zooropamofo

Sorry...I know I'm going to get flamed for this...   Bono can't sing anymore.  His range is gone....especially his lower register.   I'm not trying to be mean spirited but I can't fathom shelling out money to see the Joshua Tree Tour 2017 when I know I'd be getting Bono 2017 versus Bono 1987.  I know, I know....people get old and their voice changes.  However, I'm at the point where I find his voice annoying and I cringe when I hear him sing from their older catalog...i.e. Joshua Tree.  And I'm not cringing because I don't like him...it's more of a feeling of pity.  I know that many think his voice is great...so if you feel that way I hope you got tickets and enjoy the show.  Me...I'm bowing out.  I've seen them over a dozen times and it's time to call it quits.  

 

Anyone else feel the same way?   Again, not trying to start a war...just my opinion.

Ummm....have you watched Bad from I&E Live in Paris? RTSS from the Vertigo Tour DVD? In all honesty, while I appreciate the 1987 period, I find that Bono was over-singing some of those songs at that time.  His more nuanced delivery from AB forward is more pleasing IMO.

His lower register has never sounded better than The Troubles from SOI

I have a will for survival

So you can hurt me

And then hurt me some more

I can live with denial

But you’re not my troubles anymore

There are some songs that give him fits these days....With Or Without You is one of them...but I think he will deliver a strong set of shows this year.

As we prepare for the Joshua Tree 2017 Tour, u2 is doing the same, and if you've been reading the Rolling Stone articles, one thing is clear, the running order of the songs (aka setlist) is still a work in progress. But this is not a "setlist post" per se. Instead, my question is whether u2 will or should open with Streets?

 

To be honest, I struggle with this more than one should. But, hey, a fella has to do something between moments of protesting against obergruppenführer trumpf. It would seem the smartest approach would be to tuck streets away until later in the concert, say somewhere between songs 8-12, and then start the JT portion of the concert in earnest. To some this suggestion will seem bizarre, since, after all, the name of the tour is The Joshua Tree Tour. But for support, I cite the Springsteen River Tour. For the first part of the tour, he began each concert with the River and played it on through in original album order, and, once done, added a few random tunes from the songbook. He got bored with this, and subsequently buried the River in the middle of the concert.

 

The River is much longer than JT, and thus presents a more difficult call setlist wise, if one is intent on incorporating additional non-album songs to the show. Still, the challenge is  there for u2 and the coming tour, and the challenge looks something like this. Streets has become a concert crescendo for u2 and their fans. Concerts can start like a rocket with Elevation, Vertigo, Even Better than the Real Thing, or Joey Ramone. But the momentum eventually slows and then starts building again, until we hear the segue song from the latest tour, thereby signaling what is about to come. As the segue becomes streets, the concert hall becomes church and the Divine transcends. The concert could end here for all we care, and yet we know it doesn't. There is more to come, and we are all the more than thankful.

 

Opening with Streets changes all this. But as much as I think about it, I can't come up with a better opener. I don't believe they will sing more than a song or two from Auchtung. Ditto for ATYCLB  and Atomic Bomb. One might be tempted to open with Joey Ramone like they did for the last tour, but I don't see that happening either. They can do that, if they want, after they resume the I&E tour following the next album's release. For similar reasons, they won't dip deep into the Auchtung Baby songbook in case they want to  do that in 2021 (plus they already did that in the last leg of 360).

 

This returns me to what else do they open with? This is a JT tour, not a greatest hits tour. So starting with a hit from after 1989 just doesn't make sense. I can come up with songs 2-5 relatively easy. Bloody Sunday, New Years Day, I Will Follow, and, well, you pick the fifth hit from the 80s. But I can't come up with a better song than Streets to open the show. I just can't.

 

I've read all of your posts about starting with Zoo Station and such, and as much fun as it would be to mix these two tours, I  don't see it. Nor can I come up with a great song from R&H to kick off the concert.

 

So I've resigned myself to streets.

I appreciate your argument, but Springsteen handled his River 2016 shows in a slightly different method than you submit.  For The River 2016 arena shows, that formed the crux of the actual original announced tour in the US in the winter of 2016, Bruce played The River in its entirety, in sequence, after opening with Meet Me In The City.  He knew that the majority of those shows would have hardcore fans coming out in the dead of winter, especially in the northeastern US, and therefore the crowd would be more receptive to this type of performance.  It was only when the tour expanded to stadiums overseas, and then back to football stadiums in the US on later legs that he steered away from the original structure and made it a looser setlist, again, as he noted on SiriusXM that the type of crowd a stadium typically draws might not be as receptive to such a rigid structure, and he might be pulling in some more casual fans, which would result in a tweaking of the setlist.  But to characterize Bruce as "getting bored" with the River concept in its entirety goes against everything that he was on record as saying during his last tour.  The tour was extended, and the setlists got looser as it went along, necessitated by its growth into stadiums.  I've seen Bruce play approx. 53 times, including 5 on the River 2016 tour, and the original structured shows from the start of the tour were some of the most transcendent I have ever seen him play.  The E Street Band was tight as well, given the structure they had in place.

My favorite U2 album is Achtung Baby, but I really think the theme of this tour needs to focus away from that period, if it's going to make sense.  I agree with you 100%, I say open with Streets, and don't look back.

U2 has always had a little brother/big brother relationship with Bruce Springsteen.  I'm a huge U2 fan, and a huge Bruce fan, so I feel I can offer a perspective on both artists simultaneously.  Just over a year ago, Bruce announced The River Tour 2016 in celebration of The Ties That Bind/River boxed set.  A lot of his fanbase was skeptical about their hero touring behind a retrospective boxed set, feeling that he had run out of new ideas, etc.  Being 36 years old currently, I missed out on Bruce in the eighties, my first chance to see him was the 1999/2000 reunion tour, and I've seen him multiple times on every tour since.  This past run of The River-in-its-entirety shows were among the very best I have seen him and the E Street Band play.  They honoured the material, while injecting new life into the songs, despite sticking to original arrangements and keeping things tight.  Plus the remaining songs within the show that were played after the River portion was completed only served to add to the concept of the show as a whole.  Critical reviews were positive, and the response from the fan base was great once the tour got rolling and people could appreciate the tour for what it was....a celebration of some f@cking great rock 'n roll, and something that Bruce identified as his first album where he moved from dream-based rock 'n roll to actual characters, and how those characters and stories chose to use the finite amount of time within their adult lives to move forward.

Bono has gone on record multiple times stating that U2 has looked to Bruce for inspiration over the years.  I think they considered the success of Bruce's tour last year when evaluating the potential of a Joshua Tree tour this year, and are looking to build public interest for an upcoming release of new material, so they are playing their trump card (excuse the pun).  The other night, I saw a TV commercial for The Joshua Tree tour....when was the last time we saw a commercial for a U2 concert in TV prime time (other than their NLOTH/360 Comcast bit with the Super Bowl a few years ago?).  Make no mistake, the true measure of an artist is their ability to release engaging material until they reach their final act, but I have no problems with U2 revisiting The Joshua Tree and using it as a touchstone, a reset.

Like it or not, and despite the fact that they are the biggest band on the planet, U2 is no longer the flashpoint band they were from 1986-1993.  I would argue that POP was their victory lap for that period, ATYCLB/Vertigo was a renaissance for the band whose catalyst was fueled by the unplanned link between ATYCLB and the events of Sept. 11th/2001 (not implying that the band tried to cash in on Sept 11th, at all, just simply acknowledging that after Sept 11th, a lot of people REALLY took ATYCLB to heart, its songs, its messages, its theme).  Since that period, the band has been searching for.....something.  The biggest, most engaging live show? Yes for sure.  But the fuel that fires the creative aspect of the band? They have not been able to find it, that theme, that arc.

The Joshua Tree 2017 tour will put U2 back in the realm of public awareness, it's too important of an album not to.  In my opinion, given the band's age and collective inertia, this is their last chance to bring in the masses who may have tuned out over the years, to re-introduce them to the band, and offer something new for the future.  Not saying that it's their last chance to be a great band, they already are and always will be.  But if they are searching for that cultural relevance that they so desire, it very well is, IMO.  The only way to play these shows is to start them off full throttle with Streets, play the full JT album with fire, then move into the rest of their repertoire that defines the BEST themes of U2.  No high art concepts, just searing & smoldering rock 'n roll.  Not saying greatest hits, just their BEST work.  They know what it is.  Don't get cold feet, don't play JT backwards, don't dodge RHMT...play it as 4 men in 2017 would play it.  If they do that well, and round out the show with all killer, no filler, this could be one of their most memorable tours.  I am looking forward to it.

Just keep in mind that some of the GA labeling can be misleading via Ticketmaster or the venue sites, main thing to keep in mind that GA for U2 is always standing only....I've seen every tour since Elevation, and I have never seen any seats on the floor for GA during any of U2's shows.

It sounds appealing when you say it like that.  

 

But I didn't like GA even when I was a teenager, never mind now.    For me it's being pushed around, getting drinks spilled on me and a sore neck.  

 

I like being further away to take in the whole show, for 360 and the last tour you missed so much if you were very close.  But you've made me wonder about trying GA sometime.

 

 

Now I'm all out of luck on the public sale.  And people wonder why we use scalpers.

You note that "for me it's being pushed around, getting drinks spilled on me and a sore neck, I like being further away to take in the while show"....I would politely venture that GA would've given you the ability not to be squeezed, avoid having drinks spilled on you, and having that whole show experience in spades.  Forget about trying to crush to the front, and dealing with frenzied people who have to be 59 feet away from Bono to make their experience worthwhile.....grab a spot near the soundboard (where the sound will be optimized) lean back on the rail and enjoy yourself....step back and see the entire show as a "whole", with the crowd pulsing to the music in unison....if you had access to GA tickets and gave them away, it would seem that you chose not to capitalize on that experience.  So if you get an opportunity again to grab some GA tickets, do yourself a favor and go for it.  My wife and I are seeing shows from the 100 level and from GA on this tour.  Two completely different perspectives, both equally cool and memorable.

As others have noted, would have to be related to soundboard or production towers located on the field.

Toronto, Boston & Cleveland.  Got 100 level right beside the stage, Edge side for TO and Beantown, and GA's for Cleveland.  As my old boss used to say...."HANG ON TO YOUR LUG NUTS!".

Weird

We did VIP Party in Montreal on the 360 tour. It was a lounge set up, with bar tables & couches, buffet style eats (if I recall they had Schwartz's Deli, a Montreal institution, cater the deal with sandwiches, salads, sides, etc).  They give you an exclusive gift to make you feel special about yourself, if I recall, ours was a tour laminate and a mini program, but make no mistake....when time is up, you're shuffled out and into the stands and you're just another schmuck with a ticket.  The seats were good, close to the stage, which was the main reason we opted for the package.  I did VIP Party again for Boston this time, as it really was the only option I could pull up during the Red Hill presale.  The parking pass will be handy as well.

We bought 4 tix for LA and are very excited about how great the seats are but the rest of the description for these pricy tickets seems pretty unexciting. Has anyone done the party? Is it just a buffet in the stadium? I envision hot dogs and beer. Lol. Also what sort of merchandise does it come with? I'd appreciate any insight.

We did VIP Party in Montreal on the 360 tour. It was a lounge set up, with bar tables & couches, buffet style eats (if I recall they had Schwartz's Deli, a Montreal institution, cater the deal with sandwiches, salads, sides, etc).  They give you an exclusive gift to make you feel special about yourself, if I recall, ours was a tour laminate and a mini program, but make no mistake....when time is up, you're shuffled out and into the stands and you're just another schmuck with a ticket.  The seats were good, close to the stage, which was the main reason we opted for the package.  I did VIP Party again for Boston this time, as it really was the only option I could pull up during the Red Hill presale.  The parking pass will be handy as well.

Streets

Still Haven't Found

With or Without You

Bullet

Running To Stand Still

Red Hill

In God's Country

Trip Through Your Wires

One Tree Hill

Exit

Mothers of the Disappeared

Desire (full throttle, full band, with a new, savage Trump Montage) -to signify the end of the JT set and electroshock everybody awake after MOTD

Until The End of the World

Acrobat (fits the current mood, may as well pull this one out while we're at it)

Vertigo-Stories for Boys snippet

B-Stage

Angel of Harlem

The Sweetest Thing

All I Want Is You

Back to Main Stage

​​Sunday Bloody Sunday

Bad

Pride

Encore

​​The Miracle of Joey Ramone

Beautiful Day

One/MLK

I'm not a huge fan of warhorses, in fact there are a couple in this set list that I would probably use as bathroom breaks, but I feel with the crowd that U2 is potentially going to draw to these shows (i.e. the "casual" fan etc.) this would give us a nice mix of well known material, rarities, newer stuff, JT focus, and current events thematic unison.  Plus, it would flat out rock.  I loved The Sweetest Thing on the Elevation tour...if the boys are going to draw out some fans who have tuned out over the last few years, this might be their second time at "re-applying" for the position...not that it matters now anyways.  I'd rather see them make the music that they enjoy now.  But in my books, any U2 tour is a good thing, and I am anxious to see the JT stuff in full, as I missed out on it the first time, as I am only 36 years old.  Saw 4 of Springsteen's River shows this past year, and they were among his best...so this concept does work if performed correctly.  IMO, it does NOT work if they do not play the album in sequence.  Just doesn't make sense to me....the album tells a story as an album, as a collection of thoughts,  and as a body of work, for these shows, I think its integrity needs to be maintained.  As always YMMV...

 

Presale went well for me...got 2 VIP Party Pkg for Boston in section 112, and 2 in section 130 right beside the stage for Toronto.  I'm very pleased.  Good work U2.com!

what are the prices for the tickets you purchased?

 

The packages run at 595/ea plus fees for US shows,  and sec. 130 in Toronto was 280/ea plus fees.

Presale went well for me...got 2 VIP Party Pkg for Boston in section 112, and 2 in section 130 right beside the stage for Toronto.  I'm very pleased.  Good work U2.com!

I've been to 1 Montreal show in the Red Zone, on the front rail Edge's side, and the 1st/2nd MSG shows, centre ice, in the 100 level, Edge's side.  Here are my observations.  YMMV:

-The show plays best on each side of the bowl.  We loved being front row in MTL, but the overall impact is more powerful when viewed from the side.

-Sound is AWESOME.

-I really like the opening salvo.  Miracle of JR and the rotation of OOC, Electric Co. early stuff, into Vertigo, into IWF etc. really works well from a minimalistic aspect, and people are just PUMPED.

-Transition into the meat of SOI material (Iris, Cedarwood) works well.  Both of these songs play well in concert.  Cedarwood is my least favorite album track, but a wicked live tune.

-UTEOTW works really well as a first set closer.  This song has a new life on this tour.  Cool staging and visuals with the water spitting.

-Invisible falls flat. IMO, this isn't a song that works in a static fashion ala Zooropa on 360.  If they want to play this song, it needs to be on the main stage or B-stage...it doesn't have enough presence, drive or power to sustain its placement within the main screen.  Needs to be replaced with something like This is Where You Can Reach Me Now (perhaps as a metaphor for the transition to the experience part of the show) also played out from the main screen.

-EBTTRT......I love this version.  Loved it on 360 and love it even more on this tour.

-I'm burned out on Mysterious Ways.  It needs a rest.  I'd love to see it get the boot in favor of Discotheque or Last Night on Earth, something from POP. Or maybe.....Lemon?? Now that would be cool as hell.

-Having the middle slot of the 2nd act fast and loose for audibles and nuggets (i.e. Satellite, Miss Sarajevo, Stuck in a Moment, Sweetest Thing, perhaps Kite? This is a good thing, lots of potential here, and they can only make this slot more interesting by digging deeper as they go).

-I'm really enjoying Pride and WOWY.  They've revitalized these songs on this tour. We'll shine like stars is being used sparingly, keeps it real special.  That's a good thing!

-Running to Stand Still NEEDS to be added.  Get that in there, somewhere between Bullet and Streets.

Overall, I love the set, and yes....The Troubles would be damned cool to see.

I'm in the same boat for NYC2 (Sunday).  Paid 312.40, same seat at the newly announced shows 1 week later is $118.35.

This is new.  We're going to MSG1 Red Zone & MSG2 Section 225.  We paid $312.40/ea for seats in section 225 for July 19th.  I just pulled up a pair in the same section, same row for $118.35/ea.  I've never seen the same seats on a U2 tour go for different prices on different nights.  I could MAYBE see this if one was on a weekend and one was during the week (again, unlikely) however, I have a hard time wrapping my head around this one.  See attached.

Mods: Any idea why we paid $312.40 for the same seats last week?

It was so cool to see Bruce do this.  A dream come true.  My god, I wish U2 would embrace this and make such recordings available.

I've been to every tour since PopMart, and I've seen U2 from a lot of angles and elevations (pardon the pun). I saw two 360 shows from the confines of the Red Zone. Here's how I see it (and I should preface this by stating that I have RZ tix for MTL4 this time around)

On this tour, like it or not, the purpose of the Red Zone is to help monetize the back of the floor. Look at any GA floor setup. A crush of fans at the front near the main stage, which eventually tails off as you progress to the rear of the floor sections past the soundboard (the location of which is actually a killer spot to watch a show BTW) We witnessed this on 360, I experienced it many times on the last several Springsteen tours etc. The back of the house leaves a significant amount of real estate unused. On this tour, at approx. 86.xx per person on the floor, that's quite a bit of missed revenue...

BUT

Introduce a B-Stage into that area with a band like U2 who can make an arena feel like Irving Plaza, raise the ticket price, put in a few amenities like booze and t-shirts, and put the infrastructure in place to allow ease of access for those folks who can't/won't/shouldn't queue all day, along with a feel-good contribution to Africa and the potential promise of a quickie backstage walkabout, and you've just increased your yield from that previously dead real estate.

Are the RZ seats the absolute best seats in the house for the whole show? No. For a few songs? Yes. Will it be a great experience when it's all added up? More than likely. Based on the original layout I saw of the stage, I snapped up the Red Zone on the presale today thinkin it was beside the main stage. However the more I look at it and ponder, I know that's not the case. However, my wife is 5ft tall and I'm 5'7". Regular GA is useless to us. We're too short. She wanted a fun floor experience for a U2 arena show, so RZ is the only option for us. i dont really care anout the frills, i care about the show. We're doing 2 nights in the lower bowl at MSG so we'll get another perspective from there as well.

Bottom line, I feel that the economic driver of the RZ is to monetize the previously marginally profitable back of the floor on this tour (Guy Oseary anyone?) just as it helped tweak the outside rail of the 360 tour. This is where modern convenience and modern tour economics intersect. So enjoy the show and enjoy your short lines for refreshments and quick access to tour merchandise. Be thankful that our favorite band is still around to showcase their eXPERIENCE on all levels.....we're a long way from selling t-shirts on the ZOO-TV tour to break even ;-)

Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin playing with all of U2 except Bono.... ;-)

Seriously, I've seen Kings of Leon twice post- Caleb's rehab, and they were smokin'! They'd be my choice.

Interpol.....saw 6 shows on the 360 tour, and that dirge of a shades of grey band opened every damned show except 1....nothing is quite as depressing as a 1/3 full Toronto Skydome with Interpol playing.