MERGED--> do u2 seem to play more enthusiastically in NYC than other cities?

[MattFromNYC]

do u2 seem to play more enthusiastically in NYC shows than other cities shows?

ive only been to NYC shows and one NJ show a while back. but from hearing other people talk about shows, it seems like the band go WAY out of their way for the NYC shows.
like a bunch of the NYC shows lastweek.. bono spent all of this time thanking and being all attentive to the crowd, and spraying champagne, etc. but you dont hear this kind of thing happening at the other city's shows.

one thing i thought of was because usually at NYC shows.. its bombarded by Industry people and other celebs, and the band is trying to be EXTRA enthusiastic, etc.

or am i wrong?

do they do this with other cities? thanking them to death.. being all grateful, etc.

well, Boston and Chicago, but still.. those are "industry/celeb" show places.

or am i reading into this?

 

[Bigzamboni]

From what I have heard, that tends to be the common conception of things, but after last night's show in Philadelphia, I'm not sure. The energy in the crowd was simply amazing, and he let us now numerous times that he wondered if it really was a Monday night.

 

[MattFromNYC]

so, not really being to any other city shows, its hard for me to tell, just by seeing things online.

what i guess im really wondering.. is.. other than NYC...
are their shows really all like.. Boston DVD.. or Sydney.. or Slane? with how bono is himself. on a regular normal night, other than something thats being taped for an official release or documentary?


it like when i take a look at my two ZooTV DVD bootlegs.
I have Stockholm and Washington DC 8-16-92.
for the Stockholm one.. they had the ABBA guys there as guests and it was beingn taped for that big MTV contest in Sweden or something, broadcastinc by satellite into the winner fan's living room. it was a SUPERB show. I swear, it was the best thing i'd ever seen other than.. Slane.

but then i watched Washington ZooTV.. and this seemed to be more of a fan's bootleg, not something else official.. and the band is all cranky, bono is pissed off for half of the show.. but they put on a great show.. but none of them seemed into it that night.

same thing for others ones i have. seems its when they have a special guest, or its official.. thats when things are REALLY reved up like the videos.

i feel that the 'magic' isnt as genuine when this is the case.

what do you think? please discuss your own bootlegs and show attendances..

 

[Jim]

There was definately a magic in NYC, but as I think Wille once said, the best concerts often happen in the 'off the beat and track' in places like (for example) San Jose or Leeds.

 

[MattFromNYC]

band only 'into' it when playing for major cities (ie, NYC) with important people?

i decided to post this after a discussion over at the General Tour section spawned this debate.

seems the band gets overly enthusiastic, and energetic.. and into it when in major cities.. playing to lets say... music industry/political people.. (In NYC, its majorly this way).. or Boston, etc. or have a special guest.

when doing other shows.. like lets say.. Pittsburgh, or Philly 1, or a lesser 'important' place... with lesser important people.. they seem to just scrap the shows by.
they hardly take any time saying goodbye to the crowd or talking to them. just random things here and there.. do the encore.. then "thankyou! goodnight!" and barely even look at the crowd.. and then leave in amatter of seconds anf you're like "wtf? the show ended already?"

so, not really being to any other city shows other than NYC, its hard for me to tell, just by seeing things online.

what i guess im really wondering.. is.. other than NYC...
are their shows really all like.. Boston DVD.. or Sydney.. or Slane? with how bono is himself. on a regular normal night, other than something thats being taped for an official release or documentary?


it like when i take a look at my two ZooTV DVD bootlegs.
I have Stockholm and Washington DC 8-16-92.
for the Stockholm one.. they had the ABBA guys there as guests and it was beingn taped for that big MTV contest in Sweden or something, broadcastinc by satellite into the winner fan's living room. it was a SUPERB show. I swear, it was the best thing i'd ever seen other than.. Slane.

but then i watched Washington ZooTV.. and this seemed to be more of a fan's bootleg, not something else official.. and the band is all cranky, bono is pissed off for half of the show.. but they put on a great show.. but none of them seemed into it that night.

same thing for others ones i have. seems its when they have a special guest, or its official.. thats when things are REALLY reved up like the videos.

i feel that the 'magic' isnt as genuine when this is the case.

what do you think? please discuss your own bootlegs and show attendances..

 

[MattFromNYC]

i keep hearing about how "shitty" the band was in lets say.. a lesser important city.. and then the next night they'll be in, lets say NYC or Boston, and KABAM, they're putting on this amazing show.. and amazing energy. all chatty and into it. then the next day they're back in a smaller, lesser important city.. and its back to cranky, tired, blah blah show performance and band members.

 

[MattFromNYC]

i keep hearing about how "shitty" the band was in lets say.. a lesser important city.. and then the next night they'll be in, lets say NYC or Boston, and KABAM, they're putting on this amazing show.. and amazing energy. all chatty and into it. then the next day they're back in a smaller, lesser important city.. and its back to cranky, tired, blah blah show performance and band members.

 

[MattFromNYC]

are regular u2 shows really as 'magical' as.. ie., slane dvd, zoo sydney, boston dvd

i decided to post this after a discussion over at the General Tour section spawned this debate.

seems the band gets overly enthusiastic, and energetic.. and into it when in major cities.. playing to lets say... music industry/political people.. (In NYC, its majorly this way).. or Boston, etc. or have a special guest.

when doing other shows.. like lets say.. Pittsburgh, or Philly 1, or a lesser 'important' place... with lesser important people.. they seem to just scrap the shows by.
they hardly take any time saying goodbye to the crowd or talking to them. just random things here and there.. do the encore.. then "thankyou! goodnight!" and barely even look at the crowd.. and then leave in amatter of seconds anf you're like "wtf? the show ended already?"

so, not really being to any other city shows other than NYC, its hard for me to tell, just by seeing things online.

what i guess im really wondering.. is.. other than NYC...
are their shows really all like.. Boston DVD.. or Sydney.. or Slane? with how bono is himself. on a regular normal night, other than something thats being taped for an official release or documentary?


it like when i take a look at my two ZooTV DVD bootlegs.
I have Stockholm and Washington DC 8-16-92.
for the Stockholm one.. they had the ABBA guys there as guests and it was beingn taped for that big MTV contest in Sweden or something, broadcastinc by satellite into the winner fan's living room. it was a SUPERB show. I swear, it was the best thing i'd ever seen other than.. Slane.

but then i watched Washington ZooTV.. and this seemed to be more of a fan's bootleg, not something else official.. and the band is all cranky, bono is pissed off for half of the show.. but they put on a great show.. but none of them seemed into it that night.

same thing for others ones i have. seems its when they have a special guest, or its official.. thats when things are REALLY reved up like the videos.

i feel that the 'magic' isnt as genuine when this is the case.

what do you think? please discuss your own bootlegs and show attendances..

i keep hearing about how "shitty" the band was in lets say.. a lesser important city.. and then the next night they'll be in, lets say NYC or Boston, and KABAM, they're putting on this amazing show.. and amazing energy. all chatty and into it. then the next day they're back in a smaller, lesser important city.. and its back to cranky, tired, blah blah show performance and band members.

 

[blueeyedgirl]

From my own experiences, I would say Zoo Adelaide was total shite, and then Zoo Sydney a week later was brilliant.

Band was definitely off and also crowd was lacklustre.

 

[EPandAmerica]

I don't think it matters what city they are in, it is the crowd that sparks the flame or not. I have to travel to see U2, if I am going to see them, as I'm not lucky enough to live in a place that gets 6 to 8 concerts per tour.

I've been to several Texas shows and I've been West and East and I have to admit the crowds on the East coast do a better job of lighting a fire under U2's ass.

 

[BonoFan78]

philly IV was fantabulous! (it was very strong even before bruce showed up). Might have been the best show i've ever been too, and i had nosebleeds.

 

[Miroslava]

It is pretty much the same debate, so I am merging...

 

[BVS]

Musicians feed off their audiences. They feed off the energy. I'm not sure what your theory is trying to convey, it's very convoluted, but it doesn't matter what city, what politician, or industry people are in the audience. It has to do with the energy of the audience, period.

 

[Miroslava]

AGAIN with the crosspostings MATT?

I am MERGING with your other threads...



I've lost count of how many times I alone have warned you about this...

And to answer you question... What BonoVoxSupastar said...

 

[bono_man2002]

Well they have to be on show for the Sydney, Boston Slane shows, the sydney show in particular, as it was being beemed live throughout the world.

But i dont think the band thinks, "oh we're in san diego, lets piss them off and not play one of our hits"

 

[Bono's shades]

U2 was very enthusiastic in Minneapolis in September - probably because it was a wildly enthusiastic crowd.

I think this stuff about U2 only getting excited about places like NYC is b.s. It's all about the crowd. If it's a good crowd, U2 will feed off that and the show will be exciting. If not, the show could indeed be boring.

 

[theu2fly]

Minneapolis was crazy, the band decided to play Crumbs and close with Vertigo... the energy was insane.

People were singing to "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" and everyone clapped along to "The First Time"

It was a good time too.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

great shows can happen anywhere... not just in new york or boston or chicago.

but what makes most of the shows in those said places special are the surroundings... the same reason why vegas is fast becomming a u2 "hot spot."

there's just something about being in that city in that venue that gets the band and the crowd fired up. doesn't mean that the same thing doesn't happen in minnesota or dallas or where ever.

i saw the band at continental airlines arena, just outside of manhattan... drawing crowds from the exact same population base... and it was great, but it's just different being in midtown manhattan, looking up and seeing that instantly recognizable roof of madison square garden.

it's like playing fenway or wrigley or notre dame stadium or any other historic venue you can think of.

 

[Lancemc]

Philly II was the most intense night of my life.


Bruuuuuuuce!

 

[doctorwho]

Musicians feed off their audiences. They feed off the energy. I'm not sure what your theory is trying to convey, it's very convoluted, but it doesn't matter what city, what politician, or industry people are in the audience. It has to do with the energy of the audience, period.

I've seen U2 in Chicago, Boston, Hartford, Providence and Dublin. The two "smaller" shows in Hartford and Providence were just as good as the "bigger" shows in the larger cities.

The main reason, IMO, is the crowd. Chicago, New England (especially Boston) and Dublin really are behind U2. When the crowd is THAT loud (and it is astounding how loud the audience can be), the band can't help but be into the show more. Any problems they have with each other or families easily melt away with such a loud, receptive, appreciative audience.

But if the city is a bit lackluster, then you can't help but have a slightly less than brilliant performance from U2.

I know because I've given talks. I've talked to people who looked like they've just been drugged. I've talked to receptive audiences. And the receptive audience - even if they disagree or challenge me - is one I appreciate far more. At least then I know that acknowledge what I'm saying and the effort I put into my work. I'm sure U2 is the same.

But overall, I have not experienced any problems in the "smaller" cities as you mentioned (if you consider Hartford or Providence to be small).

 

[knox]

It's definitely the audience. Best audience I've seen this tour had to be Milwaukee -- they were deafening.

Chicago 4 was a fuckin' excellent show as well -- the crowd was almost as good, but the band was in slightly better form. Probably because they were done filming and could relax -- but Until The End Of The World didn't hurt.

 

[u2wedge]

as with many things in life... you get out of it what you put into it.

U2 will not let the crowd win in the noise department.

MSG 10/8, however, did give them a run for their money...

 

[Axver]

But if the city is a bit lackluster, then you can't help but have a slightly less than brilliant performance from U2.

I know because I've given talks. I've talked to people who looked like they've just been drugged. I've talked to receptive audiences. And the receptive audience - even if they disagree or challenge me - is one I appreciate far more. At least then I know that acknowledge what I'm saying and the effort I put into my work. I'm sure U2 is the same.

I don't know quite what you mean by 'talks', but I've done a lot of speeches and debates myself - now these may only be high school, but I've done them (especially debates) at very high levels, and I actually find a tough crowd can be quite good in some cases. Only once have I felt a bad crowd has resulted in a lacklustre performance from me. I've sure had to face some tough crowds, and they inspire me to be better, to go all out to win their attention.

So I don't necessarily believe that a tough crowd implies a weaker performance. Especially in the early years, U2 faced some tough, disinterested crowds and Bono would have them in the palm of his hand by the end of the main set, begging for an encore.

 

[Clawgrabber]

no way.

i have seen U2 16 times now.

I saw them at MSG in NY on ELEVATION (this was during the pre-911 leg, so don't scoff at what I am about to say)

They audience was just not that into it. People sat during the slower songs, etc.

The bad was in good form, but not great.

I have seen them in the following cities:

Kansas City (One Popmart, One Elevation)
St. Louis (One Popmart, One Elevation)
Miami (Elevation)
Atlanta (Elevation)
Charlotte (Elevation)
Denver (Elevation)
Chicago (Three Elevation, One Vertigo)
New York (Elevation)
Dublin (Vertigo)
Seattle (Vertigo)
Minneapolis (Vertigo)

And for my money, Besides Dublin and Chicago, the two shows that really stood out in my mind as "HOLY MOLEY THE BAND WAS REALLY HAVING A GREAT TIME UP THERE" where they just lit up were Kansas City Elevation and Minneapolis Vertigo...

Those are not really high profile cities in comparison to the New Yorks, The Chicagos, The Bostons, etc..

(I can criticize because I live in Kansas City and Have Family in Minneapolis)

These shows were fantastic in that the Band were all smiles and playing their hearts out.

Kansas City wasn't even a full show. Kemper arena's upper secion had a whole lot of empty seats (yes, the show was sold out, but my guess is that the ticket brokers couldn't sell the tickets... Kansas City isn't really the biggest U2 city... See the low sales for POPMART). We are more a Country Music/Linkin Park city. In fact, Kemper shares a parklng lot with the American Royal Rodeo arena and Linkin Park was playing that same night, and it seemed to have more fans in the parking lot than U2 did.

Anyway, not only did U2 play a great show there, but they played "When I Look At The World" for the first and only time EVER

And as for Minneapolis recently... it was one of the best U2 shows I have ever been to. AND THE DEBUT OF CRUMBS...

At one point, the audience was cheering so long and loud that bono said "Wow. WOW. MINNEAPOLIS. WOW!!!"

Plus, this marks the first time I have ever seen them play three encores.

They played One, and said goodnight, and I really thought they weren't coming back, even though my nerdy setlist mind knew otherwise.

then they played:

The First Time
Wild Horses
WOWY

they left. THe Audience went nuts

They played

All Because Of You
Crumbs
Yahweh

They left... this time I thought (from past experience) for good.

but the house lights didn't come up...the audience wouldn't give up the cheering. SO LOUD>

they came back. Edge grabbed the bass. Adam the guitar, ready for 40.

Then they ran to opposite ends switched instruments and played probably the most blistering version of VERTIGO i have heard yet...

anyway, what this novel of a post is trying to say is that, NO, I don't think they play better shows in bigger cities.

 

[Lemonfix]

I've seen U2 in Chicago and NYC, great shows. But the best show I've ever seen was Elevation Pittsburgh

 

[MattFromNYC]

does the band usually say somewhat genuine goodbyes in your areas?

i heard in Philly 1, they just waved very quickly and then left and barely even gave it a 2nd thought.

 

[u2wedge]

I've seen U2 in Chicago and NYC, great shows. But the best show I've ever seen was Elevation Pittsburgh

this is good news!

just got tix for this weekend's gig.

 

[hedge]

There was definately a magic in NYC, but as I think Wille once said, the best concerts often happen in the 'off the beat and track' in places like (for example) San Jose or Leeds.

got a problem with Leeds????

 

[gareth brown]

I've had a really hard time reading this thread, can some just remove half of Matt's cross-posts?! I thought there was something wrong with me when I read the same thing for a THIRD TIME!

jesus..

 

[chrissybaby]

From my own experiences, I would say Zoo Adelaide was total shite, and then Zoo Sydney a week later was brilliant.

Band was definitely off and also crowd was lacklustre.

is that the same Adelaide show as the DVD that's floating round?
If so then I think that's one of the greatest things i've ever seen!
Bono's voice on Day is fantastic....

Total shite......hmmmmmmmmmmmm