SPOILERS U2 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour Rehearsals/Soundcheck Thread SPOILERS

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The Calling is a great tune. :up: Killer live as well.



I don't think any band is immune to whatever criticism, really. I've also heard stories about people seeing Pearl Jam and disappointed they didn't hear Jeremy/Even Flow/etc. - since they got the "other setlist" night, or that their show dragged on and one with a bunch of tracks they didn't know. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. But it's safe to say that most people go to those shows or U2's or whoever's and enjoy themselves. Hence why their solid live draws in the first place.

In the end, we can cherry pick what songs went "right" and which ones went "wrong". But the fact is more people are going to enjoy and react to songs they know at just about any show.
Obviously there will be people who go to the show and are besides themselves that they didn't play Streets, Sunday Bloody Sunday and Free Bird, and who've never owned a single copy or Achtung Baby and don't know what this Acrobat is.

These people will be the minority.
 
Regulars From I&E That Are Back (12):

I Will Follow
Pride
Desire
Mysterious Ways
One
Until The End Of The World
Beautiful Day
Elevation
Vertigo
City of Blinding Lights
Song for Someone
Cedarwood Road


9 of those 12 were played every night (ignoring the couple nights early on where COBL was subbed out for Miracle Drug). One was a member of the closing number rotation slot. Elevation and Desire were part of the B-list rotation songs.

Pride and Desire could be the only 80s songs that are played every single night. There's no chance Pride isn't in there lightly as you can't even remotely imagine it being a rotating number. It's basically always a centerpiece. I think Desire is going to stay for the 30th anniversary of Rattle&Hum and the only chance they remove it is if they replace it with another number from that album. R&H being ignored entirely on the JT Tour will help Desire be a nightly staple. Plus, it's possible they'll open the shows with a "Dream It All Up Again" section with Desire and AB tracks.

New Songs (7):

13 (There Is A Light)
American Soul
The Blackout
Get Out Of Your Own Way
Lights of Home
The Showman
You're The Best Thing About Me

Songs That Have Been Rested For A Few (Or Many) Tours (4):

The Ocean
The Fly
Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
Staring At The Sun

I imagine The Ocean will be a linking piece similar to Zooropa on the I&E Tour. Possibly truncated.

True Rarities Being Rehearsed (2):

Acrobat
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses



If they're going to ignore Joshua Tree entirely, I wish they would just ignore the rest of the stuff before it. The fans will survive without the band's two most performed numbers (IWF and Pride) and mood-music-piece The Ocean. That's extra room that could be used for two very overlooked periods for this band (1993-1997) and (2009).
 
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Negative. In Seattle there were quite a few unnatural lows - OTH, RTSS, MOTD, Ultraviolet, MS, Little Things... to name a few. Even Exit was not this epic experience people are talking about - at least for me and the area on the floor I was standing in.



the folks I know who were there and who really loved the show, had not seen U2 for many years. i.e. the causuals.



At the MetLife Stadium I had a similar experience.....RHMT, OTH, Exit, TTYW and MOTD were all lows from the crowd in the stands (GA seemed a little more animated) with many actually sitting down. Miss Sarajevo was the ultimate low point and it sucked all the energy out of the place and Ultraviolet was a small shot in the arm but not much.

Ironically, it was the newer hits (Elevation, Vertigo, Beautiful Day) that saved the last half of the show.

But perhaps other sections of the stadium were feeling it more....didn’t seem like it though.
 
I completely disagree. I have taken my entire family (10 of us, parents/siblings/spouces) to every tour since Vertigo, sometimes to multiple shows each tour. They are fans but are much more casual than I am. I posed the question of whether or not they had ever heard the song Acrobat and 9/10 had never heard of it; ie, only me the 'big fan' knew the song (and this includes my spouse who has seen 10 shows). Additionally no one knew 'So Cruel' or 'Love is blindness'. I think it's safe to assume every album has deep cuts...



So before you get the sarcastic “oh, well 10 of your family members didn’t know them so it must be true” responses, I agree that there are many songs on Achtung that casual fans don’t really know or care much about and “So Cruel”, “Acrobat “ and “Love is Blindness” are three of them. That’s doesn’t mean they are bad songs, it just means that Achtung Baby isn’t “Thriller” and there are in fact....”deep cuts”.
 
Obviously there will be people who go to the show and are besides themselves that they didn't play Streets, Sunday Bloody Sunday and Free Bird, and who've never owned a single copy or Achtung Baby and don't know what this Acrobat is.

These people will be the minority.

I'll disagree again. The album is an older album and the music universe is pretty vast. I was an early converter to digital formats and prior to that I literally had over 1000 CDs & tapes, and the library has only grown since then. There is an awful lot of music out there. The people coming to forums such as this one are the 'big fans' and are sometimes a bit myopic and in their own music universe. (&, for the record, Achtung baby is my favorite album ever recorded.)

On a second note, why do we even care if other people are disappointed if they don't hear all the 'hits' or songs they want? I think thats a fairly normal emotional response to attending a concert: "Gee, I really hope they play X Y Z tonight" and being a bit bummed if a favorite song is left off the list. Overall, I think U2 does a pretty damn good job of trying to balance out all of the different concert go-ers needs. I can't even count the number of shows I've seen where a "deep track" is played and everyone is asking what the song is, peeing, getting a beer, sitting down to 'take a break', etc... And this most definitely includes U2 shows. Will they play all of my favorites? Nope. Will I be a bit bummed I didn't hear something I was hoping to? Yup. Will I have an amazing night at both Boston shows i'm attending in June? Hell yes.
 
So before you get the sarcastic “oh, well 10 of your family members didn’t know them so it must be true” responses, I agree that there are many songs on Achtung that casual fans don’t really know or care much about and “So Cruel”, “Acrobat “ and “Love is Blindness” are three of them. That’s doesn’t mean they are bad songs, it just means that Achtung Baby isn’t “Thriller” and there are in fact....”deep cuts”.

yup
 
So before you get the sarcastic “oh, well 10 of your family members didn’t know them so it must be true” responses, I agree that there are many songs on Achtung that casual fans don’t really know or care much about and “So Cruel”, “Acrobat “ and “Love is Blindness” are three of them. That’s doesn’t mean they are bad songs, it just means that Achtung Baby isn’t “Thriller” and there are in fact....”deep cuts”.

Lol, thanks. These shows have become an awesome adults-only tradition for my family over the past 13 years!

And, I couldn't agree more with the above comments. Music is subjective; personally I think the entire album is a masterpiece start to finish.
 
I'll disagree again. The album is an older album and the music universe is pretty vast. I was an early converter to digital formats and prior to that I literally had over 1000 CDs & tapes, and the library has only grown since then. There is an awful lot of music out there. The people coming to forums such as this one are the 'big fans' and are sometimes a bit myopic and in their own music universe. (&, for the record, Achtung baby is my favorite album ever recorded.)

.

So wait, are we now arguing that Achtung Baby wasn't a massively huge album now? Is that what's up?
 
Please re-read my entire post. I never 'argued' that. You are literally putting words in my mouth.
Again, not at all saying any of the above. Please stop putting words in my/our mouth(s).
I've reread your posts again, and if that's not what you're saying, then I have no idea what you're saying.

You're saying that people who go to U2 concerts won't know Acrobat because they owned a lot of CDs?
 
At the MetLife Stadium I had a similar experience.....RHMT, OTH, Exit, TTYW and MOTD were all lows from the crowd in the stands (GA seemed a little more animated) with many actually sitting down. Miss Sarajevo was the ultimate low point and it sucked all the energy out of the place and Ultraviolet was a small shot in the arm but not much.

Ironically, it was the newer hits (Elevation, Vertigo, Beautiful Day) that saved the last half of the show.

But perhaps other sections of the stadium were feeling it more....didn’t seem like it though.



I was there too. The show was completely front loaded. I went both nights and the groups I were with thought the concert sucked due to the flow and songs no one knew. Lot of people sitting mid show.
 
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I've reread your posts again, and if that's not what you're saying, then I have no idea what you're saying.

You're saying that people who go to U2 concerts won't know Acrobat because they owned a lot of CDs?

he's saying that Acrobat was not and is not well known, even though it is on a hugely successful record. that record was hugely successful due to a whole bunch of songs not named Acrobat.

this is not really that hard to understand.
 
So before you get the sarcastic “oh, well 10 of your family members didn’t know them so it must be true” responses, I agree that there are many songs on Achtung that casual fans don’t really know or care much about and “So Cruel”, “Acrobat “ and “Love is Blindness” are three of them. That’s doesn’t mean they are bad songs, it just means that Achtung Baby isn’t “Thriller” and there are in fact....”deep cuts”.



:: up ::
 
he's saying that Acrobat was not and is not well known, even though it is on a hugely successful record. that record was hugely successful due to a whole bunch of songs not named Acrobat.

this is not really that hard to understand.

And I'm saying he's wrong, and every song on that album is known by the majority of people who would actually pay $350 to go to a U2 concert.

Also not very hard to understand.
 
At the MetLife Stadium I had a similar experience.....RHMT, OTH, Exit, TTYW and MOTD were all lows from the crowd in the stands (GA seemed a little more animated) with many actually sitting down. Miss Sarajevo was the ultimate low point and it sucked all the energy out of the place and Ultraviolet was a small shot in the arm but not much.

Ironically, it was the newer hits (Elevation, Vertigo, Beautiful Day) that saved the last half of the show.

But perhaps other sections of the stadium were feeling it more....didn’t seem like it though.



This was my experience as well. You had the opening barrage of SBS NYD BAD PRIDE WTSHNN ISHFWILF WOWY BTBS, and the casuals were going crazy! My friend, a very casual fan, was having a great time for those first 8 songs. Then I could feel his interest, and that of the entire stadium, die down as side 2 continued. The fact that I was happy as hell to hear those songs live didn’t change the fact that most of the people were sitting down during those songs. “Exit” was presented in such a way that it was exciting to even those who didn’t know the song. Then the energy really picked back up for BD, Elevation and Vertigo, and the crowd happily tolerated TBT. THEN came Ultraviolet, and the crowd start leaving in droves. I’m not a big fan of JT UV vs 360 UV, the latter which I found awesome!
 
THEN came Ultraviolet, and the crowd start leaving in droves. I’m not a big fan of JT UV vs 360 UV, the latter which I found awesome!



I’m with you on this and I think it’s all of the beautiful and visually stunning atmospherics that complimented the song(in addition to it sounding great) vs a rather lifeless JT performance (my opinion of course)
 
So, what I'm saying is, I'd prefer Streets to be around, but I'm chill about whatever happens. And if I copped an 18 November 1989-esque show where Gloria took Streets' place, shit yeah I'll take Gloria, not every day you get that live.



I would LOVE to hear Gloria live and I was disappointed when I got Eclectic Co(or was it OOC) at MSG in 2015 vs Gloria. That song is a lot of energy and while I wouldn’t take it over Streets....I dream of a Gloria fade into Streets one day!!!! No idea how that would work but figure it out.
 
Acrobat will buzz long time fans and hopefully the guitar work and propelling beat will make it fun. I doubt they put it in to cause a "buzz", because outside of hardcores, who is buzzing off it, exactly? Who but hardcores is reading rehearsals?

It is funny how jaded the hardcore types get though. Yeah...many of us are sick of Pride. But it is a calling card song. As is Streets. The Stones play their top 4 or 5 songs every tour, right? Yeah...we want obscure shit, but no one else does. I think they have done a pretty good job of throwing a nugget or 3 to hardcores most tours, and side B of The Joshua Tree was just that, though the format compelled its play.


Acrobat will carry, I think, and to Headache's point, there will be a ripple of recognition for those U2 fans who are neither casual nor hardcore and owned the big albums. It isn't a totally obscure cut.

I am always amazed at absolutes about songs among fans, as well. For me, Red Hill Mining Town was THE highlight of the JT30 tour. This format. I listen to the Rose Bowl recording of it almost daily. It moved me to tears, and not much does that. But I would never declare it "the greatest single song performed live, ever, by U2" though I may feel that way. It moved me. When you go from certified hits as a band, you get more risk/reward. Sometimes in the same song. If you are a performer, unless the crowd simply will not tolerate such nonsense, those have to be the moments you feel alive. A good mix of both is the sign of a successful concert.

Acrobat has the chops to connect. Slower songs are harder to do so with. But I loved every second of RHMT live, and have yet to tire of it. I hope Acrobat can hit me that hard. But it is neither an obscurity nor instantly recognizable. It'll do fine, especially if it has a visual with it.
 
Where's Little Things That Give You Away in the rehearsals? And Red Flag Day?

That first version of what resembles a full set also seems to be missing encores imo.
 
Eh, there's a LOT more fans in the audience than you would think that are casual types that have either never listened to Achtung Baby in full or don't remember the more obscure songs like "Acrobat"...a lot of you do GA and all, but I've gone to plenty of seated shows for this band and a great deal of the people around me clearly aren't diehards or anything. U2 is a big draw for their hits and their universally acclaimed live shows. People will go pay and see them even if they don't know most of the catalog, etc.

So, would half an audience at an arena show NOT know "Acrobat"? I actually think that is VERY probable. The families that bring their kids. The U2 fan who brings his wife. The group that got tickets last minute because they wanted something to do, etc.

The vast majority of the diehards are plopped down in the GA at any given show. The vast majority of the people in the seats have barely listened to more than a handful of the band's albums from front-to-back.
 
What they rehearsed so far has got to be the worst representation of the album they are promoting. It’s really the worst of the new songs if that is all they end up playing.
 
Bono: We listened to all of you and you have DEMANDED that Pop be represented nightly in the setlist. We have heard you loud and clear. :applaud: :heart: :love:


*Band then proceeds to nightly bust out the same acoustic "Staring At The Sun" rendition that has basically been nearly all of Pop's live representation this century*

Bono: You're all happy now aren't you?

:crack:
 
Where's Little Things That Give You Away in the rehearsals? And Red Flag Day?

That first version of what resembles a full set also seems to be missing encores imo.

It's a 24-25 song set with a clear show-ending suite (One-LIBTAIIW-13), so i doubt the encore is missing. It is hard to see where the encore would occur structurally though. Ending a main set with SATS or TBT-SATS-Pride seems weird, and an encore of just the last three songs would be really short.

There's so much time till opening night that so much can change. Is this the earliest we've ever had insight into the rehearsal process / the earliest they've done something resembling a full run-through?
 
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