U2 rehearsed their new show before a group of fans in Los Angeles tonight, opening with City of Blinding Lights and closing with 40.

As well as those who won competitions through US radio stations, the band also invited in a crowd of fans who had been waiting outside the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

City of Blinding Lights, played in front of a startling curtain of lights descending from the top of the stage, was immediately followed by a a trio of songs from Boy.

‘We’re going back to where it started for us,’ said Bono.

But not for long. Next up was Beautiful Day, the crowd already screaming the house down, and we were soon into three more songs from the new album: Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can’t Make it On Your Own and Love and Peace.

As well as a great set of tracks, new and old, there were a series of dazzling production innovations providing clues to the look and staging of ‘Vertigo 2005’.

But we don’t want to give too much away because that might spoil the surprise for Monday - and anyway the band may decide to change the set completely.

Production insiders have told us that they have rehearsed a huge number of song so there is a lot to choose from.

And as if being part of such a select group to see U2 play live was not enough, this was also Easter Saturday - as the fans left the show, everyone was offered a chocolate egg!

(taken from u2.com)

the setlist from the dress rehearsal:

City of Blinding Lights
The Electric Co.
An Cat Dubh / Into the Heart
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love and Peace or Else
Elevation
Stuck in a Moment...
Yahweh
Bullet the Blue Sky
Running to Stand Still

(break for human rights video)

Zoo Station
The Fly
Vertigo

(break)

Pride
Where the Streets Have No Name
One
All Because of You
40

Song notes:
* Larry plays keyboards during "Yahweh"
* during "Love and Peace or Else", Larry is at the edge of the egg when
the song starts, playing drums there; during the middle of the song, he
goes back to the main stage and drums from there, while Bono drums at
the edge of the egg
* during "Zoo Station", Edge is using a "Vertigo" guitar -- black with
the red circles on it
* "Streets" does not have a red-colored background; flags of the
countries on the African continent are shown behind the band instead
* "40" is performed as it was 20 years ago -- each band member leaves
the stage one-at-a-time, and Larry ends the show with a brief drum solo

Stage notes:
* very simple stage, clean - just Larry's drums, Edge's stuff,
keyboards, and lots of room for Bono to move around
* 3-level video screen
* main stage is shaped like the "Vertigo" spirals
* the "egg" extends further out onto the floor than the Elevation
"heart" did
* there's no b-stage at the far end of the egg, but there is enough
room for the band to play, just like on the Elevation Tour

This is different than the one I saw on interference, but I'm not disappointed. Zoo Station, Running to Stand Still, and The Fly ! How many months 'til October?

Oh, and they can take Elevation out of the setlist as far as I'm concerned. I don't need to see Bullet again, either. I also need to hear either Sunday Bloody Sunday or New Year's Day during my show.

I LOVE U2!

Axchi696 said:

i love that the setlist will be changing nightly and i love that i'll be seeing my first show a good month into the tour. all the bugs should be worked out by then and the band will have probably found their groove. though, i'll admit, catching early shows with all their imperfections is a lot of fun!

um...did you see some of those old gems in that setlist!?!

So the stage setup is going to be simple but my question is how is it going to be for those of us behind the stage or next to the stage?

i have the feeling that the stage set up was incomplete in order to keep a few surprises secret. i've read interviews witht eh set designer and he was talking about all sorts of new technology that wasn't mentioned in this review...the only thing mentioned was the curtain of lights but there was so much more. another reason i think the stage was incomplete is because there is a hockey game today. i don't think they'd go through the hassle of putting up the stage and taking it down for a game and then putting it up again. the rehearsal seems to be more for the band and the sound than for the visuals.

well an cat dubh will make me come a million times, but I need GLORIA! I need THREW A BRICK THROOUGH A WINDOW! I need SECONDS! I need SURRENDER! I need DROWNING MAN! I need RED HILL MINING TOWN! I need TRYING TO THROW YOUR ARMS AROUND THE WORLD!


I need SASSY BRITCHES! (I'm in heat after listing all these songs I love)

purplegypsy said:

that is an almost perfect setlist (the one above)! i can't wait to see how it changes from night to night.

purplegypsy said:

Purrrrr

One of my faves too!

purplegypsy said:

Me too. The setlist above isn't quite as adventurous as I imagined it would be. But of course, they are a stadium band and they have to please everybody. I wish they'd go on a club/theatre tour though and bring out the real shit.

this is what the stage looked like a little earlier today during the construction...its almost time!

according to paul mcguinness, after the band gave their rehearsal performance and everyone was out of the building, they went back on stage and performed again with a different songs. as of 3am saturday morning, the opening night setlist is still not finlized, lol.

let's see if this works:


[Edited 3/28/05 10:55am]