This is NOT what we wanted

[david]

The B-sides are considered the 2nd part to the album. The 2nd part has songs that are considered "weaker" by the band. It's a music industry term.

Yeah, no.

 

[dudeman]

This tour is EXACTLY what I wanted.

 

[MisterMac]

Just getting ready to see U2 in Toronto then in Boston.

I love whatever U2 decide to play. I hope they always play the songs that are important and meaningful to them a the stage of their life.

I'm just grateful they're still around playing and I'll keep attending shows and loving whatever they do as long as they want to do it.

 

[oneskirt]

God, I hope they bring back "A Sort of Homecoming" to NJ N1, along with "Bad". Seems the first few shows of the tour got the very best setlists so far, and the only ones with 23, not 22 songs...

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Since this is the complaints department I figured I could leave mine here.

I get the decision to play the album in full, but it makes the show completely front loaded starting with SBS and other big songs. Both nights in NJ, I could tell it was hard for a lot of the crowd around me to recover from sitting down during almost the entire back half of the JT and then starting the encore with Miss Sarajevo. My buddies that I went with (and have been to other shows with before that have had an awesome time) went from a ridiculous high of "this is the best concert" to boredom of the songs they didn't know as well from the back of JT to "Bono is the worst" during his preaching/politics especially during Miss Sarajevo and Ultraviolet. Definitely the least enjoyable concert I've seen from them. I just think the concert goes from "this is great" to "ok I've had enough get me out of here" rather quickly.

 

[trevgreg]

My buddies that I went with (and have been to other shows with before that have had an awesome time) went from a ridiculous high of "this is the best concert" to boredom of the songs they didn't know as well from the back of JT to "Bono is the worst" during his preaching/politics especially during Miss Sarajevo and Ultraviolet.

How did they enjoy the other shows if the band does the preaching/politics thing every show?

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

How did they enjoy the other shows if the band does the preaching/politics thing every show?

I think they laid in on a little thicker this time around with the America theme tie in of JT.

 

[popacrobat]

yeah, the last three shows were pretty awesome.

 

[Iggy Fizz]

Since this is the complaints department I figured I could leave mine here.

I get the decision to play the album in full, but it makes the show completely front loaded starting with SBS and other big songs. Both nights in NJ, I could tell it was hard for a lot of the crowd around me to recover from sitting down during almost the entire back half of the JT and then starting the encore with Miss Sarajevo. My buddies that I went with (and have been to other shows with before that have had an awesome time) went from a ridiculous high of "this is the best concert" to boredom of the songs they didn't know as well from the back of JT to "Bono is the worst" during his preaching/politics especially during Miss Sarajevo and Ultraviolet. Definitely the least enjoyable concert I've seen from them. I just think the concert goes from "this is great" to "ok I've had enough get me out of here" rather quickly.

that was my experience. a half-baked show thrown together to support their contract obligations, and inspired by a lack of quality new material and a recognition that there are a lot of heritage fans with fat wallets ready to re-experience TJT.

 

[The_acrobat]

Since this is the complaints department I figured I could leave mine here.

I get the decision to play the album in full, but it makes the show completely front loaded starting with SBS and other big songs. Both nights in NJ, I could tell it was hard for a lot of the crowd around me to recover from sitting down during almost the entire back half of the JT and then starting the encore with Miss Sarajevo. My buddies that I went with (and have been to other shows with before that have had an awesome time) went from a ridiculous high of "this is the best concert" to boredom of the songs they didn't know as well from the back of JT to "Bono is the worst" during his preaching/politics especially during Miss Sarajevo and Ultraviolet. Definitely the least enjoyable concert I've seen from them. I just think the concert goes from "this is great" to "ok I've had enough get me out of here" rather quickly.

One of the guys in my group at the Cleveland show is a casual fan, who actually knows more about HTDAAB and SOI then he does about TJT and AB. He had the same reaction. I admit that even as a super fan who was very excited to hear tracks 6-11 live for the first time, I thought the flow and the energy was very poor for a stadium concert. Then once they hit the BD/ELevation/Vertigo/Mysterious Ways foursome, it was like both the band and the crowd came back to life. I could tell that they really didn't care to be playing IGC, for example, but were very excited to be playing Elevation and Vertigo. You could just tell from their body language.

That said, I loved the show, and I will be seeing it again in Indianapolis!

 

[gvox]

hmmm

 

[coolian2]

I think they laid in on a little thicker this time around with the America theme tie in of JT.

Given how way too on the nose they've been since Elevation, I'm surprised by the relative restraint.

 

[MrPryck2U]

This tour is EXACTLY what I wanted.

 

[dazzledbylight]

Since IGC, TTYW and are 3 of my favorite songs off the album (along with BTBS, Streets) I was thrilled to hear them live again after 30 years!!! (acoustic igc is rather )

 

[CosmoKramer]

Visuals for the opening songs have a "this will do" vibe to them.

8k on a 200 foot screen may be nifty, but it doesn't change the fact it's just a half dozen Corbijn screen savers you payed hundreds to see. Do 90% of the audience know why grannies are holding candles? The crew just pressed the pause button on the grannies when Bono did stage banter in Vancouver.

I face palm when I see Lena Dunham's face next to Maya Angelou, Melinda Gates....etc.

I stayed away from this section of the forum until my show on 6/29, so as not to spoil anything for me, so Im catching up on the conversation and hence the late response.

With that said, you're spot on. The visuals were terrible for almost all of the songs. Terrible in the sense that they did absolutely nothing to enhance the music, with the exception of In Gods Country, Beautiful Day and UV. Streets beginning was insane and amazing but then they cut to a highway with people walking on it and the speed and power of the song is not matched by the visuals (its like they are playing a 2017 Ferrari and a 1984 Honda is being shown in the background).

Same with With or WIthout you and ISHFWILF, both of which are incredibly powerful songs but the graphics in the back were random (at least to me) and really did have the feel of a screen saver.

The whole woman painting the flag on the barn was just odd and distracting. I was actually wondering if she would finish by the time the song was done and wondering if there was going to be a twist to the visual vs actually listening to the music.

The orchestra showing during RHMT was just lazy…have them show up in person on the stage and then show them playing, not pre–recorded…WTF.

Miss Sarajevo was like watching the news in the background. I get that they were trying to express the meaning of the song but it missed the mark completely for me. Not to mention this song is a snooze-fest and it killed the excitement of them returning to the stage and just hearing the JT in full.

Comparing this to other tours I have seen in person, it was by far the worst visuals. I remember watching 360 and thinking "holy shit that screen is amazing". To this day, I remember the visuals for COBL and Zooropa and thinking that live those songs are "okay" but the visuals really complimented the songs to the point where the listening experience was enhanced.

As for your Lena Dunham comment….no one will ever be happy with all the people put up. Some will be pissed that Melinda Trump and the Bush girls were shown, others will be pissed that the Michelle Obama and her daughters were shown but all of them were/are women of great influence and I get it and Im personally fine with them but Lena Dunham… Im with you….it was a WTF moment for me.

 

[coolian2]

The important, influential women images are not forgiven until Kate Sheppard, practically the founder of women's suffrage, is shown.

 

[AndrewCowley]

I think maybe you can expect too much from the visuals.

 

[DeVaul]

I think maybe you can expect too much from the visuals.

Sure. But this is the band that reinvented concert video elements. They can do better.
I could live with less impressive visuals if they'd effectively sequence the entire setlist!

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

I stayed away from this section of the forum until my show on 6/29, so as not to spoil anything for me, so Im catching up on the conversation and hence the late response.

With that said, you're spot on. The visuals were terrible for almost all of the songs. Terrible in the sense that they did absolutely nothing to enhance the music, with the exception of In Gods Country, Beautiful Day and UV. Streets beginning was insane and amazing but then they cut to a highway with people walking on it and the speed and power of the song is not matched by the visuals (its like they are playing a 2017 Ferrari and a 1984 Honda is being shown in the background).

Same with With or WIthout you and ISHFWILF, both of which are incredibly powerful songs but the graphics in the back were random (at least to me) and really did have the feel of a screen saver.

The whole woman painting the flag on the barn was just odd and distracting. I was actually wondering if she would finish by the time the song was done and wondering if there was going to be a twist to the visual vs actually listening to the music.

The orchestra showing during RHMT was just lazy…have them show up in person on the stage and then show them playing, not pre–recorded…WTF.

Miss Sarajevo was like watching the news in the background. I get that they were trying to express the meaning of the song but it missed the mark completely for me. Not to mention this song is a snooze-fest and it killed the excitement of them returning to the stage and just hearing the JT in full.

Comparing this to other tours I have seen in person, it was by far the worst visuals. I remember watching 360 and thinking "holy shit that screen is amazing". To this day, I remember the visuals for COBL and Zooropa and thinking that live those songs are "okay" but the visuals really complimented the songs to the point where the listening experience was enhanced.

As for your Lena Dunham comment….no one will ever be happy with all the people put up. Some will be pissed that Melinda Trump and the Bush girls were shown, others will be pissed that the Michelle Obama and her daughters were shown but all of them were/are women of great influence and I get it and Im personally fine with them but Lena Dunham… Im with you….it was a WTF moment for me.

Agree 100 % with the visuals. Seeing them again for the second night especially had me scratching my head on a few songs. I wonder what the concert would have been like if they played the whole damn album without help of a screen like they actually did concerts 30 years ago. Probably a lot more people on their phones sadly.

 

[Martinski]

I actually really liked the videos and visuals *shrug*
Maybe they can do better but i Dunno how, not an expert.

 

[trevgreg]

I wonder what the concert would have been like if they played the whole damn album without help of a screen like they actually did concerts 30 years ago. Probably a lot more people on their phones sadly.

Pretty much.

I actually really liked the videos and visuals *shrug*
Maybe they can do better but i Dunno how, not an expert.

Same here.

 

[aviastar]

I was pretty impressed with the whole production. I attended Chi2 and will also be at KC. Plus I have watched most of the US tour stops on periscope. I the set lists have been good, and the visuals are a nice bonus for the most part.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

I only read the first couple of posts...

"This is NOT what we wanted..."

Why don't you just appreciate what you're given? And who is "we???" I wanted this.

 

[Hewson]

And who is "we???" .

Frog in his pocket??

 

[trevgreg]

I only read the first couple of posts...

"This is NOT what we wanted..."

Why don't you just appreciate what you're given? And who is "we???" I wanted this.

All those Soundgarden and Prince fans are probably nodding their heads vigorously right now.

 

[Martinski]

All those Soundgarden and Prince fans are probably nodding their heads vigorously right now.

Was fortunate enough to catch a Prince gig in 2011. Amazing concert.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

I've seen U2 8 times now. How lucky I am...

They can play whatever the fuck they want. Open with Boots for all I care.

 

[Martinski]

I've seen U2 8 times now. How lucky I am...

They can play whatever the fuck they want. Open with Boots for all I care.

Same here, i am happy enough to catch em whenever they head out on tour. This time i also had to get out of my way to do it since they opted out of sweden.

Seen 9 shows. 1x popmart 2x 360 4x IE 2x JT

 

[Desert Dog]

Now I could bitch and bitch about how Elevation is the musical equivalent of Viagra but after the seeing those 2 London shows, jesus are they sounding tight. After catching them at the I&E shows in Paris and being disappointed with setlist selections, I feel like their goal now is less setlist variety and just a tight, tight show every night

9 tours / 28 shows / 32 years