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"In the shower, which is a natural echo chamber, I sing like I never have sung on a record. But the way I always try to sing on records." -- Bono, 2000 |
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"In the shower, which is a natural echo chamber, I sing like I never have sung on a record. But the way I always try to sing on records." -- Bono, 2000 |
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Column: off the record...,vol. 9-371
@U2,
August 16, 2009
I have been, and always will be, a huge fan of all types of live music. Every so often I am reminded once again why I love music in the live setting. I sometimes smile when I see, hear and read about people's intolerances to different types of music. I smile because those who complain are the very people who never give that music any chance. I smile because I think there is something amazing in all types of music that can be more easily seen in the live setting. Last weekend our family went to see our good friends in Waterford, in southeast Ireland, where the annual Spraoi Festival was on. I got a chance in the late afternoon to go to a local pub and hear a live band. It was music I don't normally listen to, a combination of rap and ska: two rappers, sax, trumpet, drummer, bongos, bass and a guy on decks -- not a guitar in sight. Wow, these guys really had it. Two rappers going at it in unison and taking turns at lead and backing vocals is not only difficult to do, it's superb when it gels together. We only got to see half the set, but we were so impressed we went to see them the following night and got the whole set. A rap/ska band called Lazy Habits reminded me once again why I love all types of music. When U2 fans see support acts on their tours, some wonder why they picked this band or that band, I think the reason they were chosen is described above. This week I am feeling somewhat normal after almost two weeks of U2 gigs. Being at U2 gigs in Nice, Berlin, Amsterdam and two in Dublin took its toll, but boy, was it well worth it. Apart from the gigs themselves, I met some great, interesting and fun people along the way and experienced three very different European cultures. The story of the five gigs and the traveling to those four cities is told in more detail here, and the pictures to go with the story are here. The U2 360 tour promised the band closer to the audience, stadiums fully seated all around, and a huge structure we know as The Claw. Does it work? Did it deliver? For me, it definitely over delivered on many levels. Two of the five gigs (Berlin and Dublin #1) have claimed their place in my top five U2 gigs of the 18 I have attended since 1985. For four of the gigs we were standing; at three of these, we were in the inner circle, and for one we were outside the red zone. All were great shows of differing intensity. There was one spot we failed to get to, which I describe as the tip of the circle or outside the inner circle, but at the rail, dead centre, facing the stage. This position offers a unique view where you can see the band most of the time without turning around. One is also at the feet of Bono and Co. when they go walkabout on the outer walkway. While the tip of the circle may well be one of the best spots, for two of the gigs we were inside the inner circle at the back, which was fairly incredible. When you are in this position, you are constantly looking around to see where Edge or Adam is, as they are always on the move. This feature of the gigs really adds to the atmosphere, as you are turning around to see who is doing what. When you are in the inner circle, you can not take the whole show into your field of vision. It reminded me of watching an IMAX movie. For Dublin #2, I had the best seats in the house (a word of praise to the u2.com fan club seat allocation), and for Amsterdam #1 we went to the very back of the field for the last four songs. So we saw the 360 tour from several different angles, and it's a different experience from all these positions. This was the first series of U2 gigs that I saw something really special; it happened at the Berlin gig. I saw Bono come to the front, see people he recognised and react immediately, and acknowledge them at the end of the gig. To see this firsthand, to see that instant reaction, was amazing to watch. It was all the more interesting as we met them in the queue before the show. At the same gig, I also witnessed for the first time three musicians come onstage and play U2 instruments note perfect. That, too, was an incredible highlight. The similarity of setlists is the only disappointment I have. The middle section of the show is the only time they make changes. This "programmed" nature of the setlists is largely due to the equipment they have to deploy during songs, but it has produced a little rigidity that needs to be worked on. This is the first time U2 has not released any new songs through three consecutive album singles -- not a remix, live version or alternate version, but a new song. While singles buyers will know there has been a gradual trend of a reduction of U2 b-sides in recent years, even the most pessimistic U2 fan expected more than zero! For me, it means they are holding back on even more material than normal. We all know they have many tracks in the "finished" to "nearly finished" state, so it's clear the tracks are there. The timing of the next album release is all that remains to be decided. Edge said to Hot Press on July 20: "We would love the idea of the next record being sooner rather than later. We certainly have the material for it, but it's about whether we have the time to finish it. It depends on how the touring progresses." This ties in with what drum tech Sam O'Sullivan reportedly said to fans in Zagreb last week. It's still up in the air, but I think it will more likely be 2010 before the new album is released. This opens up touring extension possibilities to be discussed elsewhere, but one interesting fact is that for the 360 Tour, U2 are playing 24 times in Europe but only 17 in the USA. That has never happened before, and it's less than half the number of shows they did stateside for PopMart, which is the only valid stadium tour comparison. So the tour is sure to continue into 2010, but in what format remains to be seen. A staple of the U2 touring cycle is the live DVD. To be honest, I expected it to be filmed in Europe this time around. Of course it will almost certainly be a venue where they play two nights, and the most obvious place, I thought, was Wembley Stadium. U2 were well into their stride at that point, but it didn't happen, so I can't see them filming during the first few gigs in the U.S. There is a three-week break after Europe, so it's more likely to be New York. U2 will be the second-to-last act to play Giants Stadium. (Bruce Springsteen has the honour of being the last, playing an incredible five nights at the stadium.) Of course all of U2's gigs are being filmed by several cameras, so we could just get a compilation from several gigs. For me, my U2 tour is over, but for many of you, it hasn't happened yet. What an amazing experience awaits you. For the ultimate closeup view, go GA. Here is a GA expert I briefly met in Dublin; I christened him "GA Joe". Check his U2 journey out here. Guitar inventor Les Paul passed away Thursday at age 94. His influence on rock 'n' roll has been staggering. The Edge called him "legend of the guitar and a true renaissance man." Finally, something to give all our lives some perspective: This is what happened when a son asked his dad if they could do the Iron Man (Triathlon) together. This grueling event consists of 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles cycling and 26.2 miles running. Until the next time! © @U2, 2009.
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