U2 in Mumbai: Now with trip report!

stickyfiddle · September 2019

This December. I just got tickets for the last night of the Joshua Tree tour.

I know many are annoyed by Bono and they haven't put anything out in a while that touches UF, JT, AB or ATYCLB, but I am rather a bit excited to say the least.

We've been to India before but never Mumbai. should be a brilliant experience all round

Alterlifeson · September 2019

Awesome! I thought their last 2 efforts were pretty good actually, some nice hooks and well thought out for a band of their age/stature. Compared to their contemporaries of a similar stage in their career, I thought both sounded pretty fresh and modern.

Did you go to the Euro leg of the tour?

munckee · September 2019

Achtung Baby will always be their high point to me. Better individual songs on earlier albums but as a complete album AB is a humdinger.

Have listened sporadically since but they are certainly one of the greats.

stickyfiddle · September 2019

Alterlifeson said:

Awesome! I thought their last 2 efforts were pretty good actually, some nice hooks and well thought out for a band of their age/stature. Compared to their contemporaries of a similar stage in their career, I thought both sounded pretty fresh and modern.

Did you go to the Euro leg of the tour?

No, I last saw them in 2005! I'm in Abu Dhabi, so while we've been hoping they might come here on the way home nothing's announced so far, but Mumbai's an easy trip from here, so we'll make a long weekend of it.

I do agree on their output compared with pretty much anyone else still releasing records into their 4th decade, but they have gone from "every album is essential" to "2 or 3 good songs" with the last couple, for me.

pintspiller · September 2019

I didn't think they were still going.

Alterlifeson · September 2019

stickyfiddle said:

Alterlifeson said:

Awesome! I thought their last 2 efforts were pretty good actually, some nice hooks and well thought out for a band of their age/stature. Compared to their contemporaries of a similar stage in their career, I thought both sounded pretty fresh and modern.

Did you go to the Euro leg of the tour?

No, I last saw them in 2005! I'm in Abu Dhabi, so while we've been hoping they might come here on the way home nothing's announced so far, but Mumbai's an easy trip from here, so we'll make a long weekend of it.

I do agree on their output compared with pretty much anyone else still releasing records into their 4th decade, but they have gone from "every album is essential" to "2 or 3 good songs" with the last couple, for me.

Ah I won;t reveal and details then, but I had a thoroughly good time. I imagine it'll be a special one being the last one of the tour.

Bezzer · September 2019

Is this a continuation of the Experience tour? If so you're in for a treat, I went to the O2 one last October and it was brilliant. Loads of deep cuts, really early stuff, and a hell of a show.

stickyfiddle · September 2019

Bezzer said:

Is this a continuation of the Experience tour? If so you're in for a treat, I went to the O2 one last October and it was brilliant. Loads of deep cuts, really early stuff, and a hell of a show.

No, it's another round of the Joshua Tree tour from 2017. The whole album in order, bookended with classics from other albums. When it first toured for the 30th anniversary they were opening with Sunday Bloody Sunday, then a couple off Unforgettable Fire, then TJT, then Achtung Baby and later stuff. It's going to be much more "greatest hits" than E+I, especially as their first show in India, but I'm sure it'll be spectacular.

Obviously we'll get Still Haven't Found and One Tree Hill, which I've been wanting to hear live pretty much forever, and they put Ultraviolet in the encores most nights last time round, which will keep me very very happy if they repeat this time out. I'd also like Out of Control, which wasn't played on either of the last tours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ileW2h5FAoU

Bezzer · September 2019

Ah nice!! That's the only tour I've missed in years ... typically the one I could potentially get to clashed with another gig I was at!

stickyfiddle · September 2019

Yeah, I was very keen on the first run and almost made it to the Rome show, but a mate's wedding in Oz conspired against me. Wasn't going to miss this one.

SRich · September 2019

Apropos of nothing..........Ultraviolet on the U2360 tour (saw 'em in Croke Park and Cardiff Millenium) contained the most visceral guitar parts I've ever heard.

stickyfiddle · September 2019

SRich said:

Apropos of nothing..........Ultraviolet on the U2360 tour (saw 'em in Croke Park and Cardiff Millenium) contained the most visceral guitar parts I've ever heard.

Yup, it’s awesome. Thought I am still just a tiny bit disappointed Edge plays a simpler guitar line that on the ZooTV tour, cost that version was utterly amazing

stickyfiddle · January 2020

So this was already a few weeks ago now so I thought a brief trip report was overdue.

I’d had a few shit weeks at work and some depression-related health shit, so wasn’t really in the mood and actually not particularly excited in the run-up, including a 90 minute drive, and the ticket girl almost refusing to give us our ticket because we hadn’t brought the right credit card with us, as no one told us we had to!)

Thankfully I was wrong and they’re still absolutely worth the reputation as probably the greatest live act around. We got the usual massive screen and tree-shaped B-stage, opening with pre-JT songs, then the full Joshua Tree, then an encore of post-JT stuff. I was well aware of the Streets intro with the blood red screen and rockstar pose etc etc, but when it came I was honestly in bits. I’d just about got myself together by With or Without You, until Bono launched into the rarely-heard-of-late “shine like stars” outro, at which point I was a mess again, but good catharsis after feeling shitty beforehand.

Other highlights for me were One Tree Hill, a guitar-heavy In God’s Country and Exit, and finally hearing Ultraviolet live. I’d have loved Out or Control and All I Want Is You instead of Desire as the final pre-encore song after the main JT set, but I’m not complaining.

In other news, the band and crew were actually staying in the same hotel as us, which was kind of cool. I kept seeing crew guys I’ve seen interviews and videos from countless times which was rather odd. Didn’t meet any of the band, but saw them a couple of times heading in and out, and shared the breakfast room with a very casual Adam Clayton on our last morning. He was with his family so I didn’t say anything but did the usual “man-nod”.

stickyfiddle · January 2020

Now of course, I’m hoping they do a 30th anniversary “Zoo.com” tour in a couple of years. Not AB end-to-end, but some kind of a reinvention of that tour would be something to see...

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U2 in Mumbai: Now with trip report!

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