Are the Milan cuts on the 'U218' DVD the best performances?

[The Searcher]

Only 8 tracks, and I kind of had this anticipation that this was to be a concert that every hardcore fan wanted to be at. I had heard rumors of the crowd singing to solos, basslines, pianos, and even extended "ohs"

The CBS 60 Minutes previous had songs like "Streets" receiving incredible responses.

But are these 8 tracks, what the band feels is the best from that concert? I'd have opted for a few other songs. Take out Elevation, and add New Year's Day, drop With Or Without You, add Zoo Station...

 

[Axver]

Only 8 tracks, and I kind of had this anticipation that this was to be a concert that every hardcore fan wanted to be at.

Why? Besides the orchestra with OOTS, it had a fairly standard set.

And even without seeing a single track, I can already state that U218 is objectively not the best selection as there is no Electric Co.

 

[Needle_Chill]

But are these 8 tracks, what the band feels is the best from that concert? I'd have opted for a few other songs. Take out Elevation, and add New Year's Day, drop With Or Without You, add Zoo Station...

I'd love to see Zoo Station in a big stadium again, but I'm not a big fan of New Year's Day in a stadium show. Elevation was tight in the DVD and the crowd was really into it.

I agree that The Electric Co. was a massive standout on Chicago and from your description of it on other threads axver it would have been spectacular to get over I Will Follow.

 

[OpperGoeroe]

I agree, but not with the Elevation thing, Elevation had a great performance, great crowd interaction.

The Electric Co and the Zoo-encore had to be included though.

 

[Joey788]

I would have axed Sometimes, With or Without You, and Original of the Species for Electric Co. and the Zoo encore.

 

[J_NP]

Original of the Species for Electric Co. and the Zoo encore.

What's the point in axing Original , So we would have be left with 2 Zoo Encores and NO Original with guitar ...

 

[U2Man]

original of the species is a highlight of this concert. beautiful audio and video.

sometimes has the "hi bob" thing. which makes it special here.

the choice of songs on the dvd is ok. (if it really had to be only 10 ).

 

[Blue Room]

I agree the song selection wasnt the greatest. Crowd was great on a few songs, but on some I didnt think it was any greater than what was on the Chicago DVD (which is the official whipping boy by fans here). What is cool about it over the Chicago one is the stage set up to me. The stadium stage production U2 used was excellent.

This is how I think they should have done it if it had to only be 10:

Vertigo
Electric Co
Elevation
I Still Haven't Found
All I Want Is You
City Of Blinding Lights
Where The Streets Have No Name
Zoo Station OR The Fly
Original Of The Species
With Or Without You

I think the pacing would have gone much better. Concluding with four straight slow tempo to mid tempo at best songs slows it down too much IMO.

 

[U2Man]

wow, you would have taken miss sarajevo out.

 

[Utoo]

I think the thing that went wrong was that this show was hyped up by so many fans. Understandably so, as the Miss Sarajevo performance and the OOTS with orchestra are remarkable. But for the show as a whole----I think it was very over-hyped....just about entirely by fans.

 

[U2Man]

come on, stevo, it's an awesome dvd.

 

[xaviMF22]

I think the thing that went wrong was that this show was hyped up by so many fans. Understandably so, as the Miss Sarajevo performance and the OOTS with orchestra are remarkable. But for the show as a whole----I think it was very over-hyped....just about entirely by fans.

Yea, I agree......
even thought it is much better than
the Chicago DVD

 

[Utoo]

come on, stevo, it's an awesome dvd.

I know. I'm not saying that it's not. I just think that it was talked about months ago as if God actually walks through the stadium on this dvd.

 

[U2Man]

all i know is that i have REALLY been enjoying it this christmas

 

[J_NP]

Why I think the set chosen was perfect

Before I start , of course takin out Electric Co was murder but .....

First of all 3 songs were key songs , there was no way u could've left them out :

Sarajevo , OoTS and Sometimes .

Why ? Coz they were THE face of the Milan shows , they were just 2 specials to be left out , Sarajevo was one of the 1st full perfomances of it , besides that italian verse ..... Original with the Milano Orchestra ...... And Sometimes with the HI BOB

So we still have Vertigo , what's the chance of the tour release without it ? Wouldn't make any sense

Follow .... It was left out the last 2 releases , with Chicago having 3 boy songs , they couldn't leave it , miss the chance of a great outdoor perfomance of it

Elevation , Chicago's version wasn't 100% perfect , also besides the Vertigo version being a revamped crowd pleasing , and finally without it there would be a 15 years gap of songs between 89-04

Looking For , Never had any DVD release

AIWIY-COBL : The 1st one was left out of Chicago , and being played as a combo , it would be a loss to separate the songs

WOWY , Wasn't performed in Chicago , and there was the ending related with the London's bombing

Meaning the Set chosen , if not perfect , was the closest possible , Period

 

[U2Man]

i agree.

 

[Blue Room]

wow, you would have taken miss sarajevo out.

Yes, I would. Its probably more for personal preference though. I dont care for the song. I would rather they do Running To Stand Still any day. I understand why they put it on there. I would just rather have Streets (because from the 60 minutes special the crowd did go nuts on that one at least) or Zoo Station/The Fly. Honestly, I wish they had just put the whole show in there. Would have solved the problem completely.

After watching it a couple of times all the way through I now understand why the band opted to shoot again on the 4th leg even without the IMAX thing. Milan is a good DVD, but despite what most people here think, I don't think its head and shoulders over Chicago. Like I said before, the advantage it has is that the stage production is better. Nothing else IMO.

I think I do now understand what the problem is though with Hamish directing. He does not seem to be able to capture the feel of the crowd very well. I have no doubt that the Milan crowd was a good one. Its just not captured on the DVD IMO. I think the same can be said for Chicago. The crowd was good at those shows, it wasnt captured on film that way though.

 

[J_NP]

Mate I understand that this is getting old and all .....

But I hope u can understand my huge When u say

Milan Crowd = Good
Chicago Crowd = Good

 

[Blue Room]

Mate I understand that this is getting old and all .....

But I hope u can understand my huge When u say

Milan Crowd = Good
Chicago Crowd = Good

I was at all of the Chicago shows. It was a good crowd at every single show. First hand experience. I know no one believes it, but from what I have seen here. Most people that attended those Chicago shows says the same thing. It just wasnt captured that way.

 

[U2Man]

Yes, I would. Its probably more for personal preference though. I dont care for the song. I would rather they do Running To Stand Still any day. I understand why they put it on there. I would just rather have Streets (because from the 60 minutes special the crowd did go nuts on that one at least) or Zoo Station/The Fly. Honestly, I wish they had just put the whole show in there. Would have solved the problem completely.

After watching it a couple of times all the way through I now understand why the band opted to shoot again on the 4th leg even without the IMAX thing. Milan is a good DVD, but despite what most people here think, I don't think its head and shoulders over Chicago. Like I said before, the advantage it has is that the stage production is better. Nothing else IMO.

I think I do now understand what the problem is though with Hamish directing. He does not seem to be able to capture the feel of the crowd very well. I have no doubt that the Milan crowd was a good one. Its just not captured on the DVD IMO. I think the same can be said for Chicago. The crowd was good at those shows, it wasnt captured on film that way though.

you may have a point there, about hamish.

anyway, i would have loved to see streets, too. but then again, i would have loved to see the entire concert.

 

[Axver]

I know. I'm not saying that it's not. I just think that it was talked about months ago as if God actually walks through the stadium on this dvd.

Actually, Jesus joined Bono for a duet during The Electric Co., but Larry axed the track.

 

[J_NP]

I was at all of the Chicago shows. It was a good crowd at every single show. First hand experience. I know no one believes it, but from what I have seen here. Most people that attended those Chicago shows says the same thing. It just wasnt captured that way.

It's not that I don't believe u , and yeah Hamilton is a terrible director , but the thing is like somebody said here before , In Chicago u count how may people are jumping in Streets , in Stadium shows u can't see any Not .....

And also the number of times Bono trys to make the crowd sing and interact more , u cringe at that

In a nutshell , Okay The Chicago crowd was good as u say , I give that , but if u call it good , then Milan was Extraordinary

Myself rate the chicago crowd as 5 , Milan as 9.5

 

[U2Man]

i think hamish would do better if he had more cameras 'in the crowd' (on cranes). that's one of the things that makes the sydney video/dvd so awesome. just watch new years day.

 

[Utoo]

Actually, Jesus joined Bono for a duet during The Electric Co., but Larry axed the track.

Yeah, I heard Jesus totally railed on Larry for the grease-mullet.

 

[Blue Room]

It's not that I don't believe u , and yeah Hamilton is a terrible director , but the thing is like somebody said here before , In Chicago u count how may people are jumping in Streets , in Stadium shows u can't see any Not .....

And also the number of times Bono trys to make the crowd sing and interact more , u cringe at that

In a nutshell , Okay The Chicago crowd was good as u say , I give that , but if u call it good , then Milan was Extraordinary

Myself I rate the chicago crowd as 5 , Milan as 9.5

I guess I beg to differ. Milan may have been 9.5 actually. There is no way it appears that way on the DVD to me. The way people here talked about the crowd (mainly people that were there, gee imagine that) I was expecting pandemonium on film. The only time the crowd does anything in unison or all together is when Bono directed them to. Otherwise there are a couple of times when they shot from the back on the floor the people are just standing there doing nothing. Again, its about how it was all filmed to me.

Also, how can you possibly see if everyone in a STADIUM is jumping up and down? You cant even see most people in the upper decks because they are so far away. In an arena everyone can be seen pretty well. So there is a substantial difference right there to me. Also, is the measure of a good crowd how many people jump up and down during Streets? Hmm, I have different standards I guess. So another difference of opinion on that.

But I'm not going to argue about it. Everyone that didnt attend those shows is going to say they were bad crowds. I know it wasnt the case. My guess is like I said that Milan was a good crowd also. But there is no way they came accross as a 9.5 on that DVD to me.

 

[J_NP]

Also, is the measure of a good crowd how many people jump up and down during Streets? Hmm, I have different standards I guess. So another difference of opinion on that.

Its not that quite measure , but it's a important one , people's reaction in Streets , at least on it , it may be a good thermometer of what's the crowd like ....

Anyway taken from Chicago , I just came across these fella and there are more , Inside the Eclipse , and not even hands up

 

[Blue Room]

Its not that quite measure , but it's a important one , people's reaction in Streets , at least on it , it may be a good thermometer of what's the crowd like ....

Anyway taken from Chicago , I just came across these fella and there are more , Inside the Eclipse , and not even hands up

OK, this is my final response on this. In North America in big cities. VIP's get alot of the tickets for up front and always have. I dont agree with it necessarily but U2 and their management allow it to happen. I dont think that happens as much in Europe. If you look at that pic, those people are in the center. Most of the fans that camped out lined the rails. So they are likely people that had passes and may not be big fans. Also, it was a lottery system for the ellipse in N. America. So you had bigger odds of casual fans in there. I'm also not going to go weeding through vid caps of Milan looking for people that dont have their hands up. But just a hunch, I bet there are some.

Personally, I dont pogo and jump up and down at U2 shows. I may clap, I may put my hands up, I may cheer. But I dont feel the need to jump up and down like a pogo stick. I think that is big in Europe and a few other places and that is fine if you enjoy the show that way. I dont enjoy the show that way. I would rather focus on what the band are doing on stage and catch those little things you would miss if all you were doing was going insane. I dont think either way of enjoying a show are bad by any means. I also dont think it is any type of indication of how good of a fan and/or crowd a person is. Alot of times there are just drunk people that dont even know what they are doing jumping all over the place (I'm talking at any concert anywhere). Does that make them good fans/or crowd? I dont think so. So its a difference of opinion on how to enjoy a concert or what makes a good crowd. Its such a subjective thing anyway that its not worth arguing about. So I'm going to stop. Fire away!

 

[xaviMF22]

Its not that quite measure , but it's a important one , people's reaction in Streets , at least on it , it may be a good thermometer of what's the crowd like ....

Anyway taken from Chicago , I just came across these fella and there are more , Inside the Eclipse , and not even hands up

you're measuring peoples reactions to a song?

 

[Axver]

Yeah, I heard Jesus totally railed on Larry for the grease-mullet.

He wasn't all too happy with Larry's decision to exclude Mercy from HTDAAB either. After all, Jesus is all about Grace and Mercy.

(Ouch, I am laaaaame.)

 

[J_NP]

Yeah as I said before , this is getin old

My final word about this is , My vision of what a great crowd , are the ones who after the gig are phisically changed : their shirtes soaked wtih sweat , and no voice , after using it all with cheers and singin . And that vision , as I see it , doesn't seem to be shared by or some people from ur country , or region , or some cities whatever ....

I guess maybe it's a football crowd thing since Europe and Latin America , who are very into this sport , react like that ... whatever or another sport in the pacific whatever

I do understand this attitude of more like cool down , analysing the perfomance itself , but this I keep for other shows , for a u2 I can't control my blood in fire

I assure u , my eyes work very well , seein and knowing what the band is doing even when I'm off the ground and arms up