The bands that set the bar for every single U2 show, accoridng to The Edge: “We always try”
During the long and dreary days of Covid-19, I became oddly accustomed to my relationship with music outside of a live context.
The days of shared joy, under the canopy of an industrial building within arm’s reach of a poorly stocked bar, felt so far removed from the reality in which we were existing that I forgot how vital it was to my enjoyment of music.
It was when I returned to the gig and festival circuit, in the hesitant summer of 2021, that I realised what it meant to me. Watching Fontaines DC rip through their second album during the Green Man headline set only compounded my love for that second album of theirs, while my first ever experience of Viagra Boys emphatically introduced the band to me, in a way only a great live show can.
It is still the premier music experience for any fan, and I believe it always will be. It’s why the greats of years gone by have ensured their live shows are borderline unbeatable. Across genres and eras, the likes of James Brown, Iggy Pop and Madonna have proved that legendary status can’t be achieved from the studio alone – unless you’re The Beatles, of course.
Whether you like them or not, U2 are another band that can be comfortably placed into that category. Not resting on the laurels of their legacy defining album Joshua Tree, they have continually evolved their live show through the eras to satisfy fans old and new. Moreover, they do it to satisfy themselves, for they understand the role it plays in making them artists.
“When we’re onstage, so much is at stake,” The Edge confirmed. “I remember the first three live shows I ever saw: Stiff Little Fingers, Rory Gallagher, the Clash. Talk about having your mind blown. I felt the same way when I saw Springsteen for the first time. It was like having my eyes opened for the first time. It was a catharsis, and that’s what we try to bring to every show we play. We never want to forget what a live show should mean. We don’t always pull it off; some shows are than others, and that’s inevitable. But we always try.”
But what is the essence of live magic that The Edge talks about? Is it the act of adapting the songs into something new and fresh for the live setting, or is it pushing the boundaries of stage production to the point of visual distraction? A case could be made for the latter and therefore you would be valid in questioning if U2 have misinterpreted the idea of what a truly great live show is.
Drowning their songs in the overstimulation of Las Vegas’ sphere feels a far cry from the humble spirit of an early Clash show, and playing in the middle of a novel four-legged ‘claw’ on their 2011 tour, which grossed $736,421,586, puts the importance of the music wildly into question. There are of course many ways to achieve greatness, but adopting gimmicks and then labelling Bruce Springsteen as inspiration feels like a miss.
