Songs that U2 have never played live

[PopFly]

I might be a little rusty on this, but here it goes.....

October: Stranger In A Strange Land, Is That All
War: The Refugee, Red Light
Unforgettable Fire: Promenade, 4th of July, Elvis Presley & America
Joshua Tree: Red Hill Mining Town
Rattle & Hum: Heartland
Achtung Baby: Acrobat
Zooropa: Some Days Are Better Than Others, The Wanderer
Pop: The Playboy Mansion
ATYCLB: When I Look At The World, Grace
HTDAAB: Man And A Woman, Crumbs From Your Table, One Step Closer


Come on, U2, all you need to do is play ONE of these songs in each concert and by the end of the European leg, you'll have gotten them all out of the way! Whaddya say?

 

[Ghostwriter]

Joshua Tree: Red Hill Mining Town
Rattle & Hum: Heartland
Achtung Baby: Acrobat, So Cruel
ATYCLB: When I Look At The World

These are five of U2's best songs, and all would kick arse if they were played full-band live. Alas, we'll probably just keep hearing the same overplayed ones over and over.

 

[Chizip]

id die if they played promenade

 

[Niceman]

id die if they played promenade

So it's your fault that they can't play it!?!?!


Bastard!

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

So cruel was played once or twice acoustic during ZOO TV..... can't remember where though....

Yeah, Promenade.... I would die as well...

 

[2861U2]

I think they played When I Look At The World once on the third leg of the Elevation Tour

 

[Axver]

I think they played When I Look At The World once on the third leg of the Elevation Tour

It was a snippet at the end of one performance of Bad.

Here's a complete list of all album songs that have never appeared live in ANY form:

War: The Refugee, Red Light
The Unforgettable Fire: Promenade, 4th Of July, Elvis Presley And America
The Joshua Tree: Red Hill Mining Town (though it was extensively soundchecked on 28 November 1987)
Achtung Baby: Acrobat (though we do have a recording of it from a rehearsal)
Zooropa: Some Days Are Better Than Others, The Wanderer
All That You Can't Leave Behind: Grace
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: A Man And A Woman, Crumbs From Your Table, One Step Closer

Songs that have ONLY been snippeted:

October: Stranger In A Strange Land
War: Drowning Man
Rattle And Hum: Heartland
Zooropa: The First Time
Pop: The Playboy Mansion
All That You Can't Leave Behind: Peace On Earth, When I Look At The World

Re: Is That All? - never appeared lyrically but is still played musically as The Cry.
Re: So Cruel - Bono once did a full acoustic version.

Non-album a-side not yet played: Electrical Storm

It's easier to list the b-sides that WERE played: Boy/Girl, Touch, Things To Make And Do, Party Girl, Walk To The Water (snippet only), Spanish Eyes, Silver And Gold, The Sweetest Thing, Slow Dancing, Holy Joe, North And South Of The River. All other original b-sides were not played.

I think I covered everything. Hopefully nothing's omitted from the list.

 

[Halup]

Here's some additions to the lists:

From songs exclusive to compilations or things like the Robbie Robertson album U2 have played Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), but have never played Sweet Fire Of Love, Testimony, Jesus Christ, Stateless and Beat On The Brat. Night And Day has been played by Bono and The Edge away from U2 and has been snippeted with U2.

Additional bsides that have been played are the non original songs Unchained Melody and Satellite Of Love.

I was also at the performance for KROQ at Universal Studios on October 26, 2000 where besides the 4 full band performances, Bono sang an impromptu short version of Two Shots Of Happy, One Shot Of Sad during the interview portion of the show. (He also sang a short excerpt from One, mimicking Johnny Cash's current cover version of it.)

All Passengers songs are unplayed except for Miss Sarajevo.

 

[Axver]

Ah, yes, Bono's also snippeted Two Shots at a U2 show, 5 August 2001 in Antwerp.

I do believe Beat On The Brat HAS been played, at an awards ceremony in either 2002 or 2003.

 

[OffAxis]

I might be a little rusty on this, but here it goes.....

October: Stranger In A Strange Land, Is That All
War: The Refugee, Red Light
Unforgettable Fire: Promenade, 4th of July, Elvis Presley & America
Joshua Tree: Red Hill Mining Town
Rattle & Hum: Heartland
Achtung Baby: Acrobat
Zooropa: Some Days Are Better Than Others, The Wanderer
Pop: The Playboy Mansion
ATYCLB: When I Look At The World, Grace
HTDAAB: Man And A Woman, Crumbs From Your Table, One Step Closer


Come on, U2, all you need to do is play ONE of these songs in each concert and by the end of the European leg, you'll have gotten them all out of the way! Whaddya say?

Well if they played them in order that would mean Dublin 3 would see the premier of Acrobat.

I really see this happening.

 

[Cooper2000]

A Man and a Woman is an awesome song.. Should be added to the setlist for the 2nd leg.

 

[Niceman]

You left Fast Cars off the list....

 

[scottyT]

the "snippet" of when i look at the world was actually most of the song. and edge did do some of the song's guitar, as well as bad's. it was unreal, and i love it. it's on my running Mp3 mix.

 

[bigwali]

So cruel was played once or twice acoustic during ZOO TV..... can't remember where though....

Yeah, Promenade.... I would die as well...

Yep, I was one of the lucky ones to hear "So Cruel" at the Pontiac Silverdome on 09/09/1992. Also, had a live hookup to MTV awards show and sung "Even Better Than The Real Thing". Best U2 concert experience for me spanning 4 tours. The Zoo TV Tour and its innovative set was too cool.

 

[Sken]

Didnt U2 play Peace on Earth before Walk On during the 'Tribute for Heroes' concert after 9/11?

 

[quadcaster]

wasnt the wanderer performed live once with jonny cash on vocals?!?!?!?!?! not at a show but at some other event.......... i read it somewhere

 

[Sken]

Yeah I remember seeing something like that. I think it was some sort of Johnny Cash tribute.

Edited to say: I think Bono sang it instead of Johnny Cash.

 

[bigwali]

A Man and a Woman is an awesome song.. Should be added to the setlist for the 2nd leg.

Absolutely agree that "A Man and a Woman" is a great song and hope it is added to the setlist.

 

[YBORCITY]

Wait a second, didn't they play So Cruel in some of the Zoo TV tours? I could have sworn I saw it played live somewhere (can't remember where - getting senile).

Promanade would be just incredible - it is an excellent song, had it played at my wedding.

 

[Axver]

Didnt U2 play Peace on Earth before Walk On during the 'Tribute for Heroes' concert after 9/11?

A snippet, yes. The whole song has never been done.

 

[Axver]

wasnt the wanderer performed live once with jonny cash on vocals?!?!?!?!?! not at a show but at some other event.......... i read it somewhere

No, The Wanderer has NEVER been performed live in ANY form, not even as a snippet.

 

[Axver]

You left Fast Cars off the list....

Ah yes, good spotting.

Re: So Cruel - http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/song149.html is a list of how many times it has been played. I believe 1992-09-09 was the full song done by Bono, and 1992-05-22 was just at the end of Bad leading into Bullet. I don't know anything about the other two performances.

 

[YBORCITY]

I was at the Foxboro show, 8/22/92.

 

[Chizip]

hey Axver, on your site it says the first time was played 9 times, and when you check the set lists it makes it look like it was a full song, but wasnt it just snippetted at the end of bad?

 

[gareth brown]

When I Look At the World was slightly more than a "snippet"...seemed like the whole song, just guitar and vocal! maybe I need to listen to it again

 

[Axver]

hey Axver, on your site it says the first time was played 9 times, and when you check the set lists it makes it look like it was a full song, but wasnt it just snippetted at the end of bad?

Yeah, it was more of a snippet than anything, but I'm not the one who put those sets up. I've been thinking of changing it.

 

[thetitans2k]

how have the never played red minning hill town? its amazing.

 

[PopFly]

Apparently, the story behind Red Hill Mining Town is that it was actually supposed to be a SINGLE off of Joshua Tree, but the band found that it was too hard on Bono's voice to play every night on the tour (like a single would normally appear). I guess that just led to them deciding to scrap it forever.

Man, what a rags to riches story for that RHMT. Who knows, it could've become a tour staple to this day.

 

[Ghostwriter]

A snippet, yes. The whole song has never been done.

Kansas City, 11-27-2001. Bono played the full song acoustic. At least, AFAICT it was the entire song.

 

[YBORCITY]

As I understand it there's a video that was even made for RHMT, can anyone out there confirm if this was true.