Setlist Discussion Part II - Spoilers Allowed, Enter At Your Own Risk

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
When I was walking out of GA there were two young sounding guys behind me who were basically praising the fact that the show wasn't "political" and that it was instead "positive". They attributed that to the fact that U2 is older, and started talking about how now that they're "older" they're not either. It was so cringeworthy to me, especially with all that's going on in the world.

Of course I can only imagine the discussions about the Las Vegas shows and speculate that they were not going to be political during those shows, don't want to turn off the casual or non fans. Not that it doesn't turn off some avid fans and I understand that, even though that's who U2 has always been.
 
:lmao::lmao::lmao:

if that is a "political statement" then let's pack it in and go home. By FAR my least favourite part of the show. The Bono of any previous year would be horrified to see how weak he is on this.

Bono said that it was a prayer for a little peace in the world. And for the peace makers. I thought it was a good acoustic duet with just Bono and Edge. Plus we never get to hear it. Much better than acoustic SBS and Pride constantly imo.:shrug:
 
Maybe they saw different empty seats that they wanted to sit in. Lots of people were doing that at a recent Springsteen show I attended.

Not U2, but a unexpected, fabulous concert seat changing memory.

This was The Who at '89 ?Giants Stadium. My friends & sis got tickets, but I couldn't afford to go. Then - I suddenly got a call from an old employer to come in, and do some work if I wanted to. I said "Sure!" (though I wasn't that good [setting up jewelry for photo shoots vs clerical work] having been out of that kind of work for 2 years).

Still, it gave me enough $ to buy a cheaper seat in the 2nd level stands. :) We went in a car together, and they walked w me to my seat, staying till it looked close to opening start.

THEN after the intermission - one of them came, and got me! :ohmy: :happy:
.Seems the people (or 1 person) got up from their floor seat(s), and never came back! :hyper: So I got to enjoy the second half of the show with my peeps,and long time Who fans/concert goers. :love:
 
Last edited:
If Zooropa gets a turntable spot I'm going to eat the cash and go.
....

If you mean Zooropa the song - I know what you mean! In my top 5 U2 songs!

When they started playing it in ?late 2010 in Europe, and we knew they'd be back to the East Coast USA in 2011 - I was praying they'd keep it in the set.
I was ecstatic once I knew it'd be in. Then having The Screen abstract images along with it?
Double Magic! :happy: :hyper:
One of my best U2 concert memories! :love:

(nvrmnd if u didn't mean the song itself :lol: :up:)
 
I am about to attend my 7th show since 2011 and I believe Bono has been at every one of them.

from abc.net.au
"Bruce Springsteen, Chris Martin fill in for Bono at surprise U2 show for World Aids Day 2014 in NYC. Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay's Chris Martin have filled in for U2's injured lead singer Bono and rocked a surprise World AIDS Day concert in New York's Times Square.".
I was there for that. :up:
 
I attended the November 1 show with my Mom, aunt and uncle. I've seen every tour since Vertigo and they've all seen every tour since the original JT. We all had our minds completely blown!!

Of course, the Sphere has been discussed to no end. I just can't emphasize enough what I suspect most of us here already know. This venue is a game changer and its potential limitless. However, the idea (mostly from U2 haters) that Phish or (fill in the blank) act could play this venue and be "so much better than boring U2" or whatever is absolutely absurd!!

Anyone playing here has to be on their game- thoughtful in how they present visuals and integrate them into the show, etc, etc. Who else has a Willie Williams or the reasonable equivalent? I think something on this scale would take a creative director who specializes in this and knows the act intimately from years of working with them.

I also think U2 is one of the only if not the only act that could resist the temptation to go all out the whole show in this venue. You have to be able to strip it back and deliver moments of genuine intimacy and spontaniety.

Which brings me to what really stood out to me among many other U2 shows I've seen. Even though I saw the most common, static turntable set (All I want is you, Desire, Angel, Love rescue me), it was loose, fun and interactive. I'm seeing a Bono I noticed during the Surrender tour continue and I love it. He's managing to come off as the genuine, likable, caring person he is without some of the stuff that makes people perceive him as an ego maniac! I can't put my finger on it, but he just seems like a burden has been lifted off of him.

I have long since changed my mindset on setlist complaining. Of course, I was a little disappointed to have missed the War set by a day. Always been my third favorite U2 album. The old me would've actually been pissed. No more. I realize we're lucky to have them period, never mind still playing at the level they are. And pushing boundaries as they do it!

I also would've said you were crazy if you told me, say, on the first leg of 360 when ATYCLB and NLOTH were taking up 12 of 24 songs in the show, that by 2023, I'd have heard all of JT and AB live in addition to the Glorias, Electric cos, Dirty Days, Octobers, etc, etc that have reappeared over the years!

I tried to put myself back where I was all those years ago first discovering All I Want Is You. I mean, I knew about 15-20 songs and had no idea one of their greatest songs even existed. Enjoyed the stories, snippets and interactions between band members during Desire and Angel. Always loved Love Rescue Me.

AB was unreal! Visuals and performances were top notch. Just like JT, they clearly went back and listened extensively to how they recorded and played these songs 30 years ago! One was gorgeous- sung properly again. Hitting the falsetto in EBTTRT. MW didn't have the slide solo but had an extended outro with Edge really on! I could go on, but it's what everyone else here has already said. Bram injects some energy and life, too.

The encore was as expected and I have to laugh at anyone who wasn't expecting it! You can't play a whole album in a casuals atmosphere and not run through the must-do hits afterwards.

You knew you were getting Atomic City, they told us as much! Anyone reasonable knew we were getting Streets , WOWY and Beautiful Day. And no one reasonable should've been surprised at Elevation or Vertigo.

I have my wishes like anyone else! Aside from the turntable set, the encore is something I think could easily be added to. Say, COBL before Elevation or I Will Follow after Beautiful Day. You know IWF is going somewhere to keep up the streak- whether it's semi-acoustic turntable style (Zoo Tv call back) or in the encore.

There's things that can and likely will change. For all the talk of the same exact show every night, we've seen different songs played (SBS, Pride, Still haven't found, Seconds, Two Hearts, When love comes to town) with some regularity.

Even if nothing changes, I can't bring myself to complain about a set that includes all of Achtung Baby. Especially when it's played the way they are playing it. And most especially when they're doing it as the first act in a ground breaking venue and getting, by far, their best press in 20 years for it!!

This is such a WIN for U2 and I am SO proud of them! Larry especially as I'm sure someone in the group was apprehensive about doing this and had to be reassured by him!

Logistics and money are obstacles, but I will be doing EVERYTHING I CAN to get to another show or maybe even two of them!!
 
Last edited:
I have long since changed my mindset on setlist complaining. Of course, I was a little disappointed to have missed the War set by a day. Always been my third favorite U2 album. The old me would've actually been pissed. No more. I realize we're lucky to have them period, never mind still playing at the level they are. And pushing boundaries as they do it!

I enjoyed your review, and the part above really resonated with me. I just feel so lucky to have seen this show. And really proud of the band for how well it's gone. :heart:
 
I left both shows I saw with a similar feeling. I had plenty of critiques and changes I'd like to make, but the overwhelming feeling was one of, wow, what a privilege to see my favourite band play my favourite album in such an incredible venue and sound so good doing it, as they approach old age.
 
U2songs have just posted on Facebook a link to an article behind a pay wall that includes an interview with Willie Williams. Apparently he mentions that one visual effect they cut from the show was the “mofo-strobe”.

Ugh.
 
I wish they would do a show where everyone takes shrooms (they're slowly becoming more and more legal) and then you get a seat with a seatbelt so you don't hurt yourself and then they just let loose with the craziest effects Sphere is capable of.
 
We needed seatbelts for the second show I saw on Nov 4. Dude at the end of my row had a few too many beers and got so excited during Streets that he fell face first into the next row, breaking his glasses. Sphere security came and eventually convinced him that he had to leave. He'd been obnoxious and loud and physically unstable for a while before he finally fell.
 
I wish they would do a show where everyone takes shrooms (they're slowly becoming more and more legal) and then you get a seat with a seatbelt so you don't hurt yourself and then they just let loose with the craziest effects Sphere is capable of.

It's a scientific experiment.

We needed seatbelts for the second show I saw on Nov 4. Dude at the end of my row had a few too many beers and got so excited during Streets that he fell face first into the next row, breaking his glasses. Sphere security came and eventually convinced him that he had to leave. He'd been obnoxious and loud and physically unstable for a while before he finally fell.

Holy fuck, that made me laugh.
...hope he's ok, of course. XD
 
Holy fuck, that made me laugh.
...hope he's ok, of course. XD

I think he was okay, just intoxicated. I didn't find it very funny until it was time to leave. That's when I took a photo of all the Atomic Duck beer cans under his seat.

While it was happening, it was just a bummer. I don't care how many times I've seen Streets live, it's still a MOMENT. And that guy, by being that guy, kinda ruined it for our row and the people around us. The New Yorkers next to me, who were only there for the one show, seemed especially miffed by the distraction.
 
I think he was okay, just intoxicated. I didn't find it very funny until it was time to leave. That's when I took a photo of all the Atomic Duck beer cans under his seat.

While it was happening, it was just a bummer. I don't care how many times I've seen Streets live, it's still a MOMENT. And that guy, by being that guy, kinda ruined it for our row and the people around us. The New Yorkers next to me, who were only there for the one show, seemed especially miffed by the distraction.

I'd be mad too if he was by me. It's (sort of) nice in GA when you get near obnoxious people, they or you might end up moving so at least you're not by them for the whole show. I had a lady leaning hard on me for a while at one sphere show and a couple REALLY TERRIBLE singers for a while at another, ha.
 
Nice to see an R&H/War split last night, plus the expected Pogues cover, and glad they did a full song instead of just snippeting them elsewhere.

And Terry Lawless back in the spotlight!
 
Last edited:
Caught last night's show from just under the overhang . That whole section was great. Two Hearts was fantastic.
 
Nice to see an R&H/War split last night, plus the expected Pogues cover, and glad they did a full song instead of just snippeting them elsewhere.

And Terry Lawless back in the spotlight!

Yes! I was glad I was there for that and I finally got to hear Two Hearts Beat As One live. Of the December shows, its looking like the show I attended will be the only one to get War tracks.

Sphere debut of COBL tonight, and for the first time since '87, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).
 
Last edited:
Last night’s turntable section was a pleasant surprise. Didn’t think I would get to see any Sphere debuts, let alone COBL and Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). I hope they work on it today and play a full-band version, seems that it was supposed to be acoustic but Bram and Adam joined in towards the end.

If they don’t play it tonight, they’re dumb. It’s the closest show to Christmas. :lol: Hopefully they’ll mix it up again and we get the War section. Or another debut or two.
 
Last edited:
Well of course I got Rattle and Hum for my 3rd show. :lol:
That version of Love Rescue Me is beautiful, though.

In all honesty, I will take back what I originally said about the encore needing more work. It works fine in person and gets the crowd going. Setlist pacing also works. Thought the balloon bit in Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World was “cute”, much better than the original plan.

As for other post-show closing thoughts: I do have to say that this will probably be the closest I will ever get to a dream U2 show and I am at peace in knowing that they may never top this. They captured all of the emotions of Achtung Baby and did it justice in a live setting. And what a venue to have experienced this in.
 
Last edited:
I agree with most of what you said, except for Love Rescue Me. The original isn't bad - although there's about 100 U2 songs I'd rather hear than it - but this truncated, barely-there, politically cowardly version they're playing sucks arse. I'm pretty sure they both fucking sat down when they played it in October.
 
I hope they release the Lemon remix someday. It was fun to see everyone dancing to it while waiting for the band to walk on.
 
Back
Top Bottom