An update summarising current rumours of U2 in South America next year: http://u2.gs/hi
@atu2 …letter of the word! Compare “abbreviation”/”abbrev.” to “mount”/”mt”. So a lot of people even here write “Mt.” incorrectly!
@atu2 You’ll find most people don’t understand this rule, since we DO use a full stop when the last letter of the abbrev. is not the last…
@u2wanderer e.g. some UK dictionaries recognise “-ize” as well as “-ise”. Down here, “-ise” remains the only correct form of the suffix.
@u2wanderer I’ve even noticed some US English features being accepted by UK dictionaries lately. Aus/NZ are last hold-outs in some cases.
@atu2 Haha, I see both Matt and I are on the ball today. Didn’t notice he’d replied before me.
@atu2 Because only US English uses a full stop when abbreviating “Mount” to “Mt”. Could explain further but Twitter’s character limit blows.
@atu2 Good question. Stumbled over this 4 years ago in Auckland. Ericsson Stadium was more clear ;-)
@Rodneuson There are merch stands inside the venue for seat and GA areas and in the Red Zones (small ones). Sometimes outside of the venue.
@thijst That is in fact the sole live performance of Scarlet that I mean. There may not have been a studio audience, but we still count it.
@danbakes I’d hope so, but maybe not if they want to rest a day and stay fresh for the two gigs? Guess we’ll see what happens!
danbakes http://youtu.be/0NtoCN9K… & http://youtu.be/Fw3ENgVv… - U2 sound rehearsing tonight. One Tree Hill! Amazing. PUMPED. @U2gigs
Our summary of this evening’s U2 rehearsal has now been fully updated: http://u2.gs/hh
Crew are boarding their bus, definitely it’s all over for tonight. Thanks so much especially to @gimp2u23 for all his reports tonight!
Seems the band’s rehearsal tonight could be heard clearly around nearby suburbs - got comments from Ellerslie, Remuera.
Simon reports that the stage lights are still on, but nothing’s happening.
Looks like proceedings might indeed be over in Auckland, as Bono seemed to indicate. Nothing’s been played yet after BFFTS.
@Matkin22 Hey now, I actually like Unknown Caller!
Boy Falls From The Sky was preceded by a lengthy jam.
So Bono’s asked the band if they want to play BFFTS and then pack it in for the night. 14th is consequently Boy Falls From The Sky.
@u2fanz Nope, thank god.
gimp2u23 Could be stumps here in Auckland…. Bono said they would call it a night soon….
After IALW is Miss Sarajevo as usual. I’m worried Aus/Kiwi audiences will miss out on UF, like we missed out on Elec Co. and Gloria in 2006.
Surprised some of you haven’t heard about the Pike River mine disaster. Is the world over mining disasters post-Chile?
@Matkin22 Permission so very much granted.
Hey, U2? You made up for missing us in 2001 back on Vertigo! Can we have some more NLOTH songs please, rather than ATYCLB?
Ugh, In A Little While lives on, slotting in at 12th. It is preceded by recording of Neil Armstong moon landing quote.
Bono mentions the Pike River Miners before OTH. U2 stop about a third of the way through the song and restart it.
For those of you just tuning in now, here’s our mainpage article with details of what U2 have rehearsed so far today: http://u2.gs/hh
Here it is! One Tree Hill slots in at eleventh in the rehearsal setlist.
@golden254 This is just a rehearsal. The actual gigs are on the 25th and 26th.
Tenth is Mercy!
UTEOTW was largely instrumental. Ninth is I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.
Now they’re onto Until The End Of The World, with Bono yelling “is this rock ‘n’ roll?” at the start like in the old days.
Seventh is Elevation.
gimp2u23 Edge a horrific few chords in magnificent much to the amusement of the 13 of us standing at gate C!!
Sixth is Mysterious Ways.
Fifth is Magnificent.
Fourth is Get On Your Boots.
One Tree Hill snippet at the end of Beautiful Day, now they’re onto I Will Follow.
Should add that they’ve got all the lights and smoke going for this rehearsal.
After Stingray Guitar is Beautiful Day, as on the European leg.
As you might expect after Space Oddity, now they’re playing Stingray Guitar.
Space Oddity now playing over the PA at Mt Smart.
Now at Mt Smart Stadium, @gimp2u23 reports some guitar sounds and a few keys, but not much else.
No new reports from Mt Smart, all is still quiet. Will the band do another rehearsal session or is that it for today? We’ll see.
@hjwallace1 It’s a bit early - right now it’s 7:40pm in Auckland.
I also have to take a break in proceedings. I’ll be back in about half an hour to let you know if anything more has happened in Auckland.
Via @gimp2u23, looks like they’re taking a break in proceedings now.
Summary of today’s rehearsals thus far, will keep article updated as more happens: http://u2.gs/hh
@AmosBudd5086 Perhaps, but you’re a fool for confusing “your” and “you’re”.
Make that an instrumental Boy Falls From The Sky with the PA turned right down now.
Bit more lowkey soundchecking now, riff from Boy Falls From The Sky.
@Matkin22 In a very, very good way. Fuck off, IALW.
@madism40 Yep, like in Coimbra!
@Matkin22 That’d shit all over IALW/Miss S!
@Matkin22 I was sarcastically thinking of a clunky segue into Scarlet mid-UTEOTW from that Anthem snippet. ;)
@Matkin22 And with MOS would be too much slow stuff; MOS already loses some of the audience. Knowing U2, it’ll probably be with UTEOTW!
Now they’re doing the unreleased song Boy Falls From The Sky.
@Matkin22 That’s what I’m wondering! Before Walk On?
@U2Trivia i.e. he’s improvising extra lyrics around the main refrain.
U2 have only ever done Scarlet live once before, on 14 October 1981. Let’s hope they actually do this at a gig and don’t Drowning Man it.
Can confirm they’re doing Scarlet and Bono’s improvising a bit. Thanks to Ian on Interference.
Conflicting reports from stadium, they’re doing either Rejoice or Scarlet. Suspect latter. Either way, holy fucking shit!
Scratch that - confirmed! Bono’s there, full band One Tree Hill now!
Bono may be there. Simon thinks he heard him singing OTH’s outro away from the mics, but cannot confirm.
Full instrumental performance of One Tree Hill. Thanks to @gimp2u23 for his reports so far; here is his vantage point: http://u2.gs/hg
One Tree Hill jam, through PA now. Just sound so far, no lights or on-screen visuals. Umbrellas up on stage.
@kandlm UF’s better live. Plus it’d be nice to hear a song any Aussie/Kiwi fan under the age of ~40 has never heard live than one they have.
@Forestmoss No, UF was released in 1984.
@dawn9902 Hey! Yep, that’s N/One Tree Hill itself.
Simon now reports that One Tree Hill’s riff is being soundchecked - through amps only, not the PA.
Via @gimp2u23 (aka Simon), not much happening yet at Mt Smart, just some tuning up… and some light rain passing through.
Also, this ex-pat Kiwi in Melbourne is desperately hoping One Tree Hill stays in the set post-Auckland, like in Saitama 2006.
I hope U2 play UF rather than Miss S down here. Aussie/Kiwi audiences got Miss S in 2006; last time we got UF was 1989!
@Matkin22 Techs apparently rehearsed UF last night. Doubt they will do anything not yet played, but hoping BFFTS will be done again.
There should be more rehearsals tonight in Auckland. Some rumours suggest U2 themselves will do it, others say it will still just be crew.
360FromTheEdge IMG00283-20101123-1101.jpg http://twitpic.com/39bab9