The concern over Milan DVD...

[Irvine511]

funny how this works. I saw them in Philly on 5-14 and I thought it was the most lifeless crowd I saw on the tour. Chicago was alright for me, but I thought the NY and DC crowds were the best.

The Philly crowd did sing along really loud, but there was no absolutely no movement. Everyone was standing still. At least in my opinion.

Maybe it was just that night though. I heard the DC crowd on 10-19 really sucked, but when I went on 10-20 there was that electricity in the air.

all very interesting.

i saw them on 5/14, and my section was on fire -- a bunch of us ran down the stairs and stood at the edge during Yahweh.

i was at both DC shows, and the 10/19 show was a little bit lifeless (again, it's realtive; a U2 audience kicks the shit out of 99..99% of other bands even on an off night), though i actually thought that was the band's fault -- they absolutely roared out of the gates with the best version of COBL i have ever heard, but lost some steam around ISHFWILF and never totally recovered.

DC on 10/20, however, was an extraordinary show. while i still give props to my Philly audience, the 10/20 show was a mindblower.

this is not to say anything negative about the shows i saw in Montreal or Paris -- great shows, though i do remember people sitting down during "Please" in Popmart Montreal.



so, at the end of the day, i don't think that blanket generalizations of audiences work too well.

U2 always plays great in Boston. U2 always plays great in Italy. are Italians "hot-blooded"? well, maybe. are European audiences drunker? yes, i think that might be true.

i just have a problem with people taking their perception of a crowd's reaction -- and to be honest, i can barely see the crowd in the Chicago DVD, so i really do question people's motives -- and using that to paint, you know, 300m+ people with a single brush.

some Americans suck; some Americans rawk. some Euros suck; some Euros rawk.

i've lived in Europe and traveled all over and love the Continent and the Isles and all those countries with all my heart, and the one thing i've learned is that no matter where you go, at the end of the day, people are people.

 

[hcbiggs2002]

Isn't it about time that U2 released a DVD of a live concert from Scandinavia?! I vote for their Copenhagen 31.07.2005 show!

 

[Neilz]

i saw them on 5/14, and my section was on fire -- a bunch of us ran down the stairs and stood at the edge during Yahweh.

The quality of the crowd isn't defined by your section alone (and running down the stairs and standing in front of Edge doesn't really convince me that much... I see stuff like that all the time at gigs)

Once you see a 80.000 people on a field jumping up and down you can state that the crowd was on fire!

We maybe should simply stop the crowd discussions because they are very pointless.. Everyone will always defend the crowds of the show they've been to (even though they know the crowd sucked)

My only concern over the Milan DVD is that the set didn't close with 40... 40 would have been MAGICAL...

80,000 enthusied Italians chanting "How long" -- that would have been incredible...

That's why they should have taped Amsterdam 3! For me the best setlist of the tour and the best looking venue (for gigs that is)...

But as I've mentioned before.. Most bands only film their shows in the Amsterdam Arena the second time they come there... So next tour it will be a "Live from Amsterdam" DVD

 

[Irvine511]

The quality of the crowd isn't defined by your section alone (and running down the stairs and standing in front of Edge doesn't really convince me that much... I see stuff like that all the time at gigs)

Once you see a 80.000 people on a field jumping up and down you can state that the crowd was on fire!

We maybe should simply stop the crowd discussions because they are very pointless.. Everyone will always defend the crowds of the show they've been to (even though they know the crowd sucked)

well, from my perspective, the crowd on 5/14 was amazing, and we didn't run up to The Edge, we ran down the stairs to the edge of the section -- sorry if that was confusing.

i've seen 80,000 people (in Giants Stadium and Foxboro and Montreal Olympic stadium) going crazy, and i still think the crowd on 5/14 was better due to their superior knowledge of the band and their music.

just my thoughts.

 

[jimjam]

That's why they should have taped Amsterdam 3! For me the best setlist of the tour and the best looking venue (for gigs that is)...

There was nothing great about that setlist except WGRYWH and MS, chicago 2 had that + Fast Cars OOTS and Bad,


They should just release Miland and broadcast Croke 2 and release New York next tour

 

[Neilz]

There was nothing great about that setlist except WGRYWH and MS, chicago 2 had that + Fast Cars OOTS and Bad,

They should just release Miland and broadcast Croke 2 and release New York next tour

Hmmm... Amsterdam 3 had :

- WGRYWH
- Premiere of Miss Sarajevo
- Premiere of OOTS fullband
- 40 instead of Vertigo x 2

And you are naming Chicago 2, but that's the 3rd leg! Bad is pretty standard in the 3d leg setlists. We were talking openair/stadium gigs!

And about releasing New York next tour... U2 should wake up and realize that all their top live DVD/VHS registrations are NOT filmed in the US...

 

[zwervers2]

oh and the Chicago DvD sucks by the way..
What an effortless approach to filming the greatest band alive today...UNBEFUCKINGLIEVABLE...There is no mood no feeling totally nothing..and what in the world happens to Edge his guitar(volumewise) It's a shame because the tour thusfar has been very very good

I realy hope they decide to give Milan a go or Amsterdam III for that matter..No more American indoor for a while please..

Have a nice day everyone!

 

[bathiu]

U2 should wake up and realize that all their top live DVD/VHS registrations are NOT filmed in the US...

 

[chrissybaby]

i think to be fair to the Chicago crowd, it may have something to do with the fact that expectations are too high when everyone knows there will be filming taking place. If it was announced beforehand on stage that the night would be "magical" it kinda means that it probably wont be. Magic at U2 shows just happens, i'm big enough to say that some of the shows I went to the crowd was pretty poor and the band weren't kicking off either. But some nights it just happens. I remember 3 songs in during Manchester 2, i turned to my sister and said that it was already 10 times better than last night. Don't know why or how, but it just was. The weight of expectation can kill a crowd dead. Slane was so great because it wasn't a huge production with cameras everywhere, it was almost filmed on the quiet compared to Chicago.

Yes Hamish doesn't help, but he cant make a crap gig good, just like he cant make a great gig crap (no matter how hard he tries ;-)).

You can't polish a turd!

 

[Irvine511]

i think to be fair to the Chicago crowd, it may have something to do with the fact that expectations are too high when everyone knows there will be filming taking place. If it was announced beforehand on stage that the night would be "magical" it kinda means that it probably wont be. Magic at U2 shows just happens, i'm big enough to say that some of the shows I went to the crowd was pretty poor and the band weren't kicking off either. But some nights it just happens. I remember 3 songs in during Manchester 2, i turned to my sister and said that it was already 10 times better than last night. Don't know why or how, but it just was. The weight of expectation can kill a crowd dead. Slane was so great because it wasn't a huge production with cameras everywhere, it was almost filmed on the quiet compared to Chicago.

Yes Hamish doesn't help, but he cant make a crap gig good, just like he cant make a great gig crap (no matter how hard he tries ;-)).

You can't polish a turd!

well said.

 

[ZooMacPhisto800]

The ignorance coming from certain people is amazing... "No more American indoor for a while". Do you even know what you're talking about? We are from America and we think the DVD sucks, we think it's not an accurate reflection of an American show. You guys use it to paint all American shows with the same brush. You really have no idea.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Question: Who was in charge of filming Milan?

 

[The_One1932]

I have seen U2 shows all across america and i think they shouldn't do another DVD from the states (born and raised in the USA for the record) unless its in NY or SF simply because everywhere else, the crowd just isn't as into it, and when the crowd isn't there, the band doesn't get into it as much. In SF and NY the crowd cheers, encore like, for minutes between songs and is beyond appreciative of the band, going nuts for each and every song. I didn't feel this in chicago, nor in LA, nor in boston or any of the other big american cities i have seen them in. NY or SF deserves a release, why they chose chicago, i will never know...

 

[Popmartijn]

Question: Who was in charge of filming Milan?

Hamish Hamilton. Again.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Hamish Hamilton. Again.

Soooo why does everyone think the Milan show will be that much better?

 

[OpperGoeroe]

Soooo why does everyone think the Milan show will be that much better?

He was also in charge for Slane, and Slane is way better than Boston. And refering to the Milan clips shown on TV it will be awesome.

 

[U2Man]

oh and the Chicago DvD sucks by the way..
What an effortless approach to filming the greatest band alive today...UNBEFUCKINGLIEVABLE...There is no mood no feeling totally nothing..and what in the world happens to Edge his guitar(volumewise) It's a shame because the tour thusfar has been very very good

I realy hope they decide to give Milan a go or Amsterdam III for that matter..No more American indoor for a while please..

Have a nice day everyone!

Well, have a nice day yourself, too, zwervers!

You're right. There's definitely a lot missing in there. Some mood. Some atmosphere. Some power. Some magic. A friend of mine called this "the lousiest possible souvenir they could hand out from a great tour".

 

[theu2fly]

I think Milan will be that one show, where people wanted the bootleg of previous tours, where the audience was equal as the band, if not more powerful than the band. This DVD will be what you've always wanted to see, but weren't at.

 

[Irvine511]

i also wonder if stadiums film better than arenas? it's a way more dramatic setting.

 

[dudeman]

i don't see the problem. am i the only one who likes the chicago dvd?

 

[Neilz]

Soooo why does everyone think the Milan show will be that much better?

Yes! But only because the show itself will be better too!

It's not just Hamish who made Vertigo in Chicago a crap DVD, it's also the show/crowd...

From what I've heard, the Milan show was great and came close to Amsterdam 3... We will see in a couple of months and then will be able to conclude if (like with Boston and Slane, although Boston is much better that Chicago) the outdoor, non-american show again is the better one...

 

[Neilz]

i don't see the problem. am i the only one who likes the chicago dvd?

Have you ever seen Zoo-TV Sydney? Popmart Mexico? Elevation Boston and Elevation Slane? They áll top Vertigo Chicago!

 

[Chizip]

Well, have a nice day yourself, too, zwervers!

You're right. There's definitely a lot missing in there. Some mood. Some atmosphere. Some power. Some magic. A friend of mine called this "the lousiest possible souvenir they could hand out from a great tour".

i just think the tour in general isnt that great, even moreso so early in the tour, which makes the DVD not so great

 

[i_love_adam]

Hamish Hamilton. Again.

Oh shit! What the bloody fuck?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!??! He looks like a door-to-door pencil salesman, for land sakes! And what kind of crap directions does he give his crew anyway? Something along the line of "just relax and have fun... enjoy shooting the best band in the world..." HUH?

He also forgot to take shots of the signs held up by people. At the start of Beautiful Day Bono is reading an Irish flag. We never get to see what is written on the white segment of the Irish flag.

The whole thing looks to me like a 50% Bono, 20% Edge, 20% Adam, 10% LArry (give and take) job.

This man has a fettish for seeing the band drink water, I tell you.

I want to pick a bone with the documentary too. Can't he just appeal to what people who buy the DVD (U2 FANS) want to see? To step up the commercialism shoot more of the band behind the scenes. Not so much the fans, not the stern looking set designer who looks like a teacher, not the guy with the Irish times and the one who introduced Mr Irish Times, not himself. We already bought the DVD mister, you do not have to promote it to us.

Thinking of my best friend and I from multimedia club directing the DVD, a smile crept on my face.

 

[U2Man]

i just think the tour in general isnt that great, even moreso so early in the tour, which makes the DVD not so great

But still....we've had some great bootlegs and reports of great shows here and there....where you can sense a completely different atmosphere and enthusiasm and the band at a completely different level. You can hear thousands of people singing along to the Electric Co. on some of the bootlegs and Bono's voice in a completely different shape. On this DVD he doesn't hit the right note just once during the difficult passages of OOTS, you can clearly hear he's struggling with a cold or something. I don't get why they didn't trash this one and recorded one of the fall shows instead.

 

[thelaj]

I downloaded the Paris Videodrug Project DVD. I suggest everyone do the same if they can. I have seen the official DVD, chicago 9 May bootleg and the U2 rocks your face off compilation, and the Paris is by far the best.

I went to Manchester 1 & 2 so I can concur with what was said about the M2 concert being far superior. I also think the stadium setup lends itself well to film. The crowd are immense at Paris (due to the number probably). And of course I think it being an amateur shoot its cool because you actually see the band without crazy pans and zooms (though I do love Boston DVD).

The Milan DVD should be great because its different staging to Chicago (which is one reason they released Slane since it was an outdoor show). I don't think they would release another arena show since it would be pretty redundant from a commercial PoV. The european crowds tend to be more enthusiastic (probably because of the beer and hug crowd) though the Boston crowd were cool - I always see that girl bouncing on SBS *lol*.

I thought I should say that "40" at Chicago is mega cool as well - I love Adam making an effort with the guitar.

Finally, I think the setlist at Milan is better and will lend itself to a more explosive concert.

 

[ZooMacPhisto800]

Sydney and Mexico are not great crowds. The best U2 film ever made was filmed in the US, please see Rattle and Hum.

 

[ZooMacPhisto800]

If they wanted to capture a great arena show, they should've filmed Montreal. I've heard they can't due to union issues (or something to that effect)... would have to use the Bell Centre's personnel.

 

[bathiu]

Sydney and Mexico are not great crowds. The best U2 film ever made was filmed in the US, please see Rattle and Hum.

 

[CTU2fan]

OK, so Hamish makes another crap dvd, what a surprise...who didn't see that coming? But some folks with agendas around here would much ratehr blame it on American crowds. Doesn't it ever get old?

Let's be honest, Slane dvd wasn't THAT great...again, from what I've heard the 1st Slane gig was better. Could it be that U2 themselves just plain suck (relatively speaking of course) when they know they're filming the gig for release? I've a dvd of Elevation Boston 3 (8 June) and it blows the official dvd away in terms of atmosphere.

And yes, best U2 concert dvd=R&H. Of course no one will acknowledge that, because it's shot in America...and don't forget Red Rocks.

Of course I can't wait for the Milan dvd, because any U2 proshot is excellent...