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[RoKKeR]

"U2, Preaching Defiance, Heads Back to Paris" - NYTimes.com article

HBO: U2 Live in Paris Promo

Already steeped in geopolitics, U2’s elaborate arena show will be imbued with fresh symbolism when this Irish band ends its tour with two shows in Paris on Sunday and Monday, Dec. 6 and 7, the last of which will be broadcast on HBO at 9 p.m. Eastern. Originally scheduled for Nov. 14 and 15 at the AccorHotels Arena, the concerts and television special were postponed in the wake of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks that killed 130 people, including 89 at the Bataclan, a concert hall where the band Eagles of Death Metal was performing.

Less than a month later, U2 — which played Madison Square Garden several weeks after 9/11 and honored emergency workers from the stage — will perform the biggest concert in Paris since the Islamic State-coordinated assault.

Thought this was worth bringing up for those interested. Monday's show will be broadcast live* on HBO, (*6-7hr tape delay) and will be the last show for the current leg of this tour. It's no surprise to see them back in Paris so quickly, as they've done in the past with America following 9/11 and Sarajevo in 1997. I am a full believer in the healing power of music, and love them or hate them, their music and live shows have done that for many people over the years. The show itself right now is quite good, and I would imagine these will be two very special concerts in Paris next week.

There's a lot more in that article for those interested, thought it was a good read myself.

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Spoiler

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[TheJoRu]

Eagles of Death Metal reportedly joining U2 on stage in Paris tomorrow.

Never mind, U2 has denied this happening.

 

[Dishwalla]

Not a big U2 fan but I might just watch this, or at least DVR it.

 

[Don Draper's Hat]

Good ol' Bono. Whenever there's a tragedy in the world you can be sure he'll show his face, pretending to care.

 

[Kurtofan]

Good ol' Bono. Whenever there's a tragedy in the world you can be sure he'll show his face, pretending to care.

you think he doesn't care about terrorists attacking a concert?

 

[kruis]

Monday's show will be broadcast live* on HBO, (*6-7hr tape delay)

A "tape delay" of 6-7 hours means it's not live in any sense of the word.

 

[Polari]

you think he doesn't care about terrorists attacking a concert?

He just fucking loves to get in on a cause. I saw him banging on about how he bought the Eagles of Death Metal new cellphones or some shit, and now he's going to get them up there for the encore.

 

[TheJoRu]

Good ol' Bono. Whenever there's a tragedy in the world you can be sure he'll show his face, pretending to care.

He just fucking loves to get in on a cause. I saw him banging on about how he bought the Eagles of Death Metal new cellphones or some shit, and now he's going to get them up there for the encore.

You obviously don't know shit.

U2 was in Paris that week doing four shows as part of their tour. They were having a day off on Friday when this happened (all the upcoming dates were postponed because of this, as this thread is about). Obviously this kind of thing must've had a big effect on anyone in Paris when this happened, especially if you're a musician, after what happened at the Eagles of Death Metal-concert. Had U2 played on Friday it's highly likely it would've been targeted, considering it's a high-profile event with a lot of people there. You can imagine that must be quite uncomfortable to think about.

 

[Jokab]

Good ol' Bono. Whenever there's a tragedy in the world you can be sure he'll show his face, pretending to care.

He just fucking loves to get in on a cause. I saw him banging on about how he bought the Eagles of Death Metal new cellphones or some shit, and now he's going to get them up there for the encore.

Holy shit I am so fucking sick of people going on and on with the hate for Bono. The guy is doing a good thing - hell most of the things he does are good. I ask the same question in every thread about him and no one has even attempted to answer yet: why do you hate bono so much? What the hell has he done to trigger all that anger? How would you know that he "pretends to care"?

 

[FlyingHugeMan]

What is the point of this thread ?

Concerts never really stopped in Paris (just for the 2 following days). Plenty of artists performed in Paris since the attacks.

 

[sploatee]

Holy shit I am so fucking sick of people going on and on with the hate for Bono. The guy is doing a good thing - hell most of the things he does are good. I ask the same question in every thread about him and no one has even attempted to answer yet: why do you hate bono so much? What the hell has he done to trigger all that anger? How would you know that he "pretends to care"?

Achtung Baby is a good record but Bono annoys me too sometimes. For me it's less his charity work (why would that annoy anyone?) but his stage persona. I feel he gets in the way of the music and that irritates me.

 

[TheJoRu]

What is the point of this thread ?

Concerts never really stopped in Paris (just for the 2 following days). Plenty of artists performed in Paris since the attacks.

Yeah, the title is a bit strange; they are definitely not the first. I bumped it because I thought Eagles of Death Metal being there for the delayed Paris shows was noteworthy, especially as it's being filmed and broadcast (sort of) live. U2 is a popular band, so there's obviously that as well.

 

[Always-honest]

Good ol' Bono. Whenever there's a tragedy in the world you can be sure he'll show his face, pretending to care.

Yeah, he should be more like you.

 

[kmag]

Achtung Baby is a good record but Bono annoys me too sometimes. For me it's less his charity work (why would that annoy anyone?) but his stage persona. I feel he gets in the way of the music and that irritates me.

I half thing the Edge doesn't play many guitar solos because on the ones he does play Bono continually sings or talks over them.

Having said that I saw them in Glasgow a couple of weeks back, and it was by far the best big arena gig I've ever been to. They've basically perfected that art with a stage show which is spectacular but not too overpowering, a perfectly judged setlist which puts most of their lesser known new songs into a narrative and context backed by the light show and screen but lets the bigger hits stand by themselves for the most part. and there was almost no Bono preaching.

 

[thecouncil]

I think the hate for Bono is similar to the hate for Shyamalan.

 

[papercan55]

Holy shit I am so fucking sick of people going on and on with the hate for Bono. The guy is doing a good thing - hell most of the things he does are good. I ask the same question in every thread about him and no one has even attempted to answer yet: why do you hate bono so much? What the hell has he done to trigger all that anger? How would you know that he "pretends to care"?

preach it brother.....
The guy made Joshua tree and Actung Baby, anyone with even a basic knowledge of music should at least appreciate some pieces from those records even if they don't personally like them.
Similar to the morrissey hate, if Bono wants to act a certain way then i think he has earned the right to do so.
The hate for Bono is ridiculous even if it is "fake" caring.

 

[Goron2000]

Bet HBO paid them a shitton of money. I wonder who went to who with the idea to take advantage of a horrible tragedy like this? My bet is on the band you can always rely on to play after horrible atrocities, the band that "cares".

 

[kmag]

Bet HBO paid them a shitton of money. I wonder who went to who with the idea to take advantage of a horrible tragedy like this? My bet is on the band you can always rely on to play after horrible atrocities, the band that "cares".

The original show and broadcast was meant to be the day after the bombings, the 3rd show of a run of 4 in Paris (they had a run through with the additional lighting and camera positions on the 1st two nights). i.e U2 were already booked to play in Paris and were already to have a show broadcast on HBO, that was cancelled as Paris was in lockdown on the Saturday. They're just fulfilling the two postponed gigs, their tour was meant to be over by now. HBO have the right to broadcast a show from the tour, the only other show they could have broadcast would have been from Dublin, a venue which the staging had to be hacked to fit the venue. I suppose they could have filmed Belfast, but given it was only a couple of days later, and they were only playing two gigs there, I doubt the logistics to set up for the filming would have been feasible.

If they really were being that cynical about it, they'd probably have the Eagles of Death Metal appear on the broadcast show rather than on the first night. For what it's worth U2 have said they're not changing the show for Paris (other than having the Eagles of Death Metal join them on stage for one song on the unfilmed night), and other that the Paris 'peace' symbol being shown as per the OP's picture, they're not making any particular reference (although I'm sure something will be said at one point).

I don't know how it's actually going to go, because during the narrative part of the show there's one part which might be extremely dodgy as it depicts the a car bombing in Dublin.

https://youtu.be/JsZwLSZKmk0?t=278

 

[Alpende]

Eagles of Death Metal reportedly joining U2 on stage in Paris tomorrow.

That's quicker than I thought. Good for them though.

 

[Mutanthands]

Bet HBO paid them a shitton of money. I wonder who went to who with the idea to take advantage of a horrible tragedy like this? My bet is on the band you can always rely on to play after horrible atrocities, the band that "cares".

This here is a prime example of cynicism gone bad, to the point of stupidity. The broadcast was already scheduled to happen before the attack, and got delayed because of it. Reading will save you some embarrassment in the future.

Unless this is sarcasm, in which case you may need to make it a touch more outrageous. It's getting really hard to tell the difference between sarcastic and stupid these days.

 

[Diablos]

Eagles of Death Metal reportedly joining U2 on stage in Paris tomorrow.

Nice. I am looking forward to seeing this.

 

[Cheebo]

Bet HBO paid them a shitton of money. I wonder who went to who with the idea to take advantage of a horrible tragedy like this? My bet is on the band you can always rely on to play after horrible atrocities, the band that "cares".

This post is beyond insane. This concert had been scheduled for Paris and airing live on HBO since before the attacks.

 

[Ahasverus]

Meh, there have been like 283728 defiance concerts since the tragedy.

 

[RoKKeR]

Meh, there have been like 283728 defiance concerts since the tragedy.

I didn't mean for the title to come off as if these were the first concerts in Paris following the attacks, sorry if it reads that way. Probably should read "returns to Paris for rescheduled shows" or something along those lines. I do think these are the largest shows that have happened since, though, which is why I've seen news sites covering them.

Anyways, thanks to those offering clarification about the circumstances/situation in this thread. The first night sounded pretty special... 27 songs that ended with Patti Smith on stage for "People Have the Power." (show summary here) Looking forward to tonight.

I don't know how it's actually going to go, because during the narrative part of the show there's one part which might be extremely dodgy as it depicts the a car bombing in Dublin.

https://youtu.be/JsZwLSZKmk0?t=278

I read somewhere that there was an arena announcement before the show started that there would be simulated explosions at a point.

 

[OverBlood 3]

Paris can't catch a break.

 

[The Lamonster]

Paris can't catch a break.

Did I miss something or is this just a dumb joke about u2?

 

[TI82]

Eagles of Death Metal reportedly joining U2 on stage in Paris tomorrow.

Good, amazing band.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Eagles of Death Metal reportedly joining U2 on stage in Paris tomorrow.

U2 have denied this.

 

[TheJoRu]

U2 have denied this.

Yup, saw that this morning. Too bad.

 

[DedValve]

Holy shit I am so fucking sick of people going on and on with the hate for Bono. The guy is doing a good thing - hell most of the things he does are good. I ask the same question in every thread about him and no one has even attempted to answer yet: why do you hate bono so much? What the hell has he done to trigger all that anger? How would you know that he "pretends to care"?

I feel South Park is a reason for all the bono hate.

He does good work. Unless we find evidence suggesting otherewise we should applaud him and regardless if his persona is actually how he is in real life if he keeps doing good work then I don't give a toss.

Ah, so eagles is not joining. Understandable.

 

[Spikematic]

There's no reason to be so petty whenever Bono's name comes up. It sounds really pathetic, especially considering the amount of good he does. Sure, he may be somewhat of a douche who says questionable things at times. But when all is said and done he DOES make a difference. The people here making snide and shitty remarks about him, I'd love to know what YOU have done recently that makes you a better person than him.

Grow up.

 

[Hoo-doo]

They might make some of the most cringe-inducing dadrock, but I can't hate on U2's spirit, trying to make a difference.

 

[CloudWolf]

You obviously don't know shit.

U2 was in Paris that week doing four shows as part of their tour. They were having a day off on Friday when this happened (all the upcoming dates were postponed because of this, as this thread is about). Obviously this kind of thing must've had a big effect on anyone in Paris when this happened, especially if you're a musician, after what happened at the Eagles of Death Metal-concert. Had U2 played on Friday it's highly likely it would've been targeted, considering it's a high-profile event with a lot of people there. You can imagine that must be quite uncomfortable to think about.

You see, I knew about this and it's good that U2 is now continuing the tour/having a special show. But what annoys me is that it has to be this huge media event, with HBO broadcasting it live and probably all kinds of merchandise and a DVD later on, even though this really isn't anything special. U2 isn't the first artist to perform in Paris after the attacks, they weren't victims of the attack, they weren't even remotely in danger. They were just a band that happened to be in or near Paris when that shit was going down. Deftones and Kamasi Washington were also in Paris that Friday (members of the Deftones were even at the Bataclan less than half an hour before the attacks) and you don't see their next shows being huge media events.

 

[TheJoRu]

You see, I knew about this and it's good that U2 is now continuing the tour/having a special show. But what annoys me is that it has to be this huge media event, with HBO broadcasting it live and probably all kinds of merchandise and a DVD later on, even though this really isn't anything special. U2 isn't the first artist to perform in France after the attacks, they weren't victims of the attack, they weren't even remotely in danger. They were just a band that happened to be in or near Paris when that shit was going down. Deftones and Kamasi Washington were also in Paris that Friday and you don't see their next shows being huge media events.

What you didn't know is that the Paris-shows being broadcast was always going to happen, it just got delayed because of the attacks.

Why it's getting brought up in media, I don't know. Is that U2's "fault"? They're just progressing with whatever they were doing, while spreading whatever message they feel is right in their shows or when they're getting interviewed.

You're right about U2 definitely not being the first to play in Paris since the attacks, I said as much in this thread. They're not victims either, I don't think anyone said or implied that. What I said, as a response to people saying "they don't actually care", was that I find it likely had they planned their third show for Friday instead of Saturday it would've been a target of the attacks, so if they were a bit shook by that I don't blame them.

 

[sploatee]

I half thing the Edge doesn't play many guitar solos because on the ones he does play Bono continually sings or talks over them.

Having said that I saw them in Glasgow a couple of weeks back, and it was by far the best big arena gig I've ever been to. They've basically perfected that art with a stage show which is spectacular but not too overpowering, a perfectly judged setlist which puts most of their lesser known new songs into a narrative and context backed by the light show and screen but lets the bigger hits stand by themselves for the most part. and there was almost no Bono preaching.

Yeah, I'd like to see them.

I actually think that about a third of No Line on the Horizon is some of the best stuff they've done (title track, moment of surrender, fez, cedars). It's a shame it goes for the big anthem jugular in so much of the rest of it.

Whatever people say I think Edge is a great craftsman.

 

[chris121580]

You see, I knew about this and it's good that U2 is now continuing the tour/having a special show. But what annoys me is that it has to be this huge media event, with HBO broadcasting it live and probably all kinds of merchandise and a DVD later on, even though this really isn't anything special. U2 isn't the first artist to perform in Paris after the attacks, they weren't victims of the attack, they weren't even remotely in danger. They were just a band that happened to be in or near Paris when that shit was going down. Deftones and Kamasi Washington were also in Paris that Friday (members of the Deftones were even at the Bataclan less than half an hour before the attacks) and you don't see their next shows being huge media events.

This was always going to be recorded on HBO. Do people just not read anymore? That's 2 people in this thread that have made assumptions without even remotely reading about the event. Trying to say U2 is only trying to profit off of this event based on a tragedy is just sad and pathetic.

 

[ratcliffja]

There's no reason to be so petty whenever Bono's name comes up. It sounds really pathetic, especially considering the amount of good he does. Sure, he may be somewhat of a douche who says questionable things at times. But when all is said and done he DOES make a difference. The people here making snide and shitty remarks about him, I'd love to know what YOU have done recently that makes you a better person than him.

Grow up.

Exactly. I know that he has a huge ego, but he's done more good in this world than most of us could ever hope to do.

 

[BradleyUK]

I think Paris has been through enough without U2 turning up with its dreadful music.

 

[TheJoRu]

I actually think that about a third of No Line on the Horizon is some of the best stuff they've done (title track, moment of surrender, fez, cedars). It's a shame it goes for the big anthem jugular in so much of the rest of it.

Definitely agree. The highs on No Line On The Horizon are very high, but when it falters it falters a lot. Uneven album. In a way their newest album is the antithesis of this. I find it, apart from the terrible first single (why do they release their worst songs as first singles?), to be very even and generally good, but it lacks the highs of their best work.

 

[RoKKeR]

So, although U2 said Eagles of Death Metal wouldn't show up last night, they didn't mention anything in particular about tonight...

https://twitter.com/atu2/status/673905801178681344

People queuing for the show (which starts in 2 hours) have heard EODM rehearsing Bad and People Have the Power with U2. Guess we'll see if this pans out.

--------

Very refreshing to see people talking sense in a U2 thread.

Definitely agree. The highs on No Line On The Horizon are very high, but when it falters it falters a lot. Uneven album. In a way their newest album is the antithesis of this. I find it, apart from the terrible first single (why do they release their worst songs as first singles?), to be very even and generally good, but it lacks the highs of their best work.

I agree completely. Songs of Innocence is easily their most consistent album in decades, (I've come to like Miracle quite a bit) but it lacks those seminal moments that even NLOTH had like the title track and Moment of Surrender.

 

[RoKKeR]

Bumping once more to say, the show is starting now!

Great production values right off the bat.

 

[Cmagus]

It was nice to see Eagles of Death Metal on stage playing, it was a nice gesture by U2. I'm not a huge U2 fan but so far the concert hasn't been bad.

Here is the performance
Eagles of Death Metal Live Paris w/U2

 

[U2NUMB]

Must be some kind of amazing energy there... here is

Bullet the Blue Sky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PxI1Y75UFo

Sunday Bloody Sunday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WjpeaqLXwc

 

[RoKKeR]

This has been an incredible show, wow. The band, audience, directing, mixing... all really damn good.

One on now, Eagles of Death Metal are coming up!

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Great show. The EODM performance really seemed like an amazing therapy session for all... The joy.

 

[RoKKeR]

Great show. The EODM performance really seemed like an amazing therapy session for all... The joy.

Absolutely. Incredible cathartic just to watch... can't imagine what it must feel like them. Watching Jesse skip around the stage with a huge crowd going nuts... damn, amazing.

And now, U2 hands over the stage to EODM. Beautiful.

 

[sarcastor]

Good ol' Bono. Whenever there's a tragedy in the world you can be sure he'll show his face, pretending to care.

Seriously so much hatorade on a guy who has won a Nobel Peace prize. What the fuck have you done?

Would you rather he just do blow and bang hookers like every other rock star? At least he's trying to make a difference.

Actually he has made a big difference. So I give him more leeway when he stands on a soap box.

 

[chris121580]

That was absolutely phenomenal. I literally had chills the last 30 minutes of the show. The crowd singing One got me emotional and so great to have EODM back out there rocking out. Just fantastic

 

[RoKKeR]

That was absolutely phenomenal. I literally had chills the last 30 minutes of the show. The crowd singing One got me emotional and so great to have EODM back out there rocking out. Just fantastic

Yep. Bad -> EODM closing shop was just pure bliss. A huge swell of emotion ending in joy. Seeing EODM up there was wonderful.

 

[kmag]

They actually did the whole EODM thing far more tastefully that I thought. For all the talk of Bono's ego and grandstanding, it did seem a pretty magnanimous gesture. They didn't get to finish their show, so we'll let them finish ours. A perfunctionary cover, then U2 just left the stage