U2 - 2018-05-07 - San Jose, CA (IEM/FLAC) by XAVEL

(Multi-IEM matrix FLAC)

U2

S.A.P. Center

San Jose, California

May 7, 2018

Multi-IEM matrix

"San Jose 1st Night" (XAVEL-SMS-156)

Multiple Stereo IEM Sources Matrix Recording with what seems to be

audience from the "ambient mix" on Bono's feed.

Bonus tracks are from the soundcheck earlier that day.

Lineage: Not given in original torrent

Track listing:

Disc one (77:09):

(1) PA intro (4:37)

(2) Love Is All We Have Left (3:49)

(3) The Blackout (5:00)

(4) Lights of Home (4:26)

(5) Beautiful Day (5:31)

(6) I Will Follow (3:57)

(7) Gloria (4:40)

(8) All Because Of You (3:42)

(9) The Ocean (2:16)

(10) Iris (Hold Me Close) (4:41)

(11) Cedarwood Road (4:50)

(12) Sunday Bloody Sunday (6:01)

(13) Raised By Wolves (4:26)

(14) Until The End Of The World (5:55)

(15) Intermission: Hold Me (remix) (3:54)

(16) Elevation (4:49)

(17) Vertigo (4:17)

Disc two (77:43):

(1) Desire (4:32)

(2) Acrobat (7:19)

(3) You're The Best Thing About Me (5:21)

(4) Staring At The Sun (4:42)

(5) Pride (In The Name Of Love) (5:39)

(6) Get Out Of Your Own Way (4:43)

(7) American Soul (5:05)

(8) City of Blindin Lights (7:11)

(9) "Women of the World" (2:30)

(10) One (7:21)

(11) Love Is Bigger … (5:46)

(12) 13 (There Is A Light) (4:19)

(13) Outro (1:40)

(14) You're The Best … (7:46) *

(15) Get Out Of … (1:08) *

(16) Get Out Of … (2:24) *

* soundcheck

Info file, checksum files, and spectral analysis are included.

Comments:

Xavel made a name for themselves in 2015 when they released IEM matrixes of most of the dates on the Rolling Stones' 2015 U.S. tour. Since then, their releases typically have at least some wireless source in the overall mix, and almost without exception have been excellent. Recently, they have begun issuing a series of IEM matrixes from the early part of U2's 2018 "Songs of Experience" tour.

Sound quality is excellent -- listening to this at high volume feels like you are being pummeled by sound. They seem to have done a pretty good job of de-emphasizing the click track and countdown between tracks; the only drawback is that it would be nice if they had used a good audience source (of which there are several) to fill in the mix. Since it's only wireless, you have the tradeoff between sort of sterile sound vs. no audience interference.

Reviews were mixed for this tour, although few people thought it stood up well in comparison to their 2015 "Songs of Innocence" tour. With the benefit of hindsight, I think it did have its moments even if it didn't ever fully come together.