How about a bit of spontaneity ?? Is this the most laziest tour ever

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hennesd72

The Fly
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Messages
32
First thing it was a joy seeing JT played live , nothing can take that enjoyment away.

Outside the JT setlist , this really feels like a lazy showupforthemoney type gig . There is zero spontaneity and it now feels like a U2 gig is nothing more than like going to a theatre where the script is set with act one and act two firmly adhere too.

This has to be the worst encore set ever and not even trying to mix it up is very sad indeed.
 
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First thing it was a joy seeing JT played live , nothing can take that enjoyment away.

Outside the JT setlist , this really feels like a lazy showupforthemoney type gig . There is zero spontaneity and it now feels like a U2 gig is nothing more than like going to a theatre where the script is set with act one and act two firmly adhere too.

This has to be the worst encore set ever and not even trying to mix it up is very sad indeed.



I do agree that the setlist are more or less the same at every show. Thing is 95% of the people, only go to one show and probably have no idea what the set list is even going to be bar the Joshua tree.

I totally disagree about the encore being the worst ever. I went to the London and Dublin shows. The combination of beautiful day/elevation/ vertigo were some of the most well received songs of the night. Especially elevation and vertigo. The crowd were wild from the position is was at. Looking around everyone was the same. I know there's abit of hate for those 3 songs with die hard fans but they get 80 thousand people rocking so who is right and who is wrong???

Mysterious ways also got a massive reaction. One is in the same boat. I mean look at the Dublin video of this song. Everyone with there lights out singing together. One went down a storm. I will follow has also been a great song in the encore when it's been played.

The only two songs that could fit into that bracket for me are miss Sarajevo and little things. I get why they play miss Sarajevo though it fits in with the message about women and I also found the visuals good for this. Little things is a good song but not a closing song but again I get why they are doing it cause the whole gig is about the past and they want people to go away thinking about the future.

At stadium shows you have a massive casual crowd which are the people u2 are gonna want to please more then anything. Me being a hardcore fan will like anything they do.

Think people forget their not there to please a small bunch of hardcore fans but the large majority
 
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I totally agree on the encore. It was a thorough buzzkill for me; at London 1 it was impossible for me to even pretend to be interested, while the next night I discovered that it takes six pints of beer to coax me into jumping up and down for Vertigo and Elevation. I'm fine with BD, Elevation, Vertigo, One, whatever scattered throughout the set, but that encore is just one song after another that anybody who's been to a previous tour - and that's going to be a lot of the audience - has heard before. You don't need to be the sort of fan who goes to lots of shows on the same tour to be annoyed by that, just somebody interested enough to go whenever the band passes through town. Hell, you just need to have gone to the 360 Tour to have heard almost the entire non-JT part of the set.

And even if the song choices weren't generic and overplayed as fuck, it feels like everything's shoehorned to fit a clumsy narrative. U2 have always tried to have some sort of thematic structure, and usually they do it well. This is a disappointing flop from a band who should know better.

Well these are two entirely different things. But no, it's been discussed before, there have been tours with less change ups.

Yep. At the same point ZooTV had even fewer songs. JT30 at the moment has 28 songs, 27 if you remove Happy Birthday, after 29 shows. The first leg of ZooTV, which had 32 shows, only got to 26 songs. The first two legs combined had 57 shows and 29 songs. So JT30 is not the most static ever.

Though JT30 is lagging behind JT 1987! That tour got 30 different songs on its 29-show first leg. And, of course, there was greater night-to-night variation in the order.
 
Think people forget their not there to please a small bunch of hardcore fans but the large majority

It's hard to forget when it's in your face every tour. When is it our turn? Random treats like THBAO, Zoo Station, and TCB are great and all...but why are we like dogs who get thrown the occasional bone?

I hope they shift gears for at least one tour before they stop...turn this thing on its head...and cater to the hardcore fans for once.
 
It's hard to forget when it's in your face every tour. When is it our turn? Random treats like THBAO, Zoo Station, and TCB are great and all...but why are we like dogs who get thrown the occasional bone?

I hope they shift gears for at least one tour before they stop...turn this thing on its head...and cater to the hardcore fans for once.
Lest we forget, there have been shows this tour that have featured a brand new song, A Sort of Homecoming, Running to Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wires, One Tree Hill, Exit, Mothers of the Disappeared, Miss Sarajevo and Ultraviolet. That's 11 songs that, prior to 2006, most hardcore fans would have been over the moon to hear and only the last two songs on that list have been played with any regularity over the past decade. Understandably, the other half is dedicated to their mainstream audience.

Call the setlist static all you want, it is exactly that, but I don't think they're being unfair to their hardcore fans with this tour at all.
 
It's hard to forget when it's in your face every tour. When is it our turn? Random treats like THBAO, Zoo Station, and TCB are great and all...but why are we like dogs who get thrown the occasional bone?



I hope they shift gears for at least one tour before they stop...turn this thing on its head...and cater to the hardcore fans for once.



True but haven't they just played side b of the Joshua tree. A side that not everyone would be familiar with. We got to hear exit, gods country etc etc even red hill mining town that was never played before this tour.so you could argue that they have catered for the hardcore fans . You could even argue that my original quote is wrong aswell
 
Lest we forget, there have been shows this tour that have featured a brand new song, A Sort of Homecoming, Running to Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wires, One Tree Hill, Exit, Mothers of the Disappeared, Miss Sarajevo and Ultraviolet. That's 11 songs that, prior to 2006, most hardcore fans would have been over the moon to hear and only the last two songs on that list have been played with any regularity over the past decade. Understandably, the other half is dedicated to their mainstream audience.

Call the setlist static all you want, it is exactly that, but I don't think they're being unfair to their hardcore fans with this tour at all.

This argument is flimsy because the entire point of the tour was to play JT in its entirety. So, of course, we got those songs. I have been glad to hear them! But let's not pretend that they decided to do so for their hardcore fans.

Let's also not pretend that Ultraviolet and Miss Sarajevo aren't being played / performed in an uninspired way.
 
True but haven't they just played side b of the Joshua tree. A side that not everyone would be familiar with. We got to hear exit, gods country etc etc even red hill mining town that was never played before this tour.so you could argue that they have catered for the hardcore fans . You could even argue that my original quote is wrong aswell

I don't really want to argue the obvious. If you want to believe that this tour was designed to cater to the hardcore fans so be it.

There's just no way that's true.
 
I think its strange and sort of shitty that they didn't play ASOH as an extra song in Dublin. I mean, they already only played one show. Give your home fucking town an extra song, especially one that would have been totally in theme with the night.
 
Some people were skeptical that U2 would play the whole album every show, even after a few shows had been played.
 
I think the encore setlist missed a huge opportunity . A day without me , drowning man , 11 oclock tick toc , 40 , wired , indian summer sky , MLK surrender, walk on , Gloria etc , all the above could just be relevant and mix it up with BD, Elevation , Vertigo ( all of which have now been played to death ) . The fact they havent thrown in the odd curve ball for the hardcore fans who have been with them over the last 30 years , in the pissing rain , ducking the bottles full of piss shows just how disconnected they have become from fans / music itself .
 
I think the encore setlist missed a huge opportunity . A day without me , drowning man , 11 oclock tick toc , 40 , wired , indian summer sky , MLK surrender, walk on , Gloria etc , all the above could just be relevant and mix it up with BD, Elevation , Vertigo ( all of which have now been played to death ) . The fact they havent thrown in the odd curve ball for the hardcore fans who have been with them over the last 30 years , in the pissing rain , ducking the bottles full of piss shows just how disconnected they have become from fans / music itself .

i mean... i can understand if you're unhappy with the encore. but it's not as though Ultra Violet is played a ton. and as others have mentioned, you're getting the entire side 2 of the Joshua Tree. hate the songs or love the songs, but Elevation and Vertigo get some of the biggest reactions from the crowd, so I can understand why they play them. I enjoyed them when I saw them.

Also, they played MLK earlier in the tour. i hardly consider it a big treat if i hear it anyway.
 
I don't really want to argue the obvious. If you want to believe that this tour was designed to cater to the hardcore fans so be it.



There's just no way that's true.



The tour was defiantly not designed to cater for the hardcore fan.I mean it's the Joshua tree tour. U2's landmark album that every man and his dog owns. It's u2's big album, as much as I think achtung baby is better the Joshua tree is so much bigger and more popular.

I do think though that there is enough in the gigs to keep the hardcore fan happy. I honestly believe that. 5-6 rare tracks being played.

I don't buy that they done the tour because of the political changes, songs are relevant etc etc this was supposed to be the e&i tour, the tour in my opinion was done as a sweetener to live nation. Do the big stadiums guaranteed big crowds and big money touring the Joshua tree.
 
The tour was defiantly not designed to cater for the hardcore fan.I mean it's the Joshua tree tour. U2's landmark album that every man and his dog owns. It's u2's big album, as much as I think achtung baby is better the Joshua tree is so much bigger and more popular.

I do think though that there is enough in the gigs to keep the hardcore fan happy. I honestly believe that. 5-6 rare tracks being played.

I don't buy that they done the tour because of the political changes, songs are relevant etc etc this was supposed to be the e&i tour, the tour in my opinion was done as a sweetener to live nation. Do the big stadiums guaranteed big crowds and big money touring the Joshua tree.

I totally agree here. Doing a tour to honor their most popular album's anniversary is what this was. It was not come hear old rare tunes. It was catering to older fans, fairweather fans, general music fans that may have had U2 on the bucket list and hell, maybe only own the JT and War or something.
I also think that the band probably figured that the die hard fans would still be happy hearing a handful of songs from JT that they have never gotten to hear live before, or for about 30 years.
Let this tour be what it is, and then moving forward, i hope we get a few rare nuggets.
 
I'm a die hard fan, I'm entitled to something special.

I know as a band you've always been this same exact way, but I deserve you to change now that you're almost 60. Why? Because I stood in the rain, or someone pissed on me, or something...
 
I suppose we could all be Soundgarden or Linkin Park fans and not see ANY songs played live anymore..

For what it's worth, I'm not above debate or whatever. But holding a band to be "lazy" when I don't even attend 98% of the shows on a tour might be a bit extreme if I said that, personally. And this literally the same discussion on every band's message board anyway. No one's ever going to be 100 percent happy with what's played anyway.
 
The tour was defiantly not designed to cater for the hardcore fan.I mean it's the Joshua tree tour. U2's landmark album that every man and his dog owns. It's u2's big album, as much as I think achtung baby is better the Joshua tree is so much bigger and more popular.

I do think though that there is enough in the gigs to keep the hardcore fan happy. I honestly believe that. 5-6 rare tracks being played.

I don't buy that they done the tour because of the political changes, songs are relevant etc etc this was supposed to be the e&i tour, the tour in my opinion was done as a sweetener to live nation. Do the big stadiums guaranteed big crowds and big money touring the Joshua tree.

I think they dropped the ball, primarily, in the third act of the show. While I admit that it's easy to play arm chair quarterback, it would have been better, IMO, for any type of fan if they had continued with the chronological setlist. Some rotations would have helped a lot as well.

One song from R&H (Desire Hollywood Remix - a hugely wasted opportunity - rotated with Heartland. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms is fun (like TTYW) and would have been perfect thematically. It's OK to rotate with a warhorse as long as it's not stale. Why no Zooropa or Pop love? Etc, etc.

As fun and energetic as some of the current songs may be in person, the songs just seem arbitrarily thrown together.

I don't think they have to pander as much playing crowd favorites to keep casual fans happy. If the songs are outstanding and played with spirit, a balance could be struck that both casuals and diehards alike would be pleased with.
 
I think they dropped the ball, primarily, in the third act of the show. While I admit that it's easy to play arm chair quarterback, it would have been better, IMO, for any type of fan if they had continued with the chronological setlist. Some rotations would have helped a lot as well.

One song from R&H (Desire Hollywood Remix - a hugely wasted opportunity - rotated with Heartland. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms is fun (like TTYW) and would have been perfect thematically. It's OK to rotate with a warhorse as long as it's not stale. Why no Zooropa or Pop love? Etc, etc.

As fun and energetic as some of the current songs may be in person, the songs just seem arbitrarily thrown together.

I don't think they have to pander as much playing crowd favorites to keep casual fans happy. If the songs are outstanding and played with spirit, a balance could be struck that both casuals and diehards alike would be pleased with.



Personally the best idea for me would have been to end with the big tracks from achtung baby. After all it was the sound of 4 men chopping the Joshua tree down. Just imagine the opening chords of zoo station and the screens turning blue and bono doing his zoo to thing.

Zoostation
Even better then the real thing
Until the end of the world
Mysterious ways
The fly
One

Switching wild horses and ultraviolet in now and again

I do see how this many scupper the achtung baby tour in 2021 though.

Pop ain't ever gonna see the light of day
 
Personally the best idea for me would have been to end with the big tracks from achtung baby. After all it was the sound of 4 men chopping the Joshua tree down. Just imagine the opening chords of zoo station and the screens turning blue and bono doing his zoo to thing.

Zoostation
Even better then the real thing
Until the end of the world
Mysterious ways
The fly
One

Switching wild horses and ultraviolet in now and again

Not a bad idea...like they had to finish chopping it down? Or a reminder that they had to in the first place? Picture a chainsaw sound coming in right before Zoo Station!

That would have been preferable, personally. I wonder if they decided against that due to the revival AB had during 360?

Such execution would have helped avoid a bit of the nostalgia / heritage accusations as well...and would remind people that they have always looked towards the future.
 
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Not a bad idea...like they had to finish chopping it down? Or a reminder that they had to in the first place? Picture a chainsaw sound coming in right before Zoo Station!

That would have been preferable, personally. I wonder if they decided against that due to the revival AB had during 360?

Such execution would have helped avoid a bit of the nostalgia / heritage accusations as well...and would remind people that they have always looked towards the future.



All will be forgiven with zoo tv 2 in 2021 :) fingers crossed there still about for it to happen
 
I'm a die hard fan, I'm entitled to something special.

I know as a band you've always been this same exact way, but I deserve you to change now that you're almost 60. Why? Because I stood in the rain, or someone pissed on me, or something...

Clearly being a mug and submissive comes easy to you and it's probably the most you ever want to achieve in your cul du sac life and your quite happy with that , I salute you BVS

But I've always been the type to ask why the fuck not
 
check out this photo of BVS i found today.

i_love_being_submissive_coffee_mug-rc0a976b2945646c08a27f5d9783f80b6_x7jgr_8byvr_324.jpg

no need to add, sicy.
 
I'm a die hard fan, I'm entitled to something special.

I know as a band you've always been this same exact way, but I deserve you to change now that you're almost 60. Why? Because I stood in the rain, or someone pissed on me, or something...



:) :) :) class
 

Really ? You reckon being disingenuous ( ask your mum what that big word means btw) is class ? Jez how bullied where you at school you pathetic sycophant , you probably need a wet flannel on the head and a dark room to take those words in ,if you ever can , child
 
why the fuck not

BECAUSE IT ISN'T U2. IT'S NEVER IN NEARLY 40 YEARS HOW U2 HAVE PERFORMED LIVE SHOWS. ASKING THEM TO CHANGE NOW IS LIKE ASKING FOR IT TO STOP GETTING DARK AT NIGHT.

Even the much-vaunted super-varied Lovetown Tour wasn't so much varied as it was compartmentalised. Blocks of songs were moved around rather than individual songs thrown around at random.

I did laugh at submissive mug though. That was funny.
 
Clearly being a mug and submissive comes easy to you and it's probably the most you ever want to achieve in your cul du sac life and your quite happy with that , I salute you BVS



But I've always been the type to ask why the fuck not

How did you know I live in a cul de sac? Do I have a new stalker? Aww, shucks, I'm flattered.

It's fine to ask why the fuck not, but it's like asking why not hip hop? Come on I deserve some hip hop.

It's not who they are. This is who they've been for almost 30 years, yet every tour this same thread gets made. It would be interesting if my dog learned to bring me a beer, some dogs do that, but I've accepted the fact that my dog is not one of those dogs. That's all :shrug:

check out this photo of BVS i found today.

i_love_being_submissive_coffee_mug-rc0a976b2945646c08a27f5d9783f80b6_x7jgr_8byvr_324.jpg

no need to add, sicy.


That's my good side.

Really ? You reckon being disingenuous ( ask your mum what that big word means btw) is class ? Jez how bullied where you at school you pathetic sycophant , you probably need a wet flannel on the head and a dark room to take those words in ,if you ever can , child


Why would you ask a victim how much they were bullied and then proceed to bully them? Are you that insecure about not getting the joke?
 
BECAUSE IT ISN'T U2. IT'S NEVER IN NEARLY 40 YEARS HOW U2 HAVE PERFORMED LIVE SHOWS. ASKING THEM TO CHANGE NOW IS LIKE ASKING FOR IT TO STOP GETTING DARK AT NIGHT.

Even the much-vaunted super-varied Lovetown Tour wasn't so much varied as it was compartmentalised. Blocks of songs were moved around rather than individual songs thrown around at random.

I did laugh at submissive mug though. That was funny.

Who says they can't change now? That's an unfortunate sentiment and one that means they are doomed to the mediocre mindset they now have.

I have faith that they have a couple of tricks left up their sleeve...and am holding out for (at least) one more masterpiece.
 
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