I think that Headache was referring to a magical moment in the encore to end the show (agree on Acrobat + Until though). 13 most certainly isn't that, unless they tweek it into a live monster which I doubt. Bad + 40 was the perfect end. Hard to beat. Love is blindness would be great. I have nothing against 13 and I can see how the message would fit the entire show, but it lacks power as a closer. I'm a bit concerned that they haven't tried another ending. But there's still a lot of rehearsing ahead of them so let's hope they realize that 13 doesn't do the trick...
SPOILERS U2 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour Rehearsals/Soundcheck Thread SPOILERS
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I think that Headache was referring to a magical moment in the encore to end the show (agree on Acrobat + Until though). 13 most certainly isn't that, unless they tweek it into a live monster which I doubt. Bad + 40 was the perfect end. Hard to beat. Love is blindness would be great. I have nothing against 13 and I can see how the message would fit the entire show, but it lacks power as a closer. I'm a bit concerned that they haven't tried another ending. But there's still a lot of rehearsing ahead of them so let's hope they realize that 13 doesn't do the trick...
So a guy in his 40's is admitting to being an asshole and proud of it on an Internet forum.
Sounds about right.
Thank you very much!
And here comes someone else who likes to argue just to argue.
To you and BVS:
I didn't say it was their core demographic. I didn't even use a synonym for core. What I said was that it was going to be a larger portion of their demographic this time out than previous tours due to the ticket prices and arena settings.
The exact percentage? I have no idea. Contact live nation for that.
Does U2 still do well with you younger people? Yes.
I never argued that the core demographic of U2 fans and concert ticket holders identify WAR as the peak of their fandom.
Just the fact that you're not addressing my points for the most part and have to distort them when you do so very minimally says it all.
This will be an older U2 fans' tour. How do I know?
Regardless of what the self proclaimed asshole says.
I'm done with the Acrobat argument, so I cut out large portions of your post.
I left in the portions where you consistently call me an asshole though, cause I find it funny that myself and bvs are these big he's for debating the logic around some of your thoughts, yet you're the one who keeps calling me an asshole. If that makes you feel better, by all means.
And I'm not in my 40s yet, thank you.
Your thoughts on the age of the crowd is just off. If you were in your 20s when Achtung Baby came out, you're going to be in your late 40s/early 50s when this tour takes place. If you were 12, like I was, you'll be 37 for this tour. Achtung Baby is not a young person's album. It's very much for the olds like me. So I have no idea where this argument about War being bigger with this audience than Achtung Baby because the crowd is old is coming from.
If you were 25 when War came out, you'll be 60 on this tour. The crowd will be old, yes. But I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the average age will be closer to 45 than it will be to 65.
If you'd like to continue telling me how the crowd will be filled with mostly retirees, it if you would like to call me an asshole some more, by all means shoot me a PM and we can continue. Otherwise I think everyone else has moved on. Myself included.
Less in the encore itself and more about the conclusion if the second set before the encore, which is historically where the big guns lay.
I also think they'll come to regret finishing the show with two straight experience songs, especially when one of them is a rehash of a song they'll apparently have she's played. If you think people flooded to the exits on Moment of Surrender or Little Things, just wait.
And on that... Where the hell is Little Things??
Ok, so does that mean you think 13 in the current "setlist" is the last song before the encore? So none of the encore has been rehearsed yet? That would be great but a pretty long set... I do think 13 would be good enough to close the main set, but not the encore.
As for Little Things, I suppose they didn't like its reception in 2017 and hence drop it now. Which doesn't make sense but this is U2, so...
I do think Little Things is better on album than the 2017 live version though (quite unusual for U2). So if they play it again they need to put some work into the live version...
If little things, summer of love and red flag day are skipped totally for this tour, on top of that if they play the same iris, cedarwood road, song for someone raised by wolves segment as i&e then well what can you say, we're are this band at right now??
I've got tickets for 3 shows, I saw 3 shows at the o2 on the i&e tour. As good as that segment of new songs with the screen effects was do I really need to see it 3 times again. Do they think that the crowd will be different people? The large majority of people going to this tour will be the same that went to the i&e tour. It just screams of laziness
I'm actually glad I'm not going till the end of the tour, gives them time to realise what to drop and what to play
I've got tickets for 3 shows, I saw 3 shows at the o2 on the i&e tour. As good as that segment of new songs with the screen effects was do I really need to see it 3 times again. Do they think that the crowd will be different people? The large majority of people going to this tour will be the same that went to the i&e tour. It just screams of laziness
I'm actually glad I'm not going till the end of the tour, gives them time to realise what to drop and what to play
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No. City is the last song before the encore in this setup, and 13 is the last song of the show.
I think both are mistakes... 13 the bigger one.
This, combined with the rehashing of Innocence songs on the new album, really screams of mailing it in, doesn't it?
Yahweh_OMG
New Yorker
Exactly my thoughts... the 3 best songs of SOE untouched so far... Acrobat dropped yesterday... this is going To be a shitty night if it stays like that. Glad i go in October or maybe not...
trainmaniac
War Child
They could explore SOI a little bit by playing the experience songs they have on SOI...
Stuck in the same sequence and songs is just disappointing and it will probably get worst.
Stuck in the same sequence and songs is just disappointing and it will probably get worst.
RoKKeR
Refugee
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- Nov 21, 2013
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- 1,890
Damn, what are they doing...
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
Oh for fuck’s sake. People assuming Acrobat is now dropped... they always go through waves of what they practice, and they know people are listening. There were a number of things missing from the set they ran through - they’ve played it about 20 times over the last week, so they probably felt it was one they could skip. The 2 + 2 = 5 crowd really know how to drop their shit.
Thinking it's dropped is silly for now, but they are absolutely working on a different set than the first go around.
The most likely reason is that they have two sets, not that anything has been dropped.
Yeah, rather hasty to assume it's been dropped already.
Hell, last tour the only hint we got of The Electric Co. was that Edge ran through the main riff one day. It was done at about half the shows!
I also think it's optimistic to assume they have two sets to rotate.
My best guess is that they're trying out various ideas, some of which will make it, some won't. Acrobat is more likely than not in my view, but only by a slim margin.
vivalaviDavid
Babyface
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I didn’t get to see them on the last tour (I+E) so from a purely selfish standpoint I’m delighted they’re doing Iris again. One of my favourite tracks of theirs period.
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
I think they are committed to doing some rarities - however they do them, and they know Acrobat is the biggest white whale in the catalogue. Even if (though I don’t personally agree) they have abandoned the set placement they originally practiced, I think we can be almost certain that it will show up, and at least semi-regularly. It should be a nightly staple.
Well, it's not reeeeally two sets. They'd really only be swapping around three or four songs between nights.
The last couple of tours do not make me optimistic even that could be likely! Well, not in the sense of swapping between two segments with a strong multi-media angle. If they do on EI like they did on IE, all we can probably hope for, once the set settles, is one early-show rotation, two on the e-stage, and maybe a special closer.
The lower I set my hopes, the happier I am if the band even return to Vertigo levels of variation.
Unknown Pre-Recorded song (Possibly vocals by Bono)
“Love is All We Have Left” (Pre-Recorded)
Set One
“The Blackout”
“Lights of Home”
“Beautiful Day”
“I Will Follow”
“The Ocean”
“Iris”
“Cedarwood Road”
“Song for Someone”
“Sunday Bloody Sunday”
“Raised by Wolves”
“Until the End of the World”
Set Two
“Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me”
“Elevation”
"Desire"
"Vertigo"
"The Showman"
"You're The Best Thing About Me"
“Staring at the Sun”
“Pride (In the Name of Love)”
“Get Out of Your Own Way”
“American Soul”
“City of Blinding Lights”
Encore
“One”
“Love is Bigger Than Anything in its Way”
“13 (There is a Light)
25 songs. Do we really think they'll go much longer than that? And where else would an Acrobat or Wild Horses fit in this set beaides the Encore?
This follows the i/e template to a T.
New and uptempo songs for the first 4
Ocean as a transition piece in place of Bono talking (or maybe as a backdrop to Bono talking)
The Dublin story
Hold Me Thrill Me taking the Invisible slot.
Elevation influx so they can leave the cage into Elevation on the e stage.
Desire and Vertigo taking the place of Mysterious Ways and Elevation.
Showman, Best Thing and Staring at the Sun as an acoustic interlude
Pride coming in where Bullet did last time (eww), kicking off the lecture/blow job to America segment, which ends with City because yayyyyy America should be better than this (we shouldn't).
One will likely have a big ass (red) tie in #2pills
Love Is Bigger, ok fine.
And how much do you want to bet 13 ends with them walking off the stage trying to get the crowd to sing along?
“Love is All We Have Left” (Pre-Recorded)
Set One
“The Blackout”
“Lights of Home”
“Beautiful Day”
“I Will Follow”
“The Ocean”
“Iris”
“Cedarwood Road”
“Song for Someone”
“Sunday Bloody Sunday”
“Raised by Wolves”
“Until the End of the World”
Set Two
“Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me”
“Elevation”
"Desire"
"Vertigo"
"The Showman"
"You're The Best Thing About Me"
“Staring at the Sun”
“Pride (In the Name of Love)”
“Get Out of Your Own Way”
“American Soul”
“City of Blinding Lights”
Encore
“One”
“Love is Bigger Than Anything in its Way”
“13 (There is a Light)
25 songs. Do we really think they'll go much longer than that? And where else would an Acrobat or Wild Horses fit in this set beaides the Encore?
This follows the i/e template to a T.
New and uptempo songs for the first 4
Ocean as a transition piece in place of Bono talking (or maybe as a backdrop to Bono talking)
The Dublin story
Hold Me Thrill Me taking the Invisible slot.
Elevation influx so they can leave the cage into Elevation on the e stage.
Desire and Vertigo taking the place of Mysterious Ways and Elevation.
Showman, Best Thing and Staring at the Sun as an acoustic interlude
Pride coming in where Bullet did last time (eww), kicking off the lecture/blow job to America segment, which ends with City because yayyyyy America should be better than this (we shouldn't).
One will likely have a big ass (red) tie in #2pills
Love Is Bigger, ok fine.
And how much do you want to bet 13 ends with them walking off the stage trying to get the crowd to sing along?
CosmoKramer
Rock n' Roll Doggie
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- 3,325
I’m still pissed I missed out in Gloria in the 2 spot in 2015(man, they played this song with passion on ie!) and A Sort of Homecoming in the ~3/4 spot in 2017!
So...yeah, I would be disappointed.
I'm gonna have nightmares.
Especially now that Cosmo's gone and mentioned getting crueled re: ASOH too.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
So a guy in his 40's is admitting to being an asshole and proud of it on an Internet forum.
Sounds about right.
Thank you very much!
And here comes someone else who likes to argue just to argue.
To you and BVS:
I didn't say it was their core demographic. I didn't even use a synonym for core. What I said was that it was going to be a larger portion of their demographic this time out than previous tours due to the ticket prices and arena settings.
The exact percentage? I have no idea. Contact live nation for that.
Does U2 still do well with you younger people? Yes.
I never argued that the core demographic of U2 fans and concert ticket holders identify WAR as the peak of their fandom.
Just the fact that you're not addressing my points for the most part and have to distort them when you do so very minimally says it all.
This will be an older U2 fans' tour. How do I know?
1) The aforementioned ticket prices and smaller capacity arenas.
2) The fact that we're now at 3 albums in a row without a hit. I love 2 of the 3 to pieces and while NLOTH is at the bottom of my album rankings, I don't take as big of issue with is as a lot of people. But reality is reality. It isn't 2000 or 2004 anymore and ALOT of the newer fans drawn in during that time period have sadly moved on. Plus, a lot just won't be paying $350 whether they've moved on or not. They'll watch it on YouTube .
3)The crowd getting older at every tour since 360- and I've seen all of them in multiple cities - speaks to the trend discussed in paragraph 2. U2 still have far more younger people than other bands their age, still even to an impressive level. However, the last time they equaled the older demographic in attendance numbers was Vertigo. I'd put money on that.
4) The trend from paragraphs 2 and 3 was much more noticeable on JT than it was on I&E. Even accounting for the fact that it was a clear nostalgia tour from the start, the young fans know JT like anyone else and you'd expect them at a stadium show.
5) You're going to get a lot of people there on either their own experience or word of mouth from JT. Casuals will take last year as evidence that they're finally going back through the back catalog and buy tickets in hopes of catching JT or War tracks. Will Acrobat harm these people? No and I never said it would. Would leaving out almost every imaginable 80s hit, Streets and Bad included while playing 10 songs from 2014 to today? Most likely. See paragraph 1.
So we're hung up one one song when the point was the entire set.
Short of taking a representative sample poll of U2 casuals, there is no objective way to tell for sure what songs from what albums are more or less obscure. Unless you're talking scarlet vs wild horses or Jerusalem vs Walk On or similar.
So really all we can hope for is an intelligent t discussion and the understanding that there are non laughable arguments to be made both ways.
Regardless of what the self proclaimed asshole says.
My only point is there’s a big demographic you’re just conveniently glossing over. JT made U2 big but AB made them cool, MTV staples, part of the culture, and there’s a whole entire generation where that happened during their formative music years, and they are now late 30s mid 40s and have disposable income. They also happen to be the last generation that grew up before the cd changer and internet so they actually listened to full albums.
jphelmet
Refugee
That run towards the end of the 2nd set would be a new low for U2 live. If that shakes out as the normal set each night, it makes my decision of multiple shows or not pretty easy.
Am I the only one that thinks Little Things, Landlady and Red Flag Day are the 3 of the best songs from the new album? Can't believe they are going to leave them all out to play so many really mediocre to terrible songs.
The lack of creativity for the first section is pretty dumbfounding. The narrative was great, and I really enjoyed it, but to do the exact same thing three years later is pretty frustrating.
I am willing to bet within one month of opening night, several warhorses will be back into the set.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
But in U2 terms, that is their equivalent to Pearl Jam's Mansfield 2003 "experiment".
Not a clue why The little things is being ignored, and baffled why they are going for some of the same sections used during the I-E tour, worrying
Agree. Still a lot of time. But they're definitely trying out different sets / combinations of songs. Doesn't mean that either one will be the final set.
I wonder during which song Bono will invite a fan on stage. I doubt that he will drop that habit. Some more filming maybe like in 2015? I really doubt they will use that wheel we saw in a picture...
Maybe they will replace American Soul with Red Flag day. "America should be better" vs "Europe should be better". I sure hope so...
Yeah, not gonna work
In 2015 they had alternative endings, so I assume the same thing might happen again. A particularly nice evening might get Love is Blindness Good thing from a european point of view: they have time to figure it out. The downside is that some rarities never make it to the EU leg...
Well Meerkat went out of business... so perhaps Bono will let Amp play with his GoPro.Agree. Still a lot of time. But they're definitely trying out different sets / combinations of songs. Doesn't mean that either one will be the final set.
I wonder during which song Bono will invite a fan on stage. I doubt that he will drop that habit. Some more filming maybe like in 2015? I really doubt they will use that wheel we saw in a picture...
Maybe they will replace American Soul with Red Flag day. "America should be better" vs "Europe should be better". I sure hope so...
Yeah, not gonna work
Hollow Island
New Yorker
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2011
- Messages
- 2,947
This isn't the best set but it's admirable that they're prepared to go out an play a set so light on hits and so heavy on recent material. Too bad that they're playing the wrong new songs though: ignore the best of the recent material. Invisible, Reach Me, the Troubles, Crystal Ballroom, Red Flag Day, Summer of Love, Landlady, and Book of Your Heart should all be played and it's criminal that the Best Thing, American Soul, and Get Out have spots instead of them. I didn't think U2 could make a stretch of music I like less than the middle of NLOTH but I think that run on SOE is so much worse.
don't tell BonoWide Awake n AZ
The Fly
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Totally agree. So does Elevation, IMHO. But they are just minor blips. My kid likes American Soul, so I will just watch her reaction praying there isn't a remix breakdown that extends it 15 minutes.
RoKKeR
Refugee
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2013
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- 1,890
I agree... that second section would be pretty weak. Not even Bullet or Streets to pull it up.
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