Has the Internet taken away from the live experience?

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Has technology hurt the U2 concert experience? - discuss your reason below...

  • YES

    Votes: 50 61.7%

  • NO

    Votes: 31 38.3%
  • Total voters
    81
Blue Room said:


Oh, I dont let it effect my experience. I think its bad overall for the board though and in particular the tour forum. There is just so much negativity here over something that should be one of the greatest U2 experiences you could have. People ripping on shows they didnt even see is just ridiculous IMO. :shrug: I guess I'm the only one that thinks that based on your response and some other responses. Each their own.
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I agree, this board has one of the hightest levels of negativity that I have ever seen in a forum.

On other boards I frequent if someone misspeaks or posts something slightly inaccurate there is generally a 'no harm, no foul' philosophy.

Here though, forget about it.
 
Blue Room said:


Really? WOW, I never heard a word from most fans I knew back then. I went to 8 shows on Zoo and most of the fans I ran into were just happy to see them. It had been 5 years since they had played the U.S. and tickets were an absolute bitch to get, especially the indoor leg. Most I knew were just happy they were in the building.

Was there even a U2 website of any kind in 1992?
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newsgroups, probably.
 
timothius said:


:tsk:

You've been on the Frenz forum too much and have become too cynical about them. It detracted away from the experience. :tsk:
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:lmao:

Your comment is proof that Interference has plunged you into the depths of cynicism.
 
u2wedge said:


Oops... I meant 'In a Little While'...

And I'm just joking with you...
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Yeah, I got that. I think most mentions of me and IALW are now just a good-natured piss-take. :laugh:
 
Blue Room said:


Really? WOW, I never heard a word from most fans I knew back then. I went to 8 shows on Zoo and most of the fans I ran into were just happy to see them. It had been 5 years since they had played the U.S. and tickets were an absolute bitch to get, especially the indoor leg. Most I knew were just happy they were in the building.

Was there even a U2 website of any kind in 1992?
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Well, my experiences came from listening to people before and after the Atlanta shows. I spoke with quite a few "hardcore" fans before and after the Dome show while waiting to meet the band. Most of the comments were about the band leaving out older songs. They felt slighted, I think.

There was some sort of message board in 1992. My father had some type of internet setup, Prodigy -although I think there was something before that- and I remember the only interesting thing I could do on it was read messages from a group of U2 fans, probably about half the size of the "regular" posters on Interference. The girl who had the fanzine "Touch" was a regular poster and had a great interview with Bono before one of the Chicago shows (I think). I have a printout of it somewhere in my scrapbook. Someone also taped me a set of the Achtung Outtakes and the Hershey rehersals which I still have and break out occasionally.
 
Chizip said:
sound familiar?

http://groups.google.ca/group/bit.l...=1806%40wrdis01.af.mil&rnum=1#694d9c141353b7a
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:laugh: What is funny about that is the person thinks Achtung Baby is a flop and Atlanta was only the 4th show of the tour!!! :laugh: Yes, ridiculous U2 fans did exist back then and this link demonstrates that. I dont think it was anywhere near the number there is now though. I think its primarily a product of the internet.

Were fans bitching during the WAR and Unf. Fire tours also? Those were incredibly static. I guess those were shit tours as well.............

I didnt see those tours but I certainly didnt hear about it. Most people I knew that saw them just raved about how great it was. Why did I not hear about the bitching. Because there was no internet. Thats the point.
 
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Yeah, I seem to remember quite a few of those posts back then. It hasn't changed much, there's just more of it. The ridiculous fans have easier access to the web now, but they all seem to say the same silly things.
I've learned to tune them out (by not actually reading them) because I know that every U2 show I've seen has given me goose bumps and I know that the shows I will see in the future will, hopefully, do the same.
 
Yes it does sound familiar Chizip and it's all very :sad:

With that said it isn't going to matter what I've read, heard or listened to before, it is only going to matter that I'm there at the moment.
It won't lessen the concert experience for me. Maybe for some other fans it does but all I can say is I hate it when that happens.:|
 
 
The technology doesn't affect me at all. I didn't follow U2 in the past like I've followed them daily this year, and I'm sure I'm still not following as closely as many others here have done and continue to do. I didn't start following the tour til the week of my shows/right after (Anaheim/Los Angeles). I didn't know where in L.A. the rehearsal was, but I guess I could have found out had I tried. I did know what was played the first couple of shows before my show, but for me, I don't care who says what about the band, good bad or indifferent. I LOVE THEM LIVE, no matter what they play. I don't recall myself ever whining or bitching about a set list. Would I like to see a certain song, sure. Will my experience be ruined if they don't play it, no. The reason I came to the blue crack was to find others who feel the same passion about the band that I do and who could understand my new obsession. I just let the whiney remarks fly by, or ignore them. I believe the band goes out every night with the intention of putting on a great show - sure they will have off nights, but their off nights, to me, will still be better than anyone else out there. I did see opening night Popmart '97. My friends thought it was a great show. I had a great time, caught up in the whirlwind of being called by a friend saying he had an extra ticket and did I want to book the plane fare with him & friends & fly up ... all within a couple days of the show. But I didn't think that show was their best performance, but still, I was seeing U2!!! Seeing U2 at Dodger Stadium 10/31/92, that was great. But I prefer the intimacy of the smallest place they will play, which here are arenas of about 15,000-20,000 capacity. I'd still prefer to have great seats or GAs, but with the market as it is, it has become very difficult to do so. I do enjoy the technology that has allowed me to meet all of you :hug: and make new friends, have parties (setlist parties) and join in the excitement that is a U2 show. Occasionally I even get to hear a song live (thanks to NSW and ramblin rose :hug: ). For me, I guess, the internet just enhances it. If there were no internet... what would I do (in regards to U2 that is). :shrug:
 
I'm not gonna get involved with the nitty-gritty, for a change. I will just say, without an ounce of hesitation, "YES!"
 
I have a feelign this poll may come surprisingly close in the end results of votes. My only comments are that the age of technology never ceases to amaze me and I have enjoyed being here sharing, laughing, meeting new friends and yes, even being appalled at the bickering and negativity. I have always listened to others' opinions or to media reviews with an open mind and with a grain of salt.....then seen or experienced for myself and formed my own opinion and will continue to do so. I'm a long time U2 fan and will continue to be one. I appreciate them more as I age along with them. I like to think perhaps none of us have heard or seen the best from them ....... yet. Even so, it will only be of opinion. A lot of Interferencers especially *should* remember that opinion is neither right or wrong.
 
Reading the same list of songs every day could be very annoying. Reading posts of people complaining about it is still worse. OK, I also made some comments about the setlists, because I think that changing it from show to show is interesting. But, the question is: would I go to another concert if I had the possibility, even though I expect the set to be the same? Yes, I would. Know why? Because live experience is different from show to show. I've seen a small arena indoor show, I've seen a big stadium show, I've been there on a hot summer day, I've been there on a cold rainy day. It changed the whole atmosphere, including the band's humour. Not to mention that snippets like "singing in the rain" just do not work on a sunny day. Every show I saw was good, no, great, just in a different way.
But internet changed everything a bit. Take a look at the ZooTV setlists, for example. The set did not change much from show to show. The 1st and 3rd legs of Vertigo Tour are different. Why? Probably also because the band receives critiques, many of which are based on the reviewer just reading the setlists and not being actually at the show. I remember one review of the first Milan Vertigo dates - the reviewer "forgot" completely that there was an orchestra on stage to play OOTS. I am sure that if he had seen that, he wouldn't have forgotten it.
So, don't believe everything you read. Secure your tickets and go see the concerts!
 
of course it did! when you're used to go to a concert without knowing anything about it's diminishing in a very drastic way the "element of surprise"....................the internet has actually bashed music
 
zonelistener said:
So...I have recently started reading the setlist threads...

I am under the impression that it is really easy for people to judge a show by the setlist, when in reality it could be U2's BEST SHOW EVER...but you would never know from the whining in these threads.

Back in the old days...before theInternet and cell phones with text messaging, you would have NO clue that U2 was playing a similar set list (if not the same one) every night. You would go to the concert...and think: "This is AMAZING. I just saw my all time favorite band. Sure, I wish they would have played Exit or TripThuYourWires...but what an amazing experience."

Now, we go to the show expecting something "special" - something that the last three cities didn't have.

So, my question is...has the technology of the moment degraded the concert experience?
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To refer to the original question...

No the technology has made it BETTER!
Mp3s and lossless recording aside, DVDs weeks after shows and for free is amazing!

Regarding the Net and forums/message boards, then how can some whinger bitching about setlists spoil your concert experience?
I get pissed off with the immaturity of this board at times, but I don't let that affect any concert I attend.
No offence to anyone, but if reading negativity is spoiling 'the concert experience' for you then you need to get out more.

U2 may play one bad show in 100, but 99% of the fans attending the show would never notice - trust me on that one!

The negativity on this board can become a little crass, but if it affects you then you don't have to read it - as I've learnt.

But there's another question here - what's wrong with having a moan?

U2 aren't above criticism.

As long as it's a valid moan and not something like 'they never played Acrobat tonight'.

Free speech is for all EVEN the whiners!
(I think it's odd that members moan about members who moan about members who moan...ad infinitum)
 
For me it's not a matter of what is said online. I couldn't care less if it sounds boring or not on paper. For me it's the element of surprise when I'm at the show due to the fact that I know what songs will be played.

I guess that's why Boston II was so special to me. When Bono screamed Out of Control it was a total surprise and just bumped up the show to another level for me.

I will admit though that I am the only one to blame. (The internet is just the facilitator). No one is holding a gun to my head to read up/download/attend setlist parties everyday.
 
timothius said:


:lol:

There more things change, the more they stay the same...

Beatles vs U2: http://groups.google.com.au/group/r...64?lnk=st&q=u2&rnum=19&hl=en#1b0ac815017bd564

U2 will Not Tour Australia!!! - http://groups.google.com.au/group/a...49?lnk=st&q=u2&rnum=95&hl=en#b65f66002ba5e249

Australian Fans Begging For U2 to come: http://groups.google.com.au/group/a...e8?lnk=st&q=u2&rnum=21&hl=en#61254864f2439ae8

OMFMGF What Time Do I Line Up?! - http://groups.google.com.au/group/b...4d?lnk=st&q=u2&rnum=51&hl=en#709500774923b44d

Only slightly cynical - http://groups.google.com.au/group/a...nk=st&q=u2+crap&rnum=4&hl=en#531b1c3a87a207ed :drool:

:wink:
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Oh good God. I'm in the library now, and it's taking all of my willpower not to start laughing out loud. Some things never change! You should do a search to see if people asked what song played before U2 came on stage...

As for the original question, I think I'd say yes. The constant complaining is what upsets me about this tour the most. I'll admit to being openly disappointed that more Pop songs haven't surfaced yet, but the extent that some people take their complaining to is unreal. What looks boring on paper is usually a thousand times better live, and there are people who just don't seem to want to accept that. When I'm at home, the thought of listening to songs like WOWY, Pride, ISHFWILF, and BTBS bores me...but seeing those songs played live just blew my mind. I would have been pissed off to come back from the concert I saw to find people here whining that it was just the same old stagnant setlist. (Luckily that didn't seem to happen because Fast Cars saw its debut :wink: ).

But as for the concert experience itself, the Internet hasn't ruined it at all. Luckily, staying away from bootlegs beforehand definitely made a difference.
 
Headache, you've misspelled "coming" again. :wink:

I have a question/suggestion for those who feel the internet has hurt their experience: Would it help if there were some type of rule about posting spoilers in a thread title, like what we had during the Elevation tour? I mean, staying out of the setlist threads is something you have to do yourself, but I think it would be easier for people to avoid finding out things if people were warned about potential spoilers before they even open the threads. Of course, I know the mods would totally hate having to look out for spoilers in the thread titles and it probably won't happen, but it's just a suggestion.
 
You mean like you've holding off going to any setlist party for 6 months, but happen to enter this general discussion forum only to find a thread title that says "OMFG MOFO".

That might help.:|
 
For me the issue is, as others have mentioned, technology making it harder to be surprised by the show.
I avoided set lists until after my only show of the tour (Minneapolis), with a few exceptions. I peeked once or twice and saw that at some point they had been playing Electric Co., RTSS and Miss Sarajevo. I had no idea what they had been playing first, or last, or much else about the show.

I guess I sort of assumed they would start with Vertigo, so when they started with COBL and the confetti, I was absolutely loving it. It was so cool. I hadn't heard/seen anything about the CoeXisT stuff, I had no idea they had never played Crumbs before, Electric Co. was so amazing (as someone already mentioned in this thread), I could not believe they played The Ocean. Anyway, I guess I'm just saying that I felt like avoiding setlist discussions made the show a lot more enjoyable for me.
 
My answer is both yes and no. If it weren't for the Internet I probably would have had no clue about how early to get to the venue to get a good spot on the floor for GA, or realized before I went that yes, you can leave the line to go to the bathroom and get food and people will let you back in line. If I hadn't known that, I would have been really nervous and maybe not bought
a GA ticket, thereby missing the experience of a lifetime.

However, hearing Bono sing the opera part in Miss Sarajevo would have been even more magical if I had no idea before going to the show that it was likely to happen. I'm glad I happened to miss the spoilers about him making his entrance at the beginning of the show from the ellipse, because that was a totally delightful shock to me to see him pop up out of nowhere about 15 feet from me!
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
100% absolutely yes... the vertigo tour would have been much more better if i didn't already know what's comming next..
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That's not technology's fault, though, that's the end user's fault.

Avoiding spoilers is the equivalent to changing the channel on the television. You just don't look.
 
good point u2wedge! It's will power!

BTW, on the Elevation tour, I didn't read anything before the band hit L.A., and when the show started with the lights on :drool: (And yes, I do love the song 'Elevation', no matter what anyone says!)
 
I just recently saw U2 for the very first time. And as much as I would have liked to avoid hearing about the setlist from previous shows, it can be very difficult to do (I did alright for the most part though!)

I guess from that perspective it can be a negative. However, when I left the show I didn't feel disappointed by comparison to other shows. As mentioned, obviously there will always be songs you'd love to hear that just ain't gonna happen. I don't think anyone should go into it with personal high expectations of that sort. Going to enjoy the show and maybe be surprised along the way works just fine for me!

The aftermath is great because technology enables me to watch and listen to songs from the show I attended...making the moment last longer. :)
 
I'd say almost 100% NO .

I've found sites like this are very helpful when it comes to finding out about GA lines, arena policies, etc., things that are good to know for going to the show. Finding out about this stuff can help improve the experience I have at the show.

But when it comes to the setlists, threads about Bono's voice, all those types of things - I just stay out of them. Sure, I occasionally will accidently glance a song or two that was played based on some titles, but for the most part I went to the show in Toronto with no clue what they were going to play (besides what I could logically guess at) and little idea about what the show and stage looked like.

Now that the show has passed, I let myself read any topic I please. :)
 
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