Your favourite individual LIVE performance of a song from U2?????

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lazyboy

War Child
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Clare, Ireland
Well come on, you gotta have one that gets ya every time, and that you skip to on the video or bootleg.......and jaysus, there must be about a thousand or so performances of U2 songs...

For me it's definitely Out Of Control:Slane2-Sept 1st 2001

Ok, explanation, ya, I love Out Of Control itself, and I hadn't heard it live that many times before, and so, there, at Slane2, and they kick into it, it was wicked!!!!! The place erupted!

Bono added some special bits too, like at the start

"I wanna thank Phillip Lynott for letting us open the show. We're a band from the northside of Dublin, we're called U2, this is our first single....WE HOPE YOU LIIIIKE IT!!!!!!"

The whole song was performed great, really kickin show from all of the lads, and the crowd were revellin in it!

Then another bit from Bono to get the crowd goin, goin back..."on the bass, from Malahide, Adam Clayton!"....."On the drums, from the ARTANE BOYS BAND! Larry Mullen Jr!"

Then in the middle bit....
"We got some big ideas..... Father, I need a lend of ?500....because, we're gonna go over to London, we're gonna score ourselves a record deal. And when we get our record deal we're not gonna stay in London, we're not gonna go to New York City, we're gonna stay and base our crew...in DUBLIN(crowd go nuts)...cos these people...THIS IS OUR TRIIIIBE!!!!(crowd goes completely nuts!)....but I still need a lend of ?500, whataya say? My old man, ?500, I wanna thank my old man for that ?500. I wanna thank Larry Mullen's father for ?500. The Edge's mother and father for ?500. Adam Clayton's family for ?500!! And by now....you've probably all given us ?500 each so thank you!.....I'm outta controooooool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Muhahahaha! It was glorious, beautiful, and it's hurtin my ears at this moment, hope they leave every second of it in the DVD!

So whats your fave?
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You ain't stuck for choice anyway!
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Don't think this question has ever been asked either
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When he did Out of Control in Baltimore, he did the middle part about how he and Ali had taken a boat to a train to London to try to sell the single. He introduced Ali's Dad in the audience. I don't know if that's my very favorite but it was cool.

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~*"I DO go on, don't I?"~*-Bono, after making a speech, MCI Center, DC, June 14, 2001~
 
Right On Lazyboy.
By far the best live performance i have ever seen by u2 was indeed OOC at slane 2.During the song Bono also fell over onto larrys drum kit which was pretty cool.
 
One/Walk On Slane 1

I know, I know... Bono was very emotional onstage after his father's death and when singing the "hear HIM coming love, hear HIM knocking on your door..." he actually cried and all. I remember falling on my knees and 2 security guys coming with water thinking I passed out, lol.

Also at the very start of One when Bono's rap about debt cancellation he says an African life is the same as an European life and "if there's something I've learned from my father, I've learned this". The lines on his face were never so sad.

Bob's bit on the One video was all over the screens and that was a spiritual moment (really!) as for a few minutes the crowd is more like funeral mourners than u2 fans.

Then Walk On with a shout "WALK ON BOB HEWSON" and the hallelujahs at the end... you look back from the heart and see a sea of people singing along and you know it's the last song and get the most of it. Hallelujahs and it's over.

Boy guess I'm gonna run to cry.
 
By far the most emotional I've been during a concert..."One" in Las Vegas...with the names scrolling of the dead from 9-11. It's not my favorite song of theirs, but it brought out more emotions than any other song they played live...so for favorite live performance...that would be it.
 
Originally posted by Desert Rose:
One/Walk On Slane 1

I know, I know... Bono was very emotional onstage after his father's death and when singing the "hear HIM coming love, hear HIM knocking on your door..." he actually cried and all. I remember falling on my knees and 2 security guys coming with water thinking I passed out, lol.

Also at the very start of One when Bono's rap about debt cancellation he says an African life is the same as an European life and "if there's something I've learned from my father, I've learned this". The lines on his face were never so sad.

Bob's bit on the One video was all over the screens and that was a spiritual moment (really!) as for a few minutes the crowd is more like funeral mourners than u2 fans.

Then Walk On with a shout "WALK ON BOB HEWSON" and the hallelujahs at the end... you look back from the heart and see a sea of people singing along and you know it's the last song and get the most of it. Hallelujahs and it's over.

Boy guess I'm gonna run to cry.

Awww Rosa! Yeah, well, that was probably the most powerful, intense performance anyway! very sad though
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It was similiar in London too, Slane was special though.

And Ireland, hehe, yeah, I forgot that moment of madness from Bono! 3 votes so far and all came from the Slane shows
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MacPhisto - With or Without You

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Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it
 
From live performances I attended (and they were only 2) it's Stuck in a Moment, from their Fant?stico showcase, Rio, Nov 23rd 2000. Best live performance of the song I have seen/heard so far. I was there, it was a communal experience I will never forget. I get chills down my spine every time I watch the video.
 
From ones I have actually seen, it would have to be "One." It's my all-time favorite song and always makes me cry when I hear it live.

Honorable mentions:

"New Years Day"
"One Tree Hill"
"Sunday Bloody Sunday"
"Mofo"

Editing this because I forgot to mention "11 O'Clock Tick Tock"!

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"We're one, but we're not the same..."

http://U2Baby.com

[This message has been edited by wertsie (edited 04-27-2002).]
 
I have to pick UTEOTW because when I hear it I can get the intense, exciting feeling of the time Bono jumped in on top of me at one of the Elevation shows. Every time I hear it, it brings that back and my heart speeds up. Because of my U2 experiences of last summer which I have posted here before, the line "waves of regret, waves of joy" has special meaning to me. It's a fantastic song live, especially with the bullfight.

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"I've been all over,
and it's been all over me!"
 
A Sort of Homecoming at Slane 1 was very, very good, but.....

Bullet the Blue Sky at Vegas was, well, really powerful, but....

For sheer perfection, Do You Feel Loved, PopMart Tempe, May 1997.

I'll never get to hear Out of Control live
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Originally posted by lazyboy:
It was similiar in London too, Slane was special though.

yo lazyboy! didn't know you've seen/hear the london gigs, guess I should mention my second favorite then... I was there in Earls' Court 3rd night 21/08/01 and it was very very powerful too... Still my favorite gig so far (even more than Slane) as a whole for Bono nearly lost it during WOWY, cried as I've never seen before, sang far from the mic and did a bit of "Love will tear us apart" at the end... Mmmmm maybe that's my favorite then. Hard to pick one.
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Originally posted by Desert Rose:
yo lazyboy! didn't know you've seen/hear the london gigs.... as a whole for Bono nearly lost it during WOWY, cried as I've never seen before

I was AT the first London gig!
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So ya, that was up there, I dunno, we were right smack up the front, I was standin directly infront of Bono, and it was a bit freaky, really eerie, having him cryin in front of ya, starin right into your eyes. Powerful yes, but Slane2 was all about joy and happiness
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Wake Up Dead Man from the first Earls Court show..I've never experienced an atmosphere like it before

..of course One was incredibly emotional as well...also a beautiful version of Walk On with a surging climax refrain of "still nothing..." over and over by Bono sticks out in the memory..
 
Well, from the shows I've been to (only two, so it's not hard to choose) I think I'd have to go for either Out of Control at Slane 2, for reasons mentioned by lazyboy (I LOVE the way he says "We hope you liiiike it!" - so cute) or "Sunday Bloody Sunday" also at Slane. At the end Bono listed the names of everyone killed at Omagh, and then says "29 people, too many!" The emotion in his voice is amazing!! "Three years after Omagh, turn a song into a prayer. Three years after Omagh, WIIIIIPE YOUR TEARS AWAAAY!" So amazing!

Originally posted by lazyboy:
Slane2 was all about joy and happiness
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I totally agree! I didn't go to Slane 1, but I get the picture that that was really really emotional, whereas Slane 2 was a huge celebration!

Going back to the question - well from I show I haven't been to it's not that hard to pick either - I don't have any boots so I've only heard live songs on videos and singles. It would definately have to be Streets from Boston - the one on the video. I especially love listening to it on the "Walk On" single, because it cuts in as the audience are still singing "40." It's so beautiful to hear thousands of people sing "How loooooong, to sing this sooong..." and then the first few notes of Streets, and Bono reciting psalm 116. I love it, desite the fact that Bono sings "Shtreets." That annoyed me when I first heard it, but I don't mind it so much anymore.
 
BD and Stuck have always sounded great to me live. I have liked every live version that I've heard.

Streets and New Years Day are others that I like live. I getting a little tired of hearing Bullet the Blue Sky live, I guess because they have been playing it regularly for the last two or three tours.
 
Hmm...

how about "Kite" in Earl's Court (?) the night after Bob Hewson died.

And of course, "Streets" at the Super Bowl.
 
yeah i was in tears too at slane1, when he was talkin about his father.it was so sad!
i think it really made everyone there feel part of something...and i dont care how sad that sounds!

but as far as bootlegs go, i LOVE North and South of the river.not too fond of the original, but the one with the piano, and is it the trumpet or something at the end?FANTASTIC
 
i don't really get into boots like a lot of people do, so i've only seen the one U2 concert i've been to, and then the live stuff they've released on video/cd. so i guess i'd have to go with rtss off of rattle and hum.
 
Originally posted by broshere:
walk on, notre dame, when they brought out the nypd and fire dept. that were at ground zero. and also any performance of kite.

Similar to that-- Walk On, Oct. 27, 2001 at Madison Square Garden in NYC. they again brought out firefighters and cops from NYC and the place roared. Thunderous applause for our city and our guys who protect us everyday. Just an amazing show when we finally able to remember what it was like to be happy and have fun in the city again.
 
Originally posted by sharky:
Similar to that-- Walk On, Oct. 27, 2001 at Madison Square Garden in NYC. they again brought out firefighters and cops from NYC and the place roared. Thunderous applause for our city and our guys who protect us everyday. Just an amazing show when we finally able to remember what it was like to be happy and have fun in the city again.

Yeah I was there, I second that. I was going to say OOC from that same night, it was so amazing that they had already done the encore, and then came out AGAIN to do one more song, with all the firemen on stage. It was amazing and you could tell they were having fun and didn't want the show to end.

Also One from Slane 1..no explanation needed.
 
"Desire" acoustic from Mexico City
"All I Want Is You" acoustic from the BBC
"I Will Follow" from Hammersmith

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Well, the God I believe in isn't short on cash, mister. --Bono

But a day will come
In this dawning age
When an honest man
Sees an honest wage.
--The Edge
 
oh hell yeah!!!

out of control absolutely RAWKED!!!

saw them 3x last year when they were in toronto and it wasn't until the last show that they did in hamilton that they played out of control, was my first time seeing it done live and i STILL shiver remembering that nite.
was truly a beautiful performance...

also, one of the best parts was when bono pulled up this guy from the audience, let him play his geetarrrr and sing while bono just watched on...fucking crowd went insane!!

*sigh* *is reminiscing*

ninaxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Considering only shows I attended myself:

1. Pride 6/13/86 Chicago (Amnesty tour)
2. Beautiful Day 5/13/01 Chicago
3. Out of Control 10/15/01 Chicago
4. Out of Control 6/9/01 Boston
5. New Years Day 6/28/97 Chicago
6. Homecoming-Kite 8/25/01 Slane
7. Sunday Bloody Sunday 8/25/01 Slane
8. Please 11/28/01 St. Louis
9. Walk On 6/9/01 Boston
 
Originally posted by ouizy:
One Tree Hill

New Year's Eve show

Dublin

1989


Mine is very close to this. I like the performance of this song done just a few days earlier (Dec. 26, 1989). While this version of the song is similar to the one you cited above, this earlier seems more powerful and, as a result, remains my favorite.

I had not heard "One Tree Hill" live until I obtained the Dec. 26, 1989 boot in the mid-90's. Ever since then, if I want to hear a token bit of "live U2" I will always return to this boot and, in particular, this song.

Bono's vocals were a little lower that night than what his range now. That's right, he sang in a slightly LOWER key back then as compared to now. However, by being in that lower key, he was truly able to control his voice. His vocals were rich and powerful and seemed to fill the room. Sometimes I think Bono should drop a key now to recapture that feeling. He started to do so with "Walk On" performed at the Grammy's - maybe he'll continue. It's ironic, by lowering a key, his vocals really soar!

But Bono's vocals weren't the only thing to make this song excel. Edge threw in a wicked solo before the ending of the song. Bono rants and chants during this solo made the song fly. It's almost as if you could feel the group's pain - singing and playing their souls out for their lost friend.

U2 have had many great live performances (including recent, like the above-mentioned "Walk On" at the Grammy's), but this version of "One Tree Hill" will always remain my favorite.
 
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