2015 U2 Tour - General Discussion Thread VIII

[JUSTinPUSHPLAY]

 

[JUSTinPUSHPLAY]

 

[JUSTinPUSHPLAY]

 

[trevgreg]

Terrible, horribly low quality .gif of Streets incoming, brace yourselves!

*jump* *jump* *jump*

Ew... "warhorse."

 

[trevgreg]

Still shocked at how much I loved this version live.

 

[The_acrobat]

Dear God, SPEED UP THE FUCKING TEMPO!!!

I'm sorry, I don't want to be negative. I like 99% of everything U2 has ever done, I am a very positive person. I love SOI (except this song). But this is the fucking CONCERT OPENER, and this song just kind of plods along, starts and stops, and never really goes anywhere. It'd be much better if it was faster. The crowd can't really dance to it or bop along to it, because it's too slow. IMO an even more awkward opener than Breathe was.

This is the musical equivalent to my Grandmother driving a really fast car at 35 mph down a busy highway.

 

[mikal]

Dear God, SPEED UP THE FUCKING TEMPO!!!



I'm sorry, I don't want to be negative. I like 99% of everything U2 has ever done, I am a very positive person. I love SOI (except this song). But this is the fucking CONCERT OPENER, and this song just kind of plods along, starts and stops, and never really goes anywhere. It'd be much better if it was faster. The crowd can't really dance to it or bop along to it, because it's too slow. IMO an even more awkward opener than Breathe was.



This is the musical equivalent to my Grandmother driving a really fast car at 35 mph down a busy highway.

In all fairness the band members have grandchildren.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[Chrisedge]

U2 plays most of its songs too slow. The best part about the @u2 party with Edge and Adam was OOC being played by a drummer that plays it fast...I wish Larry would insist on speeding things up.

 

[The_acrobat]

In all fairness the band members have grandchildren.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

lol true, but my grandmother is 84. You can always tell when she's coming down the road because there's always a long train of cars behind her. But good for her for still getting out and doing what she wants to do.

That version of WOWY is good, best I've heard Bono sing it in years.
Something is off about Streets on this tour. It's a little thin sounding, not just vocally but musically also.
Something that nobody would notice live, and that they would edit for the DVD.

 

[domo-kun]

U2 plays most of its songs too slow. The best part about the @u2 party with Edge and Adam was OOC being played by a drummer that plays it fast...I wish Larry would insist on speeding things up.

Larry probably wants Bono to be able to sing the goddamn songs one way or abother. I personally think. The only reason they play songs this slow is to give Bono space to hit his notes and ... Breathe. Try singing the miracle full tempo, full power at age 50++++

 

[RoKKeR]

lol true, but my grandmother is 84. You can always tell when she's coming down the road because there's always a long train of cars behind her. But good for her for still getting out and doing what she wants to do.

That version of WOWY is good, best I've heard Bono sing it in years.
Something is off about Streets on this tour. It's a little thin sounding, not just vocally but musically also.
Something that nobody would notice live, and that they would edit for the DVD.

You make good points and I agree. Miracle is actually a decent opener, what with it being an easy crowd sing along, but man it really grinds to the halt. Same can be said with the song itself, it's like 30 seconds too long.

And I agree, "thin" is the perfect word (to a certain extent, it is still fucking awesome) to describe Streets this tour and I can't quite put my finger on why. Anybody else have a take on this?

 

[RoKKeR]

 

[Irvine511]

Holy crow that was good.

Anyone who moans about war horses should watch that. Sterling example of making an old song relevant again. I was done with it after Vertigo; totally reborn here.

 

[bobsaget77]

Dear God, SPEED UP THE FUCKING TEMPO!!!



I'm sorry, I don't want to be negative. I like 99% of everything U2 has ever done, I am a very positive person. I love SOI (except this song). But this is the fucking CONCERT OPENER, and this song just kind of plods along, starts and stops, and never really goes anywhere. It'd be much better if it was faster. The crowd can't really dance to it or bop along to it, because it's too slow. IMO an even more awkward opener than Breathe was.



This is the musical equivalent to my Grandmother driving a really fast car at 35 mph down a busy highway.

Totally agree. The song never goes into 2nd gear. Also, the light show is lame on the song.
If I were the band here's what I would do....
First of all. Crank up Edge's opening guitar riff to the maximum power possible. A real show stopping riff that grabs your attention right off the bat. It's not loud enough.
Then use that big honkin screen to do some cool stuff while at it. A few red lights on the stage isn't enough. Sure what they're doing now is okay for a #2 song, but this is the opener. It has to be epic with lights, confetti, something! Look at Streets, COBL, Elevation, etc. Huge lights and excitement. Mofo, Zoo Station, and 11 O Clock Tick Tock had a few effects (especially Mofo), but those songs are so great that they can carry themselves regardless. Tons of energy. The Miracle can't, especially at that tempo.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[U2387]

U2 plays most of its songs too slow. The best part about the @u2 party with Edge and Adam was OOC being played by a drummer that plays it fast...I wish Larry would insist on speeding things up.

Dear God, SPEED UP THE FUCKING TEMPO!!!

I'm sorry, I don't want to be negative. I like 99% of everything U2 has ever done, I am a very positive person. I love SOI (except this song). But this is the fucking CONCERT OPENER, and this song just kind of plods along, starts and stops, and never really goes anywhere. It'd be much better if it was faster. The crowd can't really dance to it or bop along to it, because it's too slow. IMO an even more awkward opener than Breathe was.

This is the musical equivalent to my Grandmother driving a really fast car at 35 mph down a busy highway.

Larry probably wants Bono to be able to sing the goddamn songs one way or abother. I personally think. The only reason they play songs this slow is to give Bono space to hit his notes and ... Breathe. Try singing the miracle full tempo, full power at age 50++++

I don't get this at all, sorry.

I think the Miracle worked great the 5 times I saw it.

It's not their fastest song, of course, but the riff is much better live and Larry's opening drum roll is great.

As for Out of Control, they're playing that, Electric Co and Gloria faster than they played them on JT.

By a long shot.

If they're slower than they were in the early 80s on I&E, it's by a hair.

 

[U2387]

Totally agree. The song never goes into 2nd gear. Also, the light show is lame on the song.
If I were the band here's what I would do....
First of all. Crank up Edge's opening guitar riff to the maximum power possible. A real show stopping riff that grabs your attention right off the bat. It's not loud enough.
Then use that big honkin screen to do some cool stuff while at it. A few red lights on the stage isn't enough. Sure what they're doing now is okay for a #2 song, but this is the opener. It has to be epic with lights, confetti, something! Look at Streets, COBL, Elevation, etc. Huge lights and excitement. Mofo, Zoo Station, and 11 O Clock Tick Tock had a few effects (especially Mofo), but those songs are so great that they can carry themselves regardless. Tons of energy. The Miracle can't, especially at that tempo.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

The opening is INCREDIBLY loud when the drums and the riff kick in.

I think others will agree with me here.

I saw this tour 5 times and had seen U2 6 times across Vertigo and 360.

I also worked concert security in Boston at many venues from 2006 to 2011 and still do it on a very limited basis today.

The Miracle-Electric Co-Vertigo- I Will Follow (as well as Gloria and OOC) opening segment is one of the loudest runs of songs I've ever heard at a show anywhere.

I am not exaggerating at all here.

The volume easily matched AC/DC, Metallica, ZZ Top and surpassed even some metal type shows.

The whole show I thought was quite loud!

Many people who were around a lot longer than me, both with U2 and shows in general, commented to me on how loud the I&E shows in Boston were.

I don't think it's their best opening ever, but it fits the narrative and I can't find another opener to go with what works so incredibly well afterwards.

I don't want any lights in the opening sequence beyond what they have.

The whole point of it is to come out with minimal production and blow the dust out of the place and prove to all the naysayers that this band doesn't need a claw.

Or any technology.

 

[mama cass]

i was glad to have my ear plugs

 

[God Part III]

I've seen the last three tours, and I just want to join and say that this opening is incredibly strong - I too thought that The Miracle wouldn't fit as an opener, that it was too slow etc., but after seeing it in person I can't think of a more powerful opening than those four songs - Incredibly loud, raw and powerful. It's the audio mix that is off, certainly not the way it sounded live (I wasn't in Paris, but London and Berlin).

 

[trainmaniac]

I openly criticized this opener here and after seeing the shows I also think that the Miracle is a very strong opener. I'm not saying I wouldn't change anything, but it really works. Far better than City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Breathe or Stingray Guitar.

 

[stefbrands]

Edge seems very jumpy I love it!

 

[Peterrrrr]

This tour is one of their best, why?
For the first time since ZooTV there is a red line through almost the whole show; politics. It was a lot of politics on for exampel Vetigo tour, but often through speech by Bono. This time they let the songs speak instead.

Sure in the middle there is a break from the politics, the band moves to the b-stage and become a folkband. And thats also a reason why like this tour, while there is a very serious political message there are also alot of joy and happines both from the members and the crowd. The band feels very comfident. But then the politics comes back after a few "happy" songs.
The band havent be so comfident also with the news songs since ZooTV, 360 tour went to be more of a greatest hits tour. This tour really is a "latest album tour".

Also the old staple songs that have been booring last tours have come to new life, WOWY, Streets, Pride.

I realy hope they bring this confident feeling to the next album, proud of the new songs and let them be what they are and try not hunt the number 1 spot on the toplist with it.

 

[ChargedVT]

Something is off about Streets on this tour. It's a little thin sounding, not just vocally but musically also.
Something that nobody would notice live, and that they would edit for the DVD.

Well it's back to being played in C# whereas the last few tours it was in the original key of D.
Still sounds fine. I love how they've made a change to the keyboard intro, after the B note it now goes up to a higher note instead of down to A. Definitely adds something.

 

[kps88]

Finally got to see the Paris video. Such a shame it was probably one of Bono's weakest vocal performances of the tour. I'm guessing he was a bit under the weather; avoided a lot of high notes and needed Edge to help a lot. If this went out to HBO I'm sure they would have tinkered with the mix to make him sound better.

Funny part is he was close to his best just a few days earlier in Glasgow.

 

[Peterrrrr]

Something is off about Streets on this tour. It's a little thin sounding, not just vocally but musically also.
Something that nobody would notice live, and that they would edit for the DVD.

You make good points and I agree. Miracle is actually a decent opener, what with it being an easy crowd sing along, but man it really grinds to the halt. Same can be said with the song itself, it's like 30 seconds too long.

And I agree, "thin" is the perfect word (to a certain extent, it is still fucking awesome) to describe Streets this tour and I can't quite put my finger on why. Anybody else have a take on this?

Some versions on the tour have been the best since the 80s. Opposite to thin
https://youtu.be/tF8SDD7PM8s?t=6m8s

 

[rennowba]

Finally got to see the Paris video. Such a shame it was probably one of Bono's weakest vocal performances of the tour. I'm guessing he was a bit under the weather; avoided a lot of high notes and needed Edge to help a lot. If this went out to HBO I'm sure they would have tinkered with the mix to make him sound better.

Funny part is he was close to his best just a few days earlier in Glasgow.

Youve got to remember this wasnt going to be the gig shown. Bono wouldnt have gone full pelt knowing the hbo special was coming up.

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

Does Edge have a phaser effect on his guitar, or is it just the sound of the broadcast?

 

[The_acrobat]

I openly criticized this opener here and after seeing the shows I also think that the Miracle is a very strong opener. I'm not saying I wouldn't change anything, but it really works. Far better than City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Breathe or Stingray Guitar.

The most awkward tour opener I ever saw was "Love and peace or else", during the early times of the Vertigo Tour. Worked well where it usually was, not at the beginning.

Also, Beautiful Day opening the 2001 South Bend show instead of Elevation wasn't a good idea. This was the only time they did that.

Best opener I've ever seen? MOOOOOOOFOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

 

[Pop Artist]

Edge seems very jumpy I love it!

One thing I noticed watching these videos is that I think he is wearing kneepads, better to pop on down and do those backbends (although he didn't do it in this video).

 

[trainmaniac]

The most awkward tour opener I ever saw was "Love and peace or else", during the early times of the Vertigo Tour. Worked well where it usually was, not at the beginning.

Also, Beautiful Day opening the 2001 South Bend show instead of Elevation wasn't a good idea. This was the only time they did that.

Best opener I've ever seen? MOOOOOOOFOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Mofo is favorite opener. No one has ever done better to open a show.

 

[Hewson]

The most awkward tour opener I ever saw was "Love and peace or else", during the early times of the Vertigo Tour. Worked well where it usually was, not at the beginning.

I thought Love and Peace was a much stronger opener that tour than City of Blinding Lights, they should have used it more.