Do some songs need to be given a break?

[cobl04]

I was listening to my ripped version of Chicago the other night and it hit me that performance after performance after performance of songs like Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride, Bullet the Blue Sky etc, the performances themselves had become a little flat. In my opinion, the two best versions I've heard of SBS are on UABRS and the RAH DVD. The recent performances have lost a bit of spark. Now obviously U2 aren't going to stop playing them, because they are they're biggest songs and the fans who do not frequent these boards but just go along to shows when they can are going to want to see the hits. Personally, I'd prefer to see them do a show giving some songs as break, and playing raring songs. I know it won't happen, but your thoughts?

 

[thrillme]

Personally speaking, they can mix up and play whatever they want, not too many U2 songs I don't like, but keep "New Year's Day" on the setlist. I know some are very very tired of it, but that was like, the first U2 song I liked, almost immediately, and actually knew it was a U2 song.

I wouldn't mind hearing some obscure songs off Unforgettable Fire and October.

 

[WalkOn21]

Indeed songs like One and Pride have become routine songs. When they play them nowadays, you can see from their whole attitude that they're just playing them out of routine. On some recordings Bono even has a bored voice, like he's thinking 'I don't want to play this, but we're doing it for the fans, ain't we?'.

I would be happy to see One replaced by eg. I Fall Down.

 

[vaz02]

one for walk on
pride for UF

 

[U2girl]

Pride, I still haven't found... and One. (though One not so much as not being played anymore as in desperate need of a fresh arrangement)

 

[YBORCITY]

Pride

BTBS

 

[Rafiennes]

Yeah, there's a definite 'boredness' to some of these songs. Would the audience feel jipped if SBS or BTBS or Pride or ISHFWILF wasn't played? Not if they did other songs that don't get much concert time. WTSHNN is the only one that seems like it needs to be in there, it's become so intrical (sp) to the show, could a U2 show be 'complete' without it?

Don't know.

 

[The Disciple]

Pride: Goodbye

SBS: See ya!

BTBS: Replaced by L&POE

WTSHNN: It's tough, but MAY be replaced by COBL.

 

[ntalwar]

In concert, Bono said that Pride, SBS, and Streets represent the best bits of the past and will always be played. Don't expect them to be dropped.

 

[Peterrrrr]

Well BTBS,SBS,Mysterious Ways and One. The only reason for me to let them stay is that Bono start to sing them in a differnet way. For example One could he sing with a more darker and deeper voice, he still have it.

He sang Pride with more power sometimes on the Vertigo tour(2005-07-29 - Gothenburg, 2005-09-14 - Toronto.......) so that song can stay.

What I would see more in the instead is:

Electrical Storm

Discotheque

Even Better Than The Real Thing(I think Bono can handle the high "take me higher" part without falsette this tour)

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

In God's Country(on elevation tour he showed he could sing this well, now he got a better voice so this could be a real good one)

Love Is Blindness(the whole song might appear in december, the played a bit of the song in the 4th leg)

Stay (Faraway, So Close!) With Bonos new voice on this one, could be realy great

Sweetest Thing

The Unforgettable Fire

Mofo

Ultraviolet

Zooropa

 

[schnumi]

Indeed they need to rest some of the older songs.

Please bring back more POP songs (Discothequé, Last night on earth, staring at the sun, gone etc etc) i really miss those at the Vertigo tour.

And more Achtung Baby and Zooropa songs.

 

[dazzledbylight]

Not COBL, for sure

 

[WalkOn21]

Well BTBS,SBS,Mysterious Ways and One.

I actually like the Vertigo Tour version of Mysterious Ways. It's still the same arrangement as in previous tours, but the mixing is different - the guitar is more pronounced, for instance.

 

[Peterrrrr]

Zooropa and Pop songs

 

[dazzledbylight]

Yeah, there's a definite 'boredness' to some of these songs. Would the audience feel jipped if SBS or BTBS or Pride or ISHFWILF wasn't played? Not if they did other songs that don't get much concert time. WTSHNN is the only one that seems like it needs to be in there, it's become so intrical (sp) to the show, could a U2 show be 'complete' without it?

Don't know.

I'm laughing at myself ........my "timing".....

of what I'd exchange for songwise....I was bored with WTSHNN in 01......sort of bored with it in 92 [missed pop tour]............

this tour I was more enthused about it..............

so far i haven't gotten bored with NYD [first song i ever i heard -giggle- half of them do live- Edge & Adam rehearsh/soundcheck in 83 nyc from a Circle-line boat .
MInd you i Deliberately TOOK that CL-boat to possibly cacht soundchk etc b/c i had been "forced" to give up my ticket to attend a meeting that was put in later than show.... :madspit....

keep SBS as they're doing it now tith ? rock the casbash!!
By the last i saw them in 11/05 they were really interweaving the 2 songs together I thought they sounded incredible!!!

I'd miss BTBS or Pride but NOT feel really "cheated".`

ESP-- EBTTRT/Lady w Spinning Head/Crumbs [missed it] try a full electric Yahwah, tho I loved how it biult from acoustic to elelectric first may nyc gig

EXIT or In God's Country







give WOWOY a vacation! god i so bored of that song.......course i was never a big fan of it in the first place!!!

 

[dazzledbylight]

sorry i dont feel gud....self-quote

 

[roy keane]

I'll be very original...... Pride

 

[phillyfan26]

-Take out ISHFWILF, WOWY, Pride, BTBS.
-Refine Zoo Station and The Fly to be more like the original ZooTV performances.
-Leave UTEOTW, WTSHNN.
-Try a completely new SBS or kill it (I doubt they have more ideas).

New Tour Setlist:

(NAS = New Album Song)

NAS
NAS
Elevation
Electric Co.
Beautiful Day
New Year's Day
COBL
Vertigo/Stories for Boys
NAS
NAS
Walk On
One Tree Hill
OOTS
Discotheque
MLK/WTSHNN
One

[Intermission]
Zoo Station
The Fly
EBTTRT
UTEOTW
NAS
Love is Blindness

Edit for ... editing.

 

[Peterrrrr]

-Take out ISHFWILF, WOWY, Pride, BTBS.
-Refine Zoo Station and The Fly to be more like the original ZooTV performances.
-Leave UTEOTW, WTSHNN.
-Try a completely new SBS or kill it (I doubt they have more ideas).

New Tour Setlist:

(NAS = New Album Song)

NAS
NAS
Elevation
Electric Co.
Beautiful Day
New Year's Day
COBL
Vertigo/Stories for Boys
NAS
NAS
Walk On
One Tree Hill
OOTS
Discotheque
MLK/WTSHNN
One

[Intermission]
Zoo Station
The Fly
EBTTRT
UTEOTW
NAS
Love is Blindness

Edit for ... editing.

Vertigo
Even Better Than The Real Thing
The Electric Co
Mofo
Ultraviolet
Beautiful Day
Electrical Storm
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
City Of Blinding Lights
Original Of The Spieces
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love And Peace Or Else
Please
Miss Sarajevo
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
Ultraviolet

Encore 1
Zooropa or Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
Discotheque
So Cruel

Encore 2
In God's Country
The Unforgettable Fire
Sweetest Thing
Love Is Blindness(

Vertigo / Rockaway Beach

 

[Sken]

They should continue to play all those songs, what they need is more setlist rotation, so no song is necessarily played apart from maybe Streets every night.

They need an A, B and C Setlist where a good 5 or 6 songs are different, and the songs that didnt change might appear in a different order in the set.

Would make it more interesting for them. They just need to spend a little more time on tour rehearsals than they normally do.

 

[thelaj]

Sunday Bloody Sunday from Buenos Aires & Sao Paulo this year sounded pretty good. Something to do with the Edge's guitar sounding more raw.

But..Rattle&Hum version (drool)...
Obviously some songs need to be rotated around. If U2's next tour is smaller, hence playing to more dedicated fans perhaps we will see more unusual tracks appear.

 

[Peterrrrr]

But..Rattle&Hum version (drool)...

I think the Rattle & Hum version are overated, that version is good because of how angry Bono is. If you want to hear him sing it much better listen to the 1986-06-15 - East Rutherford version.
His voice is incredible there.

Here is my favorite version of SBS

Red Rocks
1986-06-15 - East Rutherford
1992-08-16 - WC
2004-11-18 - Clinton Presidential Center and Library

 

[AtomicBono]

They should continue to play all those songs, what they need is more setlist rotation, so no song is necessarily played apart from maybe Streets every night.

They need an A, B and C Setlist where a good 5 or 6 songs are different, and the songs that didnt change might appear in a different order in the set.

Would make it more interesting for them. They just need to spend a little more time on tour rehearsals than they normally do.

Limit the "classics" (Still Haven't, NYD, SBS, WOWY, One, Pride, Bullet, MW) to maybe two or three a night, rotating, plus Streets.

they should definitely bring more stuff back from Pop and Zooropa. (well, if I had it my way they'd just play the entire Pop album ) Also, how about UF and October? They could bring back, say, A Sort of Homecoming and Fire. That'd rule.

 

[AndrewCowley]

The simple solution to this problem is rotation. Why is it that we even need a discussion along the lines of "play this song, don't play this song etc..." when the "trigger" for that discussion is fixed setlists. Rotation makes the problem go away.

 

[theFly51]

Take out:

Pride
Where The Streets Have No Name
New Year's Day
Bullet The Blue Sky

Bring Back:

Dirty Day
the Discotheque/Velvet Dress
Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car (maybe with the cool blue uniforms)
Gone
I Threw A Brick...
11 O' Clock Tick Tock
Party Girl
Satelite of Love
Numb

 

[BVS]

Even Better Than The Real Thing(I think Bono can handle the high "take me higher" part without falsette this tour)

I think this is the only song on AB that sounds dated. I wouldn't want to hear it.

 

[WalkOn21]

I think the Rattle & Hum version are overated, that version is good because of how angry Bono is.

That's not the only reason. The whole band's playing style is much more agressive. Have you noticed the tempo? The R&H version of SBS is much faster than other live versions. I like that.


I like the sped-up R&H version of Pride less, though.

 

[An Cat Gav]

like everyone else, i think that SBS and Pride need to get a rest, just popping up now and again.
i loved hearing electric co and an cat dubh on the vertigo tour, i'd love to see a day without me, party girl and i threw a brick through a window added to that. Streets will NEVER go from the regular set list.

 

[thelaj]

Bring Back:

Dirty Day
the Discotheque/Velvet Dress
Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car (maybe with the cool blue uniforms)
Gone
I Threw A Brick...
11 O' Clock Tick Tock
Party Girl
Satelite of Love
Numb

I agree, other than "I Threw A Brick" & "Satellite of Love"