mikal
Blue Crack Addict
especially with some of the gems they've already pulled out....not to mention the awesome version of Crazy Tonight.
The "casual fan" excuse
- Thread starter ZooMacPhisto800
- Start date
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especially with some of the gems they've already pulled out....not to mention the awesome version of Crazy Tonight.
gvox
Ghost of Love
Now THAT's a song they could drop SBS for.
Nah, you're right. And people are going to want that comfort zone with a few really familiar songs just as much as the band likes it.
ZooMacPhisto800
War Child
If they "just want to witness the show", then, by definition, they're not influencing the setlist. I'm not sure that packing in more hits for such folk will accomplish anything...
Setlist must be made as a function of the expectations of a different shade of grey of "casual fans" et al.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
how elitist of you...
If all I know is Streets, SBS, Pride and BD and I go to a U2 concert and don't hear any of those, I would be bored...
If all I know is Streets, SBS, Pride and BD and I go to a U2 concert and don't hear any of those, I would be bored...
ZooMacPhisto800
War Child
If that was in reference to me, you misunderstood. All I was saying is that, those who would be there simply to "witness the show" will witness the show regardless. They just want to see the show, right? Whatever the show is, they want to see it.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
Fair enough, but the spectacle gets them in their seat - the show itself - tried and true hits included - is what really makes them happy...
If I knew nothing of U2 other than their hits and went to see them live and they played the entire Passengers album with an encore of Mercy, Acrobat and ASOH, I would be totally wtf? I wouldn't care if all the U2 Super Fans around me were freaking out, if I couldn't sing along with at least a couple of songs I would be pissed and think twice about going to see them the next time they came to town.
If I knew nothing of U2 other than their hits and went to see them live and they played the entire Passengers album with an encore of Mercy, Acrobat and ASOH, I would be totally wtf? I wouldn't care if all the U2 Super Fans around me were freaking out, if I couldn't sing along with at least a couple of songs I would be pissed and think twice about going to see them the next time they came to town.
ZooMacPhisto800
War Child
Good point... just because they're just there to see the show doesn't mean they can't be more or less impressed...
I'm not the sort of fan that would freak out at too much obscurity... reminds me of DMB fans... I think I have pretty reasonable expectations.
gvox
Ghost of Love
Exactly.
Expecting to hear less than 5 "U2 standards" per night is not reasonable imo.
smileymbcastard
War Child
in 2005 i was a casual fan, i knew the hits and a few others like UF, Lemon, Dscotheque. i did not even know Bad 
I went for the show at ACC in toronto, i have been hooked since.
There are still so many songs i dont know like Party Gril i heard it first time yesterday.
I heard e;ectrical storm a month ago on you tube was hooked.
I went for the show at ACC in toronto, i have been hooked since.
There are still so many songs i dont know like Party Gril i heard it first time yesterday.
I heard e;ectrical storm a month ago on you tube was hooked.
Someone mentioned Bon Jovi Earlier.
I went to see them play at twickenham last year.
They played a load of their hits, as well as their new tuff, and the odd rarer one, V similar to U2..
As someone else mentioned, I'd have been pissed if there was nothing I recognised..
Overall I think U2 get it spot on, and vary the setlist enough now throughout a tour, that there's no way we can complain.
I went to see them play at twickenham last year.
They played a load of their hits, as well as their new tuff, and the odd rarer one, V similar to U2..
As someone else mentioned, I'd have been pissed if there was nothing I recognised..
Overall I think U2 get it spot on, and vary the setlist enough now throughout a tour, that there's no way we can complain.
drummerboy
The Fly
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2000
- Messages
- 93
I know someone mentioned Pearl Jam earlier too as an example of a band that busts out rarities and the crowd goes nuts... I'm a pretty big PJ fan and have seen them several times, and I think that overall PJ and U2 sets are actually pretty similar - a healthy dose of whatever new album they're promoting, several "war horses" (Even Flow, Better Man, Alive, and Yellow Ledbedder have been played at every show I've been to). They may not play quite as many war horses, but they are definitely there.... then they do also play some rarer stuff.... plus some Who or Neil Young or Beatles covers (not snippets - full covers), which is something U2 rarely does nowadays.
The main difference I see is that when PJ plays the rare stuff, the ALMOST ALL of the fans know it and can sing along, and that doesn't seem to be the case with U2 - which seems to make a pretty solid argument for PJ continuing to do things the way they do, and for U2 to keep those war horses in the setlist to make the majority of fans happy while throwing some bones to the die hards.
The main difference I see is that when PJ plays the rare stuff, the ALMOST ALL of the fans know it and can sing along, and that doesn't seem to be the case with U2 - which seems to make a pretty solid argument for PJ continuing to do things the way they do, and for U2 to keep those war horses in the setlist to make the majority of fans happy while throwing some bones to the die hards.
I went to see Blur at Hyde Park the other day (great gig) and I would describe myself as a "casual" fan- I've got a couple of their albums and know most of the singles- but by no means am I a huge fan
so what I wanted to hear were the hits- which they duly delivered- the boring bits for me were the half dozen or so songs that as a casual fan I didn't know
I was at Nou Camp on 30 June and the reaction that the "hits" got from 90,000 people going completely nuts is the reason why they play them
U2 have a wide fan base and when they put together a stadium tour they have to cater as best they can for the fanatics to those who (like me with Blur) only really know the hits
I've seen U2 a few times now and have always enjoyed the mix of new songs and hits
so what I wanted to hear were the hits- which they duly delivered- the boring bits for me were the half dozen or so songs that as a casual fan I didn't know
I was at Nou Camp on 30 June and the reaction that the "hits" got from 90,000 people going completely nuts is the reason why they play them
U2 have a wide fan base and when they put together a stadium tour they have to cater as best they can for the fanatics to those who (like me with Blur) only really know the hits
I've seen U2 a few times now and have always enjoyed the mix of new songs and hits
ZooMacPhisto800
War Child
You sound like you match the traditional definition of a "casual fan"... you have some albums, even some singles...
Was it not Bono who said:
"I was born to sing for you"... "play the songs you want me to"... "I didn't have a choice"
gvox
Ghost of Love
that's certainly how I would define "casual" fan- it's rare that I go see bands I only have a limited awareness of, but on those occasions I sure as hell want to hear the hits-
U2 have had plenty of hits but there are probably about a dozen of them that are universally known- even my parents know that Beautiful Day is a U2 song and they wouldn't be able to identify any others
ZooMacPhisto800
War Child
Nice spin
Magnificent spin, in fact.
last unicorn
Blue Crack Addict
As long as U2 continue to give stadium shows, there will be a majority of casual fans in the audience that don't want to hear only rarities and new stuff. Many fans don't realise this or don't want to accept it. Fact is that U2 play a lot of new stuff for this tour and they will never stop playing the classics, because these songs made them who they are today. Listening to the Barca bootleg I thought all the songs sounded great except One, where they messed up, and WOWY, which I'm just tired of. U2 would be stupid to throw out songs that bring the place down. Otherwise they shouldn't play for a stadium audience. You cannot have it all.
