Comparative Tour Statistics re Setlist Diversity/Stagnation

[cathalmc]

What else are we supposed to do when we're not at the shows?

I know that you love to know the details, that the setlist parties are really good fun. But personally I love to not know the details. Someone told me last Saturday that U2 had rehearsed Zooropa on Friday. I thought my response was very restrained ...

But I still wish it had been a complete surprise for me when they played it, like Out Of Control was.

And it's nothing to do with seeing many shows. I didn't follow setlists on any previous tour. It's just a personal preference to go into the show not knowing what to expect.

Actually, I saw Muse's last show of their world tour in Perth in December. I didn't have a clue about their staging or set. I left elated, after a spectacular, jaw, chin and face-dropping gig. I checked the Muse forum later that night. All their fans were saying "what a boring setlist" etc ...

I thought of Interference

But ANYWAY! This ain't a thread hijack. This is a great discussion, gotta say Ax makes some superb points about the illusion of diversity in an overall static setlist.

 

[cathalmc]

Cori, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorak_(slang)

You slang anorak!

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

 

[Hollow Island]

Return of the Stingray (the only New song that's any good)

The problem is that they introduce these songs that they don't stay in the set for the most part. It doesn't bother me that the unreleased songs they played aren't too good; it's just cool that they play them.

It bugs me how they just drop other rarely/never played songs. They should keep them in the rotation. Same with the No Line songs that weren't singles (not that the singles were every played, or liked).

The absence of the internet isn't the reason people didn't annoyed before, it was because all the songs they played were good, they were relatively fresh, and the set designs and concepts were incredible. Bands with fluid sets have always been praised. I remember Pearl Jam having a great rep for switching things up and playing different songs during multiple nights in one city. The 80s hits bring the show down. The should play them because they are great songs, but not every damn night.

It is cool that they are dropping in ignored songs, though.

 

[BVS]

The 80s hits bring the show down.

I'm sure you'll find maybe one person that agrees with you

 

[corianderstem]

Oh, okay. It's tied in to that whole "trainspotting" thing. Which is another thing I didn't get for years.

Oh, you wacky Brits.

 

[Scorpionac]

The rotation of UV/HMTMKMKM is about the only exception (I have to wonder how much that was due to the hissy fit UV fans threw).

I thought they had been swapping those songs since HMTMKMKM debuted?

And at the end of the day, I feel that 360 conforms to the pattern of the last two tours, in that night-to-night variation is pretty insubstantial, but that overall tour evolution is relatively substantial.

And it's only evolving into something more safe as it goes. How about that Unforgettable Fire song? Nah, I'd rather hear Pride for the hundredth time.

 

[Axver]

I thought they had been swapping those songs since HMTMKMKM debuted?

Nope. HMTMKMKM didn't miss a show until the sixth gig of the European leg (two weeks into the leg); it was previously done by itself at the first four, then at Horsens II they did both HMTMKMKM and UV. From Helsinki onwards it was rotational.

And it's only evolving into something more safe as it goes. How about that Unforgettable Fire song? Nah, I'd rather hear Pride for the hundredth time.

I was thinking this on the Australian leg (as usual, we cop the tour at its least interesting phase), but I think it's evolved into something slightly more interesting again in South America.

 

[U2FanPeter]

I saw Vegas/LA/Vancouver(3 shows in a row) and got IDENTICAL setlists minus some tiny snippet variations.

That would not have happened on any past tour going back 25 years.

 

[Axver]

I saw Vegas/LA/Vancouver(3 shows in a row) and got IDENTICAL setlists minus some tiny snippet variations.

That would not have happened on any past tour going back 25 years.

Yes it would've. Do I really have to go through this?

 

[U2FanPeter]

Yes it would've. Do I really have to go through this?

Atlanta to Vancouver 2009 had shockingly little variation. YBR to Unknown Caller was the only notable change aside from tiny snippet changes and minor setlist order variation for Magnificent and No Line.

Axver, how far do you have to go back to find a 9 show run that was that close?

 

[Axver]

Atlanta to Vancouver 2009 had shockingly little variation. YBR to Unknown Caller was the only notable change aside from tiny snippet changes and minor setlist order variation for Magnificent and No Line.

Axver, how far do you have to go back to find a 9 show run that was that close?

2005.

23 July, Rome to 11 August, Madrid is a run of nine shows that features just two changes: AIWIY disappears after the 31 July, Copenhagen gig (with no replacement), and at two shows, Party Girl is played instead of Yahweh. Add in the 14 August, Lisbon show and the three shows before Rome and you aren't introducing any meaningful changes either.

Go back to Popmart and it's scary in just how static it is for whole legs.

 

[BVS]

That would not have happened on any past tour going back 25 years.

I'm not even a setlist follower and I know this isn't true.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Go back to Popmart and it's scary in just how static it is for whole legs.

Popmart had iron clad setlists but did have some variation in Edge karaoke/acoustic seat and extended snippets Bono would do in the encore, especially after ONE.

 

[digitize]

The entire last leg of the ZooTV Tour featured an identical setlist every night, except for snippet variations (and even they weren't huge).

 

[dan_smee]

Popmart had iron clad setlists but did have some variation in Edge karaoke/acoustic seat and extended snippets Bono would do in the encore, especially after ONE.

I don't know if you know Axver, he's the guy from U2gigs.com - U2 360? tour news, pictures, reviews

I suggest you check it out

 

[KEVIN051269]

the illusion of diversity in an overall static setlist.

I think the IOD would keep everyone happy, casual fans, one gig a tour fans, multi concert going freaks and setlist party people. For me the element of surprise is one of the most important factors in any live show, that feeling of not knowing what is coming next is fantabulus however many shows you have seen.

Denver

Even Better Than The Real Thing
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
Until The End Of The World
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Beautiful Day
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On
One
Where The Streets Have No Name
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender

SLC

Where The Streets Have No Name
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Mysterious Ways
Until The End Of The World
One
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Beautiful Day
Even Better Than The Real Thing
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Vertigo
Walk On
Scarlet
Magnificent
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
Elevation
Moment of Surrender
City Of Blinding Lights
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
With Or Without You

The SLC set would have setlist parties choking on their tim tams, Cathal wouldn't be worrying about Celtic when that organ intro starts and casual fans wouldn't notice any difference, because there isn't!
Add a bit of rotating and it becomes really interesting (aka Lovetown)

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

The tour is getting better and better.....

2009 first leg was very boring for U2 standards. Wembley 1 was the worst concert since 92 for me, and by far. Then 2010 was a lot better, alot. But now 2011 offers us something really special and this is great. We even have the chance to see Bono rant and scream like before, something I haven't seen him do since 2001. 2011 360 Tour is GREAT!!!

 

[mrpoptop]

With the 360 tour lasting as long as it has, 3 years on and off, you really cant complain with how the set has progressed. Last night in Denver was my 5th of this tour. Wasn't even planing on going, until the tuesday before the show. Seeing that they had added Zooropa now to the mix, a song that I have wanted to hear in person live for 18 years, I decided I needed to go right away to a show fearing that it would be cut by the time I went to the Chicago show in July. I am glade I did, I feel the current set is spectacular live...hearing the older songs mixed differently and now even showing old video footage from that time on the video screen along with the live content. The tour is not stale in any way. And now with the 20th anv. of Achtung/Zooropa you can only assume that there will be other songs from those albums that may make it into the set before the end of the tour in July.