What's your favorite U2 Tour?

[bizkitgto]

Mine would have to be Popmart, visually the greatest in history and supported the best U2 album IMO. Even Bono thinks so:


More than a decade after PopMart, despite the criticism and mishaps, Bono considers the tour to be their best. "Pop(Mart) is our finest hour. It's better than Zoo TV aesthetically, and as an art project it is a clearer thought."[


Just the 2 of U - The Irish Times - Fri, Feb 27, 2009

It will be interesting to see where the 360 Tour fits in.....

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Hard decision... I look at it in three parts:

Set List/Performance - Zoo TV
Design/Visuals - PopMart
Personal Experience - Elevation

If I had to choose overall it would probably be Zoo TV but PopMart is very close...

 

[The Sad Punk]

Probably Lovetown, but I think Popmart would have been really cool to see if you were off your rocker.

 

[digitize]

ZooTV, followed by PopMart. Vertigo was great, too, and Lovetown is my favorite U2 tour of the 80s (by quite a large margin).

 

[bigjohn2441]

Lovetown by a mile.

 

[CTU2fan]

Lovetown, then JT.

 

[YBORCITY]

1>. Zoo TV
2>. JT
3>. UF
4>. Elevation
5>. War
6>. Popmart
7>. Vertigo

These are all of the tours I've seen first hand.

 

[God Part III]

Popmart for the production.

Vertigo for the setlists.

 

[alanah]

For me it's better to say my least favorite tour : Vertigo.

 

[last unicorn]

Elevation and Vertigo ... because it was more about the band being the band, not so much visual overkill, and Vertigo had the better set, better Bono voice etc. Elevation was more intimate and emotional.

 

[Galeongirl]

ZooTv, definately ZooTv.

Popmart was pretty cool too.

 

[corianderstem]

Please don't make me choose.

 

[Vlaco]

Lovetown

 

[2861U2]

Elevation. It's not even close.

 

[U2girl]

Not sure I have a favourite.

I don't think they'll ever surpass the combination of groundbreaking stage design and great performances of Zoo TV.

 

[MissMoo]

Joshua Tree where you could hear a completely different set each night. It was just them and the stage and they lit it up.

Then ZooTv for its awesome production values.

Having seen every tour since Joshua Tree those would be my choices.

 

[captluther]

Good topic...
Okay, here we go...Top 5

1) ZOOTV first leg
2) Joshua Tree
3) Unforgettable Fire- Sat next to Bob Hewson...didn't even know until Bono made him stand
4) Vertigo
5)Popmart

 

[lauramullen]

I have only seen 3 tours, so in order they would be

Elevation
PopMart
Vertigo

In general top 5

Zoo TV
Joshua Tree
Elevation
PopMart
Vertigo

 

[OrARoundabout]

ZOO T.V
Based on what I've seen on DVD and YouTube LOL

 

[phillyfan26]

ZooTV

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Popmart is probably the coolest, but Vertigo is the only one I've seen in the flesh so I'll go with that.

 

[LemonMelon]

Lovetown was probably their best as far as set variation and performances go. But...man, they nailed down a nearly perfect set for ZooTV, and the swagger and spectacle was a thrill.

Essentially, if you're into collecting bootlegs, Lovetown is the tour for you. But if I could only go to one gig? ZooTV.

 

[Axver]

Lovetown kills everything else on every conceivable level. Setlist, song selection, actual performance, stage presentation - there's barely even any point mentioning any other tours.

My overall ranking:

Very Fine U2 Touring
1. Lovetwn

Fine U2 Touring
2. JT Tour
3. War Tour
4. UF Tour
5. Vertigo
6. October Tour
7. Boy Tour

Mediocre U2 Touring
8. Popmart
9. ZooTV
10. Elevation, 1st/2nd legs

Shithouse U2 Touring
11. Elevation, 3rd leg

 

[kingofsorrow]

Zoo tv, then Popmart. i would have loved to see a lovetown show.

 

[PopMart2005]

Gotta be Popmart.

Though Elevation was good as well, but more because I was in the second row. Popmart blew me away.

 

[dju]

popmart!!!!!

 

[An Cat Gav]

ZOO TV, no doubt at all. Popmart was very disappointing, how can Bono say it was a much clerarer idea ???
After that the next best tour was Lovetown, I saw a Dutch show and an Irish show and it was just as excellent as everyone says. After that I'd say The Joshua Tree, maybe because it was the first U2 tour I'd seen.

 

[65980]

Never having been to a U2 show, I suppose I can't really say, but in general I agree with Axver's list (but I might rank ZooTV a little higher).

Based on what I'm seen/heard, I truly think that PopMart was by far the worst tour. Yeah, Bono talked it up, but I think that's the rock-star in him. He was pissed when Americans slightly snubbed PopMart, and as the band got better and better over 97 and 98 he started boasting about how great they were playing. I think this was more smoke than fire. PopMart featured a horrible introduction, a somewhat (for me) dissatisfying setlist, and some of Bono's weakest vocals. Visually, it was atrocious, with the band's costumes and the stage set looking ridiculous. It was also a point in time when U2 were not very relevant, culturally, and this does not suit them since they strive to be bigger than God.

(which brings to mind a question -- those who are experts on it, please tell me which two or three PopMart bootlegs are the best. Thx.)

 

[65980]

Just to add to what I said above -- I do love the JT tour, when they were relaxed and going for it (not when they were basking in the grand gesture of becoming the world's biggest group).

There was an unpredictable playfulness to them then that I miss. Love this clip!:
YouTube - Interview with Adam Clayton & Bono - Rotterdam 1987

 

[65980]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but when do you see them let their hair down like this anymore? Love those days!:

YouTube - U2 Backstage Lost Highway 1987