tour concern (also with ABOY)

[popmart86]

it's a great song !!! BUT the chorus is what bugs me. the second time he says ABOY, he holds it..and it sounds like he is in pain. my concern is that his voice wont be as good on this tour as say..the elevation tour. will be be able to do 'pride' or the 'we can break through' part of 'new years day' (if they actually do those songs)?

 

[discothequeLP]

Bono did NYD perfectly on the Slane DVD, and his voice now is as good as it has been since the early 90s, so i think he'll be able to do anything this tour!

 

[djerdap]

My only worries about the tour that it may include too many backing tracks. Bono, learn how to play guitar on ABOY! Otherwise it doesn't sound that great.

 

[the tourist]

My only worries about the tour that it may include too many backing tracks. Bono, learn how to play guitar on ABOY! Otherwise it doesn't sound that great.

Good point! *sighs* But I don't think that'll happen, sadly. I think U2 should drop a lot of the backing tracks that aren't the ethereal high-pitched keyboards a-la Running To Stand Still and Where The Streets Have No Name and The First Time.

 

[Zoomerang96]

My only worries about the tour that it may include too many backing tracks. Bono, learn how to play guitar on ABOY! Otherwise it doesn't sound that great.

i know. bono's been trying to play guitar for years and he still has trouble with it.

it would be nice, because it's kinday sketchy to play this song live unless bono can.

 

[JOFO]

Good point! *sighs* But I don't think that'll happen, sadly. I think U2 should drop a lot of the backing tracks that aren't the ethereal high-pitched keyboards a-la Running To Stand Still and Where The Streets Have No Name and The First Time.

yeah.

well.

I guess he's busy saving the world, so I can excuse him from learning E-G-D-A chords.

*ducks*

yeah, yeah I know he's singing too....it's fine with me actually....

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

I don't think Bono will have too many problems with his voice this year. He's sounding better than I've heard him in 10 or 11 years.

 

[stagman]

would much prefer it if he played on ABOY

 

[TheFlyOnTheWall]

Bono did NYD perfectly on the Slane DVD, and his voice now is as good as it has been since the early 90s, so i think he'll be able to do anything this tour!

Yeah, but listen to Angel Of Harlem. He really avoids that high notes...

And for the guitar playing; Bono surely (and I'm not calling anyone Shirley ) knows to play guitar good enough for E-G-D-A or any other chords. It's not like he never played anything, and you can't forget it that easily...

 

[Judah]

I don't think Bono has a problem playing the guitar...it's playing the guitar and singing at the same time that seems to be dodgy... and maybe the ABOY chords require that extra rocking that may distract him from singing it properly. On Elevation DVD, he does fine on Gone after he's done singing.

[As a slight aside, anyone remember which song(s) on the Live at Red Rocks video Bono plays guitar?...i lost my copy but i seem to remember he had the electric guitar out for one or two songs.]

 

[Miroslava]

I actually prefer Bono unhindered by the guitar so he can freely roam about the stage and do that Bono thing he does so well...



And having been at the Brooklyn show, I can tell you his voice is sounding GREAT!!!

 

[artdirector]

He's a professional singer and songwriter. I think he knows he can hit the notes.

 

[Achtung Joshua!]

[As a slight aside, anyone remember which song(s) on the Live at Red Rocks video Bono plays guitar?...i lost my copy but i seem to remember he had the electric guitar out for one or two songs.] [/B][/QUOTE]

A Day Without Me (and he barely plays at all except for one chord here and there)

 

[doctorwho]

Yeah, but listen to Angel Of Harlem. He really avoids that high notes...

And for the guitar playing; Bono surely (and I'm not calling anyone Shirley ) knows to play guitar good enough for E-G-D-A or any other chords. It's not like he never played anything, and you can't forget it that easily...

Two things:

1) Bono avoidED the super high note. It's past tense - not present. Also, you try singing that song night after night for a year and tell me if you don't avoid dropping a few notes here and there.

2) Bono's vocals now are stronger than they were on ATYCLB and the Elevation tour. So this bodes well for the future.

3) As for playing guitar - I guess it depends on the arrangement U2 choose for this song. That is, do they want Bono standing at a microphone playing guitar and singing, or would it be better for Bono to be interacting with the crowd in this rather loud and fun song? The latter might be better, even if it forces some recorded backing tracks.

 

[nathan1977]

Backing tracks? I don't think so. I gather that Dallas is playing along underneath the stage. While it would be nice to have the band playing all the parts, let's let no Ashlee Simpson-esque charges rear their ugly heads here. U2 plays most of their stuff live (at least lately) -- it's just that sometimes there's more than four members of U2.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Well, wait nathan1977, U2 have used backing tracks in the past. Wasn't the main riff in Gone prerecorded? And what about the vocals to the opening "whoo hoo's" in Elevation. I understand Bono may have had some help there too. Based on the fact that he nailed it flawlessly every concert on the Elevation Tour. When U2 played Saturday Night Live in 2000 Bono couldn't hit any of those notes, so I'm sure he had help every once in a while.

It's nothing I think the band use as a crutch nightly, but I'm sure they put technology to use occasionally.

 

[Zoomerang96]

i wish they'd limit their backing tracks, and if not, then have the other musicians on stage! why hide them?!

 

[Flying FuManchu]

The backing track or recorded ABOY riff is just too much... Edge has become the Ashlee Simpson of the group...

 

[Zoomerang96]

i know you're joking, but it it IS too much.

but what can you do? i mean, that's an essential part to the song and edge simply can't do everything. maybe if he had two bodies, and another set of hands.

i say bring dallas on stage or get bono to play the part. how hard can it be anyway?

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I am joking but she got a lot of flack for that by several on this board while the Edge is essentially doing the same thing with the guitar. I didn't mind Gone as much b/c the riff is simple and repetitive but the ABOY pre-recorded track is, if I'm hearing correctly, more complex. I don't no... I just don't feel comfortable with that. I've always been a supporter of less backing tracks and more people on the stage for songs that could use them.

 

[U2girl]

I'm sure the band will rehearse enough ahead of the tour and that Bono will, as he has on every tour before, grab the acoustic guitar on some songs.

As for backtracks, their music got too complex since and starting with Unforgettable fire. It can not be just 4 guys playing everything .
I wouldn't mind seeing whoever it is that plays the keyboards at the start of Where the streets have no name - other bands do it - but I guess U2 want to keep the band-on-stage image.

That said, as long as the band plays the vast majority of the music live, I'm ok with it.

 

[Zoomerang96]

but why do u2 have to hide the other musicians under the stage? that doesn't seem right.

i was at an rem show a couple of months back, and they were all up there. no idea who some of them were, but they were there for all to see. i used to like the idea of just u2 on stage, but since their music is indeed more layered these days, i think they should have everyone in full view.

 

[yimou]

but why do u2 have to hide the other musicians under the stage? that doesn't seem right.

i was at an rem show a couple of months back, and they were all up there. no idea who some of them were, but they were there for all to see. i used to like the idea of just u2 on stage, but since their music is indeed more layered these days, i think they should have everyone in full view.

Consider them session musicians because thats what they are. They are paid to add a part here and there and some effects here.. They are doing a great job filling it out, but thats all they do.. Having them onstage is a crap idea IMO, because what they have done so far works..

 

[JOFO]

I wouldn't mind seeing whoever it is that plays the keyboards at the start of Where the streets have no name - other bands do it - but I guess U2 want to keep the band-on-stage image.

that is done with a sequencer; it always has been.
a sequencer is an electronic device that plays back previously recorded keyboard parts in a live setting.

most of their songs have sequenced parts.
I don't know where people have gotten the idea that there are "session musicians" under the stage playing parts; it's just the sequencer doing those keyboard/percussion/sound effects.

as far as the recent shows for this album, I think they now play to a CD that has the backing tracks (not all the tracks). that's why you heard 2 guitars on ABOY. it's not dallas playing under the stage. also, the beginning of miracle drug sounded more like a CD instead of a sequencer.

 

[Axver]

I thought the start of Miracle Drug was triggered by the notes that Edge plays ...?

 

[JOFO]

I thought the start of Miracle Drug was triggered by the notes that Edge plays ...?

it could be; I don't know for sure.

 

[Yahweh]

I dont think people want to see a big goofy looking guy named Dallas on the stage and I think having too many people on the stage takes away the intimacy of the show that is very difficult to create in a stadium and arena environement in the first place. If Bono was a great guitarist which he is not...infact most of the time hes just holding the guitar and even when it looks like hes playing you cant hear it most of the time.....I would prefer he played but he cant so backing tracks for guitar is the only alternative.

 

[yimou]

most of their songs have sequnced parts.
I don't know where people have gotten the idea that there are "session musicians" under the stage playing parts; it's just the sequencer doing those keyboard/percussion/sound effects.

What would you call somebody playing live with the music then ??

 

[JOFO]

What would you call somebody playing live with the music then ??

I'd call them a backup musician; but since u2 don't use any of those, there's no point in arguing symantics.

 

[yimou]

I'd call them a backup musician; but since u2 don't use any of those, there's no point in arguing symantics.

Wrong,,,, But i dont wanna argue over nothing