They don't need a new song to open!! Axver is 100% right. I have seen COBL, Boots, Breathe, Magnificent and Even Better open and EBTTRT was the best by far! I could care less how old the opener is, get everyone going out of the gate. Opening with NLOTH songs on 360 got everyone running for the bathroom.
Axver also makes a good point regarding War and TUF... Great albums with no clear opener. I would take it even further and say that not only the opening song, but the opening sequence doesn't even matter. For my money, U2's best opening sequence ever was Out of Control-Twilight-An Cat Dubhbin 1983. Zoo TV is the only runner up that's even close to that in my book. If something from SOI works, by all means, come right out with it at the start, but if not, not to worry! U2 have plenty of great songs as we all know
They don't need a new song to open!! Axver is 100% right. I have seen COBL, Boots, Breathe, Magnificent and Even Better open and EBTTRT was the best by far! I could care less how old the opener is, get everyone going out of the gate. Opening with NLOTH songs on 360 got everyone running for the bathroom.
This isn't about what you or I think is the most entertaining song to open with. It's about the band promoting the latest version of themselves and their new material.
Let's be clear: the only reason they started opening with EBTTRT is because of how long they were off the road due to Bono's injury. Considering the (relatively) underwhelming response to No Line, by the time they started up again, promoting the album wasn't a priority anymore; it was about re asserting their position after its perceived failure as well as the Spider-Man debacle. And remember that the North American leg with EBTTRT opening was a second lap through the country, so it was worth changing things up anyway.
The day they start a brand new tour by reliving past glories right out of the gate, they're officially a dinosaur act. They have a lot of confidence in this material and I would bet a large sum of money they're going to play it the same way they have for decades.
This isn't about what you or I think is the most entertaining song to open with. It's about the band promoting the latest version of themselves and their new material.
Let's be clear: the only reason they started opening with EBTTRT is because of how long they were off the road due to Bono's injury. Considering the (relatively) underwhelming response to No Line, by the time they started up again, promoting the album wasn't a priority anymore; it was about re asserting their position after its perceived failure as well as the Spider-Man debacle. And remember that the North American leg with EBTTRT opening was a second lap through the country, so it was worth changing things up anyway.
The day they start a brand new tour by reliving past glories right out of the gate, they're officially a dinosaur act. They have a lot of confidence in this material and I would bet a large sum of money they're going to play it the same way they have for decades.
This isn't about what you or I think is the most entertaining song to open with. It's about the band promoting the latest version of themselves and their new material.
Let's be clear: the only reason they started opening with EBTTRT is because of how long they were off the road due to Bono's injury. Considering the (relatively) underwhelming response to No Line, by the time they started up again, promoting the album wasn't a priority anymore; it was about re asserting their position after its perceived failure as well as the Spider-Man debacle. And remember that the North American leg with EBTTRT opening was a second lap through the country, so it was worth changing things up anyway.
The day they start a brand new tour by reliving past glories right out of the gate, they're officially a dinosaur act. They have a lot of confidence in this material and I would bet a large sum of money they're going to play it the same way they have for decades.
I always figured EBTTRT as the opener was to promote the reissue of Achtung Baby, so it was kind of promoting something new(ish).
So that worked out well to have that break, then promoting the reissue rather than continuing on with promoting NLOTH or just throwing something random and old into the opening slot.
I always figured EBTTRT as the opener was to promote the reissue of Achtung Baby, so it was kind of promoting something new(ish).
So that worked out well to have that break, then promoting the reissue rather than continuing on with promoting NLOTH or just throwing something random and old into the opening slot.
I always figured EBTTRT as the opener was to promote the reissue of Achtung Baby, so it was kind of promoting something new(ish).
So that worked out well to have that break, then promoting the reissue rather than continuing on with promoting NLOTH or just throwing something random and old into the opening slot.
I understand where Axver is coming from, but I don't agree here at all. It's just who U2 is and how they go about business. 24 slots are not all equal. Slot 1 at a U2 show is a spiritual moment (for lack of better description) in a way, and they want to attach that feeling to whatever they're promoting at the time. They're not a middle act at a festival and they're not Pearl Jam or another band who throws the set list in the blender each night.
1. Miss Sarajevo
-Pavarotti Hologram
2. Moment Of Surrender
3. White As Snow
4. California
- just the Santa Barbara part for 15 minutes.
5. GYOB
6. Vertigo
7. GYOB
8. Vertigo
9. GYOB
10. Vertigo
11. Is That All?
Encore:
12. Bono Speech
Encore:
13. Bass Trap
14. The Ocean
15. Endless Deep
16. 4th Of July
17. Wild Honey
18. All Because Of You
So U2 were a dinosaur act in 1984-85 when they opened the vast majority of shows with the pairing of 11 O'clock Tick Tock/I Will Follow? All those shows were unmistakeably UF era shows promoting the new material; you can't listen to a bootleg from that era and think it's a Boy Tour show. But UF didn't have a song half as good for the opening spot as 11OTT/IWF, which I think remains one of their finest opening sequences.
(You can play the same exercise with the War Tour opening U2387 mentioned, the JT European leg I mentioned, etc.)
I maintain that it's not about where U2 put the new songs, but about how many they do, the passion they play them with, and the reception. That is far more important in defining a nostalgia tour than the actual song placement. I'm not even saying don't open with a new song; it's just that it need not be deemed essential for "relevance" or "defining the era" or whatever; choose the best song to open the gig and get the crowd pumping, regardless of the album it's on. The next tour will be more of a nostalgia act if it's got four new songs played in a half-arsed manner to an uninterested crowd, even if one of those songs opened (see: parts of 360), than if it's got seven new songs played with real passion that engage the crowd, even if the opener is an old tune.
Oh come on, don't you think you might be overstating your case just a little? If they don't open with a song from their latest album they're "officially a dinosaur act"? So if they go on to play most of the songs from the new record, pull out a few rarities, mix in some classics, and play them all with purpose and passion, because they choose to play something from their back catalogue to open they're a dinosaur act? Officially?
I don't think you even believe that. I think wanting them to play a new song to open is fine, in fact there's no reason to believe they won't continue to do this, I'm sure they will. But I also don't think it matters that much. In fact, slavisly insisting on playing a new song first to make some kind of point that you're confident actually isn't confidence at all. Confidence would be doing whatever worked best for the show, no matter what the song, and having enough faith in the show you've put together to know the audience will go along. Just the symbolism of playing a new song to start doesn't make them any less a nostalgia act...if that's what they are. If the Rolling Stones opened up with a song from whatever their latest crap album is on tour, that wouldn't mean they're not a nostalgia act. And if Arcade Fire opens with something from their first record, it doesn't mean they are. Whether they're a nostalgia act will depend on what the rest of the show is, and how they play the songs.
Again, I'm sure they'll open with something new, but I don't think it will say anything about their confidence or their future. How people respond to the new songs matters more...and even that won't matter all that much, since let's face it the vast majority of people at these shows will be there to hear the classics.
So U2 were a dinosaur act in 1984-85 when they opened the vast majority of shows with the pairing of 11 O'clock Tick Tock/I Will Follow? All those shows were unmistakeably UF era shows promoting the new material; you can't listen to a bootleg from that era and think it's a Boy Tour show. But UF didn't have a song half as good for the opening spot as 11OTT/IWF, which I think remains one of their finest opening sequences.
(You can play the same exercise with the War Tour opening U2387 mentioned, the JT European leg I mentioned, etc.)
I maintain that it's not about where U2 put the new songs, but about how many they do, the passion they play them with, and the reception. That is far more important in defining a nostalgia tour than the actual song placement. I'm not even saying don't open with a new song; it's just that it need not be deemed essential for "relevance" or "defining the era" or whatever; choose the best song to open the gig and get the crowd pumping, regardless of the album it's on. The next tour will be more of a nostalgia act if it's got four new songs played in a half-arsed manner to an uninterested crowd, even if one of those songs opened (see: parts of 360), than if it's got seven new songs played with real passion that engage the crowd, even if the opener is an old tune.
Perfect! Exactly what I was trying to say! Go ahead and open with "where you can reach me," or "miracle" or something else new if it works. I'm all for it. But is it essential or the sole determining factor in how he tour is presented or how well the new material is promoted? Not by a long shot.
1) The Miracle
2) This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
3) I Will Follow
4) California
5) Invisible
6) City Of Blinding Lights
7) Beautiful Day
-band introduction-
8) Desire (acoustic)
9) Song For Someone (acoustic)
10) I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
11) Bad
12) Pride
13) Magnificent
14) Vertigo
15) Dirty Day
16) With Or Without You
17) Every Breaking Wave
18) Where The Streets Have No Name
19) Love Is Blindness
20) Sunday Bloody Sunday / Raised By Wolves snippet
21) The Fly
22) The Troubles
23) One
I guess a correct prediction is more about nailing the songs than the order since the former is hard enough...
I'll guess:
Boy - Out of Control
October - Gloria
War - New Year's Day, Drowning Man (rehearsed greatly for 360)
Unforgettable Fire - Bad (with MoS out, this is in)
Joshua Tree - Streets (should be the opener imo), Bullet The Blue Sky (back after a tour-long absence), In God's Country (a short rarity), Still Haven't Found
Rattle & Hum - Angel of Harlem (full band)
Achtung Baby - One, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (always goes down well, but they rarely play it...this time it'll be chosen as a regular because they played out the rest of that album over the last two tours), Acrobat (yes, Acrobat)
Zooropa/Passengers - Nothing. Hit upon these two records a lot lately and the temptation to pull out other rarities, especially from Pop, means this period will get ignored.
Pop - Discotheque, If God Will Send His Angels (rehearsed for 360)
All That You Can't Leave Behind - Beautiful Day
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - Vertigo
No Line On The Horizon - nothing
Songs of Innocence - The Miracle, Every Breaking Wave, California, Volcano
Songs of Experience - Three to four tracks from this one
Total songs on my list above: 24/25
Tour fits the theme of being chock-full of rarities (including two old cuts that have never been played live) and barely touching the big hits. There's no With or Without You or Pride or Elevation or Sunday Bloody Sunday or Desire. Mostly deep album cuts mixed with new tracks (taking up a third of the setlist) and the four mainstays (Streets/One/BD/Vertigo).
Really, not a setlist that's out of the question. It just requires rehearsing some of the older cuts so they can perform them adequately every night. If all else fails, it's so damn easy for them to wimp out and chuck in SBS or Mysterious Ways or Pride or Until The End of the World or Elevation. We saw something to that effect happen the last time out, but with the right song choices, they'll be fine. Stuff like Your Blue Room or Breathe were never going to enthrall 80,000 people, but the choices above surely could satisfy 20,000 in an arena.
1 Twilight
2 I will follow
3 11 o'clock tick tock
4 October
5 New Year's day
6 Two hearts beat as one
7 Bad
8 Where the streets have no name
9 Bullet the blue sky
10 Desire
11 Until the end of the World
12 One
13 Mysterious Ways
14 The Fly
15 Gone
16 Beautiful day
17 Kite
18 Vertigo
19 No line on the horizon
20 The Miracle
21 Every breaking waves
22 California
23 Volcano
24 Raised by wolves
25 Sleep like a baby tonight (closer)
If they drop ISHFWILF, WOWY, Pride, SBS, Elevation, I ll be so happy!
1. Iris
2. Two Hearts Beat As One
3. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
4. The Miracle
5. California
6. Every Breaking Wave
7. Volcano
8. Raised By Wolves
9. Seconds
10. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
11. Beautiful Day
12. Mysterious Ways
13. Invisible
14. Tomorrow
15. Do You Feel Loved
16. The Fly
17. With Or Without You
18. Where The Streets Have No Name
19. Numb
20. This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
21. Wild Honey
22. One
The comparison's obviously not perfect (though I'm sure there were some fans of post-punk U2 who hated UF as wussy bullshit and declared the 11OTT/IWF opening was proof that U2 knew their past glories were better than the new material). But I think it adequately makes the point that the opening songs need not be the sole determinant of whether a concert represents the present or looks into the past, or whether a concert fairly represents the current era rather than being a nostalgia trip.
Anyway, I think we've all made our points and this discussion has little to offer except going in circles, so I'm happy to drop it and move on.
I have no idea of the set list but I think they are going to open with Volcano. It's Adam's time to shine just the way Larry had his time when they opened the shows with Breathe on the 360 tour. How badass would that be to have Adam walk out with a spotlight on him and have him bust out some extended bass solo before going into Volcano. It's gonna happen mark my words!
So U2 were a dinosaur act in 1984-85 when they opened the vast majority of shows with the pairing of 11 O'clock Tick Tock/I Will Follow? All those shows were unmistakeably UF era shows promoting the new material; you can't listen to a bootleg from that era and think it's a Boy Tour show. But UF didn't have a song half as good for the opening spot as 11OTT/IWF, which I think remains one of their finest opening sequences.
(You can play the same exercise with the War Tour opening U2387 mentioned, the JT European leg I mentioned, etc.)
I maintain that it's not about where U2 put the new songs, but about how many they do, the passion they play them with, and the reception. That is far more important in defining a nostalgia tour than the actual song placement. I'm not even saying don't open with a new song; it's just that it need not be deemed essential for "relevance" or "defining the era" or whatever; choose the best song to open the gig and get the crowd pumping, regardless of the album it's on. The next tour will be more of a nostalgia act if it's got four new songs played in a half-arsed manner to an uninterested crowd, even if one of those songs opened (see: parts of 360), than if it's got seven new songs played with real passion that engage the crowd, even if the opener is an old tune.
Great point because let's face it EBTTRT was the Perfect opener for the 360 tour. I like what they did with Breathe in the begining but that stage and that tour were meant for EBTTRT and it got the crowd into it that much more, that much quicker. It was a much better way to open the show.I still think they should try opening with Volcano though
I'll have you know that I am a subscriber of theneedledrop, and have saved a number of album covers from that channel, into a folder on my desktop. You can't touch my level of musical intelligence.
So here's my own speculation at this stage. I'm going to assume that there is not a second album out for the start of the tour, because that would add a completely different dynamic to the mix. I'm also going to assume they will have to play stadiums to meet demand in Europe.
These are my guesses, by album, of potential candidates for a European stadium tour:
Boy - I Will Follow, Out of Control The band don't even have to think to play these two. Obvious rotational candidates.
October - October Easy short track to slot into the set. I believe there were brief considerations given to reviving October/NYD on 360. It's bound to happen one day.
War - Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day With the global political situation, you know SBS is a good chance to stay in the mix. NYD is a surefire hit and will go well with October.
Unforgettable Fire - A Sort of Homecoming, Pride Pride will stay in the mix, but like on 360 perhaps not nightly. ASOH a great rarity to bring back - well known, well liked, and could fit with a theme of nostalgia and reflection.
Joshua Tree - Streets, ISHFWILF, Bullet, In God's Country I figure Streets remains a lock. Space will force out one of the other big three, and I'm going with WOWY because surely the band know it's got a bit lacklustre, while ISHFWILF is a big crowd singalong that gives Bono somewhat of a rest for a couple of verses. Bullet will be back to address global political upheaval. BigMacPhisto's logic about IGC is same as mine: short, well-known rarity that's easy to play.
Rattle & Hum - All I Want Is You Such a crowd-pleaser.
Achtung Baby - EBTTRT, One, Mysterious Ways, Love Is Blindness EBTTRT went down great at the end of 360 but only the Americas got to hear it. I say it'll stick around and get more time. One is a lock and MW a safe prediction; Love Is Blindness hasn't yet had a run even though the band have mined the album plenty, and they do like the song, so I think it's time. UTEOTW to have a bit of a rest.
Zooropa - Zooropa Same logic as EBTTRT, though I'm less confident about this.
Passengers - nothing Miss Sarajevo's been done to death; YBR shouldn't be attempted again outside arenas and I'm sceptical they'll return to it anyway. Anything else, well, we can come up with cool ideas (Beach Sequence into NYD anyone?) but it won't happen.
Pop - Discotheque The band keep making tentative steps towards playing something from Pop. This tour they'll finally give something a go. I'm putting Discotheque here but I was tempted to say Gone - it's not tarnished by Discotheque's lingering undercurrents of embarrassment and it's a live beast.
All That You Can't Leave Behind - Beautiful Day, Elevation, Kite The band love this album and BD and Elevation always get a big response. I think they might give Kite another run.
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - Vertigo COBL gets a rest, even though it might go well with the new stuff.
No Line On The Horizon - Magnificent No Boots; for the first time since Popmart, the lead single from the most recent previous album won't appear on tour.
Songs of Innocence - The Miracle, Every Breaking Wave, Song For Someone, Volcano, Raised By Wolves, Cedarwood Road I'm finding this really hard to predict at the moment though. California to come in for US shows.
Non-album - Invisible It'll get a whirl, given the blaze of publicity that surrounded it. I was tempted to say HMTMKMKM might stick around as a very popular rocker but I'll hold off on that tip for now.
Total songs on my list above: 30
That's a fair selection for a 23-24 song setlist with a handful of rotational slots for cities with 2-3 shows. I thought I'd do a mock-up of what you could do with that selection:
The hardest spot to choose is actually the opener. Still none of the new songs strike me as leading candidates to open. However, Vertigo and Elevation are both strongly attached to the vibe of fairly recent tours (though it's perhaps far enough away now that all but the hardcore will have forgotten); they tried BD on 360; and Streets is such a big late-set/encore moment that I doubt they'd move it right up front. So I'll roll with The Miracle for now.
1. The Miracle
2. Vertigo
3. Mysterious Ways / Elevation
4. Volcano
5. Cedarwood Road
6. I Will Follow / Out of Control
7. Beautiful Day
8. ISHFWILF
9. A Sort of Homecoming / Love Is Blindness
10. All I Want Is You
11. Every Breaking Wave
12. October / Song For Someone
13. New Year's Day / In God's Country
14. Magnificent
15. Raised By Wolves
16. Bullet the Blue Sky / Sunday Bloody Sunday
17. Pride
18. Zooropa / Discotheque
19. EBTTRT
20. One
21. Invisible
22. Where the Streets Have No Name
23. Kite
Though I did have a cool idea for a mid/late set political section that unfortunately got thwarted by space constraints:
October
New Year's Day
In God's Country
Magnificent (not political at all, but avoids mood getting too dark)
Raised By Wolves
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet the Blue Sky
Pride
I have no idea of the set list but I think they are going to open with Volcano. It's Adam's time to shine just the way Larry had his time when they opened the shows with Breathe on the 360 tour. How badass would that be to have Adam walk out with a spotlight on him and have him bust out some extended bass solo before going into Volcano. It's gonna happen mark my words!
