VH1’s All Access U2 - was it really Opening Night?
I’m wondering if anyone else out there was left scratching their head while watching VH1’s All Access: U2 program this evening.
The program, which includes excellent behind-the-scenes exclusive interviews with the band as they prepare for the Vertigo World tour…all stuff fans will want to watch again and again…seemed to not realize that Opening Night was in San Diego on March 28.
The whole program is designed to show “Opening Night” as they get ready to embark on their tour. A few problems with this….about 50 minutes into the program, the setlist shown that’s being narrated as “battling nerves and nausea, the band continues to tinker with the setlist” is not from Opening Night. The setlist, as well as the band’s outfits, seem to model the Anaheim 4/2 show. There’s a shot of tickets being scanned while interviewing Paul McGuinness - those tickets are dated April 1 (Anaheim).
Did anyone else have a good laugh when the narration said “In the middle of rehearsals, U2 had to fly off to New York to make music history” - but the band was walking off of their Popmart plane? Classic.
The live video footage at various spots also did not model what happened in San Diego - for example, the band did not walk around the ellipse with spotlights at the start of Love and Peace at either show….and the sound of the airplanes at the start of Love and Peace do not appear with the song unless the song is used as an opening song for the concert. Also, they modeled the build-up by showing Love and Peace, then Sometimes, then lead into Vertigo - implying Vertigo was later in the setlist, which it was not for either San Diego show. Not to mention…mixing in video footage from Live from Boston from Elevation with the Vertigo tour footage - to quote Rocky Horror…”let’s do the time warp again!”
Don’t get me wrong - this program is an *awesome* look inside the creative process. My point is - if you’re going to be promoting throughout the program as leading up to Opening Night, then don’t show things and piece together interviews that didn’t happen at Opening Night, as well as show footage that matches the narration.
Side note…look at the wristband colors of those in the audience during the live footage at the end - neither wristband color was handed out in San Diego - the audience pictured wasn’t there Opening Night either.
So…for all of the readers out there - can you name the night the footage was shot? The wristband to gain access to the floor that night was orange. Maybe you might see yourself in the audience!
Keir said,
April 14, 2005 @ 7:06 pm
No no, we got fighter jet sounds at San Jose 1 even though Love And Peace didn’t open the show. We didn’t get the spotlight treatment, though.
julie said,
April 14, 2005 @ 7:21 pm
Um, my friend was up on the video screens, and she was there at Anaheim 1, so yeah, it wasn’t opening night they were showing…
That’s TV 4 ya….
rgokhman said,
April 14, 2005 @ 7:49 pm
It was Anaheim 1. I was there when they were taping.
Lizzie said,
April 15, 2005 @ 2:58 am
And plus…did anyone who watched the show checked out Adam outfit? He was wearing the black shirt with the purple collar and purple cuffs….. For the San Diego show (Opening Night)…Adam was wearing the black shirt with the red collar and the red cuffs
Phil said,
April 15, 2005 @ 5:10 am
I would say at least 50% of the footage was rehashed from old material. Even the footage of the stage being built in the shop (in PA) can be found on U2.com.
Usually U2 have the final say on if something goes out or not. I am a bit shocked they let some of the material out as it was presented.
Maybe VH1’s material from opening night turned out to be un-usable… or more likely, the media pressure was too much for the band to process through the hunderds of others.
u2page said,
April 15, 2005 @ 6:44 am
I saw a couple of friends that I know were there at Anaheim 1, that were NOT there in San Diego. I’m voting for Anaheim 1.
pkaPartyGirl said,
April 15, 2005 @ 10:28 pm
I noticed all of that too. Sadly, just like everything else U2 has done lately, this was pieced together with all the regard being for “slickness” and polish, rather than for the wonderful organic authenticity that is what is made this band who they are. If you listen (and watch) closely, in the earliest parts of the “rehearsal” in Mexico (about 4 minutes into the broadcast), they show Bono singing live on the rehearsal stage, but the music tracks they are using are very clearly the studio recordings. (Miracle Drug and Sometimes…) Why are they so afraid to let his own rehearsal voice go live? Some of my most cherished U2 footage is from rehearsal documentaries of the JT tour and the Zoo-Tv tour.
Tassoula said,
April 17, 2005 @ 10:56 pm
I wasn’t surprised at all that it wasn’t really San Diego, and that the rehearsal footage wasn’t always Vancouver or Mexico.
I remember the VH1 special during Elevation where Ahmer Haleem and Bono were ‘looking for a ride’ on a busy street in LA, then Larry joined them in an SUV, then Edge joined them on the plane, then magically they arrived at the ‘Boston’ concert, though there were very telling signs that it was Vegas instead. I think in that case they spliced in GA line footage from a few different shows because the accents of the fans change (some are clearly east coast, others definitely not). Nonetheless, it was entertaining and I still have my precious VHS copy of it.
What VH1 doesn’t realize is that the U2 fan base is a smart bunch who dissect just about everything the band does on a daily basis. And that the folks in Anaheim would probably like their due shout-out.
I suppose that’s fair enough, but frankly I’m thankful to see any footage where Larry is smiling so frequently and sharing the lead vocals on stage with B-man.
px said,
April 21, 2005 @ 1:46 pm
This post has been removed by the author.
px said,
April 21, 2005 @ 1:47 pm
Anaheim 2.
After show conversation among some diehards who camped out @ the service entrance with us (til 4 am exchanging stories), said VH1 was taping that night. Perhaps it a bit of each (1&2) maybe?