U2 kick off new season of Saturday Night Live
U2 played four songs on the Megan Fox hosted Saturday Night Live season premiere last night, three of which were broadcast: Breathe, Moment of Surrender and Ultraviolet. The fourth song, With or Without you, was played after the credits – high five to the band for not mollycoddling the viewers at home. Moment of Surrender was a little shorter than normal and spiced up with some New York/SNL-inspired free form rap.
The Edge tweeted two pictures while at the SNL studios
Hal Willner, who will be working with the band again next week at Gavin Friday’s birthday gig at Carnegie Hall, is SNL’s music director.
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Their performances were good, though I’m not sure Breathe is actually all that great a song to be showcasing. I thought Moment Of Surrender was far better. Plus, Edge’s new palm muting guitar texture adds a really neat tension in the song that I wish had been there in the studio version.
I tuned out after they played Moment. I wish I hadn’t, but I didn’t think they’d play a third song (though I should have… his jacket was clearly the Ultraviolet jacket with the mirrors)…
But my god, this episode of SNL was so god-damned awful!!! I couldn’t watch another minute. It was BRUTAL! The writers should all be fired and replaced with a thousand monkeys working at a thousand typewriters. Just… bad.
Their performances were good, though I’m not sure Breathe is actually all that great a song to be showcasing. I thought Moment Of Surrender was far better. Plus, Edge’s new palm muting guitar texture adds a really neat tension in the song that I wish had been there in the studio version.
I tuned out after they played Moment. I wish I hadn’t, but I didn’t think they’d play a third song (though I should have… his jacket was clearly the Ultraviolet jacket with the mirrors)…
But my god, this episode of SNL was so god-damned awful!!! I couldn’t watch another minute. It was BRUTAL! The writers should all be fired and replaced with a thousand monkeys working at a thousand typewriters. Just… bad.
[...] : U2Log et U2gigs Publié dans Non [...]
[...] : U2Log et U2gigs Publié dans Non [...]
I wonder if video of all four songs will be leaked? I’d like to see the whole performance. Too bad SNL is so terrible now… It was like torture waiting for U2. When I was a kid, I used to feel like the musical performance was the low point and the sketches the high. What happened to that show? Are they aware of how bad it has gotten? Well, at least U2 were awesome!
I wonder if video of all four songs will be leaked? I’d like to see the whole performance. Too bad SNL is so terrible now… It was like torture waiting for U2. When I was a kid, I used to feel like the musical performance was the low point and the sketches the high. What happened to that show? Are they aware of how bad it has gotten? Well, at least U2 were awesome!
FYI for next time – U2 always closes the credits when playing SNL
FYI for next time – U2 always closes the credits when playing SNL
@Sam Not sure what you mean by that
@Sam Not sure what you mean by that
@Geoff
I totally agree with you, there was a time when the band perdormance is when you went channel surfing…I mean the fact that the first show was so bad is horrible because technically they’ve had 3 months to work on these sketches. The only thing funny is Seth Myers and the Weekend Update…part of me wonders how U2 feels about working within the timing constraints of a terrible show
Anyhoo I thought the song selection was great and maybe Bono’s voice sounded a touch ragged (hard to fully be sure b/c on M.O.S the ragged voice is what he’s aiming for)
Also why did the lights not work over Adam? Sigh.
@Geoff
I totally agree with you, there was a time when the band perdormance is when you went channel surfing…I mean the fact that the first show was so bad is horrible because technically they’ve had 3 months to work on these sketches. The only thing funny is Seth Myers and the Weekend Update…part of me wonders how U2 feels about working within the timing constraints of a terrible show
Anyhoo I thought the song selection was great and maybe Bono’s voice sounded a touch ragged (hard to fully be sure b/c on M.O.S the ragged voice is what he’s aiming for)
Also why did the lights not work over Adam? Sigh.
Just a potent reminder of why people lament the lack of SNL’s cancellation. I’m sure that somebody found it funny, but I’m just sitting there thinking “My god, this is an hour and a half that I could be spending doing anything else but I want to see U2…”
And thanks Sam. I haven’t seen SNL in a long time so I figured two songs was all I was going to get out of the band. Ah well, it looked better on my computer than it did my non HDTV cable signal. HDTV with classic cable? Ugly combo.
Just a potent reminder of why people lament the lack of SNL’s cancellation. I’m sure that somebody found it funny, but I’m just sitting there thinking “My god, this is an hour and a half that I could be spending doing anything else but I want to see U2…”
And thanks Sam. I haven’t seen SNL in a long time so I figured two songs was all I was going to get out of the band. Ah well, it looked better on my computer than it did my non HDTV cable signal. HDTV with classic cable? Ugly combo.
I hate to say it, folks, but it wasn’t just SNL that was bad … the band’s performance was subpar. Bono’s voice was AWFUL. That wasn’t passion, that was hoarseness and the stress of a huge multi-national tour taking its toll.
Please don’t think I’m a hater. “Ultraviolet” has a special place in my heart. It literally changed my life when I first heard it in ’91. For years, my e-mail signature was “When I was all messed up, and I heard opera in my head…”
But being a fan also means not being an apologist. The performance just wasn’t that good, especially when you compare to the sheer awesomeness of their last appearance on SNL a few years ago. I STILL get chills thinking back to them playing “I Will Follow”, Bono going out into the crowd, Amy Poehler crying her eyes out, and the actors all jumping around like excited kids.
Better luck next time, boys. Yer man just didn’t have it.
I hate to say it, folks, but it wasn’t just SNL that was bad … the band’s performance was subpar. Bono’s voice was AWFUL. That wasn’t passion, that was hoarseness and the stress of a huge multi-national tour taking its toll.
Please don’t think I’m a hater. “Ultraviolet” has a special place in my heart. It literally changed my life when I first heard it in ’91. For years, my e-mail signature was “When I was all messed up, and I heard opera in my head…”
But being a fan also means not being an apologist. The performance just wasn’t that good, especially when you compare to the sheer awesomeness of their last appearance on SNL a few years ago. I STILL get chills thinking back to them playing “I Will Follow”, Bono going out into the crowd, Amy Poehler crying her eyes out, and the actors all jumping around like excited kids.
Better luck next time, boys. Yer man just didn’t have it.
I beleive everyone has there ups and downs
U2 performance was good Bono’s voice was a little bit ragged but I was soo excited to be there and see them doing what they love to do!! U2 is awesome!!
I beleive everyone has there ups and downs
U2 performance was good Bono’s voice was a little bit ragged but I was soo excited to be there and see them doing what they love to do!! U2 is awesome!!
SNL is just getting worse and worse. That was just plain stupid and also pretty offensive at some points.
The impression I had was that U2 seemed like they were in a bad mood. Either they were having an off night, they were tired, or they realized what a low-class, toilet-bowl of a show they had gotten themselves involved in (I’d like to think it was the third reason). The songs they played were way too good for that show.
SNL is just getting worse and worse. That was just plain stupid and also pretty offensive at some points.
The impression I had was that U2 seemed like they were in a bad mood. Either they were having an off night, they were tired, or they realized what a low-class, toilet-bowl of a show they had gotten themselves involved in (I’d like to think it was the third reason). The songs they played were way too good for that show.
The SNL people should have canned the last skit
and allowed the band to play out the show.
The haze/smoke effects during Ultraviolet were some of the best I’ve seen.
The SNL people should have canned the last skit
and allowed the band to play out the show.
The haze/smoke effects during Ultraviolet were some of the best I’ve seen.