attendees of zootv, popmart, elevation

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marik

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i have a question for those that have seen all 3 of ZOOTV, POPMART, and ELEVATION live. regarding the song ONE, which tour had the most emotional version of ONE. you can consider how bono sang it, or what playment in the show it had - whatever adds up to an emotional performance of the song. ALSO, i'm not looking for a specific performance, like the buneous aires show on popmart or something like that, i'm intersted in the tours as a whole.

I've only seen elevation, but i thats the tour i would answer with. why? because, i've seen elevation shows where one was inserted early into the show ala zootv, and i just didn't think it was as emotional as when it closes the night. so that eliminate zootv. now between popmart and elevation, i would say elevation simply because elevation was more of an intimate show, closer to the band,thus more emotional in my mind.

i could be wrong though, your thoughts?

PS: i must have been doing activites that kill my brain cells lately, cuz i can't remember if on the elevation tour, ONE was played with the buffalo videos in the back ground? i coulda swore i saw it. maybe added halfway through the tour? anyone...?
 
I think One on the third leg of Elevation was the most emotional simply because of 911 and names on the screen.

However, one of the 1st leg Zoo shows I saw which was in Minneapolis at the Target Center I was right beside the stage. They just kept playing it at the end and Bono looked over at Edge with a this is awesome kind of look. I guess you had to see it but that was an incredible version of the song and one that I always remember. So its not necessarily just when it closes the show or is near the end of the show.
 
I loved how "One" closed out every night of the Popmart. It had some touching visuals to go along with it.
 
For me it's a tie.
The ZooTv One was very emotional. Maybe it's because it was the first time I had heard the song live, or even the first time I'd seen U2 live. It also might have been my surprise at seeing the tears streaming down Bono's face as he sang it.
The Popmart show I was at was also very emotional. It was only a couple of days after the death of Michael Hutchens. A lot of tears were streaming down cheeks that night...
 
in my opinion ONE never was a great song live. it was okay but not outstanding. best performed during ZOO TV
 
It's one song that is always emotional no matter whether there are east german cars, giant lemons or hearts in the stage set. Sound wise I thought the band got it spot on for Elevation particularly the closing part of the song with guitar sounding superb.
 
Prior to 9/11, I'd say ZOO TV, Elevation, PopMart.

After 9/11, I'd say Elevation, ZOO TV, PopMart.

ZOO TV wins initially mostly because the song was so new. Bono added those extra versus ("hear me knocking, Lord... hear me crawl...) that added so much power to an already ridiculously powerful song. By the start of the Elevation tour, we were used to those versus, so as great as the song was then, I felt ZOO TV was better and more emotional.

But then came 9/11. And suddenly "One" took on a whole new meaning. While it might have been a touch sappy to show the names of the victims on screens, at the time, I doubt anyone in attendence wasn't moved - U2 did it with style and class. Even at the Super Bowl people were touched. Most people even shed a tear or two. So emotionally, the post-9/11 performaces of "One" clearly were the most expressive. Those shows gave the song a whole new life and definition.
 
hmm good question...

I have seen all 3 tours you mentioned and I have seen 10 shows in all on those tours. However there were times when the usual visuals were thrown out after major events. So, as far as Im concerned, its the performances of the song in both Edinburgh during PopMart and in Slane 1 that really stood out. First, in Edinburgh, it was beautifully played just after a very emotional MLK as a tribute to Princess Diana who had tragically died a few days previously. The audience fell very very quiet during both MLK and One which many of them were left in tears... and I thought that was so moving but just 4 years later, it was Slane's turn to move so many people inc. myself close to tears....but for a much more personal reason..

Slane concert was held in the aftermath of a very sad death of Bono's father, Bob (he was only buried the day before the concert) the song was received very warmly by the audience and kept quiet but after looking at the video screens which showed a picture of Bob from the video for the same song, it got to me as my own Dad died only 3 years ago which at the time I hadnt got over the shock. So listening to Bono sing that song only a day after his own father was buried not only increased my utter admiration for his courage and fortitude but also, in a small way, it healed my own pain. It was really beautiful and unforgettable for anyone who were there..

As for the third, on Zoo TV, the song was played with the buffaloes running to nowhere in the background as well as the words "Smell the flowers while you can" and all kinds of flowers.

So its Elevation, PopMart and Zoo TV for me in that order....

dougal
 
The Zoo Tv was the poorest version cos of the sound quality. Popmart was fantastic and also Elevation but if I had to choose it would probably be Popmart.:wink:
 
Always ZOO TV for me, simply because it was the best performances of the song. Sidney springs to mind as a perfect, typical ZOO version of One.

I don't think they played One that well during POP, it was a bit lame and boring if I may say so.

I would put One during Elevation in the same bracket as Bullet during that tour. Although I really enjoyed the POP version of Bullet, the Elevation version was more true to the ZOO and even Joshua version. There was more passion, it sounded clearer and the bass and drums were louder and better. The same goes for One, good performances but not up to ZOO quality.

For me its more how the band play the songs technically and how they 'sound' rather than how they fit in with other sircumstances, ie 9/11 etc. and thats how I rate One as well.
 
They were allincredible versions of ONE each distinctive, but for me the best, best performances of the song will lways be (in order of greatness)

#1 One during Popmart Sarajevo, especially if you look into the crowd, just kills :sad:

#2 One during the first Madison Square Garden Show after 9/11 (elevation tour) :heart:

#3 One during SLANE 1 (not the slane dvd, the other one) :heart:

#4 One during ZooEuropa (Dublin)
 
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I saw all three shows and would have to say the ZooTv version of One stood out. The song is always emotional but it just stood out more to my recollection because it was in stark contrast to all the audio-sensory overload of that show.

I might have a different opinion if the Elevation version if I had seen a post 9/11 show.
 
jacobus said:
in my opinion ONE never was a great song live. it was okay but not outstanding. best performed during ZOO TV

I have to agree with this. Almost all U2 songs are better live, in my opinion, but with One I just never liked it better than the record. It's one of my favorites too. It's not horrible live, I just think it's better on Achtung Baby.
 
first post ... happy to be here

I think the post-9/11 "One" really had to be seen to be believed. It was one of the most powerful moments of my life, musically or otherwise.

As horrible as 9/11 was, I think the natural human reaction is to think about all the people that were killed in terms of numbers. It becomes kind of an abstract thing, or at least it did to me, as I was fortunate enough not to have my family directly affected. It's hard to put yourself in a position to think of what it means for all those lives to be lost, and all those families to be broken up.

But scrolling the names ... it really brought home the scope of the tragedy to me. These were people, dammit. And I'm glad it happened that way, with "One" playing, because it muted the anger I might have felt otherwise. Instead, I felt a great loss, very hard to explain in words.

I think that's the beauty of "One" - loss without anger. It's a song that defies easy emotions, and challenges one to find strength from within to cope. It is a song that manages to express the healing power of love, not by way of cliche but, inexplicably for a theme that's been tried and failed a million times over, the real deal. It is truly profound.
 
One is the greatest song ever, so its always performed well by the band. But Id go with the ZOOTV tour, just because Bono sang it so well, and also this line: "Did you come here to play Jesus?.....I Did..." he changes the lyrics to that line, and he performed it like this almost every night on the ZOO, although he did it every once in awhile in Popmart and Elevation, I loved the change. Also, "unchained melody" after ONE was brilliant, spotlight turns on Bono and then "Smell the flowers while you can" comes on the screen.
 
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