eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018 - Rumors & General Discussion

[Wide Awake n AZ]

I have been limited to my phone as I am, other than a probably reckless trip to Vegas, stuck on a couch downstairs from my office, so I am guessing I am the only that really digs the 13 walk off?

To me, i&e started with the lightbulb, e&I is about experience...the basic Christian biblical story is how mankind went to hell by tasting the tree of knowledge...and experience is knowledge. The show is more cynical. But the songs try to resist. At the end, he is singing from experience, is trying to find a Light, a reason to tell his kids, his world, to keep fighting. He finds it...the same light that was so fun to begin the innocence show. And he walks off...contented..

It worked for me. Like a a Broadway show that doesn't change on night 2, I thought this was something special. Challenging for sure...no fireworks or confetti guns or balloons to rock out with during the triumphant rawk show piece.

But, damn...it hit me . And I was more than prepared to find fault, having given my physical limit to just get there. And I was not impressed wirh i&e...it promised a story, but other than the I songs, it was just a hits show complete with silly crowd participation segment.

This felt more like the realization of that concept. I am sure I would have loved a triumphant ending. But, given the totality of the show...i really love the ending. It challenged me as a fan...to figure out what i just saw. Maybe that's some hyperbole, but I feel It is rooted in truth. If this is it, I am glad. It was the polar opposite of JT30, and I adored both unlike a u2 show since Elevation.

 

[mama cass]

I have been limited to my phone as I am, other than a probably reckless trip to Vegas, stuck on a couch downstairs from my office, so I am guessing I am the only that really digs the 13 walk off?

i haven't seen it but i love it

 

[solemole]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wide Awake n AZ View Post
I have been limited to my phone as I am, other than a probably reckless trip to Vegas, stuck on a couch downstairs from my office, so I am guessing I am the only that really digs the 13 walk off?

Originally Posted by mama cass
i haven't seen it but i love it

The Irish Goodbye Tour

 

[womanfish]

36,000 would be with 2 sellouts. They're not going to even sell out 1 night in L.A. though, there are about 1,400 tickets still remaining for the shows.

As of this morning there are about 400 left for LA 1 and about 6-700 for LA2

They will both sell out. But the fact that they are playing to like 50 to 90k less people than they have in recent years is pretty telling.

They better drop the lower level seat prices in Omaha quick, or it will be embarrassing. This is Omaha man. I don't know what they are thinking.
And Chicago 2 needs another drop. The fact that I'm saying this about only a second show in Chicago is just sad as well. they played 3 nights at Soldier field for Popmart. Dear God.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Playing to 50k less people is a clear difference that they're not playing stadiums ok this tour.

Glad we could figure that out

 

[womanfish]

Playing to 50k less people is a clear difference that they're not playing stadiums ok this tour.

Glad we could figure that out

They played to 83,000 in 2015 in arenas. I already figured it out.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

They played to 83,000 in 2015 in arenas. I already figured it out.

Fair. But they played to around 80,000 a year ago ... so 110,000 in a 365 day period.

Closer to 200k in 3 years, or roughly the same number of people who attended LA area 360 shows... which was held over a 3 year period.

So the rumors of U2's LA demise are greatly exaggerated.

 

[womanfish]

Fair. But they played to around 80,000 a year ago ... so 110,000 in a 365 day period.

Closer to 200k in 3 years, or roughly the same number of people who attended LA area 360 shows... which was held over at year period.

So the rumors of U2's demise are greatly exaggerated.

I don't think its so much saying U2's demise. I think if they are gone for 2-3 years and come back again, it would be a different story. And maybe keep prices below 300. But that's probably not gonna happen. I'm more annoyed with the new Live Nation scheme of starting out with really high prices and then dropping as they go. But i guess that's what happens when artists only sell a tenth of what they used to.

In the big scheme of things U2 is doing extraordinarily well. Lots of artists are not selling like they thought they would. Big names are playing small venues. Hell, Kendrick Lamar along with SZA, two of the biggest names of the past year are playing amphitheaters, with seats still remaining. The touring market is over saturated now.

 

[Axver]

Safe to say, though, that if tickets were half the price, they'd have probably done four shows in LA easily.

On the other hand, making the same amount of money for two nights' work versus four has an obvious upside. I'd like to do half the work I do now and make the same amount of money.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I don't think its so much saying U2's demise. I think if they are gone for 2-3 years and come back again, it would be a different story. And maybe keep prices below 300. But that's probably not gonna happen. I'm more annoyed with the new Live Nation scheme of starting out with really high prices and then dropping as they go. But i guess that's what happens when artists only sell a tenth of what they used to.

But that's exactly my point... they're NOT selling a tenth of what they used to.


They sold roughly 200k in tickets in the LA area over a 3 year period during 360.

They're going to sell roughly 200k in tickets in the LA area over a 3.5 year period. With higher ticket prices.

So the drop off isn't this extreme fall as many people are making it out to be. The numbers are more or less the same, they're just spread out differently.

And not to go all sting2 here... but they made 20 million on 360, and made 24 million through i/e and JT30 in LA, without even counting the two e/i shows.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

Safe to say, though, that if tickets were half the price, they'd have probably done four shows in LA easily.

On the other hand, making the same amount of money for two nights' work versus four has an obvious upside. I'd like to do half the work I do now and make the same amount of money.

Exactly, but I don't think it's just about doing half the work for the same money (being lazy)...they aren't exactly spring chickens anymore and probably need a little more down time between gigs.

 

[Axver]

I wasn't calling them lazy, just practical!

And not to go all sting2 here... but they made 20 million on 360, and made 24 million through i/e and JT30 in LA, without even counting the two e/i shows.

Hurry up and adjust for inflation, or I'm going to have to fight you twice at JT60 Melbourne.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I have been limited to my phone as I am, other than a probably reckless trip to Vegas, stuck on a couch downstairs from my office, so I am guessing I am the only that really digs the 13 walk off?

To me, i&e started with the lightbulb, e&I is about experience...the basic Christian biblical story is how mankind went to hell by tasting the tree of knowledge...and experience is knowledge. The show is more cynical. But the songs try to resist. At the end, he is singing from experience, is trying to find a Light, a reason to tell his kids, his world, to keep fighting. He finds it...the same light that was so fun to begin the innocence show. And he walks off...contented..

It worked for me. Like a a Broadway show that doesn't change on night 2, I thought this was something special. Challenging for sure...no fireworks or confetti guns or balloons to rock out with during the triumphant rawk show piece.

But, damn...it hit me . And I was more than prepared to find fault, having given my physical limit to just get there. And I was not impressed wirh i&e...it promised a story, but other than the I songs, it was just a hits show complete with silly crowd participation segment.

This felt more like the realization of that concept. I am sure I would have loved a triumphant ending. But, given the totality of the show...i really love the ending. It challenged me as a fan...to figure out what i just saw. Maybe that's some hyperbole, but I feel It is rooted in truth. If this is it, I am glad. It was the polar opposite of JT30, and I adored both unlike a u2 show since Elevation.

Great post! I enjoyed reading this

I more than likely won't be able to see the band on this tour due to distance and placing the Chicago shows mid-week, but your post really makes me want to see it in person because there is just soB] much more to a gig than just reading the setlist online and watching select clips on youtube.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I wasn't calling them lazy, just practical!



Hurry up and adjust for inflation, or I'm going to have to fight you twice at JT60 Melbourne.

Adjusted for inflation 360 made 23.5

 

[Axver]

Headache = Sting2?

 

[TheGeekyU2Fan]

Honestly, this is what I feel about the tour. That's enough of my rambling for today.

 

[kabigon]

Came here looking for Cornholio

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I wasn't calling them lazy, just practical!

I agree. I didn't intend to put words in your mouth because I know that's not what you meant. "Lazy" wasn't really directed at you, more of a statement that I agree that it makes sense for the band for their age to have more time off while making the same amount of cash.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Headache = Sting2?

Wouldn't that be the greatest troll ever?

 

[DeVaul]

Nothing to stop this being the best troll ever

 

[trevgreg]

This is a great post, and I now see your point; I'm with you on all of it.

I've obviously had my criticisms of U2's setlists for the past few tours - I really do feel that U2 have not achieved the maximum potential of the concepts and staging for a while, though I would qualify that by saying my quibbles with IE were far less severe than those I had with 360. EI at the moment is somewhere in between. They're such an amazing live band, and to think they could be even better with some tweaks is really quite something, the sort of experience that to even imagine it feels impressive, you know?

I say that, though, as a way of saying I am nonetheless tired of the drive-by "this set sucks"/"U2 are lazy"/"band on autopilot" posts (as distinguished from actual thoughtful reviews that reach similar conclusions), especially when they come from people whose only opinion of a setlist has only ever been "lazy!!" I've come to just ignore those tweets when they roll into the U2gigs Twitter mentions, because who cares? If you can't offer something of substance, I'm not sure why I'd want to listen, even when I agree.

What gets me the most is when those comments come from veterans of many tours, who should know that U2 aren't Pearl Jam or Springsteen and set their expectations accordingly. Ask for something realistic, something that makes sense in the context of this band and fits with their current tour. I would fucking love it if U2 had that degree of variation - even if it would create hella work on U2gigs - but it's not going to happen, and I hope nobody has reads any of my critiques as wanting this. I think U2 are capable of a higher level of variation than they are doing right now, and I've explained before why I think this would be great for all audience members, but even if they did let go a bit more, they're not going to get much past the variation of Lovetown or Vertigo. And that's fine, that's who they are as a live band, and if they tried to be Pearl Jam their shows would be too messy because that level of variation would not suit them.

I love the thoughtful posts, and the genuine concerns (the stuff about the encore right now needs to reach the band). They come from a place of deep fandom and often say something more broad about the tour than just "ugh static sets lol Pride sux". And I do think it's a shame some people come in here - clearly not you - and take those sorts of posts as "more Interference whinging". Yes, we've got Acrobat(!!!), and a Pop song, and Gloria, and a whole bunch more new songs than most other bands of their stature would dare to play, but that certainly doesn't mean that the set is above criticism or that it cannot be improved. These sorts of discussions are part of what being fans is about, as your links show.

I agree with all this as well. The funny thing is that, more or less, I also ultimately agree with a lot of our suggestions that come up on here! I wouldn't mind seeing a Mofo or Discotheque come into play over, say, Elevation or whatever other song. I'll still go and (probably) enjoy whatever I get at my show(s) by the luck of the draw. But I am a fan and can live vicariously through a few minutes of a YouTube video or the many excited screams here. Stuff like that is great and I think it does a lot to keep us engaged as well.

And there's nothing wrong with still hoping for things like that at this point. Heck, I was particularly encouraged when the band did make an effort to revolve a few songs at each show back in 2015. And while this tour seems to have it's fans and detractors (like any other one), I am looking forward to the one show I'm seeing this Saturday. Like any other show, I have my preferences here or there... but like any other concert, I've also been blown away before by songs I wasn't huge on or didn't really appreciate it until I saw it live. I don't expect this time to be any different.

At the end of the day, like you said, we're all fans and have our ideas on what we'd like to see and what we could do without. It's different among whoever you ask, and I guess at this point, I've come around to basically looking at it from the broader perspective... every fanbase is going to do this and ours is no exception. And also like you mentioned, I think there's a bit more to discussion than just saying "by the numbers" or "lazy" when we've had really no expectation that anything would be radically different this time around. But hey, we never thought they'd play Acrobat or not do Streets or WOWY at a show, so who knows really?

 

[RoKKeR]

http://www.u2.com/news/title/waking-up-in-the-desert-las-vegas-subscribers-special

Pretty great pro-shot footage and official audio from Las Vegas. They need to be way more liberal with sharing this stuff IMO.

 

[ApolloAndy]

My issue with the ending has nothing to date with song choice and everything to do with how 13 ends. I went to both shows in SJ without knowing the first time and it took a while for the house lights to come back up so there was a lot of “Is it over?” The second night, when I knew it was the last song it made more sense, but a lot of the audience was still confused about whether the show was over and whether to give their final applause. Bono just needs to introduce the song with “This is it. Have a good night!” and it would make it work much better.

 

[DeVaul]

I don't mind the extra time in the darkness after 13 because FuckTheCasuals, I'm out of the venue before the mass exodus begins.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

My issue with the ending has nothing to date with song choice and everything to do with how 13 ends. I went to both shows in SJ without knowing the first time and it took a while for the house lights to come back up so there was a lot of “Is it over?” The second night, when I knew it was the last song it made more sense, but a lot of the audience was still confused about whether the show was over and whether to give their final applause. Bono just needs to introduce the song with “This is it. Have a good night!” and it would make it work much better.

To be fair... I think he's not doing that on purpose to prevent the mass exodous before the song ends.

 

[RH87]

When he walked off last night, about the time he exited the floor, he said something about “go (ing) home”.

I missed the first part of it.

 

[corianderstem]

Honestly, this is what I feel about the tour. That's enough of my rambling for today.

So you didn't enjoy the show you saw?

 

[superchuk5]

What is the encore music, "Women of the World?" Is it another musician's song or is it an original for this tour?

 

[DeVaul]

They should move Elevation back to the middle stage like Tulsa.

 

[brooklynmike]

They should move Elevation back to the middle stage like Tulsa.

Huh. I didn’t realize they played Elevation on the screen stage. Just watched it on YouTube. I’m surprised they didn’t play more on that platform. Would be perfect for The Showman.