Do the video vignettes prevent musical improviation?

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gunsnroses

The Fly
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Dec 19, 2008
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As I was watching WOWY in Dallas last night I was getting lost in the desert hills. I was hoping for an improvised coda of "stars shine", but it felt like the song was timed to the video. U2 improvisation is magical, but I think every song off TJT is timed to the videos. Did any one else notice or is it in my head?
 
I think you are right, although it sounds like that is very intentional, as they want to stay true to the album, which explains why the songs are more or less strictly album versions.

Thank goodness they stuck with the standard live Streets version and don't do it like the album. The middle bit is so much better live.
 
I know it's intentional. I just kinda wanted to hear variations in the songs. Acoustics versions or cool codas or interludes.
 
Ha ha, seriously. I can live with true-to-the-album for this tour. Especially since I assume it's the reason we're getting all the verses to NYD!
 
If we're being honest, they've never shown the ability/chops to be nimble like that. But yes, it's the video sync and IMO further I think they are allergic to the sloppiness of spontaneity beyond songs they can do in their sleep like IWF. This comes across in the lack of setlist variety from night to night. Even with the songs not using anything special on the screens. They charge good money to come see them and don't want to give a shit performance just to say they did a song.

I think they know themselves. The improvement of a certain never played before song on this tour is pretty obvious to me. By mid tour, they will be hammering that JT set down tight and may be up for mixing it up a little in terms of tags on songs.
 
Do the video vignettes prevent musical improvisation?

No, U2 does. U2 never has been, never will be that type of band.

Their improv happens in the studio, not the stage. The most improv you'll ever get is with Bono, and even that is less these days.

If you're looking for improv, you're following the wrong band.
 
Yea... The multimedia has always been the excuse for why they don't mix up sets more, but then Elevation and Vertigo Tours came along, and they still didn't mix anything up besides the occasional rotating​ slot. I feel Vertigo had a decently mixed up encore, but it was still just the same 6 songs swapping in for each other.

U2 will never be a band that randomly pulls a song out of their ass on Abby given night, abs will give up on songs easily if they don't feel perfect to them, or if they think the masses aren't feeling it. This is the absolute worst thing about them, but it is what it is.

U2's theatrics and passion still makes it a religious experience... but I'd give up every amazing multimedia moment they've ever done in a heartbeat in exchange for a more Springsteen/Pearl Jam like night to night set variation, where you really don't have any clue what they're going out play on any given night.

Take PJ... they play Even Flow at pretty much every show. I took a casual fan to a show at Barclays and assured him that at least he'd get even flow. And they didn't play even flow, and neither of us even noticed it was missing until after the show was over... because the spontaneity of the show keeps you on your toes and things like that don't become as obvious.

Nobody would be like ehhhrmagad they didn't play Homecoming if they actually played a ton of different songs on any given night.

Alas... they won't, likely can't, and we're stuck with the absolute lamest setlist parties anywhere. Whatevs... they're still great. But something's missing.
 
My girlfriend is confused as to why I won't do a GA queue for U2.

I'm there for the visual show. If I want a private U2 gig I'll turn up the CD player in the car.

I'm so happy I stood back and just barely kept it together when everything went red on 360.
 
Take PJ... they play Even Flow at pretty much every show. I took a casual fan to a show at Barclays and assured him that at least he'd get even flow. And they didn't play even flow, and neither of us even noticed it was missing until after the show was over... because the spontaneity of the show keeps you on your toes and things like that don't become as obvious.

Nobody would be like ehhhrmagad they didn't play Homecoming if they actually played a ton of different songs on any given night.

I wouldn't say that's everyone though. One day, I was listening to a radio morning show in my area and the DJs were talking about the concerts they felt most let down by or underwhelming. The girl they gave Pearl Jam as her answer, saying how she was all excited about it at first and even took off from work early to celebrate a bit. Then when it came to the actual show, she said it sort of just meandered on and on and mentioned towards the end, "Just play Jeremy", which I took as her meaning that she didn't even know a good amount of the songs they played that night.

So yeah, it's different for everyone. Every message board I go to seems to shoot down the "video/visual" argument on sameness by saying they don't care and the band shouldn't either. This band has been doing it for a few decades anyway, so maybe people are into the wrong band if they somehow equate visuals as being against hipster cred re: set lists. But I also assume most of us here go to shows somewhat often and see more acts beyond those that are just our "favorites". Are we all honestly in our heart of hearts going to say that we want to go to shows where they "mix it up" for the few hundred people or so that pay attention to them online regularly, or not play so-and-so songs we know just because they played it in Detroit the night before? I wouldn't think so. And while a lot of us might find songs to enjoy anyway, with or without a video screen, there's a lot of people going to just one show.
 
It's become far less of one with Bono making the exact same quips word for word each night. I only went to one show so far but I see the tweets every night of him saying the same shit. :doh:

Again, that's kind of what happens when you go to more than one show for someone. I hear it in bootlegs and when I do that sort of thing all the time. For most people there, it's just a conversation they'll hear one time. It's what it is.

Yet again, I've seen Paul McCartney on two separate tours and a lot of his actions and talks were almost the exact same as well (the same "give it up for George" or "give it up for John" hollars in the middle, the same story about talking to a guy in Moscow after playing Back in the USSR, etc.).
 
It's become far less of one with Bono making the exact same quips word for word each night. I only went to one show so far but I see the tweets every night of him saying the same shit. :doh:

So you reading tweets after your show, has somehow now taken away from your experience?
 
Point missed. Bono seems to be even less spontaneous this tour than previous... and on those ones I was at far more shows. But I guess you have to be salty about my observation.



Well you said it was far less of one now(religious experience), so let's not pretend I was making up some point just to be salty.
 
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