Shuttlecock IV: The Doubles

[cobl04]

It was pretty decent, but again I can't understand all the fawning, most of which is happening in EYKIW. It couldn't hold a candlewick to their best.

First time I watched it I actually turned it off after the first chorus. Bono looked so fucking smug after he finished singing it, like "yeahhhh I fuckin nailed that, damn right cheer for me"

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

You can tell that he still gets an adrenaline rush when he performs, especially on the big stages. He's in his zone. He does super geeky stuff when he performs, always has.

Not saying you're wrong to be turned off by it. Just saying personally I'm used to it at this point.

 

[cobl04]

Oh yeah, it's always been a thing with him. To me it just seemed a little unnatural, like he was almost trying too hard to get the crowd on side, then when they cheered after the first chorus he looked smug. But yeah, not exactly new.

 

[PhilsFan]

He said in some interview that he looks smug when he's nervous which makes some sense.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Did he have a drink with Ariana Grande at the after party and, if so, did she know who he was?

 

[bono_212]

Unintentional Shania reference there.

I'm both happy and sad that you beat me to pointing it out.

 

[lazarus]

First time I watched it I actually turned it off after the first chorus. Bono looked so fucking smug after he finished singing it, like "yeahhhh I fuckin nailed that, damn right cheer for me"

I definitely noticed that. Yes, Bono does dumb stuff when he's "in the zone". This still stuck out.

 

[david]

The Bonozone. What an interesting place that must be. But yeah, when he called in to Kevin and Bean he touched upon being in the zone during his phone interview. I still think it's a great performance. My only concern is that will EBW be played last during the tour?

 

[cobl04]

Surely it will be the first "powerful" song. Tipping it will be played third or fourth, with Beautiful Day following.

 

[bono_man2002]

I think it'll come mid set, something like SYCMIOYO on the Vertigo Tour.

 

[Hewson]

It was pretty decent, but again I can't understand all the fawning, "

The fawning is confounding to me as well. I mean I get that we're dealing with some serious die hards here, but making such an emphasis of stripped down/acoustic versions of these songs is just making the band seem like an older bunch of dudes than they already are.
I guess I just don't get it....the older I get my taste in music isn't mellowing in the least, it may even be tilting the other direction....I don't want my favorite rock bands concetrating on ballads and playing softer arrangements of their songs. Play it harder and louder live, not softer and quieter.

 

[Hewson]

Did he have a drink with Ariana Grande at the after party and, if so, did she know who he was?

She figured he's the guy who her Grandpa used to talk about who sang with Cher, either that or the potato man.

 

[lazarus]

My only concern is that will EBW be played last during the tour?

Ugh.

They'll likely close with an older song on this tour. I can't imagine what from the album would even be an appropriate show-ender.

 

[Hewson]

Ugh.

I can't imagine what from the album would even be an appropriate show-ender.

Song For Someone could get me a jump on traffic.

 

[lazarus]

In case you are staying away and won't see it, GAF, I just gave you a shout-out in the Acoustic Xmas thread over at The Other Place.

 

[lazarus]

Song For Someone could get me a jump on traffic.

"This is a SOOOOOOONNOOONNNOONNNNG a SONG FOR SOMEOwhere y'all going??"

 

[david]

Yeah, Song for Someone and Every Breaking Wave are both big chorus songs that require Bono to go to the Bonozone. Not sure how that is going to work out in set list pacing.

 

[BoMac]

I haven't listened to any of the acoustic versions on the bonus disc, nor have I watched/listened to a single performance on the promo tour until today. I just watched the EMA performance and thought it was great, but I still think acoustic U2 sucks.

 

[LemonMelon]

Song For Someone could get me a jump on traffic.

Song For No One.

 

[cobl04]

#imagen thrownback to AIWIY at Slane

"This song is dedicated to my beautiful wife... Ali...
...THIS IS A SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGG FOR SOMEONE"

 

[Kieran McConville]

Here's a song Charlie Manson stole from Coldplay...

 

[Axver]

I think it'll come mid set, something like SYCMIOYO on the Vertigo Tour.

Yeah that's my expectation too. If it's done acoustic it will definitely be somewhere in the second half of the main set.

I really hope they do it full band though. I can sort of, kind of, maybe, possibly see why people find the second half of acoustic EBW to be good, but the start is so fucking slow and boring. By the end of the first chorus I'm already asleep, or at least negatively predisposed to the rest of the performance.

 

[martha]

Play it harder and louder live, not softer and quieter.

YES.

I haven't listened to any of the acoustic versions on the bonus disc,

You know, the "acoustic" versions aren't all that acoustic. There are cellos, horns, layered instruments. I'm digging the fuck out of them and I have a very shallow tolerance for singer-songwriter acoustic crap.

 

[martha]

Also, I had a GREAT U2/Bono dream last night. Yes, one I can share here without blushing.

The pit was Elevation style, and the idiot fans had decided that they all would lie down in rows during WOWY, because they thought it would be all cool and shit. Yours truly thought it was lame to do that, so I hung out, leaning against the stage like it was some kind of club stage. I was the only one paying any attention to the band, so I was rewarded with be invited by Bono to sit with him on the edge of the stage. He sang a little, but I think we chatted while those idiots were all laid out in rows like war dead.

 

[bono_man2002]

Yeah that's my expectation too. If it's done acoustic it will definitely be somewhere in the second half of the main set.

I really hope they do it full band though. I can sort of, kind of, maybe, possibly see why people find the second half of acoustic EBW to be good, but the start is so fucking slow and boring. By the end of the first chorus I'm already asleep, or at least negatively predisposed to the rest of the performance.

I think they'll do the first half in the "Adele" arrangement of just Bono and Edge and then Larry and Adam come in later. Do you think perhaps they will pair EBW and SFS together?

 

[U2inUtah]

Wait this thing is at the Forum? I thought Acoustic Christmas was always outdoors. Isn't the Forum a dump?


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[martha]

Wait this thing is at the Forum? I thought Acoustic Christmas was always outdoors. Isn't the Forum a dump?


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

Nah. It's been tarted up just for concerts now.

 

[IWasBored]

The fawning is confounding to me as well. I mean I get that we're dealing with some serious die hards here, but making such an emphasis of stripped down/acoustic versions of these songs is just making the band seem like an older bunch of dudes than they already are.
I guess I just don't get it....the older I get my taste in music isn't mellowing in the least, it may even be tilting the other direction....I don't want my favorite rock bands concetrating on ballads and playing softer arrangements of their songs. Play it harder and louder live, not softer and quieter.

That's because you didn't get the memo, either. That memo is the one Martha didn't get about how after you hit your 30s you're not supposed to like anything other than bland, safe, acoustic bullshit, or go to loud rock concerts anymore.

 

[PhilsFan]

My dad's best friend is like you guys in that sense. He bought me tickets to the U2 show a few years ago so I bought him a ticket to see The National with me. He'd never heard of them, but we did GA and he loved the show. He would have been 48 or so at the time.

(He did not like the Antlers as an opener though.)

 

[IWasBored]

I was wearing the pearl jam tshirt i bought at the show last year when I went to my mom's for dinner a few months ago, and she was pissed I didn't bring her to the concert with me, and I had to promise I would the next time they play in New England. She's 62.