For the touring concept, I do hope U2 follow the path of 2001 & 2005/06: Live music has to be more important than choreography or stage spectacle aspects. The tracks and their performance should not be overshadowed by the frame given. That's because otherwise U2 would be stuck in too static, always repeating setlists with a long time needed to break out of the routine and insert other aspects.
Just because it worked in 1992/93 was the fault of genius albums like 'Achtung Baby' & 'Zooropa' mixed with an equally genius tour concept leaving in the main sets, but also on the B-stage the option (later appreciated and much used by U2!) to vary the setlists and make great music, too. In 1997/98 the album was also fine, but not rehearsed enough plus the stage concept had genius aspects, but it lacked coherency and was steps too much regarding 'spontaneity' (which is mostly planned by U2 before, too).
The best idea was to have an album with fine tunes, they are really proud to play. That's, what will make the tour interesting for me in the 1st way, it will be interesting for other old-time fans and also the newbies.
Then I do hope that the band will not only lean with the remaining 12-15 tunes on 'U2 18' aka the 'Greatest Hits' aka 'Best Of'. Much better would be from the band themselves to chose a bunch of songs from this point of view, that are seperated in two groups: a) 'Greatest Hits' that really have to played and b) 'Greatest Hits' that will be played and will be exchanged from time to time.
Everybody here in the forum has other ideas, what songs that would be like (that's why I vote for the artists themselves to pick ...), but I'd say "One" and "Where The Streets Have No Name" are two tracks, that are the classic centre core to be played (as bored some of you might be with this). Unfortunately (because I don't like it that much), I see "Beautiful Day" in the same category, now – a kind of hymn for the 'rediscovered U2'. Then I'd bet on "Vertigo" to be there, too – at least for the next tour – because it is the key track of the last tour.
a) 'Greatest Hits', that have to be played every night:
- "Where The Streets Have No Name"
- "One"
- "Beautiful Day"
- "Vertigo"
b) "Greatest Hits" to be played and to be replaced by each other:
- "New Year's Day" switched with "Pride"
- "With Or Without..." & "All I Want Is You" & "Bad"
- "Sunday Bloody Sunday" & "Please"
- "I Still haven't Found..." & "Stuck In A Moment ..."
- "I Will Follow" & "Out Of Control"
- "Until The End Of ..." & "Bullet The Blue Sky"
- "Discotheque" & "Mysterious Ways"
In this scheme now we do have up to 11 spots now reserved for 'Greatest Hits' a) (4 tunes) & b) (up to 7 tunes). I'd add at least 6 spots reserved for 'new album tracks'. This does leave 2-8 spots for songs, that U2 should dust off from their impressive back catalogue. I'd suggest:
- "Twilight"
- "October" (!)
- "A Sort Of Homecoming" (!)
- "The Unforgettable Fire" (!)
- "Exit"
- "Spanish Eyes"
- "God Part II" (!)
- "Acrobat"
- "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)"
