Varitek said:
NYD hasn't been played every night - I'm sure Axver can break out some stats, but what I'll say is that I saw 6 Vertigo shows and never saw NYD and I'd trade it for 5 out of the 6 Ones I saw in a second, partly because it's a much better song and partly because it hasn't been played anywhere near every night so it isn't tired and flat.
Correct.
My point was that in 1992, when Bono dismissed those fans who felt U2
had to play NYD, it had essentially the same position as One has now. So let me break down NYD's history:
- It debuted on 1 December 1982.
- From the first date of the Pre-War Tour through to the last date of the Lovetown Tour, it was played at all but five gigs. Out of more than 350 shows! It was missed at less than 0.02% of concerts - statistically negligible, and thus comparable to One's current status.
- It missed COMPLETELY the first two legs of ZooTV. Not a problem; U2 fans were not rioting en masse, and this is now remembered as one of U2's best eras by most here (I am, of course, an exception). It returned on the second night of the third leg and stayed there until the end of the tour. It should be emphasised that it returned not due to fan protest, but because U2 felt WGRYWH did not work live, and UTEOTW could segue into NYD just like it segued into WGRYWH. The other classics Bono referenced - Sunday Bloody Sunday and I Will Follow - were played only sparingly from this point on. I Will Follow failed to make even
a fifteenth of ZooTV setlists.
- It was played at every Popmart gig.
- It missed 33 of Elevation's 113 shows.
- It was played at less than half of Vertigo's concerts: 65 of 131. It missed the entire third leg, 50 shows in North America. On the fifth leg, it rotated with ISHFWILF.
U2 don't
need to play any song. Any fan who thinks they do is just trying to make U2 fit into a box. You really think the U2 live show is dependent on any one song being played? Then that's a sad comment on your opinion of them as performers. I'm one of this forum's more vocal critics of many things U2 have done and continue to do, and not even I would entertain such a silly notion. U2 are a fantastic live band who shouldn't be boxed in to certain setlist choices.
And I'm sorry to disappoint Canadiens and his favourite smiley, but the debate between Aygo and I is over since I've put Aygo on ignore after the "we think One fucking sucks" thread.