Willie's Diary - All info and updates HERE

[cobl04]

I still can't get my head around Beautiful Day opening the set...it's 2010!

Hold Me Thrill Me was released five years earlier than BD...

Ebert nine years earlier...

 

[Tommy WM]

Hold Me Thrill Me was released five years earlier than BD...

Ebert nine years earlier...

Haha I know that. What I meant to emphasise was that they've played them less than Beautiful Day.

 

[cobl04]

and here's hoping they all stay if/when they come our way

 

[KEVIN051269]

HMTMKMKM I can sort of see with the whole 'what time is it?'.....'showtime'
MOS

 

[trevgreg]

I see it working better in the encore than as an opener, but that's just me.

 

[coolian2]

Hold Me Thrill Me was released five years earlier than BD...

Ebert nine years earlier...

difference is opening with something ballsy rather than something soft. something that makes you go "woah" rather than "oh..."

I see it working better in the encore than as an opener, but that's just me.

i think it'd work great as either. i've got myself addicted to listening to soon -> hold me etc from popmart.

 

[ramblin rose]

Reading Willie's Diary makes me depressed. How can 5 people make such wrong choices.

 

[monsieur fly]

It's news like this, which really frustrates me (and a lot of other people here). Yet again, they come up with a good idea only to abandon it for the 'safe' option. Had they opened with HMTMKMKM, they would have made a great statement of intent.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

I dont think return of the stingray guitar is all that safe

 

[monsieur fly]

But Beautiful Day is! That's the point- they come on to a new song but it's an embryonic instrumental- there is little risk attached before you set down a vocal and a clear-cut song structure. Only then are you nailing your colours to the mast. As far as the crowd is concerned, Beautiful Day is the first song and even though there are worse openers, I still think it is a safe choice.

 

[BVS]

So U2 could come out and play 3 instrumentals but the first real opening song would be the fourth because it had vocals? Interesting

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Yep, i dont get how people are saying U2 are opening with BD, when its actually them PLAYING return of the stingray, to me that is opening.

 

[mama cass]

"Hold me..." could be pretty cool as an opener, especially what with the "what time is it in the world, showtime" - that's lovely... trouble is, it would set an intense heavy vibe from the outset (which could be a good thing) and would need some very good strong tunes to carry on from it afterwards... would be a shame if the intensity of such a rock n roll beginning were to dissipate into fluff... hmmmm maybe on second thoughts it's better towards the end...

 

[monsieur fly]

So U2 could come out and play 3 instrumentals but the first real opening song would be the fourth because it had vocals? Interesting

Well that is a hypothetical I don't need to worry about because as you well know, that is not the situation. Therefore, there is no need to adopt that superior tone with me, thank you. As far as I am concerned, they come out playing an incomplete instrumental song, the structure of which still sounds embryonic. They then go pretty quickly into Beautiful Day. In my view, that means they open with Beautiful Day and I would imagine that those in the stadium would say the same. Had they come on playing Glastonbury, I would of course, think differently.

 

[Swan269]

Yep, i dont get how people are saying U2 are opening with BD, when its actually them PLAYING return of the stingray, to me that is opening.

yeah stingray is the opening. its interesting they tried some different opens. I am happy with the encore from yesterday, however, i dont' know if it was fair to take out end of the world and UF, how about dropping MW and Lookin for.....end of the world and uf have such amazing looks from the claw that they need to be there.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

thanks for posting the diary entries, I am too lazy to find them on u2.com

Turin. Production rehearsals.


This gave us our third option, the other two being Beautiful Day coming out of Elbow's 'One Day Like This' and the complete wildcard of opening with Moment of Surrender, coming out of 'Soon', the track formerly known as 'Kingdom of Your Love' that preceded Breathe in last year's show.

very interesting. One Day Like This into Beautiful Day. I could see that working.

MOS as an opener? now that is random.

Around midnight I checked YouTube, just out of interest, and there it was - already there was a recording of Glastonbury on line. The music was pretty muddy but the vocal, melody and lyric were absolutely crystal clear. What an awesomely insane world we live in. Big Brother could only dream of this level of surveillance

 

[KEVIN051269]

The opening of the screen is obviously the biggest production moment and it was strangely tough to find a song that could hold its own in the presence of such a jaw-dropping physical event. Unforgettable Fire has proven to be perfect for this moment.

Which song held its own i wonder?

 

[BVS]

Well that is a hypothetical I don't need to worry about because as you well know, that is not the situation. Therefore, there is no need to adopt that superior tone with me, thank you.

whoah, issues...

As far as I am concerned, they come out playing an incomplete instrumental song, the structure of which still sounds embryonic. They then go pretty quickly into Beautiful Day. In my view, that means they open with Beautiful Day and I would imagine that those in the stadium would say the same. Had they come on playing Glastonbury, I would of course, think differently.

But, factually that's incorrect, no matter how you "feel". That's all I'm saying. I'm not defending the opening, I personally hate it, but I just don't follow your logic here.

 

[Blue Room]

I think the fact that Willie says they are opening with Beautiful Day gives credence to the fact that they feel that is the opening song. A two minute primarily instrumental new song is an intro, not the opening song, at least for me. The argument could be made either way I guess. Either way, I don't think it works very well.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

I like:

1) Soon (Band playing and singing)
2) Glastonbury
3) Return of the Stringray Guitar

and then
4) No Line On The Horizon

Just dreaming out loud

 

[chrissybaby]

These diary entries are proving to be quite frustrating for me... Interesting but at the same time frustrating. Especially after Horsens 2.

 

[Tommy WM]

HMTMKMKM I can sort of see with the whole 'what time is it?'.....'showtime'
MOS

I wouldn't mind them opening with Moment of Surrender. It's different. It's risky.

 

[schnumi]

Hmm opening with HMTMKMKM would be very very nice, rocking right from the start.

 

[mama cass]

Hmm opening with HMTMKMKM would be very very nice, rocking right from the start.

yeah but would they be able to sustain that intensity or would it fizzle out and be lost with the next songs...?

 

[zoopop]

I wouldn't mind them opening with Moment of Surrender. It's different. It's risky.

That is a bit too risky. I love MOS, but that wouldn't go over too well. Breathe all over again.


1. Stingray
2. NLOTH

1. Stingray
2. SUC ( I just think this song would get people going)

But reading Willie's diaries.....these guys think way too much and second guess with the wrong decisions. Its like they have too much to play with, via claw. I don't understand how U2/Willie nailed ZooTV, Popmart, Elevation, and Vertigo setlist w/ each of tour having a epic/unique opening then they just drop the ball for the 360 Tour.


I enjoy the new Stingray opening but the silence to BD just kills the mood.

 

[lauramullen]

I like the Stingray and then NLOTH idea.

 

[Popmartijn]

I enjoy the new Stingray opening but the silence to BD just kills the mood.

There is no silence between the Stingray intro and BD. The intro stops, lots of cheering from the crowd and then BD starts and even more cheering from the crowd. At least, that's how it was in Hannover. It worked very well.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

ugh.. now i am even more frustrated. HMKM would of been a great opener. I wish they would quit playing it safe..

 

[Blue Room]

There is no silence between the Stingray intro and BD. The intro stops, lots of cheering from the crowd and then BD starts and even more cheering from the crowd. At least, that's how it was in Hannover. It worked very well.

I think what was meant was there is to big of a gap between the intro and Beautiful Day. They need to start it right away when the Stingray intro stops. Still wouldn't be great, but would not be as awkward as it seems to most the way it stands now. I think the other problem is that B. Day does not have a hit you between the eyes intro. I think that is what is needed at that point.

 

[Blue Room]

But reading Willie's diaries.....these guys think way too much and second guess with the wrong decisions. Its like they have too much to play with, via claw. I don't understand how U2/Willie nailed ZooTV, Popmart, Elevation, and Vertigo setlist w/ each of tour having a epic/unique opening then they just drop the ball for the 360 Tour.


I enjoy the new Stingray opening but the silence to BD just kills the mood.

This is exactly what I thought when I read Willie's diary. They have had a great opener for just about every single tour and they can't seem to nail it for this tour. Breathe was a mediocre opening, Stingray into B Day, is less than mediocre. I think overall that is the most glaring problem with this tour, the opening is weak and it should be one of their best ever with the staging.