'All Three Show Openers...'

10 Nov 201174
Band members aside, few know U2360° as well as Show Director Willie Williams.

But forced to choose only 22 songs in  selecting the tracks for  'U22'... what would he choose?

Here's Willie's thinking and, below, his tracklisting.  Jump into the comments with what you  think of what he's included... and what he's left out.


'This was a difficult choice mostly because, through complete force of habit, I kept thinking of it as a set list. It became considerably easier once I'd abandoned the notion of this list ever being performed live so I could start with all three openings of the show -  first the 2010 opening ('Stingray'), moving on to the 2011 opening ('Real Thing') then popping back for the 2009 opening (Breathe).

There was temptation to abandon all the hits in favour of the rarities but given that this is in some way supposed to represent the tour there were a few reinvented classics which it would have been rude to leave out - the 'Arab Spring' remake of Sunday Bloody Sunday, the intense 360 immersive version of 'Still Haven't Found' and, most of all, Beautiful Day as a 'duet', with Commander Mark Kelly performing on the International Space Station.

The pillars of the 360 show have to be there of course: City of Blinding Lights, 'I'll Go Crazy',  Moment of Surrender, 'Boots'.  It is also a great opportunity to immortalise some of the songs that only appeared briefly on the 360 tour, particularly Your Blue Room and the spontaneous medley of All I Want is You / Love Rescue Me.  It seems only right to give space to the songs that we may not hear performed again for some time (Scarlet, Unforgettable Fire) and then there are my personal favourites to cram in (Ultraviolet, Zooropa, No Line).


Given enough space I would have probably included all 46 songs (plus the unreleased ones and a few more that never made it beyond soundcheck) as they all played their part in building the character of the tour.  However, the rules said 22 only so, for better or worse, this is how I'll remember U2360°  - a remarkable collection of U2 songs that references every one of their albums... if you count the 16 bars of 'Discotheque' mashed into 'I'll Go Crazy'.



The Return of the Stingray Guitar
Even Better Than the Real Thing
Breathe
Get on Your Boots
I Still Haven't Found
One Tree Hill
No Line on the Horizon
The Unforgettable Fire
All I Want is You / Love Rescue Me
Beautiful Day (with Mark Kelly)
Your Blue Room
Unknown Caller
Zooropa
City of Blinding Lights
I'll Go Crazy
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Bad
Hold Me Thrill Me
Ultraviolet
Moment of Surrender
Out of Control


The standout track?  Has to be Ultraviolet.  Listen carefully enough and you can almost hear the mirror ball...
'


(If you already subscribe to U2.com don't forget to cast your vote and if you don't, here's everything you need to know about 'U22'.)



Comments
74
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S French (Roko)
one little change
As much as I love 'Scarlet', the list above needs 'Magnificent', something has got to go... unless there is 23 tracks ;-) ... I'd actually like all songs performed live from 'NLOTH' to appear somehow, I think a CD representing the latest tour, should have 'all' the latest songs, don't you think?
pepebasabeleoz1
Willie´s 22
Finally, someone who cares about the fans that already have everything! Zooropa! Scarlet! One Tree Hill! Awesome choices Willie!
JHick
Willie's list
A great set-list from a great man. And I agree, Ultraviolet is the stand out... and Out of Control? Now we're talking! My only qualm is... Where's "40"? WHERE?
napolean_in_highheels
Big Yes on the not leaving out the hits
I absolutely agree on the not abandoning the hits for the rarities, like Willie said, sure it is tempting but this really isn't about let's choose all the songs we haven't heard so much, it's, like he said, supposed to be a memory of the past tour and the hits, no matter how predictable and redundant many people may want to call them, were just a part of it, so you just can't do it without them. Also as much as many people always like to whine and complain as soon as it's being discussed, let's face it, as soon as the show is happening and the songs in question are being played, even all the complainers are enjoying the big hits and go crazy just like everybody else, cause no matter how often they are being played, they still are great songs, and I think a lot of people actually only complain about them because they have this absurd notion that real fans do that, real fans care more about about rarities, not the hits, but that's excuse my language, fucking bullshit, a real fan appreciates both, the hits and the rarities, anyone who claims otherwise is just kidding themselves cause fact is, if you really truly care about the bands music at all, you care about all the songs, sure you enjoy it when there's rare things played a lil more often and you will always welcome changes, but you would never completely ignore the hits, cause I mean there's a reason why these songs became hits and are being played so often, it's because there not just very popular with the general public who knows U2 just for the hits like so many people like to claim, it's cause there also very popular with the fans who know more than just the hits, people just have a problem admitting that openly in public cause they think it makes them better fans when they say hits sucks
tan_lejos_tan_cerca
What a surprise Willie!!
I would be happy with that list :) Woow that Discotheque in Moscow, Crazy in Barcelona, that Ultraviolet swinging over my head, Breathe for the first time, the amazing No Line, those Boots, the good laughs before Still Haven't Found, All I Want Is You and Love Rescue Me...
kubel
The rare songs.
I agree with mr. Williams. And songs like your blue room, scarlet, zooropa.
sandmanu2
Willie's Choices
Superb playlist. I agree with you 100%
wdixon077
Willie's List....
...is FAN-tastic!! ;) What about including the different closing tunes also? (E.g., "40")....
sextastic
Amazing Grace/Streets was a 360 highligh
Where the Streets have no name with the haunting intro of Amazing Grace was a huge part of 360. The fact the band changed the intro of Streets half way through the tour, with getting rid of Larry counting in on the sticks & highhats and Edge instead handling the count himself, was a big change in tradition. It MUST be part of any U2 live CD or DVD of the 360 tour.
sextastic
Amazing Grace/Streets was a 360 highligh
Where the Streets have no name with the haunting intro of Amazing Grace was a huge part of 360. The fact the band changed the intro of Streets half way through the tour, with getting rid of Larry counting in on the sticks & highhats and Edge instead handling the count himself, was a big change in tradition. It MUST be part of any U2 live CD or DVD of the 360 tour.
ggen
Willie's Choices
I am on board with Willie. I like your way of thinking and agree with you 100%. Your play list captured the tour and who would know any better then you?
DavidAK
U22
Also a nice balance but more 360 than rareties so I would sell this one to the public and issue the rest as fan club 2 CD gift. Whatever happens we are lucky to have these guys around I hope I can still be doing this in 10 years time.
boedu2
Any changes to the Willie's tracklist
Elevation for Breathe,Where the Streets Have no Name for Beautiful Day, The Fly for I'll Go Crazy, and Vertigo for Out of Control remembering the end of the previous tour.Otherwise I fully agree with Willie, even the order of the songs......Great Show!!!
RichardHayter
Willie, where's Stay & Storm?
Surely one of the accoustic's, either "Stay" or "Stuck" need to be here... And as for the rarities, what about Electical Storm.. Loads of respect for you Willie and the emense job you do but, IMHO there's a few holes need addressing with your list... :)
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