Spontaneity on tour: no diff from JT and Popmart

J ([email protected])
Wed, 15 Jul 1998 11:07:04 -0700 (PDT)

There is no difference in the spontaneity from JT to Popmart. Bono
tends to rehearse his ad libs for songs. It is quite evident when you
listen to similar concerts of close dates. For example in JT, the SF
and Chicago April shows which were 4 days apart show Bono basically
saying the same lines in introducing the song and in the middle of
songs (see his "Time magazine" intro to I Still Haven't Found, Bad has
a similar intro too while his comments in the middle of SBS are
similar). Same goes for the latter JT shows, specifically, the Denver
and the free Yuppie concert in SF, Bono introduces Helter Skelter in
similar fashion, says similar ad libs in the middle of SBS and Silver
and Gold as in the Denver show. This is just a sign of U2's
preparation for their shows.

In Popmart, U2 had a speech before I Still Haven't Found and the way
they introduced the songs were different during different dates.
There is no such thing as technology being the cause for constricting
the spontaneity of U2. It has been the same all the time, whether
some say it was present or absent or lacking.

Real spontaneity is when Edge pulls off "Party Girl" during Bono's
birthday, and he even forgot how to play to solo (this was a
multimedia ZOO TV show). Also, Bono belting into Bad with Edge barely
playing the riff correctly (presumably because he had a capo on his
guitar) and improvising instead in All I Want Is You Barcelona, the
first Popmart performance of Bad (this was another multimedia show).
Even Bono suddenly playing the guitar and starting the song "Rain" in
Popmart New Jersey and Foxboro. Other proofs of U2 spontaneity are the
extension of Bad in Live Aid and the singing of Spanish Eyes in a
Joshua Tree show (where Bono says "how do we end this?"). Other than
that, regardless of the tour, U2 follows a strict set of songs they
have planned out for their setlist and Bono rehearses his ad libs and
speeches between songs and in songs.

So I am ust saying that in comparing JT and Popmart, the argument of
spontaneity holds no water (unlike perhaps the argument of vocal tone,
or energy, or voice maturity and emotion)

My 2 cents..

J

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