Diemen's Land, New Years Day (in acoustic is beautiful), Stuck In A Moment, Angel Of Harlem, Stay, A Man And A Woman, People get Ready, Sweetest Thing, Wild honey, Yahweh, Drowning Man, A sort of homecoming (also beautiful acoustic), etc...



and to drop:

Bullet
I Still...
Pride (maybe)
One (maybe)
Sometimes...
LAPOE
Miss Sarajevo
Electric Co (and replace it with another song... like Twilight or Rejoice or I Fall Down)
I Will Follow
SBS (not even acoustic.. give it a rest)
WOWY (maybe acoustic could work, and be new)
UTEOTW (they must have something better, right?)
NYD (unless is acoustic... that's heaven )
40 (not again until the final tour)

 

[Blue Room]

I dont think Elevation is getting dropped. Its like the new Until The End Of The World to them. They like playing it and it gets a big crowd reaction. I think it will stay. I think Sometimes will be played on the next tour but not every night. They won a Grammy for the song so I think it will appear at some point.

I would like to see Bullet, Pride and NY Day take a break for a tour. Great songs, done to death. Wont happen, but they could play Love And Peace Or Else instead of Bullet and accomplish the same political effect. There is some hope of Pride getting the boot at some point. Bono did not want to play it for Popmart, but was overruled by the rest of the band and Willie. Maybe he will have a stronger will for the next tour!

 

[U2Cowboy]

Electrical Storm (the best closer they could've had for the Vertigo

Yeah, I'm really surprised they haven't played this song. I think it would translate well acoustically.

 

[J_NP]

Not much complainin here , I would only drop :

Pride (just for a while)
Bullet (idem or play like popmart)
NYD
40 (Please don't burn me)
Until (just to fresh up)
Sunday (the same or Edge try a version with a Les Paul)

U GOTTA BRING BACK

UltraViolet ! Uuuhhhh !! UltraVVVVIIIIIOOLLLEEETTT
Miss Edge passionate yell
Real Thing
One tree Hill
Unforgettable Fire
Pop songs for God's sake LNOE , Please , Mofo , Staring bring it on bring it
and God Part II or Hawkmoon 269

Pretty Awesome , huh ?

 

[amerrydeath]

I think we forget that NYD missed a lot of the third leg! It was always one of the highlights of the night for me, and I missed it sorely during my third leg shows. It never fails to sound fantastic. I think SBS could deal with being dropped, as well as One, Miss Sarajevo, Sometimes, Miracle Drug, LAPOE, Bullet (unless they reinvent it a la Popmart ) and Pride. I think the most boring part of the show was the Sometimes-->LAPOE-->SBS-->Bullet, unless they were on a good night and really got into it. Otherwise it just seemed they were going through the "political motions." I don't think Streets should ever be dropped, it's way too fantastic. But I do think they need to redo it a little bit, at least, for each tour.

 

[JMScoopy]

Out of what's played almost every show, these songs are what I think will be dropped:

Miracle Drug
OOTS
ABOY
LAPOE
Elevation
Miss Sarajevo
Yahweh
Electric Co.
Zoo Station
The Fly (hopefully not)
RTSS
NYD (Maybe)

wasnt RTSS already dropped?

 

[JMScoopy]

and God Part II or Hawkmoon 269

why not both?

 

[Mauwer]

Songs I would like to see dropped are ,

Pride ( I`m sick of the oh..oh.oh..oh`s )
One ( that would not happen but I get tired of the song )
BTBS
SBS ( it was played the last two tours , it needs a break again )

Cheers ,

Mauwer

p.s. Now bring back Gone , 11 o`clock and Last Night On Earth!!!!!

 

[PopFly]

I'm not sure if I'd like to see any U2 song 'dropped' outright, but perhaps warhorses like Pride/NYD/Bullet/SBS could be played every once in a while, like how U2 does it with Bad during the Vertigo tour. Make the songs special again by making it seems like fans at the shows are getting a real treat by listening to them.

I think Vertigo will be played at virtually every live show U2 does until they retire, and the next tour will see the occasional SYCMIOYO, but that may be it for the Atomic Bomb songs.

 

[U2girl]

One, Pride and I still haven't found need to be reinvented or take a break.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

U2 also needs to stop playing cover tunes. John Lennon, Bob Marley and Patti Smith songs are cool, but U2 has so many great songs of their own that I hate it when they waste valuable concert time playing other people's stuff.

Forget "Instant Karma", play "Rejoice" or "Stay" or "Staring At The Sun" instead.

it's not like any cover was a part of the set list for the majority of the tour... instant karma was only played a few times, and that's really just about hte only full cover they did... everything else, jean genie, norweigan wood, etc. were just short versions.

 

[mikal]

DROP BULLET

no. the guitar solo alone is worth the price of admission, the gas money/plane tickets and the hotel.

 

[J_NP]

Yup mikal made a great point , gotta agree with u dude , unless edge puts out a new song with a clapton solo or something like that or play again desire with that I-can-put-Hendrix-on-shame guitar solo , they can't drop it , besides the vertigo tour solo

 

[J_NP]

why not both?

Yup u right mate , put God part on main set , and 269 for the encore , f...king brilliant set.

 

[Blue Room]

, they can't drop it , besides the vertigo tour solo

See, I dont think there is ANY song that can't be dropped. There are songs that most likely wont be, but I dont think any song HAS to be done. I thought Streets should always be played for a long time. After Vertigo though, I dont think it has to be played.

Why does there have to be a song with a solo? Most artists do some type of solo. Why not be original and not have one in the show? Play another song and skip the long solo.

 

[zepher25]

no matter what i really hope they keep beautiful day and to a lesser extent one

 

[Neilz]

U2 should do what they've done with Zoo-TV and Popmart (and Elevation); drop songs that don't fit the show...

Although Vertigo was a good tour, the setlist was not put together to fit a certain feeling!

What I'm saying is, that U2 should decide which songs to drop by the concept of their next tour!

If U2 continues to pick their songs the way they did on Vertigo; next tour will be a best of tour...

 

[clifedge]

I wouldn't get your hopes up about Miss Sarajevo. I doubt that will ever see the light of day again.

But Discotheque as it appeared on the Vertigo tour would be amazing. And WGRYWH needs to come back full band.

 

[U2STEVE70]

What is wrong with New years day? The people on this board are funny sometimes.

 

[norsehorse23]

Bullet, LOPOE, Pride, Elevation, Zoo Station, Ocean, Into the Heart/An Cat Dubh, ABOY, SYCMIOYO, and MD I would say should go, or be played on some sort of rotating basis. I know people will not like the An Cat Dubh part of my list, but it killed the momentum of the shows where I saw it played. The MUST PLAY list:

Streets
Vertigo
Ultraviolet (my favorite U2 song by far)(also wishful thinking)
SBS (crowd goes nuts every time, even if Bono's voice doesn't sound so good)
ISHFWILF
Real Thing (hoping I would hear it at least once, and a nice replacement for Zoo Station)
One Tree Hill (second favorite U2 song, wishful thinking too)
Discotechque (would have loved to have heard it that last US leg)
Either Miss Sarajevo/Running to a Standstill
WOWY
Bad (definite closer with 40 ending)
Yahweh (leads into closer)
Fly (what would be a U2 show without that guitar solo)
Until the End of the World/Wild Horses
BD
NYD
Last Night on Earth (really liked it listening to the Tel Aviv show)
+ whatever good songs on their new album

 

[Niceman]

Drop:

Pride
Streets
One
Sometimes

I don't know, really more than ANY old song I'd like them to have faith in the new material. What if they went out there and played 12 songs off of the next album? That's what I want to see........