Why no live Acrobat?

[LemonMirrorSky]

If freaking cover bands have played the song, then I don't know what is so difficult in figuring out how to play the song, no matter how complicated Edge's riff is! I think it must be some personal reason that none of us know about why they never play it. Either that or they keep forgetting that the song exists.

 

[jeevey]

I was listening to AB today and wondering, is Acrobat Bono's most emotional performance on that record? It's so visceral, somewhere around the end of the third verse, it sounds like he might just puke. I'm not sure I would want to sing it again either.

 

[Meg]

Didn't they say that is not so much the difficulty of playing it live but rather that it just doesn't "go off" the way they would like it to? It is not what people expect them to play. But that for me would make it all that more appealing to hear live.

In regards to this comment " put it on the shelf -essentially permanently - because Edge couldn't remember how he played it and it was in a fast 3/4" from U2DMfan, can they read music? or are they an purely live, on the spot sort of arrangement? I don't know and am curious, there's a lot of grand bands that cannot read a lick of manuscript.

 

[jeevey]

I don't think they can much. They're pretty self taught, and I've heard all of them say at one time or another that their performances are quite white knuckle- that it's a struggle just not to fuck up.

I think when Bono said that about it not going off as they wanted it to, I got the feeling that it was just too dark to recover from in a live setting. What on earth would you play after it?

 

[Tommy WM]

One step at a time people....I'm still waiting for Drowning Man.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

But keep in mind 'freaking cover bands' might don't have emotional baggage that seems to be attached to that song. That might be why they don't play it.

 

[spaderholic]

I'd so love to hear Acrobat live. It's a magnificent song, one of my all-time faves. It's so powerful and raw and the drumming on that song, wow! I could understand Bono finding it a bit too raw and emotional to perform live though. If only though. I'd give anything to be at a live performance of that song!

 

[Peterrrrr]

In September last year I meet Dallas in the crowd on the last Stockholm show, I spooke to him for a few minutes and asked him about Acrobat. He told me that the band have done rehearsals on it.

 

[Mack_Again]

dammit Peterrrr is that even real?

 

[Muad'zin]

In September last year I meet Dallas in the crowd on the last Stockholm show, I spooke to him for a few minutes and asked him about Acrobat. He told me that the band have done rehearsals on it.

That still seems as vague as every anwer so far. Have done rehearsals when? In 1992? 2015? Anywhere in between?

My guess is they have moved on musically. It was a song from an album long ago and if there was a time and place to play it it was during Zoo TV. Now, they have revisited Zooropa for the last two tours but methinks it was because they felt it had become relevant again. It's message of uncertainty in 2011 and to make us hug illegal immi...., uh, refugees in 2015. So maybe, if they feel that Acrobat has become weirdly relevant again, well, maybe then.

I wouldn't put any money on them ever playing what is essentially an obscure song from an album long ago. But then again I wouldn't have put any money on them playing TUF, Zooropa and Your Blue Room again either. So I guess expect nothing, be potentially pleasantly surprised? Chances are even if they did play it Murphy will still manage to ruin it for us. Kinda like when they played Discotheque on the Vertigo tour, with the best arrangement EVER. And they only played it twice and we only got one recording out of it while from the other performance whoever captured it sat on it for like forever.

 

[Galeongirl]

Yeah they rehearsed in Hershey in 92... we got those recordings. That's all that ever happened. It's never gonna happen.

 

[Peterrrrr]

That still seems as vague as every anwer so far. Have done rehearsals when? In 1992? 2015? Anywhere in between?

My guess is they have moved on musically. It was a song from an album long ago and if there was a time and place to play it it was during Zoo TV. Now, they have revisited Zooropa for the last two tours but methinks it was because they felt it had become relevant again. It's message of uncertainty in 2011 and to make us hug illegal immi...., uh, refugees in 2015. So maybe, if they feel that Acrobat has become weirdly relevant again, well, maybe then.

I wouldn't put any money on them ever playing what is essentially an obscure song from an album long ago. But then again I wouldn't have put any money on them playing TUF, Zooropa and Your Blue Room again either. So I guess expect nothing, be potentially pleasantly surprised? Chances are even if they did play it Murphy will still manage to ruin it for us. Kinda like when they played Discotheque on the Vertigo tour, with the best arrangement EVER. And they only played it twice and we only got one recording out of it while from the other performance whoever captured it sat on it for like forever.

On him it sounded like they done it recently, Dallas was very positive to the song.

 

[kabigon]

Two Hearts wasn't exactly given much of a shot, maybe there's a 0.001% chance now instead of 0.0001%.

Imagine it slotting in between Bullet and Zooropa...

 

[hasin73]

Acrobet is my all-time favourite song from my all-time favourite band. If they ever play it live one day, then that day would be the most memorable day to me in the history of U2's 40 years career. I even can't imagine what crazy things I might do on that particular moment. It's a long 26 years wait.

 

[Debra S]

Hi

It has been asked about a thousand times, to all band members. And we've only had vague answers, like

Bono: Well in order for us to play it the Edge has to meditate in a tree for a week

or something like that.

So yeah, I do not have a clue WHY they won't play it. Perhaps they're afraid they can't live up to the expectations now since it's pretty much a legend amongst fans. Then again, they did rehearse it for the Outside Broadcast leg of ZooTv.

WTF...What does The Edge say,,? and then, the saints go marching, out into the fray, CONQUERING the Enemy and ...

...Savoring (*) the day...lol,, -- next :}

 

[Debra S]

Really??

Two Hearts wasn't exactly given much of a shot, maybe there's a 0.001% chance now instead of 0.0001%.

Imagine it slotting in between Bullet and Zooropa...[/QUOTE/]

No no,, you need //fast cars// in between, then RUSH...Red Barcheta, what a Kanadian farce, stories abuut ha --- automobiles in the great wide Northe, oh Canada.. oh ohhh..

well?

 

[corianderstem]

Serious question - Is English not your first language?

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Its like Cactus Annie on crystal meth

 

[Debra S]

Crazy?

Serious question - Is English not your first language?

Yes. And Spanish is my SECOND... -}}

and f f third...

well...Reagon? Alztheimer's patient until the second term.. >oh so sad..

pues?

 

[corianderstem]

Uh ....

 

[coolian2]

There's no blinking in confusion smiley, is there?

 

[gvox]

Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[deltau922]

They’re gonna have to play it at the AB30 Tour

 

[silkensky]

They’re gonna have to play it at the AB30 Tour

And it will be with Edge on piano just like RHMT

 

[The_acrobat]

Or the Bono acoustic version, like they did in the zoo tv Hershey rehearsals.

I cannot believe they did what they did to RHMT!!!

 

[TheGeekyU2Fan]

How about no live Heartland? Rattle and hum is turning 30. I still don't know why they didn't play it live

 

[deltau922]

Or the Bono acoustic version, like they did in the zoo tv Hershey rehearsals.

I cannot believe they did what they did to RHMT!!!

Everyone was so worried about how Bono was going to pull off that song that they forgot to ask what in the world Edge would do with it.

 

[YBORCITY]

How about no live Heartland? Rattle and hum is turning 30. I still don't know why they didn't play it live

This is a great point also, what a great song and it would be right up there with them playing Acrobat. Weirdly, I seem to remember reading somewhere that Heartland was Adam's favorite U2 song (or something like that).

Funny story about Acrobat, myself, Ms. YBOR and friends met Edge before an I+E concert at MSG and Ms. YBOR asks "when are you going to play Acrobat?" Which Edge responds "I never heard that question before." She ended by saying "we love you Edge!" fangirl...

 

[The_Pac_Mule]