Now, friends, I'd like to share some feelings and thoughts, I've had while attending some European shows in summer 2009. I've been an U2 album listener since 1984, a so-called die-hard fan since 1987, and have attended U2 concerts on a regular basis since 1992.
I own U2 –apart from spending a lot of energy, time and money on them as a kind of a fun 'hobby' and kind of religion:- – beautiful, beautiful memories. The really did write a sooundtrack to my life, and during a few personal, some very special encounters I was able to thank them for that.
U2 have been my band, mainly because of the music, because of the lyrics, but also the ability of getting along to find a third way: on the narrow edge inbetween being popular mainstream, being part of the establishment – and having an indvidual voice, being a sincere force against this establishment, against injustice.
It is all about this world of emotions, in the end – but this in 2009 I haven't felt for the first time, while seeing the concerts. This is already the first point: It is not a concert anymore, it is a show. When listening to band interviews and audience voices, the first (and often only) words you get are all about the (specacular) design of the stage, the lights etc. – it's all about the look, not the songs.
Looking at their number and statistics, go to
U2gigs.com - U2 360� tour news, pictures, reviews, it is not, what does interest me this time. It is the selection for the setlists, and the way, how they were performed:
- Only 7 tunes were played from the current album, which as an album is fine, even excellent – but its reflections do not fit a stadium show like this. I say, the attempt to bring an intimate work like NLOTH into a beer stand, mass crowd, chatting, phone dialing ambience does not work, it might have worked better in an inddor location, I assume.
- The choice to start the show with "Breathe", followed by another fixed three from the album (NLOTH, GOYB, "Maginificent") does not do better. After the pure hysteria, when the band came out, in every show I witnessed, how all most of the arms went down and remained there until "Beautiful Day", which has a nice new intro, which does rock – though to end the tune with the same snippets just like you did in 2005/06 is bit of a creative let-down for me personally.
- The next section proves, how strange this '360' thing works, how much confusion is here. You have had tunes like ISHFWILF, AOH, "Desire", SIMYCGOO or "Stay", you even had at the beginning a non-single like IAW (rare exception for these Greatest Hits, keep it safe, dominated setlists!). But in the end it was a disappointment to see these tunes being all there is – after the initial hopes and statements, U2 do want to play stuff, they haven't done for a a long time or they never have played so far (aka "Drowning Man", the too soon to be forgotten ES etc.). From the Amsterdam & Dublin days on, the band obviously decided that another power song has to follow BD, but that went on the expense of the following 'flexible' slots in the set.
- From there on, let's say UC, you have had the autopilote run just until the last notes of MOS, when the show was over, and big parts of the audience already have left the building! Yes, it was simply breathtaking to witness TUF live (played and sung excellent!), but it was also sad to see the Greatest Hits played in exactly this (often sloppy) form: cut short, one after the other – if it is SBS (will be interesting, if U2 at least have the courage to show the 'Radio Teheran' performance in the USA – I doubt it!) or "Pride", if it is MW or WO. And, yes, "Bad" was an exception, less than a handful of times. A great tune, but we have heard much better versions on every single night it was performed during ZOO TV, Elevation and Vertigo.
- Too much machine, a band that obviosuly has no hunger anymore, and a lack of inspiration that also produced the worst ever version of a gem like WOWY. Some people might think that IGCIIDGCT is pure fune – good, but the same quality you find on every third-class Mallorca beach party.
I do not know, where U2 see themselves at the moment as artists, but I'm really interested in, where they will head for from this megalomaniac mass-entertainment. ZOO TV and POPmart however were on another level, these show-concerts had a concept and brain, something that is missing in '360' with its failing flow of songs. I'll decide then, whether I still will follow. Only a few single moments of the classic U2 beauty, mixed with aching echos of nostalgia, will not be enough. I hope they do rediscover their courage as artists and musicians ...
QFT
I believe is a joke at least it always makes me laugh when I see it
What I expected was more intimacy, more emotion, more spontaneity, more courage from a musician's, artist's perspective. By the way: I'm happy, I did not disappoint you. You know me better, than I know myself.
