Why no Lovetown North American leg?

[Axver]

Not even Acrobat was played, how can you call that a promotion?

Yeah not even ZooTV promoted Achtung properly. Except for that private Hershey rehearsal.

 

[kabigon]

Only 8 songs off the new album to start the show? Didn't even give it a chance.

 

[kingofsorrow]

bastards

 

[Axver]

Only 8 songs off the new album to start the show? Didn't even give it a chance.

Discarded from the ninth song of the night. You get to the end of the main set and it's like it never existed.

 

[Blue Room]

I believe the 'traveling jukebox' comments were directed more (by the band) at The Joshua Tree tour than the '89 tour. Larry in particular seemed to be sort-of bummed by The Joshua Tree tour (well, when isn't he bummed?) because, despite achieving all their dreams and conquering the world at 26, they were playing huge shows that weren't fun, still struggling to hold it together live, and not really enjoying it. They also thought they weren't good enough, live.

I read some interview with Bono where he says that he essentially badgered the other 3 into doing the Lovetown tour. He implied that he had to talk them into it, a lot. But yes, they were keen on making up those lost down-under shows anyway, and maybe Bono used that as a starting point to add in the small shows in Dubin leading up to New Year's Eve angle.

What is particularly great about this tour -- and it's something entirely lost on the band members, evidently -- is that they had no particular agenda, no priority set-list, and no album to promote. It didn't hurt that Bono's voice was in peak form. Some amazing shows here.

In retrospect, and based on what I've read, I *guess* the reason the band members have unhappy memories of this period is not the shows themselves -- which, musically, were fabulous -- but because by late '89 they had all realized that they were in danger of becoming rock dinosaurs and desperately needed to go in a new direction. But during Lovetown they still had no idea what that direction was. So, they were worried and anxious the whole time.

Unfortunately, U2 are the kind of band that feel better when they're hard-selling an album.

Larry was definitely referring to Lovetown with the jukebox comment. But I think you could infer JT tour partially as well as Lovetown was sort of a continuation of the JT tour.

I remember Edge commented that they absolutely loved the 2 hours on stage for this tour but for almost everything else they were not happy.

I think the main reason they have negative memories of this tour has a lot to do where they were as a band and personally. Edge was going through a divorce. Bono was having severe vocal problems causing cancellations. Adam almost did not make the tour due to his little incident in Dublin which would have made getting a passport difficult. Larry was not happy with the direction the band was headed in and/or the setlists. He also complained about not being able to relate to B.B. King and his band, which made things awkward as well. They did not know what to do next and did not enjoy where they were at as a band. Basically they were in a sort of turmoil which carried on into Hansa for recording Achtung Baby. U2 were a lot closer to breaking up than most people realized during this time frame. I think that is why they do not have good memories from this tour.

I enjoy this tour like most of us do. It was short and only went to a few countries which gives it some mystique that may or may not be deserved as well. Absolutely the best performances of any of the Rattle and Hum songs and of One Tree Hill. Also moving ALL the songs around in the setlist consistently gave it a different vibe from most U2 tours. Even though it did not have the most variety, the moving of the songs around constantly gave it that kind of feel. I think their personal turmoil sometimes fueled very energetic performances as well. November 18 in Sydney is regarded as one of their best live shows, ever, and they didn't even play Streets!

 

[Hewson]

bastards

Don't let them grind you down.

 

[The Panther]

Larry was definitely referring to Lovetown with the jukebox comment. But I think you could infer JT tour partially as well as Lovetown was sort of a continuation of the JT tour.

I'm sure you're right. I was thinking of, I think, the VH-1 Documentary several years ago where Larry talks disparagingly of the band's mood during 'The Joshua Tree' tour, and he says it was "hard work" every night. But whatever, Larry's just always a bit grumpy.

I remember Edge commented that they absolutely loved the 2 hours on stage for this tour but for almost everything else they were not happy.

I think the main reason they have negative memories of this tour has a lot to do where they were as a band and personally. Edge was going through a divorce. Bono was having severe vocal problems causing cancellations. Adam almost did not make the tour due to his little incident in Dublin which would have made getting a passport difficult. Larry was not happy with the direction the band was headed in and/or the setlists. He also complained about not being able to relate to B.B. King and his band, which made things awkward as well. They did not know what to do next and did not enjoy where they were at as a band. Basically they were in a sort of turmoil which carried on into Hansa for recording Achtung Baby. U2 were a lot closer to breaking up than most people realized during this time frame. I think that is why they do not have good memories from this tour.

I enjoy this tour like most of us do. It was short and only went to a few countries which gives it some mystique that may or may not be deserved as well. Absolutely the best performances of any of the Rattle and Hum songs and of One Tree Hill. Also moving ALL the songs around in the setlist consistently gave it a different vibe from most U2 tours. Even though it did not have the most variety, the moving of the songs around constantly gave it that kind of feel. I think their personal turmoil sometimes fueled very energetic performances as well. November 18 in Sydney is regarded as one of their best live shows, ever, and they didn't even play Streets!

Excellent post. Agree on all counts.

 

[Tommy WM]

On paper it would have seemed like an odd choice to tour extensively again. However, Rattle and Hum was a huge record here in Australia. Desire, Angel of Harlem, All I Want Is You and When Love Comes to Town are probably the most played U2 songs on the radio still today. They stayed from late September until late November in 1989. That was unprecedented back then and even now. I mean what popular band would do such a thing in Australia in this current age?

It surprised me that they didn't include any material in the 'From the Sky Down' documentary of the Lovetown Special. Anybody who has seen that will tell you the band was loving life and produced some of the finest live performances. Bono and Edge even wrote material that later became demos of a huge chunk of Achtung Baby.

They definitely didn't seem or sound like a band in turmoil. I mean U2's finest live moment even happened on the tour:

 

[Blue Room]

On paper it would have seemed like an odd choice to tour extensively again. However, Rattle and Hum was a huge record here in Australia. Desire, Angel of Harlem, All I Want Is You and When Love Comes to Town are probably the most played U2 songs on the radio still today. They stayed from late September until late November in 1989. That was unprecedented back then and even now. I mean what popular band would do such a thing in Australia in this current age?

It surprised me that they didn't include any material in the 'From the Sky Down' documentary of the Lovetown Special. Anybody who has seen that will tell you the band was loving life and produced some of the finest live performances. Bono and Edge even wrote material that later became demos of a huge chunk of Achtung Baby.

They definitely didn't seem or sound like a band in turmoil. I mean U2's finest live moment even happened on the tour:

The band have indicated all of that after the fact. I do not think they would show that they were in turmoil for a documentary that was shot during the tour. But it is well documented by the band, afterwards that they were.

Lovetown occurred to make up for the Joshua Tree tour dates for Australia that were cancelled to work on Rattle and Hum. Otherwise it most likely would not even have happened. Rattle and Hum being popular there had nothing to do with it.

 

[Oregoropa]

It's too bad they didn't do more shows. Watching the Lovetown videos Bono's voice was at its Zenith. He never sounded better.


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[The Panther]

Lovetown occurred to make up for the Joshua Tree tour dates for Australia that were cancelled to work on Rattle and Hum. Otherwise it most likely would not even have happened. Rattle and Hum being popular there had nothing to do with it.

Er... yes, it was a 'make-up' of sorts, but I think what Tommy WM was saying is that they wouldn't have hung around Auz for weeks on end if the record hadn't been enormously well received. I'm fairly sure this huge success did, in fact, influence their choice to spend time there and to make a documentary.

A few months before they went Down Under, 'All I Want is You' had reached #2 in the Auz singles' charts, for example, while it simultaneously reached #83 on the US charts. They were probably keen to spend some time somewhere where they'd face less critical scrutiny than Ireland/US/UK, and where the weather would be warmer in early winter.

 

[Axver]

I do wonder how lengthy the canned JT Tour leg of Australia and New Zealand would have been. It would have still been substantial, but perhaps a few less shows. For instance the second Auckland show was thinly attended even with the extra encouragement offered by R&H's roaring success (I believe it was 60,000 for the first show, 20,000 for the second, but that's off the top of my head and may be wrong), so I imagine on the hypothetical JT Tour leg they would've stuck with just one show there. Sydney and Melbourne may not have quite made it to eight and seven shows either.

 

[Blue Room]

Er... yes, it was a 'make-up' of sorts, but I think what Tommy WM was saying is that they wouldn't have hung around Auz for weeks on end if the record hadn't been enormously well received. I'm fairly sure this huge success did, in fact, influence their choice to spend time there and to make a documentary.

A few months before they went Down Under, 'All I Want is You' had reached #2 in the Auz singles' charts, for example, while it simultaneously reached #83 on the US charts. They were probably keen to spend some time somewhere where they'd face less critical scrutiny than Ireland/US/UK, and where the weather would be warmer in early winter.

It may have influenced a few more shows in some cities. But it did not influence whether the tour was going to happen. If U2 had played Australia as scheduled originally on the Joshua Tree tour, the Lovetown tour probably would not have happened regardless of the Rattle and Hum success there. U2 was absolutely THE band in 1987 and would have had no problem doing a similar itinerary they did for Lovetown in 1988 if it had happened.

I remember seeing the original itinerary in a magazine or book back then. It had South America in Jan. 1988 and Australia/Japan in February and March 1988 from what I remember. I think it is buried in a box of U2 stuff in my basement or it was tossed in a move. It was the usual showing the first 2 or 3 shows scheduled with plenty of space between to add shows once those sold out. The original Lovetown itinerary which I also have buried had the same thing which is obviously what they do even now.

I'm not arguing that the Lovetown tour was great. Some of the bootlegs from it are the best U2 boots out there with some fantastic shows as I indicated before. Is it their best tour? I don't think so, but it did not play everywhere and a lot of people did not get to see it. So it gives it that mystique quality I mentioned previously. Honestly I do not think any U2 tour since probably War is head and shoulders over another. They are all so different and great in their own way.

 

[Halup]

Does anybody know why the Lovetown tour never made it to North America? Or why it only had a limited run in Europe? The whole tour seems a little strange to me, timing wise. Rattle and Hum was released in the fall of 1988, yet the Lovetown Tour didn't begin until September 89. Was there originally intended to be more shows in 1989? R&H was actually a successful album, and JT was still a hit, you'd think the potentially for a massive world tour in 1989 would've been huge. Just wondering if anybody has any info as to why things unfolded the way they did?

Love town is, IMO, when the band were at their best in terms of performing their songs. The band was tight, Bono was singing strong, and the shows were great.

As others stated, it never was intended to go to North America and was meant to give Australia, New Zealand and Japan the shows they didn't get for The Joshua Tree, but with new songs added from Rattle And Hum. Any of the backlash that came on the heals of the Rattle And Hum movie had no impact on North American shows, as they never were planned. You can think of it in terms of Zooropa, where even though they had a new album, there was never an intention to return to North America.

The tour was reportedly originally planned for a March 1989 start, which would be similar to how they do things now with releasing a new album in the fall and not starting to the until the spring.

I remember being upset knowing that I would miss this tour, as I didn't have the money to travel to Australia. I do recall that most American U2 fans had no idea that U2 even toured behind Rattle And Hum. It was pre-internet, so unless your local newspaper mentioned this tour, you had very little information on it. I recall buying a U2 fan magazine in 1990 that had a breakdown of all the shows, but when Zoo TV came around in 1992, I recall meeting many people who never heard of this Love Town tour. The TV special was never shown in the US until the 2000s.

Some of the tension that U2 was going through at the time was Adam's drug bust in the summer of 89, which they feared could had lead to having to cancel the tour, but he was let off lightly and it was able to proceed.

I believe the European dates only came about once they pushed the tour start back to September and ended up having a little bit of time in December that they decided to use to play a few cities. Once Bono had the vocal problems in Amsterdam, the end of the tour was pushed back to January 1990.

 

[AndrewCowley]

It's significant to consider whether an extended JT tour into Australia would been an arena or stadium tour. Had it been a stadium tour then of course there's no chance it would have lasted as long as the Lovetown tour did.

 

[Oregoropa]

That was such a great tour. Setlist variation. Bono's voice at its Zenith


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