ZOMG CONCERT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cabaiste84]

25th of November, baby.

ROCK AND ROOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem.

Just btw, guys, don't flip if I don't reply straight away. Computer issues, you see. More later.

Comments

[cabaiste84]

Well, at the moment, the big question is whether U2 will keep doing the same Vertigo Tour thing or not. Will they take this time to add some other songs?

I have been thinking the same thing myself. I was even wondering if perhaps they'll chuck in any songs from their new album that they're in the process of recording. I wouldn't put it past them, just for the sake of re-jigging the standard set-list, especiually on the second night in Auckland. I'm thinking it'd be quite nice to get a live preview of their new material...but we'll have to see.

The big question is whether they'll open with Vertigo or COBL. They were using COBL in South America, but they'll only use it if it's dark in time, otherwise Vertigo will probably open and COBL won't be played until it's dark enough for the light show.

Oh please please PLEASE let it be COBL!! Gotta say it's my fave off HTDAAB as well, and I reckon it'd be the perfect opener, with it's long introduction, and the way in which it just explodes going into the chorus! It's the song I always listen to when I really wanna psych myself up for the concert. I think U2 are due to come on stage at 8.45, so I'm thinking it'll just be dark enough by then. But hey, I've heard that Vertigo is an absolutely rockin' opener as well, so it wouldn't be a great tragedy if that was the opener.

I hope you get AIWIY - it has closed the four most recent concerts, so hopefully they'll retain it.

Oh my gosh, can you just imagine the concert closing with *that* guitar solo? *blissful sigh*

I'm also really curious what HTDAAB songs will survive. OOTS, ABOY, Fast Cars, and Yahweh were all fighting for position in South America, and maybe Miracle Drug will come back

Hmmm. A long as they keep LAPOE in there, I'm sweet. And I'm pretty sure they will keep SYCMIOYO. ABOY is fun live, apparently. Yahweh is another fave of mine from HTDAAB, but apparently the stripped-down accoustic version they've been doing this tour is kinda blah.

I can't say I'd be too gutted if they dropped OOTS. It's a sweet song, and it's totally been growing on me lately (hated it when I first heard it), but it's not my favourite. Same with Miracle Drug. Crumbs live would just be freaking cool. I love it as well...reminds me of soooo many Christians I'm come across.

Will post niggles later on...

[axver]

I don't think U2 will play any unreleased material. It's not a common occurrence - though not unheard of either. It's mainly happened in the eighties; since the start of the nineties, only three unreleased songs have been played. Slow Dancing was played a few times before there were any plans to release it, She's A Mystery To Me has been sporadically played over the years despite the fact it hasn't been officially released (except as a live b-side in 2005), and then there was We Love You in Antwerp, 6 August 2001.

However, it's worth noting that there is a rumour doing the rounds that U2 will release a single in September, and overnight, 18 and a half minutes of new U2 material has leaked. Bono was playing it loud at his beach house in France and someone taped it. So the quality isn't that good, but a couple of the songs sound really good, almost at the point where the band could release it (maybe just a bit of tinkering here and there). Given this leak, I think a September single may not be mere idle speculation. I think a single would be a good idea - I guess we'll see what happens.

Personally, as I've already seen COBL open two shows, I'd like to see Vertigo open one, hee. Just so I can claim to see all three Vertigo Tour openers (I got LAPOE once). If COBL isn't the opener, it'll be about mid-way through the main set. Also a good spot, but it IS an amazing opener, it has roughly the same effect as when Streets opened JT/Lovetown shows.

ABOY, fun live? Whoever said that must be thinking of a different song. ;) Along with One, I thought it was the most boring song of all three shows I saw (Miracle Drug and SYCMIOYO being not much better), and most people seem to agree with that. I'll be happy if it clears out of the setlist. I don't mind the stripped-down Yahweh, but it's nothing to write home about, and I definitely don't see SYCMIOYO going anywhere in a hurry. LAPOE will certainly stay, given its importance to the political section of the show. My bet is we'll get Vertigo, SYCMIOYO, LAPOE, COBL, and OOTS, and Yahweh, ABOY, and Fast Cars some nights.

My one prediction for something unexpected is A Man And A Woman. It hasn't been played live yet, but it'll be nearly summertime when U2 get down here, and I know that song was popular on radio here the summer after HTDAAB was released. An acoustic version wouldn't be hard for the band to learn too, and I'm sure it'd go down well with crowds. And I keep wondering when the band will play Electrical Storm live ... I suppose never ...

[cabaiste84]

Aw man, these convos have been rockin'! U2 bonding sessions rock my world. I wish more of my real-life friends were U2 fans, cos I'm so gagging for a U2 discussion that isn't on livejournal. :P

Hmmm, tell me more about Slow Dancing...a lot of my fellow U2 ljers seem to dig it, but I've never heard it at all. Wasn't it a B-side to Stay?

We Love You In Antwerp! Now that is a cool song title...:P

My one prediction for something unexpected is A Man And A Woman.

Gosh, I hope not. Ok, yes, it's a lovely Bono/Ali song with some nice guitar work in there...but personally I think it's one of the big clunkers on HTAAB (along with One Step Closer)and I think we can do without it in the setlist. Oh man, if they're going to pull something unexpected, couldn't they do something truly rockin' from Zooropa or Pop? Or a B-side? Or crank out WGRYWH again? Or, as you said, Electrical Storm, which really would just rock to the core? Come on, fellas...:P

Ok, here's where I post my niggles about the gig. I was going to make a post of it, but then I realised it's all kinda pathetic, and no-one, save you and a couple of others, would actually give a rat's. So yeah...

The only thing is that I'm worried about is being completely let down by the whole thing. Like, I'm trying not to let myself get too excited, cos I know if I hype this thing up too much then I'm going to end up completely gutted if it doesn't meet my expectations. And it's stupid, cos whatever's going to happen with the concert is going to happen. What the band will or will not play, what Bono's voice will be like, how energetic or not the crowd are going to be, what the sound quality in the stadium is like, what the weather's going to be like, if my friend that I'm taking is going to enjoy herself or not...all of that's beyond my control, so really I should just stop angsting yeah?

I guess one of the big worries for me is what our seats are going to be like...I understand that we'll be in one of the bays closest to the stage, so we'll either get an awesome view of the band, or we'll be cricking our necks the whole time, straining to see anything. Part of me feels relieved that we're not in GA, cos that means we'll be able to enjoy the band without being jostled around, and elbowed in the face, and stamped on, and shunted from side to side, and having any perverts try and cosy up to us etc. And, of course, we won't have to cue for hours just to get a good spot. But, all the GA jostling is meant to be part of the experience, cos you're right in the heart of the action. And there'll be nothing worse than being stuck up in the stands with a whole lot of people who refuse to jump up and down and get into it, when all you want to do is go absolutely mad when the band comes on stage! :P

Ummm...at the shows you went to, were there any songs you felt seriously disappointed with? Cos, y'know, I've got all the setlist jitters; y'know, being disappointed cos you didn't get to hear certain songs, or hearing a blah live version of one of your faves. I read canadanne's post about seeing U2 live in London, and while she had a simply amazing couple of shows, she said there were definitely some lacklustre moments. Like, she was really disappointed with songs like Running to Stand Still and Bullet the Blue Sky, some of my absolute faves. And apparently U2 hardly seem to pull off a great live version of One, which I absolutely adore (sorry, I know you don't dig that song...:P). And even Sunday Bloody Sunday is getting a bit tired. So yeah...any dull moments you're keen to share?

Hmmm, I think that's enough angsting there. :P I know how ridiculous it all sounds, and I really think I must have too much spare time if I'm allowing myself to get this stressed about it. But, still felt good to let it out. ;)