Los Angeles II Setlist Watch and Thread Party.

[jachba]

Is the show actually finished at this point?

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I don't really see how. If they had specific footage and lighting for each song, couldn't they just shuffle it? I mean, I doubt it would have made a difference to the ZooTVisms during The Fly if it was done before or after EBTTRT.

Something called "flow." Simply shuffling songs wouldn't make a better concert at all. It'd be like taking out your sacred TUF>Promenade>4th of July>Bad, which has great flow, and sticking something like "pride" in between for the sake of being spontaneous. Interesting? Yes. Better? No way. Same thing goes for live shows.

 

[bobbus32]

could someone post the whole set...I lost track somewhere along the way

 

[Westport]

agreed. i don't think elevation was boring, b/c for them, it was something new again- they were playing to smaller crowds, GA... there was something very special about that. and then 9/11 changed the entire 3rd leg, made it feel almost like a different tour.

as for this tour, i think it's starting to take shape... and i think the main theme is going to be nostalgia. they have played songs that haven't seen the light of day in nearly 25 years... i think the band is looking back, reflecting on what they've accomplished, reliving some of it, but also relishing the present. i hope that this theme only gets stronger as time goes on, and that they pull MORE songs out of their catalog.

I just don't really see the connection between this album and Boy...which the bands keeps talking about...

 

[celticbhoy]

Just text my friend in the Uk , his first show was Jan 29 1981 Northampton Ironhorse ( originally 'blackhorse' ) .....but did not go to ireland for any of the pre-war shows :-
Boy 3
Pre war 7
War 28
UF 16
JT 13
Zoo 15
Pop 5
Elevation 18
Vertigo shows in 2005 18 ( mostly with me )

Sorry but no setlist info ......

 

[*Ally*]

I just don't really see the connection between this album and Boy...which the bands keeps talking about...

i'm not so sure i get it either.... but bono has talked about how boy was about innocence, and the current album is about a RETURN to innocence...

i guess maybe something like this:
SYCMIOYO: the loss of his father, feeling alone- feeling like a child again...
COBL: about the first time they saw NYC as young kids trying to break into the music industry...
OOTS: song for a teenager...
ABOY: rediscovering faith in God...

who knows... it will definitely be interesting to see how the tour shapes up.

 

[knox]

They've been talking it up since before the album came out.

(By the way, I correctly predicted the day after the Brooklyn show that they'd be playing rarities off of Boy that nobody would expect. )

 

[timothius]

I knew there was an excpetion for Zoo->Fly.

& if nostaliga is going to be the theme, I really think that would be better achieved through a Lovetown style rotation of the setlist. Ain't going to happen though.

I'm starting to think simply they don't have enough confidence/rememberance of a great deal of there material.

 

[Axver]

Something called "flow." Simply shuffling songs wouldn't make a better concert at all. It'd be like taking out your sacred TUF>Promenade>4th of July>Bad, which has great flow, and sticking something like "pride" in between for the sake of being spontaneous. Interesting? Yes. Better? No way. Same thing goes for live shows.

I know all about flow, as it's one thing I'm big on when it comes to custom setlists. I never supported arbitrary setlist alteration with the sacrifice of flow. But they could have done something like this:

Normal set:
The Fly
EBTTRT
Mysterious Ways
One
UTEOTW
NYD

Alteration:
The Fly
UTEOTW
NYD
EBTTRT
Mysterious Ways
One

I think that retains the same measure of flow.

Of course, from reviews of concerts, it seems personal impressions of flow are VERY subjective.

 

[Chizip]

i told you they werent gonna play lemon

 

[U2DMfan]

Steve Lillywhite, 25th anniversary, the younger bands citing it as an influence etc. Probably better reasons, but that is a conncetin of sorts.

 

[timothius]

Boy->HTDAAB link is there because U2 put it out there as a talking point. It doesnt mean anything, its part them marketing and them talking shit.

 

[Axver]

Just text my friend in the Uk , his first show was Jan 29 1981 Northampton Ironhorse ( originally 'blackhorse' ) .....but did not go to ireland for any of the pre-war shows :-
Boy 3
Pre war 7
War 28
UF 16
JT 13
Zoo 15
Pop 5
Elevation 18
Vertigo shows in 2005 18 ( mostly with me )

Sorry but no setlist info ......

Wow, that's quite incredible!

We have every set from JT onwards, and we have the vast majority of UF Tour sets, but there's gaps in the early tours, particularly Boy. We've got 1981-01-29, though.

 

[Axver]

Could this return to Boy be an extension of the 'returning to their roots' talk of ATYCLB?

 

[VintagePunk]

i'm not so sure i get it either.... but bono has talked about how boy was about innocence, and the current album is about a RETURN to innocence...

i guess maybe something like this:
SYCMIOYO: the loss of his father, feeling alone- feeling like a child again...
COBL: about the first time they saw NYC as young kids trying to break into the music industry...
OOTS: song for a teenager...
ABOY: rediscovering faith in God...

who knows... it will definitely be interesting to see how the tour shapes up.

Really good points! I also see it as a coming full circle sort of thing. Boy was about the transition. Letting go of boyhood. The themes on HTD mark maturity - family, love/spouses, spirituality. Being comfortable with manhood/maturity? Also, IMO, this album returns to flat out rock more than any since Boy. I'm sure others would disagree with this assessment, though.

 

[U2DMfan]

I havent seen Vertigo yet, but I think it's better than Elevation by the virtue of no B-stage bullshit acoustic slow down that forces most fans into the restrooms or into boredom.

Sorry.

 

[Axver]

I havent seen Vertigo yet, but I think it's better than Elevation by the virtue of no B-stage bullshit acoustic slow down that forces most fans into the restrooms or into boredom.

Sorry.

Agreed.

Good riddance to the acoustic set. Songs shouldn't be watered down.

 

[Axver]

Well, is this party winding down? Can we take this as the final set?

City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Elevation
The Cry
The Electric Co.
The Ocean
New Year's Day
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love And Peace Or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky / The Hands That Built America (snippet) / When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet)
Running To Stand Still
Zoo Station
The Fly
Mysterious Ways

Encore:
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
One / Unchained Melody (snippet)
All Because Of You
Yahweh
40

 

[timothius]

Acoustic would be good if you only went to one show, which a majority of people do.

But because most people here are going to 77+ shows then acoustic portions are boring and repeitious.

Meh 6-1, half dozen the other.

 

[*Ally*]

Really good points! I also see it as a coming full circle sort of thing. Boy was about the transition. Letting go of boyhood. The themes on HTD mark maturity - family, love/spouses, spirituality. Being comfortable with manhood/maturity? Also, IMO, this album returns to flat out rock more than any since Boy. I'm sure others would disagree with this assessment, though.

good assessment! U2 have reached maturity, but at the same time they have come full-circle. they are at the end... but they are back where they started. i like that!

 

[timothius]

Songs shouldn't be watered down.

Great songs can be "watered down" acoustically.

Two factors for why they can't do it are:

1. U2 don't acousticise they're great songs only theyre acceptable ones.
2. U2 simply can't carry consistant acousitc performance.

 

[Axver]

Great songs can be "watered down" acoustically.

Two factors for why they can't do it are:

1. U2 don't acousticise they're great songs only theyre acceptable ones.
2. U2 simply can't carry consistant acousitc performance.

I've never really been a fan of acoustic stuff full stop, except for songs that are made as acoustic songs originally. If it was made electric, keep it electric, I say.

 

[*Ally*]

hmmm, just thought of something that's probably really obvious, but here goes.

i am so excited to hear these old songs that haven't been played in over 2 decades- it's fantastic. but, i wonder what it's like for the BAND to play them? they have seen and done so much, and been through so much, since last playing these songs... it must be amazing for them to do it again, to relive something they haven't done since they were kids. i am sure that there are as many familiarities as there are differences in performing the 'boy' songs nowadays...

sorry if this was a useless post. just had to consider it from their point of view for a second!

 

[timothius]

I've never really been a fan of acoustic stuff full stop, except for songs that are made as acoustic songs originally. If it was made electric, keep it electric, I say.

Each to there own, but if its a truly great rockish type song it can be done acoustically. Bono + Edge arent really made for it.

 

[Westport]

Glad the acoustic set is gone.

 

[Westport]

The acoustic Yahweh is brilliant at the end.

 

[VintagePunk]

Ha! I was just looking at something at @U2.com, and this random quote was on the page:
"It's quite touching that in the 21st century there's still a belief that a rock show is (or should be) an entirely spontaneous event even on its 100th show. Given that most people will only see one show, it's important to guarantee that every single one is absolutely as good as it can possibly be."

-- Willie Williams, addressing complaints that U2's live setlist is too stagnant

 

[Axver]

Each to there own, but if its a truly great rockish type song it can be done acoustically. Bono + Edge arent really made for it.

I actually find the full band acoustic Desire to be tolerable.

However, the less said about acoustic SATS and Stay, the better.

 

[Axver]

The acoustic Yahweh is brilliant at the end.

That's true. I love that. I'd like to hear the electric version, though.

 

[Axver]

Editing.

Edit: Actually, I give up on this post, I got distracted and forgot what I was going to say!