Is this tour frustrating you?

[Diane L]

for all of us who love to watch setlists on a computer screen it's really fucking frustrating and we deserve more. Bono owes me, i've given him a great life, he owes me variety for when i read them. They owe me b-sides, they owe me longer sets who cares if that's what they've been doing for 30 years it's time they fucking man up. I'm sick and tired of edge's leatherman micphone bullshit. I'm tired of adam clayton's posh collars. And i'm just flat out tired of larry. Why haven't they fired paul? They've made enough money. Musicians shouldn't be rich, they should be clueless when it comes to politics yet they should always be angry at politicians but without really doing anything for that's lame. U2 should just be radiohead. Why can't they just be radiohead. Radiohead rulz. Thom is the greatest singer on the planet, he's like sex on toast.

bvs for the win!!!

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

"Ultraviolet" is good, but the first versions of "Electrical Storm" were atrocious for me - and I'll never forget that Edge's guitar was out of key (and didn't match the studio version) in some occasions.
"Your Blue Room" is miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiles away from the deep and complex texture that the studio version has got. Some songs don't work when played live - U2 has already experienced that.
"The Unforgettable Fire"... not bad, it was missing, but this is faraway from the best renditions ever played.

Done this, I prefer to listen to some songs I haven't heard live yet than average or poor and uninspired and sloppy (WOWY, ISHFWILF, MY) versions of the same old songs I can listen to on the radio everyday.

Hardcore fans are not the majority of U2 fan base....

 

[BVS]

I always thought that the good artist doesn't give what the masses want, but give:
a) what the masses don't want
b) what the masses didin't think they wanted.

That's a pretty limited definition of "artist". Now I can see why you think they are losing "artisitic vision" your definition sucks.

Plus, if in the past acoustic stripped sets worked with then-less known songs, this time it could work as well. "Cedars Of Lebanon" is one of U2's songs in the whole catalogue that could work better in a totally stripped arrangement. Same goes for WAS.

Cedars wouldn't work in any way shape or form live. It's great where and how it is on the album, but it's almost spoken word.

White as Snow may work stripped down to piano, if it was around Christmas time and he sung Emmanuel along with it but other than that they'll put the audience to sleep, and no matter what your definition a good artist doesn't do that...

 

[gvox]

Some songs don't work when played live - U2 has already experienced that.
"The Unforgettable Fire"... not bad, it was missing, but this is faraway from the best renditions ever played.

Agreed on UF. I'm just happy they're playing it, though.

Most people have no idea what it's like for a band to perform a song that doesn't work so well when played live. It's fucking brutal. The same rollercoaster that takes you up when you have thousands of people singing along happily comes crashing mercilessly down mere seconds later when you have thousands of people standing there going 'wtf is this song?'. And then you have to try and recover from that for the next song. Singers who emote and feed off the audience alot - like Bono, especially, have to minimize the number of times that happens in a show or it can be devastating.

Then there's us in the audience. As hardcore as I am, the last thing I want to see is one of those dicey 'wtf moments' for my favorite band. It's awkward and a buzzkill. I can listen to those rare songs I love in the privacy of my home and feel all warm about them then. I'm not saying no rarities or deep cuts, but they really need to be sufficiently good enough rockers on their own to keep the audience interested.

Surely Acrobat is an "easier" choice than YBR in many respects....
YBR is the biggest LIVE risk they've taken in a long time IMO... More so than some of the Boy tunes early in 2005...

It sure is. It's pretty hard to argue with a Gloria or Electric Co, even if you've never heard them before in your life.

 

[Niceman]

The problem is, I didn't call you delusional. But anyways.

All the rest is just whatever. I know that for a fact everyone in the inner circle in Foxboro did not groan during Walk On. I also know that you'll be very hard pressed to find a significant number of people who think that Walk On is the weakest track of any U2 album since TUF. That's just patently ridiculous, frankly. I am also fairly confident that if you polled the average concert-goer as to which of the two songs they'd rather hear, Walk On would win. People actually know the song and sing along to it. Would never happen with F-BB.

Finally. I'll go way out on a limb here and say that F-BB would not have appeared on the following: TUF, JT, AB, Pop or ATYCLB. That pretty much covers most people's "top 3 U2 albums" (not necessarily mine, I love Boy-War U2 a hell of a lot).

The problem is really that hardcore internet U2 fans can't accept that the majority of the people who are funding this tour don't want to hear atmospheric trips out into experimentland. They want songs that are catchy and that they can sing along with/have heard at some point before.

#1 You did call me delusional. Or have you gone back and edited that part too now?

#2 No one said that everyone in the inner circle at Foxboro did anything. Who are you debating the point with? I told you what some did.

#3 We're just talking opinions, but I believe Walk On is weaker than any track on NLOTH, HTDAAB, POP, ZOOROPA, R&H, TJT, TUF. It might be better than Red Light. This is just opinion, but by the by -I'm not wrong! If HTDAAB and NLOTH had been of a similar quality to that track - I wouldn't be much of a fan anymore. And in my experience with non hard-core fans; the track is loathed!

#4 Yeah, more concert goers would possibly tell you they wanted to hear a song that was a single 8 years before as to a brand new non-single track. Does that mean they would enjoy it more if they heard it? I don't think the logic holds.

#5 Your suggestion that non-singles from the latest album shouldn't be played means that Breathe, Unknown Caller, Moment of Surrender, and No Line on The Horizon shouldn't be played either. And considering their reception on the radio: Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, and I'll Go Crazy aren't much above the non-single tracks in this regard... Or maybe we should just consider it basic common sense that people who go to see a U2 show and can't be bothered to check out the new album aren't fans at all?

I tried to end this and say that we've just hit a question of taste. You really can't accept that? That's your business, I guess...

 

[zwervers2]

Finally some adult discussions in this place.

I really think that the guy that made this threat really wanted to have a good discussion and see how others feel right now.. You can clearly tell he still loves this band but struggles quit a bit in feeling less enthousiastic. I can tell his intensions where good. Good job man!

 

[Sicy]

I tried to end this and say that we've just hit a question of taste. You really can't accept that? That's your business, I guess...

You did, and I saw that. You apologized and tried to make nice but gvox loves to argue so I would probably just refrain from debating with him further.

 

[Niceman]

You did, and I saw that. You apologized and tried to make nice but gvox loves to argue so I would probably just refrain from debating with him further.

Thanks, I appreciate that.

 

[gvox]

#1 You did call me delusional. Or have you gone back and edited that part too now?

I did not call YOU PERSONALLY delusional, I was speaking directly to the point you made. I haven't edited it either. Move on.

#2 No one said that everyone in the inner circle at Foxboro did anything. Who are you debating the point with? I told you what some did.

I'll just remind you of what you did say:

I don't think there's anyone else in the audience hoping it turns up. In fact, when I was there everyone in the inner circle was groaning at the stupidity of the masks....The song was put up with, not sung along with, not a highlight.

Keyword: everyone.

#3 We're just talking opinions, but I believe Walk On is weaker than any track on NLOTH, HTDAAB, POP, ZOOROPA, R&H, TJT, TUF. It might be better than Red Light. This is just opinion, but by the by -I'm not wrong!

Find me 10 people, even here, that agree with you. Nay, 5 people.

#4 Yeah, more concert goers would possibly tell you they wanted to hear a song that was a single 8 years before as to a brand new non-single track. Does that mean they would enjoy it more if they heard it? I don't think the logic holds

I guess you truly don't understand what it is the average concertgoer will enjoy more at a concert. I think I've got a better grasp of it, frankly.

#5 Your suggestion that non-singles from the latest album shouldn't be played means that Breathe, Unknown Caller, Moment of Surrender, and No Line on The Horizon shouldn't be played either.

I said no such thing or even made anything close to that inference. They are actual songs, with choruses that people can get into. That people can sing to. That a huge number of people like. And in at least two of those cases, I'd venture will likely end up as singles. F-BB will not, period.

I tried to end this and say that we've just hit a question of taste. You really can't accept that? That's your business, I guess...

Nah. You are clinging to this argument just as desperately as the next person, including myself. It's all good.

 

[gvox]

You did, and I saw that. You apologized and tried to make nice but gvox loves to argue so I would probably just refrain from debating with him further.

There was an apology there? Not that I saw, just someone failing to comprehend the difference between attacking a position and attacking a person.

 

[Niceman]

I did not call YOU PERSONALLY delusional, I was speaking directly to the point you made. I haven't edited it either. Move on.



I'll just remind you of what you did say:



Keyword: everyone.



Find me 10 people, even here, that agree with you. Nay, 5 people.



I guess you truly don't understand what it is the average concertgoer will enjoy more at a concert. I think I've got a better grasp of it, frankly.



I said no such thing or even made anything close to that inference. They are actual songs, with choruses that people can get into. That people can sing to. That a huge number of people like. And in at least two of those cases, I'd venture will likely end up as singles. F-BB will not, period.



Nah. You are clinging to this argument just as desperately as the next person, including myself. It's all good.

I'm gonna go ahead and take the advice of the forum moderator that you're not worth debating with. She apparently knows your history and that your ridiculous behavior here is not an isolated incident!

Have a great day!

 

[gvox]

She apparently knows your history and that your ridiculous behavior here is not an isolated incident!

Oh yes, my ridiculous behavior in this thread has been atrocious

 

[Sicy]

Move on people.

 

[scottish9000]

Drowning man rehearsal is on youtube if you want to hear it...hope they play it in Vegas or LA

 

[Niceman]

Drowning man rehearsal is on youtube if you want to hear it...hope they play it in Vegas or LA

Yeah, it sounds fantastic! I'd love to hear how great it would sound at a real show!

 

[nielsgov]

"Ultraviolet" is good, but the first versions of "Electrical Storm" were atrocious for me - and I'll never forget that Edge's guitar was out of key (and didn't match the studio version) in some occasions.
"Your Blue Room" is miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiles away from the deep and complex texture that the studio version has got. Some songs don't work when played live - U2 has already experienced that.
"The Unforgettable Fire"... not bad, it was missing, but this is faraway from the best renditions ever played.

Done this, I prefer to listen to some songs I haven't heard live yet than average or poor and uninspired and sloppy (WOWY, ISHFWILF, MY) versions of the same old songs I can listen to on the radio everyday.

Well IMO Ultraviolet, The Unforgettable Fire, Your Blue Room and Electrical Storm are miles better than The Electric Co., An Cat Dubh, The First Time and Zoo Station.
Actually TUF an UV are in my top 5 of favourite U2 songs but that's just opinion of course.
It's been said before but if they said before the tour that they'd play these songs everyone would start freaking out and saying how great this all is. Remember the first rehearsals in Barcelona? There were people who didn't believe they were rehearsing UV and TUF.

 

[djparky]

yes and no

no- had a great time at each show, no issues with the set list- absolutely brilliant to hear UF, MLK, Walk On, Ultraviolet and all the new songs. Enjoyed the electricity of the hits, U2 have probably never sounded this good on stage

yes- the endless moaning about set lists- too many hits, not the right hits, why aren't they playing some dreary album track from so long ago that virtually no-one will remember it, too many ATYCLB songs, no Pop songs, why aren't they playing 3 hour shows etc etc

 

[gvox]

^ exactly what this guy said.

 

[Veckatimest]

The frustrating thing about this tour is that Elevation, Boots, and Vertigo have all been played at nearly every show on the U.S leg. Boots I could deal with, Vertigo I could deal with but FUCK ELEVATION. Especially when in the end every single one of these is basically the same song, there are so many way better songs they could replace it with. And then when we see set list stats like this:

· No Line On The Horizon (6 songs)
· All That You Can't Leave Behind (5 songs)
· Achtung Baby (3 songs)
· The Joshua Tree (3 songs)
· How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (2 songs)
· The Unforgettable Fire (2 songs)
· War (2 songs)

Yeah, this does get me a little frustrated especially when a song like Elevation is added at the expense of a U2 CLASSIC like Pride. I don't mean to bitch and complain and i'm sure many people have been complaining about the same old stuff so i'm sorry but I just wanted to get that out of the way. I just know I'll never be fully satisfied with one of their set lists.

 

[Niceman]

The frustrating thing about this tour is that Elevation, Boots, and Vertigo have all been played at nearly every show on the U.S leg. Boots I could deal with, Vertigo I could deal with but FUCK ELEVATION. Especially when in the end every single one of these is basically the same song, there are so many way better songs they could replace it with. And then when we see set list stats like this:

· No Line On The Horizon (6 songs)
· All That You Can't Leave Behind (5 songs)
· Achtung Baby (3 songs)
· The Joshua Tree (3 songs)
· How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (2 songs)
· The Unforgettable Fire (2 songs)
· War (2 songs)

Yeah, this does get me a little frustrated especially when a song like Elevation is added at the expense of a U2 CLASSIC like Pride. I don't mean to bitch and complain and i'm sure many people have been complaining about the same old stuff so i'm sorry but I just wanted to get that out of the way. I just know I'll never be fully satisfied with one of their set lists.

We all, err, most of us feel exactly the same way!

 

[zoopop]

Don't throw a rock at me but Elevation rocked last night

 

[Niceman]

Don't throw a rock at me but Elevation rocked last night

It is a lot of fun live.... but three tours in a row? 9 years?????

 

[zwervers2]

Don't throw a rock at me but Elevation rocked last night

why would anyone be throwing a rock at you? Aren't we all fans?
For instance; I think it is a stupid song and utterluy overrated but why would I judge others for liking it let alone trying to convince them that they are wrong in their affection?

Come to think of it, that is what this thread is about actually.

 

[subnet]

U2 is like the Local Union - they all get paid the same, they work as hard as they want to, they will negotiate their own collective agreement, they will only perform to the level they need to, they believe in work-life balance, they don't have to change a thing, they don't have to think outside the box, they don't have to answer to a higher authority, and they have all the backers and fans standing behind them.

 

[U2girl]

Let me begin by saying I saw U2 at a recent 360 show and absolutely loved it. Despite the fact that I was able to predict almost the entire setlist and missed out on “Unknown Caller” (my favorite song off of NLOTH), I nevertheless had the time of my life seeing them. Frankly, they could play whatever they wish and chances are I’d still have the time of my life.

With that said, my opinion on the new tour as a whole is that it is not what it could be. My main frustration isn’t so much the lack of rarities as it is the lack of NEW material. Thus far, only 7 songs off of NLOTH have been played, and one of those seems to have bitten the dust for the moment.

Let’s look back to the POP era. While I personally love Pop, the mainsteam opinion regarding it is generally that it is “that album that they had to live down”. While NLOTH hasn’t exactly blown the mainstream away, it has fared better than Pop did in the public opinion. With that said, how about we take a look at the average Popmart setlist. Despite the fact that Popmart was supporting a generally disliked album, each setlist nevertheless usually featured up to 9 songs off of Pop. Not only that, but there’s also the fact that all but one song off of Pop was at least attempted within the first leg of the tour. Popmart, as it should have, supported Pop.

Now, let’s compare this with the U2360 tour which, like Popmart, is a stadium tour. So far, 7 songs from NLOTH have been attempted. One of these songs, “Unknown Caller”, seems to be gone for the moment. That leaves 4 NLOTH songs that have not even been attempted yet. Look, I don’t buy into the whole “entitlement” thing, but if honest fans pay to go see U2 on a tour supporting NLOTH, then they deserve better than this.

As I said earlier, I love U2, and they have my love almost no matter what. But this is the tour for NLOTH, so they need to play it. Even if they don’t keep songs, they should at least attempt them. This is the only chance for new material to shine. It’s really as simple as that in my opinion

With 7 songs played off NLOTH - and 4 of them opening the show - 360 is promoting the new album.
And while UC may appear on and off, I doubt it will get cut completely (like If god will send his angels and Do you feel loved and eventually Miami got dropped from the setlist on Popmart. Wake up dead man wasn't played regularly either.)

As for the other 4 songs...exactly what would work ? WAS is too slow (same goes for Cedars only more so), FEZ is too much of a studio piece. That only leaves SUC, which is interestingly missing -- so far. We are only into the second leg of the tour though.

The "they're scared of Pop/mart part II" theory is not working as majority of the new album is getting played, in stadiums, and they will tour it worldwide.

There would be less frustration if people wouldn't be reading setlists 24/7 and seeing multiple shows. There's more to a U2 show than the attitude "zomg they played _____" and "oh noes they're playing _____ again". That can be left for the likes of Pearl Jam/Radiohead/Bruce Springsteen...

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

Well IMO Ultraviolet, The Unforgettable Fire, Your Blue Room and Electrical Storm are miles better than The Electric Co., An Cat Dubh, The First Time and Zoo Station.

And this is exactly the reason, why we will not agree here ever – because I could not disagree more. It is a matter of taste. But to put a nice, but musically and lyrically in comparison rather throwaway tune like ES in the same league like ZS, TFT (brilliant poetry in both of them) or the rocking gems from BOY does not do any good for me ...

 

[zwervers2]

Well IMO Ultraviolet, The Unforgettable Fire, Your Blue Room and Electrical Storm are miles better than The Electric Co., An Cat Dubh, The First Time and Zoo Station.

UF is fantastic live, UV too. electrical storm was never played again and blue room is a shadow of the brilliant album version and is barely a regular nowadays. Electric co is FANFUCKINTASTIC

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

With 7 songs played off NLOTH - and 4 of them opening the show - 360 is promoting the new album.
And while UC may appear on and off, I doubt it will get cut completely (like If god will send his angels and Do you feel loved and eventually Miami got dropped from the setlist on Popmart. Wake up dead man wasn't played regularly either.)

As for the other 4 songs...exactly what would work ? WAS is too slow (same goes for Cedars only more so), FEZ is too much of a studio piece. That only leaves SUC, which is interestingly missing -- so far. We are only into the second leg of the tour though.

The "they're scared of Pop/mart part II" theory is not working as majority of the new album is getting played, in stadiums, and they will tour it worldwide.

There would be less frustration if people wouldn't be reading setlists 24/7 and seeing multiple shows.

Ahem, no. U2 are not promoting the album in a way, they should do. We only have leg 2, not so many shows in summary, and they decide already to drop an essential tune like UC (not "on and off", but rather "off" now) and even the title track from time to time. Plus: You don't get an outing of other tunes, that are much better than most of the material, they do play:
1. WAS is not "too slow", but the lyrical highlight of the whole album. An acoustic approach of this beautiful folk song would be much more than only a replacement for the alway-played-till-death SIAMYCGOO. I know, that it would be not another mass-singalong, but maybe you could teach people again to listen to briliant music a few minutes...
2. COL should also be played. A beautiful tale, a musical painting. It is pure nonsense, that it would not work and only shows, that such judgement is based on whatever "bla". IYWTVD was astonishing 97/98 before WOWY. Just try it, I say ...
3. FEZ is not too much of a studio pice, but simply the only more experimental and so challenging tune of NLOTH. Play it as the encore before UV, show some scenes from 'Linear' and there you go ...
4. SUC is exactly the rocker, that I do miss so much these days. Could evolve in a kind of The Fly, part II – with two guitars and emotional performance.

PS: On POPmart it is wrong to say "Wake up dead man wasn't played regularly either". The tune never was performed in its full glory, but only as a short snippet following "One". Much better and more intense were the '01 performances.
By the way DYFL, IGWSHA and Miami really show, how strong POP was and how weak in comparison the quality of tunes on NLOTH. Do hope for the next step in '10, when hopefully the missing (better) tracks from NLOTH might find a way in these boring setlists plus new, more exciting material ...

 

[U2girl]

Maybe UC (btw the weakest NLOTH song live to these ears) is about to return ?

1. I don't see why they don't try an acoustic set of 2 or three songs if they can pick from Stay/Stuck/First time/SATS (instead of the "token acoustic song" they do on the last three tours). WAS doesn't have the chorus/a climax to make it work, and it's even slower than the above mentioned songs. Lovely on the album, live - not so much.

2. See above. Great album closer, would phail live.

3. It is. At best we'd get a pre-recorded intro with 2 or 3 minutes of live U2. Kind of Zooropa part II. Pass.

4. Maybe not quite The Fly but is odd it's missing. Surely Edge hasn't forgotten the riff ? Maybe on future legs - remember Fast cars and Crumbs did not appear until leg 3 on Vertigo tour...

 

[Blue Room]

Well IMO Ultraviolet, The Unforgettable Fire, Your Blue Room and Electrical Storm are miles better than The Electric Co., An Cat Dubh, The First Time and Zoo Station.

I could not disagree more about Electric Co and Zoo Station. Those two are better than anything they have added to this tour IMO. Your Blue Room and The First Time are a wash as they were/are both equally successful in putting the crowd to sleep or sending them to the restrooms. An Cat Dubh and Electrical Storm are equal in that both are good and I really like them but setlist pacing killers as well.

I love that they are playing The Unforgettable Fire and Ultraviolet. However, The Fly, 40, Electric Co, Gloria and Running To Stand Still on Vertigo were just as good if not better IMO. The overall setlists on Vertigo were better so far. Like I said before I like the 360 setlists for the most part. But Vertigo was better at this point from an overall setlist perspective. Staging and production wise the 360 tour blows away the last two tours.