Length of show?

[U2FanPeter]

U2 concerts are usually 2 hours or 2 1/2 hours depending on the mood the band is in. I think there have been some concerts that have clocked under 2 hours as well, but those are few and far between.

Expect between 22-30 songs.

What U2 shows have been 2:30 long or have been 30 songs?

 

[adypole]

Man, I'm going Wembley one. daylight opening sucks so hard. I've never been to a concert but I can easily imagane that a daylight opening is nothing like a night time opening.

 

[hibricc]

Man, I'm going Wembley one. daylight opening sucks so hard. I've never been to a concert but I can easily imagane that a daylight opening is nothing like a night time opening.

Willie Williams has written in his diary about the difference between daylight and night openers. The example from Vertigo is that COBL was magic in the dark, but not so great in daylight. So they changed up the setlist for the European leg to open with a rocker - Vertigo.

Incidentally, non-u2.com subscribers can read Willie's Vertigo diary entries here: The Tour Diary of Willie Williams' Journal.

 

[Axver]

What U2 shows have been 2:30 long or have been 30 songs?

I'm amused somebody has even suggested 30 songs should be expected. Expect 21-24, 25 if you're really fucking lucky. There is not a single show on U2gigs.com with over 26 songs, and even the one with 26 counts An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart separately and has Vertigo x2 - it's this: U2 Dublin, 2005-06-27, Croke Park, Vertigo Tour - U2 on tour

(Others that have 24 or 25 sometimes only reach such a mark thanks to mini-songs being counted separately, like when Happy Birthday is sung independent of any other song in the setlist.)

 

[AndrewCowley]

Some people go overboard and count snippets as songs. Like the segues thread, which last time I looked, was annoyingly becoming inundated with people salivating over distinctly non segues that involve a U2 song ending with a snippet. Different thing all together.

And as for song counts, I have a lot of Springsteen shows and there's a weird thing with people who tape his shows to create a 'song' for each time he talks in between songs. Bruce plays long shows anyway, he puts U2 into total shame, but counting his talking as songs can take the song count up over 40 which is silly.

And anyway, did I say before that U2 should be doing shows that are at least 2.5 hours long.

Rant over.

 

[hibricc]

And as for song counts, I have a lot of Springsteen shows and there's a weird thing with people who tape his shows to create a 'song' for each time he talks in between songs. Bruce plays long shows anyway, he puts U2 into total shame, but counting his talking as songs can take the song count up over 40 which is silly.

Rant over.

Sounds like those Springsteen fans just want to be able easily skip over his speechifying, so they index the talking as a separate track.

 

[adypole]

Willie Williams has written in his diary about the difference between daylight and night openers. The example from Vertigo is that COBL was magic in the dark, but not so great in daylight. So they changed up the setlist for the European leg to open with a rocker - Vertigo.

Incidentally, non-u2.com subscribers can read Willie's Vertigo diary entries here: The Tour Diary of Willie Williams' Journal.

which entry?

I've already sieved through many upon many

 

[gvox]

^^^^^^^^^

so you really want to hear about Africa all the time again?

All the time? Hmm..let's see..

Total show length: 120 min or more

Time spent talking about Africa: maybe a minute and a half. Probably more like 35-40 seconds.

Total video images shown to the audience: 10,000 or so

Images related to Africa: 15 or so flags maybe? Some colors?

 

[adypole]

Actually, I would really like to hear peoples night/day start comparisons.

 

[hibricc]

No joke: I usually find that people onstage appear larger and easier to see at night, since they're the only brightly lit person in the place. During the day, there's an entire stadium full of other faces to draw your attention.

And of course, any bigscreen displays don't work as well in daylight.

(Sorry, I don't know the precise entry from Willie's diary that talks about this, but he did comment in one of the June '05 entries about choosing to open with a rocker like Vertigo.)

 

[the edges plec]

I saw the June 14th Vertigo show in Manchester and although the show was brilliant it was just too sunny(not bad for Manchester)so the wonderful visuals were wasted for the first half of the show.

 

[jphelmet]

i wonder if the show will have different opening songs for the US? there are some indoor stadiums, plus it will be dark earlier in the fall. maybe that bodes well for different setlists for the different legs.

 

[digitize]

i wonder if the show will have different opening songs for the US? there are some indoor stadiums, plus it will be dark earlier in the fall. maybe that bodes well for different setlists for the different legs.

The shows almost always start after dark in the US, no?

 

[jphelmet]

The shows almost always start after dark in the US, no?

yeah, especially in the fall. it will definitely be dark by the time the show starts for all of them. there will be no need to save any visuals until later in the show.

 

[domo-kun]

in Holland the longest day will be in June , a month after that , there will be a pretty good chance of starting in the dark. but i don't know for sure

 

[the edges plec]

I've just had a look on the net and found that sunset is around 8.25pm in Sheffield in August so with a starting time of 8.30 we should be in for a good show

 

[MikeyJB]

^ Quality!!

 

[prideofzootv]

you want to know why wembley is 2hrs 30mins long and the others arent?

cos Wembley is going to be filmed for DVD
and because u2 are back at wembley stadium for the first time in a millenium, they are going to play....

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30 minute rendition of BAD, with snippets of ruby tuesday, norweigian wood, londons burning, dancing queen, all right now, fat bottomed girls, radio ga ga, karma chameleon, up, and the ultimate finally, do they know its xmas

 

[adypole]

When do you all think U2 will take stage London town night?

 

[digitize]

30 minute rendition of BAD, with snippets of ruby tuesday, norweigian wood, londons burning, dancing queen, all right now, fat bottomed girls, radio ga ga, karma chameleon, up, and the ultimate finally, do they know its xmas

What about I Kissed A Girl?

 

[prideofzootv]

nah hes homophobic, hi might shove in abit of hot n cold though

 

[mackemlad]

I've just had a look on the net and found that sunset is around 8.25pm in Sheffield in August so with a starting time of 8.30 we should be in for a good show

All the concerts I have ever been to indoor & outdoor have never started before 9.00pm.

I think the only ones that will get an 8.30 start are the ones with a 10.30 curfew.

All others will be 9pm start

 

[xtrmx]

in Holland the longest day will be in June , a month after that , there will be a pretty good chance of starting in the dark. but i don't know for sure

Oh please let it be at dark at least for 50% of the show.