What a spectacular ................

I went to U2 last night hoping to be converted in the same way other stadium bands have effected me in the past. Bands that I wasn't a big fan of like KISS (with Ace and Peter in full make up) that made me really appreciate that "the show" can make a difference. AC/DC, Metallica and the Foo Fighters can all entertain me for nearly 2 hours with songs I don't particularly like on record or the radio that seem to work in the environment of the stadium with all the lights and pyrotechnics.

 

U2 however were a total disappointment. I found the whole stadium show detracted from the show incredibly and I found myself watching the huge video screens and thinking "I may as well be at home watching this on TV" and then thinking I'd rather be watching the IT crowd or Peep Show. The monolith "set" did nothing to improve the show either, instead it actually hindered the 4 small humans trying to fight it for recognition. What were we there for ? The show or the set ?

 

The most exciting part of the show musically was when the 4 members of the band walked out to Space Oddity blaring through the massive PA and hit the stage just as the drum part comes in, and it's not even their song. The only other part that moved me musically is when Sunday Bloody Sunday started with the kick drum and military style snare and that signature early Edge echo Strat coming in over the top. Most of the remainder of the time I was just plain bored.

 

If the definition of a great band is a group of people who have honed their art down to the perfect (or as close to it) form that they can possibly achieve, then U2 are a great band. Nobody does U2 better than them, but what last night really made me realize is ........ they just don't have the songs to back it up and no amount of "show" will cover that. If that is the definition of a great band then surely the Clash in '81, the Beatles in '64, the Ramones in '77, Public Enemy in '89 and so on would have been more awe inspiring than "the claw" last night ?

 

It's a shame because I have a certain amount of respect for U2  as a band for not just re-releasing The Joshua Tree over and over again for the last 25 years, which they could have done and still been one of the biggest bands in history. They have constantly and consistently reinvented themselves on each album and at least tried to be inventive and change the formula, sometimes at the disgust of their fans. The problem last night was, the formula doesn't work. Maybe I just prefer my rock with a roof ?

 

Tim