Good Morning America, it’s U2 at Fordham University

U2 played a short set in front of students at Fordham University in New York, broadcast live on Good Morning America on Friday, March 6.

Setlist: Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight (break) Beautiful Day, Breathe, Vertigo


I’ll go crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight

Beautiful Day

Breathe/Vertigo (fan shot video)

GMA interview

38 thoughts on “Good Morning America, it’s U2 at Fordham University”

  1. wow i cannot believe this show was not broadcast live-or not anywhere i cld find. the gd morning america coveragewas lame, cut off songs for commericals & weasther/traffic reports-PLLLEEEZZ- this was U@!!! i’m a fordham alumnus & wld’ve really loved to be there, i think a few more could’ve fit on eddie’s parade. seen more people there on spring weekend & jubilee. alumni shld’ve had an oppt’y to be there. but still thrilled for fordham to have hosted my fav group!!!

  2. wow i cannot believe this show was not broadcast live-or not anywhere i cld find. the gd morning america coveragewas lame, cut off songs for commericals & weasther/traffic reports-PLLLEEEZZ- this was U@!!! i’m a fordham alumnus & wld’ve really loved to be there, i think a few more could’ve fit on eddie’s parade. seen more people there on spring weekend & jubilee. alumni shld’ve had an oppt’y to be there. but still thrilled for fordham to have hosted my fav group!!!

  3. just got back from the show….

    U2 played 6 songs with Vertigo getting the biggest response…

    All in all it was a great time even if we did have to wake up really early

  4. just got back from the show….

    U2 played 6 songs with Vertigo getting the biggest response…

    All in all it was a great time even if we did have to wake up really early

  5. Yeah, can’t find the feed now- I was working during the show, like so many alumni… And they don’t post the concert portion like they did for other artists. Why not? 🙁

  6. Yeah, can’t find the feed now- I was working during the show, like so many alumni… And they don’t post the concert portion like they did for other artists. Why not? 🙁

  7. It was really aggravating having GMA cut to commercials just as U2 started a new song -twice! Instead they filled showtime with cooking??

  8. It was really aggravating having GMA cut to commercials just as U2 started a new song -twice! Instead they filled showtime with cooking??

  11. WFUV broadcast the entire concert at 90.7 FM in New York City and online at wfuv.org. We will also carry three U2 specials from Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 pm New York time.

  12. WFUV broadcast the entire concert at 90.7 FM in New York City and online at wfuv.org. We will also carry three U2 specials from Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 pm New York time.

  15. I’m surprised that no one noticed it but the music in both the Good Morning America and the BBC Rooftop gigs is not live… Bono’s vocal performance is live but the music is pre-recorded. On the GMA performance, look at the end of Magnificent… Larry misses the end cue.

  16. I’m surprised that no one noticed it but the music in both the Good Morning America and the BBC Rooftop gigs is not live… Bono’s vocal performance is live but the music is pre-recorded. On the GMA performance, look at the end of Magnificent… Larry misses the end cue.

  17. Cantaloops, they’re all playing through their instruments live as live can be, but as with a lot of U2 (usually promo – as they’re still working on how to structure the new songs live) performances, they’re playing over a backing track that has some of the sounds not covered by the band themselves or terryworld (think the drum loop at the start of Beautiful Day or the synth on Magnificent). For evidence of this, watch the momentary hesitation before the, unplanned, performance of Beautiful Day on the BBC rooftop.. Bono says something like ‘do we have a song?’ (queued up and ready to go). Someone is sure to correct me here, but I can’t remember the band obviously synching since another rooftop gig – TOTP in 2000

  18. Cantaloops, they’re all playing through their instruments live as live can be, but as with a lot of U2 (usually promo – as they’re still working on how to structure the new songs live) performances, they’re playing over a backing track that has some of the sounds not covered by the band themselves or terryworld (think the drum loop at the start of Beautiful Day or the synth on Magnificent). For evidence of this, watch the momentary hesitation before the, unplanned, performance of Beautiful Day on the BBC rooftop.. Bono says something like ‘do we have a song?’ (queued up and ready to go). Someone is sure to correct me here, but I can’t remember the band obviously synching since another rooftop gig – TOTP in 2000

  19. Leprechaun,

    I’m not talking about that. They have been using sequencing for a long time now wich is a good thing since it allows them to keep certain production elements on the live versions. The have been playing to a click track (metronome) since Zoo TV. On the GMA and BBC rooftop performances, the actual instruments tracks (drums-bass-guitar) were pre-recorded. For instance, on Vertigo (BBC rooftop) during the “I can Feel” part before the guitar solo, you hear Larry playing the beat with an open hi-hat but you see him riding the crash cymbal instead. There’s a lot of these things happening on both gigs if you pay attention. On TOTP 2000 they just used an instrumental mix of the album version but this time around the guys actually recorded the songs together as a live arrangement that they used for the broadcast.

  20. Leprechaun,

    I’m not talking about that. They have been using sequencing for a long time now wich is a good thing since it allows them to keep certain production elements on the live versions. The have been playing to a click track (metronome) since Zoo TV. On the GMA and BBC rooftop performances, the actual instruments tracks (drums-bass-guitar) were pre-recorded. For instance, on Vertigo (BBC rooftop) during the “I can Feel” part before the guitar solo, you hear Larry playing the beat with an open hi-hat but you see him riding the crash cymbal instead. There’s a lot of these things happening on both gigs if you pay attention. On TOTP 2000 they just used an instrumental mix of the album version but this time around the guys actually recorded the songs together as a live arrangement that they used for the broadcast.

  21. look at the performance of boots from letterman and you can see and hear where edge messed up a little during the chorus part before the let me in the sound part, not a big deal but its definitely live performance, it wouldn’t make any sence for them not to play live.

  22. look at the performance of boots from letterman and you can see and hear where edge messed up a little during the chorus part before the let me in the sound part, not a big deal but its definitely live performance, it wouldn’t make any sence for them not to play live.

  25. the Letterman stuff is live. I’m just talking about the Fordham and BBC rooftop performances.

    Chris, check the very end of Magnificient from Fordham. They usually play that last build-up for two more bars but they shortened it for the broadcast. As he plays his last chord, you see Edge looking at Larry who forgot to stop playing . He stops right after but on the audio, we hear a nice clean stop with a cymbal roll. He doesn’t even touch the cymbals.

    TV shows are usually lazy with audio, it’s much easier for them to mix a stereo music mix with a vocal mic and a few crowd inputs than having to deal with a full band…

  26. the Letterman stuff is live. I’m just talking about the Fordham and BBC rooftop performances.

    Chris, check the very end of Magnificient from Fordham. They usually play that last build-up for two more bars but they shortened it for the broadcast. As he plays his last chord, you see Edge looking at Larry who forgot to stop playing . He stops right after but on the audio, we hear a nice clean stop with a cymbal roll. He doesn’t even touch the cymbals.

    TV shows are usually lazy with audio, it’s much easier for them to mix a stereo music mix with a vocal mic and a few crowd inputs than having to deal with a full band…

  33. Both BBC and GMA were LIVE, full band.
    if you don’t know what you’re talking about,
    it’s never wise to act like you do.

  34. Both BBC and GMA were LIVE, full band.
    if you don’t know what you’re talking about,
    it’s never wise to act like you do.

  35. Live vocal over a backing track is actually very common for promo. Guy Fletcher talks about it in his diary for the Mark Knopfler promo tours (guyfletcher.co.uk) it’s really not up to the band. Knopfler is as big a stickler as anybody for true playing (all real instruments on stage, no autotune, etc…) and even he has to do it for TV, so it’s really no big deal. They’ve done this forever, look at archival footage of The Who back in the 60s.

  36. Live vocal over a backing track is actually very common for promo. Guy Fletcher talks about it in his diary for the Mark Knopfler promo tours (guyfletcher.co.uk) it’s really not up to the band. Knopfler is as big a stickler as anybody for true playing (all real instruments on stage, no autotune, etc…) and even he has to do it for TV, so it’s really no big deal. They’ve done this forever, look at archival footage of The Who back in the 60s.

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