TheGeekyU2Fan
War Child
A lot of kids and teenagers also hate U2. I've seen so myself. Some of my old classmates called them old men and hated them because of the free album on iTunes. But their music taste is different.
Miami New Times: Millenials Don't Give a Shit About U2
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Iggy Fizz
War Child
There's a lot of reasons to not like U2 and be annoyed by them in general. The iTunes gimmick qualifies, if you really have thin skin. Which is a lot of people, apparently.
The I-tunes thing is almost 3 years old now. For some children and teens, 3 years can seem like an eternity. I think a lot of them will forget about it if they haven't already.
Mack_Again
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Teenagers hate bands that are commonly known as "dad rock" in general. it's not really that unique to U2.
Well, then I guess they don't like bands in general. There have been very few bands/groups to generate any sort of popularity that have come into the industry since 2010.
intedomine
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
Mack_Again
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
well the music became so divided and fractured (in terms of the audience) so i don't think it's very difficult for anyone to achieve as big of a success as a lot of past bands did. like Nirvana, or GNR, even U2.
Although on the other hand, one could say, less bands less competition. I think part of the decline in groups and bands has to do with the massive overall decline of the music industry. People are making significantly less money in this business especially new artist just starting out. Its less costly and the chances of profit are greater with a solo pop artist as opposed to a 4 person rock band. This is what happens when people no longer have to pay for music product. The artist struggles to make any kind of money and will often quit or never even venture down such a career road these days. As a result, the overall quality of new music declines.
If Dad rock = "old rock" then a growing percentage of rock music today fits that genre because the number of new rock bands coming into the industry gets smaller every year. Before long it will be accurate to say that all rock is "Dad rock".
The John Tree
War Child
What U2 needs is an "old guy resurgence" among young people. Bruce Springsteen has seen a huge pop in his popularity in the last 10 years among millenials because instead of trying to be seen as relevant, he simply does what he does best - makes good rock songs and tours the living shit out of them. Tom Petty as well. It also helps when new bands such as The Gaslight Anthem, Arcade Fire, etc. name guys like Bruce as heavy influences.
If U2 would just be U2 instead of trying to come up with a new number for the dance charts, I have a feeling they'd follow suit. They're one of the best live acts I've ever seen - things like Bonnaroo should happen *regularly*.
If U2 would just be U2 instead of trying to come up with a new number for the dance charts, I have a feeling they'd follow suit. They're one of the best live acts I've ever seen - things like Bonnaroo should happen *regularly*.
Been saying this for years and it is so true.
By not trying to be hip and cool with the kids, U2 will end up being more hip and cool with the kids.
cobl04
45:33
Yep, I have been saying that on record here for years as well.
It's so obvious to everyone with half a fucking brain and yet it will never happen.
JT30 is the best thing they've done in over a decade. The vast majority of people would prefer to see this tour over I+E (case in point: I spent over a grand flying to LA to see it, but had no desire whatsoever to do something like that for I+E) but they just won't embrace it to the level they should.
It's so obvious to everyone with half a fucking brain and yet it will never happen.
JT30 is the best thing they've done in over a decade. The vast majority of people would prefer to see this tour over I+E (case in point: I spent over a grand flying to LA to see it, but had no desire whatsoever to do something like that for I+E) but they just won't embrace it to the level they should.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
The level they should? Sorry, I don't think they should be touring an old album with a full blown world tour.
If this was happening back around The Bomb you'd be against it. Just because you don't care for their more recent material doesn't make it any less of a priority for an act that still wants to feel vital.
If this was happening back around The Bomb you'd be against it. Just because you don't care for their more recent material doesn't make it any less of a priority for an act that still wants to feel vital.
daygloeyes2
Blue Crack Addict
I'm 29 and I like avocados, Snapchat, and U2. Come at me.
cobl04
45:33
But they can't seem to understand that they are more vital touring an old album than releasing hedge-betting new material every five years.
Would your two friends have accompanied us to an I+E show? Hell no. They're getting more people through the gate, more people interested, with this tour.
I don't think they should stop trying to write new songs and I think i/e was spectacular.
It's the gimmicky album releases and watering down material with Ryan Tedder that gets my eyes rolling.
It's the gimmicky album releases and watering down material with Ryan Tedder that gets my eyes rolling.
Mack_Again
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
i can't quite picture teenage girls going insane for that kind of music, tho.
I was thinking that if the I+E and JT dates were reversed, I probably still would've made the trip for 2017 but not 2015. Although there's the novelty of a full album tour and strong indication (at the time) that it wouldn't make it outside US/EU, the main reason I went to the JT shows was because it'd been 6.5 years and still no solid indication about any AU shows. If JT was 4.5 years after the shows I'd last seen, I probably would've been disappointed to miss it, and not have made the leap to thinking that I actually can see some shows if I really want to go on a plane for 15 hours. (Even now it feels like I've cheated the system somehow, as if living here I should just accept an indeterminate wait). At least I didn't have to deal with finding GA tickets for arenas.
So those extra two years+ waiting and the band not getting any younger made it a much easier decision. And yeah, I wouldn't hesitate to see multiple shows if/when they get here. If you live in a city which got shows in 09/11/15/17, I think you can't help but have a different view wrt scarcity playing a part here.
So those extra two years+ waiting and the band not getting any younger made it a much easier decision. And yeah, I wouldn't hesitate to see multiple shows if/when they get here. If you live in a city which got shows in 09/11/15/17, I think you can't help but have a different view wrt scarcity playing a part here.
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
Turn that avocado in some guac and I'm 100% this!
I don't see any evidence that Millenials are supporting Bruce Springsteen anymore than they support U2. Sales of Springsteen's new albums over the past 10 years have been low and his concert ticket sales levels are easily supported by the old fanbase.
Yet, I can assure you there will be several of these JT shows that will not come close to equaling the sales levels seen on 360, a tour for a NEW album No Line On The Horizon. How this years Pittsburgh show compares with the 360 show there in terms of attendance will be interesting. The 360 show had 56,000. This years Pittsburgh show for JT may not get to 40,000.
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
Should tell all those folks in my age group last time I saw him that I ended up hanging out with on the GA floor.....
I agree that this tour made more sense when it was just a 10 week run of shows over the summer. Sort of like a summer break from the studio. But this longer extension is probably going to push the new album back to November 2018 with a tour to follow sometime in 2019 at the earliest now.
I understand, I just don't think that could accurately be extrapolated over the entire ticket buying Bruce Springsteen audiance and found to be accurate. I don't think that Bruce Springsteen has a younger audience than U2 overall.
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
The only reason Springsteen would skew higher is the earlier start of his active career - inevitably there will be people there from day one and what are we even discussing?
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
I'll just go tell my partner that we won't be attending any U2 shows here as we're Millennials and don't belong.
cobl04
45:33
I think it's more that people (not just millennials) don't hate Springsteen, because he doesn't do stupid shit like put an album no one asked for on everyone's phone, he just tours regularly and plays great shows with a minimum of fuss. U2 can't/won't do that.
Disingenuous. It was really only for NLOTH in 2009. By 2010 and 2011 it had absolutely nothing to do with NLOTH, which shows you that not only do they spend way too long overthinking releases, they go cold on them in an instant. 360 also had way more seats available.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Interested in what? Listening to the Joshua Tree more often and thinking "Wow, they used to make great albums"?
I really don't see the benefit unless it's going to somehow convert people who wouldn't have listened to/bought a new album into doing so. Or to seeing them again on another tour. And I doubt that's the case for the vast majority of people attending this show out of nostalgia.
The bottom line is that a fuckload of people still saw the I&E tour despite the backlash. And they will continue to do so. Even if the percentage of new/younger fans isn't as high as it used to be, they're still attracting some. I don't see how the JT tour does that.
And you still haven't admitted your bias.
Bruce ? They guy whose last tour was all about old stuff , ie River tour 2016 ? The guy whose last studio album is loaded with old songs ? They guy that technically didn't really release new stuff since Wrecking ball in 2012 ?
Firstly, he's about 15 years older so no young kids will get on board to begin with. Second he has a big fanbase that will eat up any chance to see him live (see also JT 30's sucess with U2's fanbase). It's nothing to do with "young kids" suddenly getting on board. It's all about Average Joe that grew up with JT and wants to hear it all again. And this guy certainly doesn't care about SOE but keep telling yourself otherwise...
The issue is unlike their peers and older acts that rely heavily on past catalogue, U2 used to play and promote new stuff. Furthermore up to and including SOI, U2 probably wouldn't dream of delaying new studio material in favour of nostalgia tour$. While 360 proved they don't *need* new stuff to sell out, they choose to play new material every time (2009 and 2010 having new material in the setlist). It's that kind of artistic integrity and vitality that is sorely missing from this current nostalgia incarnation of U2. And given the success of JT30, we might be looking at AB30 in a few years time...delaying most likely yet another studio album.
Firstly, he's about 15 years older so no young kids will get on board to begin with. Second he has a big fanbase that will eat up any chance to see him live (see also JT 30's sucess with U2's fanbase). It's nothing to do with "young kids" suddenly getting on board. It's all about Average Joe that grew up with JT and wants to hear it all again. And this guy certainly doesn't care about SOE but keep telling yourself otherwise...
The issue is unlike their peers and older acts that rely heavily on past catalogue, U2 used to play and promote new stuff. Furthermore up to and including SOI, U2 probably wouldn't dream of delaying new studio material in favour of nostalgia tour$. While 360 proved they don't *need* new stuff to sell out, they choose to play new material every time (2009 and 2010 having new material in the setlist). It's that kind of artistic integrity and vitality that is sorely missing from this current nostalgia incarnation of U2. And given the success of JT30, we might be looking at AB30 in a few years time...delaying most likely yet another studio album.
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