SOE 14: The Morning after Meltdown

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CMIS

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What just happened?

Well, a 40-year-old band took the stage in front of a mostly young-ish audience in what was a gift-wrapped promotion opportunity, and proceeded to bang out a greatest hits set. No new songs, no The Best Thing. Not even a mention. Oh, except that before the set Bono told the DJ that new album will be out next year.....

Cue Interference meltdown, which truly did take place as the previous thread went nearly 500 posts overboard.

Dreamforce is coming up in October. Do we do it all over again, or are fans too jaded? Some have been divorcing U2, parting ways. They have been labelled a dinosaur act. I personally don't know what to think except that to the rest of the world this was a non-event. U2 played what they are famous for. And yes, to us die-hards it was a golden opportunity that they wasted, but as far as album delays go, did they actually say they would release it in 2016 and if not does releasing in 2017 qualify as a delay? Maybe no new music isn't a sign of them backing out, maybe they have a plan. Maybe this is SOA 2.

At any rate, let's keep the fire burning people. Precious little else to do than speculate and drive each other crazy.:reject::lol::sad:

What we know so far:

- In the week leading up to iHeart Bono told Charlie Rose they are trying to whittle down 16 songs to 10 or 12 to fit the album. Also said they would tour next year.

- A third-person rumour, which is increasingly being quoted as fact by some, has Dallas Schoo saying to fans outside the venue on the eve of the iHeart gig that U2 could not get it together to play new songs.

- The Best Thing was first heard as a beach clip and then a remixed version played by DJ Kygo at a performance, which was quickly taken down.

- Also, other DJs including DJ Khaleed have reportedly been given tracks to remix.

Have fun guys :applaud:
 
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Btw, I was being as neutral as possible for the sake of the opening post of a new thread. But I am genuinely, supremely disappointed. Was one of those almost expecting a new song, if not at least some sort of release to iHeart.

Now my life has no meaning.


Well, it does. I mean, I am still hungry. I would like food even if U2 don't release anything ever again, but
seriously, no meaning
 
There have been some genuine meltdowns over this, which I find to be quite hilarious.
 
U2 place also had a source saying, according to Dallas, U2 were rehearsing a new song...maybe they can get it right for the Dreamforce show. There is still time for a new single this year and an album in Spring. Don't panic.

As for croaked voice. It's the desert - he also sounded weak on Popmart and JT tour opening, and he rarely sounds great on these promo one-offs.
 
I suspect we'll know more about the last few weeks of this band's mindset by next week.


Should be plenty of loose lips in Dublin for u240
 
Right?

Genuine being the operative word. Dude, believe me, I am so so disappointed (mostly because I near expected a new song) but not enough to question my decades-long fanhood. We knew what we were getting into, if not from the start then definitely by NLOTH.

Anyway, I am sure many of those guys will come around after a night's sleep and the inevitable acceptance. But this scar will remain. Move over Invisible/Superbowl. :bump:
 
Yeah, I mean - of course it is disappointing. I think this confirms the serious doubts people here have about their judgement and confidence with this stuff. The rather large caveat is that we haven't heard the album, and maybe they are right to hold back. This doesn't accord with things we've heard from Ryan Tedder, Jo Whiley etc.

Either way, the impetuousness of throwing the toys out of the cot, and 'divorcing' the band over this is incredibly pathetic. Beyond pathetic. If in your eyes this turns them into the Rolling Stones (still a long way off IMHO), or into a dinosaur act, then great - enjoy the music we've had and move on. If it tarnishes their legacy, then that is your own childishness. To let these events impact the way you feel about their catalogue of work is just crazy.

Let's hope tempers cool down over the next few weeks.

Signed, a monumentally disappointed, yet not particularly surprised fan.
 
I suspect we'll know more about the last few weeks of this band's mindset by next week.


Should be plenty of loose lips in Dublin for u240

I am really interested to hear just what happened. I tend to think that the band themselves are at serious odds over the readiness of the material.
 
Best decision of the year! By that I mean me going to be and not staying up to listen to the show :)




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At least the crowd sounded like they enjoyed it


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Well this makes Invisible seem like a masterstroke.

Probably the most pointless concert they have ever played. Not expecting any more from Dreamforce.

They aren't natural musicians, never have been, and this is catching up with them now. Time to shut it down.
 
I don't want to toot my own horn, because I'm extremely disappointed. But everything that happened is exactly what I said would happen, it's almost scary. From to Bono saying the album would be out in 2017, down to even the set list choices almost identically matches what i said. Many people on here disagreed with me, some even lashed out at me.

I went to bed knowing full well that I would wake up to this. This band just make poor decisions, it's that simple. I do fully believe they intended to release something this week, and that this was to be the kickoff for SOE. But in typical U2 fashion they got cold feet. But contracts were probably signed, and they had no option to cancel. I'd expect a slightly longer greatest hits set at Dreamforce, nothing else.

I admit, there was a small part of me that was hopeful yesterday that the band would prove me wrong.




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Where Is The Video??!!

Missed the meltdown last night.

Is there really no video of their performance online anywhere??
 
Someone said I was over reacting. I've now had almost 6 hours to digest. What I heard today was a legendary band giving a not that legendary performance. At times it was painful to listen. Will I buy (or stream) their next album? Sure. Will I go to another U2 gig? Probably. And only because of their legacy and the fact that they tend to have pretty awesome show. Nevertheless, U2's days of relevance are gone. They have become Rolling Stones. And I'm actually really sad because of it. I would even say that their 40th anniversary would be a perfect time to call it a day... quit when you're winning.
 
Well this makes Invisible seem like a masterstroke.

Probably the most pointless concert they have ever played. Not expecting any more from Dreamforce.

They aren't natural musicians, never have been, and this is catching up with them now. Time to shut it down.

Took long enough to catch up with them. 40 years. Either they are naturally unnatural musicians or unnaturally unnatural. I suspect the latter, otherwise it would have been sooner.
 
So I wonder what we're talking now? February 2017? Spring? Summer? Fall? Where does this put the tour? Is it even the same tour if 18 months pass between gigs? Jesus guys...

They should've just released SOI and then do the usual 2 year tour after that, and stop promising quick follow up albums that they can't deliver.

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Took long enough to catch up with them. 40 years. Either they are naturally unnatural musicians or unnaturally unnatural. I suspect the latter, otherwise it would have been sooner.

Funny but you only have to hear them try to jam or improvise to know what I was getting at. I think it goes some way to explaining the obvious increasing difficulty in creating new music.
 
Someone said I was over reacting. I've now had almost 6 hours to digest. What I heard today was a legendary band giving a not that legendary performance. At times it was painful to listen. Will I buy (or stream) their next album? Sure. Will I go to another U2 gig? Probably. And only because of their legacy and the fact that they tend to have pretty awesome show. Nevertheless, U2's days of relevance are gone. They have become Rolling Stones. And I'm actually really sad because of it. I would even say that their 40th anniversary would be a perfect time to call it a day... quit when you're winning.

Okay, perfectly acceptable that that is your opinion. But if I may just point out, would your opinion have been completely different if they, a band you have liked for decades, just released a song. That one thing being different.

If so, I just think it's a little strange for a decades-long association to hinge on something as seemingly inconsequential as them releasing a song on a given night, when we don't even know the internal machinations that led them to make this decision.

What this tells me is we know even less than we think we do about how this band operates or reaches the point where they can let an album go,.
 
So I wonder what we're talking now? February 2017? Spring? Summer? Fall? Where does this put the tour? Is it even the same tour if 18 months pass between gigs? Jesus guys...

They should've just released SOI and then do the usual 2 year tour after that, and stop promising quick follow up albums that they can't deliver.

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My thoughts, which have be wrong the whole time, are that it will line up with some other "opportunity" like the launch of a new steaming service or music related platform/service.

Years ago, missing the holiday season would not be an option as that is the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to album sales. However, someone has been crunching the numbers are realized 2 things:

1) The industry as a whole is selling significantly less albums than it was 5-10-15-20 years ago and U2, who are currently struggling to be relevant, would not sell many(millions) albums even if they released during the holiday season.

2) there is a more money to be made by syncing your album release as either an exclusive or as part of a service/product


Follow the money....


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Okay, perfectly acceptable that that is your opinion. But if I may just point out, would your opinion have been completely different if they, a band you have liked for decades, just released a song. That one thing being different.

I think for many long time fans, the events of today are the final straw (or close to it) on the back of years of watching this band we love second guessing themselves, swapping producers in the hope that will achieve anything, over promising and under delivering and making poor decisions.

So there is more going on here than U2 not playing a new song in a largely irrelevant 45 minute concert.
 
The internet is literally just full of meltdowns now isn't it? The band didn't have to do anything they didn't want to last night, deal with it, and if that means not being a fan anymore (which is ridiculous if your fandom hinged on if they played a new song as a festival) then so be it


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I think for many long time fans, the events of today are the final straw (or close to it) on the back of years of watching this band we love second guessing themselves, swapping producers in the hope that will achieve anything, over promising and under delivering and making poor decisions.



So there is more going on here than U2 not playing a new song in a largely irrelevant 45 minute concert.


There really isn't more going on at all, they never promised new material this year, I find it crazy the way people act sometimes I really do


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Typical U2 - they spend a long time recording and realize at the 11th hour that the album is not good enough. But this time they got caught with their pants down because of the iHeart gig.

So now 10 more producers to make the rocks into polished stones.
 
There really isn't more going on at all, they never promised new material this year, I find it crazy the way people act sometimes I really do


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Lol why play the concert then? It must have been booked as a vehicle for launching something. Can't think of any other credible reason.
 
Now that this storm has passed, are u able to share more details of what u had heard last 2wks RD?
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
 
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