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 our crew member MattG who was lucky enough to attend all of the Chicago shows. He offers a great perspective to see how the show changes from night to night.

    You attended all the Chicago shows. How did they measure up against each other? Was there one night in particular that was your favorite?

    It's a bit hard to compare them when so many variables affect each show. I would have to say that night five was definitely my favorite...I was there with some very close friends, had met dylbagz in the crowd and got to hang with him all night, and the setlist was outstanding. With that being said, shows two and three were also pretty spectacular, with the premiere of "Gloria" and an amazing "All I Want Is You" on night three.

    Did you have different seating/standing views for each show? How did they compare?

    Nights one and two, I was on the GA floor. Edge's side N1, Adam's side N2. I much preferred Adam's side if I'm being honest...I got a BETTER view of The Edge, looking diagonally across the stage, got a lot of play from Adam in addition, and I felt like Bono was playing more toward us as well. It was also more spacious.

    Nights three and four, I had seats, almost in identical locations both nights. I was very happy with this view, very high up in the stadium, directly looking down at the screen. The show was completely different - I would advise anyone seeing the show to try to catch it from up top. It was incredible.

    Night five, I went back down to Adam's side on the GA floor.

    What was your favorite performance at any or all of the concerts? Did any song surprise you when they played it?

    I absolutely went mad for "Gloria" on nights three and five. N2 was much, much more of a shocker, but being in the pit for it during N5 was outstanding. Also, N5's performance of "Bad" was spectacular. I actually ranked a top 5 performances from all five nights, listed below:

    1. Gloria (N3)
    2. Out of Control (N2)
    3. Bad (N5)
    4. The Electric Co (N4)
    5. Pride (N3)

    Pride was specifically great on N3 because it was the same day as the gay pride parade in Chicago, and right after gay marriage was legalized nation-wide. Other top-notch performances were "40," "All I Want Is You," and "Song For Someone" particularly on night three, in my opinion.


    Did you like the stage and how it contributed to the whole show experience?

    I have to be honest - this is not my favorite U2 stage. The end-stage dynamic isn't as great as the rounded / crowd-encompassing stages seen on the last three tours, even though the catwalk extends down the arena. It feels more like a theatrical show instead of a rock concert at many times, and the "T" shape of the end stage meeting the catwalk actually made me feel like I was more separated from the band than when they were able to walk around the pits. The screen itself is massively cool and there are obviously many cool effects, but I preferred the intimate feel of the Elevation Tour, the light curtains and ellipse of the Vertigo Tour, and the incorporation of revolutionary staging and inner/outer GA circles of the 360 Tour. (To be fair, I have only seen the 360 Tour of those mentioned above).

    How were the other Chicago fans? Was there a particularly good vibe at any of the concerts?

    I have to separate night one from this question. Having not seen U2 in four years, I was practically having an out of body experience for the entire show. It washed over me like crazy, and I was incredibly sore afterward from the constant jumping, screaming, singing, etc. So I'm not entirely sure how the crowd around me was...asking someone who was around me might give you a better answer

    Night two was surreal. The crowd was amazing, and I've shared this story a few times - but there was a pair of children, probably 16 or so, standing with their mother that I caught singing along to every word of almost every song. During the second verse of EBTTRT, I saw the girl with her hands in the air singing along with Bono about being a honey-child to a swarm of bees, blowing through you like a breeze...and I was so delighted. This band is still reaching people who are connecting with their music in a big way! I wanted so badly to run over and say hello and befriend them, but I thought it would probably be a little creepy and unnecessary

    On night three, I was in the stands with my dad - and I was still going absolutely bananas at that point. First time seeing the show from above, "Gloria", AIWIY, etc...it was incredible! Everyone around us stood as well.

    The funny thing about night four was that, while I was in the stands where it was totally dead, I thought the GA crowd was incredibly alive. People all the way to the back of the room were jumping during the opening four songs. It was crazy! People near me sat almost the whole show, though. It was a bummer

    Night five was right back to the surrealness of the GA pit!

    --

    Thanks Matt!
  2. Our very own Matt finally did his epic 5 show run Great to read your thoughts on this, although:

    I wanted so badly to run over and say hello and befriend them, but I thought it would probably be a little creepy and unnecessary

    Why so? I've gone and saluted people who were crazy-enjoying shows many times, and most of the times you just find out they're almost as excited of meeting you than you meeting them! Some great friendships were born like that in my life. I would definitely advise to do it. The worse you can get is an awkward look, and the positive possibilities are immense!
  3. Befriending children perhaps isn't such a good idea though.

    Thanks Matt for the interview! I loved following your Snapchat stories for the first two shows. Great to read you had a fantastic time!
  4. 16 years old are not children, not in my book at least. It's not like Matt is a 58 years dirty old man
    (or wait, maybe he is and has been fooling us!)
  5. Originally posted by LikeASong:16 years old are not children, not in my book at least. It's not like Matt is a 58 years dirty old man
    (or wait, maybe he is and has been fooling us!)
    Never know these days now, do we!
  6. If they're still in school, they're children in my book
  7. If they're 16 and are singing along to U2 in this day and age, they deserve a good share of thumb ups in my book
  8. Absolutely!

    (They just don't need Matt making friends with them )
  9. Wonderful interview! With each interview from somebody doing multiple shows, it is becoming more and more clear that every night has its own unique feel that isn't necessarily communicated by the setlist. To be present at all 5 shows is amazing! I wish I could have done that in LA, but it would have been far too much for me to ask of my wallet.
  10. Great read! Thanks for sharing, Matt!

    I totally agree with you about the kids thing. I'm ecstatic that my kids and my nieces seem to be fans of U2 suddenly and that another generation is beginning to pick up the mantle from us old fogeys who've been around since the early years. And I too, would want to run over to them and befriend them, but they would probably think it was pretty damn creepy!
  11. There were definitely young teenagers on the GA floor during my experience in LA. I spoke with their parents about their U2 experiences and generally they were all very excited to bring their kids with them. And the kids seemed genuinely excited as well. Plus, the U2 crowd is relatively tame compared to other fanbases, so it's a relatively safe concert environment to bring your teens to. I mean, I'd rather them be at a U2 concert than some Taylor Swift/One Direction concert where people do all kinds of weird stuff, like show up in wedding gowns.