Predictions: How much will the set change?

[U2387]

why not? would also be a good question
refering to all other great U2 tracks only says to me that you might prefer hearing those songs
which also doesn't make much of an argument
now, I would love to hear 2 Hearts, Surrender and Wire
but that has no relevance at all to how many All that you can't ... songs U2 play

Its not just personal preference. Other songs fit a stadium better, and most here agree, are better overall. Again, I am not the only one to notice this.

When has U2 ever played a 10 year old album to death like this?

Saying you would love to hear 2 Hearts, Surrender and Wire and then turning around and saying that is irrelevant to how much ATYCLB they play misses the point. U2 has never been known to just add 3 songs to the set- there is always an exchange that takes place. Playing 4 ATYCLB in a set that consistently comes in at 22-24 songs and does not extend simply bumps other possibilities out.

 

[mad1]

U2 would have to play about 40 songs in their setlist to please people

im gonna sound bitchy here, but in a gentle way, I cant stand MW live now. I feel like its been so overplayed in all their concerts its lost its stadium effect. I think it just belongs to Zoo TV

 

[partygirl43]

i'm afraid this will turn into a greatest hits show

this

 

[Salome]

thing is
Beautiful Day isn't going anywhere
Elevation IS their most energetic, fun rocker: it's not my fav song but it slays the audience
Walk on and In a little while fill specific purposes

now, I would love them to play Walk On better again (was amazing during Elevation tour)
but otherwise nothing can be expected to change

I just don't see a higher logic in complaining about the number of All that you can't ... songs
you are right though, if other songs are added some songs should go
that's why I'm not complaining Stuck in a moment ... is gone, while it is one of my favourite U2 songs (though not so much a live favourite)
but I don't see much logic in why Elevation should go and not for instance Mysterious Ways just because there are 3 other All that you can't ... songs in the setlist
one thing IMO has ntohing to do with the other

 

[partygirl43]

Here's my 2 cents:

I think agree totally with U2387 and Pepokiss, I think this is turing into a greatest hits tour. I feel like they lost faith in NLOTH or at least the fans ability to accept the NLOTH songs. Now--I know that some people will say,'NLOTH sold well' its not a disapointment sales wise'--but OK so maybe a lot of people (meaning to me casual fans) bought it, played it, and quite frankly, don't like it. They would rather hear HTDAAB or ATYCLB or JT---Now the band are saddled with an albatross called 'The Claw' and this being a business have to recoup the money. They can't do that by not playing songs a stadiums worth of fans want to hear.

I was at the Chicago One show in the Red Zone, the NLOTH songs were met warmly, but I was surround by hardcore fans. The next show I attended was Raleigh NC, behind the stage in the uppers, all of the NLOTH songs went over like a lead balloon, it wasn't until the war horses were trotted out that people started getting into it.

NLOTH is an excellent album. Maybe U2 should have a little less ambitous with this tour. I would just love to see them on a small stage, with simple lighting, rocking out. We know that they can do the big stuff, it might be more difficult at this point to embrace the basics.

/rant

 

[garciaricky0019]

SBS- Agree, replace with Bad or RTSS

I am ok with dropping SBS, I am ok with bringing back PITNOL

 

[dreamletter]

U2 seem to be in an odd place these days. Are they promoting an album that didn't sell as well as expected? Or are they promoting the next album that only they have an idea of the release date and track listing? Beautiful Day is a great opener, Mysterious Ways is miles better as it tended to ramble on previous tours, Elevation sounds a bit worn out, Walk On sounds very out of place.

 

[djerdap]

Mysterious Ways is miles better as it tended to ramble on previous tours.

It is considerably worse than any of the versions before. The guitar solo is gone, the drumming is monotonous and there is not nearly much energy in there as it was even on the Vertigo tour.

 

[digitize]

I really like Mysterious Ways this tour. Especially the version they did in Torino. I can get over the solo.

 

[Spoutnik]

Out of the 24 tracks perform in Turin,only 9 have been a radio hit.Where is this idea that the tour has turned into a greatest hits show is coming from anyway?

 

[nielsgov]

I don't understand the greatest hits thing either. Are they playing Pride, I Will Follow, All I Want Is You Desire, New Years Day...? Plus they replaced the three NLOTH songs with 2,5 new songs.

 

[corianderstem]

Weren't people saying the same thing when they picked up the Vertigo tour after the delay? They'd dumped some HTDAAB songs when they resumed the tour.

Eh.

 

[Spoutnik]

The definition of a hit for U2 is a bit different than ,let say, Mariah Carey.

*okay,throw me some tomatoes for picking her has an example*

 

[edge-evans]

The set list seems really good to me. Really good but not really great. One tweak here or there and it could be spot on. Seems like Walk On is just a tired song. It is a well known semi-hit being played next to the huge hits like SBS, One, WTSHNN, etc. they could have afforded something else here. The concert goers get the Burma thing but they could gone in another direction. Burma and Space themes don't sell tickets. Great songs do. If Walk On were A. played better or B. Replaced by something cool but not totally obscure it would be fine: In God's Country, Out of Control, NYD, Desire....Hell even the full band Angel of Harlem gets the crowd going. Just a tweak.....

 

[digitize]

I don't understand the greatest hits thing either. Are they playing Pride, I Will Follow, All I Want Is You Desire, New Years Day...? Plus they replaced the three NLOTH songs with 2,5 new songs.

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP ITS A GREATEST HITS TOUR UNLESS THEY PLAY EXACTLY WHAT I WANT THEM TO PLAY

The set list seems really good to me. Really good but not really great. One tweak here or there and it could be spot on. Seems like Walk On is just a tired song. It is a well known semi-hit being played next to the huge hits like SBS, One, WTSHNN, etc. they could have afforded something else here. The concert goers get the Burma thing but they could gone in another direction. Burma and Space themes don't sell tickets. Great songs do. If Walk On were A. played better or B. Replaced by something cool but not totally obscure it would be fine: In God's Country, Out of Control, NYD, Desire....Hell even the full band Angel of Harlem gets the crowd going. Just a tweak.....

Perhaps Walk On and Space themes might not sell tickets, but perhaps that's what they're interested in and they'd rather a) bring important political issues into the spotlight, b) have a pretty cool theme, and c) still feel artistically useful to themselves than sell a few more tickets to a tour that's having no trouble whatsoever selling tickets right now?

 

[U2girl]

Give it time. It's only the first show of this leg, more NLOTH will show up. It is odd they play so few off it.

ATYCLB songs work and fit the show, minus Stuck and the overused Elevation. U2 has played equal and bigger amounts of songs of older albums than current 4 songs off ATYCLB, just to mention the two tours predecessing 360. (I know some don't want to count - NLOTH currently gets the same amount, as will AB once UV gets back), not to mention people would be wiping drool off their screens if certain older-than-ATYCLB albums got played.

The real question about older albums is why only two Bomb songs continue to get played ?

Otherwise the two glaring new changes are why opening with BD and not a new song (unless specifically designed to celebrate Bono's return) and leaving UV. I thought it was off as Bono can't swing on the mic anymore, but that's not true as he is said to be pretty active during the show (the ending of the Batman song re:Bono sounds way more exciting than it actually is), and it worked far better with the laser jacket, plus they had the song-about-lovers link with WOWY and MOS.

 

[digitize]

I think that Hold Me->Ultraviolet->With or Without You->Moment of Surrender would be incredible.

 

[U2girl]

I just thought of that with the "what time is it in the world? showtime" line...enter Ultraviolet.

 

[U2387]

Here's my 2 cents:

I think agree totally with U2387 and Pepokiss, I think this is turing into a greatest hits tour. I feel like they lost faith in NLOTH or at least the fans ability to accept the NLOTH songs. Now--I know that some people will say,'NLOTH sold well' its not a disapointment sales wise'--but OK so maybe a lot of people (meaning to me casual fans) bought it, played it, and quite frankly, don't like it. They would rather hear HTDAAB or ATYCLB or JT---Now the band are saddled with an albatross called 'The Claw' and this being a business have to recoup the money. They can't do that by not playing songs a stadiums worth of fans want to hear.

I was at the Chicago One show in the Red Zone, the NLOTH songs were met warmly, but I was surround by hardcore fans. The next show I attended was Raleigh NC, behind the stage in the uppers, all of the NLOTH songs went over like a lead balloon, it wasn't until the war horses were trotted out that people started getting into it.

NLOTH is an excellent album. Maybe U2 should have a little less ambitous with this tour. I would just love to see them on a small stage, with simple lighting, rocking out. We know that they can do the big stuff, it might be more difficult at this point to embrace the basics.

/rant

Just so you know, I strongly DISAGREE with and REJECT the absurd notion that this is a greatest hits tour!

Please see what Nielsgov wrote.

 

[U2387]

thing is
Beautiful Day isn't going anywhere
Elevation Out of Control, I Will Follow, Desire, In God's Country(live) are their most energetic, fun rockers: it's not my fav song but it slays the audience

Fixed that for ya!

Only kidding, you have your view, I have mine.

Quite alright.

Your posts are always well thought out and make sense

 

[partygirl43]

Just so you know, I strongly DISAGREE with and REJECT the absurd notion that this is a greatest hits tour!

Please see what Nielsgov wrote.

but you said that a 10 year old album is being played to death--

I guess my point is NLOTH is getting the shaft. If this tour is about supporting the NOLTH album then why are they playing--what--3 songs from it? Terrible. Its simple, the fans it takes to fill stadiums doesn't care about NOLTH--they care about the oldies, the war horses. S#it--I might was well stay home and watch my U2 Go Home DVD.

I would have rather they played smaller venues to SUPPORT NLOTH.

I can't believe they are opening with BD and not Magnificant--dropping Breathe and Unknow Caller---great songs. But than again, I saw the slack jawed masses sitting on their hands when these songs were played at the Raleigh show. I guess I'm just a minority who really loves NLOTH.

I'll be at the East Lansing show, but things are really 'off' for me in U2 world right now.

 

[nielsgov]

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP ITS A GREATEST HITS TOUR UNLESS THEY PLAY EXACTLY WHAT I WANT THEM TO PLAY

Exactly how some people seem to think.

 

[garciaricky0019]

I just thought of that with the "what time is it in the world? showtime" line...enter Ultraviolet.

HMTMKMKM into UV

 

[edge-evans]

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP ITS A GREATEST HITS TOUR UNLESS THEY PLAY EXACTLY WHAT I WANT THEM TO PLAY
Quote:
Originally Posted by edge-evans
The set list seems really good to me. Really good but not really great. One tweak here or there and it could be spot on. Seems like Walk On is just a tired song. It is a well known semi-hit being played next to the huge hits like SBS, One, WTSHNN, etc. they could have afforded something else here. The concert goers get the Burma thing but they could gone in another direction. Burma and Space themes don't sell tickets. Great songs do. If Walk On were A. played better or B. Replaced by something cool but not totally obscure it would be fine: In God's Country, Out of Control, NYD, Desire....Hell even the full band Angel of Harlem gets the crowd going. Just a tweak.....
Perhaps Walk On and Space themes might not sell tickets, but perhaps that's what they're interested in and they'd rather a) bring important political issues into the spotlight, b) have a pretty cool theme, and c) still feel artistically useful to themselves than sell a few more tickets to a tour that's having no trouble whatsoever selling tickets right now?


Dude, its vitriol like the above that makes those of us who don't have 8000 posts to their name start every sentence with the ridiculous IMO abbreviation for fear of being castigated. So here goes, IMO , Walk On stinks the way it is played and the space theme is a stretch to me. Bono made the theme. He could have just as soon made it about triangles, or pyramids, or freaking Mayan ruins or architecture - who gives a sh#t.. Unlike PopMart or ZooTV this does not seem like a "concept" tour. Just play good songs and play them well. Burma and rockets be damned!

 

[monsieur fly]

I don't think it is fair to call this a greatest hits tour. After all, it takes guts to debut two songs in a packed football stadium. Nevertheless, I maintain that the setlist needs work . I think two of the warhorses, WOWY and One, should be dropped because there is no point playing familiar songs if they are going to murder them. Furthermore, their obsession with the mediocre pop-rock of ATYCLB needs to end. There are worse songs than Elevation, Walk On and IALW but there are many many better ones too- Discotheque, Mofo and EBTTRT come to mind and they deserve an airing. Do I say this out of self-interest? Of course I do, but self-interest is a perfectly common and rational disposition to act upon... and they would suit the Claw down to the ground

 

[edge-evans]

Well said.

 

[U2387]

but you said that a 10 year old album is being played to death--
/QUOTE]

Of course, but the only greatest hit on ATYCLB is Beautiful Day.

Elevation and Walk On were moderate hits.

Again, see Nielsgov's post for what a greatest hits show would be.

Say what you want, criticize all you want(I criticize plenty too), but this is objectively not a greatest hits tour.

Take the absence of the songs nielsgov mentioned together with:

North Star
Glastonbury
Miss Sarajevo
4 NLOTH songs, none of which were big hits, certainly not greatest hits.
Unforgettable Fire(over Pride and Bad)
Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me( a moderate hit at best)

Its not a greatest hits tour, find another word to describe your criticisms......

 

[digitize]

I just thought of that with the "what time is it in the world? showtime" line...enter Ultraviolet.

Exactly!

 

[garciaricky0019]

So here goes, IMO , Walk On stinks the way it is played and the space theme is a stretch to me. Bono made the theme. He could have just as soon made it about triangles, or pyramids, or freaking Mayan ruins or architecture - who gives a sh#t.. Unlike PopMart or ZooTV this does not seem like a "concept" tour. Just play good songs and play them well. Burma and rockets be damned!

 

[garciaricky0019]

I think that Hold Me->Ultraviolet->With or Without You->Moment of Surrender would be incredible.

Hold Me->Ultraviolet->With or Without You->North Star->Moment of Surrender