1. In this series we will be regularly interviewing fans during the tour to ask them about their personal experiences. Today we have an interview with member Thib6992 who attended the second, third and fourth Paris show in his hometown.

    "The shows were my first big events since the attacks, the day I was in the Stade de France. I did feel no fear at all. Instead, all I felt was excitement!"

    You've attended the last three Paris shows, can you share with us one highlight from each of these shows?
    Each show has it's own highlights for me. If I were to pick one from each, I would say:
    - Paris 2: People Have the Power / The Miracle. It's my first U2 show and it feels very special. As soon as PHTP comes out from the PA, the crowd starts going nuts and singing along. What a nice surprise! Then, Bono enters the arena goes wild. When he sings the first "Oh oh oh"s from The Miracle, the response from the crowd is insane. I had remained quite away from the Tour since the European leg had strated, and hadn't measured how great an opening that song is - at least when attended live.
    -Paris 3: Bad. Oh my god Bad! When the band starts playing One, I'm thinking it's the last song of a great night. But then, I see Dallas giving Edge his black guitar. And well, when Edge gets his black guitar near the end of the show... Then they started playing the first notes of Bad and it was so moving. Moreover it was a great performance, Bono sounded quite strong and the Gloria / Patti moment was outstanding, with Great response from the crowd.
    - Paris 4: Eagles of Death Metal joining the stage. I won't say much more here as there are other questions coming up . I felt like living a key moment in the history of Paris and music.

    How special was it for the French such as yourself to be at these final two U2 shows after everything that happened?
    Way too special to express it easily with a few words. The shows were my first "big" events since the attacks, when I attended the game at the Stade de France.
    I did feel no fear at all. Instead, it was much, much excitement.
    I was very grateful towards the band and their management that they decided to reschedule the shows. That's part of what the city needed to recover.

    These three shows were your very first U2 shows to see live, how is the experience to see U2 live compared to other artists and bands that you've seen?
    It'd been 7 or 8 years since I had started to be a U2 fan, while not being able to see them live for various reasons. How frustrating... And finally those dates arrived!
    It was an amazing experience. Like finally meeting the guys who helped me cross the border from being a child to being an adult. U2 took me by the hand when I was a 15 year old high school child, to a 23 year old adult, with still much to learn but more confident and independent. So... it's kind of the band of my life.
    I've attended other concerts, including from artists I really like, but it's never been with such a state of excitement and emotion.

    The band threw in many surprises and unexpected moments for the final two shows, such as Ordinary Love, Patti Smith and of course the Eagles of Death Metal. Which surprise did you like the most?
    As I said before, the EODM moment was a milestone in the story of Paris and music. I'm really grateful to U2 for bringing them to stage and letting them finish the concert by themselves.
    Despite rumours, that was absolutely unexpected. No one would have imagined the EODM being on stage three weeks after the horrible moment they faced. And the guys were here, in front of a 20,000 people crowd cheering and supporting them. What a moment.

    The final show got a lot of news coverage with the appearance of Eagles of Death Metal, how was this received and reported in Paris and France itself?
    I read comments from haters coming from abroad. I don't think they represent the thoughts of the majority, but I read such bullshit about U2 being opportunistic.
    I did not see anything as such in France. The media and people on social media have considered the situation as a great tribute offered by U2 to the EODM on the one side, and to the victims on the other side. Reviews both on the show and the initiative have been outstanding and almost unanimous.

    Many fans who go to their first U2 show want to go more often, how do you relate to this after your first few shows? Are you looking forward to U2's 2016 plans?
    I definitely am. I'd love to see them once again, in a different context. Stadiums? Abroad? Both? I would love that to happen. Or well, they could play the Accorhotels Arena again and do the same setlist, I'm sure I'd be there again with great enthusiasm. I've always thought those guys are amazing, and this feeling has just grown in me for the last few weeks/days. More than ever, I'm thankful to my dad for having put me on that road, and to all the U2 fans community (especially U2Start) for helping me travelling across it for years now.

    --

    Thanks Thibaut!

    video: Thibaut as a guest in our Paris 1 post-show chat
  2. Thank you Remy for interviewing and posting my answers

    It was a lot of fun attending those shows and answering your questions was a good way to go back into those memories I should keep forever in my mind.
  3. Loved your words during the post show chat. Much love your way.
  4. My favorite Frenchman!! Great interview and it was great to see you in that post-show chat!


    This is what the two of us look like when we go to Lyon games at the Stade Gerland. (August last year, we won!!)
  5. Originally posted by Mr_Trek:My favorite Frenchman!! Great interview and it was great to see you in that post-show chat!

    [image]
    This is what the two of us look like when we go to Lyon games at the Stade Gerland. (August last year, we won!!)
    Great pic!