All complaints about the setlist HERE

[Blue Room]

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

Unless Edge switches to a full electric guitar when the drums kick in its acoustic to me. At a minimum its a neutered version as pointed out previously.

 

[Spoutnik]

The acoustic version of "NLOTH" sounds exactly the same as the acoustic version of "Desire".............without the harmonica at the end.

 

[catlhere]

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.

1) I don't need to be at a concert to know whether I think it is a good setlist or not. Especially when 85% of what they play, many of us have seen live, multiple times. We are perfectly capable, through past experience of forming a valid opinion on something like songs U2 picks to play at a concert.

2) The point is to discuss any frustrations or annoyances in the progress of the setlist. The changes from last leg to this leg. Not just the what (although some only care about that), but the why and how they are coming up with these decisions. For example, the opening segment of ROTS -> BD, doesn't work for some. Not because they hate either song, or want them gone, but because it doesn't "flow" right, or it has too long of a pause, or they should have continued on with a NLOTH track, or any number of reasons. Complaints like that are what many of us are bringing up, and are perfectly reasonable.

 

[catlhere]

I consider the NLOTH performance... uhh.. I guess like what they would do on MTV unplugged. Stripped down? Slightly?



(Even though there are plugs )

 

[david]

I'm not feeling NLOTH played on acoustic guitar.

It needs to be the big, loud wall of electric guitar sound that kicks your ass when it's played live.

 

[bono_man2002]

Ah well we'll all be dead one day, and still be really upset with the setlist, I suppose.

 

[prbiker15]

Thoughts on Helsinki II

Wow, they really shook it up!

- No UTEOTW or TUF
- Every Breaking Wave
- NLOTH semi-acoustic (mixed reaction)
- I Will Follow + Pride
- No 4 song beefy encore (HMTMKMKM, UV, WOWY, MOS)
- The many Singing In The Rain snippets

 

[The_acrobat]

My theory on U2 concerts is that if it's possible, go to the 2nd concert in a given city (or 3rd or 4th if such applies). My only 360 show (so far) was Chicago 2... SO GLAD I went to this one instead of night 1 (good friend's wedding that night).

Vertigo tour I went to Chicago May 12th and 2nd Detroit show... awesome!!

Elevation tour I went to Columbus and Indianapolis shows... single shows, exact same standard setlist both times. Good time, but I learned my lesson.

While IMO any U2 concert is great, doing this will heighten your experience as a hardcore fan. Not always possible though, especially now with 360 tour and fewer shows, more single nighters, etc.

 

[LemonMelon]

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.

The setlist bitchers are lifeless freaks, while the setlist bitcher bitchers utilize strawman arguments like this.

At least the playing field is level.

 

[U2387]

Thoughts on Helsinki II

Wow, they really shook it up!

- No UTEOTW or TUF
- Every Breaking Wave
- NLOTH semi-acoustic (mixed reaction)
- I Will Follow + Pride
- No 4 song beefy encore (HMTMKMKM, UV, WOWY, MOS)
- The many Singing In The Rain snippets

This is a good post!

Glad they are shaking it up, mixed reactions to how they are doing it.

I would drop Elevation and Walk On and keep TUF and Until...World in there for damn sure.

On the other hand, I'll stick up for I Will Follow anytime and Pride can even earn some cheers from me so long as they are not thinking about bringing it out every single night.

I will say on the positive side that U2 are seemingly less likely to get rid of a song these days. On JT, A Sort of Homecoming got canned pretty quickly. On Pop, they dropped DYFL and God's Angels like hot potatoes. On Elevation, In A Little While and 11 O Clock Tick Tock got replaced by covers or warhorses. Vertigo lost most of the Boy set, Zoo Station, Miracle Drug, Yahweh and Original of The Species by the time it was over. Vertigo famously lost Discotheque after a couple performances as well.

360, they seem more inclined to keep songs they have stopped playing every night in the rotation. Though Ultraviolet and NLOTH sat on the bench for a while, no one here, including me, thought either song was done. Same of course with Until The End of The World. Hold Me looks to be developing the same way.

Although I will start getting a bit worried if TUF does not show up in Moscow.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I guess there's no harm in trying NLOTH acoustic, is there? You all wanted experimentation and for them to try out new things.

 

[LemonMelon]

I guess there's no harm in trying NLOTH acoustic, is there? You all wanted experimentation and for them to try out new things.

While this hardly reaches the depths of, say, resorting to reggaeton in order to force experimentation (that'll be the day I jump ship), I would hardly classify arbitrarily choosing a song to dumb down as experimentation. I think it's just an excuse to give Larry even less to do.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

While this hardly reaches the depths of, say, resorting to reggaeton in order to force experimentation (that'll be the day I jump ship), I would hardly classify arbitrarily choosing a song to dumb down as experimentation. I think it's just an excuse to give Larry even less to do.

Larry played during the song.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

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.

So basically you want them to change things just for you? its comments like that, that really irk me, i mean everyone complaining about the setlist is blaming the band, when really, isnt it just your own personal taste why you dont like it?

 

[mikal]

So basically you want them to change things just for you? its comments like that, that really irk me, i mean everyone complaining about the setlist is blaming the band, when really, isnt it just your own personal taste why you dont like it?

although i'm generally a half glass full person when it comes to U2....just like you, i really don't know why you keep getting yourself involved in these threads. just enjoy the fact that you're happy with most of U2's decisions and don't let others' opinions get you down.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

although i'm generally a half glass full person when it comes to U2....just like you, i really don't know why you keep getting yourself involved in these threads. just enjoy the fact that you're happy with most of U2's decisions and don't let others' opinions get you down.

True i guess i just dont understand some comments sometimes.

 

[MikeyJB]

I for one really liked what they did with NLOTH; like others on here I had been a little disappointed with the lack of fresh song interpretations which has always been one of the reasons I think U2 are a truly great live band, always keen to reshape songs in a live setting.

 

[djparky]

My theory on U2 concerts is that if it's possible, go to the 2nd concert in a given city (or 3rd or 4th if such applies). My only 360 show (so far) was Chicago 2... SO GLAD I went to this one instead of night 1 (good friend's wedding that night).

Vertigo tour I went to Chicago May 12th and 2nd Detroit show... awesome!!

Elevation tour I went to Columbus and Indianapolis shows... single shows, exact same standard setlist both times. Good time, but I learned my lesson.

While IMO any U2 concert is great, doing this will heighten your experience as a hardcore fan. Not always possible though, especially now with 360 tour and fewer shows, more single nighters, etc.

I swear some here won't be happy unless they do 2 hours of rarities...anyway I agree with this- second shows at Wembley and Dublin produced probably the best set lists of the tour last year.

But if people have such an issue with the set lists (as some here seem to) it's quite simple- just don't go to the show. I've got no complaints about the set lists- I haven't seen them so many times that I'm tired of some of the hits- aside from Pride and WOWY. Slightly concerned that UF seems to have disappeared for a bit though

 

[monsieur fly]

It always amuses me when setlist defenders accuse sceptics of selfishness. Their surprised, horrified indignation cracks me up. They should wake up to the fact that self-interest permeates everything we do. If I like Mofo and the band is not playing it of course I am going to complain- there is nothing dirty or reprehensible about that, it's just the expression of a preference. Provided I can then offer reasons for including Mofo, for instance, that it would suit the Claw, or that it's been a long time since they played it, that is fine. Setlist defenders themselves are self-interested. They are happy with the status quo- they therefore have an interest in retaining Elevation etc. Thus, they should get off their high horses and allow people to make whichever criticisms they like.

 

[digitize]

It always amuses me when setlist defenders accuse sceptics of selfishness. Their surprised, horrified indignation cracks me up. They should wake up to the fact that self-interest permeates everything we do. If I like Mofo and the band is not playing it of course I am going to complain- there is nothing dirty or reprehensible about that, it's just the expression of a preference. Provided I can then offer reasons for including Mofo, for instance, that it would suit the Claw, or that it's been a long time since they played it, that is fine. Setlist defenders themselves are self-interested. They are happy with the status quo- they therefore have an interest in retaining Elevation etc. Thus, they should get off their high horses and allow people to make whichever criticisms they like.

Yeah, I agree.

 

[Swan269]

I was happy to see that the two nights were pretty different in Finland. Would I change a couple of the songs? yes, but I can't complain when they change things up like that between the two nights. nice job guys

 

[U2girl]

The setlist bitchers are lifeless freaks, while the setlist bitcher bitchers utilize strawman arguments like this.

At least the playing field is level.

It always amuses me when setlist defenders accuse sceptics of selfishness. Their surprised, horrified indignation cracks me up. They should wake up to the fact that self-interest permeates everything we do. If I like Mofo and the band is not playing it of course I am going to complain- there is nothing dirty or reprehensible about that, it's just the expression of a preference. Provided I can then offer reasons for including Mofo, for instance, that it would suit the Claw, or that it's been a long time since they played it, that is fine. Setlist defenders themselves are self-interested. They are happy with the status quo- they therefore have an interest in retaining Elevation etc. Thus, they should get off their high horses and allow people to make whichever criticisms they like.

Ah, no one rips into the setlist defenders? Right.

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.

This. And the spoiler post, even if a joke, says it all.

 

[catlhere]

Makes me laugh when you just know what usernames are going to come in a topic and criticise opposing opinions. Hilariously predictable.

U2 Defence Force... ACTIVAAAAATE!

 

[U2girl]

Almost as predictable as knowing what usernames will storm in shooting the setlist down.

 

[No spoken words]

You know, honestly, I don't give a fuck anymore about setlist bitchers and setlist defenders and everyone in-between. More power to you all.

But I will say this:

This is not some random internet community, with a U2 board or two having sprung up over the years. This is a fan site. Is it surprising and attack-worthy to see people defending U2? And does their defense of the band really impact you that greatly? Is it a bad thing that diehard U2 fans love and defend U2? Will you lose sleep if they're not quite as "rational" about the band as you deem yourselves to be?

I'll admit that it would probably be nice if the fervent defenders left this thread alone and allowed people to waste their time bitching about shows they didn't attend in peace, but, it staggers me that anyone finds the defense of the band on a place like interference to be anything but the price of doing business.

The only good thing about this thread is that we're at least spared the constantly evolving and gripping psychodrama being played out between BVS and 8675309 or whatever the fuck his name is.

Anyway, carry on.

 

[nirniva]

Makes me laugh when you just know what usernames are going to come in a topic and criticise opposing opinions. Hilariously predictable.

U2 Defence Force... ACTIVAAAAATE!

 

[mikal]

i long for the day that both sides switch roles, even for an hour. imagine dan smee coming in here and saying that U2 should retire. then monsieur fly responds with something even slightly favorable towards U2. now that would be exciting!

 

[Galeongirl]

Almost as predictable as knowing what usernames will storm in shooting the setlist down.

Predictable or not, this thread exists for that sole reason. So why are you even bothering to keep coming here and argue with them? They just want to vent and talk to people who agree with them on how shitty the setlist is.
Why don't you just let them? That way the complaining will center here and not everywhere else on the forums. If people keep coming in here to defend the setlist, it wouldn't matter where the complainers would post because they get attacked everywhere.
How hard is it to just ignore this one thread? You can even set it on ignore with the new forum functions. People are always gonna bitch, whether you like it or not. It's human nature.

 

[nirniva]

i long for the day that both sides switch roles, even for an hour. imagine dan smee coming in here and saying that U2 should retire. then monsieur fly responds with something even slightly favorable towards U2. now that would be exciting!

U2 didn't write Miami.

 

[mikal]

or how cool would it be if someone in this thread said, "i'll see you in the ring"?