When U2 f*ck up....

[The Scientist]

Just curious how often and specifically when U2 have screwed up performing songs live. I've found that these rare moments can be the funniest moments and really make a show memorable.

Radiohead is notorious for screwing up and I've witnessed a few Coldplay moments as well. So..................

anyone wanna share some dates/stories?

 

[Bonochick]

This isn't a musical screw-up, but at the Detroit Elevation show, Bono said, "Detroit, Ohio."

 

[Blue Room]

Just get a copy of 4-25-97 Las Vegas if you dont already have it. That is about the worst show musically U2 has ever done. Errors on most songs. Bono forgets half the lyrics to songs, Edge's guitar isnt plugged in on Discotheque, they cant play Staring at the Sun AT ALL!, etc...............

 

[Axver]

7 November 1987, Denver - Edge plays a wrong note on the Sunday Bloody Sunday riff. I think it was also at this show where they stuff up the beginning of Spanish Eyes and start it again.

8 December 1987, Atlanta - During Bad, Bono begins to sing a verse he's already sung, so he begins improvising new lyrics on the spot.

3 November 1981, Hamburg - Not a stuff-up, but Bono repeatedly stops to yell at some people fighting in the crowd. They started I Will Follow three times.

I just had some others lined up to say, and now I've gone and forgotten them!

 

[bono_man2002]

August 21st 2001 - how bono was able to preform at this show, i'll never know. If his father passing away wasnt bad enough Dalls (edges guitar tech) forgets to update the change in set-list on edges sheet. so edge goes to start "In a little while" while on bonos sheet its posted as "wake up dead man" the book says bono is compley freaked out when he sees edge with the wrong guitar. After In A Little while, bono rips his set sheet off and goes over to edge (who is away with the faries) according to the u2 book edge mouths "ooh, stuck in a moment"
bonos pretty annoyed for the rest of the show

June 22nd 2001 - East Rutherford : from what i hear on the bootleg edge decides to change his guitar during Sunday Bloody Sunday edges guitar suddenly fades out, bono sings : "theres many lost but tell me who has one......edge is changing his guitar"

June 6th 2001 - cut from the dvd...but theres a mistake where edge starts his solo in Kite a little early

May 11th 1993 - Rotterdam : Day after bonos birthday, band maybe a little hung over...bono shouts "achtung y'all" after the first verse of the fly.

November 11th 1993 - Melbourne - Edge plays the wrong note on the piano at the start of Mysterious Ways.

 

[Blue Room]

Two errors from Elevation I witnessed in person. 5-15-01, they launch into the first performance of 11 O'Clock of the tour and Edge has the wrong guitar. They have to stop, get the right guitar and start over. Edge also messes up the intro to Out Of Control which was the very next song.

Also, I think it was the 5-16-01 (may have been 5-13) Edge's guitar cuts out during the SBS solo and Bono does a vocal version of the solo laughing while Dallas runs out and frantically tries to get Edge's guitar plugged back in.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

At a show in Milwaukee or Chicago that I went to for the Elevation Tour, they played One and the guy/ guys who do the background synths/ strings in the song were like totally off from what the band were playing. Bono had to tell them where to go in the middle of the song. It was sort of funny but screwed up the song. IMO, Party Girl solo with Edge screwing up a note on Under a Blood Red Sky was huge considering the way Edge plays and its on major release CD.

Jon Buckland of Coldplay said it best when talking about guitar playing mistakes... (paraphrased) when you have a minimalist style, one wrong note on a mininmalist song with guitar sounds like a really huge mistake.

 

[madonna's child]

One of my favorite parts of the Slane dvd is when Larry and Adam forget to come in during Angel of Harlem.

 

[liamcool]

One show in 1980, Edge breaks a guitar string during a song...they leave the stage and don't come back.

 

[Axver]

At the start of Rejoice, 13 December 1981, Edge has to tune up, and Bono jokes with the crowd. 16 August 1981, Slane, Edge has to tune up before Stories For Boys, however that time, Bono makes no jokes.

 

[Axver]

Also, I was just listening to 13 November 1981, and during 11 O'clock Tick Tock, Bono asks "You broken a string?" Not totally sure what happens there. The whole band stops during Bono's "La la la" bit (not the one before the riff, the one Bono would sometimes do instead of 'call out your name') and so maybe there was a guitar change then ...

 

[bono_man2002]

1985 - Cant remember where.....but the synthizer breaks down during bad.....Bono : "this is a song called bad............this is very bad!" its really funny bono starts telling jokes....and brings some guy in from the crowd who also tells jokes.

 

[Angela Harlem]

I find these threads amazing for the focus on detail. Not in a "You're all nerds/geeks" kind of way. It honestly impresses me how you all know this.

 

[Blue Room]

1985 - Cant remember where.....but the synthizer breaks down during bad.....Bono : "this is a song called bad............this is very bad!" its really funny bono starts telling jokes....and brings some guy in from the crowd who also tells jokes.

6-22-85 Milton Keynes, England

 

[bono_man2002]

thats the one

 

[Bonochick]

I find these threads amazing for the focus on detail. Not in a "You're all nerds/geeks" kind of way. It honestly impresses me how you all know this.

I agree.

 

[bayernfc]

hey ... a reason to watch the Slane show one more time!

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

One show in 1980, Edge breaks a guitar string during a song...they leave the stage and don't come back.

What? Can you tell us more about that.

 

[The Scientist]

we want more u2 stories

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

we want more u2 stories

I second that.

 

[arw]

I can't remember the exact show but it's from Columbus or Cleveland on the first leg of Elevation. During New Year's Day Bono skips a line or two.

 

[ThatGuy]

One of my favorites is from Washington DC 8-16-92. Edge starts One but his guitar is on the wrong effect, so he quickly steps on a pedal and shoots a look at his guitar tech.

Also ZOOTV Adelaide the band have a hard time starting a full-band version of Stay because Bono is unhappy with the level of his guitar.

 

[Axver]

I was listening to a Lovetown bootleg this weekend, I can't remember which one, and there were two errors there. I THINK it was 6 January 1990, Rotterdam.

Start of Desire: Edge's guitar doesn't initially work. Bono improvises a little line and Edge gets things under way.
When Love Comes To Town: BB King's microphone seems to not work at one point.

I'm just watching the 15 June 1992, Rotterdam DVD, and at the start of Angel Of Harlem, there appears to be a bit of an issue with Edge's guitar. Or he just comes in late. I wasn't paying enough attention. Bono forgets the lines to Dancing Queen and sings "Something, something, something" at one point. Awesome DVD, by the way.

 

[Axver]

Two more stuff-ups from 15 June 1992, Rotterdam;

- They lose their place in TTTYAATW so Bono counts the band in.
- I'm not quite sure what happens, but Bono totally loses his place in I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. I think he forgets the lyrics. Before "I believe in the Kingdom Come," he brings the band to a stop, then he does it again after "But yes, I'm still running."

 

[Wowy23]

Here in FL during the first Elevation show, Bono misses badly the lines to "Angel of Harlem"; at one point all you hear is the band playing.

 

[Wowy23]

Here in FL during the first Elevation show, Bono misses badly the lines to "Angel of Harlem"; at one point all you hear is the band playing.

Or was it the 2nd show? It's been so long I don't remember!

 

[wolfeden]

In a concert being broadcast at U2outloud, there's an instance of 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door' where Bono blows the second verse and starts making up whatever comes to mind, including "sometimes you don't know the words..." *grin*

He's resourceful, gotta grant him that.

 

[thrillme]

Not quite a stuff up, but from what I read, Edge dropped his pick during "Gone" at one of the Boston 2001 gigs, and wanted Larry to play "softer", but Larry mistook it for "longer," and Edge got really mad, yelled at Larry, you can see him kick the guitar in the DVD.

The saying is true, be careful around quiet people.

 

[Blue Room]

The 2nd to last Zoo show in Tokyo 12-9-93. During EBTTRT Edge's guitar breaks down completely and they do about half the song with just drums and bass. Kind of a rap version LOL. Its awful! It is obvious U2 were very tired at this point in the tour. I think Flanagan mentions it in his book also.

 

[Axver]

In a concert being broadcast at U2outloud, there's an instance of 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door' where Bono blows the second verse and starts making up whatever comes to mind, including "sometimes you don't know the words..." *grin*

He does that on 5 February 1985 in Bologna, however it could have happened multiple times. Personally, I like his improvised lyrics ...