Does the show start at the encore?

[HelloAngel]

Trust me, I know exactly what you're saying, it's the overdramatization that bothers me. I'm still steaming about the two assholes in front of me on the 8th. No matter how I tried to not let them distract me they were directly in front of me and it was hard to overlook. I was just saying to someone how I wish that U2 would perform a few shows to just u2.com fan club members, Will Call only, ID required, box office to show entrance every fucking safeguard to avoid ticket scalping etc. etc. Even though I know every hardcore fan didn't join, it would be the only way I see to ensure that no asshole who isn't even a moderate fan gets into the show.

Man how awesome would that be. I guess the only buzzkill would be if even at that show they chose to play Bullet.

But yet we should get over ourselves?

What I would like to know is why so many of us had to stress over the presales and join the fan club and that whole nightmare, yet so many of us didn't get into the ellipse, while moderates and trendies did? What the hell did the fuss earn us? No clue.

No, I don't think we need to get over ourselves, I think it's just that we all have different wants, wishes and dreams and so many of us are unsatisfied, satisfied, conservative, liberal or what have you. We don't need to agree here.

This particular era of U2 has been very overdramatic, and so much of it makes me sad more than anything else. Elevation was a beautiful period for me whereas the Bomb period has been so very

 

[u2wedge]

Trust me, I know exactly what you're saying, it's the overdramatization that bothers me. I'm still steaming about the two assholes in front of me on the 8th. No matter how I tried to not let them distract me they were directly in front of me and it was hard to overlook. I was just saying to someone how I wish that U2 would perform a few shows to just u2.com fan club members, Will Call only, ID required, box office to show entrance every fucking safeguard to avoid ticket scalping etc. etc. Even though I know every hardcore fan didn't join, it would be the only way I see to ensure that no asshole who isn't even a moderate fan gets into the show.

Man how awesome would that be. I guess the only buzzkill would be if even at that show they chose to play Bullet.

I agree. I was at 10/7 at MSG in a section that sat down for the most part during Miss Sarajevo and some 'slower' songs. The guy in back of me asked me to sit down, and I said, 'This is a concert, dude.' and he said, 'Well, we're all sitting down back here.' and he pointed to his friends. I was so pissed I almost got in his face about it, but my girlfriend kept me in check. On top of that all his friends were piss drunk and spilled their beer behind our seats so we were standing in a big puddle of their beer all night. Not cool. And then he left the show early as he knew there would be words after the show.

While I don't think it's fair to characterize the large majority of casual fans as 'douchebags', the guy who sat behind me in section 234 on 10/7 definitely was!

I think we should be happy that the band has mixed things up as much as they have thus far. And it's cool that fans are passionate enough to make requests wherever they see the band. I mean, I find it hard to believe that Stones fans are making the types of song requests that U2 fans do... just can't picture that. While I think Mofo is a long shot, I hope they play it at least once for those who want to hear it.

 

[ramblin rose]

u2wedge, I'm glad you understand what I'm trying to say.

 

[Carek1230]

 

[U2girl]

Not again with the "we're better fans" debate. I thought it wasn't about how many albums you have or how long you've been a fan.

The "douchebags" (what a nice way to call fellow U2 fans) payed for tickets just like you, they have just as much right to be at the show and certainly are entitled to hear the hits. I also don't think acting obnoxiously is limited to the "casual" fans.
Thanks to the current album (or a Best of or whatever music they know from U2) and seeing a show, they may even turn into the "real" fans and buy the back catalogue. Would that make you feel better?

If I was in a band I'd much rather have 20 000 people sing along and cheer than play something rare and have 90% of people go "what's this?"

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i've told you once already and i'm telling you once more for good measure: stop spamming threads with a smilie. i'm not sure what is the purpose of it but it's not contributing anything to the topic on-hand.

 

[ouizy]

u2girl got OWNED.

and by owned i mean OWNED.



she reminds me of yari fleischer or however you spell it.

Go back to xeidon freak.


I think this thread has started to stray (which is fine, I do it all the time.)

I think my point here, which has not really been discussed, is that the bulk of the show is a well-rehearsed act, whereas the encore is where the spontaneity begins.

Again, I will reference Pearl Jam (I do not love this band, but respect them highly), or hell even the Grateful Dead. When you would show up to the arena you were excited about the show, not just to see what was happening in front of you, but what the band was going to play. These bands have such deep back catalogs (as U2 do) that you really would not know what was going to be played, let alone what sequence they would play it.

Now I am not a bigger fan than anyone else, and I have as much of a right to be in the arena as the investment banker douchbag spilling beer behind me that does not know the words and leaves late, but something is missing for me when I am watching my favorite band go into LAPOE, SBS, BTBS sequence and that goddamn plane comes on the screen. I know every word that is going to be said, I know every move that Bono is going to do, and I know that as I watch this, I am pissed off because in the back of my head that little fucking angel on my shoulder is saying, “Well it was your choice to buy this ticket.” Then the little devil punches the angel in the face and says, “Dammit – stop your bitching, you have been coming to these shows since 1987 when you were 13, this has been the one constant in your life, and it is not going to change now so stop it!!!”

I really just kind of wish that what we are seeing live was a bit more free-form and that the band could throw in some changes to the main list (not even the songs, but at least the order.) I think they have put together a tight show, and it is very well produced, but hell – if they just had the gonads to mix it up a bit, I think could really be a stronger band.

Imagine if you will the band came out on Friday night and played the following setlist. By just changing up the list from the past Friday and without removing any songs, or even adding anything they have not played, I think at least some people in the crowd would be a bit shocked, thrilled, and once again ecstatic. I really think the order of the songs in the main list is what a lot of people have concern with, and maybe by just moving things around on a night-by-night basis it would squelch any of these concerns, not just in the encore, but throughout the night.

Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Electric Co.
The Ocean
Fast Cars
Miracle Drug
I Still Haven’t Found
City of Blinding Lights
Love and Peace
Pride
Beautiful Day
Sometimes You Can’t
One
Elevation
Bullet
Miss Sarajevo
Streets

Vertigo
All Because of You
The First Time
Stuck

With or Without You
Yahweh
Crumbs