SPOILERS U2 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour Rehearsals/Soundcheck Thread SPOILERS

[superchuk5]

u2songs | SPOILERS: U2eiTOUR Rehearsal Day Eight Report: April 16, 2018 |

If they’re toying with bringing this much of the Innocence narrative section back, can we get Iris too?

Not a fan of the I+e version of SBS. Lacks the intensity of the regular version. On the positive, I think RBW is their best overtly political song since Bullet. The specificity puts it up there IMO.

 

[Axver]

Cue panic that they've got cold feet about WGRYWH/Acrobat and are going back to RBW/SBS.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

u2songs | SPOILERS: U2eiTOUR Rehearsal Day Eight Report: April 16, 2018 |

If they’re toying with bringing this much of the Innocence narrative section back, can we get Iris too?

Not a fan of the I+e version of SBS. Lacks the intensity of the regular version. On the positive, I think RBW is their best overtly political song since Bullet. The specificity puts it up there IMO.

Well now I'm at a loss.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Cue panic that they've got cold feet about WGRYWH/Acrobat and are going back to RBW/SBS.

It's clearly because nobody knows Acrobat.

 

[The_acrobat]

Well, I was wrong about how SOI would be represented on this tour. I figured at beST we’d get EBW and nothing else.

 

[prbiker15]

u2songs | SPOILERS: U2eiTOUR Rehearsal Day Eight Report: April 16, 2018 |

Well that’s a bit strange. Really would love to be a fly on the wall during their rehearsals and meetings.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Well that’s a bit strange. Really would love to be a fly on the wall during their rehearsals and meetings.

I'd love to see The Fly on the screen.

I mean come on... it's made for it.

 

[Axver]

It's clearly because nobody knows Acrobat.

Not even Edge. Hasn't spent a full month meditating in a tree to learn it.

 

[RoKKeR]

Ehhhhhh the prospect of hearing that wet fart version of SBS is not particularly exciting to me. Not sure I want this much SOI/rehash material. We’ll see...

 

[superchuk5]

Not even Edge. Hasn't spent a full month meditating in a tree to learn it.

Sidebar: reminds me of the best story in U2 by U2: they never played When I Look At the World because Edge literally has no idea how he played it on the album.

Despite my love for RBW, if it’s between this and Horses-Acrobat (quick note that we don’t have evidence yet that it is), I’d take the latter because duh

 

[dan_smee]

Lol at the idea RBW and SBS will replace horses and acrobat.

Longer sets. They rehearsed a 24 song set with obvious gaps. They are just working on sections, and working out how to plug them in.

 

[brooklynmike]

I loved SOI and the i&e tour, but I was hoping to keep SOI songs to two, tops. No less do several re-enactments. Unless it’s the rarity/unplayed songs.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Geez....perhaps they'll just mix up the opening quartet and then "take you back to Ireland" and basically reprise the six songs that ended the opening set on I&E. RBW, SBS, UTEOTW, SFS, CW.....they'll lose Iris for something else.

 

[superchuk5]

Lol at the idea RBW and SBS will replace horses and acrobat.

Longer sets. They rehearsed a 24 song set with obvious gaps. They are just working on sections, and working out how to plug them in.

People are getting concerned because they practiced the Until the End of the World intro after Raised By Wolves one time.

And what were the obvious gaps? For me, the only odd parts of the full set were the seemingly random song order from Elevation through SATS, the lack of an obvious encore break (a "where does it go" issue as opposed to a "encore is missing" issue), and no Streets.

 

[Axver]

I loved SOI and the i&e tour, but I was hoping to keep SOI songs to two, tops. No less do several re-enactments. Unless it’s the rarity/unplayed songs.

Yep. My view is that they should keep Cedarwood Road, especially as it works well with the staging setup, and EBW as the most successful song, and then have another go at The Troubles.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Experience: Achtung Baby selections mixed in with new songs

(Break)

Innocence: Similar to the six song set that ended this portion on I&E.


That would probably run to 14-16 songs depending on if they go with 8-10 for the Experience portion (and I'd bet 10).

Then they would likely do some B-stage stuff. 2-3 songs. That would get you up to 18 or 19.

Back to the main stage for the "finale" for three songs. 21 or 22 total.

Encore of three songs. 24 or 25 total.



Basically, they're doing longer sets because they're trying to do both of the Experience and Innocence stories. It's possible that the Innocence program will be re-worked a bit. They could do 10 songs, 10 songs (break) and Encore. It would just be kind of weird to not have a B-stage program, hence why I think the new Innocence will be truncated.

I'd say Vertigo/Elevation/Staring At The Sun and some of the other choices are for the B-stage set. That will run into the "ending" with American Soul/City of Blinding Lights with Pride either closing or opening that trifecta (seems it would fit better as an opener).

Encore options would include One, and um, other stuff.

Still thinking Desire is going to be a firm part of Experience. It happens and then they dream it all up again with Achtung Baby stuff mixed in with SOE songs to tell that part of their story. Desire would make for a good #2 after a new song opens, then a double-punch from AB to "dream it all up again"....then the big visual tricks begin and the story is told similar to Innocence on the last tour. Acrobat could close that section, fittingly.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Now, I don't know who in their right mind actually wants to hear 10 or 11 songs from the last two albums. But that really does seem like the plan here.

Quite the opposite of 360 where in just a single tour they had shrunk down to three album cuts plus a remix.

 

[dan_smee]

People are getting concerned because they practiced the Until the End of the World intro after Raised By Wolves one time.

And what were the obvious gaps? For me, the only odd parts of the full set were the seemingly random song order from Elevation through SATS, the lack of an obvious encore break (a "where does it go" issue as opposed to a "encore is missing" issue), and no Streets.

They will try lots of things around this stage. Acrobat will be there, regardless of setlist placement.

Also, yep - the three things you mentioned are examples of those gaps. Add to that a number of expected songs (SOL, RFD, Little Things) not being rehearsed yet, and the fact that this is a medium length I+e show and they have noted loner sets - I just can’t see the 24 rehearsed being everything.

 

[dan_smee]

To elaborate a bit - encore positioning - after One seems appropriate, and that would mean, to me, that they need a song or two or three before Love is Bigger.

 

[superchuk5]

They will try lots of things around this stage. Acrobat will be there, regardless of setlist placement.

Also, yep - the three things you mentioned are examples of those gaps. Add to that a number of expected songs (SOL, RFD, Little Things) not being rehearsed yet, and the fact that this is a medium length I+e show and they have noted loner sets - I just can’t see the 24 rehearsed being everything.

I think the length may be the best argument for missing songs; 24 songs is an above average length for a U2 show and wouldn't be considered "long." I think you can call a show "long" once you hit 25-26. I suspect additional songs will all be old songs since they are have already slotted 8-9 SOE songs. I don't think they'd add any more to this framework without dropping one they've already rehearsed.

 

[Axver]

To elaborate a bit - encore positioning - after One seems appropriate, and that would mean, to me, that they need a song or two or three before Love is Bigger.

Make the encore Streets/Love Is Bigger/13.

I'd prefer 40, but it's the EI Tour so I'm being realistic.

An extra song or two would be even nicer.

 

[U2387]

The argument of "nobody knows Acrobat so it won't go down well" doesn't hold water for the same reasons Ax and headache mention. Just because people will go insane for SBS or Streets or insert your favorite hit here does not mean that Acrobat or Exit or Ultraviolet will take all the energy away.

On the other hand, completely independent of the first falsely reasoned argument, you can't deny that casual fans coming to these shows are going to be less than ok (to varying degrees of course) with paying $350 and not hearing ANY of the following: SBS , NYD, Bad, Streets,WOWY, Still Haven't Found and Mysterious Ways. That's just ludicrous. Even the 2nd tier 80s hits are better known by casual fans than equivalent 90s songs. Gloria, Two Hearts, All I Want is You.

I don't know what the answer is, but surely U2 have to recognize they can't leave ALL of these songs out and not get casual fans upset or get banged in any reviews. I'd have to think more how to structure it while being realistic with show running times, but if you can't see why leaving all of this out for $350 is not a problem, then neither i nor anyone else can explain it to you.

 

[Axver]

The argument of "nobody knows Acrobat so it won't go down well" doesn't hold water for the same reasons Ax and headache mention. Just because people will go insane for SBS or Streets or insert your favorite hit here does not mean that Acrobat or Exit or Ultraviolet will take all the energy away.

On the other hand, completely independent of the first falsely reasoned argument, you can't deny that casual fans coming to these shows are going to be less than ok (to varying degrees of course) with paying $350 and not hearing ANY of the following: SBS , NYD, Bad, Streets,WOWY, Still Haven't Found and Mysterious Ways. That's just ludicrous. Even the 2nd tier 80s hits are better known by casual fans than equivalent 90s songs. Gloria, Two Hearts, All I Want is You.

I don't know what the answer is, but surely U2 have to recognize they can't leave ALL of these songs out and not get casual fans upset or get banged in any reviews. I'd have to think more how to structure it while being realistic with show running times, but if you can't see why leaving all of this out for $350 is not a problem, then neither i nor anyone else can explain it to you.

They've so far rehearsed I Will Follow, SBS, Pride, Desire, One, HMTMKMKM, Beautiful Day, Elevation, and Vertigo, nine really big songs, all as big as the six you rattled off (I'm cutting SBS from your list for obvious reasons). The Fly's also been rehearsed, and I'd dare suggest it's up there too, even if it missed the Best Of. That's almost half a set; the casuals will be fine.

Honestly, if you're the sort of casual hits listener described in recent pages, if you're going to a gig by a band where you can only name a small handful of songs and hum even fewer of them, and you get a show where you recognise half the entire set, you're doing pretty well really.

Though the absence of any of the big three from JT is pretty glaring, and it will be noticed. No amount of "but we just did JT30" is going to appease the many fans hanging out for those songs. I really do think U2 need to slot one of them in, and if I had my way it would be Streets (since I'm well over ISHFWILF and WOWY hasn't sounded good live in a long time).

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

My only issue with the lack of Joshua Tree songs is that U2's excuse for not having a rotating setlist is that they didn't want the people who only saw them once to not see the best possible show they could do, and while I think that excuse is horse shit on its own, it's doubly horse shit if they don't at minimum play Streets.

I'm fine with leaving out most of the Tree songs because of the last tour, but you can't say that you're putting on the best possible U2 show for a fan who's never seen them before and leave both Streets and Bad on the sidelines.

 

[kps88]

I don't understand people using the last tour as a reason for them not playing Joshua Tree songs. Since when does playing a song throughout a tour mean they won't play that song on the following tour? U2 don't do that for big songs.

Yes, they had to play Streets and WOWY every night on the last tour, but they would have done that even if it wasn't a Joshua Tree tour. By this logic, they should drop Beautiful Day, Elevation and Vertigo too.

 

[blueskies]

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”.

Well I don't always remember the title of songs I've listened to a while ago...
And even if you don't know a song, you can still enjoy it live.
But I agree that Acrobat should be known by a majority of the audience.
I just hope the lame american audience doesn't ruin it for European fans (i.e. the band drops the song because of a lack of enthusiasm from the crowd...). Has happened with other songs I was hoping to hear...

u2songs | SPOILERS: U2eiTOUR Rehearsal Day Eight Report: April 16, 2018 |

If they’re toying with bringing this much of the Innocence narrative section back, can we get Iris too?

Not a fan of the I+e version of SBS. Lacks the intensity of the regular version. On the positive, I think RBW is their best overtly political song since Bullet. The specificity puts it up there IMO.

This is lame. We all get it, the e+i tour is linked to the i+e tour. That was not hard to guess... They use the same screen, a few of the same songs (incl. from SOI), they even quote themselves in some songs. We don't need the same songs with the same graphics / sounds to get the idea.

I don't understand people using the last tour as a reason for them not playing Joshua Tree songs. Since when does playing a song throughout a tour mean they won't play that song on the following tour? U2 don't do that for big songs.

Yes, they had to play Streets and WOWY every night on the last tour, but they would have done that even if it wasn't a Joshua Tree tour. By this logic, they should drop Beautiful Day, Elevation and Vertigo too.

Well for one it does make a difference if the tour is an anniversary tour entirely dedicated to that one album (played in full and in sequence). But I agree, they could drop BD, Elevation and Vertigo.
U2 have enough "hits" to choose from. No need to play all of them. And Streets in particular has rarely ever been given a break, so I think it deserves a break (and no, I'm not annoyed by it, but there are other songs).

 

[Axver]

I don't understand people using the last tour as a reason for them not playing Joshua Tree songs. Since when does playing a song throughout a tour mean they won't play that song on the following tour? U2 don't do that for big songs.

Yes, they had to play Streets and WOWY every night on the last tour, but they would have done that even if it wasn't a Joshua Tree tour. By this logic, they should drop Beautiful Day, Elevation and Vertigo too.

It's not people here using it as a reason. It's the band themselves stating that as an intention.

I still reckon they'll walk it back and do 1-2 JT songs a night. Perhaps it'll take a few shows at the start of tour for them to realise how essential it is. I'm sticking by my prediction a JT song will enter the mix before rehearsals end, though.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

I love raised by wolves but it should be replaced by Red Flag Day... otherwise it s one of the biggest mistake of the last 20 years (and there have been a few...)

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I don't understand people using the last tour as a reason for them not playing Joshua Tree songs. Since when does playing a song throughout a tour mean they won't play that song on the following tour? U2 don't do that for big songs.

Yes, they had to play Streets and WOWY every night on the last tour, but they would have done that even if it wasn't a Joshua Tree tour. By this logic, they should drop Beautiful Day, Elevation and Vertigo too.

When the band says so.

 

[Hewson]

Lol at the idea RBW and SBS will replace horses and acrobat.

.

Maybe its the rehearsal for the other show in the pair of unique shows, one night innocence, next night experience.

Spoiler

It was hard typing that with a straight face