Breathe is a better opener

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Again: if they dropped a song, why would they bring it back as an OPENER, no less? I think they (and the tour staff) have got a better feel for what's working/what isn't over the duration of the legs of the tour thus far and if a song's been completely dropped we should probably just a. give up our own feelings for the song and b. stop fantasizing about it ever opening.


Mind you, I should probably do the same for Unknown Caller and Breathe. :sad: :sigh:

I think they should rework and speed up Magnificent, maybe not identical to one of the remixes but using them as a starting point, and open with that. Just me, I guess.

Failing that, do the awards show intro of GOYB, open with GOYB and get it out of the way right off the bat. :shrug:
 
I don't think anyone is suggesting they're going to bring it back at all, much less as the opener. I thought this whole topic was "what could have been." :shrug:
 
Are you going for something YOU want to hear, or something you think a crowd of 80,000 will respond to?
 
The current live version of NLOTH is too lackluster to open the show. They would need to find a way to make it more like the album version which just has that something extra to it.
 
Just watched a YouTube "Soon... Breathe" Intro & I'm reminded how f'n brilliant it was. F*ck the haters.
 
I'm loving Stingray, and it's short enough to be considered an intro, rather than an obscure opener. It really announces that U2 are ready to play and juxtaposes well with the more serious image people still have of U2 (Bono and Africa, 80's hits like SBS, NYD and ISHF). It was great last week in Melbs and I was especially looking forward to it at the 2nd Melbourne show. Love the swagger of Bono and Edge.

Beautiful Day works well enough, though I think Boots would work even better. Boots is a monster live. I'd never would have thought, but it was a highlight for me.

Stingray into Lady With The Spinning Head would really be something.
 
"Breathe" was a horrible opener that killed the energy of the crowd and left people confused. It didn't build momentum, it was just some meandering song that nobody knew. It doesn't suck you in if you've never heard it before like "Vertigo". People aren't left riding the wave of excitement like "MoFo" or "Streets...". "Breathe" is a song that's just kind of there, and just kind of happens.

I'm not really sure why the band thought it was going to work.

I'm trying to imagine that conversation:

Larry: "We need to pick an opener. Let's get the audience revved-up with a rocking, catchy song they can sing along to."
Bono: "How about Breathe!"
Larry: "..."
Bono: "Come on! It would be so crazy! Most of the fans don't know that song! It's not that catchy! It's not a jump-around exciting tune!"
Adam: "Elevation is kind of nice."
Edge: "Yeah, I really like playing that one."
Bono: "It's either this or Unknown Caller. I refuse to sing anything else."
Larry: "This is like the time you threatened to open every show with Red Light if we didn't tell Ali we liked that pie she made for us."
Adam: "Please stop fighting."
Edge: "Time for my cooking class. See you guys later."
 
DoctorGonzo said:
I'm trying to imagine that conversation:

Larry: "We need to pick an opener. Let's get the audience revved-up with a rocking, catchy song they can sing along to."
Bono: "How about Breathe!"
Larry: "..."
Bono: "Come on! It would be so crazy! Most of the fans don't know that song! It's not that catchy! It's not a jump-around exciting tune!"
Adam: "Elevation is kind of nice."
Edge: "Yeah, I really like playing that one."
Bono: "It's either this or Unknown Caller. I refuse to sing anything else."
Larry: "This is like the time you threatened to open every show with Red Light if we didn't tell Ali we liked that pie she made for us."
Adam: "Please stop fighting."
Edge: "Time for my cooking class. See you guys later."
Click to expand...
:lmao:
 
intedomine said:
I'm loving Stingray, and it's short enough to be considered an intro, rather than an obscure opener. It really announces that U2 are ready to play and juxtaposes well with the more serious image people still have of U2 (Bono and Africa, 80's hits like SBS, NYD and ISHF). It was great last week in Melbs and I was especially looking forward to it at the 2nd Melbourne show. Love the swagger of Bono and Edge.

Beautiful Day works well enough, though I think Boots would work even better. Boots is a monster live. I'd never would have thought, but it was a highlight for me.
Click to expand...

agreed. if we use the criteria that they open with something currently playing, boots would be a slick choice.

i still maintain no line on the horizon would be a complete slam dunk. whether it be after kingdom of your love soon*, or return of the stingray guitar.


*=who knew for once i'd prefer the longer title of a u2 song.
 
Stingray > Magnificent
Stingray > Crazy Tonight
Stingray > Boots

Any of these would be better than BD.
 
Of the openers I've seen them play:
Bullet, Streets, Zoo, City and Beautiful - okay officially it's Stingray but that lasted what? 45 seconds so doesn't count for me. Somewhat a WTF intro.

I rank them as openers:
City
Zoo
Streets
Bullet
Beautiful/Stingray
Stingray/Beautiful

Okay, I cheated with the last two so take into account my feelings - Stingray is too short (and frankly formless) to really count as an opener (2) or the alternative - as it's the first thing they play it is the opener (1).

I rank them as songs
Zoo
City
Bullet
Streets
Beautiful

I think what counts in City's favour is it's not an album opener. Bullet isn't either, so that does count in it's favour, but that opening song's opening doesn't feel quite right to open a concert with.

That's my opening statement, your honour!
 
mrblonde said:
Of the openers I've seen them play:
Bullet, Streets, Zoo, City and Beautiful - okay officially it's Stingray but that lasted what? 45 seconds so doesn't count for me. Somewhat a WTF intro.

I rank them as openers:
City
Zoo
Streets
Bullet
Beautiful/Stingray
Stingray/Beautiful

Okay, I cheated with the last two so take into account my feelings - Stingray is too short (and frankly formless) to really count as an opener (2) or the alternative - as it's the first thing they play it is the opener (1).

I rank them as songs
Zoo
City
Bullet
Streets
Beautiful

I think what counts in City's favour is it's not an album opener. Bullet isn't either, so that does count in it's favour, but that opening song's opening doesn't feel quite right to open a concert with.

That's my opening statement, your honour!
Click to expand...
City a better song than Streets......?
 
Vlaco said:
City a better song than Streets......?
Click to expand...

As an concert opener, you can argue City's a bit downbeat lyrically and musically.

Streets isn't a bundle of laughs, either, lyrically (and, happy or sad quotient aside not as good lyrically) It is a faster tempo song, though, so maybe a better opening.

But as a song pure and simple? Yes, City is better than Streets. Note that doesn't mean anything radical like in my U2 Top 20, but yes, oh yes, better than Streets.

I think the general consensus about Stingray is that, lights on or not, it is the show opener. Fair enough. I don't think it's up to much at present. Be interesting to hear it if it makes onto SOA or any other album - ie hear the finished version . I say finished version because - yes, yes, on one listen to sue me :D - I don't think we're hearing it. If we are the words "U2 classic" and "Return of the Stringray Guitar" will never be joined in holy matrimony by the words "is a".
 
Can't say I could possibly agree with that one. Streets has to be the most epic song I've ever seen live, tied with only UTEOTW and Bad.
 
U2 should never open with Streets at this point. At least with BD they're keeping it to the current "era." Even if they played three new songs after it, each with dance beats and Lady Gaga coming down from the sky, opening with Streets would scream Nostalgia Act. If they open with Streets, they may as well change their name to The Rolling Stones and open with Satisfaction.
 
Galeongirl said:
Can't say I could possibly agree with that one. Streets has to be the most epic song I've ever seen live, tied with only UTEOTW and Bad.
Click to expand...

My complaint with Streets is that I don't think it's a strong enough song to carry any more than the live "rush" thing. You're right, live it's very special. However, if you go home after the show and listen to the song on JT(forget how it makes you feel live for a mo), it ain't much of a song. I think City is a better album song and the live video intro I think is way better than Streets - okay technology's improved so that's a bit of an unfair comparison maybe. It's more of an emotional opening and song for me than Streets (less an "up" emotion, but still).

The fact I'd waited 13 years to see 'em again possibly helped push City to be my "Best Opener" , too. To be honest, they could have started at least the first Auckland show with aimless tuning and burping and i wouldn't have been too upset. The second show starting that way woudn't have been cool, though.

I was going to compare Streets to the hooter that starts off a sports game (ie the buzz you get at the game is for what the sound represents, not really what the sound iis). Insanity prevailed.
 
mrblonde said:
Streets isn't a bundle of laughs, either, lyrically (and, happy or sad t. If we are the words "U2 classic" and "Return of the Stringray Guitar" will never be joined in holy matrimony by the words "is a".
Click to expand...
I wouldn't call Zoo Station and Mofo U2 classics but they were great openers.
 
We'll have to agree to disagree then. :) For me I just can't explain the chills I get up my spine every time I hear that organ starting. It's just some kind of magic. Sure COBL is pretty damn good too, but for me it's not the same.
 
I read in "U2 At The End Of The World" that they played the set backwards once or twice during the Lovetown tour...

Looking at setlists.fm, I don't see anything that quite fits that description to a T, but there's a couple in there that come close...

Now, that would have been interesting!
 
City of Blinding Lights is a great song. It was also a great opener.

That being said, I think this is the only time I've ever heard an argument that COBL is superior to Streets.

Register me as another vote for Streets as superior in every way possible to COBL.
 
mrblonde said:
As an concert opener, you can argue City's a bit downbeat lyrically and musically.

Streets isn't a bundle of laughs, either, lyrically (and, happy or sad quotient aside not as good lyrically) It is a faster tempo song, though, so maybe a better opening.
Click to expand...

How are City and Streets "downbeat"?
 
mrblonde said:
As an concert opener, you can argue City's a bit downbeat lyrically and musically.

Streets isn't a bundle of laughs, either, lyrically (and, happy or sad quotient aside not as good lyrically) It is a faster tempo song, though, so maybe a better opening.

But as a song pure and simple? Yes, City is better than Streets. Note that doesn't mean anything radical like in my U2 Top 20, but yes, oh yes, better than Streets.
Click to expand...
Couldn't disagree more. COBL is nothing special to me and Streets is epic. I wouldn't mind if U2 decided to never play COBL again. This won't happen unfortunately:wink:
 
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