All complaints about the setlist HERE

[Blue Room]

I think now that they've teased us with this Discotheque snippet they need to eventually play the full song at least a few times before the tour ends next year!

Would be cool, but Edge needs to have a change of heart about it. He is the one the nixed playing it any more on Vertigo because he was not enjoying it and did not think it worked any longer. I disagree obviously. New tour, maybe a change of heart. But I think it would have been heard in rehearsal or soundcheck at this point if it was on their radar for the near future.

 

[YBORCITY]

Would be cool, but Edge needs to have a change of heart about it. He is the one the nixed playing it any more on Vertigo because he was not enjoying it and did not think it worked any longer. I disagree obviously. New tour, maybe a change of heart. But I think it would have been heard in rehearsal or soundcheck at this point if it was on their radar for the near future.

You never know though wasn't it Edge who said they would never play UV again? I forget the actual quote.

 

[Blue Room]

You never know though wasn't it Edge who said they would never play UV again? I forget the actual quote.

I think it was Bono saying Edge would have to do heavy meditation to play it again, like it would be difficult. A fan asked Bono about it during the Elevation tour and that was his response. Obviously wasn't even on their radar at the time so that was probably Bono's BS response about it.

But Bono has made proclamations that Sunday Bloody Sunday and Gloria would never be performed again. So I guess take anything Bono says about this type of thing with a grain of salt!

 

[YBORCITY]

I think it was Bono saying Edge would have to do heavy meditation to play it again, like it would be difficult. A fan asked Bono about it during the Elevation tour and that was his response. Obviously wasn't even on their radar at the time so that was probably Bono's BS response about it.

But Bono has made proclamations that Sunday Bloody Sunday and Gloria would never be performed again. So I guess take anything Bono says about this type of thing with a grain of salt!

I thought the heavy meditation quote came from Bono about Edge playing Acrobat but you could be right. I'll have to check my books when I get home and see if I can find it. Also didn't they practice UV during Vertigo rehearsals? In fact I remember them practicing EBTTRT, do I have that correct?

 

[Blue Room]

I thought the heavy meditation quote came from Bono about Edge playing Acrobat but you could be right. I'll have to check my books when I get home and see if I can find it. Also didn't they practice UV during Vertigo rehearsals? In fact I remember them practicing EBTTRT, do I have that correct?

you could be right, it may have been Acrobat. I guess I don't remember any mention about Ultraviolet then.

I think Edge just messed the with chords for Ultraviolet during the Vertigo rehearsals, I do not think the band as a whole tried to play it though. EBTTRT was supposedly practiced in Mexico on the Vertigo rehearsals, but was never done again after that.

 

[Swan269]

you could be right, it may have been Acrobat. I guess I don't remember any mention about Ultraviolet then.

I think Edge just messed the with chords for Ultraviolet during the Vertigo rehearsals, I do not think the band as a whole tried to play it though. EBTTRT was supposedly practiced in Mexico on the Vertigo rehearsals, but was never done again after that.

from what I remember, someone had a sign at a show that said "PLAY UV" and bono said to them "good song, we would if we could remember how to play it"

When i look at the world is a song that edge forgot how to make the effect for that song so maybe that's the one that would need meditation?

 

[Blue Room]

from what I remember, someone had a sign at a show that said "PLAY UV" and bono said to them "good song, we would if we could remember how to play it"

When i look at the world is a song that edge forgot how to make the effect for that song so maybe that's the one that would need meditation?

Thinking about it YBORCITYOBL is right, the meditation thing was in reference to Acrobat.

Regarding Edge forgetting how to play riffs, that happens a lot. They thought about tryring A Celebration in 1987 but he couldn't remember how to play the riff.

 

[U2387]

Between Bono, Larry, Adam, Edge, Eno, Lanois, Lillywhite, Dallas, Stuart and the rest of the tech crew, they could some way or another come up with how to play(or damn close to it) any song in the catalogue. No matter how much anyone forgot.

That is a cop out excuse.

Edge and Dallas could listen to WILATW and figure out what that effect was.

 

[Swan269]

Between Bono, Larry, Adam, Edge, Eno, Lanois, Lillywhite, Dallas, Stuart and the rest of the tech crew, they could some way or another come up with how to play(or damn close to it) any song in the catalogue. No matter how much anyone forgot.

That is a cop out excuse.

Edge and Dallas could listen to WILATW and figure out what that effect was.

i agree thats a cop out, that is just what they have said/written.

 

[digitize]

And it's not like Edge seems to be having any problems playing Ultraviolet now.

 

[BVS]

Between Bono, Larry, Adam, Edge, Eno, Lanois, Lillywhite, Dallas, Stuart and the rest of the tech crew, they could some way or another come up with how to play(or damn close to it) any song in the catalogue. No matter how much anyone forgot.

That is a cop out excuse.

Edge and Dallas could listen to WILATW and figure out what that effect was.

This is fairly common... and it's true, they could relearn it again or try and discover the tone again but often if a musician sits down to try and relearn a song they wrote, they become bored. And do we really want them to play something that bores them? We already have WOWY.

I know REM has said something very similar, they thought it would be a great idea to pull out some older songs for the Monster tour, ones that fans were asking for all the time, but when they actually sat down to try and learn them again they quickly got bored and they didn't seem to be such great ideas anymore.

 

[The_acrobat]

On this current tour, Edge has changed/added some parts to Ultraviolet, and IMO it makes it a better song. I'm sure that even if he couldn't play WILATW exactly like it was on the album, he could come up with something equally good if not better!

 

[catlhere]

I like the old UV bridge much better than the current one. Wonder why Edge didn't want to play it like that. This one is kinda dull for me, but I guess it allows Bono to stand out more.

 

[corianderstem]

I know REM has said something very similar, they thought it would be a great idea to pull out some older songs for the Monster tour, ones that fans were asking for all the time, but when they actually sat down to try and learn them again they quickly got bored and they didn't seem to be such great ideas anymore.

And then later they turned around and recorded a two-disc version of live tracks, most of which were total oldies. Granted, it was a small handful of shows that were meant as "rehearsals" for their tour (if I recall correctly), but they've definitely started reaching back into their catalogue in the few tours they've done since Monster.

So maybe one of these years U2 will be ready to do the same. I certainly don't want them to do anything that's boring to them - if they're honestly not bored playing WOWY or whatever, great.

But maybe they'll realize one day that they really want to play {insert your favorite moldy oldy deep track here}.

 

[Aygo]

I like the old UV bridge much better than the current one. Wonder why Edge didn't want to play it like that. This one is kinda dull for me, but I guess it allows Bono to stand out more.

"Ultraviolet" in studio has loads of guitar layers, but we distinguish two main guitar melodies. On Zoo TV Edge played one of them, now on 360º he played the other. I think that both work really well (= no complaints here).

 

[mirrorballman]

Also, Crumbs is another song they "forgot" how to play.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Also, Crumbs is another song they "forgot" how to play.

Luckily.....Crumbs is as "so so" as Walk On. 1 song like that is enough.

 

[mama cass]

Also, Crumbs is another song they "forgot" how to play.

and thank god for that!

 

[Blue Room]

Also, Crumbs is another song they "forgot" how to play.

They certainly rehearsed it a bunch. They just never quite got it to work to its full potential live. The last version of it the played wasn't bad. I just thought the song had so much potential live and it never quite got there. I did not understand the pre recorded Bono backing vocal they used for the main chorus. Was not needed and Edge could have done it. Sometimes you wonder what the theory is or what they are thinking because it doesnt make sense on the surface. They struggled with Original Of The Species also. It worked ok, I think it was its best during the Euro leg of Vertigo with the extra guitar.

 

[YBORCITY]

"Ultraviolet" in studio has loads of guitar layers, but we distinguish two main guitar melodies. On Zoo TV Edge played one of them, now on 360º he played the other. I think that both work really well (= no complaints here).

UV is one of if not my favorite U2 song so over the years I've compiled quite a list of bootlegs over the years and I must say that the 360 version blows away either ZooTv and studio versions. What I like so much about it is both Bono's almost pleading, hurtful tones in his voice and Edge has worked out his part so great. In the ZooTv versions he would play a differing layer of the song so to my ears it sounded a bit lacking. But if you listen to the latest version he plays the dominant guitar part and it sounds so much beefier.

 

[MikeyJB]

Yeah but Larry's drumming is no where near as powerful as when they played it on Zoo TV.

 

[U2girl]

WILATW, Edge can't remember the guitar effect for the song. It is possible for a guitar player to do that, over 30 years of career. It's about as much a cop out as the repeat-to-infinity chant of "this (insert name of the tour) is a greatest hits tour" being true.

UV isn't really an argument as he isn't playing the album version or the Zoo TV version.

 

[nirniva]

IALW + Astronaut = Meh.
IALW + Spaceman = AWESOME.

YouTube - U2 In A Little While (with Brandon Flowers)

 

[U2387]

This is fairly common... and it's true, they could relearn it again or try and discover the tone again but often if a musician sits down to try and relearn a song they wrote, they become bored. And do we really want them to play something that bores them? We already have WOWY.

I know REM has said something very similar, they thought it would be a great idea to pull out some older songs for the Monster tour, ones that fans were asking for all the time, but when they actually sat down to try and learn them again they quickly got bored and they didn't seem to be such great ideas anymore.

I agree.

I don't want them playing anything that bores them.

At this point, WOWY clearly does because they are going through the motions with it, have for quite some time. Just look at the version Bono pulled out of nowhere for the Gerry Ryan tribute!

I will say that Bono sounds a bit better on WOWY in the last few shows, though still no "shine like stars" and still no Edge extended solos.

I just don't make the leap to them re learning WILATW or Trip Through Your Wires being boring. Who knows what they really think? They could find it boring, but then again, they could find it more interesting than playing Walk On or Elevation for the 10 gazillionth time.

 

[Blue Room]

I agree.

I just don't make the leap to them re learning WILATW or Trip Through Your Wires being boring. Who knows what they really think? They could find it boring, but then again, they could find it more interesting than playing Walk On or Elevation for the 10 gazillionth time.

That really is the million dollar question. What are they thinking? From what we have read and seen over the years I think its combination of two things.

1. What they enjoy playing. (typically new songs at first or something that applies to some theme Bono loves)
2. What gets the crowd going (which makes them enjoy playing it)

I can understand both points and I can understand why some warhorses are consistantly played as a result of #2. The problem with this tour for me is that the opening is off, they could get the crowd going so much better and they are not. I also think as I mentioned before the setlist is not as cohesive as it should be, like it has been on prior tours. Warhorses are OK if they fit the setlist and flow. A lot of them don't right now for me. Beautiful Day being the glaring example obviously. I know they have to play it, but don't open with it.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

But they open with Stingray!!!!!!! And I think it's a better opener than Breathe, Elevation, Vertigo or COBL!

 

[Tim Wallach]

Just to digress a tiny bit, you know what song is big time under-rated and would be tremendous to hear live: Zooropa.

Just my 2 cents. But what a magnificent song if done right. I'm sure the band feels it's too effects-laden and too dated to that era. But I could die happy if I ever heard that.

 

[Blue Room]

But they open with Stingray!!!!!!! And I think it's a better opener than Breathe, Elevation, Vertigo or COBL!

A two minute primarily instrumental is not the opening song to me. Its an intro to the first song. My viewpoint is that it does not work transitioning into Beautiful Day which IS the first full regular song they play.

Even if I had your viewpoint that it is the opening song I would disagree thats it works better than Elevation, Vertigo or COBL did for their tours. I would agree slightly on Breathe, although its not a huge improvement over Breathe, it may be slightly.

 

[jphelmet]

breathe >> stingray / BD.

the current opening is far and away their worst.

at least breathe had some build up with them coming out one by one, and when it kicks in its much more rocking song than BD.

 

[U2girl]

Soon + Breathe worked.

Stingray + BD, not so much.

Stingray+NLOTH would be sweet IMO.