*POSSIBLE SPOILERS* Rehearsals In Vancouver

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i heard they're practicing I Fall Down - snippet Bicycle Race

 

[Galeongirl]

Imagine a full band + orchestra All I Want Is You like the album version. Shite, that'd be worth the ticket price alone.

 

[trevgreg]

Imagine a full band + orchestra All I Want Is You like the album version. Shite, that'd be worth the ticket price alone.

Could change up old timers such as One or WOWY as well, which would make some people on here a bit happier.

i heard they're practicing I Fall Down - snippet Bicycle Race

-slash-Miss Independent.

 

[Catman]

I really hope they bust out Staring at the Sun--love the performance at the Clinton foundation concert

Sent from my SGH-M919 using U2 Interference mobile app

 

[BGD75]

i heard they're practicing I Fall Down - snippet Bicycle Race

LOL

 

[God Part III]

I think the orchestra worked quite well at the Vertigo Milan gig. If it's only for a few songs, I'm in

 

[gareth brown]

Kite

 

[Hewson]

They move to Rogers Arena after Neil Diamond on May 7th. RA has one of the highest ceilings of so crews like testing stuff here. The Coliseum is lower which may mess up the screen testing a little bit.

Band and crew are certainly rooting for the Flames to close out the Canucks. Should the Canucks come back that could foul up that schedule.

 

[Nick66]

I went out tonight. I arrived to hear them doing pride and going through a ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE tag ending a couple times. I always thought PITNOL was a snippet free song. Bono seems to really be running the show when it's full band and he requests do-overs on certain parts. You can't make out what he's saying but you know it's him. I was under the impression that Edge was doing lots of the heavy lifting since Popmart when Bono was having back/voice issues or was more interesting in charity than music.

I've only heard a 6 hour window when they play, but after Pride I chatted with another fan for a couple hours and then went home. Crew have been busy for 10 days so maybe some got the weekend off and maybe some band members left the city for a couple days. Speculation on my part and not fact. LA is only 3 hours away for Edge in the same time zone, NYC is outta reach for a weekend trip.

Elevation was confirmed when I talked to another fan. Yawn, but add it to the running list.

Invisible has the same lighting effect as the video and Larry has the same standing drum.

The source of the youtube videos was pointed out to me. Their secret is safe with me.

They move to Rogers Arena after Neil Diamond on May 7th. RA has one of the highest ceilings of so crews like testing stuff here. The Coliseum is lower which may mess up the screen testing a little bit.

Apparently there been some Bono sightings downtown in the early afternoon. Think Gastown/Yaletown. They have a mansion but also stay downtown at a hotel with a private garage. Not sure which band member, but they have a TESLA car at their disposal/curiosity that looks pricey - wonder if it's Edge the gadget freak or Larry the car/bike freak.

I did get a spoiler 10 times bigger than Electric Co. that NOBODY predicted.....

Spoiler

touring string section(4-6 players) spotted leaving the building with their portable instrument cases that are presumably not pool cues or travelling card game kits. I'd bet on them doing the whole tour as they wouldn't get local pickup players 3 weeks before the show here. Only been heard on 1-2 songs so far so I'd only think to hear it for 3-4 songs during a show as it could really enhance something like EBW or WOWY

Thanks for this! Always nice to get credible info from people with genuine stuff to share. Very exciting.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Band and crew are certainly rooting for the Flames to close out the Canucks. Should the Canucks come back that could foul up that schedule.

Curious what that schedule would look like(game tonight?). Round 2 would start around May 1st.

Funny how the Canuck management unnofficialy gave them May 8th - May 15th. Certainly a vote of confidence when the team was sucking back in October/November when those dates were firmed up.

This was my violin case joke:
http://i00.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/276/552/494/494552276_053.jpg
http://rcdn-1.fishpond.co.nz/0024/667/675/9858429/6.jpeg

 

[thavidesco]

Imagine a full band + orchestra All I Want Is You like the album version. Shite, that'd be worth the ticket price alone.

I´m up for that! + Original of the Species

 

[thavidesco]

I really hope they bust out Staring at the Sun--love the performance at the Clinton foundation concert

Sent from my SGH-M919 using U2 Interference mobile app

This song never worked since they gave up on electric version after Vegas disaster.

 

[Hewson]

Curious what that schedule would look like(game tonight?). Round 2 would start around May 1st.

Game 6 tonight in Calgary, if Canucks win, game 7 Monday in Vanouver. Should they go through, they draw Anaheim, games 1 and 2 on road, probably either Wed and Friday or Thurs and Saturday, would put them back in Vancouver for games 3 and 4 somehwere around May 3 or 4, would presumably play game 4 before Mr. Diamond's show and then should game 6 materialize they'd need the building on maybe the 9th or 10th. Certainly could make things tricky. An uphill climb though.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Yeah, as much as people had predicted that, I didn't think it would happen. U2 seem to have been so reluctant to let anybody join them on stage, even Terry Lawless. They have tried to maintain an illusion that everything is just the four of them, no extra guitarists or keys or strings lurking in the shadows.

What was the giveaway for prior predictions for a string section? I only read a couple different threads here.

it's one way to justify the $300, give fans a new spin and make some old songs like WOWY/One worth hearing in the live format for repeat show attendees.

Game 6 tonight in Calgary, if Canucks win, game 7 Monday in Vancouver. Should they go through, they draw Anaheim, games 1 and 2 on road, probably either Wed and Friday or Thurs and Saturday, would put them back in Vancouver for games 3 and 4 somehwere around May 3 or 4, would presumably play game 4 before Mr. Diamond's show and then should game 6 materialize they'd need the building on maybe the 9th or 10th. Certainly could make things tricky. An uphill climb though.

Worse case scenario, May (10), 11, 12, 13 gives a couple days for final prep. IMO I doubt bon will do much singing on may 13th to save his voice. I think 87 was the last time they opened a new tour with back to back nights.

 

[The_acrobat]

This song never worked since they gave up on electric version after Vegas disaster.

The common misconception is that after messing it up in Vegas, they jettisoned it and just started doing the acoustic version. They attempted the electric version all the way until New York, more than a month into the tour schedule. I saw SATS electric in Columbus, and upon hearing the bootleg all these years later, it wasn't too bad, sounded like they were starting to get a handle on it, really. Same with "Do you feel loved" from the Phoenix concert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVpxbugPBAg
SATS begins at 44:20. This was the last time it was played full band.

 

[jphelmet]

They played sats several times as a medley with discotheque at first few shows of elevation tour. Never really the whole thing but they did attempt it after popmart.

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[Nick66]

They played sats several times as a medley with discotheque at first few shows of elevation tour. Never really the whole thing but they did attempt it after popmart.

You're talking about the full band version right? Because obviously they played the whole thing acoustically on Elevation.

SATS is one of the few U2 acoustic versions I can stomach. I love that song, and think the acoustic version is aces. I also don't mind the acoustic Stay from that tour.

 

[prbiker15]

Imagine a full band + orchestra All I Want Is You like the album version. Shite, that'd be worth the ticket price alone.

I really hope they bust out Staring at the Sun--love the performance at the Clinton foundation concert

Yes to both.

 

[RoKKeR]

Imagine a full band + orchestra All I Want Is You like the album version. Shite, that'd be worth the ticket price alone.

With the outro and everything... damn, would be so good.

 

[prbiker15]

With the outro and everything... damn, would be so good.

That would be an excellent way to close the show.

 

[Raid]

Canucks won't make it past the first round so we're good there.

 

[jphelmet]

You're talking about the full band version right? Because obviously they played the whole thing acoustically on Elevation.

SATS is one of the few U2 acoustic versions I can stomach. I love that song, and think the acoustic version is aces. I also don't mind the acoustic Stay from that tour.

https://youtu.be/SfOt90qqBHM
This is what I was referring to but really closer to acoustic version.
They tried a medley type for the very beginning of elevation. I remember it well because I saw the 1st 6 elevation shows.

I would love to see a full band sats.

 

[Axver]

What was the giveaway for prior predictions for a string section? I only read a couple different threads here.

I think there was something on one venue layout map that implied space for a string section? But a lot of the speculation seemed to also be based on the string section used on the promo tour. I hadn't really thought to put much credit in it until your post.

Worse case scenario, May (10), 11, 12, 13 gives a couple days for final prep. IMO I doubt bon will do much singing on may 13th to save his voice. I think 87 was the last time they opened a new tour with back to back nights.

Actually, on the JT Tour there was a day's break between the first two shows in Tempe (and incredibly they didn't do WOWY, the lead single, at the first Tempe gig). On Lovetown the first three gigs were on three consecutive nights, then on ZooTV the first two gigs were on consecutive nights and in different cities. Since then, you're right, the first two full dates have had at least a day's gap between them.

I saw SATS electric in Columbus, and upon hearing the bootleg all these years later, it wasn't too bad, sounded like they were starting to get a handle on it, really. Same with "Do you feel loved" from the Phoenix concert.

Yep, they gave up entirely on DYFL just as they were starting to really get going with it, and switched to the acoustic SATS just as the electric one was starting to sound quite good. Frustrating.

 

[Hawkmoon269]

I think there was something on one venue layout map that implied space for a string section? But a lot of the speculation seemed to also be based on the string section used on the promo tour. I hadn't really thought to put much credit in it until your post.

I think the rumor about the string section came from the atu2's poster that claimed that u2.com uploaded a stage layout, but he was the only one who saw it.

 

[prbiker15]

I think the rumor about the string section came from the atu2's poster that claimed that u2.com uploaded a stage layout, but he was the only one who saw it.

Yeah I remember hearing that rumor as well. I'm not surprised that this may end up being a reality because the string section was in the promo tour, and I doubt they were going to abandon that concept for the tour. I definitely don't mind full band versions of songs with the string section accompanying them, but when it comes to acoustic versions, I find them to be slightly boring.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Canucks are out so U2 can use the arena until their opening show.

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[U2387]

I think a rule that says don't talk to the celebrities, or don't stare at them and hold your gaze is fine. No one wants to be stared at, and I'm sure no matter how nice the celeb, they don't want to spend all their time talking to strangers.

But the no eye contact thing rubs me the wrong way...what are they afraid it's going to steal their mojo if someone gets all in their Darshan?

This is not extreme actually. Believe it or not its a common rule for employees at most major arenas.

Local security companies can have one set of rules, that is then adjusted for touring acts. Think of this as similar to every venue having the no photo rules, which acts can override.

So ultimately, it comes to the act and its management. If this is a rule that's being enforced, it's on the band.

This isn't so much a U2 thing as much as its a PNE thing probably. Most or all arenas have this rule in place for employees that state you aren't aloud to make eye contact or engage with the artists. I'm sure U2 management has made it clear no one is to talk to the band but PNE most likely has a strict policy that they enforce in regards to that too. I work backstage at one of the biggest music festivals in North America and that rule applies for us too. If the artist begins talking to you first than its fair game, but don't ever approach them wanting to talk or whatever. Its home away from home for many artists, they need and want to be as comfortable as they can be.

Let me just clear something up as someone who has worked local security for many acts, including for 3 U2 shows in Boston (2 at Gillette Stadium and 1 in Somerville for the Promo Tour in 2009).

I also have a good friend that works for U2's tour security and I have personally seen many U2 show riders.

There are absolutely rules that venues have for in house security and contracted security firms have for their staffs regarding this. In general, it's exactly what was mentioned here- don't initiate contact or conversation. Don't stop artists, ask them questions, ask for autographs, enter dressing rooms, etc, etc.

Some venues/firms may take this very general rule and specifically make "no eye contact" a part of it. Or, from my experience, more likely, these workers at PNE could've been told by a supervisor, acting on his or her own, "no eye contact" in whatever briefing they gave.

These local security employees get a bad rap- people see the low wages, etc and assume they're all idiots. The low wages and high demand (think of 360 and all the area around the stage/ellipse- you need a body every couple of feet) make it easy enough for some people of questionable ability to make it in as workers and as supervisors. So as a result, you sometimes have people who aren't of the highest caliber making or interpreting policy for a whole group of people.

I would bet a year's pay that this, and not U2's rules, is what is at play with the "no eye contact" rule. It's certainly true that the band gets the ultimate say and can override local policy. However, from my experience, I know of no U2 policy that exists, stated or as a practice, now or ever, that bans eye contact.

On the contrary, all 4 of them said "hello" and made a bit of small talk when I met them in Somerville in 2009. I didn't point out that I was a super fan or anything, it wasn't the time or the place given the fact that I was working. Had I met them outside a venue, off work, sure, I'd have tried to talk about how much I enjoyed their music and related to their message and discussed tours, shows, etc.

At Gillette Stadium in 2009, there was a whole group of local security gathered for a meeting at the loading dock when U2 were being escorted in. I was out on the field at the time, but I heard from many of my co workers that all of them smiled and waved in the general direction of the staff and that Bono stopped in his tracks and yelled "hi, how is everyone doing this afternoon."

So long story short, the "no eye contact" rule is not a U2 rule. I've seen it with Mellencamp, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey and Madonna to name a few. Stated on the rider, in tour security meetings and enforced.

The source of this order given to the Vancouver staff is either an unnecessarily specific venue policy or an overzealous line supervisor giving a briefing.

 

[chrissybaby]

Thank you for the perspective.


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[Axver]

Yeah, good post.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The string section rumor started with the acoustic snoozeroo world promo tour. It was simply speculation because U2 care about SONGS SONGS SONGS now, as opposed to the past. Or something.