o.k. everyone has made really good points on this. I'm gonna stick my neck out and say this:
u2 doesn't play a different setlist every night and play all kinds of tunes from different albums because they can't; simple as that.
before I begin, you all know they are my favorite band. there is nothing else better than seeing them live. always will be my favorite. that being said:
they are not musically capable of, let's say, 15 minutes before a show, saying "hey, let's try indian summer sky tonight".
I mean, bono has screwed up the lyrics so many times on tunes they play EVERY night; I can't imagine what trying to pull off something like that would be like. I'll bet you $100 that on the elevation tour they could not have even played "please" all the way through without a train wreck.
here's why:
when they rehearse for a tour, they put all their energy into those 2 dozen or so tunes they're gonna play every night so they sound good....and that's it. edge doesn't go back to the hotel room then and pull out his guitar and "practice" their old tunes; neither does adam....hell, I wonder how much bono practiced "bad" or "stay"
anyway...."best band in the world"? certainly my favorite.
best?....well, let's start with the musical ability to vary a setlist, and we'll go from there.
now go ahead and rip me apart for criticizing u2.