Which 2000s songs from 360 survive I+E cut?

[Mac Phisto]

U2 faces a challenge countless bands would envy. They have a treasure chest of war horse hits that fans -- both casual and many serious ones -- expect to hear. But beyond that obligation to their fans is an obligation to themselves -- not to become a dinosaur jukebox act that stops trying to be relevant.

So how does U2 balance the hits and fan favorites of their first 20 years with the three albums that preceded Songs of Innocence? There's only so many songs per night, which gives more insight into the innocence and experience angle. It's not just a smart hook, it's one born out of necessity for a band that wants to avoid becoming their generation's Rolling Stones.

So, with six new SOI songs sliding into the playlist and other setlist changes in store, what stays and what goes from their recent catalogue?

Lock it in

Beautiful Day
Vertigo

The only millennium definites in my mind, both of which can be expected to be heard by "Innocence" and "Experience" goers. BD is special to the band for obvious reasons and is as locked into their act as Streets or Pride at this point. Vertigo is a live monster and their last true worldwide hit.


Near locks for inclusion

City Of Blinding Lights
Stuck In A Moment
Elevation
Walk On
Magnificent

I expect all these songs to be involved in some fashion. COBL stands the best chance of being an every night option. Elevation has a good shot, too, given its ability to light up the crowd. I have a sneaking suspicion NLOTH will get the same treatment POP got on the Elevation tour; i.e. only one song survives. My guess is that Magnificent is that song.


On the chopping block

In A Little While
Get On Your Boots
Electrical Storm
Moment Of Surrender

IALW made a nice comeback on the 360 Tour, but it may have reached the end of its underdog live run. GOYB found its legs on tour, but is still probably seen as a failure in the band's eyes. I don't think we'll hear it again. I can imagine ES being swapped out for Invisible or Ordinary Love. Moment of Surrender? Probably my favorite song on NLOTH, but it might feel out of place when removed from 360's anchor spot.

See ya

Breathe
Unknown Caller
I Know I'll Go Crazy
No Line On The Horizon

All NLOTH songs that never found their footing in live setting. Please don't tell me you'll miss the disco song with the bongos.

 

[djerdap]

Hopefully none.

Beautiful Day, Vertigo, Stuck in a Moment and Elevation are very likely though.

 

[d.darroch]

^ This. I'd be happy if they kept it to just BD, & throw Fez in there somewhere for us please!

 

[An Cat Gav]

Hopefully none.

Beautiful Day, Vertigo, Stuck in a Moment and Elevation are very likely though.

I agree, but wouldn't be surprised if they through Magnificent in as well.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I predict that All Because of You gets revived in a major way, for no accountable reason.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Have they ever done a tour where the previous album's lead single doesn't at the very least start the tour in the set list?

 

[djerdap]

No Numb on Popmart.

And interestingly enough, looking at Ax's database, A Day Without Me wasn't played for some time for the first part of the October Tour.

But I'd be very surprised if they played Sexy Boots again.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Before this thread deteriorates into a millennial U2 bashing session...I would expect the following:

Beautiful Day
Elevation(gets the crowd going more than almost any song in their catalog)
Vertigo
COBL
Magnificent

I would be thrilled if the played Love and Peace of Else.


SOI: 9 songs(take your pick)
00's: 5 songs
90's: 4 songs
80's: 6 songs

That's 24 songs.

Opener will be Reach me Now.
Closet will be The Crystal Ballroom(probably not but I'm hopeful)





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[bobsaget77]

I think Magnificent will come back and Moment Of Surrender and Boots are possible. Unless they also go with an extended acoustic set in which, while a long shot, White As Snow could be a possibility.
Vertigo, BD, and COBL are the only millennial locks imo.
I think from SOI...
Miracle, EBW, SFS, Invisible, California, Volcano, and Cedarwood are all locks. Reach and Raised By Wolves are likely, and the rest is basically a toss up.



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[CosmoKramer]

I think from SOI...
Reach and Raised By Wolves are likely, and the rest is basically a toss up.



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I actually think Reach me Know is going to be the "live pillar" of SOI like Breathe/Boots were to NLOTH and be played every night. I just hope it will translate better live(I have a feeling it will).




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[liamcool]

Have they ever done a tour where the previous album's lead single doesn't at the very least start the tour in the set list?

Also notable, Fire was only played at the very first War Tour show, and then disappeared from U2's setlists, only to reappear...uh, never?

Calling it, Fire opens the first night of the tour.

 

[prbiker15]

Beautiful Day
Elevation(gets the crowd going more than almost any song in their catalog)
Vertigo
COBL
Magnificent

I would be surprised if COBL was taken out. I personally think no NLOTH songs will show up.

As for SOI...The Miracle, EBW, California, SFS, Volcano and Cedarwood Road are guaranteed. Not sure about the rest.

 

[Hollow Island]

I could see Vertigo being dropped because Volcano fills the same function. I think Beautiful Day will be the only one from the 00s to get played at every show.

 

[PhilsFan]

They dropped Magnificent from the setlist by the end of 360 (excluding Philadelphia, where they dropped The Fly because God hates me). So there is still hope that this turd sandwich of boredom doesn't make it to the new tour.

 

[popacrobat]

Vertigo and Beautiful Day will be played.

Stuck, Elevation, In a Little While, City of Blinding Lights are probable to me.

I think Original of the Species may make a comeback this tour. I'm hoping New York does, but not holding my breath.

As for No Line, I don't think they'll completely abandon it. Even on Elevation Tour, they played some Pop songs. I'm hoping for the title track or Breathe.

 

[Mack_Again]

I am thinking BD and Vertigo will be played in some ways.
But if U2 will go for acoustic in some dates or whatever, I think songs like Stuck in a moment or songs like Man and Woman can survive.

 

[wolbersu2]

Magnificent, for sure.
Beautiful Day , for the masses.
Vertigo, for sing-a-long
Ordinary love, for freedom
Moment of Surrender, for closing a show
Every breaking wave, for replacing WOWY,
The Troubles, for the politics
Iris, for completing the trilogy with Tomorrow, Mofo.
Cedarwood Road, for dreaming it all up again.

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[LuckyNumber7]

I think it's really enjoyable to read some theories here.

Vertigo isn't going anywhere, regardless of how much you might want it to.

And some really random stuff won't make a comeback, unless it was a previous staple (like Bad or something).

 

[popacrobat]

And some really random stuff won't make a comeback, unless it was a previous staple (like Bad or something).

Uh, what? They pulled Zooropa out of the clear blue sky last tour, and resurrected Unforgettable Fire and Ultra Violet. Not to mention making In a Little While a semi-regular after missing Vertigo Tour, and then Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me Kill me... not to mention the stuff they tried and ultimately dropped (Your Blue Room, Electrical Storm). Vertigo Tour had plenty of stuff dusted off too.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I don't agree with "Walk On" or "Magnificent" being all that likely. "Walk On" is the sort of track that you'd expect to be a staple every other tour, so I imagine it gets a rest this time around.

"Magnificent" (and every other song from NLOTH) is going to have a hard time making the set list as not many people are interested in hearing that material.

For what it's worth, none of the 00's songs were all that wanted by fans in the recent polls I did here for the next tour's setlists. Diehards clearly want to hear cuts from SOI along with hits/rarities from the 80s/90s.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

They dropped Magnificent from the setlist by the end of 360 (excluding Philadelphia, where they dropped The Fly because God hates me). So there is still hope that this turd sandwich of boredom doesn't make it to the new tour.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Uh, what? They pulled Zooropa out of the clear blue sky last tour, and resurrected Unforgettable Fire and Ultra Violet. Not to mention making In a Little While a semi-regular after missing Vertigo Tour, and then Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me Kill me... not to mention the stuff they tried and ultimately dropped (Your Blue Room, Electrical Storm). Vertigo Tour had plenty of stuff dusted off too.

You're still talking about songs that had stock. Or, Zooropa that had specific theme.

It's hopeful thinking, throwing cemented stuff out and adding in random material that one likes.

 

[PennyLanePHINS]

Almost definitely: Beautiful Day, Vertigo, COBL, Walk On, MOS. Maybe: Elevation, Stuck, Magnificent.

The rest could be shelved for the return of a few others maybe. Like Kite, OOTS, Miracle Drug. Especially with (possibly) some songs alternating each night. I think they could break out some surprises like with Zooropa, Electrical Storm & Your Blue Room which goes from any decade.

 

[digitize]

100% chance of Beautiful Day and Vertigo, every single night. Nothing else is certain. In particular, I'm prepared to see zero No Line representation. If anything from No Line is played, it'll be Magnificent or MOS.

From other albums, COBL, Walk On, Stuck In A Moment, and Elevation are most likely. COBL will probably happen, but not certainly. (I very much hope that it does.) Of the three aforementioned ATYCLB singles, at least one will be played, but probably not all three, at least on the same night.


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[zoopop]

After reading interviews, especially from Larry, I don't think we'll see/hear anything from NLOTH.

-Beautiful Day
-Vertigo (maybe new arrangement)

will be played.

I think Elevation & COBL will take a break this tour. Haven't both been played at every show since their release?

 

[djerdap]

Haven't both been played at every show since their release?

Cobble yes, Elevation no.

 

[Irvine511]

Thematically, COBL, OOTS, and Kite make the most sense.

I feel as if we've heard rumors that they are going to be fairly brtual with their back catalogue, and nothing is sacred. We might see the retirement of the 00 warhorses (Stuck, Elevation, Vertigo). I think only BD is a lock, it's a general public Top 5 song, and an expectation for all those ATYCLB babies.

I think we'll get one NLOTH. While Elevation was a semi-apology for Pop and PopMart, they did play "Gone" as if to say, "but it wasn't all bad, we love this one." I bet we get the same, only I hope it's NLOTH and not Mag, but I doubt it. Boots may survive, it was better live.

 

[Axver]

ATYCLB: Beautiful Day is a lock. No matter what U2 do, Elevation and Stuck seem to keep cropping up even when they try to not play them, so they'll probably loiter. Stuck seems more likely this time around, given its promo tour appearances (though that's no guarantee). Walk On served a specific purpose on 360 and likely won't reappear this tour unless there's some global event into which Bono decides to tie it. In a Little While was the "album cut resurrection" for 360, so it'll vanish again. If they're still feeling in love with ATYCLB, then my bet is for Kite, especially for the Experience nights.

HTDAAB: Vertigo is a lock. I think COBL has had a good run the last two tours and will have a bit of a rest this time. I expect one or two other HTDAAB songs to appear but it's a real toss-up what they might be. The resurrected album cut could be one essentially on debut that the band have rediscovered: A Man and a Woman, having been played just once before, at an off-tour event in 2011.

NLOTH: I won't be shocked if Boots is put out to pasture, but my expectation is for it to be in the setlist initially and then quickly disappear (the Discotheque-on-Elevation approach, as noted below). Magnificent, despite going a bit AWOL late on 360, I suspect will remain in the setlist. Moment of Surrender will fall by the wayside after serving a specific purpose on 360, though if the band find a good mid-show segue for it, it could live on. I wonder if they might consider Crazy Tonight or even White as Snow for an acoustic set? Unlikely.

Have they ever done a tour where the previous album's lead single doesn't at the very least start the tour in the set list?

djerdap and liamcool have already noted some, but here we go:

October Tour: A Day Without Me missed the entire first leg. It didn't find its feet live until it was paired with I Threw a Brick on the second leg.
War Tour: Fire was played on the December 1982 pre-tour, but on the tour proper it appeared at just one gig, the first: Dundee, 26 February 1983. It hasn't been seen since.
UF Tour: New Year's Day was a lock. We don't have sets from every show, but I think it is in every known full setlist.
JT Tour: Pride was played at every show.
Lovetown: WOWY missed 11 shows out of 47, scattered across the tour but particularly concentrated at the end (appearing at just 3 of the 8 final shows).
ZooTV: Desire was played at most shows on the first four legs, but was then dropped for the fifth leg.
Popmart: this was the first tour after both Achtung and Zooropa. Neither The Fly nor Numb were played at all (though The Fly was snippeted a few times). This is the first and only time that a lead single has not been played at all during the next tour on which it could appear.
Elevation Tour: Discotheque was clearly meant to be a fixture at the start, but fell out of the setlist pretty much by the end of the first leg. It made a handful of appearances in Europe and then disappeared for good, making it to just 18 shows out of 113.
Vertigo Tour: Beautiful Day was played at every show.
360: Vertigo was played at every show.

I think Elevation & COBL will take a break this tour. Haven't both been played at every show since their release?

The following songs have been played at every full tour show since their debut:

One, since 1992
Beautiful Day, since 2001
Vertigo, since 2005
City of Blinding Lights, since 2005
Crazy Tonight, since 2009
Get on Your Boots, since 2009

Yes, Streets has missed shows - twelve in 1987, one in 1989. Until the start of the 360 Tour, Bullet actually had a better live record than Streets. And in case anybody's forgotten, Moment of Surrender missed two shows on 360 so it doesn't count either.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

BD and Vertigo are pretty much locks.
The rest is very open, but I would bet on Kite, Stuck, COBL and to some extand GOYB.
Really hoping Elevation and mostly Walk on are going to bed for a while....
MOS, no chance. Magnificent, maybe, nothing else from NLOTH I bet.

We'll know in 48 days

 

[Hallucination]

Beautiful Day and Vertigo are in 100% for sure. I think Magnificent will stay too. It will be the only songs from NLOTH that stays.

I'd like for them to retire Stuck In a Moment, Walk On and maybe City of Blinding Lights for this tour and replace them with Kite and All Because of You.

I just really hope Invisible and Crystal Ballroom make the cut.

Moment of Surrender, for closing a show

They will NOT use MOS to close the shows. They aren't gonna use the same song to close shows on back to back tours.

I could see Vertigo being dropped because Volcano fills the same function. I think Beautiful Day will be the only one from the 00s to get played at every show.

Vertigo will not be dropped. It's aguably their biggest hit this century. That or Beautiful Day and it's a rock song. U2 needs as many rock songs as they can get in the set. No way Vertigo gets dropped.