eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018 - Rumors & General Discussion

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I think Headache did the same thing at his last show, except instead of "the app" it was "my penis".
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There was a slowly melting iceberg before the show, and then a big, creepy tech Bono comes out of the screen during Love Is All We Have Left. (If you have the app and point it at the album cover, you can see that one at home.)
 
Well I saw big creepy tech bono but he looked the same on the screen in my eyes as he did on my phone.

For the record I was sitting in a 200-section behind-the-stage seat where, while I had a full 100% view of the screen, maybe it was too angled? I don’t know.
 
Has the band's use of the PA system to "fill in" songs peaked on this tour, or does it just seem that way?

Bono's vocals on Love is All, the strings on Lights of Home, the chanting on Love is Bigger, etc. There are probably more examples. If it's consistent with past tours, how far back does that go?
 
Has the band's use of the PA system to "fill in" songs peaked on this tour, or does it just seem that way?

Bono's vocals on Love is All, the strings on Lights of Home, the chanting on Love is Bigger, etc. There are probably more examples. If it's consistent with past tours, how far back does that go?
They've had backing tracks since forever. Bad, Streets... all heavily reliant on backing tracks.

I can't remember a time where Bono's loop synched before this tour, but using backing tracks is not a new phenomenon.
 
They've had backing tracks since forever. Bad, Streets... all heavily reliant on backing tracks.

I can't remember a time where Bono's loop synched before this tour, but using backing tracks is not a new phenomenon.

It seems that on this tour backing tracks are more prominent for the final result than ever before, however.
 
Songs from the golden 90's like Lemon, Numb, Daddy's gonna pay, Mofo, all required heavy usage of backing tracks. Beautiful Day is probably one of the more backing track heavy songs in today's rotation. WITS was so heavy on backing tracks, it barely counts as a live performance. U2 are but 4 men, one of which can't play any instruments (Bono), and one of which doesn't even sing backing vocals (Adam). They have always refused to have extra musicians onstage. Most bands in their situation usually have a full time keyboard player, and another auxiliary guy that does rhythm guitar, extra keyboards, backing vocals, light percussion, etc. And most/all band members singing backing vocals.
 
It seems that on this tour backing tracks are more prominent for the final result than ever before, however.
I haven't seen it in person yet so can't really form a true opinion, other than just to say that U2 have always used a shit ton of backing tracks to flesh out the sound. Shit, they have a hidden keyboardist below the stage.
 
It seems that on this tour backing tracks are more prominent for the final result than ever before, however.

Yeah, that's kinda been my feeling as well. There's an exception for some of the nineties, as has been mentioned. Just check out the final leg of ZooTV with all the Zooropa songs in the mix. The backing tracks have to come to the fore there. And, of course, Crazy Tonight on 360 too.

But the taped lead vocals thing is a bit too much "Top of the Pops".

U2 are but 4 men, one of which can't play any instruments (Bono), and one of which doesn't even sing backing vocals (Adam).

Adam had a mic right until partway through ZooTV. Watch the Stockholm proshot; he's clearly singing in songs like Bullet. So he could still do backing if he wanted. Back on the War Tour all four of the band did chorus vocals on SBS and THBAO.
 
Adam had a mic right until partway through ZooTV. Watch the Stockholm proshot; he's clearly singing in songs like Bullet. So he could still do backing if he wanted. Back on the War Tour all four of the band did chorus vocals on SBS and THBAO.

I wonder when they made a conscious decision to not give Adam a mic anymore. What was that conversation like? I think the main reason Adam usually had a mic is so that Edge could use it during 40. Doesn't explain it's presence of Zoo TV, though.

It's interesting to watch the Red Rocks show, for example. He actually sings quite a bit. Songs like OOC, Twilight, SBS, THBAO, Surrender. I've also seen him do the "SHAKE! SHAKE!" vocal on A Celebration, sharing Edge's mic. At some point, either somebody told him not to sing, or he decided he didn't want to sing.
 
They had to take Adam's mic privileges away because he kept going off on tangents about his spoon collection in the middle of Bad.
 
I wonder when they made a conscious decision to not give Adam a mic anymore. What was that conversation like? I think the main reason Adam usually had a mic is so that Edge could use it during 40. Doesn't explain it's presence of Zoo TV, though.

It's interesting to watch the Red Rocks show, for example. He actually sings quite a bit. Songs like OOC, Twilight, SBS, THBAO, Surrender. I've also seen him do the "SHAKE! SHAKE!" vocal on A Celebration, sharing Edge's mic. At some point, either somebody told him not to sing, or he decided he didn't want to sing.

I'm guessing it was in part a function of their evolving stage production. As they shifted to having a less cluttered stage, the mic stands disappeared. Edge's backing vocals are obviously important, so he gets a headset, but Adam's contribution just doesn't justify the effort. If you've got a traditional set-up with three mics, might as well let Adam sing.

It is funny, though, that the first tour on which I don't think Adam sang a note, Popmart, came right after his finest recorded vocal moment, Your Blue Room.
 
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