**POSSIBLE SPOILERS** The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 Rehearsal Thread

[U2FanPeter]

Walked around the stadium for an hour around supper time.

Very limited sight lines but all the metal staging and relay towers are up. No speakers/lights/"fabric"/band gear in sight yet. Lots of u2 crew around with shirts from 360 or the Roger Waters The Wall tour.

1 SUV(with special plates) parked inside the fenced in loading area and I saw another one carefully drive right into the stadium through the garage door where I could see most of the set up when open for a few seconds. So at least 2 band members are here, I just don't know which 2.

Tough to say if I will hear anything this week, but the PA/productions sometimes only takes a few hours to put up.

 

[gareth brown]

I hope most of the video submissions are people with shirts/banners saying "Where's my subsciption gift?"

 

[crapstable]

THX u2fanpeter!

 

[birdman]

Original of the Species accompanied by Lincoln Centre orchestra, or go home.

 

[birdman]

DYFL would be much much better than Ordinary Love

 

[CMIS]

I think we can mark this thread as the point in Interference when Ordinary Love became one of the worst songs in U2's catalogue

 

[Axver]

Ordinary Love is one of their 10 most played songs on YouTube, the video and tonight show performance have 60+ million views between them.

For comparisons sake... Vertigo has 41 million views. Beautiful Day has 90 million.

More people liked it then people here care to admit, and more people know it then everyone is letting on. It's their most popular song in 10 years.

It's hardly a shock, as lame as the crowd sourced chorus idea may be.

People here don't like it. Okay fine. But this isn't some unknown song.

This baffles me. The numbers don't even make sense. Walk up to some random and mention WOWY, Beautiful Day, Vertigo—they'll at least know of them. Mention Ordinary Love and they'll probably just blink in confusion and have no idea what you're talking about. This is a song almost nobody outside the fandom remembers, except maybe if they saw some movie that's also been quickly forgotten.

Most popular song of the last ten years, by the way, isn't a crowded field. With Boots and The Miracle as its biggest rivals, no wonder it's ahead.

 

[Desert Dog]

I like OL just fine - I am just more concerned about the band`s apparent strategy to cater to casual fans with middle of the road choices in the setlist. Its almost like the Live Nation marketing department is making set list decisions. I go back to the Paris shows I attended in 2015. As soon as I heard the opening notes of Elevation, my heart sank, it was like fuck what has happened to these guys, they are playing it safe. And following MW with Elevation, while crowd pleasing, is like the Stones following Bitch with Start Me Up - ones an all time classic with swagger and the other just an almost throwaway pop ditty. Night 2 in Paris, we got the Sweetest Thing which is just meh and another fucking safe choice. Just hoping against hope that we will get some pleasant surprises in the JT30 setlists

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

This baffles me. The numbers don't even make sense. Walk up to some random and mention WOWY, Beautiful Day, Vertigo—they'll at least know of them. Mention Ordinary Love and they'll probably just blink in confusion and have no idea what you're talking about. This is a song almost nobody outside the fandom remembers, except maybe if they saw some movie that's also been quickly forgotten.

Most popular song of the last ten years, by the way, isn't a crowded field. With Boots and The Miracle as its biggest rivals, no wonder it's ahead.

I don't know, maybe it was a bit more popular in the US? It charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The only other non album tracks to do that were Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me and The Sweetest Thing.

 

[dan_smee]

Yeah, the doom and gloom over OL is way OTT - but the idea is also just terrible.

I just wish they wouldn't waste a setlist song on any overly stripped down song. I'd love to see a full band, electric OL - it really is one of the better songs of theirs from the last 15 years

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Yeah, the doom and gloom over OL is way OTT - but the idea is also just terrible.

I just wish they wouldn't waste a setlist song on any overly stripped down song. I'd love to see a full band, electric OL - it really is one of the better songs of theirs from the last 15 years

Agreed all around. Get Edge a Wurlitzer.

The idea sounds terrible, but we haven't seen it in action yet, and as others have said, they've done similar requests like this in the past and they never saw the light of day.

 

[BWU2Buffs]

This baffles me. The numbers don't even make sense. Walk up to some random and mention WOWY, Beautiful Day, Vertigo—they'll at least know of them. Mention Ordinary Love and they'll probably just blink in confusion and have no idea what you're talking about. This is a song almost nobody outside the fandom remembers, except maybe if they saw some movie that's also been quickly forgotten.

Most popular song of the last ten years, by the way, isn't a crowded field. With Boots and The Miracle as its biggest rivals, no wonder it's ahead.

I'm going with the YouTube views are a function of the movie... I believe an Academy Award nominated movie as well.... and timing relative to YouTube user base growth.

Not really thrilled with the choice either, but it could become a good reason to refill the beer cup... and if there is doubt about Bono hitting high notes on some older JT songs, take a quick listen to the aforementioned YT video... the upper echelons of high notes are front and center on OL best I can tell.

 

[BVS]

If they play BAD or One I am cancelling my membership.

This is a first.

 

[BVS]

I'm going with the YouTube views are a function of the movie... I believe an Academy Award nominated movie as well.... and timing relative to YouTube user base growth.

If I remember correctly, wasn't it released first on YouTube as well. It was the first time U2 embraced the lyric video.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

This is a first.

Who wants to get gipped out of songs with more characters, like "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," or "I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"??? So many more characters.

 

[trevgreg]

As soon as I heard the opening notes of Elevation, my heart sank, it was like fuck what has happened to these guys, they are playing it safe. And following MW with Elevation, while crowd pleasing, is like the Stones following Bitch with Start Me Up - ones an all time classic with swagger and the other just an almost throwaway pop ditty. Night 2 in Paris, we got the Sweetest Thing which is just meh and another fucking safe choice. Just hoping against hope that we will get some pleasant surprises in the JT30 setlists

Elevation wasn't even played at half the I&E shows. I got it at 2 of my 3, but you see why they play it... it works live and it gets one of the biggest reactions (some might languish over the lack of hipster cred it gives to the few hundred people on message boards, but alas...). I'm not sure how Sweetest Thing is playing it "safe" either, considering they never play it live too often.

 

[TheFox]

Got my Twickenham tickets in today and if they insist on playing Ordinary Love they'll be getting sold!!

 

[rennowba]

I like Ordinary love, think it's a decent tune but the actual idea sounds terrible. Does anyone actually know the words off by heart to ordinary love

 

[TheFox]

I like Ordinary love, think it's a decent tune but the actual idea sounds terrible. Does anyone actually know the words off by heart to ordinary love

Yeah, I know the words! Lol.

 

[U2girl]

well i like the song (errrehmmmagodit'soterribleyouhasnotasteeeeshutup).

the idea, however, sounds pretty hokey.

my one concern with this tour is that they're so desperate to prove that this tour doesn't make them a "heritage act" (honestly who gives a turkey other than u2girl and redhill... and larry #notonboard) that they bombard the rest of the setlist with, like 99% songs from 2000 on and ignore everything else other than the warriest of war horses.

like when they played the rock hall of fame 25th and had to beat us over the head with vertigo, magnificent, beautiful day, stuck in a moment (although cool duet with jagger on that one) and the fucking black eyed peas. ohhhh look at us we're not dinosaurs. shut up, yes you are.

OL per se is okay but I can't see how they could do this without being lame.

Hall of fame 25th was a good show. They also did One, MW and I still haven't found what I'm looking for. Glad to see Jagger and Fergie on Gimme shelter (and personally I'd prefer another U2 song over that mess of a song that was Because the night), but he absolutely destroyed Stuck. His hyperactive kid OTT motions realllly didn't suit that song, nor did his usual "let's rock out" vox.

BTW...how is playing 00's u2 songs an issue when they're about to play a 30.year.old.album ?

 

[PRB216]

I'm a little surprised at the hate for Ordinary Love... In my opinion it's one of the better songs they've released in the last 15 years, it gained traction outside of the U2 fan-base with the movie, + Oscar's & Tonight Show performances and it's just one 4 minute song.. It's still The Joshua Tree tour.. They're not playing Ordinary Love 11x a night lol.

i+e tour averaged what- 23-24 songs a night? Even with the full JT setlist + Ordinary Love (which they may not even play), that leaves half the set-list wide open for all the overplayed warhorses classics.

 

[Hollow Island]

Yeah,just had this from u2.com


We can't fall any further if,
we can't feel ordinary love.
And we cannot reach any higher,
if we can't deal with ordinary love…'

Dear Christian,

The chorus to Ordinary Love and one of the songs that might - MIGHT - turn up in the new show.

In fact, the word from Show Director Willie Williams is that there’s an idea to feature you all singing the chorus of Ordinary Love on The Joshua Tree Tour 2017.

Singing it in ordinary situations: walking the dog, on the treadmill, at the supermarket, doing the ironing, baking a cake, driving the car, in the shower…

It’s early days and the idea might not make the cut…. but you could make the difference.

Can you see yourself on screen at the show ? In the chorus, backing the band as they play Ordinary Love?

If you can, please get it our way by MAY 1ST.

this is the worst idea that U2 have ever gone public with. everything about this is embarrassing. they can be so goddamn lame.

 

[Hewson]

. Does anyone actually know the words off by heart to ordinary love

If memory serves....


Something something something
Something something something
Something something something
Ordinary Love
Something something something
Something something something
Something something something
Ordinary Love
Something something something
Something something something
Something something something
Ordinary Love
Something something something
Something something something
Something something something
Ordinary Love
Something something something
Something something something
Something something something
Ordinary Love

or something like that

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I do, but I wrote them on my sleeve with a magic marker, so I'd be cheating.

 

[Hollow Island]

with a line like that how could they not do a lyric video

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I know, rite? What a disgrace. They should quit.

 

[BEAL]

Maybe one night they'll do all the songs with electric guitar

the second night will be acoustic

third night will be just the fans singing on a screen

 

[jaimearodriguez]

I like OL just fine - I am just more concerned about the band`s apparent strategy to cater to casual fans with middle of the road choices in the setlist. Its almost like the Live Nation marketing department is making set list decisions. I go back to the Paris shows I attended in 2015. As soon as I heard the opening notes of Elevation, my heart sank, it was like fuck what has happened to these guys, they are playing it safe. And following MW with Elevation, while crowd pleasing, is like the Stones following Bitch with Start Me Up - ones an all time classic with swagger and the other just an almost throwaway pop ditty. Night 2 in Paris, we got the Sweetest Thing which is just meh and another fucking safe choice. Just hoping against hope that we will get some pleasant surprises in the JT30 setlists

My wife is not a U2 fan at all, and yet, she very much appreciates Ordinary Love. So there must be something to it, no?

 

[Desert Dog]

Elevation wasn't even played at half the I&E shows. I got it at 2 of my 3, but you see why they play it... it works live and it gets one of the biggest reactions (some might languish over the lack of hipster cred it gives to the few hundred people on message boards, but alas...). I'm not sure how Sweetest Thing is playing it "safe" either, considering they never play it live too often.

The Sweetest Thing single back in 1998 was the beginning of the `safe` U2. There are much better songs they can play live. I am just not a fan

 

[zoopop]

The Sweetest Thing single back in 1998 was the beginning of the `safe` U2. There are much better songs they can play live. I am just not a fan

It was. I remember going from Pop era to the video of 'The Sweetest Thing' and thinking wtf just happened.


So is U2 in Vancouver??? Only 2 weeks to go.....