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  1. But just what that does to touring schedules, costs, length of tours and consequent availability of production staff. Is arena / stadium free those extra nights….
    Seemingly simple, massively impactful
  2. Originally posted by Sydney_MIke:I've never been to a U2 show I didn't like. Even an average show isn't a bad thing. Some shows are less memorable in that I don't have any stand out songs or moments, but there's never been anything close to being a show to forget.

    went to a bad one in Holland on Elevation but it was more about really crap acoustics and we were at the back of GA


  3. How on earth do you even begin to define what constitutes "the authentic sound" of U2 when there are so many variables in the equation and it has changed so many times over the course of their career?.

    If you define U2-1 to be inauthentic; then what is U2+1 and more? For years, we've had Terry Lawless hidden beneath the stage playing keyboards on tour, so we're not listening to U2, we're listening to some other "band" using your rationale. Likewise, so many albums and tracks contain Eno + Lanois and others playing additional instruments and providing backing vocals - does that mean those albums or songs aren't authentic U2 because it's more than just them?.

    For me, the authentic sound of U2 is the version that got me hooked - the raw, passionate, unsophisticated and unpolished U2 prior to TUF. I'm so thankful that I got to see that band in 1984 but I've stayed with them as they've evolved because each iteration has been interesting. Even though Bram did a commendable job, I'd much prefer to have Larry playing drums but I will always consider what I saw and heard in Las Vegas to another authentic version of the band.
  4. Originally posted by Sydney_MIke:[..]


    How on earth do you even begin to define what constitutes "the authentic sound" of U2 when there are so many variables in the equation and it has changed so many times over the course of their career?.

    If you define U2-1 to be inauthentic; then what is U2+1 and more? For years, we've had Terry Lawless hidden beneath the stage playing keyboards on tour, so we're not listening to U2, we're listening to some other "band" using your rationale. Likewise, so many albums and tracks contain Eno + Lanois and others playing additional instruments and providing backing vocals - does that mean those albums or songs aren't authentic U2 because it's more than just them?.

    For me, the authentic sound of U2 is the version that got me hooked - the raw, passionate, unsophisticated and unpolished U2 prior to TUF. I'm so thankful that I got to see that band in 1984 but I've stayed with them as they've evolved because each iteration has been interesting. Even though Bram did a commendable job, I'd much prefer to have Larry playing drums but I will always consider what I saw and heard in Las Vegas to another authentic version of the band.
    The authentic sound of u2 is the band members playing their own instrument without a substitute. Would you really be enjoying these shows if it was Chris Martin singing instead of Bono? Most people’s only argument to that is ‘it’s not the same thing’ and I’m saying for a lot of us it is the same thing. Songs can change and develop through the years but when I listen to zoo station from 1993 and listen to it from 2005 and 2018 it’s unmistakably Larry playing on it, when I listen to it from 2023/24 it’s unmistakably not Larry. Additional artists are fine because they aren’t taking the role of the band members, if u2 had a rhythm guitar player on stage that would be fine, edge is still the lead guitarist but if they stuck edge on rhythm guitar or keyboard for a full gig and brought in a different lead guitarist that wouldn’t be authentic. Again none of that means that people can’t or shouldn’t enjoy it but I’m just explaining some of the reasons why I can’t enjoy it and what authentic means to me, people obviously have their own idea of authentic which again is fine.
  5. I get your point that authentic sound = original line up, but U2 are very much an exception in this regard - for which all of us on here are extremely thankful for. So many other bands I follow have had major line up changes that I've learned to live with it - different line up but still the same great songs. That conditioning plus the fact this was intended to be only a temporary change, is why I've been more accepting of these shows but I understand why others have felt uncomfortable or disagreed.
  6. At first i was disappointed, probably even annoyed at the decision to play without larry, but i’m over that now. I don’t have ill feeling towards the band or bram, I just cant enjoy the songs the same. But the good thing is whereas to begin with it was almost like a silly grudge on my part it’s now just a case of it’s happened, forget about it move on and look forward to the next chapter, assuming the next chapter includes Larry.