More new U2 album discussion!

[*I*]

Click Clack

 

[cobl04]

The 2010 setlists were the worst. Check out this one. Was still a very enjoyable show (any U2 gig is going to be) but Beautiful Day was a flat opener, Magnificent was a yawn, they played Mysterious Ways sans solo, North Star is a cure for insomnia...

Return of Stingray Guitar intro
Beautiful Day
I Will Follow
Get on Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
Until the End of the World
I Still Haven't Found...
North Star
Pride
In a Little While
Miss Sarajevo
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Crazy Tonight remix
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On

One
Streets

Ultraviolet
With or Without You
Moment of Surrender

 

[U2girl]

Not that it matters, but this statement is 100% false.

But never let facts get in the way of a good argument.

It's just interesting to see the opinions switch. Anyway...

 

[U2girl]

This makes no sense.

The visuals dictate the songs, along with the theme of the tour.

 

[U2girl]

Then of course, they're still bad people for not taking requests or being spontaneous.

U2 never took requests.

And their show hasn't been spontaneous at least since Zoo TV days.

 

[AcrobatU2Pop]

U2 never took requests.

And their show hasn't been spontaneous at least since Zoo TV days.

I would consider the moments they brought fans up on stage top play with them during the Elevation Tour pretty spontaneous.

 

[Vlaco]

U2 never took requests.

Me on stage with U2..AGAIN!!! - YouTube

 

[beachball]

Yeah. They can't just suddenly break into a rarity if the stage lights are set to red!

Just try to imagine the reaction if they started playing Red Light...

 

[jeevey]

Me on stage with U2..AGAIN!!! - YouTube

Couldn't stop smiling at that. That guy was totally prepared and yet also jumping out of his skin. How totally fabulous.

Seriously though, I think that taking requests and being spontaneous is just not the way U2 wants to play, even if they could. They are control freaks, in a good way. They want every variable under their control, to make it exactly what they want. It's not only that they can't do randomness and unpredictability- they also just don't like it. They want to hit it out of the park every time, and they want to feel secure about being able to.

 

[Vlaco]

Couldn't stop smiling at that.

Good for you.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

Couldn't stop smiling at that. That guy was totally prepared and yet also jumping out of his skin. How totally fabulous.

Seriously though, I think that taking requests and being spontaneous is just not the way U2 wants to play, even if they could. They are control freaks, in a good way. They want every variable under their control, to make it exactly what they want. It's not only that they can't do randomness and unpredictability- they also just don't like it. They want to hit it out of the park every time, and they want to feel secure about being able to.

That's very nice, good for him as well. When or where was this?

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

nobody is protecting this house. this is just dumb bullshit.

Clean House - YouTube

 

[The_acrobat]

I think also some of the blame should be focused on Willie Williams and his lighting crew. I think that he shares almost equal say in what the setlists are. They obviously work very well together, and Willie is surely one of the best in his field, but he certainly likes things to remain a certain way too I think.

 

[popacrobat]

Click Clack

damn right

 

[Galeongirl]

...
Technology does play a role. The electronics and videos are tied into a playlist. If U2 randomly does a deviation, that will cause problems or look sloppy. That said, I have enjoyed some rare treats, like the sudden performance of "Fast Cars" during the "Vertigo" tour.
...

U2 Boston 2005-12-04 Fast Cars PopUp - YouTube

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

U2 used visuals as the "excuse" as to why they didn't play changing setlists.

Then came Elevation and Vertigo, where they didn't have elaborate visuals to worry about, and the static setlists remained.

They either don't want to do the rehearsing necessary, or they can't do it as musicians. The visual excuse is just that... an excuse.

And I'm fine with that... I've accepted that it is who they are, and I'll take the static set lists as long as I get a giant multimedia clust'o'fuck'o'rama.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I think also some of the blame should be focused on Willie Williams and his lighting crew. I think that he shares almost equal say in what the setlists are. They obviously work very well together, and Willie is surely one of the best in his field, but he certainly likes things to remain a certain way too I think.

So when REM moved their setlists around with much more regularity during the Up tour, designed by Willie Williams... whose fault was that?

 

[trevgreg]

This set list and spontaneity talk reminded me of an interview I read earlier this summer with Mike Campbell. It gives some interesting perspectives from the musician's point of view regarding those two things, including rehearsing "deep cuts", so to speak.

Tom Petty Guitarist Mike Campbell: 'We're Free From 'Free Fallin'''

 

[Blue Room]

This set list and spontaneity talk reminded me of an interview I read earlier this summer with Mike Campbell. It gives some interesting perspectives from the musician's point of view regarding those two things, including rehearsing "deep cuts", so to speak.

Tom Petty Guitarist Mike Campbell: 'We're Free From 'Free Fallin'''

That is an interesting read. Imagine being in U2 and you are in front of 40000 people all singing the main chorus as you do Pride for the umpteenth time. I have to imagine that would still make it seem "fresh" or moving to them. I'm tired of Pride but when they roll through it in person and everyone is singing it, it does not seem that stale. I'm sure that is the place U2 are coming from. I also think Bono hates rehearsal, so it is both most likely.

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

I don't mind the static set lists but I do like when they throw in songs that haven't been playeduch like Zooropa or TUF. I wish they would get over the hate for pop and play some of the songs like Mofo. But I don't think they will ever include songs from pop on a regular basis.

 

[AcrobatU2Pop]

That is an interesting read. Imagine being in U2 and you are in front of 40000 people all singing the main chorus as you do Pride for the umpteenth time. I have to imagine that would still make it seem "fresh" or moving to them. I'm tired of Pride but when they roll through it in person and everyone is singing it, it does not seem that stale. I'm sure that is the place U2 are coming from. I also think Bono hates rehearsal, so it is both most likely.

Very true. That's just human nature. If you're continuously given praise for something, you'll continue to do it.

 

[nathan1977]

U2 used visuals as the "excuse" as to why they didn't play changing setlists.

Then came Elevation and Vertigo, where they didn't have elaborate visuals to worry about, and the static setlists remained.

I don't know...I went to three separate Elevation shows and saw three different set lists. There's a pretty significant difference btwn the Boston and Slane shows too. Vertigo had its share of change-ups too; remember how excited we all were to hear Gloria, An Cat Dubh, The Ocean, Running to Stand still, Electric Co, etc?

On each of these tours they played some combination of 60 songs. That's a pretty shifting set list.

 

[stigman]

A bit off topic but rumour has it that the b man will perform with springsteen tonight in Kilkenny