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  1. good post pedro - although i didn't agree with everything you said you summed things up quite nicely.

    i'm afraid i will always find something to 'whine' about where this band are concerned though.. i don't care what anyone says - this is a disappointing setlist and the neglect of albums like pop and zooropa is unforgivable. no i'm not saying they should play 50% of these albums every night as that would obviously alienate many casual fans but playing a couple of gems from these albums could also have the opposite effect on casual fans! they might get to hear something that makes them realise U2 actually have a much wider repertoire and did actually used to make different sounding music that might be more suited to their usual taste? when i'm dragged to gigs by bands i'm not overly keen on or see a band where i only know their biggest hits i always hope to be surprised by something i wouldn't expect to hear.

    a good example - i played mofo to someone i knew who HATED U2, i didn't tell them it was U2 and they thought it was amazing. when i finally did tell them who they had just listened to they were gobsmacked and quite embarrassed and it forced them to slightly re-consider their judgement on the band. thats why (before bonos injury) i hoped they would throw some curveballs like this at the glastonbury crowd as it would've had the same effect on many people..

    actually maybe it is that cancelled glastonbury set that made me expect a few more changes in this setlist...?? maybe i was hoping they had been practicing some of their more neglected material ready for glasto (EBTTRT for example)..

    anyway i've pretty much said all i can say and i am obviously very happy they are about to resume touring tomorrow. i just wish they would be brave and drop some of this ATYCLB material and add a bit of variation to the set.

    HMTMKMKM is a perfect step in the right direction but its only one song. all i'm asking is for another 2 or 3 and i'd be over the moon. or just add mofo and keep UV and i'll never complain again
  2. great post, Pedro
  3. I also agree the last couple of posts, especially the one of Pedro, were good. I mean, there are some real facts in there, not the usual whining we've got used to lately. Of course there will always be people who won't be pleased with the setlist or the performance. But for sure, there will be other people who will be 100 % satisfied with the same set. Tastes are different. Just as far as the setlist options go - is anyone prepared to make a quick math calculation how many different 24-song-setlists can you form out of 150 tunes? Can you even pronounce that number?
    And of course, U2 always chose to play their newer material. On the Joshua Tree Tour they concentrated on the JT album songs. Zoo TV mostly concentrated on AB and later Zooropa. And so on. Sometimes I regret not living in those eras, as I really like those sets they played and also band's attitude from then. But hey, I'm complaining over details on this tour, it's not that I'm 100 % (or 90 %) disappointed. If I was, I wouldn't even bother buying a ticket or write on this forum! But I did both.

    Oh, and I'd bet tomorrow we'll hear a song that hasn't been rehearsed these days. But it's not a new song. It's Happy Birthday, Mr. The Edge! (or Party Girl).
  4. Same procedure as every year. This discussion happens every tour, every leg with the exact same "arguments".


  5. I've learned to appreciate the simple things.

    But not Pride.
  7. I'm very happy they are on the road again and looking forward to the shows.

    We have 2 new songs (at least 1 that returns in the rehearshals every night)
    and the opening jam sounds also promesing...

    So i'm happy with it, the shows is good as it is on this moment it's the 360 tour
    not the War-Unforgettable fire-Joshua tree-Zoo-Pop-Elevation-Vertigo-360 tour


  8. Whilst I enjoyed this tours version more than the last, I still don't ever want to see it in a setlist

    (P.S not to get off topic but are you headed to any shows this leg, my Dublin buddy?)

  9. point taken I for myself love it and don't want it gone, but I see and respect why people are getting tired of it


    (slightly off topic)
    Frankfurt, Hannover, Zurich II,Munich, Brussels II, Rome -- will we see each other again, my Dublin friend?
    (/slightly off topic)
  10. Originally posted by ahn1991:[..]
    In any case, I still give the band a ton of praise for having been around for so long and be able to adapt to changing trends.



    Absolutely! If you haven't been to a U2 concert before, it's likely that it might blow up your mind. The best shows I've ever attended. I've seen them in 1993, 1997, 2005 and 2009. The shows were all different, and mind blowing. At the highest degree (1993 and 2009 stand out, though).


  11. Actually, the first time I saw them in 1993 I really was under the impression that they were gods. So did my girlfirend when she first saw them last year. But yes, they are of course human. It's just that we keep expecting extraordinary things from these extraordinary guys - sorry I'm being a little cheesy.
  12. Great post. Well said.

    The short answer is: If you don't like the setlist or are that mad that they ARE playing "A" and NOT playing "B" - Don't go to the show.




    Originally posted by PEDRO67:The 'lack of variety' in the setlist is a tough one and its a intriguing discussion point.

    Yes everyone on here would like to see changes in the set on a date by date basis but lets be honest, that isnt going to happen. Does this constitute the band being unfair on us hardcore fans or lacking desire etc? My personal opinion is no and here ar my reasons for saying it:

    * the band have been opening with 4 straight tunes from their new album and have done so (2/3/4 songs) on previous tours. Many big bands open with an old favourite to get the 'crowd going'. Moreover, by the end of a 360 show, the fan will have seen 6/7 new songs! I find U2's approach to be quite daring for these reasons.

    * we all love the Claw and its granduer but people have to realise that with 3 of these things being deployed in different locations simultaneously, it makes it diifficult to vary the show night to night. 360 is a show, not just a gig. Its more than just songs, its a huge production with specific requirements for almost every tune. The sheer magnitude of the show makes it toughto vary the set-list the way we all would like it.

    * this is a stadium tour and as a result, all 70,000 attendees are not hardcore fans. my first point is about opening with 4 tunes from the new album - something which the 1st time attendee might be puzzled by. Whether you agree or not, the band SHOULD cater for these people too hence SBS, Pride, WOWY. I tend to find indoor gigs to be much tighter in terms of both performance and crowd partcipation as the band are more relaxed and there are a higher percentage of 'real' fans in attendance.

    * stop the MONEY talk. This show costs £750,000 per day, gig or not. If it were all about cash, the band could cram the same amount of folk into an open field, play with no backdrop, roll out a greatest hits set every night, charge £150 a ticket and still sell out. The fact the band are touring a new album and playing the majority of it means they are still believers in creating new music

    * the band will never please everyone, lets face it. There are too many personal tastes to be accounted for. I personally love WOWY in there as it has grown into a large 'sing along' but most no longer do. Id love Mofo back but it looks unlikely. Id like Tomorrow in the set but a lot hate October as an album. I want B sides but they would alientate a lot of people in attendance. I want Streets played 25 times in one night but thats just me! These are a small percentage of things I would like. Multiply that by tens of thousands every night and you see that everyone will still want something a little more.

    * Loving U2 Start as I do, its clear that there are a lot of generations to be looked after on here! To help illustrate:
    1. Ive followed the band since i was 9 years old so JT was already out and I just missed the superstar hysteria that followed. So by the time AB came out, I was 13 and obsessed so as far as touring goes, i'll always be a Zoo Baby!
    2. One of my best mates (and THE biggest U2 fan I have ever known) was 15 when JT landed and cannot believe that period can ever be matched.
    3. My nephew is 2 years younger than me so feels he missed the whole Zoo TV hysteria 1st time and his passion was in full swing by 97 so Pop and PopMart will always be closest to his heart.

    * The internet age doesnt help! The days of turning up at a gig and enjoying it song by song are long gone. Not only do we know the set-list in advance, we even have an idea of 'surprises' long before they are scheduled to appear in the show. Its almost impossible for a band of u2's size to keep secrets and we are partially to blame for this!!! Thanks to the bods on this site - you can bag almost every U2 gig ever done so if you want to hear every set variation they have ever done, get it here!

    So to end this loooooooooong and boring post, I just want to say that for me, seeing U2 in person will always be the greatest thing in the world and I hope that everyone enjoys it whilst they can cause they wont tour foerver. Yes we all want our favourites and we all want more but we should know how it works by now.

    Roll on Paris, Brussels and Rome I say!!!




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