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  3. Originally posted by Mr_Trek:[..]

    Go watch your ZooTV DVD. I've heard that was quite revolutionary. You know, using big screens integrated with the show, having a B-stage...


    True. But granted when I was old enough to remember watching and hearing about concerts, video screens were standard. The next revolutionary step after that would have to be incorporating the audience as part of the visuals and that's exactly what Xylobands did. In my eye, I see that as a bigger step than the addition of video screens because you've got so many acts trying to innovate by changing what video screens do, but Coldplay said "let's leave the video screens do what they're supposed to do and instead launch something totally new."
  4. Originally posted by ahn1991:[..]


    True. But granted when I was old enough to remember watching and hearing about concerts, video screens were standard. The next revolutionary step after that would have to be incorporating the audience as part of the visuals and that's exactly what Xylobands did. In my eye, I see that as a bigger step than the addition of video screens because you've got so many acts trying to innovate by changing what video screens do, but Coldplay said "let's leave the video screens do what they're supposed to do and instead launch something totally new."

    Just because one band does something new doesn't mean another can't. U2 were extremely innovative when they were the same age Coldplay is now, back in the Zoo TV days. The Xylobands are awesome (saw Coldplay last summer in Montreal) but they're nothing more than another visual effect. I'll take conceptual ideas and things that actually make you think in a concert over that any day. To see a man that you've known to be someone for a decade come out dressed as the devil challenging political and social ideas and current issues is something Coldplay will probably never do to the same degree.

    Now let's talk in terms of the current times and technology. You seem to be forgetting about the Claw as well. Again, the wristbands were cool, but did you not go see 360? That stage was the most ridiculously amazing thing I've ever seen, and not only because the sheer massiveness of it, but because of what it did to every venue it was in, it dwarfed every arena and stadium making it feel like everyone in the room could reach out and touch U2. It made a stadium during With Or Without You into a ballroom with a discoball.

    I think you're putting too much emphasis on the wristbands and taking U2 down a peg for no logical reason, because they've done a hell of a lot more in their career innovation-wise than Coldplay has so far, regardless of the length of their careers, and coming back to U2 in the early 90's having been around for about 10 years and Coldplay now having been around for about 10 years, I'd say U2 set the bar much higher in terms of what they were doing with the technology that was given to them and the times they were around.

    Let us not forget about the music either. Coldplay's 5th studio album was Mylo Xyloto, remind me which was U2's fifth album again? Couldn't have been nearly as good or innovative in terms of what was going on musically in the mainstream... Not to mention the quality of the music. Mylo is awesome, but compared to the Joshua Tree?

    P.S I'm not at all trying to start an argument, I like Coldplay as much as the next guy, but if there's ever a time when I need to defend U2 in a battle between the two bands, I'll step up.
  5. ZOOTV, POPMART, and A CLAW.... i don't care what any band does in the future..these three epic tours in size and scope may never be topped! .the only thing left is a pay-per-view over the internet with bands playing from outter space! (oh wait...)
    Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]

    Just because one band does something new doesn't mean another can't. U2 were extremely innovative when they were the same age Coldplay is now, back in the Zoo TV days. The Xylobands are awesome (saw Coldplay last summer in Montreal) but they're nothing more than another visual effect. I'll take conceptual ideas and things that actually make you think in a concert over that any day. To see a man that you've known to be someone for a decade come out dressed as the devil challenging political and social ideas and current issues is something Coldplay will probably never do to the same degree.

    Now let's talk in terms of the current times and technology. You seem to be forgetting about the Claw as well. Again, the wristbands were cool, but did you not go see 360? That stage was the most ridiculously amazing thing I've ever seen, and not only because the sheer massiveness of it, but because of what it did to every venue it was in, it dwarfed every arena and stadium making it feel like everyone in the room could reach out and touch U2. It made a stadium during With Or Without You into a ballroom with a discoball.

    I think you're putting too much emphasis on the wristbands and taking U2 down a peg for no logical reason, because they've done a hell of a lot more in their career innovation-wise than Coldplay has so far, regardless of the length of their careers, and coming back to U2 in the early 90's having been around for about 10 years and Coldplay now having been around for about 10 years, I'd say U2 set the bar much higher in terms of what they were doing with the technology that was given to them and the times they were around.

    Let us not forget about the music either. Coldplay's 5th studio album was Mylo Xyloto, remind me which was U2's fifth album again? Couldn't have been nearly as good or innovative in terms of what was going on musically in the mainstream... Not to mention the quality of the music. Mylo is awesome, but compared to the Joshua Tree?

    P.S I'm not at all trying to start an argument, I like Coldplay as much as the next guy, but if there's ever a time when I need to defend U2 in a battle between the two bands, I'll step up.
  6. The 1st night U2 played in Melbourne i was sitting up in the stands, so didn't get go appreciated the full size of the claw. But for the 2nd night i was GA, i remember walking onto the oval and thinking 'fook me this thing is HUUUGE!!!' then actually standing under it whoa.

    Coldplay's wrist bands were pretty cool though.
  7. The reason why I didn't mention The Claw is not because I didn't feel it was a worthy innovative step. It was downright amazing in every single regard, from the engineering design, its implementation on a global scale, and the fact that they were able to use it under an effectively carbon-neutral scheme. The one reason I chose not to mention it is that The Claw is essentially a theorist's dream come true. Yes, all the technology exists, the lump sum of cash required to implement 360 is not something any band other than U2 can undertake and is certainly not something that U2 can seek to repeat (this is due more to human costs than financial). With the technological advances of ZooTV, at the very least the concept of incorporating video into concerts was able to stick around. The Claw and 360 was such an undertaking that pushed the boundaries of audio, video, and theatrical to such a limit that I feel none of the individual talking points of The Claw can be implemented on a small scale.

    TL;DR version - The Claw was so damned massive and expensive to tour with that no other band aside from U2 could hope to do something similar. It can't be replicated or "reverse engineered" to work with other groups because other groups are not U2.

    But make no mistake, U2 still has that reputation of being the innovators in field of live performance. I'm just saying that in this day and age, Coldplay deserves a feather in their cap for what they've done.

    Now from a musical standpoint, this is where the age difference emerges. A lot of people like to compare MX to The Joshua Tree, but I honestly can't see the comparison. This is because I actually relate more to Mylo Xyloto than I do to The Joshua Tree in terms of the sound and the lyrical themes. In my opinion, if you're looking for a rock album written for college students in their early twenties, look no further because Mylo Xyloto is pretty much that album (closely contested with Battle Born). But again, that's just my opinion which I feel is deeply influenced by my age. It's also the same reason I prefer ATYCLB and HTDAAB over U2's older work.


  8. You gotta be kidding me?

    MX Tour was, to me, over the top. In my opinion, the only thing that Coldplay should be rewarded for is the bands. The rest of it was added unnecessary extras. I saw Coldplay twice when they toured that album and even though the performance in Sunderland was excellent, everything else apart from the bands was pointless. The props that were beside the stage? No. The balloons? Tacky. Every band does it now. Confetti? Again, tacky. It was all tacky props to boost crowd participation for a minute but only minimally. To me, that tour was really nothing special. It's just Coldplay trying to replicate U2, which they
    will never do. They can never be as eccentric or mad as U2 will ever be when it comes to live shows.

    Also, yeah, Coldplay had all this crowd participation stuff, but U2 had the claw to connect the audience. It was just a simple and unique way of bringing a show together between the band and the fans. If you really think about, 360 tour is probably one of the most intelligent ideas for a tour ever.
  10. Originally posted by ahn1991:The reason why I didn't mention The Claw is not because I didn't feel it was a worthy innovative step. It was downright amazing in every single regard, from the engineering design, its implementation on a global scale, and the fact that they were able to use it under an effectively carbon-neutral scheme. The one reason I chose not to mention it is that The Claw is essentially a theorist's dream come true. Yes, all the technology exists, the lump sum of cash required to implement 360 is not something any band other than U2 can undertake and is certainly not something that U2 can seek to repeat (this is due more to human costs than financial). With the technological advances of ZooTV, at the very least the concept of incorporating video into concerts was able to stick around. The Claw and 360 was such an undertaking that pushed the boundaries of audio, video, and theatrical to such a limit that I feel none of the individual talking points of The Claw can be implemented on a small scale.

    TL;DR version - The Claw was so damned massive and expensive to tour with that no other band aside from U2 could hope to do something similar. It can't be replicated or "reverse engineered" to work with other groups because other groups are not U2.

    But make no mistake, U2 still has that reputation of being the innovators in field of live performance. I'm just saying that in this day and age, Coldplay deserves a feather in their cap for what they've done.

    Now from a musical standpoint, this is where the age difference emerges. A lot of people like to compare MX to The Joshua Tree, but I honestly can't see the comparison. This is because I actually relate more to Mylo Xyloto than I do to The Joshua Tree in terms of the sound and the lyrical themes. In my opinion, if you're looking for a rock album written for college students in their early twenties, look no further because Mylo Xyloto is pretty much that album (closely contested with Battle Born). But again, that's just my opinion which I feel is deeply influenced by my age. It's also the same reason I prefer ATYCLB and HTDAAB over U2's older work.

    I'd say the main thing Coldplay has going for them is charisma. Chris Martin gets into his shows like no one else, his enthusiasm is outstanding. But I wouldn't really say they've achieved enough to be thought of in the scale that you're referring to them in. What is it that people had trouble calling them in this or another topic? Legends. I have a feeling that's where you're going, whereas I'm saying they haven't near achieved that yet and who knows if they ever will. I think it's too early to say though.

    I really think you're delusional about the claw not being worthy of being called innovative, we'll just agree to disagree on that one because I really don't see how you can say that!

    As for your assessment on my Mylo vs JT comparison...you MUST be trolling now...sorry, but a song like I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For should resonate with the age-group you're talking about everywhere, and I'm pretty sure it did and still does. That song alone beats the entire Mylo album. In fact I would take the first half of Joshua Tree over Coldplay's entire existence any day.
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Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.