U2 innocence and experience tour (1 Viewer)

[Neil Middlemiss]

I actually like the later shows of the tours. They seem to mix up the set lists even more.

Interesting that no songs from the last album are being played.

I'm hoping for an Atlanta date either this year or next. Maybe the new album will be finished then Too.

When are reissues of rattle and hum and pop coming??
Blu Ray reissue of rattle as well? I didn't get it on Blu Ray before it went out of print.

I had the HD-DVD or Rattle and Hum, and last year picked up a copy of the Blu from the UK, region free, so you can still grab a copy

Edit: I just check Amazon.co.uk and it's only showing as being sold by third party vendors...sorry!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Just wanted to give this thread a little update in case anyone's still reading. U2 just finished playing five dates at the Forum in Los Angeles, and are moving on to two shows in Denver starting tomorrow night.


The whole "two different setlists" thing is definitely out the window, and the second half of the show hasn't quite had the variety they hinted at, but they've still managed to play more songs in the first few weeks of this tour than they did the entire first leg of the 360 tour back in 2009, so there's that. I think from city to city it doesn't make a big difference, but if you're someone like me who bought tickets to back to back nights because of their pledge to do two completely different shows, you might feel a little let down. I feel like when it gets to NY, I'll just be so happy to be seeing them that I won't care as much, and I wouldn't be disappointed at all were it not for the expectations they set.


Since the opening in Vancouver, they've rotated the following songs in and out of the setlist at different points:
- Volcano

- Ordinary Love

- Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

- Elevation

- In God's Country (played with a fan)

- All I Want Is You

- The Electric Co

- "40"


They also did a club gig at the Roxy in L.A. that was for winners of a local radio station contest, and played "The Ocean" and "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" which haven't been played in ages (2005 for "The Ocean" and 2001 for "11 O'Clock Tick Tock") - hoping those might appear at one of the regular tour shows.


I'm a little surprised that their new song "California (There Is No End To Love)" hasn't been played much and only once on a California i+e date - you'd figure that might have been a lock. I really like that song, so I'm hoping to hear it in NY. Bono brought a Bono impersonator onstage at one point in L.A. which must've been hilarious.


Someone asked Bono before one of the shows if they were going to play "The Crystal Ballroom" (one of the tracks from the "Songs of Innocence" deluxe edition physical release), and he said that it was an important song and that they're working on it but that they will play it by the end of the tour. I really like that one so here's hoping!


The videos on YouTube are looking better and better, the band's sounding great, seems like they're getting into a nice groove. I'll be able to give a more firsthand account once they get here in NY, although whether that's a good thing or an unintentionally annoying thing will be for you guys to decide

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

Thanks for that update. Like you, I am a little disappointed that the 'two different shows' didn't quite become real, but it is a long way to September when they hit Stockholm, and it sounds as if they are in great form, so having tickets to two shows doesn't really bother me; after all, I have never seen them, so why not see them twice when I have the chance ?

 

[Osato]

I read that kick jagger was at the first Chicago show. I hope Bono is feeling better soon!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

He better get better by July 18 (the first NYC show) - cause I'm not selfish at all

Word is that they've sound checked "The Crystal Ballroom" in a couple different cities. Really hoping that one gets played live in NY!

"Lucifer's Hands" made its live debut. The song was frequently played live on the 2010 leg of the 360 tour as an instrumental then known as "Return of the Stingray Guitar". I'm hoping Lucifer's Hands gets more than one play.

I'm also really surprised, and happily so, that Electric Co is being played basically every other night. Love that song!

 

[Osato]

He better get better by July 18 (the first NYC show) - cause I'm not selfish at all
Word is that they've sound checked "The Crystal Ballroom" in a couple different cities. Really hoping that one gets played live in NY!
"Lucifer's Hands" made its live debut. The song was frequently played live on the 2010 leg of the 360 tour as an instrumental then known as "Return of the Stingray Guitar". I'm hoping Lucifer's Hands gets more than one play.
I'm also really surprised, and happily so, that Electric Co is being played basically every other night. Love that song!

They rehearsed drowning man on 360 but never played it live.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Since the last update here, U2 have indeed played "The Crystal Ballroom" - it's been played once in Chicago and once in Boston. And from the older catalog, "Gloria" has been played a few times. As of the last three shows, the running order of the second half of the set has been shaken up a little bit, it's pretty much the same songs but with a slightly different order.


They're starting their eight shows at New York City's Madison Square Garden this Saturday, and I'm going - I'll post a little review afterwards and try not to ramble too much in doing so.

 

[Osato]

Since the last update here, U2 have indeed played "The Crystal Ballroom" - it's been played once in Chicago and once in Boston. And from the older catalog, "Gloria" has been played a few times. As of the last three shows, the running order of the second half of the set has been shaken up a little bit, it's pretty much the same songs but with a slightly different order.

They're starting their eight shows at New York City's Madison Square Garden this Saturday, and I'm going - I'll post a little review afterwards and try not to ramble too much in doing so.

Sounds great! I look forward to your review!

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

Wow, Gloria would be nice. Looking forward to reading your review!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

U2 - Night 1
Innocence + Experience Tour
MSG 7/18/2015

onstage @ 8:26pm

1. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
2. The Electric Co.
3. Vertigo
4. I Will Follow
5. Iris (Hold Me Close)
6. Cedarwood Road
7. Song For Someone
8. Sunday Bloody Sunday
9. Raised By Wolves
10. Until The End Of The World
(intermission)
11. Invisible
12. Even Better Than The Real Thing
13. Mysterious Ways
14. Elevation
15. Ordinary Love
16. October
17. Every Breaking Wave
18. With Or Without You
19. City Of Blinding Lights
20. Bullet The Blue Sky
21. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
(encore)
22. Beautiful Day
23. Where The Streets Have No Name
24. One

offstage @ 10:49pm

---

U2 - Night 2
Innocence + Experience Tour
MSG 7/19/2015

onstage @ 8:24pm

1. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
2. Gloria
3. Vertigo
4. I Will Follow
5. Iris (Hold Me Close)
6. Cedarwood Road
7. Song For Someone
8. Sunday Bloody Sunday
9. Raised By Wolves
10. Until The End Of The World
(intermission)
11. Invisible
12. Even Better Than The Real Thing
13. Mysterious Ways
14. Volcano
15. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
16. October
17. Every Breaking Wave
18. With Or Without You
19. City Of Blinding Lights
20. Bullet The Blue Sky
21. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
(encore)
22. Beautiful Day
23. Bad
24. Where The Streets Have No Name
25. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

offstage @ 10:52pm

---

U2 - Night 3
Innocence + Experience Tour
MSG 7/22/2015

onstage @ 8:33pm

1. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
2. Out Of Control
3. Vertigo
4. I Will Follow
5. Iris (Hold Me Close)
6. Cedarwood Road
7. Song For Someone
8. Sunday Bloody Sunday
9. Raised By Wolves
10. Until The End Of The World
(intermission)
11. Invisible
12. Even Better Than The Real Thing
13. Mysterious Ways
14. Desire (with Jimmy Fallon)
15. Angel Of Harlem (with The Roots)
16. Every Breaking Wave
17. With Or Without You
18. City Of Blinding Lights
19. Bullet The Blue Sky
20. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
(encore)
21. Beautiful Day
22. Where The Streets Have No Name
23. One

offstage @ 10:56pm

 

[Josh Steinberg]

So I've seen the first three of eight U2 shows at Madison Square Garden in NYC, and I'm sitting on the general admission floor now waiting for that last hour to pass before they come onstage. I just posted set lists from the first three shows above - it's very similar from night to night with a handful of changes.

It's a really fantastic concert, and the videos posted on YouTube don't really do it justice. The band really uses the entire area space to great effect - first performing on a larger stage at one end of the arena, then on a middle catwalk that runs the length of the floor, and then on a smaller stage at the other end of the arena, before reversing that movement. So no matter where you're sitting or standing, for at least some portion of the show, you'll be near the band.

The stage design is very innovative and I think would appeal to a lot of HTF people - the giant screen that runs the length of the arena floor is huge and a sight to behold. It's double sided and the band can climb into the middle of it and perform within the screen. There's a song where Bono walks through the screen as it plays animations of his childhood neighborhood and house, and it's a really stunning visual. The sound is practically Dolby Atmos. Most arena shows just hang a set of speakers above the main stage at one end and blast the sound into the arena, but for this show, the band has hung speakers evenly throughout the ceiling over the entire length of the floor, so sound is more evenly distributed, and it can even be used to create surround sound effects.

The first half of the show is focused on the theme of innocence and growing up, and features mostly new songs from Songs Of Innocence and older tracks from their early records. The second half of the show is "experience" themed and is more of a mix of songs from the 90s and 2000s, with a couple new ones mixed in.

I think the first half was more coherent, where each song and the video and staging effects blended together to create a story. The second half was a little looser, more of a party atmosphere. I really love the first half. The second half is great and features some great individual moments but they don't quite add up the way the first half's songs do.

The band look and sound great, they're a little older of course but they sound refreshed, vital... Bono isn't shying away from the high notes and the rest of them sound tight. I don't know if it's just the new sound system or what, but I've heard Adam Clayton's bass playing with a depth and clarity I hadn't picked up on before. The Edge is like a mad scientist methodically hitting all the right strings while getting in some great backing vocals (he's Bono's secret weapon), and Larry never misses a beat.

So overall, love it. Minor quibble would be that the second half doesn't play as strong as the first, but it's pretty well balanced.

I can hear that the roadies have come out to start testing the gear. The band has been coming out around 8:25 so a little less than an hour to go. I've been waiting since about 2pm today on the general admission line but that last hour of waiting is in many ways the hardest.

 

[Osato]

So I've seen the first three of eight U2 shows at Madison Square Garden in NYC, and I'm sitting on the general admission floor now waiting for that last hour to pass before they come onstage. I just posted set lists from the first three shows above - it's very similar from night to night with a handful of changes.
It's a really fantastic concert, and the videos posted on YouTube don't really do it justice. The band really uses the entire area space to great effect - first performing on a larger stage at one end of the arena, then on a middle catwalk that runs the length of the floor, and then on a smaller stage at the other end of the arena, before reversing that movement. So no matter where you're sitting or standing, for at least some portion of the show, you'll be near the band.
The stage design is very innovative and I think would appeal to a lot of HTF people - the giant screen that runs the length of the arena floor is huge and a sight to behold. It's double sided and the band can climb into the middle of it and perform within the screen. There's a song where Bono walks through the screen as it plays animations of his childhood neighborhood and house, and it's a really stunning visual. The sound is practically Dolby Atmos. Most arena shows just hang a set of speakers above the main stage at one end and blast the sound into the arena, but for this show, the band has hung speakers evenly throughout the ceiling over the entire length of the floor, so sound is more evenly distributed, and it can even be used to create surround sound effects.
The first half of the show is focused on the theme of innocence and growing up, and features mostly new songs from Songs Of Innocence and older tracks from their early records. The second half of the show is "experience" themed and is more of a mix of songs from the 90s and 2000s, with a couple new ones mixed in.
I think the first half was more coherent, where each song and the video and staging effects blended together to create a story. The second half was a little looser, more of a party atmosphere. I really love the first half. The second half is great and features some great individual moments but they don't quite add up the way the first half's songs do.
The band look and sound great, they're a little older of course but they sound refreshed, vital... Bono isn't shying away from the high notes and the rest of them sound tight. I don't know if it's just the new sound system or what, but I've heard Adam Clayton's bass playing with a depth and clarity I hadn't picked up on before. The Edge is like a mad scientist methodically hitting all the right strings while getting in some great backing vocals (he's Bono's secret weapon), and Larry never misses a beat.
So overall, love it. Minor quibble would be that the second half doesn't play as strong as the first, but it's pretty well balanced.
I can hear that the roadies have come out to start testing the gear. The band has been coming out around 8:25 so a little less than an hour to go. I've been waiting since about 2pm today on the general admission line but that last hour of waiting is in many ways the hardest.

They need to play more zooropa and pop material! : )

Seriously sounds like the shows have been amazing. I hope one of the shows will end up on blu ray release too?

Hoping they make an Atlanta appearance for leg 3 of the tour as well.

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

Josh, thanks for a great and detailed post, can't wait , but I agree on more Zooropa (and Achtung), you just can't ever get enough of that period


Looks like the two nights are pretty similar, right? I don't mind, like I said before, I have never seen then, so seeing them two nights in a row with more or less the same show is totally OK by me (when Bowie played Sweden two nights in a row I bought tix for both shows without even thinking ...)

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Osato and Mikael, I agree, you can never get enough of Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop - I think "Discotheque" in particular would be an amazing performance with the staging they have.


The shows are pretty similar - the biggest differences are that they rotate the second song of the night between Electric Co, Out Of Control, and occasionally Gloria, and then the songs between "Mysterious Ways" and "Every Breaking Wave" rotate between nights, and finally, the closing song rotates between One, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and occasionally 40. But it's a great show and worth seeing more than once. If possible, try to get tickets in different sections so you can get different views of the whole thing.


Hoping they'll film a show for a Blu-ray. Historically, they've filmed a show in the first or second leg of a tour in a city where they've had multiple shows, but haven't repeated cities for official releases. It's a complete guess but London would be a good potential choice of city where they could film something. But I think regardless of city there's a chance something in Europe will be filmed.


Here's the Night 4 set from last night:


U2 - Night 4
Innocence + Experience Tour
MSG 7/23/2015

onstage @ 8:39pm

1. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
2. The Electric Co.
3. Vertigo
4. I Will Follow
5. Iris (Hold Me Close)
6. Cedarwood Road
7. Song For Someone
8. Sunday Bloody Sunday
9. Raised By Wolves
10. Until The End Of The World
(intermission)
11. Invisible
12. Even Better Than The Real Thing
13. Mysterious Ways

14. Lucifer's Hands
15. Sweetest Thing
16. Every Breaking Wave
17. All I Want Is You
18. With Or Without You
19. City Of Blinding Lights
20. Bullet The Blue Sky
21. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
(encore)
22. Beautiful Day
23. Where The Streets Have No Name
24. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

offstage @ 11:06pm

**All I Want Is You is played with a fan named Paolo on guitar… he was standing by the e-stage (smaller stage) and Bono saw his sign and invited him up. He played acoustic guitar, Edge played electric, and Adam and Larry played their usual bass and drums, and it sounded beautiful. The kind of moment when you kick yourself for bringing your girlfriend the night when that didn't happen.

**The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) opens the show and it's a song about Bono discovering the power of music by seeing the Ramones perform. The band then play a couple early songs (and Vertigo), before playing a few new songs. Iris (Hold Me Close) is about Bono's mom, who died when he was only 14. She was attending her father's funeral (Bono's grandfather), and she had an aneurism on the spot and died a couple days later, never regaining consciousness. The loss of his mother has been a theme that's run through Bono's lyrics for years but it's never been quite as nakedly on display as it is here. The giant screen which hangs the length of the arena turns on for the first time during this song, playing home movie clips of Bono's mother, Iris Hewson. After this song ends, the band begin Cedarwood Road, named after the street Bono grew up on. It's a song about childhood, friends, and enemies, and to illustrate the point, Bono actually climbs inside the giant screen above the catwalk. On the screen animated drawings of his neighborhood play on the screen, so with Bono inside, it has the illusion of him walking through his old neighborhood. When the song concludes, he emerges on the other side of the arena on the smaller e-stage. They then play Song For Someone with Bono singing from the e-stage and the rest of the band on the main stage. On the giant screens between, animated panels of Bono's house and childhood bedroom play on the screen. Bono's teenage son appears onscreen in the animations playing his dad at that age, and it's like being in the bedroom with a teenager who knows he's destined for greater things but doesn't know how to begin his journey. The younger Bono is trying to write a song to impress a girl, and the adult Bono tells us that the younger him is trying to write a song to impress a girl he had a crush on, Alison Stewart, who's the childhood sweetheart Bono is still married to.

Raised By Wolves is a song about a car bombing in Dublin during the conflict that happened outside a place Bono used to hang out, when he and the band were teenagers… he was supposed to be meeting a friend there after school but was late that day, and his tardiness might have literally saved his life. It's a song about growing up in that environment and loss of innocence. The band play Sunday Bloody Sunday before it in a stripped down version that sets the stage for that period of life in Dublin, and then as the song ends, there's a montage of sounds of radio stations playing news reports from that day and songs that would have been on the radio back then, and then the sound of the bomb going off. The band then launches into Raised By Wolves. During the song, Bono walks down the catwalk, and picks up books from the ground - up close you can see that they're things like a book of Psalms, Lord Of The Flies, Alice In Wonderland and more - and as the lyrics of lost innocence and disillusionment build ("I don't believe anymore") and the boy in the lyrics loses his faith, he starts ripping out pages and throwing the books out at the audience, or kicking them across the stage. He ends the song crying out lines from Psalm 23, and the band transitions into "Until The End Of The World", and as that song ends, confetti rains down from the ceiling but its actually book pages, pages from the books he had ripped up and thrown onstage. The sound of feedback fills the arena, the image of graffiti fills the screens, and the band disappears from the stage. And that's how the first half of the show concludes.

 

[DavidJ]

Osato and Mikael, I agree, you can never get enough of Achtung Baby, Zooropa, and Pop - I think "Discotheque" in particular would be an amazing performance with the staging they have.

The shows are pretty similar - the biggest differences are that they rotate the second song of the night between Electric Co, Out Of Control, and occasionally Gloria, and then the songs between "Mysterious Ways" and "Every Breaking Wave" rotate between nights, and finally, the closing song rotates between One, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and occasionally 40. But it's a great show and worth seeing more than once. If possible, try to get tickets in different sections so you can get different views of the whole thing.

Hoping they'll film a show for a Blu-ray. Historically, they've filmed a show in the first or second leg of a tour in a city where they've had multiple shows, but haven't repeated cities for official releases. It's a complete guess but London would be a good potential choice of city where they could film something. But I think regardless of city there's a chance something in Europe will be filmed.

Here's the Night 4 set from last night:

U2 - Night 4
Innocence + Experience Tour
MSG 7/23/2015

onstage @ 8:39pm

1. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
2. The Electric Co.
3. Vertigo
4. I Will Follow
5. Iris (Hold Me Close)
6. Cedarwood Road
7. Song For Someone
8. Sunday Bloody Sunday
9. Raised By Wolves
10. Until The End Of The World
(intermission)
11. Invisible
12. Even Better Than The Real Thing
13. Mysterious Ways
14. Lucifer's Hands
15. Sweetest Thing
16. Every Breaking Wave
17. All I Want Is You
18. With Or Without You
19. City Of Blinding Lights
20. Bullet The Blue Sky
21. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
(encore)
22. Beautiful Day
23. Where The Streets Have No Name
24. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

offstage @ 11:06pm

**All I Want Is You is played with a fan named Paolo on guitar… he was standing by the e-stage (smaller stage) and Bono saw his sign and invited him up. He played acoustic guitar, Edge played electric, and Adam and Larry played their usual bass and drums, and it sounded beautiful. The kind of moment when you kick yourself for bringing your girlfriend the night when that didn't happen.

**The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) opens the show and it's a song about Bono discovering the power of music by seeing the Ramones perform. The band then play a couple early songs (and Vertigo), before playing a few new songs. Iris (Hold Me Close) is about Bono's mom, who died when he was only 14. She was attending her father's funeral (Bono's grandfather), and she had an aneurism on the spot and died a couple days later, never regaining consciousness. The loss of his mother has been a theme that's run through Bono's lyrics for years but it's never been quite as nakedly on display as it is here. The giant screen which hangs the length of the arena turns on for the first time during this song, playing home movie clips of Bono's mother, Iris Hewson. After this song ends, the band begin Cedarwood Road, named after the street Bono grew up on. It's a song about childhood, friends, and enemies, and to illustrate the point, Bono actually climbs inside the giant screen above the catwalk. On the screen animated drawings of his neighborhood play on the screen, so with Bono inside, it has the illusion of him walking through his old neighborhood. When the song concludes, he emerges on the other side of the arena on the smaller e-stage. They then play Song For Someone with Bono singing from the e-stage and the rest of the band on the main stage. On the giant screens between, animated panels of Bono's house and childhood bedroom play on the screen. Bono's teenage son appears onscreen in the animations playing his dad at that age, and it's like being in the bedroom with a teenager who knows he's destined for greater things but doesn't know how to begin his journey. The younger Bono is trying to write a song to impress a girl, and the adult Bono tells us that the younger him is trying to write a song to impress a girl he had a crush on, Alison Stewart, who's the childhood sweetheart Bono is still married to.

Raised By Wolves is a song about a car bombing in Dublin during the conflict that happened outside a place Bono used to hang out, when he and the band were teenagers… he was supposed to be meeting a friend there after school but was late that day, and his tardiness might have literally saved his life. It's a song about growing up in that environment and loss of innocence. The band play Sunday Bloody Sunday before it in a stripped down version that sets the stage for that period of life in Dublin, and then as the song ends, there's a montage of sounds of radio stations playing news reports from that day and songs that would have been on the radio back then, and then the sound of the bomb going off. The band then launches into Raised By Wolves. During the song, Bono walks down the catwalk, and picks up books from the ground - up close you can see that they're things like a book of Psalms, Lord Of The Flies, Alice In Wonderland and more - and as the lyrics of lost innocence and disillusionment build ("I don't believe anymore") and the boy in the lyrics loses his faith, he starts ripping out pages and throwing the books out at the audience, or kicking them across the stage. He ends the song crying out lines from Psalm 23, and the band transitions into "Until The End Of The World", and as that song ends, confetti rains down from the ceiling but its actually book pages, pages from the books he had ripped up and thrown onstage. The sound of feedback fills the arena, the image of graffiti fills the screens, and the band disappears from the stage. And that's how the first half of the show concludes.

Wow. This sounds incredible. I'm sorry I won't get to experience it.

 

[Osato]

This should make a nice blu Ray release next year??

http://www.atu2.com/news/hbo-to-broadcast-u2-tour-documentary-and-concert-in-november.html

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

So, I finally saw them, two nights in a row, and it was just as good as described above, and despite the fact they didn't play different shows, it was still worth seeing twice because you pick up different things on the second viewing.

I really hope they make a blu out of this, the show has remained in my head since I was there, it was really something, and that design with the screen/cage/thing was brilliant. I don't think I have ever been to a concert of that size, with such a small club feeling ever before. Maybe not quite as revolutionary as Zoo TV, but almost.


If you have the chance, don't miss this, they are powerful (and the latest album is quite good, unlike the critics' verdict).

 

[Osato]

I think a recording of a future show is coming later this year. HBO is involved I believe..w

November....

http://deadline.com/2015/07/u2-documentary-concert-special-hbo-fall-1201487617/

 

[Osato]

Any news on a concert blu Ray from the tour?
I was disappointed that they didn't play Atlanta. Thought they might do another run of shows for a 3rd leg.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Any news on a concert blu Ray from the tour?
I was disappointed that they didn't play Atlanta. Thought they might do another run of shows for a 3rd leg.

I haven't heard anything about a Blu-ray or DVD yet, but I'm sure one will be coming at some point. Maybe they'll wait until closer to the holidays. Then again, the U2 360 Blu-ray came out on some random date in June the year after the original broadcast, so one never knows.

I think it's still likely that they will play more dates this year, and probably hit up a bunch of cities they missed last time. Historically, they usually end up playing for two years, and I think they'll be back later this year. The big question is, will it merely be another leg with the same staging, or will they actually deliver a new album and upgrade the staging or setlist? It's been on the quiet side over at the fanclub. Membership renewals were majorly delayed - usually they announce the new membership package in November/December, and this year they just extended everyone's memberships to the end of January to give them more time to figure it out. For the last I can't remember how many years, the membership package included a CD of some kind - different CDs of unreleased live performances from the 360 tour, a book of photos from 360 with a CD of live tracks picked by Edge, CDs of the Slane Castle and ZooTV concerts, a vinyl record of a 1980 performance, etc. And then this year, we're getting four small posters of the band members, which seems like a huge letdown.

So I wonder if over in U2land right now, there's a little bit of a scramble within the band to figure out if they're going to keep touring the current album or put out a new one first. For every album that's come out for the past decade or longer, they've said that they've got so many new songs almost done and that they hope to put something out while they're still on tour or immediately afterwards, and it hasn't happened any of the times they've said that. When Songs Of Innocence came out, they said that there would be a Songs Of Experience album coming out hopefully very soon - maybe they're recording now? Who knows. As usual, I doubt that they'll have a new album out this year, but I'd love to be wrong.