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Before Twilight Bono points to the 'Boy' backdrop.
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I felt like a zombie after the previous night's show, staying up late, and checking out in the morning. But that changed after arriving at the Sphere.
Valet was much smoother compared to October. Here, they opened the gate at 5:00, whereas before, it was after the early-bird GA numbers were already being called.
By 5:00, the GA area was already crowded. There were numerous MacPhisto cosplayers (even a few kids), and a few Mirrorball men were about. One dude even looked as if he combined all three alter-egos into one outfit. We overheard a woman complaining that the list mafia was able to push her back about 200 spots by pulling the 'part of a group' card. We talked with a pair of guys who had been to a few previous shows (incl. opening night and 02/17). We talked about how packed GA was the night before. They quipped about how the aforementioned list mafia have no lives and either lots of money or lots of debt... Cool guys! That line was at a complete standstill at one point. In line, I saw Hoserama's soundcheck report, and was shocked to see Peace on Earth included... My parents' first U2 show was the last time the song was played (STL 2001).
My family and I got spots at the back right of GA (right in-front of the elevated area, opposite the (Red) Zone). Drinking a bottle of water, then bringing it through security was a great cost saver. The wrist-banding procedure has also seemingly been streamlined.
Pauli The PSM's car 'parked' several feet to the right of us. People had evidently put tips in the trabant's wipers. Two older Italian men tried getting a photo of him holding a banner with their flag on it. He opened it for a moment, closed it, then said something like "No, I cant, I'm British", and handed it back. Those two took lots of pictures with the banner.
I digress. Zoo Station, The Fly, and Even Better, were a treat to hear in their original versions, as always. The mustache gag was funny during Mysterious Ways, seeing Adam pick up on it and smile, before Bono noticed.
I hadn't noticed the door was a physical prop before (since it blended with the screen so well). Props to the prop guys!
The performance of Peace On Earth was pretty good, even putting the side that it's the first performance in 22 years. Not a favorite of mine, but crazy to see such a seldom played song making an unexpected return.
I find that the encore comes across quite lame on bootlegs/streams; but it was incredibly fun to jump/dance around to the music. I felt a bit faint by the end of Beautiful Day.
Bono also mentions "Terry Underworld" during All I Want Is You-- always nice to see Mr. Lawless recognized.
There were also a few visual glitches. It seemed like the stage's lighting cut out for some split seconds later on in the show, and there was some green splotching north east of the notch for several seconds (disappeared too quick to get a photo of). Nothing that detracted from the experience.
Edge was singing along to Glorify instead of Bono this time. I think Bram gave out like four sets of sticks.
After hearing that Dallas sometimes gives out picks at the end, we made our way towards the stage. I waved and said "Hi, Dallas!", but he didn't hear. AJ was right in-front of us, so my mom said hi to him. He turned around, and a guy asked if he "ha[d] any picks?", He replied "no", and said something like "I have something else", then opened a zipper, pulled out two folded pieces of paper, handed one to the guy, and one to us. I open the thing up, and it's the night's setlist! We thank him, take a picture, with the paper, and treat that folded piece of paper like it's worth something! (I think we had a conversation about hand grease at one point)... Going to get that thing framed now.
I figured that being on the rail on 12/02 couldn't be topped by any other show. But I was wrong! This blew the other out of the water. The back of GA allowed for dancing (and not risking accidentally hitting people's faces/shoulders/phones). The band was in a very good mood, and even pulled out a return of a long-forgotten (sorry) song and a snippet of a POP song. The show really has all one could ever want: All I Want Is You / Walk On The Wild Side, stick-on mustaches, Bono telling people to "shut up", a lively crowd, Weird Al in attendance, the "And I'll go there with you" lyric at the end of Streets, and personally getting a setlist, not to mention good performances of the non-single Achtung Baby tracks.
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This was the only show that I was seated for the residency. Got seats in section 305.
Going from the bridge..
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As three long-term fans we had held off due to travel and Las Vegas prices but decided two months ago..
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One of the most incredible things I've ever seen! Finally seeing The Edge play the guitar solo for "Love..
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Little can be said about Bono that hasn't already been said a thousand times. Rivers of ink have been poured about him and his band, he has transcended the boundaries of his own persona and is now in the public domain. Everyone has an opinion about him, good or bad (usually bad). But what almost no one knows is that this chubby little red-headed Irishman is capable of moving mountains with a simple gesture, capable of getting standing ovations just by stepping on stage, capable of making you cry just by uttering a word. He is our little shaman, our 1,67 m billy goat, and around him we feel at home. Because we are. U2 and everything around them is home. As ABBA says in a song, "Mother says I was a dancer before I could walk, she says I began to sing long before I could talk". And so it is, my friends. The first conscious memory I have of my life is sitting - at the age of 3 or 4 - on the parquet floor of the living room of our house in Peñagrande, in front of the record player, and asking my mother to play "the lemon record" (Zooropa) again.
The music, voice and lyrics of Paul David Hewson have been with me since before I can even remember, and to have him slitting open his chest literally in front of me to show us his weaknesses, his strengths, his worries, his triumphs and his defeats has been an absolutely unrepeatable experience. Halfway between micro-theatre and stadium concert, between the intimacy of telling in whispers how his father died on a hospital bed in front of his eyes and the grandeur of describing a Wembley stadium packed to the rafters? Life itself. For what is life if not that, a succession of contrasts and contradictions?
Monday 28th was a luxury, a rara avis, one of those times when everything aligns and life smiles straight out for a few hours. Thanks are superfluous because all of us who were there shared the privilege of having enjoyed our shaman looking us in the eye and convincing us that the streets have no name, that he is still out of control and that, in spite of everything, if you leave, if you leave.... We will follow.
And if, as fate would have it, Monday 28th ends up being our last event in the presence and under the baton of Paul David Hewson, I will be happy and grateful that it is so. If that brutal a cappella "Torna A Surriento" ends up being the last thing we hear Bono sing, we'll just have to say amen and thank you. Thank you for giving us a great life.
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After 24 hours of processing last night’s performance, here are a few of my thoughts on Bono’s “Stories of Surrender”..
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A truly memorable evening that it was a privilege to be at. It was great to hear Bono sounding and..
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The show was great from start to finish. It was very entertaining when Bono told his stories, and exciting when..
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U2's first performance at the sacred Adelaide Oval - and their first in Adelaide since the Vertigo Tour in 2006 - was yet another one for the ages. The date was their third in Australia since the U2360 Tour visited in 2010.
Fans lined up from the day before, organising their own queue outside the venue - later honoured by the stadium. In the evening on the night before the show, some gathered at a karaoke bar in Adelaide's CBD, where there was a gathering of cultures, experiences and memories joined in celebration of U2's music.
On the day - 19 November, 2019 - Adelaide's temperature hit 34 degrees Celsius but went up a notch when U2 fever maxed out. The band flew from Melbourne in the afternoon, opting to travel from the airport to Adelaide Oval for soundcheck. They were warmly greeted and walked alongside their vehicles for a short distance to say both thanks and sorry for taking so long to return to Australian shores.
Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds were outstanding, playing a fun, cheeky and energetic set as the stadium slowly filled. Gallagher read the vibe perfectly, and his banter would not be out of place in an Adelaide pub.
A cheer went around the stadium when U2's entrance song, 'The Whole of the Moon' by The Waterboys', began playing. They were now minutes away from what would be a tour de force.
The performance opened with Larry Mullen Jr's militaristic drum beat of 'Sunday, Bloody Sunday'. This was followed with the bouncing 'I Will Follow', then Adam's pumping bass started off 'New Year's Day' before 'Pride' concluded an energetic opening several songs. The only notable omission was 'Bad'.
Even in the heat of the night, the band continued to perform with purpose, delivering a highly energetic show. Bono acknowledged the efforts of Australian firefighters battling bushfires in the days leading up to the night, and later the band spoke about Irish inventions, with Larry mentioning flavoured Tayto potato chips (Joe 'Spud' Murphy).
U2 concluded their performance with a highly charged encore considering of live favourites that included Elevation, Vertigo and Beautiful Day; but they retained Every Breaking Wave and Love is Bigger Than Anything In its Way. Adelaide Oval sang much of 'One' for Bono to close the performance, and as is tradition, mobile phones were turned into a sea of torches.
The next day, a glowing review of the show was front page news. Despite being away for so long, the band created a memory that will last for just as long - but hopefully with not as long a wait until their next visit!
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I was born in February of 1999 and basically ever since then i have been listening to this band, especially..
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Having missed seeing U2 over the years for a variety of reasons (family, work), I made sure I got the..
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Fearing I may end up a fair way from the stage, I made my way to the stadium just before..
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On the morning of 28.10.2018 I was with my family in the Titanic Museum and therefore drove past the SSE Arena. There was nothing big to see except the trucks of U2 and some employees of the SSE Arena. When we drove back to the city center I saw a big crowd with cameras near by the trucks and saw the guys from U2 - but it was to despair, because I did not get out of the bus and it felt like the next stop was 200,000 Kilometers away. Of course, then no one was there when I went back to the trucks.
I had sold my seat ticket for half price and got a GA ticket from a friend. I was so excited, I lined up at the GA queue, where everyone stood peacefully and chatted with each other. Then, all of a sudden, I saw Remy talking to a young lady, thinking he looked the same as in the interviews. Of course, he did not recognize me, but it was nice for me in my still moment to see him.
Then it started slowly that we came bit by bit way to the inlet. The inlet itself was unspectacular, very different than in Berlin. Inside, it was still relatively empty, so we got a great spot at the baricage, very close to the main stage. I was able to watch the crew's preparations, the final soundcheck, checking the drums from Larry, the guitar from Edge, the bass from Adam and of course the microphone from Bono, Technik Check ...
The four boys then came through a passage below the stage and went upstairs. The show started and it was breathtaking from the start. It was well thought out, the songs very well matched, the mood increased. It was nice to see how the boys enjoyed their game, how they interacted with the audience. I like all the songs from Innocence and from Experience but with the “new” songs from AB it’s more fresh, more enthusiastic.
When it was over after the encore, it is sorted outside, no scramble. Outside, huge crowds went over the pedestrian bridge, causing it to wobble. There were many taxis ready, but they were already occupied. At this time drove no more buses. This little town of Belfast stood by the U2 concert head. There was a hunt for due taxis. - And finally, after an hour, completely frozen, happily intoxicated by the U2 concert, I found the taxi driver Patrick, who drove me to our apartment. It was a great show and I'm excited. I'm looking forward to the final show in Berlin.
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We made our way to the concert way too early, but the rain had stopped, and we had little else..
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What a ride! Montreal shows always have that something special. Tonight had that magic and even more than night..
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I was able to be at the rail on stage right, in front of the Acrobat mirror. While you miss..
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American landscape in Belgium
That show has been special to me. I went to USA for the first time in May-June 2017. I went in Arizona and California and saw the kind of landscape the band saw and used for their album "The Joshua Tree" but also for the visual of this tour. So seeing them two months after my USA trip was special to me. I went to my fifth U2 gig with my father. We had GA tickets and well Belgium is not known as a good organized country. Doors were supposed to be opened at 4pm. To enter in GA in King Baudouin stadium there are two doors. With a bit of logic and organisation you open those two doors on same time but they didn't and one of them has been opened before the other one. I was not on the lucky door but it didn't matter. We had a good spot. If you look at the drums on main stage we were in front of it and if you look on B-stage it was on our left at maybe five meters. So we had a great view on B-stage and we were not too close of the huge screen of the main stage, we actually had a good view on the screen, not too far and not too close. I mean in my opinion being in first row of the main stage for this show wouldn't be great because stage and screen are too large and you wouldn't enjoy the show the best. Of course if I would be in first row of the B-stage it would be the best but my spot was great like I said. So after a few hours of waiting we had the opening act and what an opening act. It's like having two gigs for price of one and half. We enjoyed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds concert. "Champagne Supernova", "Wonderwall", "Don't Look Back In Anger" it was a nice moments. I mean the atmosphere was the one you can have on a hot summer day. Lot of sun, hot weather, nice sunlight on stage, people were in good mood and in peace with lot of smiles listening good music from Noel and his band it was really cool. Crowd sung some songs like the ones I mentioned before and Gallagher joked with the crowd wich was pleasant. Also a word about the stage. Well like usual U2 didn't make it small and minimalist. A large main stage (59 meters), behind it a large screen (61 meters long and 14 meters high) with a high resolution (7200 x 1560 pixels). On the screen we could see the shape of the Joshua Tree. That shape made the 14 meters of the screen high but also 9,1 meters higher than the screen, so 23,1 meters high. Then there is a catwalk and a B-stage wich looks like the Joshua Tree. The tree trunk stage is 37 meters long and on the end of the trunk around it there is a 17 meters wide B-stage in form of the Joshua Tree. So a cool stage.
During all the waiting, before the opening act and after it, poems in English has been showed on screen. Then "The Whole of the Moon" from The Waterboys could be heard from the speakers and people gets excited because everyone knew it's mean showtime.
We saw Larry Mullen Jr walking on catwalk to the B-stage and then launched the concert with "Sunday Bloody Sunday", The Edge appeared second, followed by Bono and then Adam Clayton. All the band is on B-stage so pretty close of my dad and I. Of course a classic song like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" made the crowd happy and some of them jumping and it's an energic start. Nobody in sit in seats place. Band then played a new version of "New Year's Day". They actually played and sung the last verse they usually skipped. The song was so longer than usual and in a kind of new version. People were happy so my father and I were too. Crowd made clapping during the song. Band was energic and our view were good. They were playing and moving all around the B-stage so everyone could see each of them closer to them from time to time.
Then came THE moment. After four gigs without my favorite song (even if that song was on the printed setlist of my first U2 concert they didn't play it on that night) they finally played it. I heard "Bad" in concert for the first time. To be honest if I could had "A Sort Of Homecoming" and "Bad" like they did in Seattle on 14th May 2017 it would be perfect. But back to "Bad". As soon as first keyboard introduction notes started, the crowd really appreciated it. I could hear "Aaah" all around me. I remember that when first notes has been played I turned back to see my father face and said "Yes" happily. It's my favorite song and I do really love that one. I can't explain. It's just a beautiful song with a nice sounds and atmosphere like U2 can created and it start quiet to became wild and wild and it put lot of energy and emotions on same time. And if you look the video of this concert you will see that the crowd is wild during "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day" but on "Bad" the crowd is just listening and seems quiet but it's not the boring quiet, it's the kind of quiet when a crowd is into the song and enjoyed it and the kind of quiet when a crowd is astonished by a performance. I'm a guitarist myself and during my first small concert I did at my college with friends we lived something similar but way less good than U2 of course. It was an exhibition and we were there to play music while people were looking at pictures. And we had three songs to play, it was our first gig and we only made a few quick rehearsals. I didn't talk on microphone because I was so stressed. So we just started to play a first song and to be honest nobody were really looking at us and I think nobody realised we started to play and everyone was talking. Then we started to play the second song and during it I made a guitar solo and suddenly in 20 seconds step by step the crowd became silent and quiet and they looked us until the end of our small gig in a deep quiet and it's that feeling in much bigger and deeper I recognize in the crowd during "Bad".
Even if it's my favorite song I didn't recorded with my phone, I wanted to be into it and to enjoy it from start to end and I did. Lot of people didn't used their phone during it. There were lot of phone for first two songs but not here wich was better. I can play it at guitar so I know how wonderful is it to play it but listen it is great too. And the "Heroes" snippet is a good one as well and everybody recognized it and sung it. Anyway good song that make everyone in the audience alright and agreed on it. There were clapping and singing. I think I kept my eyes on the band singing all the time and making the clapping when it need to do it. Well Bono messed a bit in the lyrics but it didn't matter. Also everyone in seats place were still standing. Intense performance.
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" followed and well I would prefer "A Sort Of Homecoming" or another song but only because I already heard it at almost each of my fifth U2 gig and so yes even if I like the song and think it's a good one I would like some change but it's only to me. Crowd appreciated it and made the "Oh, oh" wich lead us to "The Joshua Tree" part of the set.
At the end of "Pride (In the Name of Love)" the screen wich always been off before turned on to show some messages before turning all red with the shape of The Joshua Tree in black while the orgue introduction of "Where The Streets Have No Name" was starting. Larry Mullen Jr walked at the end of the B-stage to give his drums stick and then rejoin other members all standing in silence on B-stage. Then the band walked on main stage, stand at the foot of the tree for a few seconds and then The Edge launched the song. Like usual during this one crowd became wild and when the screen show an West american road trought the desert we could see the crowd like us appreciate the quality of the video. Visuals were really good and of course reminded me my recent USA trip wich was awesome. Something I really appreciate in that live version is the fact the introduction lasted quiet long like in the album version, it's something which give me the magic feeling of the song as well as seeing thousand of people jumping and singing it. Energic and great moments.
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" followed and visuals were once again really cool. Bono drunk a Belgian beer at the start of the song. Crowd sung the first two verses and the chorus and in this live version drums and bass started at the beginning of the song wich was nice. There has been some clapping from the crowd too. Everyone really enjoyed the song as well as me and my father. It's the first one I ever learnt to play at guitar after all so it's a bit particular for me. Song end on people singing the chorus.
"With or Without You" followed and as soon as it started the crowd make a huge noise of satisfaction. A live version closer of the album version as ever. Nice visuals from the Death Valley and crowd singing the song and also making the "Oh, oh". Some lightfire in the audience and some clapping. Band walked on main stage on this one. Good moments.
"Bullet the Blue Sky" came then. Darker song, visuals still showing USA, and what a great live version. Close of the 1987 version with The Edge also using a "Wah Wah" effect and a bottleneck. Great guitar parts, nice crowd wich sung and was energic. Solid drumming too, in two word, amazing song.
"Running To Stand Still". Quiet song played on keyboard. This song is a great one too and is maybe underated. There is emotion in it and it was cool to heard it. Bono ended it with some harmonica parts. People sung it a bit and used lightfire again. Nice moments.
"Red Hill Mining Town" followed. First time for me I heard that song live and well I was expecting better. I was expecting the guitar parts like in the album version and well I was dissapointed by the keyboard but also the small orchestra playing it. So glad to saw it live but I was expecting better.
"Welcome to the side two of the Joshua Tree itself" said Bono to launch "In God's Country". I love that song and since the snippet Bono made of it in "Beautiful Day" in Rose Bowl in 2009 I wanted to heard it live and tonight this became true. I loved the guitar, bass and drumming parts, the energy in it and visuals were nice especially at the start with the Joshua Tree, the mountains and the sun. I also appreciated the Irish flag on the landscape and the end.
"Trip Through Your Wires" was the next one. I like that song. For me there is the typical American sound U2 was looking for. A bit of country and south music in it. I also liked the visuals again, with the woman painting the USA flag on her house. Guitar parts were good as always. For a first time hearing this song I was happy of it.
"One Tree Hill" followed. And really I was so happy to heard it. It's one of my favorite song of that album. I like the sound in it, the guitar parts and when The Edge lets himself go to a good guitar solo. And I always thought I will never hear that song live unless I go to Australia but I finally saw it live and I really appreciated that performance even if the guitar solo was not the best I heard for this song. Also visuals were once again really beautiful.
"Exit" was the next one. It began with a short video clip showing western and cow-boy. One of them looked a bit like Fred Trump, the father of Donald Trump, but was not him. However his name in the clip was Trump and he made the promise to protect the village by building a wall around it. One of the villager said he is a liar. I learned after the show that this short clip came from a 50's TV series called Trackdown. Then the song started and two hands apparead on screen with messages on them. One had "Love" the other had "Hate" on them. During the song Bono came on B-stage for the first time since the start of The Joshua Tree set so we could see it closer wich was great. That live performance was a great one. Lot of tension, intensities, energy in it. Musicaly song was awesome but guitar parts were really great. Bono had energy as well and light show was cool.
Bono stayed on B-stage during most part of "Mothers Of The Disappeared" before going back on main stage. Visuals showed a dozen of women holding a candle in their hands. Song was nice and I loved it and was glad to heard it for the first time live. Song ended on crowd singing the "Oh, oh". Band came then in front of stage to applause the crowd while Bono made a speech of thank you and said the stage has been build in Belgium. End of The Joshua Tree set and time for the first encore. During the wait the stage was in dark and the shape of The Joshua Tree was in blue.
Then a face apparead on the screen, probably a Syrian woman, and a speech was written on the screen. Well unfortunately almost nobody could see it. Speech was too low on screen and behind the drums set. Pictures of devastated Syria followed and "Miss Sarajevo" renamed "Miss Syria" was played. Not my favorite song but not a bad one neither, it's a nice and emotional one. Visuals were a war and ruined Syria. During Pavarotti singing part, a giant flag with a woman face on it travelled on seats place and it's a prerecorded Pavarotti singing wich could be heard. Crowd was quiet but listening it carefully. Bono thanked them.
Bono then launched the crowd with a "Oh, oh" while a pretty visual similar to an aurora borealis was on screen and while a prerecorded remix version of "Beautiful Day" could be heard from the speakers. This of course launched the song itself. Bono was on B-stage for that one so close to us for our pleasure. Also a funny fact from "Exit" to the end of the concert, Bono didn't wear his sunglasses wich is rare for him. Anyway back to "Beautiful Day" it was a bit of a different version played here. Introduction was a bit new and the verse "See the world in green and blue" was sung by Bono but also by robotic voices. Song is still nice and give energy to the crowd. I heard it at each of my five U2 show I attended so yes in a way if they would play another I would be happy but I was fine with hearing it.
"Elevation" was next, here too it's a nice song wich gave energy to the gig. Third time i heard it after 2005 and 2010 but I liked hearing it. Visual of Larry Mullen Jr waving to the crowd was fun and cool. "Vertigo" followed and well even if it's a good song, first it's not their best one but also hearing it at each gig became tiring. I heard it six times in five concerts, it's enough. Please skip it and play another one instead. Crowd reacted good but my father and I were maybe the only one who were boring by this song. Same way of playing it since 2005, same joke about Spanish lessons since 2005 and even same visuals of red and black circles since 2005. Really guys on next tour just forget about that song.
Bono walked back to main stage at the end of "Vertigo", so he stayed on B-stage for "Beautiful Day", "Elevation" and "Vertigo". A word about stage and how band used it. Main stage was 59 meters long but mainly the band stayed in the middle of it on about 15 meters almost all the concert. They rarely walked along the stage so why having a 59 meters stage long when you used maybe 20 meters of it. And about B-stage, members used it for the four first song and then only Bono came on it during "Exit", "Mothers Of The Disappeared" and the three song I mentionned before. So Bono used it good but other members didn't go on B-stage often wich was a bit dissapointing. It's not so bad but if The Edge or Adam Clayton would go on B-stage once or two after The Joshua Tree set it would be good.
"Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" followed and I was happy to heard it. Pictures of many, many women with their names apparead on screen during that song. I recognized many of them and discovered many as well. I remember of Anne Frank, Hillary Clinton, Marie Curie, Queen Mathilde, Patti Smith, Nafissatou Thiam, Emma Watson, Malala Yousafzai, The Suffragettes and The Pussy Riot. Good songs and Bono again came on B-stage half of the song and stayed on it for next one.
"One" was the one. Stadium became dark with only phone lights from the crowd who sung some parts of the song. Classic one but good one with great guitar parts on it. Happy to heard it. Bono then thanked us the crowd but also remembered that U2 has a special connection to our country. A lot of innovation and staging came from Belgium. After all his thank you he launched the last song of the night "I Will Follow". That one of course make all the stadium happy and wild. A great old rock song to close the show. I loved it especially when he made some Werchter references saying it's happy memories. We could clearly see they were happy to play it and to made that show in Belgium. And in conclusion I would say I lived a great show and concert, a good afternoon and night, a nice opening act, a nice setlist and some impressive visuals and I had a nice spot in GA to watch all of that so yeah I loved that gig.
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Here is my report from the two Amsterdam concerts. I am quite late and it is probably impossible to write..
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Day started with a whirlwind tour of Philly alongside my wife and our two oldest friends. Saw the Liberty..
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This was the first of two shows at the Rose Bowl, and the first two night stay of the tour...
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The Edge side
Fourth U2 show for me, the first one in my own country. I was there with two friends and my father. We were there early because we had GA tickets and we did good. We were right in front of The Edge and we were like in fourth row so pretty close and we had a very good view on The Edge, Bono and Larry Mullen Jr.
It was the first U2 concert for my two friends, the fourth for me and the fifth for my father (he saw them in 1985 in Werchter). Not much to say about the before show. We just wait there, talked, drank, ate and bought memories. No opening act this time. Stage, especially the screen is massive.
Songs I never see live before this show were : "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)", "Iris (Hold Me Close)", "Cedarwood Road", "Song For Someone", "Raised By Wolves", "Invisible", "Even Better Than The Real Thing (Fish Out of Water Mix)", "Angel of Harlem", "Every Breaking Wave", "October" and "Zooropa".
"People Have the Power" can be hear on the arena it's mean showtime. Everyone is looking at the B-stage and finally Bono is there. He walked to the main stage and the crowd repeated after him "Oh, oh" while the other members came on main stage. All lights are on and after the intro drumming of Larry Mullen Jr arena is in dark except stage lights wich were in red and guitar is starting so is "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)". Nice song and Rock atmosphere is there even if crowd is a bit calm.
"Out Of Control" followed and crowd awaked and became wild. I already heard it live but it was in 2005 so it was nice to heard it again especially seeing The Edge making his solo at 3 meters from us. Like usual Bono throwed water bottles in crowd. He then introduced Adam Clayton as the jazzman of the group, said about Larry Mullen Jr "The man who give us our first job" and about The Edge he said something like he won against Univers because he surrendered to music.
For the fifth time in four show I had "Vertigo". Well the song has energy, it's not a bad song and crowd reacted good. The start of the show is wild and it's a good thing but if the band would skipp that song for another I would be happy.
When I was talking about an energic start of the show well the next song was a part of it "I Will Follow" made the people jumping so do I. Classic song and maybe overplayed but it's only the second time I heard it live so it was good to me and when I saw the crowd jumping I think it was good to the majority of them. During the song The Edge walked playing for the back of the arena and Bono sung for them too before walking in direction of the B-stage.
Time for the first quiet moment of the gig wich came earlier than before. In my previous U2 show they used to play six to eight energic songs before a first speech and here it was only four songs. I don't blame them thought they were older than "Vertigo" or "360°" tours.
Bono did a speech to introduce "Iris (Hold Me Close)". Screen turned on and an old short movie of the wedding of Bono's parents was on it. I like that song which show a good exemple of U2 sounds. Especially guitar parts. And visual on screen were pretty too.
The screen became even more impressive in the next song "Cedarwood Road" as Bono went inside it and the visual showed the street but also Bono walking in it as he was inside the screen. Great visual wich went along with a nice intense song. And since we were in front of The Edge on the fourth row we also had a good view on the screen but also on other members even if The Edge walked to the B-stage for that song and his guitar solo.
"Song For Someone" followed and I really appreciate that song and the guitar in it as well as the visual on the screen. A classic song but in a new version came next "Sunday Bloody Sunday". Like I said classic song, crowd was happy and sung the song. It was a different version wich was good to have some change. It was more quiet. Larry Mullen Jr was below the screen on the long catwalk between the main stage and the B-stage while drumming as well as all members. Song ended on the BBC news announcing three explosions wich I learned later was actually about Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974. Larry Mullen Jr was still drumming while we can hear news and witness and it's lead to "Raised By Wolves". Guitar parts in that song are just great really so are bass, keyboard and drums parts. Bono sung it quiet good too. The genius guitarist was back in front of us while Bono was still standing alone on the catwalk but at the end of the song he was on the B-stage reading a book (the bible ?).
"Until The End Of The World" started then for my great pleasure. As a guitarist myself I just love this song wich is truly a Rock song. Crowd was jumping on it. The Edge made his guitar solo inside the screen while Bono was joking his image on the screen spitting water on the guitarist. My eyes were on The Edge but then I turned my head back to the main stage as Adam Clayton came saying hello to our side of the stage. End of the song was wild and energic with incredible guitar parts and an impressive visual on screen while thousand of papers were falling from the ceiling in the arena. I kept a few ones as memories. Arena then has been divided in two by the screen but also a kind of wall coming from the ceiling. Visual was like a giant Berlin yellow wall. All of this still under end of guitar solo. First part of the gig ended on that under a torrent of applause.
"Everything You Know Is Wrong" was written on the wall and so during the break "The Fly" was played not by the band but in speaker and it was a remix version made by Gavin Friday.
Second part started with "Invisible" with band inside the screen. Visual were good. Song was nice even if U2 can do better than that I liked some guitar parts.
"Even Better Than The Real Thing (Fish Out of Water Mix)" followed, still inside the screen with a nice visual. I never heard that song live so I was quiet happy to saw the band played it. I would prefer to have the album version instead of the remix thought. For all those songs played inside the screen or on B-stage my view was not the best because I was in front of main stage The Edge side in fourth row so I had to look in my back with a weird angle but I still appreciate the gig. At the end of the song the band left the screen to go on B-stage.
"Mysterious Ways" has been played then. Second time I heard that song live but still a nice one with nice guitar parts and it put energy in the crowd. Bono took a girl called Helene on B-stage to dance. Cool moments and song. He kept Helene on B-stage to record the next song with a smartphone for livestream. Band played "Desire" in an electric version wich I really enjoyed. I saw the band playing it in 2009 but it was in an acoustic version so seeing them playing it in electric one was a good thing. Crowd reacted quiet good too especially when Bono started to sing "Love Me Do" from the Beatles. Next song has been "Angel Of Harlem" with a fan pulled on stage to play guitar. As a guitar player I wanted to be at his place. First time I saw this song live so good memory of course. Band played it on B-stage and my father was like "I hope they will be back on main stage soon" because of course they were far away for us. Crowd sung the song too and was jumping for some of them. People on seats place were almost all standing so yeah it was a good song.
Then we had a more intimate ambiant with almost no light at all. Bono and The Edge were alone on B-stage and the guitarist became a pianist. They played a quiet version of "Every Breaking Wave". I know my friends appreciated this version but my father and I would prefer the album version. I had feeling Bono just wanted his moment when he can show his voice and he doesn't need that. Song is much better in album version rather than this quiet one. Anyway "October" followed and this is the first time I heard it live and so I was glad they did it. Then we had "Bullet The Blue Sky" wich my father and I appreciated. We also appreciated to see the band coming back on main stage to be able to see them better. It was the second time I saw "Bullet The Blue Sky" live, first one was in 2005, so it was a nice one to listen. I also really like that song, the atmosphere it create and the guitar parts and solo. Pictures of war were visible on screen. I prefer when Bono sing in his microphone instead of in a megaphone because we can hear better what he is singing. Anyway the effect was not the best but it was decent and the song was good to hear. I talked about guitar parts but drumming and bass parts are also nice such as Bono singing and lights show.
"Zooropa" was next song in a version quiet different than the album version and I really liked it and prefer that version to the album one. It was calm but atmospheric with guitar sounds quiet like U2 sound and well for a first time hearing it live I really loved it as well as the transition to the next song "Where The Streets Have No Name". Transition that crowd could feel by the sound and the red lights and screen. Before first note of The Edge the crowd was already getting excited. About "Where The Streets Have No Name" well it's the song that made everyone in the crowd alright about the show and the band. I heard it to each U2 gig I saw so far but if the band play it at next show I would still be happy to hear it. Crowd was excited and happy, some were jumping and nobody in seats were actually sit. What I liked about it it's the fact the introduction and the first guitar parts seems to me lasting longer than in 2010 were the introduction seems too short for me. I think part of the magic in that song is the introduction and if the band do it too short it's less good and so that live version was great with a longer introduction than 2010. I also appreciate the visual of the Joshua tree on screen at the end of the song.
U2 then played "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" and well even if I like that song, even if I found it's a great one, even if it make the crowd happy and put a nice atmosphere, even if it's a classic one and even if I was not unhappy to heard it I was not happy to heard it too. I like the "Oh, oh" parts of the crowd and like I said it's a good song but I'm tired to heard it live at each tour. I saw it in 2005 and 2009, not in 2010 but here we go again in 2015. It has been played at each tour since 1984 so yeah I would prefer that the band play another one. Why not "A Sort Of Homecoming", "Wire", "Bad", "Elvis Presley and America" or even a song not from the same album like "A Day Without Me" or "An Cat Dubh" and "Into the Heart" or "Van Diemen's Land", "Heartland", "All I Want Is You", "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World", "Acrobat", "One Tree Hill, "Please", "Kite", "Fez — Being Born". I just said a few songs from a few albums but I could say more songs. But just to say that I liked this gig, I love U2, I liked to heard "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" and I do think it's a good song but instead of playing same at each tour when you have so much songs and a so large catalogue of great songs they could play different stuff and do better. "With or Without You" followed and I could say the same about that song. My fourth U2 gig and fourth time I heard it. I like the song really and I was glad to hear it again but if the band would play another one instead it would be good too. For my friends it was different, it was their first U2 gig and so hearing "With or Without You" was a good moment for them especially because they are a couple and they danced and kissed each other during the song, it was their romantic moment of the night.
"Stephen Hawking Global Citizen" made the interlude before the encore with pretty visuals on screen. "City Of Blinding Light" has been played then followed by "Beautiful Day". Nice songs even if it's the fourth time in four gig I heard them live. I was happy to heard them because it's good songs but if the band would play another I would be fine too. Crowd reacted good and visuals and lights were great especially on "City Of Blinding Light" with flashtube of lights everywhere on stage it was good and guitar parts were cool. Let's be honest even if I heard them for the fourth time I enjoyed them. "Beautiful Day" can put lot of energy in a gig and it's a great song. It's like a bridge song to me, the kind of song able to linked an 80's song to a 90's song, a good transition song. Then we had a speech of Bono and him and The Edge played "Mother And Child Reunion" with explanation on screen about HIV in Africa and about medication. Then I knew band would either play "One", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" or "Bad" with "40". My favorite song is "Bad" and I never saw live yet. I haven't see "40" live as well. So of course I was hoping for "Bad". I'm a guitarist and I can play "Bad" and I was in front of The Edge in fourth row and had a good view on him and his guitar and I saw him putting his fingers on the way of playing the first chords of "Bad" but without the sound and he did it just before starting "Mother And Child Reunion". So at this point I was happy and thought I will hear "Bad" and maybe "40" as well, what a great end of a wonderfull night. But then the band played "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" as closing song. Well I had a little bit of dissapointment but only because I knew there were a chance they would play "Bad" and only because I saw The Edge ready to play it. I honestly wasn't dissapointed to heard "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
This song is a great one and most of the crowd sung it, The Edge had his eyes closed while playing it, people clapped their hands and it was a good moment to close the night. Band left the stage one by one by walking on the catwalk and going on B-stage and then leaving stage in the middle of the crowd like Bono made his enter two hours and 15 minutes earlier. Band left the stage under the crowd singing "But I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and under their applause. Bono sung "People Have The Power" from Patti Smith while leaving the arena, same song as introduction one, circle is closed. In conclusion, it was a great night, good show, nice visuals and stage, good moment with friends, energic band, nice songs and on twenty-five of them eleven was first time hearing them live so no complainng about them. Of course if the band would skip some of them like "Pride (In The Name Of Love" to play another one it would be better and of course if the ending would be "Bad" and "40" it would be better but everyone in every gig of every band has preference and would like to hear that song or that song so for tonight show I would say it was still a wonderful gig and I enjoyed it with my friends and my father close of The Edge with a nice view so yes great memories no doubt about it.
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So far starters, let’s put this review into context. LA 530 was my 18th or so show since 1983..
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This close to the front, I figured I wouldn't be bothered by vexatious people wanting me to sit - and..
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Ah, the very last U2 show in London this year! As Bono said, they rather like being the house band...
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Real Thing: I wish that Zoo Station was used to open 360 shows with the AB set. That would be sick.
The Fly: Standard for 360
Mysterious Ways: TTTYAATW snippet is a highlight, with about 2 lines of the song sung.
Until The End Of The World: I don't remember ever hearing such a long speech in the middle of it before.
Out Of Control: A couple of mistakes I noticed in the first minute and a half, however some of these are likely just the recording- it starts with some loud sound carrying over from UTEOTW, but then Edge seems to make a mistake. Later there's a couple other small things that are likely just the mic moving, but I'm not 100% sure.
Boots: get off yrou're sexy boots i hate them and you SPECIFICALLY, mr tax fraud bono man
Between song chatter: Honestly pretty hilarious, ranged from discussing Adam stripping and checking out the wildlife, to campaigning for Independence Week rather than Independence Day. I'm all for it.
Still Haven't Found: The Promised Land snippet was kinda cool but really just a meh song live
Stay: Standard 360 Stay, I think I prefer Zoo, Elevation and EI Stay over 360 Stay though, so nothing excellent
Beautiful Day: At the end, Edge begins the ending riff early, but Larry and Adam keep going. Meanwhile Bono sings his Space Oddity snippet, which was something I'm not sure I've heard before. I liked it, good snippet tbh
Elevation: the "oh" at about 3 minutes sounded wrong please never do that again bono
Pride: fine
Miss Sarajevo: fine
Zooropa: fine
COBL: The piano in the beginning seems like it's missing something, maybe an echo or reverb effect.
Vertigo: fine
Crazy: I always forget about the Pop snippets. I like those. Shame the rest of the song sucks though!!!!!!!!!!!
SBS: fine
Scarlet: just politics
Walk On: fine
One: fine (hear us coming would've been nice but they are becoming rarer in recent tours)
Streets: A new song as the intro to Streets I haven't seen before. Standard performance otherwise.
Hold Me: 360 arrangement is great. this is a 360 arrangement
WOWY: fine (where is shine like stars after zoo :c)
MOS: The OTH snippet was less exciting than expected being just a spoken word "oh great ocean" verse, with no instrumental.
OTH: This was clearly not very rehearsed, which I don't mind. The dialogue before it was quite funny though:
Bono: "ok, heres the deal, if we screw up really badly, you don't put it on the internet. fair?"
*edge comes in messing around with guitar*
Bono: "hows it start??? ...edge looks real confident..."
*edge gets going*
Bono: "oh for f*cks sake"
Highlights: Fly (because it's a good song), MW (Arms snippet), OOC (rarity/slight goofs make it interesting), Sarajevo (good song), Zooropa (good song), Hold Me (great arrangement), MOS (OTH snippet), OTH (seemingly on the spot)
Lowlights: Until The End Of The World has no business with that speech, Boots (trash song), Elevation (don't love the arrangement for 360), Vertigo (overplayed imo and also the 360 arrangement isn't my favorite with the blasting sound to start with), Crazy (SO BAD. Studio version was fine.. if it ain't broke, don't fix it.), Scarlet (just aang san syu kyi speech)
Overall one of the more interesting 360 shows I've heard. Definitely not perfect, but it's got some interesting aspects to it. Definitely worth a listen!
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A Magnificent birthday
My third U2 gig, still in France stadium but this time we were far away from the stage...
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Overall, this show in Moncton is a phenomenal conclusion to the 2009-2011 360 tour full of many positives, such as..
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When U2 played Glasgow in 2009, it was less a '360 degree' experience and more a '220 degree' one. As..
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20 years of my life waiting to see them, and this is what I got.
The crowd was disappointing, even before getting to the stadium, maybe it's just anecdotal evidence, but there were a lot of people going because it would be cool to say "I went to see U2" even if they didn't know nothing but a couple of songs.
In the stadium, around me I was the only weirdo singing and screaming and jumping while everyone else just stared me from their own seats as if we were at some symphonic orchestra instead of at a U2 show.
In my mind it was just a "not-so-awesome" experience, but when I downloaded and listened to the bootleg it came back to me and no. It was not just "not-so-awesome". It was terrible.
The bootleg is even worse than reality with the few guys around the mic talking through the whole show.
Cielito Lindo was a bad choice itself for Bad, but it was worse that it was the only thing people decided to sing along. It looked like they didn't cared about Bad or anything else on the concert, oh but they can sing Cielito Lindo. I had forgotten how embarrased I felt at the moment (after the initial couple of seconds of "oh, that's cool!" when Bono started it), but the bootleg reminded it to me.
Finally, even after Love And Peace or Else had already started, the guys near the microphone in the bootleg are still discussing and betting that it's Desire what they're about to play.
I said finally because that's all that I could take and deleted it on the spot. Didn't even finished the song.
It was so bad I would find it funny if I hadn't been there. 
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An impressive bloody Sunday
I remember that day, I was 12 years old and I was going to see my favorite..
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Great show.I was lucky to have attended 4 shows from this tour.This show stands out,as well as NYC 10.07.05.But,the band..
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I was there , that amazing night. I'll try to be objective . Bono s voice is not the best..
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U2 in Chicago is always a good combo. U2 playing the last night in a city is always a great combo. So I had high expectations for this show. I had listened to this before but I didn't remember anything in partucular. This is a very good show but for me it lacks that special element that can "elevate" (:P ) a concert and take it to another level. Anyway, as I wrote, the performance is really good, there are very few mistakes and Bono almost gets all the lyrics right. Bono is also in a festive mood because his son John Abraham will be born soon. Anyway, on to the show.
The first part of the setlist is pure ZOO TV revival. Songs 2-7 are the exact same as they were in 1992/1993. In addition to that, you also get 6 new songs (almost everything you could get at the time with the exception of In A Little While and The Ground Beneath Her Feet). Elevation starts the show in the right way with a good snippet of Be My Baby. Then there's the ZOO TV set which is performed really well. The Fly has a shorter intro than usual, Even Better Than The Real Thing makes one of the last appearances in its traditional arrangement, One sounds really good this early in the setlist and it has an amazing snippet of Wake Up Dead Man. New Year's Day is another highlight of the show that brings us to the more familiar part of the setlist. The surprise here is the great performance of New York. It has a strange tin whistle intro and Edge makes a small mistake at the beginning but it just rocks. Bono's low notes at the start are amazing, Adam shines in the middle 8 and the ending is pure gold. Then on to I Will Follow which has a great middle 8 improvisation by Bono about the early days in Chicago. Sunday Bloody Sunday is very good as well with a funny moment at the start of the solo. Then comes the true highlight for me: Sweetest Thing is performed in a perfect way with an amazing bass part by Adam and a very good piano playing by Bono. The acoustic part of the show sees a good (although a bit slow) performance of Angel Of Harlem followed by a reinvention of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (played here for the only time in the first two legs of Elevation Tour). It has a funny intro and the harmonics created by the voices of Bono and Edge are just incredible. All I Want Is You (with Bono playing some acoustic guitar) followed by Streets (with a great drum part by Larry as usual in the Elevation Tour) and Pride (In The Name Of Love) end the main set. The encore is a standard one with the exception of Beautiful Day (very rarely played this late in the setlist during the Elevation Tour) and a great Joey Ramone tribute, the cover of I Remember You. Bullet The Blue Sky sees a very inspired The Edge who gifts us with a stellar solo.
HIGHLIGHTS
One
New Year's Day
New York
Sweetest Thing (best performance of the night)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
LOWLIGHTS
No real lows, just missing that "plus" that other shows have. Anyway, download this and I'm sure you won't be disappointed
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As this was my first GA experience, I took the day off with my brother and stood in line in..
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From the outside, this is simply the best Elevation concert and the most special one. It was way more important..
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I had the amazing pleasure to have U2 play in my hometown on the only tour that really mattered to..
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On Thursday, June 12th, 42,270 U2 fans were ready to welcome the band to the prairies. It was the Canadian debut for Popmart, and U2's first ever visit to Winnipeg, Manitoba. The weather was mild, and the sun was setting, into a bright orange sky, just as the show was about to begin at Winnipeg Stadium. Bono belted out the opening line of Mofo at 9:50 p.m. During the show, rumor was that Edge had the flu, and he didn't seem to have as much energy as previous shows.
At the time, Winnipeg (and southern Manitoba) was undergoing the worst flooding in over 100 years. Bono talked about the Red River Flood during ISHFWILF, to the surprise of many fans in attendance. Local newspapers and TV stations gave great reviews of the show. After the show, Bono, Larry, Adam, and Howie B were interviewed by Kim Clarke Champniss from MuchMusic at the Winnipeg Arena.
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No lows, just highs really!
This was one of the first bootlegs I listened to and is since then my..
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the now legendary (among U2 fans) first night of the popmart tour makes for a very uncomfortable listening experience...! ..
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absolutely the best popmart gig in my opinion - there are a couple of other shows that might be considered..
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5/3/1992 - Atlanta, Georgia - This review has heavy spoilers
This show honestly caught me really off guard - there's some really interesting things here that I want to talk about. Firstly, something more minor, Bono’s ad libs are all over this show. I’m pretty sure every song contains at least one unique ad lib. Secondly the “fade away” section of Bad is super energetic and charismatic, as always, but there's something super charming about this version which makes it stand out from the pack. Even Better Than The Real Thing’s final verse has entirely different phrasing from Bono, and this is also one of the only times I’ve heard the “still running” verse at the end of Running To Stand Still on Zoo TV. There’s two other things to note mainly - Bullet The Blue Sky and Desire. Firstly, this version of Bullet goes on for quite a while due to the solo being extended and generally being ENTIRELY different to how it usually is on Zoo TV, and then, something I’ve NEVER heard before, Edge goes into the classic Bullet The Blue Sky solo after Bono screams “outside it’s America”, making this version incredibly special. I’m pretty sure this was done on the spot too, mainly from the completely random, yet humorous addition of Bono shouting “shut the fuck up” during this solo. It just seems very sporadic but it actually works incredibly well and I’m curious to see if they ever did it again on this tour now. Desire meanwhile features additional guitar work throughout the bridge of the song, an extended outro and the "Not Fade Away" snippets from Lovetown, all of which are very welcome additions and add a lot to this version. Overall, this show is hugely unique and its standout moments are nothing like anything I’ve heard from Zoo TV. There are a couple sloppy moments here and there, such as the beginning of Pride, but you can easily look past small moments like it and appreciate it as one of the best Zoo shows.
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My ratings were pretty much consistent 3.5's all the way across the board, and here's why. This show wasn't terrible...
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Highlights: One, Zooropa, Babyface, Stay, I Will Follow, Bad-Bullet The Blue Sky, Running to Stand Still-Where The Streets Have No..
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18/3/1992 - East Rutherford, New Jersey - This review has spoilers
Generally all round a pretty standard Zoo TV show, which..
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My very first U2 gig, was amazing!! But I've an even better story that I've been telling for years but never published it till now.
I'll cut it short. I befriended a Bono lookalike competition winner from Dooley's Irish Bar in the Valley the night before. He was the absolute spit of Bono with the wig and all the Joshua Tree era clobber on I'm not kidding you. I never knew his name except I called him Bono.
We decided we'd go around Brisbane City looking for U2's hotel. Made up a story that he was actually Bono, that he was drunk and lost his key, and could someone escort him to his room. Went to 3 different hotels till we found them at the then named Sheraton. Before that all the other hotels believed it was really Bono but said he wasn't staying there.
We went up to the check in desk at the Sheraton like we did at the other hotels and low and behold one of the managers believed us and said "yes sir I'll help you to your room, come with me". I said my goodbyes and the manager brought him to the lift... I was absolutely gobsmacked! Here was this guy who I'd never met before till that night heading for Bono's room!
I left him and went and sat down in the foyer. 5 minutes later they came back down and the manager and another staff member bundled him into a taxi.
I never ever saw him again after that. It all happened too quick. I didn't even know his name except I was calling him Bono all night.
Anyway the next night at the concert we're half way through the gig, don't know what song, but Bono starts talking about this geezer who knocked on his door in the middle of the night!! Says he opened his door half asleep looking at this guy who was the spitting image of him and saying WTF! He said he wasn't happy about being woken up but saw the funny side of it.
I couldn't believe my ears!! I was telling everyone around me that I was there! I never actually knew till Bono told the story whether he had actually made it to his room or not. And there was Bono confirming it the next night... unbelievable!!
True story I absolutely kid you not!!!!!!
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The setlist was shaken quite a bit, I don't know if it flows well, but it's always interesting to hear..
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What a way to start Lovetown in Europe! The crowd was already going nuts even during the PA songs and..
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Highlights
* The upside down setlist
* Bono playing audience cop as he was prone to do during this era. I don't..
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The atmosphere was very foul. It was my first U2 concert, but not my first stadium concert, and I remember it well. The rain had started in the afternoon, but in the morning and around noon it had been very hot. There was a terrible pushing and shoving of the audience waiting at the entrances for doors open, and many seemed to be well drunk and I did see many, many empty drinks containers, beer cans, wine packs and bottles outside. The doors open seemed badly organised. Some a few yards away opened before others did, the seemed to be little coordination. People were pissed off by that, they wanted an equal chance in the run to the centre stage spots.
The openers, I remember The Pretenders, Big Audio Dynamite and Lou Reed, were all booed and generally badly accepted, at least in the part of the audience I happened to be stuck in, which was third, second row, slightly to the right of centre stage. The place looked like an open battle for the first row and of course I participated first, being rather stoutly built and not one to back off easily. This concert had meant the world to me, after I had gotten hold of a ticket, through a multitude of different lucky concurrences.
I believe, I cannot be sure anymore about it, that The Daltons opened last. I might confuse that, though, with a show I might have seen on the internet of that time, after all, it's been 28 years.
When WTSHNN began with its droning synth-sounds and the guitar's delayed arpeggios, and the band appeared one by one, the crowd went mad and the stifling squeeze got worse. But when the bass and the drums joined and slowly built up the song's hard pushing, driving beat the crowd went berserk. I had a fight with an American, a GI by his crew cut and confidence, and the security did not notice. He hit me in the nose, but luckily he could not swing properly, for lack of room to move. I could not get my arms up enough, so I hit where I could. The security were highly unprofessional (I did that job later in life myself) and completely taken aback with the sheer violence of the crowd's pushing forward, the yelling and the screaming of girls who obviously were in acute fear. The waves of people’s shoving often moved me ten or more yards away from where I had been before. I remember the moment when the band jumped into the first song and the red lights flooded all over the rain-drenched crowd. The heat from the electric lights washed over the people and actually felt quite warm on the face. Seconds afterwards clouds of vapour of the drying rain partially took away the sight of the stage.
I had had enough by then. I withdrew to the seats ranks, found myself a place and watched from about a hundred yards away. I was deeply disappointed with the on-goings and felt betrayed and let down. I had thought that we had all been there together to celebrate the same thing. I had been wrong. U2 had become a phenomenon and had stopped being a rock and roll band. They were a sensation, not music to dance and sing the lyrics and to feel alive by, because the songs spoke to you about your life and you inner self. This was a spectacle, not a concert. No one danced. They all fought. No one sang. Everybody screamed. No one had fun. They all tried to hold on to their place or get a better one by being more brutal than the opponent, because that is what everybody was, an adversary and a rival in trying to be as close to the band as possible. Do not think that I was naive about it. I understood as I do now that people want to be as close as possible to their lucky stars. But I wasn't expecting the brutality I encountered, and it did not seem to make sense, and I was not prepared to put up with it, as I would not be today. I do not think that it was anything else but sheer good fortune that there wasn't anyone killed in the throng in front of the stage. It was brutal enough for that. None of my later U2 shows had that quality and quantity of ruthlessness and viciousness.
When 40 began I was on my way out, walking outside the stadium trying to hitchhike my way back to where I was due. I remember feeling like hell. It took me weeks to be able to enjoy the music again.
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I was at this show! I was 15 and I had a friend of mine from our small town who..
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My first time watching the boys and is still my favourite.
Travelled from Liverpool as a 17 year old with my..
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First concert I ever went to age 17. I haven't missed a U2 tour since. Listening to this was like..
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Everything I WASN'T looking forward to about this show, I loved. "Pride" and "Maggie's Farm", I wasn't all that cracked up about listening to. The former is on just about every show I ever listen to, and it gets tiring, the latter I just didn't care much about. They ended up both being phenomenal.
The "Norwegian Wood" intro to "Bad" is outstanding, and chorus gives me goosebumps. Listen to some recent shows (Vertigo, 360°), and then give this one a spin- Yes, folks- Bono DID used to sound like that 
Everything about this show is simply gorgeous. Download it RIGHT. NOW.
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Oh my fu...in` goodness what a brilliant show.
Today first time Iistened/watched this awesome concert. What an oustanding performance, especially..
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We were all young. The place was crammed. U2 were already massive in Glasgow by the end of 1982 and had played bigger venues (the legendary Apollo). In 1984 it was a difficult ticket to get.
The Barrowlands is essentially a dancehall with a spring-loaded wooden ballroom floor but quite a low ceiling. This all made for much 'bouncy-bouncy' and the very definition of a sweat-filled room! Condensation was literally running down the walls and dripping from the ceiling (I even remember it dripping from my elbows !). You could wring it your t-shirt.
The Watherboys were support who were also very big at the time& they did sing of course All of the Moon !
The energy in the crowd and from the band was incredible. New songs from TUF and older songs went down a storm. Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill (from Simple Minds, local Glasgow boys and friends with U2) were at the back and the crowd all spotted them & sung to them. (Bono a month later in January 1985 joined the Minds on-stage at the same venue for New Gold Dream which blew the roof off).
We only had tickets for the first night but it was so good we went back up the next day and queued up for on-the-door tickets with probably 100 or more others. I remember a scuffle broke out in the queue as some people started singing sectarian/Irish Celtic songs. They were quickly shouted down by others stating '...we are U2 fans, we are not here for that, the band would not want it, we are better than that'! We got in again having barely recovered from the previous night dehydration.
...and U2 brought the house down again.
A mere 7 months later they would conquer the world at Live Aid and everyone would know what all the fuss was about.
...and 34 years later I still want to get tickets for the next tour in 2018 !
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mazing! It was the first ever Unforgettable Fire tour bootleg I listened to. It exceeded my expectations. It’s a very..
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I was 19. I didn't drive.
We were more or less 10 kids from my neighborhood who went to this show..
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One of the most special UF shows and the best setlist of the tour! At the beginning Bono said they..
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A must-have. Excellent quality bootleg, probably the best I've heard from the early tours.
Highlights:
-Surrender (best performance, somewhat different than the album and later live versions)
-I Threw a Brick Through a Window (best performance, somewhat odd music)
-A Day Without Me (best performance)
-An Cat Dubh (probably best performance)
-I Fall Down (best performance, even though Bono says Julie once when he should've said John)
-Gloria
-Fire (best performance)
-A Celebration (best performance)
Lowlights:
A few songs are missing, which is a real shame.
Definitely download this show immediately if you've not already. Right now. Go.
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The only reason I gave this bootleg a 4 star rating is because Like A Song is performed live.
This..
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Pretty good short show from the earlier days of U2's performing career with some fun and good moments here and..
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First of all, the FM broadcast is NOT from this concert, it is actually from the show next day, so..
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Excellent early October show, just about up there with the Lido Beach gig the following month. That one benefits from better sound, but this one has got a longer setlist.
The very ending of Stories For Boys is cut, which is a shame as it was very strong. The sound is good throughout (barring Gloria) but does waver somewhat here and there.
Ultimately, I was on the fence between 4.5 and 5 stars, but given the strength of the performance went for the full 5. The sound quality is decent enough that it's not much of a setback.
Highlights:
- I Threw a Brick Through a Window/A Day Without Me
- An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart
- With a Shout
- Rejoice
- The Electric Co.
- 11 O'Clock Tick Tock/The Ocean (very long and excellent!)
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This and Lido Beach are perhaps the best October bootlegs you'll find. The setlist is great and some songs had..
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U2 playing in Werchter for the first time (they eventually became the headliners just 3 years after) and they gave..
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A good friend of mine was at this show and was billed as U2's homecoming show in Dublin in January..
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As I remember it, this was a free show or cost next to nothing to attend. It was held in the student union ballroom of San Jose State University. This room was built to be earthquake proof and the floor was suspended on something like springs. When the floor got packed and the music started and people started moving in time with the music the floor started to act like a trampoline. No kidding. If you timed your jump you could launch yourself 3 to 4 feet off the floor. They had to have crew guys hold the P.A. system in place as everything started to wobble. I saw XTC, Huey Lewis, Fabulous Thunderbirds and more in this room and all the shows were amazing with a very intimate vibe. I miss those days.
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Good show, good recording, good performance. Solid all round. How great is it to think that people in the audience..
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From Pimm Jal de la Parra, U2 Live - A Concert Documentry: Before Twilight Bono points to the 'Boy' backdrop.
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Excellent Boy bootleg with one of the best sounds available. The previous source was incomplete, but now we have the..
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2/26/1980 - Dublin, Ireland
Executives at Island Records saw this show, and after it, signed U2. Ireland Records choice was understandable, as this gig contains so much energy from all four of the guys. Though, even though how much energy there was, Bono's voice is no where near as good as it would be in the coming months on Boy, and its tour. A funny part of the show is when right before Trevor(which would later become Touch) some guy gets on stage and starts swearing at the band. Security was good at National Stadium though, and he was taken off stage in a matter of seconds. After this incident, Bono makes the cheeky remark of "Thank you, dont mention it". The crowd, besides the guy that stormed the stage at the beginning of Trevor, were absolutely loving up the show. It is very cool listening to a lot of U2's early unreleased / not released in its form played songs.
Some of the examples of these songs that would be vastly changed are the previously mentioned Trevor, and Silver Lining(which would eventually become 11 O' Clock Tick Tock).
A must listen for that, because they are all great versions, along with Shadows and Tall Trees (the only Boy song not played on the Boy Tour), Another Day (U2's actual first single, and also wasnt played on the Boy Tour), Twilight (which is surprisingly better than the single version), Out of Control, and Another Time Another Place (which along with the other Boy songs played, sounded very different from their Boy counterparts), and also because of how significant the show is in U2's history. A great first taste of U2.
Official Release: Cartoon World on the Boy Deluxe edition
Fun Fact: Allegedly The Electric Co. made its debut at this show and was great, though there is no recording of this encore
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The tracks that latter would be included on Boy have different lyrics or structures, so it's very interesting listening to..
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Nothing spectacular, fun but inexperienced performance and mediocre sound. The main selling point for this boot is the number of..
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Silver Lining is an early version of 11 O'Clock Tick Tock. Musically it's nearly identical (except a few neat little..
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Having seen a tweet late last Thursday afternoon from U2ComZooMods inviting a reply with just my name to maybe get tickets to the live broadcast of tfi Friday in London - I did just that.
tfi Friday launched the weekend for millions of fully signed up lads and ladettes back in the 90's. Brash and soaked in alcohol it was fast paced and at times funny, but always high energy.
Brought back off the shelf for a short run this year it jumped back into living rooms, now owned by the 90's lads and ladettes, on Friday past with U2 as the main draw.
So fast forward 20 hours and I am now stood outside a very small and now defunct theatre with a Production wrist band on my wrist and knowledge that the next two hours will be special.
The venue maybe had 150 in the performance area - a mix of 20 U2 fans, a handful of 40something women reliving their early twenties as Take That fans (for they were on the show as well) and I guess some members of the public. It was a strange crowd, but with the TV lighting it made for a hot sweaty club vibe.
Showtime - Raised By Wolves - the B Man is 6 feet away giving it everything. The sound was incredible and the lads played as if their very lives that night depended on it. I'm no writer, so there is no way that I can give you any understanding of how incredible it was to be in the room. Bizarrely, watching over the weekend on the extended playback, it came across as the worlds greatest live band did an ok job! By now you will have seen it for yourself, and I guess it plays back to way back when when U2 became the only band to ever go DOWN the charts after an appearance on Top of The Pops (UK TV chart show).
A very unenlightening interview later in the show away up on the theatre gallery was nothing more than swapping banter between host and band, and hosts Son and hosts Mother! That didn't matter the band weren't here to chat and we weren't there to listen to them talk!
They closed the TV broadcast with Vertigo. Edge's guitar sound taking our heads off! Song for Someone carried all the emotion and then the "This is our first single.." intro and a version of Out of Control that will be with me until I am no more. Just incredible. The room was too small to hold the energy! Bonotised with champagne and it was thank you, goodnight!
Dallas, Sammy, Jake and Stuart left to pick up the pieces as U" have left the building.
Insane evening - thank you to all who made it happen.
The venue was the Cochrane Theatre, London.
I was told that the tour will play indoors and outdoors next year, and then follow the yellow brick road to Aus/NZ in 2017........ Here's hoping!
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We were one the few radio station winners to win this contest. Each radio station only had one grand prize..
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Wow. Just wow. Of the little hype this act was given, the band certainly came out and hit it out..
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I didn't have a ticket to this show and I got a single 5th row ticket as a return at..
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