I Miss 1980-1984

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U2387

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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.
 
i too was born in 1987. I do not want to see 40 after MOS at any of the 360 shows. MOS is an excellent closer. I saw every closer on the Vertigo tour except for the ones that closed Pacific leg shows (All I want is You, Kite etc) and 40 was the most lackluster of them all. I much preferred when Vertigo x2 closed, or Bad (yes please), or WOWY, Fast Cars and Instant Karma. Regardless, 40 should remain where it is in the 80s and as a snippet.

The problem is with U2 is with every album they release, another album if not two or three is going to be neglected when it comes to the setlists. there is no way to please 100% of the people 100% of the time.
 
i too was born in 1987. I do not want to see 40 after MOS at any of the 360 shows. MOS is an excellent closer. I saw every closer on the Vertigo tour except for the ones that closed Pacific leg shows (All I want is You, Kite etc) and 40 was the most lackluster of them all. I much preferred when Vertigo x2 closed, or Bad (yes please), or WOWY, Fast Cars and Instant Karma. Regardless, 40 should remain where it is in the 80s and as a snippet.

I think MOS is an excellent closer as well. It should still be the finale at 2/3 of the shows. Agree to disagree on 40, I think it works very well. I only saw 40 on Vertigo, but I could imagine Bad, Vertigox2 and Instant Karma working extremely well too.

The problem is with U2 is with every album they release, another album if not two or three is going to be neglected when it comes to the setlists. there is no way to please 100% of the people 100% of the time.

I agree with you 100%. They have way too big a catalog to please everyone. I do not expect U2 to all of a sudden up their count from 22 per night to 28 or 30 to accommodate everyone.

I guess all I am saying is they would do better to neglect 3 or 4 of the ATYCLB songs they play every night and play a pair from the 80-84 period instead. Just a pair, not all of them. I don't think you and I are too far apart here!

I don't think most people would cry over missing ATYCLB and I think 80-84 material would have a double positive impact of pleasing the old fans and inspiring the younger crowd to look at the back catalog. U2 has always had the dilemma you speak of, but I do not ever remember experiencing or reading about as many pissed off life long fans as I do now.
 
I'd love for them to showcase some October era stuff (Gloria/Brick/I Fall Down, etc...). But at the very least have them play I Will Follow for goodness sakes... really odd for this song to be absent as it's been played on every tour except this one.
 
To be fair on them, they did recycle a lot from Boy and also Gloria on the last tour.. Wouldn't want them to do the same thing two tours in a row.
 
I also miss the early eighties. Hair syles and fashion were horrible back then, but I was young and pretty. Man I miss my young self. :sad:
 
I'd love for them not to repeat the Vertigo Tour.

However, Drowning Man would be incredible.
 
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 think this says more of the people you talk to then the 'bones' being thrown. Because in that sense The Unforgettable Fire is no different than Bad or IWF. Or actually it is, because this time TUF is a song resurrected (after 19 years), while the other 'bones' were still regulars up to that point (maybe IWF not so much on the Zoo TV tour, but certainly before).

This tour is way too 00's focused, whereas previous tours have represented a cross section of U2's career.

No, those tours didn't either. Zoo TV (initially) didn't present anything pre-1984. Popmart neglected the pre-1983 years and also Zooropa, their previous album. Elevation was better in presenting a cross-section (if you overlook the absence of October and the near-absence of Zooropa). Vertigo was light on October, Zooropa and Pop, but had otherwise a good cross-section of the rest. So up to now 360 hasn't been that much too focused compared to previous tours.

:)
 
I think this says more of the people you talk to then the 'bones' being thrown. Because in that sense The Unforgettable Fire is no different than Bad or IWF. Or actually it is, because this time TUF is a song resurrected (after 19 years), while the other 'bones' were still regulars up to that point (maybe IWF not so much on the Zoo TV tour, but certainly before).

Fair point. Most of the people I talked to did have unrealistic expectations as to the practicality of U2 playing all of War or Boy when those albums are 27/30 years old. I don't know why TUF does not do it for them, they like it, but I guess it is not as epic or well known as Bad or I Will Follow. My point is not that I agree with these people 100%, it is simply that U2 is playing a 10 year old mediocre by their standards album that does not fit the claw or stadiums to death. This is while songs like the ones I mentioned sit out entirely. All I am saying is that people notice this, and comment on it.

I am just wondering if U2 played a pair of songs from this time period every(or most) show(s), would this cut down on the seemingly large volume of long time fans who just do not get 360? It is natural to get some unhappy people every tour/show, etc, but this tour, more than any other, features the complainers belonging to one group:fans who have been with U2 since 80-84.

Frankly, though they are somewhat uninformed, unrealistic and in some cases, pining for their high school days again, they have a point. No way is Stuck or Elevation anywhere near as good as The Ocean and 11 O'Clock Tick Tock. BD and Walk On are enough to represent ATYCLB hits.



No, those tours didn't either. Zoo TV (initially) didn't present anything pre-1984. Popmart neglected the pre-1983 years and also Zooropa, their previous album. Elevation was better in presenting a cross-section (if you overlook the absence of October and the near-absence of Zooropa). Vertigo was light on October, Zooropa and Pop, but had otherwise a good cross-section of the rest. So up to now 360 hasn't been that much too focused compared to previous tours.

Maybe I should have said "some previous tours." Particularly, UF, JT and Lovetown, though it was admittedly much easier back then. Elevation and Vertigo, I have no problem with them leaving or nearly leaving alone some albums, that was bound to happen given the size of the catalog then. My point was both tours, especially Vertigo, picked from every 3 yr period in their career.

I know Zoo presented nothing pre 1984 on leg 1, but it had Bad, which for hard core U2 fans since the 1980s, is all that counts it seems. On a similar note, Pop hit these fans with I Will Follow right out of the gate, and for some reason, that gets them going, apparently unlike TUF. The same group far from cared that Zooropa was not touched.

I am not trying to rebut or argue. It is just I am surprised by the common thread among most people who complain about 360. I am not saying I know exactly why fans feel this way. I will admit to loving this time period in U2's career more than most, though!

I like your points about it not really affecting views of other tours, particularly Zoo and Pop, but it just seems with U2's age now and the fact that they built this massive claw, they are much more susceptible to accusations that they have lost touch. For many people who have been around a while, not getting one of their favorites helps fuel these accusations.
 
:drool: I'd be up for that bigtime!


They've neglected Pop for too long!

it would be cool if they at least did a 2-3 song combo like they did for "Boy" on the Vertigo Tour

examples:

Mofo-HMTMKMKM-YBR

or

Discotheque-Lemon-Gone
 
it would be cool if they at least did a 2-3 song combo like they did for "Boy" on the Vertigo Tour

examples:

Mofo-HMTMKMKM-YBR

or

Discotheque-Lemon-Gone

That would be welcome, too. I think there is as close to a consensus as you can get on blue crack that this time period is in dire need of some 360 love.

It just seems that, for some reason or another, U2 is not very confident in this material, as strong as it is. I think they are still very confident in/proud of 80-84 work, so that is why I brought up this time period. It may be more realistic for a comeback.

The 2 sets of 3 you mentioned would no doubt be more appropriate for 360 than early 80s, but I just don't see U2 playing this stuff, especially in light of the commercial sales of Pop and NLOTH. I sound like a broken record, I know, but I am adamant that if they want to focus on songs that have mass appeal, the early 80s are a much better place to look than ATYCLB.

The context I have been thinking about this in is the new material. Given talk of Rubin material possibly surfacing on the next album, there is significant concern that U2 is going right at the middle ground between ATYCLB and Bomb. Both great albums, but by U2 standards? I do not think you will find too many people here who would object to another Boy, War or UF over another "How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb You Can't Leave Behind"

If they want to go back to writing/performing straight forward rock tunes, then I don't see why U2 autopilot Bomb should be the template over War.
 
I'd love for them not to repeat the Vertigo Tour.

However, Drowning Man would be incredible.

My thoughts exactly.

Now, if I hadn't seen Vertigo four times I probably wouldn't feel this way, but I like that they're focusing on different things this time around.

At least they took the greatest song from 1980-1984... (by this I mean UF of course). They topped themselves four years ago when they brought Electric Co. back, which is a huge feat, because that was exceptionally droolworthy.

I dunno. I would love to hear some more songs from this time period this year, but again, I'd much rather hear Your Blue Room than just about any song. I liked the songs this time around. Stuck being played a little too much? Maybe. Breathe a weird opener? I'd say so. Elevation overplayed too? YES.
But I've got to give them credit for making 3 of my 5 biggest wishes come true (UF, UV and Electrical Storm, though I didn't get to hear it...) and bringing back Your Blue Room, which I never in a million years had thought possible. I think some of the best U2 setlists ever conceived were played last year, so for this reason I can't find myself in a position to complain.

it would be cool if they at least did a 2-3 song combo like they did for "Boy" on the Vertigo Tour

examples:

Mofo-HMTMKMKM-YBR

or

Discotheque-Lemon-Gone

But yeah, Discothèque or Lemon would be insane :drool::drool::drool:
 
They've ignored too much of their non 80's singles for so long that I think now, so many years on, the situation is unrecoverable. They probaby feel hamstrung by all those songs and not having played them for so long and they wouldn't know where / how to start adding them back in. Would have been much simplier if songs like I Fall Down etc... had not been ignored totally and then there'd some context in which to play them again. I think unfortunately these songs are lost forever.
 
They've ignored too much of their non 80's singles for so long that I think now, so many years on, the situation is unrecoverable. They probaby feel hamstrung by all those songs and not having played them for so long and they wouldn't know where / how to start adding them back in. Would have been much simplier if songs like I Fall Down etc... had not been ignored totally and then there'd some context in which to play them again. I think unfortunately these songs are lost forever.

I disagree. Take the Vertigo Tour. That one saw the comeback of non 80s singles The Electric Co., An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart and even The Ocean. So it is possible.
 
They've ignored too much of their non 80's singles for so long that I think now, so many years on, the situation is unrecoverable. They probaby feel hamstrung by all those songs and not having played them for so long and they wouldn't know where / how to start adding them back in. Would have been much simplier if songs like I Fall Down etc... had not been ignored totally and then there'd some context in which to play them again. I think unfortunately these songs are lost forever.

I think the 80's material has been treated fairly, especially when you look at the Vertigo tour, and you know, I really respect U2 for not playing I Fall Down anylonger.

They've simply written too many good songs.

Of course there's a song here and there that I'd love for them to play, but I have to respect they had the courage to bring back stuff like The Ocean.
 
Something I noticed on the Vertigo and 360 tour is that songs off HTDAAB/ATYCLB got HUGE reactions from the audience. Beautiful Day, Elevation, Stuck, Vertigo, COBL etc are now in the realm of U2's greatest hits, alongside SBS, Pride, Streets, One etc. The crowds come to hear those songs. Elevation, one of my least favorites, got a HUGE response in Chicago last year. Songs like Ultraviolet, Unforgettable Fire, UTEOTW and especally YBR were the moments when the crowds were literally DEAD.

In 2005, I thought I'd died and went to heaven when I heard U2 play An Cat Dubh, The Ocean, Gloria, Electric Co and even snippet a verse of Stories for boys. I remember getting especially excited when those drums for Gloria began, and everyone around me was like "WTF is this guy so happy about?"

Not saying I agree with it, but U2 really are playing the songs that get the best reactions from a large stadium crowd with 75%+ being casual fans who don't know "I threw a brick" or "Wire". I think U2 should just have a couple places in their setlist (2 or 3) where they can change in/out different random songs to give us diehards something to chew on. I don't think Mr. Johnny Casual fan will die if he has to sit through Surrender.
 
Anybody ever think U2 wish they could just bust out "Alone in the light" or "The Fool" just for the hell of it? I know if I were in a band, I'd do that every now and then, just for my own benefit.
 
Something I noticed on the Vertigo and 360 tour is that songs off HTDAAB/ATYCLB got HUGE reactions from the audience. Beautiful Day, Elevation, Stuck, Vertigo, COBL etc are now in the realm of U2's greatest hits, alongside SBS, Pride, Streets, One etc. The crowds come to hear those songs. Elevation, one of my least favorites, got a HUGE response in Chicago last year. Songs like Ultraviolet, Unforgettable Fire, UTEOTW and especally YBR were the moments when the crowds were literally DEAD.

In 2005, I thought I'd died and went to heaven when I heard U2 play An Cat Dubh, The Ocean, Gloria, Electric Co and even snippet a verse of Stories for boys. I remember getting especially excited when those drums for Gloria began, and everyone around me was like "WTF is this guy so happy about?"

Not saying I agree with it, but U2 really are playing the songs that get the best reactions from a large stadium crowd with 75%+ being casual fans who don't know "I threw a brick" or "Wire". I think U2 should just have a couple places in their setlist (2 or 3) where they can change in/out different random songs to give us diehards something to chew on. I don't think Mr. Johnny Casual fan will die if he has to sit through Surrender.

I agree. Vertigo was like the "oldies resurrection" tour, in my opinion. 360 is another great tour, but sort of lackluster when coming to audiences. I've seen medium-reaction audiences, especially when the favorites are playing, as mentioned above. Even if people come to see U2 play the oldies, probably the oldies for some can be Achtung Baby+, or for some, October/Joshua Tree+. Probably some bought NLOTH as their first U2 album.Us diehards, probably since we heard Out Of Control for the first time :hyper:. The audiences are just mixed, no need to wish it was 1980-1984 for me, U2 are still at the top of their game.
 
Anybody ever think U2 wish they could just bust out "Alone in the light" or "The Fool" just for the hell of it? I know if I were in a band, I'd do that every now and then, just for my own benefit.

But those songs suck.
 
I will leave it up to U2. They've been U2 for 30+ years and have done a pretty good job of it.

Sure there are some songs I might want to see/hear them perform that I've not seen. Or songs that I might think might have been played a bit much.

But all in all, I've not seen a bad U2 show. I've seen alot of great U2 shows. And I've seen them play a lot that have been amazing magical moments.

So yeah, I will trust them to sort out the set list. Even if it might not be the way I might do it.






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.
 
i miss 11 O Clock Tick Tock / Electric Co / Twilight / October / A Sort of Homecoming / Drowning Man / Seconds
 
Something I noticed on the Vertigo and 360 tour is that songs off HTDAAB/ATYCLB got HUGE reactions from the audience. Beautiful Day, Elevation, Stuck, Vertigo, COBL etc are now in the realm of U2's greatest hits, alongside SBS, Pride, Streets, One etc. The crowds come to hear those songs. Elevation, one of my least favorites, got a HUGE response in Chicago last year. Songs like Ultraviolet, Unforgettable Fire, UTEOTW and especally YBR were the moments when the crowds were literally DEAD.

In 2005, I thought I'd died and went to heaven when I heard U2 play An Cat Dubh, The Ocean, Gloria, Electric Co and even snippet a verse of Stories for boys. I remember getting especially excited when those drums for Gloria began, and everyone around me was like "WTF is this guy so happy about?"

Not saying I agree with it, but U2 really are playing the songs that get the best reactions from a large stadium crowd with 75%+ being casual fans who don't know "I threw a brick" or "Wire". I think U2 should just have a couple places in their setlist (2 or 3) where they can change in/out different random songs to give us diehards something to chew on. I don't think Mr. Johnny Casual fan will die if he has to sit through Surrender.

Agree with everything here!

I noticed the same thing you did with ATYCLB and HTDAAB songs. U2 has some 00s classics that are here to stay, and that is of course part of why I love this band. Still relevant, still searching for more, etc. I fully support BD and Walk On from ATYCLB(save Stuck, Elevation and IALW for every now and then) and COBL and Vertigo from HTDAAB. Despite the criticism they get in these parts, both are great albums that deserve to be represented. I just think ATYCLB is WAY TOO overrepresented on 360, especially given the stage set up. Someone pointed out a while back on here that there are as many ATYCLB songs being played on 360 as there were in a lot of Elevation shows. Though I would never, ever do this myself, I can certainly understand an old time U2 fan throwing his hands up in frustration and going to check out the merch stand or to the bathroom when the 4th no 5th, no 16th ATYCLB song of the night starts up! I said it before and I'll say it again: I sympathize with him- who in God's creation would ever make an argument for Elevation over Electric Co, Wire, Surrender, 2 Hearts, Another Time...., Twilight, Out of Control, ASOH? If you know both time periods well, then you know that it is no contest. I am all for new songs and hits in the setlist, but lets remember, ATYCLB is not exactly cutting edge anymore, nor was it ever really. Its just a nice collection of songs that has a special place as the album that kicked off U2's 00's revival. That should earn it 2 songs per night, not 5 or 6.

I like the fact that the crowd is into it for these songs, it shows U2's staying power and ability to attract new fans.

I also noticed what you did about the receptions for UTTEOTW, UF, UV and YBR. While I love YBR and was happy as hell to hear it, I can understand this one, its very slow, very spacey and very obscure. I would be lying if I told you that I would have taken YBR over ASOH or Wire or Two Hearts Beat As One.

UTTEOTW got spectacular reactions on other tours. UF and UV, I just don't know.

The reaction to UF and UV is what has led me to believe there is something about 360 that puts off a good amount of the crowd. Far be it from me to have any idea what this is. I have offered some speculation, but thats all it is. I don't know if it is a set list order issue, an issue of too many slower songs with this stage, the set list itself, etc. Yes, the crowd reacts just as you say they do to ATTY and Bomb, but as far as overall enthusiasim of the crowd throughout, 360 is easily the worst U2 tour.

I remember people being a little confused about Boy material on Vertigo, but it was in a good way. Many who had never heard Electric Co or An Cat Dubh thought these songs to be highlights of the show.

Again, I want to reiterate, I am no closer to an answer than anyone else, but the amount of complaints from casual and die hard land about the 360 setlist that I have heard firsthand is truly striking to me.

I am rambling of course, but I agree with your conclusion. Just 1-2 songs per night, that's all I am suggesting in this thread. I am well aware of the need to keep causal fans happy, especially at stadium shows where they make up the majority.

I have no desire to relive 1980-1984 or pretend we are back there. In fact, I can't even speak to these years as I was not alive. Just running my thoughts on an era that I am admittedly biased toward by some fellow fans!
 
I agree. Vertigo was like the "oldies resurrection" tour, in my opinion. 360 is another great tour, but sort of lackluster when coming to audiences. I've seen medium-reaction audiences, especially when the favorites are playing, as mentioned above. Even if people come to see U2 play the oldies, probably the oldies for some can be Achtung Baby+, or for some, October/Joshua Tree+. Probably some bought NLOTH as their first U2 album.Us diehards, probably since we heard Out Of Control for the first time :hyper:. The audiences are just mixed, no need to wish it was 1980-1984 for me, U2 are still at the top of their game.

This is good too!

I agree. I don't intend to suggest that U2 is in any way not at the top of their game still. I saw probably close to 100 shows in calendar yr 2009 and U2 still easily blew everyone else off the stage.

You are 100% right, perceptions of what is old differ. My friends in college who liked U2 see Beautiful Day as old school U2. On the other hand, here is a conversation I had with my 45 yr old co worker about 360. We do concert security in the Boston area.

Me: How'd you like U2? I know you're a fan!
Him: Yeah, man, I'm a fan but they didn't play any of the stuff I like, none of the old classics.
Me: I would make some changes myself if I had my way, but overall, it was great. I mean, they played the Unforgettable Fire, SBS, NYD and 3 songs off of Joshua Tree. You weren't happy with that?
Him: Man, the Joshua Tree is not old for me. How about War-OF COURSE they will play SBS and NYD(he's right about the 1st, not the 2nd) how about Surrender, Seconds, 40, 2 Hearts? Jeez, while we are on the topic, they didn't even play I Will Follow!! What happened to this band, have they turned into bubble gum pop or something? I used to love U2, man. Joshua Tree tour Foxboro was the best show I ever saw hands down!
Me: I'd like to hear everthing you mentioned, but I'll still stick up for 360- U2 put on 2 damn good shows that we worked, and though you may not know or like NLOTH, it hardly qualifies as "bubble gum pop."

A couple things, this guy is not one of my smarter co workers(I actually think he is an idiot and have alot of company), nor does he know as much about U2 as he thinks he does. He thinks NYD gets played every night, thinks U2 should play the entire War album, thinks Bono can't sing anymore, and thinks they have turned into a "pop" band when songs like UF, UV and albums like NLOTH are anything but.

However, he kind of proves my point. He is obviously not familiar with NLOTH and has not really followed U2 in the last decade or 2. So he has almost forgotten about the band, probably would not have bought a ticket to 360 if he was not working the shows, but he can rattle off all the songs he rattled off in a 2 minute conversation with me! Judging by his knowledge of anything post JT, he is not even a casual fan anymore, but I keep coming back to this one fact: HE KNEW 1980-84 U2! Think about it, all these guys listened to alternative rock radio when it was actually pretty good, and all have heard plenty of deep cuts from early U2 on the radio as that is all they had to entertain themselves back then! I have been shocked as a young guy turning 23 today at how many people older than me who have no particular allegiance to U2 can talk about 1980-84 material right off the top of their heads. If they can still say "Two Hearts Beat As One" and remember the chorus, it must have stuck out to them as good.

Still, I know alot of people like him and I use him as a stand in for the better educated old die hard. That conversation, along with countless similar ones, inspired me to make this thread.
 
I saw 360 a few times last year with several groups of friends. They all basically said they stopped listening after about Achtung Baby. Sure they had all heard BD and Vertigo and thought they were cool but all in all they wanted to catch the u2 experience. They all thought "how many more times will you have a chance to see this band , sure I'll go."

The Georgia Dome rocked with Elevation and Vertigo. People actually sat down in places during Magnificent and UF my seats were close! Each venue I went to it looked like a bunch of dentists, stock brokers, and pharmaceutical reps and their wives. They came to hear SBS, Streets, One, etc. Sucks but it's true. U2 delivered: 75% casual fans. 75% mainstream well known songs.....but you know what....it still kicked so much Ass! And I pumped as hell about taking my wife to Philly, catching a nice buzz, and rocking out to our Boys...........PS: I'm a dentist :hmm:
 
I saw 360 a few times last year with several groups of friends. They all basically said they stopped listening after about Achtung Baby. Sure they had all heard BD and Vertigo and thought they were cool but all in all they wanted to catch the u2 experience. They all thought "how many more times will you have a chance to see this band , sure I'll go."

The Georgia Dome rocked with Elevation and Vertigo. People actually sat down in places during Magnificent and UF my seats were close! Each venue I went to it looked like a bunch of dentists, stock brokers, and pharmaceutical reps and their wives. They came to hear SBS, Streets, One, etc. Sucks but it's true. U2 delivered: 75% casual fans. 75% mainstream well known songs.....but you know what....it still kicked so much Ass! And I pumped as hell about taking my wife to Philly, catching a nice buzz, and rocking out to our Boys...........PS: I'm a dentist :hmm:



2000s hits like BD and Vertigo belong and are important in U2's catalogue.

The shake stadiums and rightfully so.

And of course, you are right, 75% casual fans, so there should be 75% well known songs.

That does not change the fact that they could keep this balance, keep the casuals happy and still manage to have say, Two Hearts Beat As One and Gloria in the set one night and then Wire and I Will Follow the next.

The casuals will be happy, the die hards will be happy, and the longest running fans who maybe tuned out a bit after JT or AB will feel like U2 remembers what made them great.

I am not asking for a lot. 1 or 2 per night.
 
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