SPOILERS U2 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour Rehearsals/Soundcheck Thread SPOILERS

[prbiker15]

Give me Streets over SBS, Pride, WOWY, One, BD, Elevation and Vertigo any day of the week.

That same source on u2start is suggesting that HMTMKMKM was an intermission in the initial stages, but that the band ran through it last night. Or am reading it wrong?

 

[superchuk5]

Holy shit, MacPhisto? Now that's great news! I doubt it would be a full return (costume and everything included), but even an appearance on screen would be pretty damn cool. And fits the song.

I liked the Wild Horses-Acrobat-Until the End of the World sequence from way back in the first run through, so I hope it’s back!

Also let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. The set may look somewhat disappointing in parts (no JT Songs is a bad idea, I’m not sold on rehashing the 2015 Act 1 sequence, American Soul doesn’t deserve such a prominent setlist position, the encore needs a shot in the arm, and the lack of Little Things is troubling), but it’s definitley not terrible. There are a lot of very fun songs here that will go over great; there’s a reason songs like BD, One, Elevation, Vertigo, and Pride stick around, not to mention stuff like IWF, Desire, and HMTMKMKM: audiences love them. Acrobat is the holy grail of rarities. They are playing 8(!) new songs from their 14th album, one that barely made a mainstream impression. I like the confidence in new material. Plus, sequencing that may not make sense on paper may work in context.

 

[CosmoKramer]

So somebody on u2start said Acrobat was attempted last night, but there were technical difficulties so they moved on.

The rumor I heard was that they started playing the song and then half of the band went on a piss break.

 

[Catman]

I think I'm actually more upset about the potential lack of Little Things and RFD than the complete omission of Joshua Tree material. Buuuuttttt this is coming from someone who's attended every U2 tour since Elevation. I'm sure those who might be seeing the band for the first time would have a different reaction.

But yeah, a U2 concert [possibly] w/o Streets--doesn't feel right lol. Bold move, fellas

 

[DeVaul]

Bolder would be ignoring the more recent hits for album cuts. Streets is a crescendo, Elevation is a crutch.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

I really hope they Will change 3 or 4 songs because this is a bad setlist.

 

[CosmoKramer]

I think I'm actually more upset about the potential lack of Little Things and RFD than the complete omission of Joshua Tree material. Buuuuttttt this is coming from someone who's attended every U2 tour since Elevation. I'm sure those who might be seeing the band for the first time would have a different reaction.

But yeah, a U2 concert [possibly] w/o Streets--doesn't feel right lol. Bold move, fellas

I am excited by the start of the concert from Blackout, LOH, ABOY, Beautiful Day and IWF and think that is a really cool start. I also am very excited to hear Wild Horses, HMKMKMTM and IF they play Acrobat....cool, I'm game.

COBL, Elevation, Pride and Vertigo while I have heard them to death....they energize the crowd and I enjoy them. I am very excited to hear LIBTAIIW as I find it to be one of the strongest songs on the album.

But here is my thing....I like the new albums a lot but Iris, Ceadrwood Road and Raised by Wolves, while highlights on ie, are not "grand" enough to repeat this tour and SFS, while one of my favorites on SOI, is odd to include with 13 ending the show(pick one guys...I know they are not the same song but the fucking chorus is the same and that's enough for me).

Then you have what I think can be AWESOME or a shit show of a section and that is: Desire, TBT and SATS. If these are full band....fuckin A! But if these are acoustic....fuck that's going to be a low/boring section of an already suspect show.

I also find omitting Summer of Love, Red Flag Day and Little Things to be disappointing because those are 3 of my favorite songs on the album and I've never heard them live and would MUCH rather hear those 3 than Ceaderwood, RBW and SFS if they are going to play "newer" songs.

As for Streets, it's been one of or THE highlight of every live show I have seen of theirs (Vertigo Tour left a little to be desired) and if it is played it can lift up a show and if it's not...well, that would be disappointing but my bet is that if it is omitted, the band are going to mss its energy and will eventually bring it back.

All and all, a lot hinges on that potential "acoustic" section because U2 + Acoustic is usually a recipe for boredom and it ain't like after that lull they are coming back with Streets to breath life into the show.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Bubble]

After One

-13
-All i want is you
-Streets
-Love is Bigger.

I think the audience will leave the arena pretty happy with their evening and the band would not compromise their objective of playing 12 songs from the last 2 albums, including ending it with a song from SOE

 

[superchuk5]

After One

-13
-All i want is you
-Streets
-Love is Bigger.

I think the audience will leave the arena pretty happy with their evening and the band would not compromise their objective of playing 12 songs from the last 2 albums, including ending it with a song from SOE

Streets before Love Is Bigger is a good idea

 

[brooklynmike]

I was holding out judgement until I see the actual show, but on paper, the rehearsal setlist from yesterday... you gotta be fuckin kidding me. All Because of You? All the worst songs on SOE? A 7 song piss break to end the night?

I’m really hoping they shock me.

 

[dan_smee]

People are getting way too steamed about the rehearsal. It was 25 songs, and we saw them rehearse a 28 song set in Laval. There is more to come, and if I+e is any kind of blueprint, things will rotate in and out.

Chill

 

[superchuk5]

People are getting way too steamed about the rehearsal. It was 25 songs, and we saw them rehearse a 28 song set in Laval. There is more to come, and if I+e is any kind of blueprint, things will rotate in and out.

Chill

 

[Rachel D.]

from u2start:

Full set yesterday:

Love Is All We Have (Pre-recorded Intro)
The Blackout
Lights of Home
Beautiful Day
All Because of You
I Will Follow
The Ocean
Iris (Hold Me Close)
Cedarwood Road
Song for Someone
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Raised by Wolves
Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses

Macphisto Voice Intro
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

Elevation
Vertigo
Desire
You’re the Best Thing About Me
Staring at the Sun

Pride (In the Name of Love)
Get Out of Your Own Way
American Soul
City of Blinding Lights
One
Love is Bigger Than Anything In Its Place
13 (There Is A Light)

Yes, no JT! And Raised by Wolves! SATS! The Ocean! Blackout! I'm excited!

 

[TheGeekyU2Fan]

I really hope they Will change 3 or 4 songs because this is a bad setlist.

Agreed. If they played something from Zooropa and NLOTH...

 

[Partyslammer]

I'm pleasantly surprised by the complete lack of Joshua Tree songs, great as even the burnouts still are. However, the inclusion of the 2015 SOI 1st act complete with that awful version of SBS is absolutely baffling. And I don't get the continued love for City Of Blinding Lights. Still, the as it stands is different enough to make for a hopefully interesting show.

 

[mtnfox]

So, Morleigh's Instagram post today. Not saying this is any kind of spoiler but that would be pretty wild if they broke out Stateless.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiLNrTEl1Qn/

 

[U2387]

I am excited by the start of the concert from Blackout, LOH, ABOY, Beautiful Day and IWF and think that is a really cool start. I also am very excited to hear Wild Horses, HMKMKMTM and IF they play Acrobat....cool, I'm game.

COBL, Elevation, Pride and Vertigo while I have heard them to death....they energize the crowd and I enjoy them. I am very excited to hear LIBTAIIW as I find it to be one of the strongest songs on the album.

But here is my thing....I like the new albums a lot but Iris, Ceadrwood Road and Raised by Wolves, while highlights on ie, are not "grand" enough to repeat this tour and SFS, while one of my favorites on SOI, is odd to include with 13 ending the show(pick one guys...I know they are not the same song but the fucking chorus is the same and that's enough for me).

Then you have what I think can be AWESOME or a shit show of a section and that is: Desire, TBT and SATS. If these are full band....fuckin A! But if these are acoustic....fuck that's going to be a low/boring section of an already suspect show.

I also find omitting Summer of Love, Red Flag Day and Little Things to be disappointing because those are 3 of my favorite songs on the album and I've never heard them live and would MUCH rather hear those 3 than Ceaderwood, RBW and SFS if they are going to play "newer" songs.

As for Streets, it's been one of or THE highlight of every live show I have seen of theirs (Vertigo Tour left a little to be desired) and if it is played it can lift up a show and if it's not...well, that would be disappointing but my bet is that if it is omitted, the band are going to mss its energy and will eventually bring it back.

All and all, a lot hinges on that potential "acoustic" section because U2 + Acoustic is usually a recipe for boredom and it ain't like after that lull they are coming back with Streets to breath life into the show.

Just my 2 cents.

People are getting way too steamed about the rehearsal. It was 25 songs, and we saw them rehearse a 28 song set in Laval. There is more to come, and if I+e is any kind of blueprint, things will rotate in and out.

Chill

My sentiments exactly. Both posts!

I don't care for this set on paper, but I know it's paper and we have good reasons to believe there will be a fair amount of rotation. 2015 featured arenas and the same stage and as others have mentioned, many songs made their way in and out. Especially between opening night and the time they hit Chicago.

My concerns from rehearsals:

They're playing too much from SOI/SOE and I think both albums are stronger than anything they've done since AB. 13 and SFS just don't belong in a set. Both are beautiful songs but the former is not suited to a live show in the least bit and the latter is just fine left in 2015. I know Get out and American soul are locked in this set list no matter who complains. The band has made that clear from the second they started promoting this album. But to not even play one of Red flag day, summer of love & little things is criminal. I also hope dropping Showman from the recent rehearsals is a sign they feel they've got it nailed and not a sign they've soured on it. Would be a damn shame- one of the best songs on SOE and would be great fun live.

Not enough hits- NYD, JT big 3, Bad, Real thing, Mysterious ways, AIWIY are all absent. We don't need them all in a set, but they can't leave them all out and charge $350 per ticket. I had friends who were more than casual fans who said there weren't enough hits in the 2015 show. Can't imagine what they'll say about this.

There's time still and it's ridiculous to say you're giving up tickets based on this. U2 can't put on a show that most of us would come away unhappy with. However, there's no denying that this isn't the best they can do.

I do feel that we will be waiting a few shows for changes- 2015 had a fair amount of rotation throughout but if you look at the first few shows that year, the sets were pretty true to the final rehearsals.

 

[U2387]

As others have said, a few changes and it's (a little/much more) better as a set. I'm not going to put my personal wish list in or be unrealistic and change the structure. I'm also not going to go to 35 songs or some other Springsteen/Pearl Jam type number. The show does have to be longer, though; and they're going to have a lot of pissed off casuals and so so reviews if they go as light on classics as the rehearsals indicate.

Love is all we have left- over PA.

1) Blackout
2) Lights of home
3) Beautiful day
4) I will follow
5) The ocean
6) Iris
7) Cedarwood road
8) Sunday bloody sunday
9) Raised by wolves
10) Until the end of the world
11) Who's gonna ride your wild horses

Macphisto voice/intermission

12) Hold me thrill me
13) Vertigo
14) Desire
15) Showman
16) Staring at the sun
17) Best thing
18) All I want is you
19) Where the streets have no name
20) Pride

END OF THE MAIN SET

21) City of blinding lights
22) Get out of your own way
23) American soul
24) Red flag day

ENCORE 2

26) One
27) Love is bigger
28) Bad
29) Little things

Rotations:

4- Gloria
11- Acrobat
14- Two hearts beat as one & Elevation on rare occasions- see leg 1 of innocence. Elevation needs a presence for its ability to fire up the crowd but does not need to be a staple like it usually is.
16) Summer of love
18) With or without you
28, 29) Bad obviously shouldn't be expected every night after last year. It might be good to move Little things up a slot and close with 40. Or keep little things and pick from a group of songs to put before it...............Still haven't found, When I look at the world, Kite, A sort of homecoming, even Please. Or better yet, STAY!! They could experiment a bit here.

Random notes:

-Play Sunday bloody sunday the right way. The 2015 version was interesting but 2017 proved they can still hit this one out of the park. If they can still play it on par with or better than JT87, why not do it? One of rock's most visceral, not to mention recognizable instrumentals.

-Red flag day is admittedly a little better of a fit for the SBS-RBW-Until the end stretch but that's already proven to be an unbelievable run of songs. Adding Wild horses or Acrobat to that- which there is already near unanimous agreement on, makes Red flag the odd one out here. Unless you extend set 1 even more which is unlikely. So the next best option is to end the first encore with it and emphasize the general theme of inspiration and courageously facing adversity and fear a la Get out of your own way. Gives encore 1 some thematic coherence.

-Pride, I will follow, City of blinding lights and Vertigo look like the low hanging fruits to be dropped to make room for Streets, etc, but all of these songs need to stay. Vertigo was a high point of my JT 2017 shows. I will follow brings the house down and wins over the fans who've been there since day 1. Pride always gets an amazing reception, is a huge sing along moment and if ever there was a song that summed up the U2 message and sound, it's Pride. City gets the newer casuals going, is surprisingly well liked by the older fans and always has something interesting going on visually. Plus, the band seem to truly enjoy playing it and that shows.

 

[superchuk5]

Did anything happen today?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

They played Streets 28 times, and then came back for an encore if Miami, Grace and stand Up Comedy

 

[Tiger_Bono]

Been to every tour since Joshua Tree in '87. Some of the criticism of rehearsed setlist is unwarranted, IMO.

I listened to the setlist in order on my playlist....and it works well. The setlist has one easy fix that would make the show complete: Streets

With that being said, if they added Streets and then played Little Things and Red Flag Day I would be an excellent set.

My personal feelings of ugg with American Soul and Get Out Of Your Own Way is what it is. You can't get a setlist that is perfect.

So, I'm willing to stomach (or go to restroom) during AS and GOOYOW if the simple addition of Streets brings the show to a climax. Whether you believe JT needs a rest or not, it is hard to argue that one song (Streets) changes the entire dynamic of the encore.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

They played Streets 28 times, and then came back for an encore if Miami, Grace and stand Up Comedy

I would rather hear Grace than ABOY anytime.... Miami and Stand up are also far superior than ABOY, which might be the in the top 5 worst U2 song

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I would rather hear Grace than ABOY anytime.... Miami and Stand up are also far superior than ABOY, which might be the in the top 5 worst U2 song

Yea.

No.

 

[Hewson]

I would rather hear Grace than ABOY anytime....

Said nobody ever.

ABOY may be nothing great but its miles better than Grace.
What a bore that would be live.

 

[DeVaul]

Said nobody ever.



ABOY may be nothing great but its miles better than Grace.

What a bore that would be live.

Indeed. Like Miss Sarajevo with a piped-in operatic vocal.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Indeed. Like Miss Sarajevo with a piped-in operatic vocal.

Miss Sarajevo was the musical equivalent to a nuclear explosion compared to what Grace would be live.

 

[Nick66]

As for Streets, it's been one of or THE highlight of every live show I have seen of theirs (Vertigo Tour left a little to be desired) and if it is played it can lift up a show and if it's not...well, that would be disappointing but my bet is that if it is omitted, the band are going to mss its energy and will eventually bring it back.

Wait...what? I haven't been following anything about this tour, at all, but is there really talk they won't be playing Streets?

if they're stupid enough to do that.

If they don't play that song, the should just hand people refunds as they're walking out the door. And if it's not in the setlist, then we can all start betting on which will happen first...putting Streets back in or dropping the stupid AR gimmick.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Whatever.... ABOY is horrible

 

[TheGeekyU2Fan]

Wish they'd play Moment of surrender.

 

[Nick66]

Wish they'd play Moment of surrender.

By far their best song of the 00's, and probably their best song since Streets.