Never was really so much into U2 as my girlfriend although I really like their last two albums.
But listening to a bootleg of their last tour (San Diego 30/3 + Anaheim 1/4 - amazing audience quality) blew me off my chair last night in my small hotel in Seoul. Raw, energic, basic R&R with no background support at all. Never had that feeling with any of the LL boots.
Plus seven songs performed of their last album which in quality can easily compete with their older stuff. And all recognised and sung along by their fans.
Very curious now whether the Stones can come up with an album which can carry the gig (last tour that happened was the Some Girls tour - 27 yrs. ago).
And pls. get rid off the back ground people. U2 does not need them, neither does AC/DC and Motorhead.Besides the B-stage was the part during the LIcks tour where the Stones performed best, like the basis rock and blues band they used to be.

u2 does does use backup people. The have dallas playing second guitar and he is not some filler guy he plays in almost all songs.Also sometimes people to fill in with different songs like kite with piano and stuff. It is not the same as the Stones but the backups of the stones are not a problem because they dont get in the way and they do add to the music.
I agree, U2 is my second favorite band in the wolrd besides the Stones. However, as has been said before they are not comparable to the Stones. Their shows have a different feeling then going to a Stones show. As a seasoned veteran of both U2 and Stones shows the Stones put on a better show even now compared to U2 at their prime (which is now).

The best U2 shows are a mystical experience - Bono has always delivered a message in his show. Jagger is the best rock performer there has ever been and he is only out to give you a good time - I've never heard him say anything about trees, hunger, whales or which party to vote for. (I didn't attend the environmental show in LA which I think was an exception to the rule).

That said, the Stones still deliver the best live show most nights. AC/DC certainly gave them a run for the money on the Licks tour and they might have regretted inviting them along.

I would still pay a lot for U2 anytime. But not as much as for the Stones. Don't tell Mick that I said that please!

Agreed 100%.

U2 comes nowhere close to the Stones. Why even try and compare them?

The longevity, creativity, and historical significance of the Stones, compared to U2's mediocre career, is like comparing ice-cream (stones) to sour milk. U2 will never be revered in the same light as the Stones and the Beatles. U2 are wannabe- rockers.

You have a good point there Hairball.
BUT, it's a fact that U2 puts out big selling albums and huge tours. They put on a totally different show. The point with the back up musicians is that U2 uses them because they are needed for certain songs because they couldn't perform them otherwise. The stones don't need them to perform the songs, look at the b-stage and every tour prior the steel wheels tour. You can't compare U2 to the stones or the Beatles because there from a totally different era. There will probabely never be another sixties with all it's groundbreaking music so there will never be another Stones or Beatles. But for this period of time U2 aere huge and sell more albums than any other band and always put on a huge show!!!!

Cheers,
Wuudy

I like the Motorhead comparison

- Doxa

U2 have now a status which the Stones have since more than 25 years and more (biggest selling "modern" stadium tours, lonely at the top ). What are you comparing? U2 became bigger in the mid 80`s. What are the mid 80`s in Stones -history? They were almost the old guys, influenced rock-music in every aspect (music, styling, business, stagedesign, and and and), almost the first, almost breaking new records. U2 have a little bit of this level since just a few days. So if you are dying to compare, wait if U2 is still that great in more than 20 years.

I like U2,but you can't possibly compare them with the Rolling Stones.Its like comparing the Brasilian football team with England.Different league totally.

oh for @#$%& sake, not this again....

NEUK U2 and that talentless poseur Bimbo.

"The wonder of Jimi Hendrix was that he could stand up at all he was so pumped full of drugs." Patsy, Patsy Stone