Joshua tree set list speculation

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It occurs to me that if U2 wanted to be lazy, they could just slot the JT songs into the I&E setlist

In God's Country
Gloria/Electric Co/Out Of Control
Vertigo
I Will Follow
One Tree Hill
Red Hill Town
Sweetest Thing (hey, it's a JT b-side and it's also about Ali)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Exit
Until The End Of The World

Mothers Of The Disappeared
EBTTRT
Mysterious Ways
Desire (or any random acoustic song)
Trip Thru Your Wires
Running To Stand Still
Bullet The Blue Sky
Zooropa
Where The Streets Have No Name
Pride
With Or Without You

COBL
Beautiful Day
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
 
Mofo
In God's Country
Gone
Trip Through Your Wires
Exit
Until The End Of The World
New Year's Day
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Bad
Slow Dancing
Staring At The Sun
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still
Where The Streets Have No Name

Discothèque
Red Hill Mining Town
With Or Without You

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
Mysterious Ways
One Tree Hill
Mothers Of The Disappeared
 
Mofo
In God's Country
Gone
Trip Through Your Wires
Exit
Until The End Of The World
New Year's Day
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Bad
Slow Dancing
Staring At The Sun
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still
Where The Streets Have No Name

Discothèque
Red Hill Mining Town
With Or Without You

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
Mysterious Ways
One Tree Hill
Mothers Of The Disappeared

Please and thank you.
 
Bubblegum is a metaphor for perceived dependence on the mining industry.
 
So, transparency alert, no time to search, dig and hunt various threads... that said:

Do we have any new rumors (real, confirmed, imaginary, sauced or not sauced) on the set list and or songs that are getting rehearsed?

Last thing I saw was part of an image of a typed up list magnified 500 or more times.

PS Axver, I'm still the only reviewer here... it's a bad review but yeah, I contributed -- it's only partially relevant because they nearly played AB entirely.

U2 Tempe, 1992-04-10, Arizona State University Activity Center, ZOO TV Tour - U2 on tour
 
I think we're basically going to get 11 Joshua Tree songs followed by an encore made up of three or four from Achtung Baby. That will only leave room for an early mini-set of older stuff and where they might insert songs like Vertigo and Beautiful Day if they don't end up in the encore. I'm expecting them early, if at all, in order to get the crowd going.

I'm really expecting little in the way of rarities and that's fine provided that they actually do the legwork and make the last six songs of Joshua Tree really kick ass. And NO friggin' acoustic cop-out versions.
 
Is it that different from playing Sweetest Thing or acoustic Desire?
 
Is it that different from playing Sweetest Thing or acoustic Desire?

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking. It actually seems like the sort of song that they could have fun and absolutely nail like they did with a lot of the B-stage stuff on the last tour. Exit kind of sells itself due to the mood, Mothers of the Disappeared just needs passion from Bono.

One Tree Hill is a more difficult number because it is mid-tempo while In God's Country hasn't really been done correctly since the 80s, I believe. Then there's obviously Red Hill Mining Town. Those are going to be tough.

Obviously, they can play the first five songs on the album in their sleep, but that doesn't mean they'll be great. I'd say....

Streets - Last was excellent on the Vertigo tour despite the backlash surrounding Bono heavily associating it with Africa and thus depriving fans of their own meaning to the track. Strong enough on 360, but just dreadful on SOI&E.

Still Haven't Found - This one entirely just comes down to how you feel about the song. I thought it worked just fine on Vertigo and the last tour. You either dig it or you don't.

With or Without You - Plenty of ups and downs over the years revolving around this one. Bono doesn't have the chops anymore for it, vocally, but he is bringing plenty of passion, so this could go either way.

Bullet the Blue Sky - Pretty much everyone agrees that this was totally rejuvenated and sounded better than on the Vertigo Tour.

Running To Stand Still - They love it and even rehearsed it for the last tour. Worked well enough on Vertigo. If we get a version as good as that, we should be glad enough.


They really should be trying to nail these numbers as these are the five "best" songs from the LP according to the general public. To drop the ball on say, "Streets" when it's kind of the entire point of the tour would be sorely depressing.
 
Is it that different from playing Sweetest Thing or acoustic Desire?

Yeah a bit because they haven't been left untouched for 30 years so it's easier to still associate those songs with them (in a concert setting at least) whereas with Trip its a distant memory as if another band wrote them.
All i meant was i can only picture those late 20s semi hobos playing it. :lol: will be fun to see them dust it off.
 
With or Without You - Plenty of ups and downs over the years revolving around this one. Bono doesn't have the chops anymore for it, vocally, but he is bringing plenty of passion, so this could go either way.

- They should play it like in '93 zoomerang tour
 
Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking. It actually seems like the sort of song that they could have fun and absolutely nail like they did with a lot of the B-stage stuff on the last tour. Exit kind of sells itself due to the mood, Mothers of the Disappeared just needs passion from Bono.

One Tree Hill is a more difficult number because it is mid-tempo while In God's Country hasn't really been done correctly since the 80s, I believe. Then there's obviously Red Hill Mining Town. Those are going to be tough.

Obviously, they can play the first five songs on the album in their sleep, but that doesn't mean they'll be great. I'd say....

Streets - Last was excellent on the Vertigo tour despite the backlash surrounding Bono heavily associating it with Africa and thus depriving fans of their own meaning to the track. Strong enough on 360, but just dreadful on SOI&E.

Still Haven't Found - This one entirely just comes down to how you feel about the song. I thought it worked just fine on Vertigo and the last tour. You either dig it or you don't.

With or Without You - Plenty of ups and downs over the years revolving around this one. Bono doesn't have the chops anymore for it, vocally, but he is bringing plenty of passion, so this could go either way.

Bullet the Blue Sky - Pretty much everyone agrees that this was totally rejuvenated and sounded better than on the Vertigo Tour.

Running To Stand Still - They love it and even rehearsed it for the last tour. Worked well enough on Vertigo. If we get a version as good as that, we should be glad enough.


They really should be trying to nail these numbers as these are the five "best" songs from the LP according to the general public. To drop the ball on say, "Streets" when it's kind of the entire point of the tour would be sorely depressing.

You make some good points. IGC and Red Hill will be the proving ground I think (in terms of songs that have rarely or never been played). IGC got a couple acoustic "I forgot the lyrics" renditions but it will be inspiring if they can pull off an energetic and strong full band rendition. Red Hill will also be of particular importance - especially if he didn't sing the chorus for the new mix.

As far as the warhorses go, all save WOWY have had a number of decent live performances since the Zoo days....so it will be interesting to see how that's handled. I think the only chance is if Bono goes back and listens to the original studio vocal. He performed it like that (or as close as could be hoped) once which was aired on a radio broadcast to commemorate a DJ or on-air personality who passed...several years back. I wish I could find that version.

On that note, that's one thing that might be awkward on this tour....to hear the JT warhorses sung like he has for years now...combined with songs we haven't heard in a while. It's going to be hard to make them sound fresh and I think the only way is with a vocal that hearkens back to the JT days combined with the band playing them with the skill they have today (without sounding lethargic).
 
Yeah a bit because they haven't been left untouched for 30 years so it's easier to still associate those songs with them (in a concert setting at least) whereas with Trip its a distant memory as if another band wrote them.
All i meant was i can only picture those late 20s semi hobos playing it. :lol: will be fun to see them dust it off.

I see your point. However, it's not really all that different from An Cat Dubh coming back on Vertigo. Or Electric Co, Two Hearts, Scarlet and 11 O' Clock Tick Tock on recent tours. Or Ultraviolet and TUF for that matter.

There are a lot of U2 songs that seem stuck in whatever era they were released in that get revived and the results are almost always great. In fact, even if they're played a little different, they don't stick out like sore thumbs or seem awkward. I distinctly remember seeing An Cat Dubh, The Ocean and Electric Co at my first U2 show in 2005 and being absolutely floored when I learned afterwards that all of them were released in 1980.

As for Trip through your wires, I've been one of the very few here advocating for its return for a long time. I think it's a highly underrated track that they will destroy live. I am as excited for trip as I am for anything else this tour.

Bono and everyone else will do absolutely fine with this and every song.

JT has some challenging songs to perform for sure- all U2 albums do. However, they've risen to the occasion on recent tours with plenty of other material. No reason to think any different this time.

The I&E tour performances of pretty much everything were outstanding. I think all the warhorses sounded the best since Zoo Tv (some since the 80s) and the 1980-1983 songs sounded the best they have since their debut tours.
 
I see your point. However, it's not really all that different from An Cat Dubh coming back on Vertigo. Or Electric Co, Two Hearts, Scarlet and 11 O' Clock Tick Tock on recent tours. Or Ultraviolet and TUF for that matter.

Precisely! Each and every time it's a very welcome surprise :)

I distinctly remember seeing An Cat Dubh, The Ocean and Electric Co at my first U2 show in 2005 and being absolutely floored when I learned afterwards that all of them were released in 1980.

haha that's very cool! i've had that when seeing other bands, just wish I wasn't such an obsessive with U2 when I was a lot younger and knew every song before I first saw them in 2005, robs you of nice little surprises like that.
 
I'm still floored people actually think Bono's not going to sing these songs.

We've got a pic of Adam's bass pedals that haven't been played in what 20 yrs and look to be making a comeback.

We've got a pic of some of Edge's classic pedals getting hauled out of the bin.

We've got a teaser of RHMT in which Bono sounds really strong (and no credence really to the notion that they comp'd in old vocals for the chorus)

I think they are coming out to kick ass.
 
I see your point. However, it's not really all that different from An Cat Dubh coming back on Vertigo. Or Electric Co, Two Hearts, Scarlet and 11 O' Clock Tick Tock on recent tours. Or Ultraviolet and TUF for that matter.

There are a lot of U2 songs that seem stuck in whatever era they were released in that get revived and the results are almost always great. In fact, even if they're played a little different, they don't stick out like sore thumbs or seem awkward. I distinctly remember seeing An Cat Dubh, The Ocean and Electric Co at my first U2 show in 2005 and being absolutely floored when I learned afterwards that all of them were released in 1980.

That sounds like an awesome experience! I thought it was the coolest thing when they busted out 11 O' Clock Tick Tock at Irving Plaza.
 
same, I went nuts in my bedroom.

Electric Co on the Vertigo tour was incredible. I can't think of many U2 songs that weren't great live, and I don't see why there should be any concerns about them playing JT songs that have been ignored for 30 years. It's going to be a good tour! I wish I could see it.
 
The more I think about it, the more I think U2 should open with Streets and play the album in full first and then have a rotation of songs after. Something ala:

1-11 - Full Joshua Tree in order

12. Zoo Station
13. The Fly
14. Desire
15. Sunday Bloody Sunday
16. New Years Day
17. Pride
18. Beautiful Day

19. COBL
20. Vertigo
21. Mysterious Ways
22. One

23. New Song
24. Bad
25. 40
 
The more I think about it, the more I think U2 should open with Streets and play the album in full first and then have a rotation of songs after. Something ala:

1-11 - Full Joshua Tree in order

12. Zoo Station
13. The Fly
14. Desire
15. Sunday Bloody Sunday
16. New Years Day
17. Pride
18. Beautiful Day

19. COBL
20. Vertigo
21. Mysterious Ways
22. One

23. New Song
24. Bad
25. 40

That sir, is the best set list i've seen yet, If they play Zoo Station i'll go crazy! Good to see quite a few people mention Zoo Station, i'm hopeful that one might pop up in a few Encores here and there.

Also, with this tour being a nostalgia / looking back tour, it gives the band a new sense of freedom in terms of set list, it gives them options now for the first time in a long while. they could potentially rotate and change up the set a lot during this tour, something which haven't really ever done to a great extent
 
Zoo Station immediately followed by The Fly is too chunky, lose Zoo Station.
 
Low expectations here (as usual).



I hope they include all the verses. The shortened version on R&H does my head in. Why would they do that? It is like this on the audio from that show so I don't think it was cut just in the movie.



No its not. The actual show audio has the full song. There are audience recordings out there that prove this.

It's an edit on R&H. There are supposed "soundboards" floating around that are nothing but glorified rips off the DVD. Maybe that's what youre listening to.
 
The more I think about it, the more it seems that they would need to open with the JT stuff, even if they don't necessarily play it in order. There's going to be a lot of casual-types filling up the stadiums and I just don't know how comfortable the Dublin boys are going to feel if Streets is like Song #11 in their setlist which means by the time they get to Song #19-21 they'll be performing One Tree Hill, Exit and Mothers of the Disappeared - not exactly the best attention-getters when you're two hours in and your stadium has 30,000 people that are just as interested in buying hot dogs and expensive beer.

Might make more sense to get that B-side of JT out of the way while the audience is nice and attentive just as they tossed in a lot of those forgettable Songs of Innocence tunes early during the last tour and then really wowed the audience with a bunch of hits and classics at the end. The way that both the band and a lot of fans have proposed so far, the setlists would be a reverse of SOI&E's shows where the classics would come out early and then the album being toured would appear at the end. Granted, this isn't without merit. Based on past history for these sort of concerts, practically everybody expects a band to do the album in Set #2 as otherwise you're opening with a very predictable setlist, but how many other bands touring a classic LP are going to be playing to 70,000 people?
 
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