4. Going to a U2 gig had become almost anti-climactic, compared to the thrill of seeing them for the first time.
5. The average U2 concert goer doesn't know a good portion of the songs. It doesn't help the atmosphere. They just stand around. U2 have to cater to the average fan and hence play too many songs that they should have dropped off their setlist years ago and not enough less well known songs.
4. I was at 6 concerts this summer and at least from my point of view I can tell you that I haven't felt anything like this. I was still excited for the very last concert I went to, as much as for the first show and enjoyed it. And I am usually someone who is against people going to too many shows and complain about "static" setlists afterwards. Right now I wish I could see one or two more shows. I certainly don't want to see too many shows because I don't want the excitement and magic to go away. But the number of shows I've seen were great and I wouldn't want to miss one single show.
But my advice would be: Go to see more than 1 show, I know for sure that I would heavily regret NOT going to more than 1 show, but don't spoil it for yourself by going to 25 shows. U2 don't play for these diehard fans who go to so many shows.
For me, it's also about much more than just being at the actual show, it's about the whole atmosphere in a city where U2 are playing, that made me almost as happy as seeing the boys on stage. It's about meeting people, about the overall excitement before the show starts, and also about the little things and surprises that happen during a show and that no one can predict.
5. Now that's a contradiction. I realised a lot of "casual" fans don't know the new songs, but, of course, know the classics. It's like that with every band or artist, not just U2. It also depends where in the audience you're standing. For this tour, I thought seats could be really great to see all of the claw and stage, but on the downside, the atmosphere isn't great because the stands are usually full off casual concert goers who don't know much newer or rarer U2 material. When you are doing GA and are in the pit or close to the stage, it's certainly different. At every concert I've been do where I was standing in front of the stage, everyone was singing and jumping to the new stuff as well.
But with your point 5, which I certainly agree with, you have basically explained why U2 have to play some of the "classics" as well, otherwise playing a stadium audience wouldn't make much sense. Most big acts have to play a certain amount of well known songs. And I can honestly say that even their old songs, maybe with the exception of WOWY, sound really good this tour, and I had been very doubtful about that before the tour started.