How long does it take for U2 to get the kinks out of the live show?

[Flying FuManchu]

Two shows so far and mistakes which are pretty discernible if not a little embarassing. So how long does it take for the band to sort of get good enought where its not obvious that they are off. I doubt they've ever been perfect on the account of Bono's voice holding out, it being a live show, and even when they are supposedly at their "best" or most ready performance wise (Boston and Mexico) they still mess up a little but not as blatantly.

How long? Two weeks? 5 shows?

 

[RademR]

not sure. They still messed up more than a few times on SD II, but it was a lot better than SD I. So I'd say by the time they hit L.A. they will be finally putting it all together.

Just my guess though.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I always followed the setlists and the little news tidbits about each show but the this is the first time I've downloaded entire shows (2 so far) and listened to them. Didn't think they would be off like that. The San Diego 2 show's 40 was hilarious though. Killed the mood. LOL!

 

[Fast Eddy]

Edge has said in the past that the first week is usually pretty rough and then after about three weeks they're really in the groove.

Of course the more they vary the setlist and change things around, the more probability that they'll mess up here and there. But a little bit of that is fine--would you rather have a totally programmed show that was right on cue or a little spontaneity and its attendant glitches?

Sounds like the first 2 shows were pretty rough, though.

Of all the tours, Elevation seemed to begin the strongest--they really rehearsed their asses of.

And of course Popmart was famously f---d up the first week or 2. Opening night in Vegas was a total clusterf---k.

 

[TheFlyOnTheWall]

I'm curious, what do you guys consider as a mistake from the SD shows?

 

[BVS]

I say 5 shows...

 

[MsMofoGone]

I don't know if I could even imagine when this will be "possible" for the "American" audiences....
I really think they're gonna have problems, because of their
"so-called" tour schedule .. In case nobody has noticed, there's alot of "open" dates between each city they tour in... I don't believe they can get more "prepared" and "lose the kinks".. if they aren't continually steady on their dates. U2 have 2 nights off after their Anaheim and then their LA shows .... 3 nights off after San Jose, and 4 nights off after Phoenix... This is really
"wayyyyyy" too much time to "break at once" from their tour... How can they improve their performances if they aren't performing as often??? I would think an "occasional" 2 nights off is sufficient enough for their "break" from touring ... If they get too rested ... from too many "breaks", then they aren't gonna
"polish up" their performances any time soon...

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Well if they are working on a new album during the rest periods... let the kinks abound

 

[zoopop]

They'll be in full force after 8-12 shows. Its always rough for a band to be in full gear at the start especially for U2 since they haven't toured in a while. Thats why I didn't go to opening night this tour or last because there pretty raw. I went to the Popmart and good god they were off. The best songs off of Pop that night was "Do You Feel Loved" and "If God Will Send His Angels" which were both dropped They'll get into there groove and once they do there will BE NOT FORCE IN THE WORLD THAT CAN STOP THEM

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I'm curious, what do you guys consider as a mistake from the SD shows?

Listen to 40 on San Diego 2 Bono was off key and part of it was the band's fault from what I could hear... they had to restart their closer. Bono messed up on The Fly again with the lyrics. Vertigo in San Diego 2 had Edge messing up on the intro. If I listed the problems with San Diego 1, then people would accuse me of whining but there was a sufficient bit of mistakes.

 

[MsMofoGone]

I'm curious, what do you guys consider as a mistake from the SD shows?

Adam played "40" in the "wrong" key .....

And PLEASE... don't get me started again on Bono's "off-key"
vocals and his "mess-up" on the lyrics....

The Edge and the audience are to be "congratulated".... cuz
their singing along.... definitely "carried" Bono through the shows so far....

 

[brianh20]

It's like I said in another thread...opening nighters have the big night, the first show. Those with tickets a few weeks from now will see a finely tuned machine, a runaway train if you will. The first couple of weeks are the roughest for any band (and crew for that matter) no matter how good they are. Give them another week or so. Besides, I thought they sounded pretty good for the first couple of nights of the tour.

 

[as you wish16]

For as bad as some of you think the mistakes were in the first two shows, they're nothing compared to how bad the Popmart tour started off, believe me. I say after about a month they'll be in a good groove.

 

[RademR]

i think starting a tour is always tough, and you can expect lyrics, timing to be a problem.

I think the problem was in the first night, Bono and the boys seemed a little "off." Bono didn't interact with the crowd, say all those extra "funny" things that he usually does, etc etc. I mean, he barely ever came out from the main stage.

In the second night, he did and he's starting to get more comfortable. I mean, Bono was shit SOME nights on Elevation, but his great stage prescence and charasmatic behavior always shines through and covers it. A lot of people think he didn't have that on the first night, the band seemed stressed out.

Maybe that's been a problem. Whatever it is, it'll get a lot better and they'll be on fire soon. I think that SD II was much better than SD I.

 

[BEAL]

I would say give them 2-3 weeks to get going in a groove. On the last tour I saw them in Tacoma (in the heart) around April 12th/13th or so. They were in really good form. This was probably at the most a month after the tour started. Then I saw them the next night in Vancouver and they put on the best show I've ever seen (even from behind the stage seating).

Give them another week and the show will really start to take off. I still think we're very lucky to have them touring at all, with all that Edge has gone through the past 4 months.

 

[jexp]

if anyone has it, go listen to opening night zootv and then listen to dublin 93 or even a later 92 show. its night and day. they have always taken time to feel the songs and let them grow. but bono not getting the lyrics right on the fly and zoo station is a little concerning. im a song writer and i cant believe he can get something so wrong that he wrote. it happens, but when it does, go grab a cd booklet, look at what you wrote, and get it right. it really makes the boots sound better...

 

[U2DMfan]

every band starts tours off rough, it's the nature of playing live.

I say they will be in a groove by mid-May.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I'm hoping they nail things right before the 7th show. And I say that because I'll be at the 7th and 8th shows. It's a U2 show, so it'll have an atmosphere like no other no matter what happens.

But whatever, I can always go see them again in Oakland in the fall when they'll probably have more variance in the set lists and tighter performances.

 

[LyricalDrug]

I distinctly remember from the last tour, that the band almost "officially" hit their groove when they reached San Jose on 4/19 and 4/20. Willie Williams even said so directly in his tour diary.

Anyone know how far along on the tour that was? Two weeks in?

 

[Neenie]

I'll give about a couple of weeks, The first night of San Diego sounds a lot like the first night of popmart to me. And it took popmart a few weeks to set in..

 

[Axver]

I distinctly remember from the last tour, that the band almost "officially" hit their groove when they reached San Jose on 4/19 and 4/20. Willie Williams even said so directly in his tour diary.

Anyone know how far along on the tour that was? Two weeks in?

Nearly a month. Elevation began on 24 March 2001 in Miami.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I think it was just the amazing San Jose crowd that turned things around. I guess we'll just have to be the ones to do that again.

 

[Nostradamus]

I'm just under the impression that they're using their first month on tour to tune up for the unofficial opening night of the Vertigo Tour.

May 7, 2005 in Chicago.

.N

 

[roybal99]

3-4 weeks into the tour and the band will be hitting on all cylinders and absolutely on FIRE!

Let's look at this time period in past tours:

JT Tour (began 4/4/87, 3-4 weeks later 4/25/87 San Francisco and 4/29/87 Chicago)

R&H Tour: (began 9/21/89, 3-4 weeks later the mid October Melbourne shows 10/7-10-16)

Zoo TV: (began 2/29/92, 3-4 weeks later 3/17/87 Boston, 3/18/92 E. Rutherford NJ, the famous 3/27/92 Detroit pizza show)

Popmart: unique case here

Elevation: 4/19/01 San Jose as reported above, 1 month into tour

 

[Teta040]

Which means that by the time they get to MSG in late May, they should be in the groove.

 

[Teta040]

PS they'd BETTER not screw up in the "City of Blinding Lights"!

 

[Perdue]

I'm going to the LA April 6th show. Im taking my friend to her first U2 show. Hope they are in good form then!!

 

[RademR]

I'm just under the impression that they're using their first month on tour to tune up for the unofficial opening night of the Vertigo Tour.

May 7, 2005 in Chicago.

.N

good, I see them on 5/9. I never like going to opening night

 

[ayearwome]

During the Elevation tour, I felt it was 10-12 shows.

 

[ayearwome]

Cool RademR, I'll be at all 4 Chicago shows!!!
I think they'll be right on stride at this point. However, I am a bit worried about the one week layoff from Vancouver to Chicago, but maybe they won't be rusty after a week on 5/7.