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Performance:
A solid, yet unexceptional, second leg performance from the boys. They kicked off with a bang and some variation which I always appreciate by opening with a rare combo in Vertigo and All Because Of You, before ripping out an ace - the evergreen Electric Co to get the crowd really started. What followed was a decent, adequately performed set. The trio of I Still Haven't Found, Wild Horses and City of Blinding Lights was impressive enough, although you can always tell when Bono's brought his A-Game vocally by listening to how he hits that last powerful "C'mon now love, don't you look baaaaaaccccckkkkk!" during Wild Horses. This time he didn't even attempt it. Wild Horses, although a great addition to the set, just wasn't happening for me although I'd enjoy it any day over Sometimes... As always it was the stinker of the show. Miracle Drug again showed why it suffered a premature death during the tour - another powerful rendition here.
Love and Peace to One were performed well but things picked up during the first encore. I'm always up for a Zoo Station-The Fly combo and this one didn't disappoint. Was there an extended solo during Zoo Station? Even With or Without You was suprisingly alright although nowhere near the heights of earlier tours. And then a dissapointing finish... (See lowlights).
Highlights
Really no stand outs to speak of.
Lowlights
What a pissy finish. Just two songs? Yahweh was alright but someone please explain to me the meaning behind Vertigo x2 during the second leg. Why play a song again at the expense of another song? One of the worst concert ideas U2 has ever come up with.
Audience:
This part is only rated, not commented on.
Sound:
The more I listened to this bootleg the more I despised the sound. Still a genuine 3 star rating but I guess if it didn't have that constant hiss that endured throughout the whole recording it could have pushed for a 3.5 maybe. That hiss sure was annoying. On top of that the audience sounded funny. They were quite muffled, like they were outside the stadium. All band members were audible enough for an adequate listening although I found Edge's back-up vocals strangely distant. Also worth noting were a few bouts of sound fluctuations that occurred in various parts. The sound certainly affected my enjoyment of the whole recording.
Overall:
Nothing special, a standard Vertigo performance here. I'm sure there are several other second leg shows such as Milan out there that piss all over this
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Performance:
I appreciate there are those here who don't really rate the Vertigo tour or the majority of shows and really take something exceptional (by their standards) to raise an eyebrow, but I personally do, and thus you won't be surprised to hear that I rate this show lol. Ok, due to the recording, one cannot get a complete feel for the audience but I think there's enough to suggest that the place wasn't a graveyard where atmosphere was concerned - particularly during large sections of the main set and the encore, the crowd really get into things, although they do sound a bit distant - good placement by the recorder to capture as much of the band? Or merely shite mikes for picking up audience noise? Who knows...but back to the band. Bono's voice isn't A-list but I don't think it detracts the show too much in the grand scheme of things. To my mind, he really seems to getting into the swing of things, and as far as the rest of the band go, they seem fairly impeccable on a musicianship level - the only thing I can think of is when Edge's sound seems to go - perhaps the jack came out of his guitar - but that is pretty much it off the top of my mind...
Ok, to stop me spouting rhetoric for a bit, I'll list some of the highlights and lowlights etc.;
- The openers (i.e. Vertigo >> Beautiful Day) - great atmosphere in my opinion, the band really getting stuck in, crowd lapping it up, good stuff. Incidentally, I quite liked seeing ABOY up amongst the opening numbers as they did on a few European shows, it just fits things better, i.e. a rock'n'roll song that gets a crowd on their feet.
- WGRYWH - I don't think this comes much as a surprise to anyone when I say that the inclusion of this is a factor in why I rate this show! Not the only one, far from it, but it was definitely what originally drew me to it. As far as musicianship goes, I feel this is the best performance of the tour without any hiccups and the solo being spot on. It's not the best version as far as Bono's voice is concerned, but Edge, Larry and Adam cannot be faulted. Great stuff.
- Miracle Drug - great performance. Enough said. Edge's solo blows away any cobwebs, the crowd really go for the "oooh" during the middle 8, love it.
- RTSS - really evocative performance in my opinion with the dedication to Aung Sang Suu Kyi and the inclusion of Walk On (albeit snippet form).
- WTSHNN - I don't care what anyone else says, this is one of my standout versions from the tour - crowd get into it, Bono really thrives, really energetic throughout (although one should expect this of such a great song).
- The encores - Zoo Station and the Fly were great, WOWY was above par for Vertigo performances and Mysterious Ways wasn't included and thus subsequently shamed! Also want to mention the second rendition of Vertigo for the immortal line "just give me what I want-...fuck off!" and a generally energetic performance to finish the show on a high.
Ok, now for what I didn't think was so good;
- Setlist issues - this is more of a gripe with how some setlists were formatted over the tour, not necessarily just this one. Vertigo opened, so why use it to close? I appreciate it was a nod back to the early days (i.e. utilising encore performances), much as was the return of songs like An Cat Dubh, Electric Co. and Out Of Control to fit the theme of the tour, but surely it wasn't to difficult to choose something else to finish a show? I prefer the idea of COBL opening but it's fair enough to consider that the LED displays wouldn't garner the same effect in daylight, an issue that doesn't come under scrutiny during indoor shows. However, if you're gonna include it in the middle of the set but also include WGRYWH (something I'm always in favour of), where's the harm in including AIWIY aswell (or something similar) so as to make the transition less clunky? I know part of the thinking probably revolved around mixing the rarities, but if you're gonna play a 23 song set, is it really too much to perhaps bump it up to 24 and make the show run slightly more smoothly?
- A bout of pickiness - SYCMIOYO, although performed surprisingly ok this time around, just doesn't do it for me live, mainly because (as I've said innumerable times before) Edge's guitar is too thin and misses some oomph; I think it's the perfect example of a great studio song that can't really translate onto a live setting. Also, One - otherwise a nice performance, but my main gripe is the outro. I know it was part of Bono's plugging for the ONE Campaign, but surely the "do you hear us coming, Lord?" snippet is just as effective as wailing a drawn out shout of "caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall ONE"?
Audience:
This part is only rated, not commented on.
Sound:
Right, well, first things first, I think everyone's fairly agreed that the sound isn't perfect. I have a fairly tolerant pair of lugs so I was able to overlook the hiss that occurs, especially in between songs or during the intro. as Arcade Fire blares out over the PA. With this in mind, I'd say it's a solid 3-star, 6/10 boot soundwise - nowhere near good enough to be considered anything higher, but on that note no way near bad enough to go down to 2-stars or suchlike. There are the odd few instances where it sounds as if someone walks in front of the mike or something, which makes everything sound as if from a distant, but personally it didn't affect my enjoyment of the boot. Another thing to note is that once or twice, the audio seems to be baulking under the strain of loudness such as the bass or Bono's singing and fuzzes, slightly, but again, it wasn't particularly endemic of the show...
Bandwise, Bono is clear throughout (although when is he not? lol); Edge is always fairly audible; Adam comes through well but doesn't standout that much, but that's how a bass should be in my opinion - driving the truck from the passenger's seat, as it were; and Larry is solid as far as sound is concerned
Overall:
Overall, I personally like and rate the show (hence why I picked it), but on an objective level, I'd quite happily give the performance a good 7/10, and it is (for me) one of the better shows from the 1st-3rd legs. Of course, I have a few gripes, but in my opinion there's no such thing as a flawless show, and yes I am including shows such as Slane, the reknowned Stockholm and Milan '92 shows, Red Rocks and (for the benefit of the doubt, until I can get hold of it myself) Brussels '87 in that statement, because there's always something that will knaw away at an individual's perspective, whether it's the lack of a song in the setlist or a couple of moments where Edge or Bono messes up something fairly minor, but that's what this is all about - perspective and opinion. Tis what makes this so fun!
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Performance:
The bands Performance was average, not bad, but not that good either. It had some standout performances of All Because Of You and The Fly (which had a lovely little transition into With Or Without You), but many songs have had better outings elsewhere.
Audience:
This part is only rated, not commented on.
Sound:
From the start of this recording, I got th impression that this would far from the best Vertigo recording I would have heard. Nothing really stood out, the crowd were muffled, softened and, In my opinion was miss throughout the majority of the bootleg. I would rather listen to last weeks Brisbane bootleg with the overpowering crowd that listen to this show which was too my ears, was like gone off milk is to my mouth.
The band didn’t come across well either. Its true that they were audible, but rather distant, distorted and playing in one of Glasgow’s many metro stations below the ground.
Overall:
This part is only rated, not commented on.
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Performance:
The band were on fire that night! Bono was average, but hey, whatever. I thought Electric Co was ok. I didn't have the Cry at the beginning, but did have a snippet of I Can See For Miles. Elevation is where Bono got stuck (in the mud, if you will). Beautiful Day nearly put me to sleep, luckily I sang along to stay awake. Still Haven't Found was great as always. Bono was ok during the song (but I didn't miss a note ). Who's Gonna Ride You Wild Horses was cool to hear other than the Zoo versions. COBL doesn't work in the middle if the set, hopefully the band sees that before the next tour. I fell asleep to Muracle Drug (or BD #2). SYCMIOYO is always great, even if Bobo fucks up. RTSS is a fantastic number which is always always always awesome. Pride was ok, but shouldve been left off the tour. Bono didn't have it. Streets just didn't catch my eye. One was cliché, as always (vertigo tour only). Zoo Station rocked the house!!! The Fly is always superb, even if Bono fucks up (see 1993-05-11 Rotterdam). The show ended with Vertigo, which rocked this time. Perhaps OOTS couldve closed, IMO.
Audience:
A good crowd...you could hear cheers, and weren't any major interruptions.
Sound:
Not much to say here. Typical mp3-ish bootleggers definition applies best here. Lossy isn't even close to description
Overall:
Highlights
ABOY,I Can See for Miles snippet, The Fly
Lowlights
None really
Overall
I kinds liked it, a tad dull at times, there are better shows out there. However setlist wise it was a fun listen!
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Performance:
The audience were hoping for a great june evening and the band answererd them with a great show. Thefour boys were on fire, even though Bono lacked some brilliant spices, the ones which mark the difference between the great and the good shows.
The setlist was fucking AWESOME. All Because Of You is the most rock-ish thing they've ever done (06-27 in Dublin also), and the audience loved it. After that, the concert couldn't go better. The Electric Co without The Cry intro always reminds me to the Joshua Tour performances, consequently I love them After that first 3 songs came the usual Vertigo middle set. And then Whos' Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, which I loved. Running To Stand Stilll is always fantastic, and Bullet was quite inspired too. The Fly and Zoo Station rocked very hard (even though I use to dislike post-1993 The Flies). Yahweh is a great song but doesnt work live, specially in front of 55.000 people (it could work with 4.000 in an arena, but never in a stadium). And second Vertigo's always remind me to my only show attended, so I always like them. It's a great, uplifting ending for a show, the complete opposite of 40 or All I Want Is You. Lovely ending, the audiences always like it
Audience:
Fantastic scottish audience, pleased to rock, clapping, singing along, dancing... The only down was that I slightly felt that some sectors of audience (I pressume the younger audience) didn't know some songs, specially the weird and ancient ones (Electric Co, Wild Horses, even Still Havent Found). Otherwise it couldve been perfect.
Sound:
Like listening underwater.
The whole recording lacked of shining and crispness, but specially Edge and Adam got lost every minute... The beggining of the quiet songs was terrrible, but the rocker ones were not better... Even though audience reported very bad accoustics on the stadium, a recording can be clear and crisp...
Overall:
Highlights
All Because Of You, Running To Stand Still, Vertigo2
Overall
There are far better Vertigo shows, but this one is a good souvenir. Moreover, Im always pleased to listen U2 in Scotland
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