SOE promo tour/promo activities

[CosmoKramer]

U2 is getting a lot of love on NFL Gameday Morning today.

I would be willing to bet we are going to hear a shit ton of U2 today and Monday night. I think them going on that Friday morning show was part of a deal....."we will play your music on breaks and updates all weekend if you come on this show for an interview".

 

[Moser]

Oh well, you can't hit a home run on every performance. Maybe if they were playing on Letterman.....



Now that was a great mix.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Wonder if they will do a surprise show anywhere?

 

[TinKnight]

Guys....the American Soul performance was so bad, I finally understood why some people hate U2. The megaphone, refujesus, the like comparison to the statue of liberty at the end. Probably the worst thing I have seen from the band perhaps ever.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Oh well, you can't hit a home run on every performance. Maybe if they were playing on Letterman.....



Now that was a great mix.

I heard they were doing a small set in his living room Monday

 

[Alphorn]

Guys....the American Soul performance was so bad, I finally understood why some people hate U2. The megaphone, refujesus, the like comparison to the statue of liberty at the end. Probably the worst thing I have seen from the band perhaps ever.

I don't know if I'd go that far, but watching it on TV--complete with bad sound, a track of some type in the background that made the already bad sound even harder to hear, and the megaphone--yep they played into the U2 stereotype. However, lots of people on Twitter were saying, "so glad the political U2 is back." The other half being the haters, of course.

The megaphone worked brilliantly during the SOI tour, did not work on SNL. The megaphone highlighted that he sounded like he had laryngitis.

Listened this morning to both songs with good headphones and they both sounded good, but none of it came through when it counted.

I hope the gems on SOE will not be just for us, because there are so many of them.

 

[HansaTonImbiss]

Guys....the American Soul performance was so bad, I finally understood why some people hate U2. The megaphone, refujesus, the like comparison to the statue of liberty at the end. Probably the worst thing I have seen from the band perhaps ever.

I will raise you Bono wearing mascara at the Grammys and virtually anything in the immediate lead up to the Pop release. Their interviews from that era were infuriating, and embarrassing- I am a huge fan and I wanted to punch them.

 

[rennowba]

American soul on snl kicked ass! Watched it 3 times now and I thought it was a really good performance and the band especially Bono had a spring in his step.

A million miles from the Grammy performance in 2009 or any performance of get on your boots around that time

 

[FazeCraze]

Oh well, you can't hit a home run on every performance. Maybe if they were playing on Letterman.....







Now that was a great mix.

He should bring back this look.

 

[Moser]

The SNL performance doesn't even matter that much because none of these songs on the album will get adequate radio airplay. And that's not on U2, honestly. Rock n' roll on the radio is absolutely dead. It's either some contrived Imagine Dragons or 21 Pilots crap or nothing. U2 can't save the rock sector even with an album as brilliant as Songs of Experience. Hell, Beck's Morning Phase won Record of the Year a few years ago, and it was never played on the radio.

The main point of these promo tours are just a reminder to their casual fans that they are still here and that a new album is out and a new tour with tickets to sell. The second goal is to hopefully create some new fans, but with most younger people that's not going to happen. U2 is old and what their parents listened to, i.e. uncool.

Now does that excuse a lackluster performance, compounded by a horrible mix. No, it doesn't. But it doesn't matter all that much. Like someone said before, we've seen worse during U2's peak popularity.

EDIT: With all that said, the music industry is very much due a paradigm shift in musical tastes. Something on the scale of what Nirvana swept in the early 1990s. Some hot new band with a completely different sound that connects with the mainstream. I'm so tired of contemporary shit.

 

[CosmoKramer]

I will raise you Bono wearing mascara at the Grammys and virtually anything in the immediate lead up to the Pop release. Their interviews from that era were infuriating, and embarrassing- I am a huge fan and I wanted to punch them.

The Boots guy-liner performance was embarrassing because he wanted them to zoom in on it for some reason.

However, I will agree 100% that the most embarrassing U2 was during POP. From the weird interview on the roof top reading Miami as a poem (that was fucking cringeworthy) to the Kmart performance of Holy Joe and the ensuing interview. Nothing wrong with Holy Joe but performing it at a Kmart was so dumb. I get it, Pop was all about irony/tongue and cheek whatever but it was still soooo uncool. Even on PopMart the muscle suits and Adams hazmat gear...ugh.

That to me was the low point of uncool U2. Yes, his glasses and choice of wardrobe are pretty bad these days but they are nearing 60 vs nearing 40 and in the “prime” of their career.

 

[brooklynmike]

I watched the performance again, I really seems like Edge was miming. Just too relaxed and casual, and it sounds exactly like in the record. Reminds me of the old Miracle Drug video.

 

[RoKKeR]

I watched the performance again, I really seems like Edge was miming. Just too relaxed and casual, and it sounds exactly like in the record. Reminds me of the old Miracle Drug video.

Definitely not. He played a bum note right when the song started and the effects are different in the chorus in the live version than the album.

 

[U2freakboy]

Both performances were adequate, but as others have said, they played into the stereotype of what many hate about U2.

In some ways, it would have been refreshing, and played against the stereotype, for them to play a low key rendition of Summer of Love for instance.

 

[Peterrrrr]

Oh well, you can't hit a home run on every performance. Maybe if they were playing on Letterman.....



Now that was a great mix.

Yes. after all mixing and effect. Here is the IEM source...

 

[Y2K]

If they had led off with The Blackout, then played The Little Things That Give You Away, I think it would have been a classic appearance. Instead, I think this one is resigned to be forgotten....

 

[RoKKeR]

If they had led off with The Blackout, then played The Little Things That Give You Away, I think it would have been a classic appearance. Instead, I think this one is resigned to be forgotten....

Yep, exactly this. Arghhh, frustrating sometimes haha.

 

[purpleoscar]

They are usually learning songs in the beginning.

 

[kiwilad]

Yes. after all mixing and effect. Here is the IEM source...

Oh my god! How have I never seen this?!
Tears. So many tears! Brilliant!

 

[kiwilad]

If they had led off with The Blackout, then played The Little Things That Give You Away, I think it would have been a classic appearance. Instead, I think this one is resigned to be forgotten....

Yep. Or Lights of Home. Or Summer of Love. Or anything other than American Soul.
I quite like Get Out, though it seems to struggle live.

Perhaps, perhaps they're saving Summer of Love and Red Flag Day as summer singles in the US??
Or perhaps the US market loves American Soul type stuff and as a kiwi I just really am not supposed to get the appeal...

 

[one way out]

Ok I could barely stand the American Soul performance. It was so bad, my wife who has only seen U2 live twice because of me, compared to the 7 times I have seen them, called out Bono for using the megaphone again. If someone who has barely seen you perform is already calling that out, you know your routine is tired. Needless to say I didn't even finish watching the performance, just fast forwarded through it. Kendrick Lamar really? worst idea they ever came up with, and I went through the PopMart era, which in comparison to this wasn't that bad at all.

I didn't even bother to watch the 2nd performance. My wife was reading a book while I fast forwarded through SNL to the last sketch and realized we were at the end. She asked me where the 2nd performance was, I jokingly said U2 didn't want to do one. I didn't want to watch it plain and simple.

This is incredibly sad since I have been following this band longer than any other band I know.

 

[JUSTinPUSHPLAY]

Ok I could barely stand the American Soul performance. It was so bad, my wife who has only seen U2 live twice because of me, compared to the 7 times I have seen them, called out Bono for using the megaphone again. If someone who has barely seen you perform is already calling that out, you know your routine is tired. Needless to say I didn't even finish watching the performance, just fast forwarded through it. Kendrick Lamar really? worst idea they ever came up with, and I went through the PopMart era, which in comparison to this wasn't that bad at all.

I didn't even bother to watch the 2nd performance. My wife was reading a book while I fast forwarded through SNL to the last sketch and realized we were at the end. She asked me where the 2nd performance was, I jokingly said U2 didn't want to do one. I didn't want to watch it plain and simple.

This is incredibly sad since I have been following this band longer than any other band I know.

You’re unbearably pretentious

 

[dan_smee]

Ok I could barely stand the American Soul performance. It was so bad, my wife who has only seen U2 live twice because of me, compared to the 7 times I have seen them, called out Bono for using the megaphone again. If someone who has barely seen you perform is already calling that out, you know your routine is tired. Needless to say I didn't even finish watching the performance, just fast forwarded through it. Kendrick Lamar really? worst idea they ever came up with, and I went through the PopMart era, which in comparison to this wasn't that bad at all.



I didn't even bother to watch the 2nd performance. My wife was reading a book while I fast forwarded through SNL to the last sketch and realized we were at the end. She asked me where the 2nd performance was, I jokingly said U2 didn't want to do one. I didn't want to watch it plain and simple.



This is incredibly sad since I have been following this band longer than any other band I know.

Well, if your wife called it out, I guess he’d better stop... :eyeroll:

 

[one way out]

You’re unbearably pretentious

Oh I'd love to hear why

 

[Yahweh]

I agree that this performance missed in my estimation - take the megaphone out of Bono's hand it would have been more effective.

 

[one way out]

I agree that this performance missed in my estimation - take the megaphone out of Bono's hand it would have been more effective.

And changing the lyrics as well. 'You and I are rock and roll?"....you left that on the shelf for 3 years and thought it was a good idea to release that? and they say Little More Better on the Showman? there isn't a grammar teacher alive who wouldn't call you out on saying the phrase More Better. I mean come on, what is this?

 

[HansaTonImbiss]

And changing the lyrics as well. 'You and I are rock and roll?"....you left that on the shelf for 3 years and thought it was a good idea to release that? and they say Little More Better on the Showman? there isn't a grammar teacher alive who wouldn't call you out on saying the phrase More Better. I mean come on, what is this?

Whatever. If you're looking for proper grammar in rock songs you're doomed. Want proof? I can't get no satisfaction. You outta know. Those are two enormous hits. If it's a good song, people don't give a shit about grammar.

American Soul is not a good song and it sticks out like a sore thumb. Plus, it's the worst version of Bono at a time everyone's sick of it. Agree with above post- I was hoping for GOOYOW and Little Things. That would have been perfect.

 

[purpleoscar]

Here's a good megaphone song:

 

[one way out]

Whatever. If you're looking for proper grammar in rock songs you're doomed. Want proof? I can't get no satisfaction. You outta know. Those are two enormous hits. If it's a good song, people don't give a shit about grammar.

American Soul is not a good song and it sticks out like a sore thumb. Plus, it's the worst version of Bono at a time everyone's sick of it. Agree with above post- I was hoping for GOOYOW and Little Things. That would have been perfect.

Fair enough there. But I am trying to decide which song is worse. American Soul or Get On Your Boots?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Fair enough there. But I am trying to decide which song is worse. American Soul or Get On Your Boots?

American Soul, for one reason.

American Soul is actually a song, whereas Get On Your Boots is a steaming pile of dog shit.