Roger Friedman says U2 are making a big mistake with 360 tour,after NLOTH album flop

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GBaxter

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I'd have to say I totally concur with this (that since they don't need the money, U2 shouldn't be bothering touring the
hugely disappointing NLOTH album that's probably been their biggest flop). I'd suggest they look at working with new
producers who'd push (and even frustrate them) them a lot harder for their next album.

Bono Channels Michael Jackson in U2 Extravaganza Show | The Hollywood Reporter | Showbiz 411


Bono Channels Michael Jackson in U2 Extravaganza ShowBy: Roger Friedman. Friday September 25, 2009.
A pop star fishes a 12 year old boy out of the audience during his concert, runs around the stage with him, holds his hand, before returning him to his parents. Later, a group of volunteers holding candles fan out along the ramp encircling the stage. Is it Michael Jackson ? Sure sounds like it. No it's Bono and the show was last night at Giants Stadium, where U2 put on an extravaganza only Jackson and Liberace could've imagined.

This is U2's 360 tour, the follow-up to last spring's album release, 'No Line On The Horizon'. Here's the problem, which was unforeseen : No Line wasn't a hit and yielded no singles except for the grating 'Get On Your Boots'. It was the first-ever mistake in the U2 catalog and should've been rethought. Instead No Line and its turgid, mostly tuneless songs was foisted on the public. Months later, they're still unsingable and unmemorable. So Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullins Jr. have to take the bulk of their catalog and reimagine it onstage without benefit really, of new material anyone wants to hear. Thursday night's show ran the gamut from enervating to joyous, with lots of potholes in between. The highlights were standbys 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', 'One' and 'With Or Without You'.

But missing from the lineup were 'New Years Day', 'In the Name of Love', 'Original of the Species' and a few others that could've energized the proceedings. 'Vertigo' was refreshing and really rocked. 'Stay' would've been extraordinary except Bono 'went up' and forgot the words a quarter of the way in. He looked rattled and never regained his composure during the song. Too bad — it's so good and Bono and Edge played it just as they did at Elvis Costello's taping last week in Toronto. I've seen U2 at Giants Stadium before, when it was just them and their songs, but last night's show was about more, more, more. The stage is round, juts out into the middle of the field, encircled by a ramp. There's two massive, moving bridges. The whole has a kind of gigantic round space ship-like structure that's really a massive video screen, suspended by a spiderlike cover, maybe meant to be used later in the 'Spider-Man' musical, for which U2 has written the music.

The whole of the concept isn't bad, but is undermined by a neon steering wheel also suspended from the top and fitted with a microphone. This is a mistake. Bono dressed in a suit jacket lit up along the seams, sings two great songs into the steering wheel, then swings along on it. This should be stopped at once. All the intimacy of the show is jettisoned. U2 has also been a band of bombast, that was their appeal. Presenting them in stripped-down settings made the band very accessible and showcased the finer aspects of their songwriting. (The newer album is just a misstep. They'll be back, but this new show is all about more, bigger and unnecessary stuff. All the tamps and bridges — Mick Jagger, Tina Turner and Bruce Springsteen know how to use them. Bono and Edge seemed indifferent to them. Either use or lose them. Right now, they're bridges to nowhere, but don’t think U2 isn't full of pleasures. The band remains a hot engine, with Edge driving it full force. I liked the inclusion of bits and pieces of other people’s songs — the Rolling Stones, Ben E. King, etc. — sort of tying U2's music to rock history. It was a bold move and it worked and Bono is still Bono.

There's a video speech from Bishop Desmond Tutu. The candle ceremony is for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, jailed female leader of Burma's (Myanmar) opposition political party. It's a great thought and as usual Bono's heart is in the right place, but I doubt many of the 81000 U2fans had any idea what was going on. If you did word associations with 99% of Americans, they'd answer 'shave' after the word 'Burma', but U2 rocks on and Live Nation has a hit in a mostly sold out to the rafters tour. For every bit of nit picking, there's still the wonders of 'Mysterious Ways' and 'I Still Don't Know What I'm Looking For' and 'Beautiful Day' and that still puts them way out ahead of just about everyone else, but really leave the kids in the audience. It's just too weird.
 
furthermore, this smacks of the same commercial wankery that suggests a u2 album isn't good because it hasn't been certified triple platinum.

enjoy the music and shut up and let their accountants worry about that stuff. did this idiot even go to the show? how about he get the band members names and song titles right? jesus. i feel like i should report this thread and try to get it deleted for being such an insult to our intelligence.
 
Who gives a fuck? Don't buy the album, don't go see the shows, spare yourself the agony of NLOTH/360.

"Vertigo was refreshing."

"Larry Mullins Jr."

And One and WOWY were the standouts. I rest my case?
 
What an UTTER JOKE of an article, I can't understand how any U2 fan would agree with it.

According to them Larry's surname is "Mullins" and Pride is actually called "In The Name Of Love". And apparently NLOTH is a misstep, probably wants another Bomb. Screw the bastard who wrote that article. Journalism fail IMO. Rant over.

:angry:
 
Um, how about we applaud them for staying together to create new music, and support and play it, instead of asking them to become a greatest hits act. We need more acts like U2, not more acts like the Stones.
 
Fortunately a publication from 'the Hollywood Reporter' entitled 'Showbiz 411' doesn't have all that much credibility at face value anyway.
 
Doesn't this guy realize U2 has been using snippets of other people's songs during concerts since, uh, forever?

I find it hard to believe he has ever been to a U2 show before in his life.
 
I'd have to say I totally concur with this (that since they don't need the money, U2 shouldn't be bothering touring the
hugely disappointing NLOTH album that's probably been their biggest flop).

Biggest flop? Its the 2nd biggest selling album of 2009 WORLDWIDE!

Best Selling Albums in 2009 WORLDWIDE as of WEEK 39

1. Lady Gaga The Fame 3,583,000
2. U2 No Line On The Horizon 3,295,000
3. Michael Jackson Thriller 2,877,000
4. Kings Of Leon Only By The Night 2,810,000
5. Michael Jackson Number Ones 2,656,000
6. Eminem Relapse 2,638,000
7. Taylor Swift Fearless 2,573,000
8. soundtrack Hannah Montana: The Movie 2,470,000
9. The Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. 2,466,000
10. Beyoncé I Am... Sasha Fierce 2,347,000
11. Green Day 21st Century Breakdown 2,223,000
12. Michael Jackson The Essential 2,222,000
13. soundtrack Twilight 1,980,000
14. Pink Funhouse 1,911,000
15. Nickleback Dark Horse 1,770,000
 
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Why?










I don't even...















I don't understand humans
 
What's most amazing is that ITNOL hasn't been played except for one show on this leg.
 
Um, how about we applaud them for staying together to create new music, and support and play it, instead of asking them to become a greatest hits act. We need more acts like U2, not more acts like the Stones.


:up:33 years together yesterday 9/26/1976:up:




Original Of The Species would have energized the proceedings? Yeah, incited homicide.


L:DL
 
U2 has also been a band of bombast, that was their appeal. Presenting them in stripped-down settings made the band very accessible and showcased the finer aspects of their songwriting.


This is the only thing I can agree with. But theyre getting older now and have billions of dollars. Why not spice things up a bit with a fucking awesome stage?
 
:lol:This article is just garbage. He doesn't even know the songtitles correctly.
WOWY and One are the highlghits of the show.:doh:
 
Roger Friedman is a total jerk. He has had an unhealthy obsession with Michael Jackson. Now that MJ is dead, he's looking for another victim. It's laughable how he brings MJ into this by comparing Bono to him. Because he brought a kid up on stage, wtf? Friedman should go see a therapist.

He's after U2 now because they're larger than life and Bono is an iconic, yet controversial figure, they have a huge fanbase and Friedman hates that. He's one of the sleaziest gossip reporters and most spiteful journalist in Hollywood. He has no idea about music. I wish this creep would leave U2 alone and focus on really important people like Britney and Paris again :angry:

Oh and yes

'I Still Don't Know What I'm Looking For"

:doh:
 
I love how the (likely) most successful tour of this year shouldn't have never happened according to him. :doh: sometimes I wonder who these idiots are that write these articles??
 
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