Are you tired of the U2 "classics" being played live?

[Zoocoustic]

I realize the reason a band plays most of their "classics" on tour is because the general public (not the obsessed geeks like us) need to hear these songs to truly feel that they got their money's worth out of the band.

Case in point: a co-worker of mine got free tickest to Elevation from a guy who walked out after the first three songs because "all they were playing was the new crap". Also, a friend of mine was very disappointed with the first 7 or 8 songs of the ZooTV show he attended because "I was worried they weren't going to play any of their better, older stuff."

Personally, I could do without every single classic U2 hit every night. I'd really rather have a break from some of them in favor of some rare gems...and hey, it might make the show a bit more meaningful when they actually did play the classics. Look at ZooTV; they basically dropped ISHFWILF and IWF, and on the rare occasion when these songs were played, it was a special moment.

It's nice to hear SOME of the hits, but why all of them?

Your thoughts...

 

[innocent_eyes]

I think the guy who walked out of elevation was a wanker who couldn't spot great music if it craped on his forehead.

Why waste a ticket, give the band a chance to at least play 7-8 songs...some people...This is the kinda complaint I would expect from a stones, aerosmith, or ac/dc concert, certainly not U2.

 

[flameandthefire]

Yeah, I think I've heard enough of Bullet The Blue Sky and Sunday Bloody Sunday. I'd like to hear other classics like 11 o'clock Tick Tock and Unforgettable Fire.

 

[BonoFox1]

I love the classics mixed with new stuff,,but 20 odd years on what exactly would be considered classic?? Anything from the 80's? early 90's?....I love BAD and BULLET, STREETS, WITH OR WITH OUT YOU as far as 80's classics, but who knows what they will have in store for us this tour..

 

[ShellBeThere]

I'm feeling like I'll only know what I want to hear when I hear it, yaknow?

 

[Lisa71]

I kinda wish they would toss in a different "classic" from the preWar era, like Gloria or 11'oclock. I'm sorta tired of hearing I will Follow as their old classic. I don't mind them playing the classics I just wish they were different each tour.

 

[digsy]

there are a couple of classics you guys have mentioned already that i could proabably do without - I will follow, ISTHWILF SBS (although acousticly its amazing and should stay)
i just dont think id miss them - id probably only realise a few days later that they hadn't been played.
however, i think i would cry if they ever lost Streets and others like Bullet are phenomonal live performances worth keeping. there a few that i would want to keep but that would purely be on personal preference (eg WOWY, one of my favourites.) and not really the point of htis thread.

i'm loving the ideas thats being tossed about by edge over songs they're rehearsing, things like Ultra Violet, 11 o'clock - theres a lot of stuff like that that i'd be quite happy to lose a "classic" for... acrobat anyone? (who am i kidding, its never gonna happen )

 

[djerdap]

With or Without You, I Still Haven't Found and Pride are really getting tired. Just try and change it somehow on the next tour, or do it rarely. And I just wish WOWY could be played in the way it was until 1993...when it started to get old and uninspiring...

 

[babyman]

as long as they play wonderful versions i can never be tired of the classics...............personnally i can't imagine a u2 show without streets, pride or bullet.............maybe with or without you may need to be refreshed, but i say hands off the classics, they must be in every concert!!

 

[Jim]

As long as they play a full-on 100% commited version of the song I'm happy. Songs like Bad, IWF, AIWIY, WOWY were dumbed down a bit on Popmart and ZooTV but on the last tour were played to their full glory again.

At this point in time I hope that there are enough classics and new material to keep most of the U2 audience happy. I would say that a large proportion of the intelligent U2 concert going audience are pretty elastic, and would see the playing of 'Electric Co' or 'Exit' or 'Zoo Station' as 'classics'.. it's not always Streets, Pride, WOWY etc..

 

[doctorwho]

The purpose of any artist going on tour is to promote his/her/their new material. Therefore, one should expect a healthy dose of new songs. U2 have always been very brave, opening their shows with several new songs. ZOO TV era concerts often started with 8 new songs before hitting a "classic"! That's confidence in the new material. The Elevation tour and JT tours also started with plenty of new songs, before dipping into the catalog. And, based on what Edge has wrote here, it sounds like "Vertigo" will start off shows on this upcoming tour. I encourage this. This is why artists tour - not to showcase the old, but the new.

Of course, fans love the old. Sometimes there's a familiarity problem with the new songs - that is, people just don't know them. Sometimes the new songs aren't to a person's liking. And sometimes the new songs are played ad nauseum (I'm looking your way "Beautiful Day") so that people are almost sick of hearing the song. Hence having old songs mixed in is great. But all fans should expect to hear new music - unless U2 some day goes on a "Greatest Hits" or "Farewell" tour.

Of course, the question is what old songs should be played. People mentioned "I Still Haven't Found" a few times, but I did not hear this on the last tour, and I attended 4 shows. And while some songs have been played again and again, it's tough to live without them. "Streets", "Pride", "One", "With or Without You" are almost staples. I think it would be the rare show not to have them. Plus, for every person who says one or more of these songs should be temporarily "retired", there'll be another who loves hearing the song live.

The best solution is to mix things up, which Edge again has said U2 are thinking of doing. U2 did a pretty good mix during the JT/Love Comes To Town tours. That type of mixing might not be as possible given the electronics involved in current tours, but I do hope U2 does more mixing. This way, fanatics like us will get a better chance of hearing all our favorites!

 

[partygirl2u]

Ya know it should be requiremnt for everyone going to a show no matter who the artist to know the artists catalog. Smart people know that the artist is going to play new material <unless it's a farewell tour > I can honestly say that I've always tried to be current and up to date on the music no matter who the artist is. I've been to many shows, been surrounded by my fellow concerts mates listening to them scream for some old tune <cos they had no clue wot the new material was> It ruined the show for me! mad: anyhoo, I know this is just a pipe dream, and I'm yaking out loud.

But in regards to the "old" U2 classics sure I'm sick of hearing some of them < Pride, Streets, WOWY, Bullet> but thats just me. I'm only one small part of the equation, U2 try to cater to the masses. I can live through another round of Classics but I would like them to be on a roatational classic loop. please

 

[Dr_Macphisto]

hooray for mixing!

 

[zoopop]

I hate it when all people want is the classics. A concert/tour is a way for the artist to promote the "NEW" material. As a fan going into a U2 concert it should be very aparent there going play new material. I think thats what is great about U2, there new music matters.

As for the classics being played at a U2 concert, they should rotate classics more. For example, take 10-15 U2 classics:

I Will Follow
ISHFWLF
Bullet
Pride
Sunday
Gloria
New Years Day
With or Without You
Desire
All I Want is YOu
Bad
Mysterious Ways
Even Better..
One
Bad
(Streets should always play at a U2 show)
U2 should then play 6-8 of these songs every night. Just mix it up to make like a hit to the masses and a gem to the diehards.

Another thing you need to take in account is that U2 enjoys playing these songs. There the songs that let them play to sold out arenas and stadiums. I know if I wrote the hits above I would want to play them live and get the crowd rocking.

 

[tkramer]

doctorwho said:
"The best solution is to mix things up, which Edge again has said U2 are thinking of doing. U2 did a pretty good mix during the JT/Love Comes To Town tours. That type of mixing might not be as possible given the electronics involved in current tours, but I do hope U2 does more mixing. This way, fanatics like us will get a better chance of hearing all our favorites! "
----------------------------

I wouldn't worry about "the electronics" of touring as it relates to the setlist Dr. Who. Lighting tech has come a long way, and if the techs have notice to figure it out, I think they can do it. Dave Matthews Band (just as an example) normally tours around a 50% rotation of songs per night, which is huge, and they tour with a ton of hardware and lights. The only thing that would shut down a set list shake up each night would be a heavy "concept" show. Something where they had to do certain things at certain times during certain songs night after night. (Like every Madonna show, which are more like a broadway show where you practice it till its perfect and then go out and do it night after night.)

 

[Ellay]

I would love to hear the reasoning why bullet the blue sky keeps getting included on the setlist.

Although I think it's a great song, I wouldn't say it was one of the classics that the general public remember.

With or without you and I still haven't found are much more prominent tracks from the Joshua Tree..

 

[flameandthefire]

I would love to hear the reasoning why bullet the blue sky keeps getting included on the setlist.

I would _not_ like to hear Bullet The Blue Sky on this tour. Not on every gig anyway. Don't quote me saying this, but I think they have played Bullet The Blue Sky on _EVERY!_ gig ever since it was introduced except on the Notre Dame gig (10.10.2001) that was quite special gig because of 9/11.

 

[tkramer]

I think (as far as we fickle fans go) that there IS one consistant theme:

Drop Bullet. Please.
Never drop Streets. Please.

 

[sharky]

They HAVE to play Streets. They have to play Pride. They have to play WOWY. Other than that, I don't care what is in the show and if they didn't play those songs, I would be disappointed but not totally broken hearted.

I think one of the issues is that the band doesn't vary the set list like other artists do so you have to pick a few classics you stick with the entire tour. Edge seemed to allude somewhere here that there could be some varying of the set list. I think this would be a great solution. I'm going to more than one show, I can handle one night with Pride and one night without. Or even something similar to the Elevation show where there was a spot for EITHER 11 O'clock or Out of Control. Maybe have one part of the show which would be a classic and rotate a few songs through that spot.

 

[U2Kitten]

It doesn't matter what a few fanatics here think, they're GOING to play some of them, because that's what the public wants. You have to consider that the casual fans make up at least 75-80% of any concert audience, and they WANT to hear the famous stuff. It would be a poor business decision by U2, or any other band, not to give the people what they want.

 

[digsy]

no dont drop bullet!!
its a great live performance, just brilliant.
and so what if they've played it on every gig since ever - besides the band, theres none of us who have been to every gig ever so what difference does it make
i dont like bullet so much to listen to at hime, i LOVE it live though

oh and i'm down with the Out Of Control mention - that would be great to see!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Bullet & UTEOTW were my favorites from the Elevation tour... i'd be disapointed if either was dropped... they're such killer live tunes.

 

[ludilobrate]

I think that classics are great thing,and I can*t never be tired by classics.U2 concert without WOWY,ISHFWILF,PRIDE,SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY,...doesn*t make sense!

I can hear CLASSICS A THOUSANDS TIMES per day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

WOWY was out of rotation for a great deal of Elevation Leg 3. I didn't miss it.

 

[elfyx]

I would love if the "classics" got a work-over with the new sound of the new album.

For example, I love the treatment Streets got for Popmart. And I would absolutely love to hear Streets worked into a harder more punky sound for the new tour.

I think things like this add a lot of fresh air to songs that, while classics, can become stale after being played sooo much.

The treatment BTBS received for Elevation tour was absolutely one of the best, especially with Bono's Mark David Chapman rant. Brilliance.

I would love to hear some of these classics re-envisioned to some extent like that; like transposing into another key(which Edge did if I'm not wrong for Elevation-tour The Fly), change up the textures and sound, or even change up the song structure a bit.

I can dream...

 

[Hoodlem]

Pride live makes me cringe now. It needs a good long , maybe permanent break. BTBS is good still as long as they keep changing it up a bit. Every tour it is interesting to see what they have done with it.

 

[flameandthefire]

I think (as far as we fickle fans go) that there IS one consistant theme:

Drop Bullet. Please.
Never drop Streets. Please.

Yeah! I agree 100%!

 

[youtwohearts]

Yes, Yes and Yes. I can't hear Pride on more time live. They have so many albums and so many songs pick different ones.

 

[flameandthefire]

no dont drop bullet!!
its a great live performance, just brilliant.

It is a great live song, yes, but it's time to ditch it and give some room for some other great live songs we haven't heard too often! Pick any song from Boy/War to replace Bullet The Blue Sky on this tour and I'll be satisfied!

They want new material - Our stuff's been repeated too many times

 

[youtwohearts]

It doesn't matter what a few fanatics here think, they're GOING to play some of them, because that's what the public wants. You have to consider that the casual fans make up at least 75-80% of any concert audience, and they WANT to hear the famous stuff. It would be a poor business decision by U2, or any other band, not to give the people what they want.

Yes that is true but half of the set list will be the new albums is that always what the people want? There are certain "core" songs that they will need to do but just throw in some rare ones. A lot of bands do that too. The same "core" has been played and played out.