Most annoying U2 thing?

[nightninja56]

agreed---that is the most moronic thing i've ever heard of

 

[TheQuiet1]

There are quite a few things that annoy me about U2 but the one that really stands out at the moment is the way that some parts of the world are treated very differently to others. Not touring Australia for years ?! Giving a rather brief European tour but touring the USA twice, giving bonus tracks to some countries but not USA etc. Why should there be such differences? A bit more even-handedness would be nice.

 

[BVS]

There are quite a few things that annoy me about U2 but the one that really stands out at the moment is the way that some parts of the world are treated very differently to others. Not touring Australia for years ?! Giving a rather brief European tour but touring the USA twice, giving bonus tracks to some countries but not USA etc. Why should there be such differences? A bit more even-handedness would be nice.

You realize all of this is par for the music industry and not just U2? Bonus tracks, music industry standard that Eueropean countries and Japan get bonus tracks in many of their releases. Touring? Bands are going to tour where it makes sense economically.

 

[Zoots]

But the question is why do you take great pleasure describing, over and over, the things about U2 that annoy you?

um no.

I do not take great pleasure in ragging on the band. In fact, it makes me sad that this once great band is now just mediocre (IMO). I create and contribute to appreciation threads as well as threads that criticize in one way or another.

 

[DPrinceNY]

um no.

I do not take great pleasure in ragging on the band. In fact, it makes me sad that this once great band is now just mediocre (IMO). I create and contribute to appreciation threads as well as threads that criticize in one way or another.

can hardly say there "mediocre." arguably the top band ever, if not the top band presently cannot be considered just mediocre

 

[Zoots]

can hardly say there "mediocre." arguably the top band ever, if not the top band presently cannot be considered just mediocre

That's why I added 'IMO'. I think the last 2 albums are mediocre compared to what they're capable of and what they've done in the past.

 

[Goocher100]

- Some Fans
- Long album waits

 

[u2fan628]

I bet Mexico didn't have to sit through the cell phone B.S

 

[liamcool]

Interference constantly worshipping Achtung Baby like it's God and you should give your right arm, right leg and first born daughter to it, when it's just an album that is at best good.

 

[Zoots]

Interference constantly worshipping Achtung Baby like it's God and you should give your right arm, right leg and first born daughter to it, when it's just an album that is at best good.

It's only the greatest album ever but I find it hard to believe it was U2. The album is too good for U2.

 

[Axver]

Interference constantly worshipping Achtung Baby like it's God and you should give your right arm, right leg and first born daughter to it, when it's just an album that is at best good.

Best post on this thread.

 

[liamcool]

Originally posted by Zootlesque



It's only the greatest album ever but I find it hard to believe it was U2. The album is too good for U2.

Define greatest album ever. If you say "number of albums sold", then it's not the greatest album ever. If you say "quality of songs", then it's not the greatest album ever. If you say "percentage of fans that totally overrate it", then you may have a point.

 

[pgv]

You realize all of this is par for the music industry and not just U2? Bonus tracks, music industry standard that Eueropean countries and Japan get bonus tracks in many of their releases. Touring? Bands are going to tour where it makes sense economically.

So it doesnt make sense to tour europe, where they have a huge fan base and always sell out fast, economically? Yes i know it doesnt make sense to some places too often, but europe and australia get the raw deal when it comes to touring - north america two long legs, and europe one brief one? New York state alone had more tour dates than england, and bear in mind when it comes to travelling in the USA its far easier to drive to other states and see them, but in europe you have to cross country borders (which can take hours), cross seas.. so americans get far more gigs than the rest of the world, and IMO its not fair.

 

[BVS]

So it doesnt make sense to tour europe, where they have a huge fan base and always sell out fast, economically? Yes i know it doesnt make sense to some places too often, but europe and australia get the raw deal when it comes to touring - north america two long legs, and europe one brief one? New York state alone had more tour dates than england, and bear in mind when it comes to travelling in the USA its far easier to drive to other states and see them, but in europe you have to cross country borders (which can take hours), cross seas.. so americans get far more gigs than the rest of the world, and IMO its not fair.

Well when you are planning out tours, you can find a more economical way. But you pretty much answered your own question... Traveling throughout Europe is much different than in the states.

Do you honestly think they don't like Europe as much?

 

[Axver]

I do think the US gets too many shows and the rest of the world gets too few, but to be fair, this tour, although the US had more than double the amount of shows, more tickets were actually available in Europe.

 

[TheQuiet1]

You realize all of this is par for the music industry and not just U2? Bonus tracks, music industry standard that Eueropean countries and Japan get bonus tracks in many of their releases. Touring? Bands are going to tour where it makes sense economically.

Oh yeah. I'm not trying to say U2 are the only band to do these things. I'm fully aware that these things are very common in the record industry. Some bands release singles in Japan with so many bonus tracks on them that they're more like mini albums! As far as I'm aware U2 haven't quite reached that level.

BUT, and this is a big but, are you trying to tell me U2 has NO influence over such things as where they tour, which tracks are put on certain albums/single releases?

As for the argument that it's more economical to tour the USA than Europe. Europe in total has a larger population than the USA, U2 are more popular in Europe and as for the issues of logistics, other bands manage. And as far as not touring Australia and NZ goes, even if the tour DID prove an economic loss the band are not going to find themselves bankrupt and sleeping on the streets at night are they? Perhaps their record company isn't fond of the idea but I doubt a record executive looked at the plans for the POP tour and thought that was a great idea either but that still went ahead.

 

[Sue DeNym]

The fact that they haven't released the 1980s videos on DVD!!!

 

[vaz02]

The fact that they haven't released the 1980s videos on DVD!!!

they have , rattle and hum.

 

[prideofzootv]

what annoys me about the tours, is how they travel USA twice over, a very small tour in the UK, the closest they came to the North East and Scotland was Manchester! which is hard enough to get to anyways, couple hours drive minimum!

They aint done Newcastle since 1981/1983 where they could easily do numerous shows in a row there, Scotland i aint seen done, plenty of places in UK to do a gig! so why bloody not?

 

[beegee]

nearly 20 album tracks have not been performed live.

They are...Elvis Presley And America

even though it is my favorite U2 song, and has been for over twenty years, i would hope that they would never do this one live.

the most annoying thing for me has to be the ellipse lottery.

 

[Snowlock]

1. Not enough DVD's or live albums from past tours. ZooTV's a good start, but how about remastering the entire Denver and Tempe shows they filmed for Rattle & Hum!

2. Time between albums

3. Over production of albums.

 

[JCOSTER]

Well, the poster said that U2 don't play all of their songs live, and that is true; nearly 20 album tracks have not been performed live.

They are: Stranger In A Strange Land, Is That All?, Drowning Man, The Refugee, Red Light, Promenade, 4th Of July, Elvis Presley And America, Red Hill Mining Town, Heartland, Acrobat, Some Days Are Better Than Others, The Playboy Mansion, When I Look At The World, Grace, A Man And A Woman, One Step Closer, and whether Peace On Earth was merely a snippet or constituted a full performance in a few cases is debatable.

Plus, Electrical Storm and quite a considerable number of b-sides have never been performed live. I'm actually working on an article on this very topic for U2-Vertigo-Tour.com right now.

I should also note that while Is That All? has not been performed or lyrically snippeted, it is musically based on the mini-song The Cry that has regularly preceded live performances of The Electric Co.

Gotchya thanks for the explaination.

 

[sue4u2]

It annoys me that I hardly ever see or hear anything from Larry and Adam in between albums.
Of course I know this is the way they want it, but I would love it if they just came out and posed for the media every now and again.

 

[the rockin edge]

imposter bono.

 

[Zoots]

imposter bono.

 

[jacobus]

most annoying U2 thing?
boners ridiculous statements (punk rock etc...) prior to every release.

 

[blueeyedgirl]

what annoys me about the tours, is how they travel USA twice over, a very small tour in the UK, the closest they came to the North East and Scotland was Manchester! which is hard enough to get to anyways, couple hours drive minimum!

They aint done Newcastle since 1981/1983 where they could easily do numerous shows in a row there, Scotland i aint seen done, plenty of places in UK to do a gig! so why bloody not?

At least REM made it to Stirling Castle!

You know, when it comes to annoying U2 habits, it wouldn't hurt them to be more like REM sometimes, ie tone down their obsession with being the biggest band in the world and just release stuff they like, and to hell with popularity.

Peter Buck doesn't kiss anyone's arse

 

[BVS]

most annoying U2 thing?
boners...

Did I mention fans?

 

[Liesje]

what annoys me about the tours, is how they travel USA twice over, a very small tour in the UK, the closest they came to the North East and Scotland was Manchester! which is hard enough to get to anyways, couple hours drive minimum!

All of the shows I attended in the USA were a minimum of a three hour drive from where I live. I went to the closest shows possible and drove 3-14 hours, one way, for each.

If you break it down based on shows per capita, it looks a lot more even. Dublin's population is less than the metro area I live in. We haven't had a show since 1981, they got three just for Vertigo Tour.

 

[gman]

I think you would find that any band would play their hometown more probably than any other single venue! I think the tours are prob kept to regional population centres. AND, they did play Scotland on Vertigo tour and twice on Elevation Tour and every other tour b4 that. I also faced 4 hour drives each way to get to em, but it is only once every 4-5 yrs they tour so am no complaining. It all addds to the excitment of the day. But i do think that they could easily break from the more predictable venues once in a while. Doesnt have to be stadiums etc they play. Up to the promoters to be more imaginative i think.