Vertigo Pre-Show Songs

Original story (u2wanderer.org) by Aaron J. Sams (2005-07-24)

Before the “Vertigo” concerts, U2 are using a mix of songs that apparently was mixed by none other than Gavin Friday, a long time associate of the band. Listed below are a list of songs played during the day of the concert, both before the opening act, and between the opening act and U2 taking the stage. We have a playlist at Spotify, containing most of the songs listed below, for you to listen to.

  • Money – Pink Floyd
  • Ch-Check It Out – Beastie Boys
  • Panic – The Smiths
  • Rock the Casbah – The Clash
  • Holiday – Green Day
  • Christine – Siouxsie and The Banshees
  • House Of Jealous Lovers – The Rapture
  • Monkey Gone To Heaven – Pixies
  • Just Like Heaven – The Cure
  • Venus – Television
  • 1251 – The Strokes
  • Can’t Stand Me Now – The Libertines
  • Club Foot – Kasabian
  • Pull Up the People – M.I.A.
  • Atomic – Blondie
  • Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love) – Jay-Z
  • Lullaby – The Cure
  • And She Was – Talking Heads
  • Rip It Up – Razorlight
  • Idioteque – Radiohead
  • I Predict a Riot – Kaiser Chiefs
  • Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
  • A Forest – The Cure
  • Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Banquet – Bloc Party
  • Trampled Underfoot – Led Zeppelin
  • 1979 – Smashing Pumpkins
  • Somebody Told Me – The Killers
  • Mass Destruction – Faithless
  • Evil – Interpol
  • Leaving New York – R.E.M.
  • Flashdance – Deep Dish
  • In-Between Days – The Cure
  • Float On – Modest Mouse
  • Rebel Rebel – David Bowie
  • Mr. Brightside – The Killers
  • Seed (2.0) – The Roots
  • Rock and Roll – The Velvet Underground
  • Feel Good Inc. – Gorillaz
  • The Magnificent Seven – The Clash
  • Speed of Sound – Coldplay
  • E-Pro – Beck
  • Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand

Each night just before the band would take the stage, the pre-show mix would end and “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire would play as the band arrived on stage.

During the tour, the song played after the concert changed. Throughout most of the first leg, as well as the third and fourth leg, Daniel Lanois’ “Still Water” was used. Although “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” covered by Julee Cruise did pop up on the first leg at times. During the stadium tour in the summer of 2005 (leg two) a number of songs were heard, including “The Man Machine” and “Radioactivity” by Kraftwerk, “Radar Love” by Golden Earring, and “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” and “Still Water” both appeared at times. The final leg of the tour used The Go-Betweens, “Streets Of Your Town” for the final music after the show.

Special thanks to @weeadeline for some additional information many years after the fact (2015).

A Spotify playlist is available with these songs.

We’ve been tracking the pre-show / post-show music for a number of years, and you can find additional songs, and playlists from other tours at the links below:

{showmusic}

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