P-T-P

[quote name='JTUK' post='1284098' date='Jun 27 2011, 01:58 PM']How many times do I have to say the same thing..????? they have nowhere else to go with this vehicle. IMO. Plenty of bands are in the situation.. but artistically they revive things or don't depending on what they have left in the tank. This applies to all levels of musicians though..or really should, IMO.. If U2 were as good as their status suggests, they might be able to do this.. but they don't seem able...or willing. My bet is on the former but If they still sell tickets, who cares..? I guess they wont. Going round in circles here and there are too many of these types of threads to keep up with..besides, the fest is over, this is all done, I'm out.[/quote] Just from my PoV, not having a go at you personally, just interesting to discuss. I'll be honest and say I'm not entirely sure what you're saying though. I mean, I get the words, just missing the point I suppose. First, the nerves thing... yeah, at that level you'd expect them to overcome it - and I think they did to a large extent and would have been much better with more favourable weather - but it's been 20+ years since they played a full set for a non-partisan audience and they came into it with a huge weight of expectation from both the supporters and detractors. They already knew that whatever they did, there would be people falling over themselves to pick them apart. If they were to do Glastonbury in a couple of years or perhaps a few other festivals, the nerves would be less forgivable. I think they're capable of changing things up, they've done so several times in their career - compare War to the Joshua Tree to Achtung Baby to POP to No Line on the Horizon - and there's some very different material going on. I think the last album was, for many, not enough of a change from it's predecessors for some people. Or too different depending on who you ask. I think it's true that they are not a slick, fluid band in a natural musician kinda way and their shows are very much a production, rather than simply a gig - but they know that and that's why something like Glastonbury puts them outside their comfort zone. I disagree there's nowhere artistically for them to go, I just think for them it comes about through new songs and looking for a new sounds rather than reworking old songs. If an old song stops working, they have a ton of others to choose from. I can see how it would be far more interesting to them to juggle the set-list and work on new songs than to spend that creative time re-working old songs. Maybe you could cite some examples from other bands of what you feel U2 could be doing.

JTUK, just wondering how many U2 concerts you've been to in the last 25 years or so (not talking about Live Aid, Top of the Pops type appearances). I'm a big U2 fan and I agree with you to an extent. Glastonbury was, by their standards, a "safe" performance. They were clearly really tense at the start of the show and in comparison to their own gigs, the distance from the crowd and general stage layout didn't help. All that being said, they're in bit of a no-win situation really, to please someone looking for the kinda dynamics you are looking for would mean the risk of boring a whole host of others. With their own shows, because of the sheer size of the b®and and the weight of expectation, they are somewhat restricted as to how much they can mess around. They do/have changed things up over the years, though sometimes the changes are subtle and wouldn't be as noticed by someone who is a more casual listener. Also, because a large part of their audience is not going to accept wholesale sweeping re-workings of the songs they're paying good money to hear, they will use the production to give a different flavour rather than the music itself. The shows I saw on the 360 tour all had 6 or 7 numbers from the most recent album and about 10 post 2000 numbers all told. Each album's accompanying tour has always featured a bunch of songs from the new album and every tour since ZOO-TV has featured a section of the show where they do a stripped back version of one or two numbers (and karaoke versions on POP tour) For as long as people bill them as "the biggest band in the world" thy will be treading a line between living up to that billing and their own artistry and innevitably they will always be on the wrong side of the line for different people at different times. FWIW though, check out I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Crazy Tonight and compare the recorded version (or very early TV show live performances) with the version they do on the 360 tour.

Mike bought my Aguilar Octamizer and I've nothing but good things to say.

Bought my Bottom Feeder. Very easy and pleasant transaction.

Andy bought my IEMs, pleasure to deal with.