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  1. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:I hate to be "that guy", but they seemed pretty on fire for the Toronto show.

    Just sayin'.

    Haven't really noticed much else, but then again I haven't been listening/watching shows that much since the one I attended.
    I thought they were electric in Cleveland too.
  2. I was at the East Ruthford shows. Bono seemed fine and energetic as well as the band!!!!!!
  3. I felt the same "quietness" about Bono at the start of the tour especially when compared to his energy during Vertigo and 360 tours and even more so back to the R&H tour. As this tour moves on I've felt that Bono and The Edge have found their groove and this was cemented for me yesterday during the Cleveland gig which I feel was the show of this tour so far. I can't wait to see how things change and evolve in Europe next week.
  4. They will go mega in Europe, be on fire in USA Leg 2 and go nuclear in South America... don't worry !
  5. Originally posted by bpt3:[..]
    I just watched the video I pulled up on YouTube...saw him wipe away a tear before he began singing but not "full on weeping." Even if he was, couldn't that just be genuine emotion about losing a friend?


    This, my friend, is indeed 'full on weeping'.


    Either way, if I were Bono, I'd be feeling both energized and heavy at the state of the world right now. I mean, I'm no rock star global activist, but I'm upset and trying to stay hopeful about the next three and a half years still under our current president...


    https://giphy.com/gifs/john-cleese-qZEQ6OpaURMPe/
  6. Originally posted by Edi:They will go mega in Europe, be on fire in USA Leg 2 and go nuclear in South America... don't worry !
    Amen! I think playing the JT distorts the usual shape of a U2 show. Those songs often speak for themselves too, meaning himself can be a bit quieter. I have to say that I prefer quiet Bono!
  7. My biggest problem with Bono now is that he's become a yeller - which, I get, he's been doing this a long time and it wears out the strength of your voice, not to mention age...I just feel like I get way, way less out of his voice now.

    Not that he hasn't been doing this change in Streets for basically decades, but to me, there's a huge difference between dropping the needle on TJT and hearing that low, soulful drop in his voice/the melody during the five distinctly separate notes in the line "And when I go there".... versus

    "Aaaaaand, when-I-go theeeeerrrrrrrrrre" all more or less on the same note.

    Maybe it contributes to part of his less-energetic persona on stage? And guys, seriously, maybe we're getting a good show or two out of Bono and the way he interacts with the crowd, but I'd be willing to bet you could take any 5 minutes of the I&E Tour and any 5 minutes of the JT Tour and the difference in the way Bono moves - regardless of what point in the show we're at - would prove the point.
  8. Originally posted by MattG:My biggest problem with Bono now is that he's become a yeller - which, I get, he's been doing this a long time and it wears out the strength of your voice, not to mention age...I just feel like I get way, way less out of his voice now.

    Not that he hasn't been doing this change in Streets for basically decades, but to me, there's a huge difference between dropping the needle on TJT and hearing that low, soulful drop in his voice/the melody during the five distinctly separate notes in the line "And when I go there".... versus

    "Aaaaaand, when-I-go theeeeerrrrrrrrrre" all more or less on the same note.

    Maybe it contributes to part of his less-energetic persona on stage? And guys, seriously, maybe we're getting a good show or two out of Bono and the way he interacts with the crowd, but I'd be willing to bet you could take any 5 minutes of the I&E Tour and any 5 minutes of the JT Tour and the difference in the way Bono moves - regardless of what point in the show we're at - would prove the point.
    I agree. The less melodic singing sounds kind of lazy and a bit shrill at times. Its just the way his voice is now I guess.
  9. Originally posted by MattG:My biggest problem with Bono now is that he's become a yeller - which, I get, he's been doing this a long time and it wears out the strength of your voice, not to mention age...I just feel like I get way, way less out of his voice now.

    Not that he hasn't been doing this change in Streets for basically decades, but to me, there's a huge difference between dropping the needle on TJT and hearing that low, soulful drop in his voice/the melody during the five distinctly separate notes in the line "And when I go there".... versus

    "Aaaaaand, when-I-go theeeeerrrrrrrrrre" all more or less on the same note.

    Maybe it contributes to part of his less-energetic persona on stage? And guys, seriously, maybe we're getting a good show or two out of Bono and the way he interacts with the crowd, but I'd be willing to bet you could take any 5 minutes of the I&E Tour and any 5 minutes of the JT Tour and the difference in the way Bono moves - regardless of what point in the show we're at - would prove the point.
    Yeah, that's a 28 yr difference. Of course he's not gonna be running around like he did back then. Remember his back surgery. That may have a life lasting effect on him that prevents him doing all this things. He was very energetic during 360 but that was 7 yrs ago. For streets i prefer the live versions over studio anyday. The high note gives it more soul imo.
  10. Slight rant incoming:

    I've see Bono pre-back surgery, immediately post-back surgery, and 7 times since.

    He was moving around with absolute vigor right after the surgery. I could not *believe* he was as active as he was. He was also in the face of the crowd every night on the I&E Tour. Throwing water, yelling off-mic (one of my favorite Bono moves), really connecting with the crowd. Now, aside from Exit, I feel almost no energy out of Bono. It feels more like he's aware they're putting on quite a grandiose show, and he is presenting it - less like he's trying to make anyone in the crowd a part of it. If they're doing it because its truer to the 1987 tour, then fine, no difference - it is boring.

    There's a hot post at the top of active topics right now, reviewing the tour based on three separate performances - and Bono didn't even CASUALLY pay attention to the Red Zone section, at least at two different shows? Give me a break! Not even two years ago, he was working the entire front rail, an arena-long catwalk on both sides, and a B-stage rail in the round. And now he can't even be bothered to glance at the Red Zone, right in front of him? It's lazy showmanship, and whether you've personally enjoyed the shows thus far (I'm personally 50/50 on my two, with a third coming), it is a fact that the band is playing with less energy than they did last time around...not so long ago. Again, if there is a good reason for it, fine, but no difference - it is more boring.

    And yeah, I prefer Streets live too...until probably 2015. It was still pretty great on 360, but honestly the last time I LOVED Streets' live version was the Vertigo Tour. The last time they played it indoors with any sort of real gripping punch. Pride was far more outstanding than Streets on I&E, in my opinion. There is something understated and powerful about the vocal on the studio version of Streets that is no longer translating to the live version. There are seriously SO MANY melodic changes to that live vocal, it is almost astonishing.

    Just a personal opinion. Still love the band. Still love Streets.
  11. Originally posted by MattG:Slight rant incoming:

    I've see Bono pre-back surgery, immediately post-back surgery, and 7 times since.

    He was moving around with absolute vigor right after the surgery. I could not *believe* he was as active as he was. He was also in the face of the crowd every night on the I&E Tour. Throwing water, yelling off-mic (one of my favorite Bono moves), really connecting with the crowd. Now, aside from Exit, I feel almost no energy out of Bono. It feels more like he's aware they're putting on quite a grandiose show, and he is presenting it - less like he's trying to make anyone in the crowd a part of it. If they're doing it because its truer to the 1987 tour, then fine, no difference - it is boring.

    There's a hot post at the top of active topics right now, reviewing the tour based on three separate performances - and Bono didn't even CASUALLY pay attention to the Red Zone section, at least at two different shows? Give me a break! Not even two years ago, he was working the entire front rail, an arena-long catwalk on both sides, and a B-stage rail in the round. And now he can't even be bothered to glance at the Red Zone, right in front of him? It's lazy showmanship, and whether you've personally enjoyed the shows thus far (I'm personally 50/50 on my two, with a third coming), it is a fact that the band is playing with less energy than they did last time around...not so long ago. Again, if there is a good reason for it, fine, but no difference - it is more boring.

    And yeah, I prefer Streets live too...until probably 2015. It was still pretty great on 360, but honestly the last time I LOVED Streets' live version was the Vertigo Tour. The last time they played it indoors with any sort of real gripping punch. Pride was far more outstanding than Streets on I&E, in my opinion. There is something understated and powerful about the vocal on the studio version of Streets that is no longer translating to the live version. There are seriously SO MANY melodic changes to that live vocal, it is almost astonishing.

    Just a personal opinion. Still love the band. Still love Streets.
    I still think it goes back to TJT songs not allowing him the freedom to really be an entertainer. They are songs that just need to be sung, Bono doesn't need to run about for a performance of a song to be considered great. Take one tree hill and RHMT I'm glad he's just standing there concentrating on singing, the most important thing in they songs for Bono isn't to entertain its the delivery vocally and I think he's doing a great job.
  12. I guess it really all is part of the cocktail of weirdness then; If he can't "perform" as well for the TJT songs because he needs to sing them, and he's doing a worse and worse job singing the songs as opposed to taking easy-ways-out of the melodies...