Likely songs we'll hear from albums prior to HTDAAB...

[Zoocoustic]

Since they will probably play 7 or so songs off of HTDAAB - heck, let's say 5 to be really conservative - that leaves them 15 or so to pick from outside of this and make it a "full" setlist. Likely candidates from each album:

Boy - IWF
October - nothing
War - SBS, NYD
Unforgettable Fire - Pride, Bad
JT - Streets, ISHFWILF, WOWY, BTBS
AB - One, MW, EBTTRT, UTEOTW
Zooropa - Stay
Pop - SATS, Gone
ATYCLB - BD

That's 17 songs. They will likely play the majority of these every night. Add on the HTDAAB songs and it becomes clear why the chances of hearing a rare tune are slim to none.

Each night they'll swap out one or two of these for something to surprise us all...but that's about it.

 

[Axver]

Add Out Of Control for Boy, as they've already done it at promo shows. You may also want to add 11 O'clock Tick Tock based upon a theory I posted recently on this forum, as it has significance to the 25th anniversary being celebrated this year.

Running To Stand Still has potential from JT. It was even snippeted on Elevation.

You omitted Rattle And Hum. Desire has already been played on the promo tour and is a likely contender. Angel Of Harlem also seems to be a band favourite. From the JT/RAH era, also expect snippets of She's A Mystery To Me.

Don't be surprised if we see Wake Up Dead Man from Pop. That will appear here and there. And I live in hope that LNOE will come back.

Just one song from ATYCLB is going way under what they'll do. They always play multiple songs from the previous album on tour. And we can debate all day what the other ATYCLB songs will be.

 

[lazarus]

I'll second that Last Night on Earth nod. But I think we'll be lucky if ANYTHING from POP shows up, I'm sad to say. If anything they'll play Staring at the Sun, which would be a real pussy way of representing POP if you ask me.

HOPEFULLY something else from Zooropa will get resurrected, but seeing as how Stay is the ONLY song from it played in the U.S. so far, I wouldn't hold out hope. If they do a full band, non-acoustic version of Stay, I wouldn't complain about ANYTHING on the entire setlist.

Bad wasn't played at all the shows on the last 3 tours, so don't think it's gonna be a staple this time. Even if we all know it's their best live song EVER, with only Streets being arguable as an exception.

I'm hoping they bring out Gloria, as much as I appreciate the later stuff more. But let's be realistic--they aren't going to start pulling non-singles or rarely played stuff out just for the hell of it. Notice In God's Country never got into any rotation. The only album I can see them digging deeper into is Achtung, because they've rediscovered "the rock" this time, and they seem to have a pretty big appreciation for the album.

But there's simply not enough time to do the automatic standards (Streets, BTBS, WOWY, BD, Pride, One, Mysterious Ways), 9 new songs (no way AWAM or One Step Closer are getting played), and much random stuff.

If I had my way I'd say drop Pride & WOWY from the automatic list and alternate them (I know this ain't gonna happen--EVER) , alternate SBS & NYD but DO NOT play both, alternate one oldie like 11 O'Clock, OOC, or IWF, alternate Desire & Angel but DO NOT play both. That frees up room to give all the othe stuff a chance.


laz

 

[Axver]

Bad did dominate the AIWIY/Bad rotational sequence on Elevation, and I'll be surprised if they cut it - it sounds like SYCMIOYO would flow wonderfully into the song. You mentioned In God's Country, and I am surprised to note that it made three acoustic appearances at the end of Elevation - before then, it was played at just about, if not every JT Tour show and four Lovetown gigs. If U2 had toured sooner after Elevation, I'd say that they might be considering it for regular appearances, but the gap's been so long now that it's gone again.

I'm hoping they'll at least dig out singles and well-known fan favourites from the eighties that were played a lot in that decade but didn't make it to the nineties. Gloria, A Sort Of Homecoming, The Unforgettable Fire, Two Hearts Beat As One, stuff like that.

I believe Gone is a band favourite, so hopefully they will represent Pop with a little more than SATS. And I'd crap myself if they did a full band Stay or something else off Zooropa. Johnny Cash has passed on - might we finally see The Wanderer in tribute to him?

 

[Zoocoustic]

My bad on missing Desire - that is a staple as well which brings the "classics" total up to 18. Not much room for any surprises for us hard-core fans, is there?

 

[Tennis05]

Bono has stated that In God's Country was too difficult for him to do during concerts which is why it was dropped during Zoo TV. I would love to see some older, less well known greats like Two Hearts...., exit, UV, zoo station, and lady with the spinning head

 

[Axver]

Bono has stated that In God's Country was too difficult for him to do during concerts which is why it was dropped during Zoo TV. I would love to see some older, less well known greats like Two Hearts...., exit, UV, zoo station, and lady with the spinning head

In God's Country is an interesting one. It was done all through JT, but only at four Lovetown shows ... and was then done at three of the last Elevation shows acoustically! So maybe they want to play it again ...? I hope that if they do the acoustic set on this tour, they bring out less common songs.

And I think Edge said he finds Two Hearts to be his form of Bono's IGC.

 

[zoopop]

Ill be really if U2 played those tunes with the new material. U2 has maybe the best back catalogue of any band and should really revaluate what they play this time around.

Play 9-10 new songs
Play 6-7 greatest hits
5-6 rarites for the diehards

Here are a few songs U2 can get away with from each album (besides the "hits"):

Boy: Out of Control, Twilight, Electric Co.

October: Gloria, Rejoice

War: ....40?

UF: UF, Sort of A Homecoming

JT: Gods Country (Bono can sing it), Running To Stand Still

Rattle N Hum: God Part II

Achtung Baby: Ultra Violet, Zoo Station

Zooropa: Dirty Day, Numb

Pop: Mofo, LNOE, Please (full)

Misc: HMTMKMKM, Electrical Storm,