I don't generally like to start threads, but I was wondering if U2 was a must-see (I haven't seen them yet in all these years) or does Bono's lecturing get old during the show? They're playing at the stadium here in Harm City Baltimore tonight. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks

If you haven't seen them before, then of course you have to go when they are playing in your neighbourhood. Even if you don't like the band. It is one the biggest bands in the world of today.

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Keep On Rolling

poor tour though

i relly enjoyed their show last year. go and see them

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Rolling Hansie
If you haven't seen them before, then of course you have to go when they are playing in your neighbourhood. Even if you don't like the band. It is one the biggest bands in the world of today.

Really? You should pay to see a band you don't like? Just because they are big?

I saw them last year in Amsterdam,
although i have been a fan since 1979, and seen them many times, i didnot like the show.
Bono's ego is getting in the way.
byeee
jeroen

Go and see them. I regret I didn't go when they were in Sweden. They are still vital and relatively young. And they are the last dinosaur rock act. After them there are only the boybands left. And you don't wanna go and see them, do you?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-06-22 17:18 by Stoneage.

What is wrong with their current show? I am not a fan of the band. However, they use an innovative stage and their ticket prices are not absurd.

Brue, take a look at the numerous clips on Youtube and decide for yourself!

don't go. seen them every tour since 1985, except for the one i really wanted to see, which was 1991's achtung, baby arena tour. up until 2005, even though they really could not play their instruments (except for the drummer) at least they were entertaining. in 2005 they could both play their instruments and be entertaining.

but this 360 tour is truly fake. first off, they have always had a keyboard player hidden below the stage. second, edge has all this computer stuff added to his guitar, so he plays a riff and it's all this other stuff, too.

but even worse, i'm at the show in boston and bono is singing a quiet song (maybe moment of surrender) and he has perfect pitch, and it's like "WOW! this is friggin' AWESOME!" but a second later it's like "wait a minute! i've seen them a bunch of times over the years and bono does NOT have a voice like this. in fact, he really can't sing." so what is it? autotune. or what ever the computer is that makes a vocal pitch perfect. so if you want to go for the communal experience, fine. just don't go for the band.

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tatters

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Rolling Hansie
If you haven't seen them before, then of course you have to go when they are playing in your neighbourhood. Even if you don't like the band. It is one the biggest bands in the world of today.

Really? You should pay to see a band you don't like? Just because they are big?

Maybe there is a language problem/mixup here. Think I should have posted, even if it's not your favourite band. Of course, when you really don't like their music it would be stupid to go. Does this make more sense ?

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Keep On Rolling

Sundevil, I don't understand your criticism. I've been seeing U2 since 1992, and Edge has always had a LOT of computer gear. He likes technology. That doesn't mean he doesn't play well.

This stuff about Bono not being able to sing (?!) and the band not being able to play their instruments - WTF?! They're not virtuosos perhaps but they're really fine musicians, always have been. Who or what are you comparing them to, classical musicians?

Having said all of that, my experience in the last several years is rather like Jeroen: too much preaching, not enough rocking.

stay home, and save money for younger r'n'r acts like drive by truckers, derek trucks, ryan adams, whiskey myers and hundreds more..

Forget about U2, better visit your old mama tonight, and bring her some flowers ... I mean anything better then U2

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keefbajaga
Forget about U2, better visit your old mama tonight, and bring her some flowers ... I mean anything better then U2

I am sure your mother is less moralistic than bono and that she won't talk to you about the pope all night long

no

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!

Blow away U2. Save your money for next year.

saw them at the beginning of this 360tour and was bored...

Sure, if you enjoy watching to a lead singer who is a self-righteous, obnoxious, hypocritical, blow hard who is VERY generous with other people's money...Not that I'm getting "political" or anything...

Go. The setlist has improved since the beginning of the tour.

U2 is ok and the setlist is pretty decent. But I didn't go because I hate stadiums and the claw is just a distarction to me. If you have disposable income and like the band,it's not a terrible show. Go.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Definitly NOT. Don't support that Bono guy. Save up for someone really good like Dwight Yoakam.

It´s a technical overkill for the eyes.

And it just didn´t touch me.

Thanks for the input. And you all didn't even start a war over it! Nice. Seems to me like I've had almost every one of these thoughts at one point or another. The whole thing seems canned and corporate, I'll never forget what Adam Clayton said one time, he's like, 'Springsteen's band has fun, they jam - with us, it's like a job all the time'. I feel your pain, Adam. I feel your pain.

Still undecided though. Might like to see them once before one of us dies.

Clayton is a non-entity onstage anyway. Brue, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised - Bono is a great frontman, tons of charisma. Hell, he's Irish - the man will charm you and make you laugh. The music is tremendously exciting; you must hear the intro to "Where the Streets Have No Name" live at least once in your life.

Brue , I think you should go .
I saw them in Paris last year .
great show & Bono was really "involved" with the crowd , unlike I thought he would be.
A real "pro" ,see ?

I didn't like how the guitars sounded though, too much like "surround " effects ,don't know how to translate it in French .



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

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Claire_M
;you must hear the intro to "Where the Streets Have No Name" live at least once in your life.

+1

I've seen the last 4 U2 shows they've played (Seattle, Oakland, 2 nights in Anaheim this month) and over 50 times since 1985. While this tour is not my favorite by them, as I prefer arena shows to stadiums, it still is a very good show and the band are playing real well. I would definitely recommend you checking it out. Now's as good of time as ever to see them, rather than waiting a couple more years. If you don't end up liking it, at least you'll know for yourself.

As far as Bono's lecturing or getting "too political", it amounts to only a couple of minutes in a 135-140 minute show.

They occur during Sunday Bloody Sunday (which everyone knows is already a political song lyrically) when they show issues occuring today in Iran on the screen. During the largely instrumental song Scarlet, Bono talks about how international pressure from groups supported by U2 like Amnesty International led to the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in Burma. That then leads into Walk On which was a song inspired by her, so they show her on the screen. In the encores he mentions the One organization that he helped found and thanks the ticket buyers in the Red Zone, an area on the floor where the proceeds from the ticket sales go directly to charity. Everyone knows that U2 has a political side to them, but it is kept to a minimum during the shows.

Here are the setlists from the 2 nights in Anaheim:

U2's Anaheim #1 setlist, 17/06

1.Even Better Than The Real Thing
2.I Will Follow
3.Get On Your Boots
4.Magnificent
5.Mysterious Ways / The Great Curve (snippet)
6.Elevation
7.Until The End Of The World
8.Happy Birthday
9.All I Want Is You
10.Stay (Faraway, So Close!) / In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (snippet)
11.Beautiful Day / Space Oddity (snippet)
12.Pride (In The Name Of Love)
13.Miss Sarajevo
14.Zooropa
15.City Of Blinding Lights
16.Vertigo / Are You Gonna Go My Way (snippet)
17.Crazy Tonight / Discothèque (snippet) / Life During Wartime (snippet) / Psycho Killer (snippet)
18.Sunday Bloody Sunday
19.Scarlet
20.Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet)

Encore(s):

21.One / United We Stand (snippet)
22.Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (snippet) / Where The Streets Have No Name
23.Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
24.With Or Without You
25.Moment of Surrender

U2's Anaheim #2 setlist, 18/06

1.Even Better Than The Real Thing
2.The Fly
3.Mysterious Ways
4.Until The End Of The World / Anthem (snippet)
5.One
6.Amazing Grace (snippet) / Where The Streets Have No Name / All You Need Is Love (snippet)
7.I Will Follow
8.Get On Your Boots / She Loves You (snippet)
9.I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
10.Stuck In A Moment
11.Beautiful Day / Space Oddity (snippet)
12.Elevation / California Soul (snippet)
13.Pride (In The Name Of Love)
14.Miss Sarajevo
15.Zooropa
16.City Of Blinding Lights
17.Vertigo / It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It) (snippet)
18.Miss You (snippet) / Crazy Tonight / Discothèque (snippet) / Please (snippet)
19.Sunday Bloody Sunday
20.Scarlet
21.Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet)

Encore(s):

22.Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
23.With Or Without You
24.Moment of Surrender / Jungleland (snippet)

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Claire_M
- Bono is a great frontman, tons of charisma. Hell, he's Irish - the man will charm you and make you laugh.

Yes ....one can says Bono is a great frontman .
He "does his job" but he upsets me because he is always doing TOO much .

Charisma ?
Well ,not even close to Jagger .But it's just me,you know .
Though, I would say both of them are close on the way /by their way to be professional .
Does it make sense ?



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

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Halup
As far as Bono's lecturing or getting "too political", it amounts to only a couple of minutes in a 135-140 minute show.

They occur during Sunday Bloody Sunday (which everyone knows is already a political song lyrically) when they show issues occuring today in Iran on the screen. During the largely instrumental song Scarlet, Bono talks about how international pressure from groups supported by U2 like Amnesty International led to the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in Burma. That then leads into Walk On which was a song inspired by her, so they show her on the screen. In the encores he mentions the One organization that he helped found and thanks the ticket buyers in the Red Zone, an area on the floor where the proceeds from the ticket sales go directly to charity. Everyone knows that U2 has a political side to them, but it is kept to a minimum during the shows.

DOes Bono also mention how The Edge wanted to build 5 mansions in Malibu.But was rejected by the The California Coastal Commission. Who said "In 38 years of this commission's existence, this is one of the three worst projects that I've seen in terms of environmental devastation," Peter Douglas, the Commission's director, told the Los Angeles Times. "It's a contradiction in terms--you can't be serious about being an environmentalist and pick this location."