would U2 improve the live experience with the addition of a touring keyboardist?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
The Wanderer

The Wanderer

Kid A
Joined
Aug 20, 2000
Messages
5,271
Location
Holy Roman Empire
many U2 songs utilize keyboards/piano, but obviously The Edge can't play guitar and keyboards simultaneously and Bono can't exactly play guitar at all
tongue.gif
so with the exception of moments few and far between (like the intro to New Year's Day), keyboards are dropped from songs (Gone comes to mind immediately)

Now I am NOT saying I dislike the way the songs are arranged live, I'm just saying it would be interesting to have that added dimension in the songs (such as the performance of Please in Baltimore when Bruce Brodie played piano). I've thought about this and the addition of a keyboard player would be about the only way U2 could possibly improve upon their live shows.

any thoughts... ?
 
my thoughts: no, the live experience wouldn't improve

------------------
Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it
 
You mean bring the guys round the back doing all the extra sounds on there computers round to the front?
I don't think it would add much, most of the 'important' extra bits are already added, and an extra U2 member would just not be cricket. Unless it was a supermodel.
 
Yes! It would improve immensely! And I just happen to have a free schedule for the next few years, so I'll notify the band.

(Gonna make use of my piano degree sooner or later, and why not in the rock business, rather than 4 more years of grad school
wink.gif
)
 
Hell, I guess I could live with working under the stage next to Dallas. Man that job would rock. Hell, just being on the road crew would rock. Being a food server on the tour would rock. Being ANY part of the U2 tour crew would rock.

Ok, I'm done now.
smile.gif
 
I think that the keyboards ARE used in the shows but they are not live unfortunatley, they are memorex (or whatever "backing tracks are") but you heard it on the beginnning of Bad, Walk On, parts of Stuck. And that was nice but YES, I think a LIVE touring keyboardist would improve the experience.
 
Yes! Perfect example is the Smashing Pumpkin's Adore Tour. The keyboard player kicked ass and the songs rocked even more.

------------------
Look what you did, you little JERK!

Kevin! You're such a disease!
 
Originally posted by The Wanderer:
I guess you don't care to elaborate on that
Click to expand...
not that much to elaborate on
it just doesn't add that much to the show IMO
I don't care to see people who are not in the band on stage
R.E.M. has loads of people with them on stage and everytime I see a bit of their live shows I'm actually wondering what those other guys are doing there
I don't need to see another musician freaking out on a R.E.M. tune
I want to see the members of R.E.M. freaking out on a R.E.M. tune
same goes for U2
backing tapes suffice as far as I'm concerned

------------------
Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it
 
Yes it would.

I would prefer if U2 used an additional keyboard/piano player over samples anytime.

------------------

be uncool, yes be awkward
 
better to be heard not seen then seen and heard?

I just don't like pre-recorded samples being spliced into the set, and I'm not even going to start talking about the horns being included in the live version of Stuck
 
There has always been 4 members of the band (with the execption of Edge's brother way back when they weren't U2). I think messing around with the chemistry would not work. They are recognized as the best band in the world. So, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Having four members in the band, and using backing tracks has worked for them for over 20 years. So I don't think there is a need to add another artist on stage. On the album versions of songs, who playing the other sounds? It could be producers, but Edge and Bono could be playing those too. Who said Edge and Bono can't play piano? Yeah they are no classical pianists, but does anyone remember songs such as October, Sweetest Thing, New Years Day, and Gone?

------------------
"Yep...Silver and Gold!!!" - Bono

We'll Shine Like Stars In The Summer Nights...
 
Nah, it wouldnt improve. It would screw up the chemistry more than anything, and besides it would have been one thing to do it way back when but not 20 yrs later.

mind you, i think it would be awesome to see Dallas play guitar like on one or two songs and Edge play piano! *i'll keep dreaming*
 
Originally posted by The Wanderer:
many U2 songs utilize keyboards/piano, but obviously The Edge can't play guitar and keyboards simultaneously and Bono can't exactly play guitar at all
tongue.gif
so with the exception of moments few and far between (like the intro to New Year's Day), keyboards are dropped from songs (Gone comes to mind immediately)

Now I am NOT saying I dislike the way the songs are arranged live, I'm just saying it would be interesting to have that added dimension in the songs (such as the performance of Please in Baltimore when Bruce Brodie played piano). I've thought about this and the addition of a keyboard player would be about the only way U2 could possibly improve upon their live shows.

any thoughts... ?
Click to expand...

Listen to Sweetest Thing from Boston 3, 6/8/01. Bono's piano part is terrible.
 
Funny, there's a thread on the Tour board that's gotten around to this topic. http://forum.interference.com/u2feedback/Forum22/HTML/002806.html

Here's my take (cross-posted):

To me, U2 is four guys. I don't mind if they have a "guest" join in every now and then (like the keyboard player for Please on leg3 or BBKing or Gwen Stefani), but make it infrequent and "special". U2 plus a keyboard player, sax player, horn section, backup singers, isn't U2 anymore... it's the U2 orchestra.

So back to the topic: they can supplement their performance with whatever they want, so long as all I see are the four guys onstage playing LIVE. This may seem narrow-minded and petty, but hey, it's all IMO, right? :)
 
I agree - no touring 5th U2 member. I did not like when REM expanded their band.

I think since the edge only has 2 arms they should build him a piano that he can play with his feet like in the movie Big with Tom Hanks.

I think every part of the Edge should be playing instruments all the time.

Leave "the troops" in the underworld, have the Edge trigger sounds with his nose if he has to.
 
Originally posted by ouizy:
I think since the edge only has 2 arms they should build him a piano that he can play with his feet like in the movie Big with Tom Hanks.

I think every part of the Edge should be playing instruments all the time.
Click to expand...

Wasn't there a bit in the book ATEOTW about that? lol. When they were rehearsing for ZooTV, seems like Bono comments something to the effect of "We've got it figured out...if Edge plays an instrument with every part of his body, it will work".
biggrin.gif


[This message has been edited by sulawesigirl4 (edited 01-18-2002).]
 
Originally posted by ouizy:


I think since the edge only has 2 arms they should build him a piano that he can play with his feet like in the movie Big with Tom Hanks.
Click to expand...

That'd be difficult...for New Year's Day, he'd have to make several octave jumps quickly.
 
Originally posted by hibricc:

To me, U2 is four guys. I don't mind if they have a "guest" join in every now and then (like the keyboard player for Please on leg3 or BBKing or Gwen Stefani), but make it infrequent and "special". U2 plus a keyboard player, sax player, horn section, backup singers, isn't U2 anymore... it's the U2 orchestra.

So back to the topic: they can supplement their performance with whatever they want, so long as all I see are the four guys onstage playing LIVE.
Click to expand...

I agree.


------------------
"Baby...can we still be friends?"
 
oh well, I guess people would just rather hear pre-recorded samples then someone actually playing the parts live, I don't really understand that logic myself, but I do understand completely the argument that it has always been, and always should be just the 4 or them on stage, but obviously the piano wouldn't be used on every song, just the ones that require it

what sparked my interest was the version of Please with the special guest on piano, because it is so much better than the version played thereafter with just the flat sounding acoustic guitar + voice

and besides, I would love to hear songs like Lemon, Running to Stand Still, Gone, Walk On and The Unforgettable Fire played live with guitar and piano parts
 
Originally posted by SkeeK:
I'd rather just see the 4 bandmembers on stage frankly
Click to expand...

Me too!
I would actually rather take some changes in the songs then someone onstage playing keyboard or extra guitar. I even rather take backing tracks.
 
The pre recorded backing tracks are still their own stuff, so I don't have a problem with it. There is some sort of an electronic fill on almost all of their songs live. They're still playing the important stuff - guitar, bass, drums. The rest is just icing on the cake!

Remember how cool Streets sounded during Popmart?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Hello from a U2 guitarist in Massachusetts!
Replies
2
Views
1K
bobbvis
B
W
A Boy Falls From the Sky is some U2's best work
Replies
3
Views
2K
zoocarolina
Z
prbiker15
U2:UV Boxscore Discussion
Replies
20
Views
1K
DeVaul
DeVaul
cobl04
Kiss the Future documentary
Replies
11
Views
3K
MrsSpringsteen
MrsSpringsteen
N
NBA 2023-24 Thread
11 12 13
Replies
382
Views
11K
Headache in a Suitcase
Headache in a Suitcase

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom