All complaints about the setlist HERE

[Aygo]

Your a U2 fan though? surely being a U2 you enjoy most of the songs? thats what i dont understand, there playing 23 songs a night and your telling me as a fan you dont even like a good few of those 23 songs?

Yeah, those who enjoy every little piece of **** the band puts out without questioning of using their self-critical spirit are less fans than the others. Pffffew... Always the same logics (if it wasn't the intention, it seems so) used here...

 

[jphelmet]

Your a U2 fan though? surely being a U2 you enjoy most of the songs? thats what i dont understand, there playing 23 songs a night and your telling me as a fan you dont even like a good few of those 23 songs?

No, I like most of the songs. I love a couple, but I am not really excited to see but about 5 of them. I would go see it in my town. I would not travel to see it. I have seen every song they have played last night multiple times, except the two new ones (which I don't really like either one).

When I look at the setlist, having seen U2 30+ times I don't care about seeing almost half of those songs live. Not that I hate them, but most of them don't excite me. I would still enjoy them while there, but many of them are shells of what they used to be. On the first leg I knew I would get a good dose of the new songs, now they have cut almost all of those leaving songs like the awful remix, miss sarajevo (a song i have never liked), the millionth playing of sbs, nyd, bd, etc, and neutered versions of wowoy, and mw. The comments that they are playing not in support of anything is not a good thing at this stage.

I go to each tour very excited about the handful of deeps cuts (like UF, UV on 360), the new songs, the ones that are always great (Streets) which is sadly dwindling. The new tour has just about nothing for the deep cuts, almost nothing for the new songs, and the warhorses are almost all getting worse (mw & wowoy both suck now). The only new thing is the new songs, which NS and Glastonbury are both not good.

The way current show is, there are actually a handful of bands I would go see instead of U2 if they were playing the same night. That would have been incomprehensible to me a few years ago.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

I understand and agree to some extend to what you are saying. Having seen U2 last year in London, it's the first time in 19 years that I was disappointed after a U2 show...I didn't know why, but something is really missing + if they start butchering the 3-4 songs that I'm excited about (TUF, UTEOTW, HMTMKMKM, NLOTH, UC), this sucks indeed. At least ther is the great piece of music which is Stingray, that I love a lot.....
Anyway, I bought my tickets for Zurich (2x) and Coimbra long time ago and I love this band too much in order to "refuse" a live show, so I'll go and judge after.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Yeah, those who enjoy every little piece of **** the band puts out without questioning of using their self-critical spirit are less fans than the others. Pffffew... Always the same logics (if it wasn't the intention, it seems so) used here...

Have i ever said i like "every piece of ****"? no i havent, but if i dont like something i dont go around whining that i dont like it, because i know there are people out there who will like it

 

[An Cat Gav]

edit

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

so if they were playing a show that you didn't really care for, and is almost a total rehash of stuff you had seen many times. along with that you had to travel (plane tickets, hotels, traveling expenses) spending quite a bit of money- you can't understand why you might change your mind? Really?

I don't think anyone is talking about not going to see them in their own city, but traveling to multiple shows.

i purposely didn't buy tickets for any US shows for this very reason. 360 was my least favorite tour, and I wanted to see if it improved. It has not, and has gotten significantly worse. If I had gotten tickets for anywhere where i had to travel, I would be looking at getting rid of them in a heartbeat. They are not planning on coming to Atlanta right now, if they were I would still go but that would be it. As it stands I would not travel anywhere to see this show.

Since they are not returning to Atlanta, I have tickets for Anaheim, Seattle, Montreal and Toronto and it is not exactly a cheap jaunt. I have seen the performances multiple times already and it is not exciting me right now. The only thing that would keep me going is the fact that I have friends in each of the cities. I haven't paid for anything other than the concert tickets and if I decide not to attend, the tickets will be easy to sell. It is okay to change your mind about not attending a concert. Might as well give your tickets to people who WANT to be there.

 

[nirniva]

Return of North Star =
Keeping IALW =
Cutting TUF AGAIN =
Ditching HMTM =

 

[nielsgov]

If they only play one of them then for me UV > HMTMKMKM

 

[Blue Room]

Sorry but i really cannot understand some people who already have tickets for a U2 show, to then say they are considering not going, to me thats just un real.

I never said that. I will go to the shows I have tickets for already. But I was thinking of traveling and seeing more because the stage is cool and I was hoping for setlist improvement, not decline. I'm not enthused to do that currently. U2 are still my favorite band. I will see them. But I don't have the "I can't see this tour and band enough" feeling I have had on every other tour I have been to since 1987.

 

[dan_smee]

Spoiler

Dear Setlist Whingers,

Fuck you.

Love Bono

Spoiler

Return Of The Stingray Guitar
Beautiful Day / Singing In The Rain (snippet)
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways / My Sweet Lord (snippet) / Norwegian Wood (snippet)
No Line On The Horizon
Elevation
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Every Breaking Wave
Glastonbury
In A Little While
Miss Sarajevo
City Of Blinding Lights / Singing In The Rain (snippet)
Vertigo
Crazy Tonight
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
MLK
Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet)

Encore(s):
One / Rain (snippet)
Where The Streets Have No Name
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender / Singing In The Rain (snippet)

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Spoiler

Dear Setlist Whingers,

Fuck you.

Love Bono

Spoiler

Return Of The Stingray Guitar
Beautiful Day / Singing In The Rain (snippet)
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways / My Sweet Lord (snippet) / Norwegian Wood (snippet)
No Line On The Horizon
Elevation
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Every Breaking Wave
Glastonbury
In A Little While
Miss Sarajevo
City Of Blinding Lights / Singing In The Rain (snippet)
Vertigo
Crazy Tonight
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
MLK
Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet)

Encore(s):
One / Rain (snippet)
Where The Streets Have No Name
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender / Singing In The Rain (snippet)

I'm one of them and I will keep bitching about the set.
Great we have I will follow back (for a change...). Also great that they try new songs live, but acoustic songs are just so plain boring. EBW should be full band and did not impress me at all. Pride is back and it s shit. UTEOTW and TUF dropped again. NLOTH is back and it's great, but it's a damn rock song that they turned into a soft acoustic guitar tune, this is terrible.

 

[Batfink27]

I tell you what,North Star sounded brilliant from Helsinki. With the full band production etc it has the chance to be a great great song.

 

[Popmart Shopper]

I Will Follow,Until End Of The World,Elevation,Still Havent Found,In A Little While,and Mysterious Ways=ENOUGH ALREADY

Lemon,Night and Day,Discotheque(Full Vertigo Tour Version),Playboy Mansion,God Pt.II,and Surrender=NICE SURPRISES

Your Blue Room,Electrical Storm,Unknown Caller,Unforgettable Fire,Ultraviolet,and Desire=Please Bring Back

 

[Blue Room]

Spoiler

Dear Setlist Whingers,

Fuck you.

Love Bono

Spoiler

Return Of The Stingray Guitar
Beautiful Day / Singing In The Rain (snippet)
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways / My Sweet Lord (snippet) / Norwegian Wood (snippet)
No Line On The Horizon
Elevation
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Every Breaking Wave
Glastonbury
In A Little While
Miss Sarajevo
City Of Blinding Lights / Singing In The Rain (snippet)
Vertigo
Crazy Tonight
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
MLK
Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet)

Encore(s):
One / Rain (snippet)
Where The Streets Have No Name
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender / Singing In The Rain (snippet)

Eloquent.

I just don't understand why people feel the need to come in here and rip on people or get hostile with people that are trying to have legitimate discussion about what the don't care for with the setlist. Its like you have to take it personal. I don't get that at all.

Start a setlist praise thread with "legitimate" discussion of what you like about it. Maybe that will make you feel better.

I still have yet to see answer to my question to the setlist defenders. Do you really feel Beautiful Day is one of U2's best opening songs ever? Do you feel it stacks up with prior openers? I think most people say no. Thats the main problem with the setlist. Stingray is cool, but it doesnt work going into B. Day. The show starts with a thud.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Beautiful Day is not the opening song

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

Eloquent.

I just don't understand why people feel the need to come in here and rip on people or get hostile with people that are trying to have legitimate discussion about what the don't care for with the setlist. Its like you have to take it personal. I don't get that at all.

Start a setlist praise thread with "legitimate" discussion of what you like about it. Maybe that will make you feel better.

 

[Blue Room]

Beautiful Day is not the opening song

I disagree

For the sake of argument, even if you consider it the opening song, do you think the transition to Beautiful Day works??? I don't, at all. Kills the beginning of the show even if you want to get into a semantics discussion of what the opening song is exactly.

Its called an "intro" on U2's own setlist, so I see it as an intro.

 

[jphelmet]

saw they brought back nloth and was excited, and then i listened to it.

U2 needs to learn they absolutely suck at acoustic versions of songs. way to neuter the best song from the new album.

 

[Blue Room]

saw they brought back nloth and was excited, and then i listened to it.

U2 needs to learn they absolutely suck at acoustic versions of songs. way to neuter the best song from the new album.

I thought the exact same thing. I guess at least its back. I do not understand why they made it acoustic though.

 

[dan_smee]

Eloquent.

I just don't understand why people feel the need to come in here and rip on people or get hostile with people that are trying to have legitimate discussion about what the don't care for with the setlist. Its like you have to take it personal. I don't get that at all.

Start a setlist praise thread with "legitimate" discussion of what you like about it. Maybe that will make you feel better.

I still have yet to see answer to my question to the setlist defenders. Do you really feel Beautiful Day is one of U2's best opening songs ever? Do you feel it stacks up with prior openers? I think most people say no. Thats the main problem with the setlist. Stingray is cool, but it doesnt work going into B. Day. The show starts with a thud.

It was a joke.

And that is your opinion.

The reason this thread irks me so much is that no matter what they do, most people will be unhappy. A band with such a diverse and storied catalogue will always polarise fans who joined them at different times, and have such different tastes. To me, people seem to be complaining more about the lack of adventure than the content, because, let's face it, complaining about the content is just plain moronic. Everyone likes different things, and they aren't playing a song for the individual sitting at home on the laptop.

Now, as I see it, if the complaint is about the lack of adventure, then people need t open their eyes. In 5 shows this leg we have heard 4 new songs, re-introduced songs that were long forgotten and changed the area of the setlist that caused the most pain last time (the static run from TUF to MOS).

So, they ARE changing it up. They ARE keeping it fresh. They ARE serving the fans who paid the money and are attending the show.

This thread isn't about complaints about the setlist, it's about complaints that U2 aren't playing exactly what YOU the indiviudal want them to play to 90,000 fans somewhere else in the world. When you break it down, that is really really sad.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

yeah, I am not feeling the acoustic version of it. That song is fantastic in its regular form. Oh well. they are making progress.

 

[Blue Room]

It was a joke.

And that is your opinion.

The reason this thread irks me so much is that no matter what they do, most people will be unhappy. A band with such a diverse and storied catalogue will always polarise fans who joined them at different times, and have such different tastes. To me, people seem to be complaining more about the lack of adventure than the content, because, let's face it, complaining about the content is just plain moronic. Everyone likes different things, and they aren't playing a song for the individual sitting at home on the laptop.

Now, as I see it, if the complaint is about the lack of adventure, then people need t open their eyes. In 5 shows this leg we have heard 4 new songs, re-introduced songs that were long forgotten and changed the area of the setlist that caused the most pain last time (the static run from TUF to MOS).

So, they ARE changing it up. They ARE keeping it fresh. They ARE serving the fans who paid the money and are attending the show.

This thread isn't about complaints about the setlist, it's about complaints that U2 aren't playing exactly what YOU the indiviudal want them to play to 90,000 fans somewhere else in the world. When you break it down, that is really really sad.

If you read any of what my major problems are with the setlist are you would see that your last line does not apply to me at all. Try again. But nice way to try to pigeon hole everyone that has a critique of U2.

PS, did not come off as a joke. Some of my jokes haven't either on this thread. So I guess I can give you a mulligan.

 

[lauramullen]

yeah, I am not feeling the acoustic version of it. That song is fantastic in its regular form. Oh well. they are making progress.

Agreed. I think the acoustic version needs to grow on me.

 

[corianderstem]

This is based on just one listen of the song, but I don't know that I'd call it acoustic - it starts acoustic, but then the whole band comes in on the second song.

I loved the original live version, but thought this one was really fun. Happy to see it back.

 

[Blue Room]

This is based on just one listen of the song, but I don't know that I'd call it acoustic - it starts acoustic, but then the whole band comes in on the second song.

I loved the original live version, but thought this one was really fun. Happy to see it back.

I don't think its awful, the full band version is SO much better though. Again, I guess at this point we need to be glass half full fans considering some of the other problems with the setlist. I'm happy its back, lets see if it lasts or how often it occurs. It also helps with some of the pacing which is the key for me.

 

[dan_smee]

If you read any of what my major problems are with the setlist are you would see that your last line does not apply to me at all. Try again. But nice way to try to pigeon hole everyone that has a critique of U2.

I have plenty of critiques of U2. Single release structure from the last album. woeful. The fact that they keep teasing us with talk of new albums pisses me off no end.

And my comment wasn't directed at you. It was directed at anyone who thinks they have the right to complain about what other people hear in a concert.

I am happy to hear the complaints of people that were there.

Hell, I saw my first U2 show ever in 06 after years and years of being a fan and missing out on shows for various reasons. When I left I was so excited and pumped that I'd seen them at all, but couldn't shake the thought that I would rather not have seen Angel of Harlem or SYCMIOYO. But I saw them, and it hasn';t ruined my experience. People like me make up the majority of the U2 audience. People that probably would prefer to hear other things, but are just so stoked they even get to see them, they'll take anything.

That is probably a problem with their saturation of the American market. They play 50 shows there this tour. They play the same in ALL of Europe. and 4 shows in Australia. I guess the rarity of the shows in Europe and Australia and the ROW makes us appreciate the fact that we even get to see them at all.

 

[corianderstem]

But, but ... it is a full band version! I'm just saying I don't think it's accurate to call it acoustic when it's just the first verse that's done that way.

/pedantic

 

[catlhere]

This thread isn't about complaints about the setlist, it's about complaints that U2 aren't playing exactly what YOU the indiviudal want them to play to 90,000 fans somewhere else in the world. When you break it down, that is really really sad.

Not even close.

 

[dan_smee]

Not even close.

If it isn't close, then what is the point of this? You can't justify complaining about something you didn't see, and weren't the target audience for if I'm not partly right.

 

[Blue Room]

I have plenty of critiques of U2. Single release structure from the last album. woeful. The fact that they keep teasing us with talk of new albums pisses me off no end.

And my comment wasn't directed at you. It was directed at anyone who thinks they have the right to complain about what other people hear in a concert.

I am happy to hear the complaints of people that were there.

Hell, I saw my first U2 show ever in 06 after years and years of being a fan and missing out on shows for various reasons. When I left I was so excited and pumped that I'd seen them at all, but couldn't shake the thought that I would rather not have seen Angel of Harlem or SYCMIOYO. But I saw them, and it hasn';t ruined my experience. People like me make up the majority of the U2 audience. People that probably would prefer to hear other things, but are just so stoked they even get to see them, they'll take anything.

That is probably a problem with their saturation of the American market. They play 50 shows there this tour. They play the same in ALL of Europe. and 4 shows in Australia. I guess the rarity of the shows in Europe and Australia and the ROW makes us appreciate the fact that we even get to see them at all.

Lets hope they do release a new album, I do think THAT would save the setlist. I'm not optimistic though.

I see what you are saying, but as I said before, every other tour since The Joshua Tree I could go see it 20 times easily and tried to get to as many shows as possible. I'm not feeling it with this tour and its the setlist pacing that is doing it to me and I do think they made that worse in Turin. Primarily the opening "sequence" (IE intro, first song, etc, whatever we are calling it now as there is disagreement even on that!! )

They are still my favorite band and I'm going to see them, just not as much as usual the way it stands right now. Things can change. I REALLY hope they do.