The U2 Cycle - A (Not) Bold and (Un) Risky Prediction

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namkcuR

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The cycle is starting again. I'd say we're all expecting something like...

1.Hope for more beach clips, listen to them if they come and over-analyze every little shred of information that comes our way about the new album.

2.Once the album title, tracklisting, and rough radio release date for the first single are made known to us, most likely sometime in August, go into hype over-drive, and continue doing everything in #1 even more intensely until mid-September when we spend the three or four days leading up to the specified radio release date for the first single listening to radio stations like KRQQ and the like when they say they're going to play the single on 'day x' in advance of the official radio release, but don't say exactly when, so that we're all glued to the radio stations online for hours/days on end not knowing if they're actually going to play it or not. When the first clean mp3 of the first single is finally posted here on Interference, we all go nuts, play it over and over again, and overanalyze it to death for the next 1-2 months.

3.When the whole album leaks two weeks prior to the official release(late October or early November, depending on when the official release is), all hell breaks loose, the Interference servers are given all they can handle, and we all go nuts with 'Top 5 songs on the album', 'Worst 5 songs on the album', 'rank the songs the on album', 'Where do your rank this album in U2's discography', 'song x is overrated', 'song x is underrated', etc etc threads a full two weeks before the album is even out.

4.We have party threads for every single show of the fall pre-tour(SNL, some not-so-secret secret show in a small venue in a big city somewhere, some little gig from their studio in Dublin broadcast over an online radio station, etc etc) and wait with baited breath for someone to upload the video/audio of each.

5.Once the new year comes, we spend endless hours, days, and weeks trying to guess what songs from the new album will be regulars in the setlist, what 'classics' will be regulars in the setlist, what songs U2 will 'revive' that haven't been played in a long time, which albums they will favor in the setlist, etc.

6.When the tickets for the tour go on sale, a plethora of threads will be unleashed bitching about how hard it is to get tickets to a U2 show and how they're too expensive, and using colorful language to express disapproval of scalpers.

7.On opening night of the tour, someone somewhere will be telling us what songs they're playing as they're playing them, and we all post :rockon: or :banghead: accordingly after each song is listed.

8.Later in the wee hours of that night and into the next day, the first boots of the first show appear and the Interference servers temporarily break down as a thousand people click the same link at the same time.

9.For the rest of the spring, summer, and fall, everyone goes to shows, everyone takes part in setlist parties, debate is had between each leg about what songs will be dropped and what songs will be added, and fun is had.

10.In November of 2009, the first DVD from the tour is released.

11.The tour finishes, and we start reminiscing. In the fall of 2010, some compilation of some sort is released.

12.EYKIW becomes relatively quiet until mid-late 2011 when the first barely audible beach clips and random misinterpreted lyrics are posted, and we start all over again.

Does that about cover it?

:wink:
 
8.Later in the wee hours of that night and into the next day, the first boots of the first show appear and the Interference servers temporarily break down as a thousand people click the same link at the same time.

This was my favourite one.

And you just know dozens of people will post "Ack!! I thought I was banned!!! :ohmy: " as soon as the boards come back up. :)

We are nothing if not predictable. :wink:
 
Well covered, you missed one important thing. Most of us will salivating when the new album finally leaks. And in one year, after the tour cools off, the real new album criticism will begin. There will be more and more bashing threads.
 
The only thing up for speculation is the actual music on the new album.

Everything you say leading up to that and happening afterwards is exactly 100% right.

:down::sexywink:
 
You forgot that one poster that always creates an alter or new member stating they are an insider and have a quarter of the interference population believing U2 will play 'Wake Me Up', Bono will be dressing in drag, or there will be a cover of 'Coming to America' on the album.
 
You forgot all of the single releases, where countless threads are created in hopes of getting the "single versions" and b-sides from each release.
 
What about the part where an indie rock radio station promises to play a new U2 song off the new U2 album while doing a very repetitive U2 marathon on their station only to not play the song and instead at the end of the marathon a certain old knucklehead ex punk rock band singer turned actor turned VH1 nostalgic show dude comes on the air to badmouth them and then do his show that no one gives a crap about.

That's part of the cycle right?
 
Well covered, you missed one important thing. Most of us will salivating when the new album finally leaks. And in one year, after the tour cools off, the real new album criticism will begin. There will be more and more bashing threads.

Bingo.
 
8.Later in the wee hours of that night and into the next day, the first boots of the first show appear and the Interference servers temporarily break down as a thousand people click the same link at the same time.

And people will bitch and moan when subsequent shows aren't available as quickly....
 
What about the part where an indie rock radio station promises to play a new U2 song off the new U2 album while doing a very repetitive U2 marathon on their station only to not play the song and instead at the end of the marathon a certain old knucklehead ex punk rock band singer turned actor turned VH1 nostalgic show dude comes on the air to badmouth them and then do his show that no one gives a crap about.

That's part of the cycle right?

:up:

What a dick that guy is.
 
first time in the process also...I'm so damn excited...looking forward to it all. Interference and this band RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
man i'm looking forward to setlist parties

i'm pretty sure my post count straight up doubled during a few weeks in summer 2005, doing setlist parties every day when I got up in the middle of the afternoon. that was fun.
 
Many of the points you wrote are very true in the current world. Back when Interference leaked "Discotheque" in late 1996, it took a long time to download the song as dial-up was the only way to go. MP3's? What were those? Broadband? But of course, now, there's bound to be some leak somewhere. So I definitely predict leaks and over-analyses and threads about bombarding radio stations to play the song, etc.

However, I do hope some things change.

After "Pop", U2 did need to reinvent themselves for many reasons. "Pop" clearly didn't turn out as U2 hoped nor did it receive the reception they wanted. But even if "Pop" was a huge success, just as AB signified a change from the 80's to the 90's, ATYCLB needed to be a change from the 90's to the 00's. But given that "Pop" didn't fare as well as hoped, U2 had to work extra hard promoting ATYCLB. They continued that trend with HTDAAB.

Now that U2 is "back" (at least in the commercial aspect), I wonder if they will once again have all of these numerous pre-concert performances. Will they appear on SNL, Letterman or other Late Night shows? Will they do roof top performances?

While I loved seeing U2 on those shows, a part of me does yearn a bit for the JT/AB era of U2, where they'd never do such blantant commercial marketing. I'm already appreciating the lack of hype from the band for this upcoming release. The tiny snippets from Lanois and Eno are nothing - just a tease. This contrasts what was said for prior albums - even "Pop" - considerably and I'm liking it. Let the music speak for itself. Let the imagery of the tour showcase the messages. Let the album stand on quality, not marketing (well, not as much marketing).

I realize what I just wrote contradicts statements I've made in the past - namely that the world has changed and videos and radio are not enough. That is true - rare is the band that gets big simply by radio air time these days. That existed through the 80's and even the early 90's, but is long gone now. Still, I wouldn't mind U2 toning things down a bit so that fans can discover the quality of the music, without all the commercials, pre-tour performances, and hype.
 
I concur with the good Dr.

If any band can so it without the publicity machine, it's U2.


However, expect McGuiness to say no to that approach.
 
sadly, i agree with the first post. and i agree with doctorwho, that it'd be lovely if they didn't appear on every single late night show to promote the album. less is more.
 
This will be my first time in the cycle, so I am excited as hell.

Make sure to not get screwed over ticketmaster sales, then, as I was in 2005; make sure to register with the u2.com membership to get the best tickets. I haven't done it, but I'm planning to.

Regarding the first post, I just hope all this effort and excitement is worth it, unlike the the last few albums! Please let it be artistic and have great, innovative melodies and lyrics!
 
You forgot all of the single releases, where countless threads are created in hopes of getting the "single versions" and b-sides from each release.

"OMG guys, I'm a huge U2 fan but my hard drive just crashed and I'm looking to get my collection completed again -- just looking for the new album tracks and the new B-sides though."

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