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I'll take the artwork over the song. Colour me thrilled they've come up with another shit new song that I'll have to hear live over their classics :|
 
Just listened. Best part of the song for me is the bridge with those horns (?) and then the Edge solo.

The blatant rip off of Blondie in the chorus is honestly distracting.
 
Good God, The Fly and Streets looked incredible.

I can't wait to see what other acts do with this venue.
 
DaveC said:
last night's version was *much* better than the versions i heard from the SOE tour.
Click to expand...

Maybe my only substantial regret in missing that tour, and what I saw last night totally negated it. What a monster of a performance. LIB also stunning.

So Cruel a bit more complicated, I appreciate what they were trying to do with it—reminded me of something more classic, maybe Roy Orbison? But the production of the album version is so unique, it’s maybe something that is better left as a recorded experience.

Tryin’ To Throw was also great and it’s a shame it was never in rotation before.
 
There are always going to be nitpicky things to say by fans that want what they want, and I am no exception. However, I also think the nitpicking is moot.

I will spoiler this.

I had a fucking blast at both shows and am really glad, and grateful, that I was able to attend. Every single AB song was just a joy and a treasure to hear, and since I had missed the SOE tour, this was my first time ever hearing Acrobat, which has been a top 10 song for me since the very first time I heard it. God did they play the shit out of that song. Bono, to me, sounded great, looked great, and seemed to be truly happy to be performing on this sort of stage again.

I am sure the portion between AB songs might see opinions vary, but, any chance to hear/sing along to "All I Want is You" is fine with me. I enjoyed it.

Yeah, it was just a joy, don't know what else to say, really.

The songs that got me the most into it, you know those moments where you truly get lost in the music:

Zoo Station
Acrobat
Until the End of the World
So Cruel (intense)
Streets

Lastly, that fucking venue. The audio/visual capabilities of that place is off the charts. I laughed out loud twice the first night at some of the shit that venue was able to do visually. I'll be back in December for one more show.

Hope you are all well....
 
Glad you enjoyed it. Similarly I was laughing myself in astonishment on multiple occasions.

Did you have the same seats at both shows? And did you notice any difference between the performances?
 
I was in the 200's both nights. The seats for the 2nd night were better, though, dead center stage and a few rows closer. I walked all over the venue, and, to me, the 200's are the best of both worlds - you are not too far from the stage, but you are distanced and high up enough to take in the entirety of the visuals. There are many seats in the 100's that have a better (but not amazing) view of the stage, but, you cannot see the entire screen behind the band. I mean, that's fine and all, you don't HAVE to see the screen but, I if you're gonna go see a show at Sphere, you might as well take the whole thing in.

As for differences in the performances, only two things jumped at me, really. I'll spoiler both but that is probably overkill:

The first is musical

and it's just that the performance of So Cruel on night two seemed a more intense, like Bono was feeling it more. I could be imagining that of course, but that's how it seemed to me.

The second has to do with the venue/Vegas itself. I've been to Vegas like 25 times in my life, at least, and I don't need to be told about how debauched that city is - that's part and parcel of what makes it Vegas. But, to me, there are limits, and certainly those limits should be applied to something as tame as a U2 concert, Vegas or no Vegas. That being said, I saw some shit before, during and after the show that I could not believe nor possibly completely list here. But, here is a photo of something I observed before the show - this was by where the GA people had been lined up. By the time I took this picture, they had been inside for about 45 minutes. I am not going to speculate on what the hell happened here but I do think the photo speaks for itself. I thought U2 fans were better than this.....

 
No spoken words said:
I am not going to speculate on what the hell happened here but I do think the photo speaks for itself. I thought U2 fans were better than this.....



Click to expand...



I was getting ready to say some line about how U2 fans are just people like anyone else… but then I opened the picture and I think it’s safe to say I thought U2 fans were better than that also.
 
No spoken words said:
The second has to do with the venue/Vegas itself. I've been to Vegas like 25 times in my life, at least, and I don't need to be told about how debauched that city is - that's part and parcel of what makes it Vegas. But, to me, there are limits, and certainly those limits should be applied to something as tame as a U2 concert, Vegas or no Vegas. That being said, I saw some shit before, during and after the show that I could not believe nor possibly completely list here. But, here is a photo of something I observed before the show - this was by where the GA people had been lined up. By the time I took this picture, they had been inside for about 45 minutes. I am not going to speculate on what the hell happened here but I do think the photo speaks for itself. I thought U2 fans were better than this.....

Click to expand...

Oh the humanity.



:lol:
 
No spoken words said:
I was in the 200's both nights. The seats for the 2nd night were better, though, dead center stage and a few rows closer. I walked all over the venue, and, to me, the 200's are the best of both worlds - you are not too far from the stage, but you are distanced and high up enough to take in the entirety of the visuals. There are many seats in the 100's that have a better (but not amazing) view of the stage, but, you cannot see the entire screen behind the band. I mean, that's fine and all, you don't HAVE to see the screen but, I if you're gonna go see a show at Sphere, you might as well take the whole thing in.

As for differences in the performances, only two things jumped at me, really. I'll spoiler both but that is probably overkill:

The first is musical

and it's just that the performance of So Cruel on night two seemed a more intense, like Bono was feeling it more. I could be imagining that of course, but that's how it seemed to me.

The second has to do with the venue/Vegas itself. I've been to Vegas like 25 times in my life, at least, and I don't need to be told about how debauched that city is - that's part and parcel of what makes it Vegas. But, to me, there are limits, and certainly those limits should be applied to something as tame as a U2 concert, Vegas or no Vegas. That being said, I saw some shit before, during and after the show that I could not believe nor possibly completely list here. But, here is a photo of something I observed before the show - this was by where the GA people had been lined up. By the time I took this picture, they had been inside for about 45 minutes. I am not going to speculate on what the hell happened here but I do think the photo speaks for itself. I thought U2 fans were better than this.....

Click to expand...

bro that's not even the half of it...

attachment.php
 
That was fucking great. One of the best shows I have ever seen.
 
My review for the October 5th show:

Well, for somebody who is an Achtung Baby / ZooTV fanatic, and who was too young to see that tour, this show was in many ways a dream come true. It was an ideal combination of intimacy and spectacle. I should emphasise as to how much of a small club experience that GA feels like, which was just as impressive as the bombastic production. Standing very close to Edge while he was playing his Love is Blindness solo - his greatest in my mind - is easily my U2 concert highlight.

A lot has been said about the venue and it truly is an intimidating, colossal and dystopian monstrosity. In a good way. I do think the band smartly utilized the screen, not letting it to overshadow and overpower the music. One random impression - I love the fact that the Achtung Baby sound effects followed you through those black hallways all the way to the bar or the toilet.

Gigantic screen notwithstanding, what matters is the playing and I think the band has approached this smartly. It is good to see Bono truly focused on the songs. Scripted Broadway speeches are thankfully gone. Long-ass political or campaign introductions are gone. A song like One sounded fresh because the focus was on the song and only the song. The Hear Us Coming verse was sadly missing, but Bono made up for it in trying to replicate the album falsetto climax. Sure, the Boner was talkative, especially during the acoustic set, but I never had the feeling it derailed the show, and it felt like it was honestly reflecting his enthusiasm.

As soon as that I Could Have Lost You intro started, I knew the show was going to be special. A minor flub or two notwithstanding, the band went through that first Achtung Baby set with tremendous power. The visuals were insane, especially during The Fly and Even Better Than the Real Thing. My one big complaint is Mysterious Ways should always, always have the slide guitar solo. Bram van den Berg was being faithful and respectful to Larry's drum parts, and what was possibly missing in Larry's unique groove was made up by his energy. Those drums were punished severely during the night.

Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World was always a big live favourite for me and I was happy to see that this live version was similar to the ZooTV one. While Bono was doing his bit with the fan, Edge was doing some nice guitar improv parts. The only nitpick was that his guitar felt a bit low in the overall mix. The sound was in general very crisp and clear, even though the band might have overhyped the quality a bit in the promotional campaign. At least in the GA, it did not sound that revolutionary as advertised. But excellent sound nonetheless. Maybe some of you who had a seat had a different impression?

The acoustic set was the best one of the U2 acoustic sets I've seen (not there is that much competition there), simply because it was full band. I have enjoyed listening to Angel of Harlem for the first time live, and Bono dedicating All I Want is You to Eddie Vedder - who was having a lot of fun on the balcony with his wife and Javier Bardem - makes this a delight, since Pearl Jam is my other favorite band. It was bizarre to hear and see Love Rescue Me - possibly my least favourite pre-2000 track - but it was a nice little version, and it is cool to see Edge on bass. In terms of pacing, this part of the set might have been a tad too long. But I still vastly prefer that to I Still Haven't Found / Pride / MLK alternative. This was my first show without Pride and I have not missed it at all.

What followed was likely the highlight. So Cruel was done very well, and the masterful transition to a very powerful Acrobat showed that the band's moody and heavy dark side is one of its strongest. This culminated in a masterful version of Love is Blindness. I was trepidatious they might neuter the song a bit, but no, this was the ZooTV arrangement in its full glory, and Edge was just demolishing that guitar. I was never as emotional on a U2 show as during that song.

The encore was expectedly a crowd pleaser, just like the JT '17 tour. As much as I would like to hear anything other than Elevation as the encore opener (I think Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me would be ideal here), one has to admit it gets the people going, and the casuals probably deserved it after being subjected to the set from Love Rescue Me to Love is Blindness. The visuals during With or Without You were downright stunning. I did not mind Streets coming after Vertigo - as in the case of One, I think the song itself was in the foreground, and it is an excellent song even without a big intro or segue. Closing the show with Beautiful Day might seem weird, but it does make sense when you are there and you see that crazy screen doing its thing.

Overall, it was a special show and it made me far less cynical about the band. Those Achtung Baby songs are always incredibly powerful live and one can see how exquisite of a talent The Edge is in particular. If Larry was there, I would call it easily my favourite U2 show I've been to so far. Maybe it is anyway.
 
Last edited:
djerdap said:
My review for the October 5th show:

Well, for somebody who is an Achtung Baby / ZooTV fanatic, and who was too young to see that tour, this show was in many ways a dream come true. It was an ideal combination of intimacy and spectacle. I should emphasise as to how much of a small club experience that GA feels like, which was just as impressive as the bombastic production. Standing very close to Edge while he was playing his Love is Blindness solo - his greatest in my mind - is easily my U2 concert highlight.

A lot has been said about the venue and it truly is an intimidating, colossal and dystopian monstrosity. In a good way. I do think the band smartly utilized the screen, not letting it to overshadow and overpower the music. One random impression - I love the fact that the Achtung Baby sound effects followed you through those black hallways all the way to the bar or the toilet.

Gigantic screen notwithstanding, what matters is the playing and I think the band has approached this smartly. It is good to see Bono truly focused on the songs. Scripted Broadway speeches are thankfully gone. Long-ass political or campaign introductions are gone. A song like One sounded fresh because the focus was on the song and only the song. The Hear Us Coming verse was sadly missing, but Bono made up for it in trying to replicate the album falsetto climax. Sure, the Boner was talkative, especially during the acoustic set, but I never had the feeling it derailed the show, and it felt like it was honestly reflecting his enthusiasm.

As soon as that I Could Have Lost You intro started, I knew the show was going to be special. A minor flub or two notwithstanding, the band went through that first Achtung Baby set with tremendous power. The visuals were insane, especially during The Fly and Even Better Than the Real Thing. My one big complaint is Mysterious Ways should always, always have the slide guitar solo. Bram van den Berg was being faithful and respectful to Larry's drum parts, and what was possibly missing in Larry's unique groove was made up by his energy. Those drums were punished severely during the night.

Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World was always a big live favourite for me and I was happy to see that this live version was similar to the ZooTV one. While Bono was doing his bit with the fan, Edge was doing some nice guitar improv parts. The only nitpick was that his guitar felt a bit low in the overall mix. The sound was in general very crisp and clear, even though the band might have overhyped the quality a bit in the promotional campaign. At least in the GA, it did not sound that revolutionary as advertised. But excellent sound nonetheless. Maybe some of you who had a seat had a different impression?

The acoustic set was the best one of the U2 acoustic sets I've seen (not there is that much competition there), simply because it was full band. I have enjoyed listening to Angel of Harlem for the first time live, and Bono dedicating All I Want is You to Eddie Vedder - who was having a lot of fun on the balcony with his wife and Javier Bardem - makes this a delight, since Pearl Jam is my other favorite band. It was bizarre to hear and see Love Rescue Me - possibly my least favourite pre-2000 track - but it was a nice little version, and it is cool to see Edge on bass. In terms of pacing, this part of the set might have been a tad too long. But I still vastly prefer that to I Still Haven't Found / Pride / MLK alternative. This was my first show without Pride and I have not missed it at all.

What followed was likely the highlight. So Cruel was done very well, and the masterful transition to a very powerful Acrobat showed that the band's moody and heavy dark side is one of its strongest. This culminated in a masterful version of Love is Blindness. I was trepidatious they might neuter the song a bit, but no, this was the ZooTV arrangement in its full glory, and Edge was just demolishing that guitar. I was never as emotional on a U2 show as during that song.

The encore was expectedly a crowd pleaser, just like the JT '17 tour. As much as I would like to hear anything other than Elevation as the encore opener (I think Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me would be ideal here), one has to admit it gets the people going, and the casuals probably deserved it after being subjected to the set from Love Rescue Me to Love is Blindness. The visuals during With or Without You were downright stunning. I did not mind Streets coming after Vertigo - as in the case of One, I think the song itself was in the foreground, and it is an excellent song even without a big intro or segue. Closing the show with Beautiful Day might seem weird, but it does make sense when you are there and you see that crazy screen doing its thing.

Overall, it was a special show and it made me far less cynical about the band. Those Achtung Baby songs are always incredibly powerful live and one can see how exquisite of a talent The Edge is in particular. If Larry was there, I would call it easily my favourite U2 show I've been to so far. Maybe it is anyway.
Click to expand...

thanks for your review. my thoughts are very similar to yours. i think the one area where we might disagree is the audio - which i thought was as clear as any i've ever heard. yes - there were some moments where the edge could have been louder - but i think that's more of a JOH thing vs. a venue thing.

a moment that you brought up actually shows how technologically advanced the audio is - and it's something i didn't quite put together, either, until after the fact. those little Eno-ish Achtung flourishes you hear in the bathrooms and bar areas. i agree that they were really nice touches, and thought so at the time. but the more you think of it - and think of your previous concert experiences - the reason WHY they used them becomes kinda crazy.

the audio from the speakers disappears when you're not in sight of a speaker. there's no audio bleed at all. once you enter the back area the sound from the stage - which is quite loud - just disappears. if they didn't have those Eno-ish snippets playing, the back area would just be silent.

i agree on the visuals and the pacing of them. i think they probably could have tossed one more crazy visual in - probably for Acrobat. But aside from that - yea - they did a really masterful job of showing off the amazing technology that they had at their disposal, but not letting it overwhelm the music or the performance.

i'm really hoping this isn't the last time they play this venue. i would love to see them come back with something else in the future, especially with the experience of what works and what doesn't work under their belt.
 
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