I always enjoy U2 shows, regardless of the set list. 360, as has been discussed in other threads, gets an enormous amount right in this area: Unforgettable Fire, MLK, Ultraviolet and 7 nightly staples from NLOTH!
That being said, the one glaring oversight, and the biggest complaint I have heard from causal fan friends, is the lack of 1980-84 material. I was born in 1987, so I can not be accused of just wanting to re live my high school years or some War show I attended. I strongly support the inclusion of 7 NLOTH songs.
I just think there are so many overlooked and underrated gems from this time period, and unlike with the 90s material, many casual U2 or even casual music fans know them. Plus, they are for the most part, great, high energy rock songs that are raw and original as opposed to cliche(New York, Elevation, ABOY). This time period was what first got U2 noticed, and I think its high time they pull out the Vertigo set lists, listen to October again, and listen to War and UF track by track.
There is no excuse not to have at least one of the following pairings every night:
The Ocean/11 O Clock Tick Tock
Cry/Electric Co
An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart
Out of Control/Twilight
Surrender/Two Hearts Beat As One
Another Time Another Place/Wire
Gloria/A Day Without Me
October/A Sort of Homecoming
Drowning Man/Bad
Seconds/Wire
And at just 1/3 of shows, give us 40 after MOS.
I know you are not a true fan like us if you have no interest in hearing the new material, but the way I see it in talking to people about 360, alot of the gripes have come from long time fans who were admittedly more familiar with their early stuff. I am sure many will agree with me that anyone who knows anything about this time period in U2's history knows that it stands out for how brilliant it was for such young guys. I can certainly sympathize to some extent with these people who think it utterly absurd that they play Elevation, Vertigo and 4 other songs from ATYCLB over anything I mentioned above. It is almost criminal when you think about it; akin to U2 forgetting entirely what got them noticed.
U2 should not change their MO of promoting the hell out of new material in their shows, but this is arguably their first tour ever that they have not thrown their longest running fans any bones at all. Zoo TV had Bad most of the time, Pop had I Will Follow every night, etc. 360 has the Unforgettable Fire, but that has not satisfied most of the people I talk to, they just say "good start, but how about Seconds....etc"
I would love to hear some of these songs again, and judging by how Boy songs and Gloria went off on Vertigo, so would most of the crowd. If you read Vertigo tour reviews vs 360 reviews, you get alot more older fans who were happy with what was played. I think an older fan going with his 18 yr old son or daughter to Vertigo would have come away feeling like U2 had remembered what got them noticed and mixed that in well with the new material. 360, the same fan probably felt that the songs plus the stage meant that U2 had "lost the plot" especially since this fan had first seen them in a club on the War tour.
This tour is way too 00's focused, whereas previous tours have represented a cross section of U2's career.
That being said, the one glaring oversight, and the biggest complaint I have heard from causal fan friends, is the lack of 1980-84 material. I was born in 1987, so I can not be accused of just wanting to re live my high school years or some War show I attended. I strongly support the inclusion of 7 NLOTH songs.
I just think there are so many overlooked and underrated gems from this time period, and unlike with the 90s material, many casual U2 or even casual music fans know them. Plus, they are for the most part, great, high energy rock songs that are raw and original as opposed to cliche(New York, Elevation, ABOY). This time period was what first got U2 noticed, and I think its high time they pull out the Vertigo set lists, listen to October again, and listen to War and UF track by track.
There is no excuse not to have at least one of the following pairings every night:
The Ocean/11 O Clock Tick Tock
Cry/Electric Co
An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart
Out of Control/Twilight
Surrender/Two Hearts Beat As One
Another Time Another Place/Wire
Gloria/A Day Without Me
October/A Sort of Homecoming
Drowning Man/Bad
Seconds/Wire
And at just 1/3 of shows, give us 40 after MOS.
I know you are not a true fan like us if you have no interest in hearing the new material, but the way I see it in talking to people about 360, alot of the gripes have come from long time fans who were admittedly more familiar with their early stuff. I am sure many will agree with me that anyone who knows anything about this time period in U2's history knows that it stands out for how brilliant it was for such young guys. I can certainly sympathize to some extent with these people who think it utterly absurd that they play Elevation, Vertigo and 4 other songs from ATYCLB over anything I mentioned above. It is almost criminal when you think about it; akin to U2 forgetting entirely what got them noticed.
U2 should not change their MO of promoting the hell out of new material in their shows, but this is arguably their first tour ever that they have not thrown their longest running fans any bones at all. Zoo TV had Bad most of the time, Pop had I Will Follow every night, etc. 360 has the Unforgettable Fire, but that has not satisfied most of the people I talk to, they just say "good start, but how about Seconds....etc"
I would love to hear some of these songs again, and judging by how Boy songs and Gloria went off on Vertigo, so would most of the crowd. If you read Vertigo tour reviews vs 360 reviews, you get alot more older fans who were happy with what was played. I think an older fan going with his 18 yr old son or daughter to Vertigo would have come away feeling like U2 had remembered what got them noticed and mixed that in well with the new material. 360, the same fan probably felt that the songs plus the stage meant that U2 had "lost the plot" especially since this fan had first seen them in a club on the War tour.
This tour is way too 00's focused, whereas previous tours have represented a cross section of U2's career.