U2 Go Snippet-Crazy For London

The 360 Degrees tour landed back in the UK over the weekend for two nights at London’s Wembley Stadium.  The dates were the first of a five-night stand for Britain that will culminate this turbulent – and often exhilarating – first leg of the tour.

Reportedly, the Claw stage setup allowed for the largest crowds ever to pack Wembley, with estimates at around 88,000 for each night.

While the setlists were relatively tame in terms of surprises/new material, the band did throw in one big curveball for the Friday night crowd, ending the main set with “Mysterious Ways” for the first time ever.

Saturday night was all about volume, with the band cramming in several of the tour’s current rarities – “Stay (Faraway So Close!)”, “Until the End of the World”, “Bad” – and a seemingly non-stop parade of snippets.  No less than thirteen snippets were performed during the set, including some big firsts:  “A Day Without Me”, being performed for the first time since 1985 (!),  The Clash’s “London Calling” (played both nights), and Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll”, snippeted for the first time ever.  Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up” made an appearance during “Sunday, Bloody Sunday,” its first inclusion since Milan.

Oddly, Bono closed the Friday show by dedicating “Moment of Surrender” to longtime U2 collaborator Brian Eno, calling him a “national treasure” and imploring him to “get well soon”.  Whether this was in reference to a passing bug or a more significant health problem was not immediately apparent.

Photos courtesy in2theheart on the Interference boards; Claw photo courtesy pauljallen on the Interference boards.  Setlist links courtesy U2gigs.com.

Setlist – Wembley Stadium, London, England, 8/14/09:

1. Breathe
2. No Line On The Horizon
3. Get On Your Boots
4. Magnificent
5. London Calling (snippet) / London Bridge Is Falling Down (snippet) / Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet)
6. Elevation
7. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Movin’ On Up (snippet)
8. Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
9. Unknown Caller
10. The Unforgettable Fire
11. City Of Blinding Lights
12. Vertigo / Acquiesce (snippet)
13. I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight / Two Tribes (snippet) / O Come All Ye Faithful (snippet)
14. Sunday Bloody Sunday / Rock The Casbah (snippet)
15. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
16. MLK
17. Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone (snippet)
18. Where The Streets Have No Name / All You Need Is Love (snippet) / Acquiesce (snippet)
19. One
20. Mysterious Ways / Norwegian Wood (snippet)

encore(s):

21. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
22. With Or Without You
23. Moment of Surrender

Setlist – Wembley Stadium, London, England, 8/15/09:

1. Breathe
2. No Line On The Horizon
3. Get On Your Boots
4. Magnificent
5. London Bridge Is Falling Down (snippet) / Beautiful Day / Here Comes The Sun (snippet)
6. Until The End Of The World / Break On Through (snippet)
7. New Year’s Day
8. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet)
9. Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
10. Unknown Caller
11. The Unforgettable Fire / A Day Without Me (snippet)
12. City Of Blinding Lights
13. London Calling (snippet) / Vertigo / Rock And Roll (snippet)
14. O Come All Ye Faithful (snippet) / I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight / Two Tribes (snippet)
15. Sunday Bloody Sunday / Get Up Stand Up (snippet)
16. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
17. MLK
18. Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone (snippet)
19. Where The Streets Have No Name
20. One
21. Bad / Fool To Cry (snippet) / 40 (snippet)

encore(s):

22. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
23. With Or Without You
24. Moment of Surrender