The Chicago DVD

[ImOuttaControl]

Come on. You're honestly suggesting all positive crowd response has been carefully omitted, to leave people like me, who weren't at the shows with the impression that the crowd was lifeless.

I cannot believe that a crowd can be as inconsistent as you seem to suggest. I can judge the crowd I can see and I've been to enough shows, listened and watched enough boots to be able to tell a good crowd from a bad crowd. I can also accept that maybe they were times when they were a little more animated than they were shown but this would still leave them the wrong side of frigid.The crowd for Chicago is not a good audience full stop and is especially bad considering the reputation it had for U2 shows prior to the Vertigo tour.

You just don't get it so re-read all my posts. I NEVER said ALL positive crowd response was omitted, because there are some great clips. There are obvious low points also in crowd energy--for a show as fast paced as this one was, that is to be expected. But the songs I recall the crowd going crazy to(remember I was actually there, you weren't) show little to no crowd shots. (Vertigo, Elevation, SBS, COBL, not to mention the omitted Vertigox2)

Pretty much everybody I've talked to who was there thinks that the dvd did a horrible job at capturing crowd energy. I admit and most others who were there admit that the crowd response was not amazing by any means, but it WAS NOT as bad as it shows on the dvd. Take it from the people who were there because if you weren't there, then you can't possibly know then can you? Now quit trying to be a pain in the ass.

 

[knox]

I remember the first U2 show I went to being incredibly moved by the crowd's reaction to WTSHNN, I'd never seen anything like it, I was at the back of the arena and I could see every single person in the room bouncing up and down, not pushing against one another like at other concerts, but everyone totally being in the moment. The audience in Chicago are not even close to that.

I'm sure that the fact that Streets is freaking terrible on this tour has no bearing on the crowd reaction...

Streets in Chicago on Elevation, from my vantage point at the back of the arena, was better than Streets in Chicago on Vertigo from my vantage point about ten feet away from the stage.

 

[bbison]

I've found lately that I like to just put it on for the audio and listen while I do other things. Does anyone else do that?

My six year old requests it on the van DVD player--in rotation with SpongeBob, Toy Story and Jimmy Neutron. So I wind up listening to it a lot.

I now prefer it that way...all the jump cuts give me a headache. It's much more listenable than watchable.

 

[Ellay]

My apologies it must be an anti-Chicago conspiracy. Hamish must be so prejudiced against the residents of Illinois that he has manipulated the DVD footage to portray them in the most passion free manner possible. Maybe Bono's next cause will be a campaign for sufferers of stoicism and he needed some footage.

Yes you're right, the chicago audience was pasted over with a digitally enhanced crap audience.

Trust me , I know. (insider information)

 

[jonnytakeawalk]

the crowd looked HORRIBLE on the DVD, but I was there and even though I saw better crowds (prob. NY and DC), I think there was a lot more energy than what really came through on the DVD.

so i agree with the production problems.

I don't understand how you can blame a noticable lack of crowd enthusiasm on production problems.

The lacklustreness was particuarly evident during Zoo Station. Almost everyone inside the elipse was just standing there staring at the band. I find it really annoying to watch. I mean c'mon people this is Zoo Station, get into it!

 

[tarquinsuperb]

Yes you're right, the chicago audience was pasted over with a digitally enhanced crap audience.

Trust me , I know. (insider information)

I'm glad, I've had a couple of people agree with me. After I watched the DVD I never thought I'd defend Hamish in a million years but some on here would have you believe he's up there with Leni Riefenstahl in terms of film manipulation.

 

[Ellay]

lol

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I don't understand how you can blame a noticable lack of crowd enthusiasm on production problems.

The lacklustreness was particuarly evident during Zoo Station. Almost everyone inside the elipse was just standing there staring at the band. I find it really annoying to watch. I mean c'mon people this is Zoo Station, get into it!

There is a very valid point in saying that some of the crowd seemed lackluster; but overall the production killed any good moments.

As far as I'm concerned, the noticable "lacklusterness" at times is a direct result of the lottery system. A lot of hardcore fans ended up on the outside of the ellipse, not the inside. Basically, look at the first few rows inside the ellipse--these are the hardcore fans who are going nuts. Most of the other people inside are the people who showed up just before showtime and probably were just casual fans. If you read all of the lottery system debates last spring, you'd see that this complaint about the energy inside of the ellipse was very common..

As for Zoo Station...the problem with this song live is that it is already 15 years old and is a song that people other than hardcore fans probably haven't heard in ages. Same goes for An Cat Dubh, Into The Heart(I thought these 2 were great, but they were momentum killers), and Electric Co. As for Zoo Station, it's not a song that's very accessable to casual fans when you listen to Achtung Baby, so I know a lot of people who just skip it.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I'm glad, I've had a couple of people agree with me. After I watched the DVD I never thought I'd defend Hamish in a million years but some on here would have you believe he's up there with Leni Riefenstahl in terms of film manipulation.

And *some* people are too busy trying to label the entire crowd as being shit that they refuse use their brain to realize that there are production issues, lottery issues, flat/tired songs(NYD, Streets), momentum killing songs(An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart) and they refuse to realize that people who were actually there might have some good insight.


Why not focus on the positive; you might actually enjoy the dvd a bit more.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

I'm sure that the fact that Streets is freaking terrible on this tour has no bearing on the crowd reaction...

Streets in Chicago on Elevation, from my vantage point at the back of the arena, was better than Streets in Chicago on Vertigo from my vantage point about ten feet away from the stage.

yes streets from manchester and sao paulo were AWFUL

"sarcasam"

 

[tarquinsuperb]

And *some* people are too busy trying to label the entire crowd as being shit that they refuse use their brain to realize that there are production issues, lottery issues, flat/tired songs(NYD, Streets), momentum killing songs(An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart) and they refuse to realize that people who were actually there might have some good insight.


Why not focus on the positive; you might actually enjoy the dvd a bit more.

Accusing me of refusing to use my brain does a little bit unecessary but still. Let me ask you this:
There was an England game this evening and I had a ticket but I was unable to go, when I watched the game on TV it finished 2-1 to England. If I had phoned my friend as he was leaving the ground and he told me that England had lost 4-1, would you expect me believe him?

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Accusing me of refusing to use my brain does a little bit unecessary but still. Let me ask you this:
There was an England game this evening and I had a ticket but I was unable to go, when I watched the game on TV it finished 2-1 to England. If I had phoned my friend as he was leaving the ground and he told me that England had lost 4-1, would you expect me believe him?

This analogy does not work. The score of the game is fact whereas the vibe of the crowd is opinion.

Thanks for playing though.

 

[tarquinsuperb]

This analogy does not work. The score of the game is fact whereas the vibe of the crowd is opinion.

Thanks for playing though.

Who died and made you judge, jury and executioner?

It works fine, I am being asked to believe something which contradicts the source at my disposal.

 

[xaviMF22]

I'm sure that the fact that Streets is freaking terrible on this tour has no bearing on the crowd reaction...

Streets in Chicago on Elevation, from my vantage point at the back of the arena, was better than Streets in Chicago on Vertigo from my vantage point about ten feet away from the stage.

sadly I agree

 

[ImOuttaControl]

Who died and made you judge, jury and executioner?

It works fine, I am being asked to believe something which contradicts the source at my disposal.

Your analogy is ridiculous and the other poster summed up the reason why nicely.

Sure you're using your source in the form of a DVD, but you aren't using the many other sources right on this site; people who were actually at the show who say that Hamish did a shitty job capturing crowd energy. You made your mind up I'm sure the first time you watched the dvd and now you won't accept anything possible reasons on why the crowd doesn't look good at certain times.

 

[Chizip]

The Chicago crowd was not noticeably better or worse than any other American shows I went to, except for Las Vegas which was a real dud crowd wise.

Personally I think some people put way too much stock in crowd reaction. Wow, you jump up and down and scream even during With or Without You, great, good for you.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Who died and made you judge, jury and executioner?

It works fine, I am being asked to believe something which contradicts the source at my disposal.

defensive much?

Your analogy only works if you can not distinguish the difference between fact and opinion. When looking up the final score of a game you will find the same information place after place. When looking up a review of a concert you are bound to find a multitude of opinions.

 

[tarquinsuperb]

Sure you're using your source in the form of a DVD, but you aren't using the many other sources right on this site; people who were actually at the show who say that Hamish did a shitty job capturing crowd energy.

Oh gee I'm sorry, I forgot that apart from me, everyone is in unanimous agreement with you.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

Oh gee I'm sorry, I forgot that apart from me, everyone is in unanimous agreement with you.

LOL, you're just getting comical.

I never said everyone was in unanimous agreement with me, notta once.

Okay, maybe some people who were at the show say the crowd sucked as bad as it looks on the dvd, but I haven't talked to any.

Like I said before...if you spent all this energy looking for the cool, positive things you'd probably enjoy the dvd a lot more.

 

[jonnytakeawalk]

Personally I think some people put way too much stock in crowd reaction. Wow, you jump up and down and scream even during With or Without You, great, good for you.

Like it or not, crowd reaction is hugely important. The Slane dvd wouldn't be half as good were it not for the atmosphere of the crowd.

Still, apart from the crowd's lacklustreness the Chicago dvd's pretty good. Bono's voice was surprisingly holding up!