2015 U2 Tour - General Discussion Thread IV

[Nick66]

So here's the thing... Shit tons of " casual" fans go to Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam concerts. They're not all walking out after the first hour.

If the band is a good enough performer, and U2 are, they can engage the crowd with just about anything. You have to be smart about it, but I just patently disagree with this idea that playing deep cuts somehow prevents casual fans from enjoying a concert.

I was a casual Bruce Springsteen fan before I saw him live for the first time. I was a die hard by the time I left.

Sure, if you play 10 straight deep cuts you're going to lose a lot of people. But if you mix them up and keep a good mix of hits, non single fan favorites and deep cuts that perform well in a live setting, the only way you'll lose the crowd is if you just simply aren't good enough.

Well sure, well said. I can't find anything to disagree with here. And I absolutely wish U2 would play deep cuts, think they should, and don't believe they'd "lose" the causauals if they played those in addition to the warhorses.

My point wasn't about the benefit of adding deep cuts but the problems with subtracting warhorses. At least in any significant number. If U2 played a 3-4 hour concert ala Springsteen where they played the warhorses and the deep cuts, no one would be happier than I.

However, if they played a show of mostly deep cuts at the expense of the core group of songs the bulk of the audience is there to hear...yeah, I think that would be problematic for them. Addition, not subtraction, is the key here. I think casuals are happy to discover the deep cuts, as long as they get the fist waving, sing along songs they know so well on top of that. No matter how well or passionately U2 plays, I don't know, MOFO for example, it's not going to replace hearing Streets for most of the audience (me included).

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

If they played nothing but the new album and deep cuts they'd be idiots.

I don't think anyone's arguing that this is what they should do. If anyone is arguing that, then that person is also an idiot.

I believe Madonna did this once. Point proven. She's an idiot.

 

[Nick66]

Then we agree.

Now. Blonde Bono? WTF?

Why doesn't he go out and buy a motorcycle like any other guy going through a mid life crisis.

Oh, wait. Maybe not.

 

[dan_smee]

Then we agree.

Now. Blonde Bono? WTF?

Why doesn't he go out and buy a motorcycle like any other guy going through a mid life crisis.

Oh, wait. Maybe not.

Or training wheels like everyone who is beyond the mid-life crisis needs?


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[Headache in a Suitcase]

I'm thinking he bought the wrong Just For Men.

 

[Galeongirl]

Pull someone from the audience to play rhythm guitar maybe? I'd put my hand up for that!

Give me five minutes to learn the chords and I'd be down with that too. Can't be hard, after all, Bono can play it! Or, well, could.

 

[chrissybaby]

Blonde Ambition. It's the Oseary connection.


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[LemonMelon]

If the setlist ends up being U218 + SOI, U2 will lose this hardcore fan for a couple of hours. I can't think of a less interesting combination of U2 songs.

Thankfully, based on rehearsal reports, I doubt that will be the case. If they're doing a theatrical first half with a few rotation spots in the second half, that wouldn't be so bad. But I have less incentive to see more than one show per leg than I did when the two setlist idea was being posited. Usually the show is very different in a year or so after they get sick of the new songs anyway, so in that case I would just wait until leg 3 or whatever to see them again.

 

[Numb1075]

Blonde Ambition. It's the Oseary connection.


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you beat me to it

 

[Hewson]

I'm thinking he bought the wrong Just For Men.

After losing an eyeball he couldn't read the label properly.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

 

[last unicorn]

The blind leading the blonde (IGWSHA should be added to the set).

 

[macawaca]

Is it not possible now with this "intermission/interlude" idea that U2 will play for an extra 20 minutes or so each night, over and above the normal concert running time? That could facilitate an extra 4 songs or so.