If they play ABOY on SNL.............

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medmo

medmo

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I think it's fair to say that ABOY is probably in the running to be played on SNL this weekend. After listening to the band play it during the BBC interview, it sounds to me like there are 2 guitars being played during this song; a "lead" part and the rhythm part (or either I'm very, very wrong). This begins around the middle part of the song. So, either Bono is playing one of the parts, or it is pre-recorded, or a sequencer, hidden man, etc.

This is nothing new for U2 and has been done many times before; the live version of Gone comes to mind........Edge plays the rhythm part while the lead also plays. It has never bothered me personally, and still doesn't. But my question is this:

With all the fallout over the Ashlee Simpson crap, do you guys think they will catch any flak if they play ABOY this way?


And, if it turns out that Bono was actually playing also, or that my ears are deceiving me and there is no second guitar part, this whole question is moot, so my apologies.
 
Bono will sing it "Live" it'll sound great and Kick Serious ASS!!! Im jacked for it two more sleeps!!
 
Flying FuManchu said:
Hmmmmm.... didn't notice that...
Click to expand...


It's especially noticeable after the chorus, right as Bono sings "I am". Pay attention to what Edge is playing during the chorus, before this part. It is pretty much a rhythm part. But it keeps going, even after the "solo" guitar part begins, as Bono is saying "I am".

Or either I'm crazy.
 
medmo said:



It's especially noticeable after the chorus, right as Bono sings "I am". Pay attention to what Edge is playing during the chorus, before this part. It is pretty much a rhythm part. But it keeps going, even after the "solo" guitar part begins, as Bono is saying "I am".

Or either I'm crazy.
Click to expand...

There's actually like three guitars in the album mix.
 
actually, on the Radio 1 performace on tuesday, Edge played that high part in the beginning, strummed the chords for the first verse, then did the chords for the chorus, and the high part after the chorus was a recording while Edge played the chords. after the second chorus, though, Edge played the high part.


I think they did a damn good job not having Bono play gutiar and still giving the song that full sound.




I'm still rooting for Miracle Drug on saturday, though :wink:
 
the TOTP and Radio One version both have a rhythm acoustic and Edge plays the live lead (electric).

So right now, I would say that if they play it, they will have hte backing guitar track. With obviously Edge playing live and Bono singing live.

They are a band, all 4 playing live =Bono singing live anyhow.
It's totally different. You'll be hard pressed to find many acts that dont use some taped backing or even triggered by pedal or keyboard. It's the nature of technology. If they werent playing live it would be really really lame. So it's just 'support'.

Ashlee got shit because she is a solo artist, miming her own songs. She wasnt using 'support' she was using a lead tape, to mime too (lip-synch). Totally different.

Also she's a top 40 pop chick with no talent.

Would a sophisticated music fan notice this in the first place, like you have? Yes. Would they understand that it's just a supporting track? Yes.

Would the novice music fan notice it? No. It won't make any difference for them.
 
Well, I don't know how sophisticated I am when it comes to listening to music..........the backing track is just something I happened to pick up on. Like I said, there's nothing wrong with it, and I'm not bitching about it.

If this thread has shown anything, it's that most people aren't going to hear it, anyway.
 
I think it was Bono on rhythm guitar at TOTP, actually, though maybe someone who was actually there can confirm/deny this. If you listen to the boots that were circulating around this board, you can hear an audience member say right before ABOY "Here come's an accoustic song". Why would he think that the Edge's Strat was an accoustic guitar? Answer: he didn't, Bono had just put on an accoustic guitar to play.

He's done it before with no problem, you know. Silver and Gold, Exit, Gone, Last Night on Earth, etc.

If they do play ABOY, he'll be playing rhythm guitar, which is why I think they'll play something else; after last time, he won't want to be tied down to one spot.
 
Actually, it's two electric guitars on the album, and I do believe it is on the live version from Radio 1 as well. Larry's mounted tambourine can sometimes times give the illusion of an acoustic guitar's jingle, but the rhythm is definitely electric. Sticking to the topic, I think Bono should definitely play the rhythm guitar live, simply because the rhythm chords are very easy, even for a man of Bono's guitar skills. :wink:
 
I didn't notice the three guitars on ABOY for the Radio 1 show. I don't know why I was thinking Edge was doing a Beautiful Day with ABOY when clearly they had three guitars playing. The high/ lead part was going on with another person playing the power chords at the same time. Someone was playing the accoustic. Hmmm.... wonder if it really was a backing track or another player.
 
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City of Blinding Lights! I mean, c'mon....where else would you play it? Plus, it'll sound great in the smaller venue that SNL is.
 
i'm hoping for a kick ass performance of "Sometimes....". it would show the diversity of the album a couple days before its release. from a marketing standpoint, this would be their best route.
 
A couple of things here:

1. I believe Bono is playing an acoustic guitar during ABOY. I'm basing this on the sound and pictures from the TOTP's gig

2. I'm banking that they'll play SYCMIOYO. It's a great song, and supposedly the second single...right?

We'll see in two evenings from now!
 
Look, guys, forget the TOTP show! It was mimed! the instruments were off!



The Radio 1 show on tuesday was real. During ABOY, Edge played the high part during the intro, but after the 1st chorus the high part was played from a recording. Then, after the 3rd chorus, Edge played the high part again.
 
I did notice during the middle portion while Bono's singing his hey yeah yeah, you can hear another rhythm guitar while The Edge is playing the higher solo parts. I thought at first it was just Adam playing a higher bass. But, it really does sound like a guitar. Not only that, but an electric guitar no less.

I guess we'll see how they do it when they play it on SNL this Saturday. :shrug:
 
I think it will be ABOY--U2 wants to market this as a hard charging rock record (even though it is not) that is why I believe it will be Vertigo and ABOY--there is one dark horse...IMO they haven't found the new songs yet (in a live situation--the BBC show was off)...I would not be totally surprised (although I would be very disappointed) if they played Beautiful Day.
 
From u2log.com

U2 Rehearse for SNL Appearance
cindy // 19-11-04 // 06:18 PM // Comments (0)
At this very moment, U2 are at NBC studios rehearsing for their appearance on Saturday Night Live tomorrow evening. U2log has learned that they have been rehearsing three songs: “I Will Follow,” “Vertigo,” and an unspecified one (probably another new one).
 
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