If U2 was 10% of Springsteen set list, it would be amazing

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clerks

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U2 is my favorite band, especially live. Springsteen is my 2nd favorite live.

If you are a fan of Springsteen, the man changes up the show so much, including taking request from people holding up signs.

I know that wouldn't work with U2, as it's more like a great play. They can't be as lose with so much going on in their setup.

But thinking of them just on a stage in an arena, letting lose, would be amazing. Imagine them actually playing the songs we want them to play, not it just being a pipe dream...

If you ever go to Springsteen message boards, they are even harder on him... if he plays a song 4 nights in a row, they think he's lost it... it's a different world.
 
I LOVE Bruce (will see him live twice this summer), but I think he's more secure and has more self-confidence when playing live than our boys. I'm always shocked about how effortless his performances appear.

U2 always need some time to get into the new songs and they need some time to get used to touring and playing live again. Later in the tour I think everything will be more relaxed and they will develop the courage to play more and different songs. I hope the setlist will be mixed up this time. Vertigo setlist was fine, espeically during leg 1 and 2, in the end it became a little static. I would love to hear very old stuff besides new stuff. I hope there will be more changes in setlist, especially during the middle part of the show. But I think U2 will again need some time to get things right.
 
We all know U2 don't really like Reherasals, or they just get bored with them. That's why they won't pull a Bruce on us and randomly open with Zooropa or close the show with 11 O Clock Tick Tock.

Hopefully Bono's comments are true about 'mixing things up' because of the internets. We'll see how the tour pans out.
 
Bono doesn't like rehearsals. Bono can't remember lyrics. And I'm not trying to pick on Bono, but he's most of the problem when it comes to their static setlists.
 
Bono doesn't like rehearsals. Bono can't remember lyrics. And I'm not trying to pick on Bono, but he's most of the problem when it comes to their static setlists.

I'm sure Axver can help, but didn't U2 have a concert where they played the setlist back to front? I am not sure if that was during Joshua Tree, Lovetown or Zoo, but it seems like I remember reading that somewhere.

And, I also have to say it because my team is playing your team tonight in the opener...go Braves in '09!!
 
I'm sure Axver can help, but didn't U2 have a concert where they played the setlist back to front? I am not sure if that was during Joshua Tree, Lovetown or Zoo, but it seems like I remember reading that somewhere.

And, I also have to say it because my team is playing your team tonight in the opener...go Braves in '09!!
It was not total back to front, but a big shake up nevertheless. LoveTown, last night on December 1st 1989:

Setlist:
Stand By Me
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
New Year's Day
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Exodus (snippet)
People Get Ready
MLK
One Tree Hill
Where The Streets Have No Name
Gloria
Help
Bad
Van Diemen's Land
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still
Slow Dancing
Angel Of Harlem / Suspicious Minds (snippet)
When Love Comes To Town
Love Rescue Me / Amazing Grace (snippet)

encore(s):
Desire / Not Fade Away (snippet)
All Along The Watchtower
All I Want Is You / Sexual Healing (snippet)
40
 
Phillyfan26 -- love the Bill Hicks avatar. He's amazing.

Well Bruce might be the most impressive live act just by the way he mixes it up so effortlessly. He might be the best ever in fact. I just heard The Beatles used to play 25 min concerts, Bruce does 2 hours and 30 minutes w/o blinking.

I'm always amazed how any artist can remember all the lyrics. I mean half the time I start singing U2 songs, I also end up singing the chorus or end of the song... it's hard to remember the lyrics when it's not being played live in front of you.

Bono does a great job -- always love his little snippets and when he goes off the cuff with lyrics.

But how great would it be to know that at least one surprise was coming in a show... that would rock.
 
They still pull suprises- Wild horses in Hawaii, ASOH with fans on stage, etc. Alot of snippets are suprises. I think when Q rated U2 the best live act a few years back, they mentioned their ability to play before thousands as the biggest band in the world and still deliver genuine spontaneous moments. Fast Cars from Boston, etc.

Setlists are not too static, read my posts in other threads about this. Could they be mixed up more- more rarities, etc, of course, that would be nice, but let us all remember that the Vertigo tour saw them moving in the right direction on this count!

I absolutely can not wait to see Bruce live on April 21. I am working Boston Garden day and show. I have seen Bruce w/ Seeger sessions, still loved it, but not my kind of show. I listen to alot of E street radio on XM, they do alot of live shows, and from that, youtube and what I've heard on the forums, E street is easily the best after U2. I will be following Bruce setlists for the next couple weeks leading up.
 
Bruce is great great great live.

He just played his 3rd show on his current tour. He's already played 38 different songs... that's crazy.
 
Seen Bruce 44 times, will be in Chi-town next month for another one. After the first night of 26 songs, he has changed 15 over the next 2 shows. That's one thing that attracts & satisfies his fans.
I saw the last 2 shows in Missouri last aug, & people are still talking about them, both of them were over 3 hours long. 2 of my top shows that I've seen.
 
clerks, imarocker: Thanks and you are getting me excited!

What, in your opinion, is the best site to follow E street setlists?
 
I wouldn't consider U2's setlist "static", and I don't think it's only Bono's fault. In fact, he's the one who brings fresh stuff and improvisation into U2's set. And they still pull surprises. Springsteen shows are mainly about the music, with U2 there's more than just the music. I find their shows very lively, dynamic, also because they are not perfect.

I also think part of the problem is that fans go to 100 shows and do setlist parties on the internet all the time. It becomes harder and harder to be surprised.
 
Bruce is totally amazing. What about those BITUSA concerts! Upwards of 3.5 hours in duration.

As far as individual artists go (yeah I know there is his band as well) he is the greatest performer ever.

Wish he'd come to Australia again.
 
Bruce is great great great live.

He just played his 3rd show on his current tour. He's already played 38 different songs... that's crazy.

or Pearl Jam. Thk they ended up with 56 different songs in first 4 gigs last time in Europe?
 
I think a decent bit of the reason for their more static setlists came from ZooTV and PopMart, where they were more theatrical shows than just concerts.
 
The "static" setlist was never problem pre-internet days unless you went to several shows in a row. And still it's not really a big deal except for those who like to LOOK at setlists.
 
I don't see how that is a great point, if you actually attend the concerts.

I think many of us are going to see at least 2 shows when they come in to town in Sept... so after seeing one concert, you'll know 95% of the songs that will be played. Maybe 1 or 2 songs being different.


---

I have three friends that live and die by Springsteen.

Backstreets.com: The Boss Website

is the interference of the Bruce world.
 
I don't see how that is a great point, if you actually attend the concerts.

I think many of us are going to see at least 2 shows when they come in to town in Sept... so after seeing one concert, you'll know 95% of the songs that will be played. Maybe 1 or 2 songs being different.


---

I have three friends that live and die by Springsteen.

Backstreets.com: The Boss Website

is the interference of the Bruce world.


Why do people go to multiple concerts if U2's setlists are such a problem? If they are like me, then it is just because they like being in the room when their favorite band is playing anything, whether that be one of their old warhorses, or something obscure or one of the new songs. Some people may not have the luxury of following them around, so when they are there, they are ready for whatever the band has to offer. From my experience with U2, you always get your money's worth.
 
I don't see how that is a great point, if you actually attend the concerts.

I think many of us are going to see at least 2 shows when they come in to town in Sept... so after seeing one concert, you'll know 95% of the songs that will be played. Maybe 1 or 2 songs being different.

I would say the majority only see one concert.
 
Yeah most probably only see one concert. Plus factor in people that may be virgins to the U2 experience and have never heard the WOWY/Pride/SBS/NYD/One's. So the band has songs they always play because they know they mean a lot to someone. But they did say they have songs they get tired of playing, so maybe they will drop a couple standards every other show and play some new stuff. Especially if they have double nights in one city, they usually love to change a couple things up.
 
Yes, of course normal people only see 1 concert... but I thought this was an obsessed fan site so I'm speaking to those fans who will see them multiple times on the same tour.
 
The "static" setlist was never problem pre-internet days unless you went to several shows in a row. And still it's not really a big deal except for those who like to LOOK at setlists.

People loved to listen to bootlegs long before the Internet days. There are plenty of fans who would like to visit more than one concert on one tour. And it's simply more fun, both for the fan and for the musician, to have more mixed setlists.
 
People loved to listen to bootlegs long before the Internet days. There are plenty of fans who would like to visit more than one concert on one tour. And it's simply more fun, both for the fan and for the musician, to have more mixed setlists.


Yes and those bootlegs were very pricey so they usually only bought one.

How can you speak for the musician? How do you know it's more fun for them?
 
Yes and those bootlegs were very pricey so they usually only bought one.

How can you speak for the musician? How do you know it's more fun for them?

How can you speak for the consumer? How do you know they bought only one? I for one know plenty of bootleg collectors, and the price usually varied; it wasn't everywhere expensive.

To answer your question - from a personal experience, as well as communicating with other musicians. It doesn't speak for all musicians, but even common sense allows us to conclude that it is simply more fun to mix it up a bit, try new stuff than to repeat the same old routine, the same old 23 songs for 50 or 100 nights in a row.

You can even check out Noel Gallagher's blog and notice that he is already bored shitless on the tour which is - you guessed it - the same setlist all the time. It doesn't have to be the only factor, but it is definitely an important one.
 
On a similar note, one time I was reading on a Dave Matthews Band forum, and people were actually bitching because during a 2 night stand somewhere, 4 songs were played both nights! DMB has been known on the second night at a said venue to never repeat ONE SONG from the first night.
 
How can you speak for the consumer? How do you know they bought only one? I for one know plenty of bootleg collectors, and the price usually varied; it wasn't everywhere expensive.
Before the days of internet, I knew very few bootleg collectors, especially of U2. And the majority that I found back then cost more than a regular CD.

To answer your question - from a personal experience, as well as communicating with other musicians. It doesn't speak for all musicians, but even common sense allows us to conclude that it is simply more fun to mix it up a bit, try new stuff than to repeat the same old routine, the same old 23 songs for 50 or 100 nights in a row.

I see what you are saying, but I also know bands where there show is more like a theatrical experience, and like the theater they enjoy putting on the same play every night. Which is very similar to U2's experience.

You can even check out Noel Gallagher's blog and notice that he is already bored shitless on the tour which is - you guessed it - the same setlist all the time. It doesn't have to be the only factor, but it is definitely an important one.

That because he's been playing the same one song over and over for 15 years.

YouTube - Tripod - Oasis medley
 
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