Bad: Popmart Tour

[DevilsShoes]

What do people think of the performances of this on the Pop tour? There was only a handful of them and they seem to divide fans, some love them, some hate them.

I really like them, they're quite different from any other versions on any other tours, JT and Lovetown are pretty similiar as are Elevation and Vertigo. As with everything else on Popmart, the band seemed to give the song a slight techno twist, the sequencer certainly had a different feel, Bono made some sharp edits to it and Edges solo was far more intense and driving.

The Santiago version is a personal favourite with Bono pulling off the kind of performance I honestly didn't expect him to be capable of with all his vocal problems on this tour. But then on that particular night every seemed to gel, I still don't understand why they chose to release Mexico over this show.

 

[coolian2]

Popmart Melbourne.

 

[Screwtape2]

Bad was medicore at best on every tour post-Lovetown. It had no place in the concept of Popmart.

I will agree though that Santiago was probably the better show to release.

 

[Axver]

Bad was medicore at best on every tour post-Lovetown. It had no place in the concept of Popmart.

I don't really agree there. I think it sounded pretty good on ZooTV and segued very nicely into Bullet The Blue Sky. True, it thematically didn't fit that well into Popmart, but I don't think the performances were that bad. I'll agree that Elevation's performances weren't exceptional, but that was partly due to how much Bono's voice sucked on that tour and the performances were typically saved by the segue into Streets. And, well, on Vertigo, I think it was excellent and should have been played at every gig rather than Pride or Streets or One.

 

[Screwtape2]

I don't really agree there. I think it sounded pretty good on ZooTV and segued very nicely into Bullet The Blue Sky. True, it thematically didn't fit that well into Popmart, but I don't think the performances were that bad. I'll agree that Elevation's performances weren't exceptional, but that was partly due to how much Bono's voice sucked on that tour and the performances were typically saved by the segue into Streets. And, well, on Vertigo, I think it was excellent and should have been played at every gig rather than Pride or Streets or One.

Interesting. I always felt that on ZooTV and Vertigo, the band was going through the motions. Then it seemed forced on Elevation and just dull on Popmart. What made the song great was its atmosphere, which disappeared after Lovetown. No performance of Bad post-Lovetown could stand up to the power and mood of that it had on UF, JT and Lovetown.

 

[djerdap]

There were some amazing versions on the Vertigo Tour (Chicago IV and Chicago VI with The First Time). Every tour version was great, which is rare for a song that is 20 years old and has been played on every tour since its creation.

But... there is no way the versions from the UF tour can be matched. Those versions were truly epic and spectacular (everybody should check the 16-minute East Rutherford version).

 

[DevilsShoes]

While it's true that Bad didn't really fit with the themes of Popmart, the same could be said about I Will Follow and Pride and they were performed every single night.

I missed the song slightly on Popmart, I don't think they've ever gone so long without performing one of their big classics before. I think partly the reason it remained off the setlist for so long was due to Bono's voice, he simply wasn't sure if he could do the thing justice and therefore it was better not to do it at all. That's one of things I liked about Vertigo, not knowing whether it would appear or not made it more special.

 

[Screwtape2]

While it's true that Bad didn't really fit with the themes of Popmart, the same could be said about I Will Follow and Pride and they were performed every single night.

The tour suffered for using I Will Follow and Pride. The performances of Pride were disgustingly bad. Even if Bad was played every night, that wouldn't change how bland most of the performances would be.

 

[DevilsShoes]

I think it's all a matter of opinion really, I don't find the Popmart performances to be bland really, sure they're not up there with the greats of the eighties versions, but I enjoy them much more than the Elevation renditions which never really worked for me.

 

[The Disciple]

PopMart Santiago

 

[Axver]

Interesting. I always felt that on ZooTV and Vertigo, the band was going through the motions. Then it seemed forced on Elevation and just dull on Popmart. What made the song great was its atmosphere, which disappeared after Lovetown. No performance of Bad post-Lovetown could stand up to the power and mood of that it had on UF, JT and Lovetown.

I agree it hasn't had the same atmosphere post-Lovetown, but the same can be said for a lot of songs that were once great live, e.g. Streets, WOWY, Gloria, 40. And I feel Bad really is U2's definitive live song and should have the stature Streets has, so I'll argue for its semi-permanent inclusion until the cows come home.

I'm surprised you feel the band was going through the motions on ZooTV though. I feel Bad was one of ZooTV's few good moments, and you know that's saying a lot coming from someone so anti-ZooTV as me. Bono did some great singing and snippets, and I feel some performances were very emotional. Especially ... I think it was 11 August 1993. One of the four Wembley gigs anyway.

The tour suffered for using I Will Follow and Pride. The performances of Pride were disgustingly bad.

Oh hell yes. Pride has rarely ever been good live, and the Popmart versions were dire. And then to follow it with those horrid renditions of ISHFWILF? The show didn't recover from that until Please.

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

What do people think of the performances of this on the Pop tour? There was only a handful of them and they seem to divide fans, some love them, some hate them. I really like them, they're quite different from any other versions on any other tours, JT and Lovetown are pretty similiar as are Elevation and Vertigo.

Unfortunately - at least for us here in Europe -, U2 decided to play "Bad" very late on the tour, in places where they do perform very rarely. So it was more than fair in the end, I guess. In my opinion, "Bad" has never had a weakness in U2's sets. It is a classic, maybe THE classic U2 live tune from the 80ies era (apart from "Streets" maybe.) And it is one of the tunes, that has a kind of spiritual, emotional even sacred atmosphere - simply beautiful: the sequencer, the guitar, the driving rhythm and the lyrics, the crying, belting out of pure soul.
This wasn't only during '97 or '89/'90 - by the way, the short cut, very often snippetless 'LOVETOWN' versions weren't highlights of this musically so inspired tour - but also later. I don't want miss version like "Bad" including Shankar's magical violin in London '93
or the last perfomance in Dublin '93 with its "Candle In The Wind" reference. Seguing into the maybe best and pointed "Bullet" in history was a perfect setlist idea.
Very similar was the tune in 2001, often connected with '40''s chorus and even with the spoken words of this tune's lyrics. Very nice, too, the later idea to connect it with "Who's Gonna Ride ..." or even "When I Look At ..." - take the last show in Miami 2001 foer example, more passion is hard to find.
And in '05/'06 you got versions simply to be called awesome - even with the original full band ending from early versions in the U.S. to Dublin's fragile & beautiful version dedicated to the memory of a "Dirty Old Town", that's now one of Europe's leading economy capitals, to the unbelievable intense performances in Melbourne or Auckland.

 

[Allanah]

Interesting. I always felt that on ZooTV and Vertigo, the band was going through the motions. Then it seemed forced on Elevation and just dull on Popmart. What made the song great was its atmosphere, which disappeared after Lovetown. No performance of Bad post-Lovetown could stand up to the power and mood of that it had on UF, JT and Lovetown.

Really? I thought that Bad on the Boston DVD was outstanding. Bono was struggling for the high notes, but I thought the atmosphere and emotion of the song was really beautifully captured. I can't say it's a great vocal, but definitely a great performance to watch. I sort of agree about the ZooTV versions; I've heard a few, and I don't care for the "wide awake" being sung in falsetto. As much as I hate to base my enjoyment of a performance on that one note, it robs the song of a great cathartic moment if Bono doesn't belt it out. One exception: the version with Jo Shankar on violin. Sung in full voice, and one of the best BTBSs ever right after it.

I can't say I'm a fan of Popmart Bad. I liked the video of it from Popmart Santiago, but had I only heard the audio, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. It sounds like they tuned it down a full step, and again -- not having that high note in there kind of ruins the song for me.

 

[cobl04]

And, well, on Vertigo, I think it was excellent and should have been played at every gig rather than Pride or Streets or One.

I do agree that sometimes those songs get a little tired, but you can't tell me you didn't enjoy hearing them when they were played! I started a thread asges ago about sogs getting tired but when you are actually there and hear them live they are amazing.

 

[ChargedVT]

Bad is an extraordinary live song, but like people here have stated, it has sounded better on some tours than others.
I have a lot of performances from the Unforgettable Fire tour and at that time he was really struggling to sing it. You could hear his voice giving out on the high notes but it was amazing.
I don't know if it's just the Boston performance but the Elevation tour version was not as good for me. Bono's voice is shot there and I'm not a fan of the way he sings "let it go, and so now fade away" differently. On ZOO TV I didn't much like "i'm wide awake" being sung in falsetto either; it seemed to take something away from the song.
I have the DVD of Santiago Popmart and that is a great performance. They hadn't played it for many years until that leg of the tour so they did a good job of it. Bono is really giving it all he's got. Allanah, yes it is tuned down a full step to G.
Sometimes it is amazing, even on a poor-quality bootleg, to hear that synth intro come in, it can give you goosebumps.

 

[Axver]

I do agree that sometimes those songs get a little tired, but you can't tell me you didn't enjoy hearing them when they were played! I started a thread asges ago about sogs getting tired but when you are actually there and hear them live they are amazing.

Disagree entirely.

Pride did indeed sound the best on Vertigo that it has sounded since the UF Tour, but that's not saying much considering it's one of U2's worst live songs. I did rather enjoy it in Brisbane, and I think one of the Melbourne or Auckland versions wasn't bad either, but out of the ten times I've heard it live, it has pretty much lost its oomph and died by the first chorus. Bono just can't sing it, plain and simple.

Streets I think is overhyped. It's great live, but it needs a break. It's not the be-all and end-all of live U2. Frankly, The Electric Co. is a better live song, and Bad runs rings around it. I challenge anyone who attended Melbourne II to honestly say that Streets was more of a highlight that night than Bad was.

One is shit. One is absolutely shit. I've nearly fallen asleep during performances of it. Can you imagine just how much better the Vertigo main set would be if it ended with Bad? That would have been sensational. My personal opinion of One aside, I don't think it's any good for closing sets anyway. Bad, however, has demonstrated it certainly can fulfill the closing duties.

 

[Allanah]

It definitely can -- Bad was the last song of the night when I saw them, and I can't imagine a better closer.

 

[edgeplaytheblue]

bad - santiago de chile is brilliant. It still gives me the creeps

 

[DevilsShoes]

Bad is an extraordinary live song, but like people here have stated, it has sounded better on some tours than others.
I have a lot of performances from the Unforgettable Fire tour and at that time he was really struggling to sing it. You could hear his voice giving out on the high notes but it was amazing.
I don't know if it's just the Boston performance but the Elevation tour version was not as good for me. Bono's voice is shot there and I'm not a fan of the way he sings "let it go, and so now fade away" differently. On ZOO TV I didn't much like "i'm wide awake" being sung in falsetto either; it seemed to take something away from the song.
I have the DVD of Santiago Popmart and that is a great performance. They hadn't played it for many years until that leg of the tour so they did a good job of it. Bono is really giving it all he's got. Allanah, yes it is tuned down a full step to G.
Sometimes it is amazing, even on a poor-quality bootleg, to hear that synth intro come in, it can give you goosebumps.

That's exactly how I feel Charged You can tell on the Santiago DVD that Bono wanted to do a good job of it and was determined to give it all, he seemed really in it, which just goes to show that not performng a classic for a while can renergise your feelings towards it. Some people think that the sequencer effect sounds dated but Bad wouldn't be Bad without it, you know something's specials coming.

 

[DevilsShoes]

Streets I think is overhyped. It's great live, but it needs a break. It's not the be-all and end-all of live U2. Frankly, The Electric Co. is a better live song, and Bad runs rings around it. I challenge anyone who attended Melbourne II to honestly say that Streets was more of a highlight that night than Bad was.

I also agree with this point, I may be hung, drawn and quartered for this but I think Streets could be rotated some nights, it's rarity would make it more special. I don't feel any song is indispensable really, U2 have so many great ones.

 

[RademR]

"Bad" is like sex...even when it's performed badly it's still pretty damn good

 

[coolian2]

Can you imagine just how much better the Vertigo main set would be if it ended with Bad? That would have been sensational. My personal opinion of One aside, I don't think it's any good for closing sets anyway. Bad, however, has demonstrated it certainly can fulfill the closing duties.

Then people here would shit on about Bad being overplayed.

 

[dietcokeofevil]

How about rotating everything more? Then nothing would be overplayed. This band is good enough to pull it off. This band is best when it is just slightly off balance...

I actually agree with Axver here. Streets needs to be pulled just to foce the band to stay tight fort he other songs rather than relaxing and having streets as an ace up the sleeve

Just like Adam took that bass playing course; I think that U2 would benefit from Improvisation courses. I am not knocking them. I am saying that everyone from actors and musicians to poets needs refreshers from time to time on staying in the moment.


The U2 nerd nation will bitch regadless, but they will always pay full admission.

 

[schnumi]

I agree they need to rotate more, or just dump some older songs the next tour.

Pride, Streets (although i like it very much) Still havent found etc etc.

Get rid off them for a while and turn in some 90's stuff (AB, Zooropa, POP especially) O yes and keep Electric Co on there!~

 

[coolian2]

Segue MLK into Streets and all will be right with the world.

 

[zoopop]

U2 should play 8-10 of the following each night:

I Will Follow
New Years Day
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bad
Pride
Streets
WOWY
ISHFWILF
Bullet (please rotate)
Desire
Angel of Harlem
One
MW
The Fly
Until The End of the World

Play 8-10^^^a night to mix it up for themselves and the fans.

 

[Dalton]

Bad was medicore at best on every tour post-Lovetown. It had no place in the concept of Popmart.

I will agree though that Santiago was probably the better show to release.

I disagree, the best version I have saw of Bad was in Columbus during the Elevation tour. In fact, I think the elevation version was the best overall...

 

[Blue Room]

The tour suffered for using I Will Follow and Pride. The performances of Pride were disgustingly bad. Even if Bad was played every night, that wouldn't change how bland most of the performances would be.

I Will Follow was included specifically because the subject matter of the song fit the song the preceeded it every night on the setlist "Mofo". So there was a reason for that to be there. I do agree it was not the greatest version of that song though (speed up the tempo!). Bono didnt want to play Pride on Popmart. He was pretty adamant against playing it but was overruled by the rest of the band and Willie of all things. Pride hasnt sounded great to me since The Joshua Tree tour.

To the topic, I said this in the Popmart DVD thread also. But Bad from Popmart is the weakest live version of the song they have done to me. It doesnt fit the setlist pacing or the concept and I think the performance comes off as sort of disjointed as a result.

I think most Joshua Tree performances of Bad were very good. Elevation and Vertigo did have a few versions that sounded like they were going through the motions and some that did not. The early on in the Vertigo tour versions of Bad were excellent. The 2nd Denver show was an outstanding version of the song.

 

[Popmartijn]

Streets I think is overhyped. It's great live, but it needs a break. It's not the be-all and end-all of live U2. Frankly, The Electric Co. is a better live song, and Bad runs rings around it.

Disagree entirely.
To me, Streets IS the be-all and end-all of live U2. At times other songs may be more exciting, but Streets is consistently great. It has a wonderful unifying intro (even more when done in the traditional way of red background and the sudden use of white lights).

Plus, it's the ultimate live U2 song because it's subject is precisely what U2 is about. U2 is about unifying the audience. U2 is about that leap of faith you take to believe in them and to feel the spirit. And that is what they're playing when they play that song. "You've come to this place to see us play. Now come with us to this other place!"

Anyway, I'm getting a bit carried away and off topic here.

Bottom line: It was good to see Bad return on Popmart, even when the performances weren't stellar. But never drop Streets as that is an amazing live song (and I think that the Popmart version was musically the best ever. Yes, I dig that techno vibe.).

 

[U2Man]

To me, Streets IS the be-all and end-all of live U2. At times other songs may be more exciting, but Streets is consistently great. It has a wonderful unifying intro (even more when done in the traditional way of red background and the sudden use of white lights).

qft.