SOE 14: The Morning after Meltdown

[Mack_Again]

Do you know any other jokes?

According to E_O, they had rehearsed new song but couldn't really play it well.

 

[prbiker15]

Desire was surprisingly the highlight of the whole set, as they finally gave it some life. The performance then went downhill immediately, but got a little better towards the end. It was good to see Bono sing One from top to bottom again.

My opinion is that yeah, it was a rough one-off performance. I don't think those who stayed to watch them minded the roughness, as from what I've seen it was well-received. U2 will most likely put on a better show for Dreamforce, maybe cause they're getting paid more.

 

[aMansAman]

They might be in the "removing self indulgence" phase... again

Edge 2014:

Have you got a great melodic idea and great lyrics? And if you can't put it across on an acoustic guitar, you probably don't have that. So we're going through all that process. And on this album, we really went quite far out there and now this final phase is like bringing it all home and making sure that it's all tight and high, that there's no self-indulgent aspects to the work.

 

[digitize]

Oh surprise, U2 took a golden opportunity for new album promotion and blew it. I couldn't have imagined them ever doing that. #2014

Seriously, though, Desire sounds look. I look forward to the YouTube video.


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[Roland of Gilead]

So, apparently they owed iHeart for some SOI exposure. This was their thank you. If that's the case, I get it. Still though. Wow. U2 being U2.

Watch us all say that Dreamforce isn't going to give us a new song(s) and something happens because, you know, U2.

The Hollywood/Trump Desire mix was fantastic and worth hearing. I sensed we were going to get a direct response to Trump at this show from the Charlie Rose show. Bono wasn't going to go around solo on his time to make a platform to voice his opinion, but he never once said that U2 couldn't have a public opinion on Trump. Love those bills! That was. Nice touch. I bet they keep it for Dreamforce.

 

[The_acrobat]

Let's say SOE comes out in March. We probably won't see a single until January. Can we see that happening?


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This is now our new BEST CASE SCENARIO.


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[blueskies]

Nothing beyond what I've already said.

- album is not finished. Still in mixing phase. Lillywhite is involved.
- talk of tour delay, Live Nation isn't happy as this affects quarterly revenue projections. (my own thoughts here- this might just mean a May start instead of a March start)
- there were plans to do something in Dublin this weekend for the 40th. A mini gig, or some kind of event at least. (see Brian Boyd article for confirmation). If there's no new music happening this week than I can't see this happening.
- album release plans were traditional.. No advanced digital exclusive just a straight up release date. Physical and digital on same day. We're now passed the cut off for an october/early Nov release

In Dublin so I can't read everything. This might have been posted.
Re tour: Joe O'Herlihey reportedly said that it will be:
April 2017 North America
My assumption: Europe summer / fall
End of 2017 Australia
Beginning 2018 South America

They might be in the "removing self indulgence" phase... again

Can you explain? Must have missed something.

 

[prbiker15]

They've never released albums in December or January. So it's either October, November or February at the earliest. Especially if they want to start the tour in the spring.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Actually, the best case scenario is U2 have a single out in 100 days to promote next album AND next leg of tour. They're not selling tickets without a new single. Unless, of course, they want to be the Stones now.

 

[Aygo]

Actually, the best case scenario is U2 have a single out in 100 days to promote next album AND next leg of tour. They're not selling tickets without a new single. Unless, of course, they want to be the Stones now.

Didn't U2 outsell stadiums in the post-Bono surgery half of the 360º Tour without a new album, a new single, a greatest hits, to promote?...

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Those 360 dates had existed prior to Bono's surgery and delay. They were pushed later after being sold. NA leg 5.

 

[Irvine511]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

it would have been nice. i'm sure the album is almost done. i'm sure they tried to play the new song and it didn't work well enough to premiere. they have a lot at stake and they don't want to fuck it up. why risk it? only people in here were even expecting new material, something that we convinced ourselves was happening. myself included. groupthink. confirmation bias. whatever else the internet does to you.

my only actual worry is that the failure of the new song to materialize successfully means that they are going to do a deep rethink.

it also seems that this group does need someone directing them. and i agree with the comment that they may not be happy with themselves these days.

that said, i&e was pretty inspired, so i'm sure they want to get back to it.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Sorry, 360 NA leg 7. That leg existed and was sold prior to the back surgery. Sure, they added cities later on, but the point is the last leg was advertised and sold with a NLOTH single making the rounds.

 

[RoKKeR]

Were the other acts promoting new material?

 

[david]

Not sure. Sounded like the other well known current acts that played just played their hits.


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[prbiker15]

Were the other acts promoting new material?

OneRepublic seem to have been the only ones with a new album coming out, they only played 1 new song.

 

[Numb1075]

I think some of us are a bit too emotional here. U2 has been like they are for 20 years. They are not great musicians, they can't pull off Bad or The Unforgettable Fire whenenver they want, they need practice. I'm not surprised about the setlist.
Let's try to look on the bright side:
- Album cooking out in a few months (hopefully not overcooked)
- Tour on the way
- SOI/E Tour was great last year, ok a few things we would change for sure, but had a blast.
- The guys seem healthy
- They are not yet a dino act like the RS, in fact, they still play between 5-7 new songs per concert (yesterday was not), RS play 20 songs over 30 years old in their set....
- It's sunny outside, get a beer and play Under a Bloody Red Sky very loud and enjoy the music because THAT band will not come back and it's a fact.
- Think about all the crap on the radio at the moment and be happy you're not listening to it

I love U2

Every word of this.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Were the other acts promoting new material?

Every act on the bill either has a new album coming out or released one this year.

Except U2.

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

Nothing beyond what I've already said.

- album is not finished. Still in mixing phase. Lillywhite is involved.
- talk of tour delay, Live Nation isn't happy as this affects quarterly revenue projections. (my own thoughts here- this might just mean a May start instead of a March start)
- album release plans were traditional.. No advanced digital exclusive just a straight up release date. Physical and digital on same day. We're now passed the cut off for an october/early Nov release

If the main issue is really that they just need more time for mixing than the current deadline could allow for, then that's a silver lining in all this. NLOTH was released in late February, with Boots debuted on radio at the end of January. If they don't need to radically overhaul anything and the album just needs more finishing, maybe we'll get it around then?

... But i tend to think if they couldn't make the deadline for now, it must be due to more than mixing. I feel like if they were truly serious about getting it out by now, the mixing wouldn't get in the way. So i think there's probably a bigger problem with the music, and it might need a lot more work (maybe to make it translatable live?). As someone else mentioned, March 2017 is likely the most optimistic guess.

Though if it is just a mixing issue... why not December? Coldplay released their last album Dec 4 - and that was with a traditional release (single first, physical, no surprise etc).

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I get it... and yea, I would rather them sit in something that isn't ready than butcher it live.

But for fucks sake... if you don't have a new song to promote at least put forth a powerful setlist.

 

[CMIS]

I love everybody acting as if U2 have only just become a Rolling Stones-esque dinosaur act. The last time they had a single that anybody beyond the fandom gave a shit about was twelve years ago. The 360 Tour was the sound of a great hulking dinosaur stomping down in the biggest cities of (almost) every continent.

This is why I have said for some time that I'd rather they just tour and play whatever shit than keep trying to schedule tours in the eighties mould of supporting a new album.

You know, I do agree with this. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they are like RS, but the relevance train left long ago, when NLOTH didn't produce a hit. They have to strike freakin' gold, and I mean something like WOWY or One, to get into the mainstream consciousness as far as pop music relevance goes. Their only claims to relevance are the SOI distribution fiasco and Bono's general perception as a loudmouth ageing rockstar douchebag. Have a look at anyone talking about bono other than U2 fans.

And me saying this has nothing to do with their iHeart gig. I felt this way since SOI, an album which I liked then and am actually growing to really love now, was completely overshadowed by the release method.

I have no problem if they aren't relevant. But they do. And it's no good saying that they should be like Pearl Jam or Bruce Springsteen, because the search for relevance is actually built into their DNA. They want to be part of the conversation, hell their 40th anniversary banner may as well read 'U2: Searching for relevance since 1976'.

That is what gave us Achtung Baby, that is what gave us ATYCLB because Pop flopped. And like it or not, that is what gave us SOI.

You can't ask a fish to walk on land and you can't ask U2 to jettison their relevance drive. Not until they are over 65 and Bono breaks his hip jumping about on stage, then decides it's time to scale back a bit.

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[Roland of Gilead]

I cringed during most of Elevation. I laughed a little during BD. Other than that, I enjoyed hearing the show. IWF should of been played to recognize #U240. Of all the missed opportunities, this was the the easiest for them to do and well, U2.

 

[david]

"Brandon Flowers right in front of you" during BD was a little funny.


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[CMIS]

Would also like to echo a lot of people here saying this, in case someone close to the band is trawling to pick up reactions (yeah right):

For fuck fuck fuck's sake, stop promoting the next album as soon as the current one comes out. It's not a bloody James Bond movie.

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[trevgreg]

I have no problem if they aren't relevant. But they do. And it's no good saying that they should be like Pearl Jam or Bruce Springsteen, because the search for relevance is actually built into their DNA. They want to be part of the conversation, hell their 40th anniversary banner may as well read 'U2: Searching for relevance since 1976'.

That is what gave us Achtung Baby, that is what gave us ATYCLB because Pop flopped. And like it or not, that is what gave us SOI.

Yes.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Would also like to echo a lot of people here saying this, in case someone close to the band is trawling to pick up reactions (yeah right):

For fuck fuck fuck's sake, stop promoting the next album as soon as the current one comes out. It's not a bloody James Bond movie.

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Personally, this is just it. You release a statement on your official site the day of SOI's release and tell the world that the next one is coming soon. I really should of known better, but I wanted to believe 2016 at the very latest. Such a sucker!

I'm so bummed. I think I'm going to go and listen to the gift vinyl concert U2 sent to pick me up. U2 going to fix my U2 problems.

 

[CMIS]

Personally, this is just it. You release a statement on your official site the day of SOI's release and tell the world that the next one is coming soon. I really should of known better, but I wanted to believe 2016 at the very latest. Such a sucker!

I'm so bummed. I think I'm going to go and listen to the gift vinyl concert U2 sent to pick me up. U2 going to fix my U2 problems.

Really, that is the only thing I can blame them for. They start us frothing at the mouth. They ask us to enter, but you know, then they don't call back. Why won't he call Rachel?

Why?

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[TinKnight]

I don't even care that they didn't have anything new. I didn't think they would.

I do care that they chose an embarrassing setlist. Desire, Vertigo, Elevation? Extended Coldplay snippet? It was cringe-inducing. Nothing says relevancy like RAWK.

And then to not play songs that even non-U2 fans admit to loving, Streets or With or Without You? Just a confusing, nonsensical setlist.

 

[U2girl]

I love everybody acting as if U2 have only just become a Rolling Stones-esque dinosaur act. The last time they had a single that anybody beyond the fandom gave a shit about was twelve years ago. The 360 Tour was the sound of a great hulking dinosaur stomping down in the biggest cities of (almost) every continent.

This is why I have said for some time that I'd rather they just tour and play whatever shit than keep trying to schedule tours in the eighties mould of supporting a new album.

Let me know when U2 stops playing new material on tour. Then they will be the RS. Also, pretty sure more people care about their new material than the Stones's any time of the week and twice on a Sunday.

Oh and if U2 ever goes down the road of many of their contemporaries "play anything BUT new stuff" or better yet "let's do ______ (insert album name) anniversary tour*" they might as well roll over and die. Thank Macphisto "screw the 00's material" mentality doesn't rule their setlists.

* for the love of north side of Dubin, enough talk about U240. They didn't do anything about any other anniversary, and playing a "look - 40 year anniversary" show reeks of dinosaur teritorry.

 

[RoKKeR]

I don't even care that they didn't have anything new. I didn't think they would.

I do care that they chose an embarrassing setlist. Desire, Vertigo, Elevation? Extended Coldplay snippet? It was cringe-inducing. Nothing says relevancy like RAWK.

And then to not play songs that even non-U2 fans admit to loving, Streets or With or Without You? Just a confusing, nonsensical setlist.

I could have done without Elevation.