Bungo

It's a great, atmopheric album track, but I don't think it really worked live. Perhaps that's what they thought too, and that's why they didn't play it for so long?

Well there had to be at least one of us...

OK I'll say it.. Acrobat *Runs away and hides...*

I thought the repetition of much of the i+e set was a bit odd too, My only concern now is that they seemed to go quite move quite heavily towards Achtung Baby which may mean an AB anniversary tour is now less likely?

Thing is, I don't believe that U2 are really comfortable playing in the round. When Metallica do it, they truly play in the round, all roaming the stage so there is no front or back. 360 was the perfect opportunity for U2 to do that, but they still adopted a very conventional stage setup, all facing the same direction most of the time. Be interested to hear their views on this.

I will also be glad to see the back of that enormous screen. Seems very obtrusive to me.

It will be interesting to see. One of my favourite bands Rush called it a day fairly recently so they could go out while still playing and performing brilliantly, before age and time began to show in their performances. Does make you wonder how the Stones are still going!

Who knows? I would have thought they were pretty jaded with the actual touring side of touring by now? After all, they can all go anywhere in the world at any time at their leisure without the pressure of a schedule over their heads. If I had to predict the future, I would imagine maybe multiple dates in fewer places. Let the people come to them rather than the other way round? Only they really know..

Frankly it must be harder and harder to answer the question 'what next?' to themselves. It must also be slightly depressing to look back at the first 10/15 years or so of U2 and think, we will never create that again, we will never equal that again. Frankly, if I was them, I would want to have a rest after e+I and then maybe look towards a final big hurrah.

Just back from London last night, and a more general observation than just the set is that for me, the best U2 gig would be the 4 of them, on one standard stage with no big screen or any marks to hit, belting out loud rock songs. For me I Will Follow was the highlight last night, and I was thinking, wouldn't it be brilliant to go to a simple gig, with stuff like this end to end. I got the feeling that with songs like Zoo Station and The Fly coming back in there, perhaps that's what they'd really like too? Bit late in the band's day for that I understand, but for me, that is really wh

Followed your tips tonight at London 2. Spot on! Many thanks for posting those up.

Cheers! I'm sure you're right. I suppose the difference is in the old days I'd be sitting here, refreshing like mad, sweating, desperately afraid that I'd missed out. These days I'm far more relaxed about it all.

The other thing is, having tried and failed to get pre-sale tickets for 20 minutes now since 10am, I am now giving up, as I have other things to do. I'll try again later but gone are the days when I would spend half a day on the computer desperately trying to get tickets. Old fart eh!

Speaking personally, the 'aging fandom' thing is certainly a factor for me. When I was younger, more energetic and just generally keener, I would strive to go to multiple dates on the same tour in different countries. Now, I'm sorry to say, I just can't be bothered. It's not so much money for me, as investment of time and energy and (pardon me), desire. If I can get a ticket, I'll go once in London where I live, but I will be absolutely fine with that.

I still have the utmost respect for a band who had just had the enormous success they had had with The Joshua Tree, to basically move so far away from it sonically, and not just try to make JT 2 which is what the majority of bands would have done.