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 germcevoy who attended the 1st and 2nd Belfast shows, in his home town.

    "I can't quite eloquently put into words other than to say it was fucking special."

    U2 were back in your home town for the first time since PopMart Tour, how did these shows compare to the show you visited in London a month ago?
    At the risk of bordering cliché, these shows in Belfast were both alike, and quite different to London. London had the benefit of being my first show of the tour and all the excitement that brings whereas Belfast had the massive benefit of being in my home town. With regards to the band I have found their level of performance to have been extraordinarily high on a consistent basis this tour so you have to look at other aspects to try and compare these shows. This is where Belfast edges ahead. There was the Paris events doubled up with the 18 years that had passed since our last dose of U2 and there was definitely a nervous electricity in the venue which is hard to describe. It definitely wasn't in the air in London and it just gave Belfast 1 that some special aspect that I can't quite eloquently put into words other than to say it was fucking special.

    After Paris terror attacks, did you think that U2 would pay tribute to the victims in a different way, maybe with a special perfomance?
    This is an interesting one. Since the Paris cancellations were announced I had always known that the first Belfast show was going to be carrying a bit more significance. I had all sorts of visions of lengthy speeches or additional songs in the set but as the show neared I started to let these thoughts (or selfish wishes??) subside. I absolutely 100% applaud the approach the band eventually took. They came out and delivered a storming concert and (almost) nothing else. This to me was a sublime act of defiance and one we should al be proud of. To give too much attention to Paris or to let it dominate the show in Belfast would have been the wrong approach. It would have been all too easy for the band to dedicate this song or that song but wouldn't have carried the simple poignancy of a Tricolour being projected on the crowd or the peace sign Eiffel Tower on the screen.

    Things were a little more relaxed on night 2 with the French flag appearing on stage but night 1 was the more interesting and I thought the band handled it beautifully.

    You attended both Belfast 1 and 2 shows; which was better in your opinion? Did they play a song you didn't expect to hear?
    Absolutely night one. If you took me back to last week and showed me the setlists I would have bet my left bollock that night 2 was the night to be at but now that I am on the other side of the shows, night one is the one that will live longest in my memory. It still feels surreal now thinking that U2 were in Belfast for 2 nights, in a venue that I have been in dozens of times seeing lesser bands and thinking ''lol could you imagine U2 playing here''. It was always a pipe dream to the point where it was a joke to even think about it. I had my lovely missus with me, a nice spot on the floor, in my town and on walked Bono. The first 4 songs were a complete whirlwind and I really really came close to having my eyes begin to sweat. The e-stage songs would have been my least favourite choices but when you wait eighteen years you just have to let what's happening make its way inside you. One to close was lovely. I always worried that when the shows happened that the crowd might be crap but we picked up the first verse of One without being prompted and we brought it home. Proud.

    Would I have swapped One for Bad and 40? It's easy to say ''of course you would you absolute idiot'' but I wouldn't change night 1. No sir.

    You've streamed both Belfast shows live through your phone and thousands of fans have listened to them as they happened. Did you find any negative point regarding streaming the shows, did it interfere with you enjoying the shows in any way?
    Not at all. It's a long show and there are sections that I don't really connect with (Iris, Song for Someone, COBL, Beautiful Day etc). Mixlr is easy. You start the app and let it me. All the setup is pre-show and I occasionally checked the mics. Periscope is a little more awkward (and it doesn't always sit well with me to be just another guy holding up a phone) but again I try to single out the songs that I don't particularly connect with for filming as I don't feel like I'm missing much. I'm just as happy feeling the bass in my chest as I am with seeing with my eyes. Music is for senses other than sight so it's nice to be able to share the visuals with those in far away places who might not see a show (or just as equally for everyone back on the site here).

    It's good to give back.

    You have been a superb tour guide in Belfast, showing us some special places of your city related to U2. Did you enjoy this role?
    We had a lovely day out. The weather played ball for us. I don't think I'm cut out for this video stuff (this bloody accent and the speed at which we speak) but it was nice to take a step back and say 'you know, we might not get a lot of shows but there's U2 history here if you take a minute to look for it'. It's easy for me to walk by these places regularly but stop and take a minute and you realise that there are some cool memories and visions here. Standing in a field amongst dog walkers then realising a goddam Popmart stage sat here 18 years ago was a bit surreal yet I've known about it for years. The same goes for the abandoned leisure centre. Had I ever really considered that Sunday Bloody Sunday's future as one of the bands most iconic songs hinged on the reaction of locals? Nope. And what an interesting thought.

    I encourage you all to do it. Go on your own Northside story where you are. Read some old press review or research the shows online. You never know what golden nuggets you might find.

    Did it work? That's up to the viewers but it felt like some good rich content at the time and something I would watch if somebody else takes up the baton in the future.


    You will attend at least one more show in Dublin, their home town. Do you think there will be some changes in setlist due to a (probably) different stage?
    I'm going to go with a resounding no. The band will want to ensure that they deliver the full production to Dublin. There was more than a bit of hostility on the last tour as Dublin were only getting a ''270 degrees show''. Sure, all us die hards will want something special but I think the band will just deliver the same show they've been delivering all year. There has been enough material performed this year for the band to still deliver surprises without needing to do anything new. The Americans seem to have got the bulk of the interesting stuff and I can't see it changing this week. It'll all be good fun though and I'll be looking forward to it.

    --

    Thanks Gerard!

  2. Cheers dave
  3. No swearing on the interviews!

    Great stuff. I like your analysis regarding nights 1 & 2, some sincere stuff there. On paper, every and anyone would have chosen night 2 due to the setlist, but the energy and special meaning of night 1 is something you can't measure with stats and song names. You lucky git have chosen some great shows to attend! And you know, a piece of me will be besides you in Dublin3 Big hugs dude
  4. Originally posted by LikeASong:No swearing on the interviews!

    Great stuff. I like your analysis regarding nights 1 & 2, some sincere stuff there. On paper, every and anyone would have chosen night 2 due to the setlist, but the energy and special meaning of night 1 is something you can't measure with stats and song names. You lucky git have chosen some great shows to attend! And you know, a piece of me will be besides you in Dublin3 Big hugs dude
    amen brother.


  5. the accent and the super speed were reaaaaally tough for me
  6. nonono
    I meant on the periscope.. I was watching when you guys were at the place where U2 played in Popmart..
  7. This must be the longest post by Gerard by far. Usually I find him very concise.
    But great stuff and a nice read, Thanks guys!
  8. Originally posted by davec82:[image]
    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 germcevoy who attended the 1st and 2nd Belfast shows, in his home town.

    "I can't quite eloquently put into words other than to say it was fucking special."

    U2 were back in your home town for the first time since PopMart Tour, how did these shows compare to the show you visited in London a month ago?
    At the risk of bordering cliché, these shows in Belfast were both alike, and quite different to London. London had the benefit of being my first show of the tour and all the excitement that brings whereas Belfast had the massive benefit of being in my home town. With regards to the band I have found their level of performance to have been extraordinarily high on a consistent basis this tour so you have to look at other aspects to try and compare these shows. This is where Belfast edges ahead. There was the Paris events doubled up with the 18 years that had passed since our last dose of U2 and there was definitely a nervous electricity in the venue which is hard to describe. It definitely wasn't in the air in London and it just gave Belfast 1 that some special aspect that I can't quite eloquently put into words other than to say it was fucking special.

    After Paris terror attacks, did you think that U2 would pay tribute to the victims in a different way, maybe with a special perfomance?
    This is an interesting one. Since the Paris cancellations were announced I had always known that the first Belfast show was going to be carrying a bit more significance. I had all sorts of visions of lengthy speeches or additional songs in the set but as the show neared I started to let these thoughts (or selfish wishes??) subside. I absolutely 100% applaud the approach the band eventually took. They came out and delivered a storming concert and (almost) nothing else. This to me was a sublime act of defiance and one we should al be proud of. To give too much attention to Paris or to let it dominate the show in Belfast would have been the wrong approach. It would have been all too easy for the band to dedicate this song or that song but wouldn't have carried the simple poignancy of a Tricolour being projected on the crowd or the peace sign Eiffel Tower on the screen.

    Things were a little more relaxed on night 2 with the French flag appearing on stage but night 1 was the more interesting and I thought the band handled it beautifully.

    You attended both Belfast 1 and 2 shows; which was better in your opinion? Did they play a song you didn't expect to hear?
    Absolutely night one. If you took me back to last week and showed me the setlists I would have bet my left bollock that night 2 was the night to be at but now that I am on the other side of the shows, night one is the one that will live longest in my memory. It still feels surreal now thinking that U2 were in Belfast for 2 nights, in a venue that I have been in dozens of times seeing lesser bands and thinking ''lol could you imagine U2 playing here''. It was always a pipe dream to the point where it was a joke to even think about it. I had my lovely missus with me, a nice spot on the floor, in my town and on walked Bono. The first 4 songs were a complete whirlwind and I really really came close to having my eyes begin to sweat. The e-stage songs would have been my least favourite choices but when you wait eighteen years you just have to let what's happening make its way inside you. One to close was lovely. I always worried that when the shows happened that the crowd might be crap but we picked up the first verse of One without being prompted and we brought it home. Proud.

    Would I have swapped One for Bad and 40? It's easy to say ''of course you would you absolute idiot'' but I wouldn't change night 1. No sir.

    You've streamed both Belfast shows live through your phone and thousands of fans have listened to them as they happened. Did you find any negative point regarding streaming the shows, did it interfere with you enjoying the shows in any way?
    Not at all. It's a long show and there are sections that I don't really connect with (Iris, Song for Someone, COBL, Beautiful Day etc). Mixlr is easy. You start the app and let it me. All the setup is pre-show and I occasionally checked the mics. Periscope is a little more awkward (and it doesn't always sit well with me to be just another guy holding up a phone) but again I try to single out the songs that I don't particularly connect with for filming as I don't feel like I'm missing much. I'm just as happy feeling the bass in my chest as I am with seeing with my eyes. Music is for senses other than sight so it's nice to be able to share the visuals with those in far away places who might not see a show (or just as equally for everyone back on the site here).

    It's good to give back.

    You have been a superb tour guide in Belfast, showing us some special places of your city related to U2. Did you enjoy this role?
    We had a lovely day out. The weather played ball for us. I don't think I'm cut out for this video stuff (this bloody accent and the speed at which we speak) but it was nice to take a step back and say 'you know, we might not get a lot of shows but there's U2 history here if you take a minute to look for it'. It's easy for me to walk by these places regularly but stop and take a minute and you realise that there are some cool memories and visions here. Standing in a field amongst dog walkers then realising a goddam Popmart stage sat here 18 years ago was a bit surreal yet I've known about it for years. The same goes for the abandoned leisure centre. Had I ever really considered that Sunday Bloody Sunday's future as one of the bands most iconic songs hinged on the reaction of locals? Nope. And what an interesting thought.

    I encourage you all to do it. Go on your own Northside story where you are. Read some old press review or research the shows online. You never know what golden nuggets you might find.

    Did it work? That's up to the viewers but it felt like some good rich content at the time and something I would watch if somebody else takes up the baton in the future.


    You will attend at least one more show in Dublin, their home town. Do you think there will be some changes in setlist due to a (probably) different stage?
    I'm going to go with a resounding no. The band will want to ensure that they deliver the full production to Dublin. There was more than a bit of hostility on the last tour as Dublin were only getting a ''270 degrees show''. Sure, all us die hards will want something special but I think the band will just deliver the same show they've been delivering all year. There has been enough material performed this year for the band to still deliver surprises without needing to do anything new. The Americans seem to have got the bulk of the interesting stuff and I can't see it changing this week. It'll all be good fun though and I'll be looking forward to it.

    --

    Thanks Gerard!

    Nice 1 Gerard
  9. Cheers lads.
  10. Just got time to read this, and I must say it's always great reading from you, my friend.

    Special mention to your words about the feeling of being watching your favorite band playing in your hometown after such a long time. Pretty f*ing special words!