TJT
Active topics
Joshua Tree Tour 2019
 Legs (1): New Zealand, Australia and Asia
Shows: 15
  1. Off topic?
  2. Excuse my french but f*#ck all this talk about 'artistic integrity'!! Those days are well and truly over for the band.

    Unfortunately 'the chickens are coming home to roost' now over the silly things Bono has said in the past ( possibly as some say here to sell more tickets or records ) such as "two crap records and we are out" and other such comments mentioned by others here in the past couple of pages of this thread.

    This is a band back peddling faster than a 'bad indian curry' will go thru you ! They are saying what they are saying now to simply save face and some respectability. Other bands who have said similar in their past such a REM actually had the balls to 'call it quits'. Its all about trying to not look silly when the past cums back to haunt you and ur desperately trying to remain relevant!

    This is all the bands own doing. Harsh but true!

    Im of the opinion that they wont do an AB Tour , but that they will try to cut out the OCD when it comes to releasing new music and that we may as fans be surprised with an album drop sooner than the norm or unexpectedly at all !
  3. „Artistic integrity“ and „The Joshua Tree 2019“ - well. A lot of postings here reflect,that many of us do not care about that much. They are happy, when U2 are there. Just U2 playing, releasing, active as a band. Fine. Fine for you. Really.
    But my perspective at least is different. Has to be. Having followed this band, my favourite band, regarding their music, buying their albums since 1984 and having seen them live around the globe since 1992 in 90 shows, they‘ve been company for all my younger and now adult life. They are special persons for me. Kind of friends in an abstract way. Regarding what many people believe, they are not four outstanding live musicians. A lot of, what looks live in their shows, it is not. It is pre-recorded. Or from additional, for the audience non-visibile sources under the stage. Effects, they‘ve played with since the 80ies, but what has become more and more obvious and unfortunately at times also dominant in the last 10 years since 360. Any band member from E-Street or Dylan‘s current touring unit would play any of the four artistically out of the water, like Jimmy Page proved. So their art has and has had to be something different: Showing and acting around emotions, writing songs, changing looks, absorbing ideas from other artists and creative persons- and making them their own. Putting on live shows and getting famous as truly one the the best live performance act in world’s rock and pop world. With a social-political and overall deeply religious attitude. And a capacity to change themselves, to leave all this behind to search for new direction. To stay authentic in their core. Not to become repetitive. To stay hungry. Not to become boring. To stay relevant - for us fans, for themselves. Not to stay in the same target group. To reach always new audiences and younger generations. To make a lot of money. This pattern worked fine during the rise to stardom from 1980 until, let‘s say the creative new boost from TUF and TJT with becoming really rock‘s hottest band and ticket. The marketing of the band and the visible reality in the charts and record sales were one. With one of their, in my ears, finest songwriting albums following in 1988 and on the height of their live power, u2 became the first time „old“, „too American“, „too pathetic“ etc. To fight against this decline in record sales, charts positions, public opinions, they were forced to reinvent. They become arty, thanx to Brian Eno & Co. The 90ies followed. And, friends, let‘s face it. The Joshua Tree was chopped down artistically. Bono was not anymore the guy with the white flag nor CowBoyBono. U2 were recording like nuts, a creative output that gave us all AB, ZOOROPA, the Passengers takes, POP, Batman and the Million Dollar Hotel among many, many other highlights. With Zoo TV and Popmart this band played the best music shows, I‘ve ever witnessed by any artist. Better musicians or not. After this decade of creative outbreak, U2 made an important decision - to market themselves as the best rock band in the universe and to repeat their successful patterns. To play all the Greatest Hits for a show, to have an album with new songs for the tour, to dig out some gems for older fans and setlist freaks. While this going on and looking back approach still felt kind of reasonable and fresh for me in 2001/01 and 2005/06 the big question was for me then, where the art aspect remained after the then very retro sounding albums. NLOTH was a try to go to Maghreb, to revibe some ghosts that helped to get AB born. But for me it failed. The final production of the album resembles the lack of courage to try new sounds and ideas, but to look too much for potential radio relevance and record sales. Wrong Singles. Then a machine become the star of the tour. A stage monster. Everybody talked about the impressive Claw - but who talked about the music? The songs? So their most successful tour is again a turning point for U2, again being „old“, still hoping for mass relevance in a world wanting to be global - but in the reality is fragmented. As music tastes. As the decline of music’s and art’s relevance for most people. With SOI and SOE an old 90ies idea was resurrected. But facing obvious serious physical and psychological issues the band and their iconic frontman could not deliver the stage show they may have hoped for. What we got instead was a gift and doom at the same time: An old cash cow, that always was at least part of their Greatest Hits live, was rediscovered in complete form. The band and their management opted for being a legacy act in 2017 officially. To play TJT - but not in a new way, e.g. to build a setlist around the songs being part of different topics. Or to really celebrate this album with, let‘s say Daniel Lanois as a special band member in stage and so gain new musical power (more than replacing Bono‘s guitar). Or to put emphasis on B-side gems and not yet played outtakes. No. What was left in the tank was to play some early hits (plus the rare gem ASOH occasionally or by fan request) and then to play the album top down. Bang. Then Greatest Hits, Good Night. Though it was for me a fan‘s dream to hear and see for example Exit live - this decision artistically is a step back artistically, that damaged the U2 train more than we know and want to see, I fear. A simple question: When all these tunes make so much fun to be played live - why did the band play no Red Hill, no Trip, no electric God, yes, no Exit at all during the last 30 years. Answer: They did not want to. They did not care too much about these tracks to put them in their setlists. Then came the PR disaster with statements not to know, where the band is heading for, to wish for long breaks, regarding TJT songs („If you wanted to hear these songs, it‘s done“). Apart from a fan requested b-side in 2018 no TJT song was performed on their last tour. And now the chopped tree will be buried out again. And again? And again? As much as I‘m happy for fans in Asia, Down Under, NZ to see the tunes „live“, this all makes me sad, too. This is not The Joshua Tour, it has not even half of the force the band had in 1987. Musically. And economically? Hm, we will see how filled the stadiums will be. As much as I hope for a new artistic interest inspiring this special band, there is no sign for this at the moment. To repeat this forever and ever might lead U2 to became not only a legacy act, but worse a caricature act. To stop U2 after that would be an ending this band has not deserved. Shadow man, can you hear me?
  4. I really wanted to read your post. I still do.

    But really,

  5. Even though the artistic integrity thing doesn’t bother me I think fans that it does bother maybe should look at what u2 have been doing over the last few years to put things into perspective. 2 albums in just over 3 years between SOI and SOE. 2 tours to support them that featured a good amount of the new material. U2 touring TJT has faced a bit of criticism and AB21 would too (probably more so) but they’re releasing more new material than most other established bands out there and playing more of the new material than these bands as well. I’m not criticising people’s views and there hasn’t been much criticism lately about touring JT compared to in 2017 but I think it would be unfair to question the bands direction. If the gap between albums starts to increase or they decide to do only anniversary tours then I think I could understand people’s views more but what would be wrong with them touring AB in 2021 then releasing a new album and touring it the following year? Would that be changing the direction the band have always taken or would it just be simply filling up the schedule more with tours? The gap between albums wouldn’t be any different they would still be touring a new album, all I can see it as is the band being busier.
  6. EI was at least a divergence. They ran fairly fast away from JT30. This new thing is obviously a new market so it makes sense to tour that album down under.

    What comes up after December will be interesting but I would suggest a long break again even though 2019 has been fairly quiet. I think most markets have been saturated for a while.

    By all accounts JT30 has been a success. Could they really pull off AB in the stadium? I don't think it is as epic. Maybe just select cities for a group of mini shows.
  7. one of the three countries of Romania, Peru, Hungary, Ukraine, Uruguay and Baltic.


    Even in a country like this,



    I hope to see U2 someday.
  8. Nostalgia *is bad for artists. Happy for fans who get first-time shows in Asia.

    Preferred 2015/2018 tours over JT2017 but all this said i am hopeful for AB30. 1) the album deserves it 2) zoo TV could easily be updated for today 3) its their best album live. 4) it apppeases Live Nation plus gives them extra time for new music. Especially if, and i do believe that, we're due for a long break after JT2019 dates.
  9. AB30 wouldn't really be that special compared to JT30, really.

    A lot of side B of the Joshua Tree had not been played for a long time until 2017.

    Since 2015, I've heard 9/12 of AB. Last year in Europe they played a huge chunk of it and in 2011, they played a decent amount for the 20th anniversary.
  10. It would be redundant.
  11. I loved JT30 and I'm happy for everbody who gets to experience it this year, although in general I prefer to see new music played in concert, the more nee songs the better. But I enjoyed JT30 very much.

    The only other album that would work live if played in full is Achtung Baby, it might even have a better flow than The Joshua Tree live.
  12. Originally posted by Welsh_Edge:AB30 wouldn't really be that special compared to JT30, really.

    A lot of side B of the Joshua Tree had not been played for a long time until 2017.

    Since 2015, I've heard 9/12 of AB. Last year in Europe they played a huge chunk of it and in 2011, they played a decent amount for the 20th anniversary.
    Love is Blindness
    So cruel
    Tryin to throw your arms around the world

    Need I say more?

    It is a fair point though they definitely hadn’t played as many tracks from TJT to the extent of AB. Then again zoo Station hasn’t been played much since the end of the Vertigo tour really, that wasn’t exactly a massive run of shows it got last year, a decent run but it’s still been underplayed over the years, Wild horses is the same and the Fly hasn’t exactly been overplayed either even if we go back to the 360 performances. The other 6 I’ve not mentioned have been played quite a bit from 360 onwards at least. Still give me the tour.
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.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.