Just got home from the U2 Concert. Wow. If there's one man who inspires me to follow God in a different, but full-on way, it's Bono. The Concert was beautiful. Scripted, sculpted, and managed into perfect order. Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen jnr showed us why after 30 years they are still the biggest, best and most relevant band in the world. It started with dazzle, newness and volume, with "City of blinding lights". Backed up by a huge light wall behind them, and 4 screens flanking it that followed each of the bandmembers, they worked their way thorugh some big volume stadium rock, newer songs in the U2 catalogue. Then, going back to their first single, "I will follow" they took us on journey of some of the key moments of U2's story arc, finishing with Bono's reflective "Sometimes you can't make it on your own".
Somehow at this point, U2 managed to turn up the intensity (must have gone all the way to 11) by taking aim at the hearts of 60 000 people and then shooting straight into them. Fresh from last night's 'make poverty history' concert, the following bracket of songs seemed more personal than ever, to the band and to the crowd. Arms in unison rasie with the ubiquitous white bands, swayed, pointed and clapped their way through a carefully chosen group of songs and political messages. "Love and Peace or Else" was dedicated to the conflict in the middle east, to our soldiers who are serving there, and ultimately cryed out to those who have decided we need to be there - "You don't have to become a monster to defeat a monster", Bono pleaded. As the song climaxed, with Bono playing drums at the stage apex, he donned a headband - we moved into "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and as it played out I strained to make out the message of the headband. "Coexist" it read, with the C being the Muslim Crescent Moon, the X being a Star of David, and the T being the cross of Christ. 'We are all children of Abraham" we were told.
The bracket built in raw power as we waved along to "Bullet the Blue Sky" and then were surprised witha song thats not a U2 stage regular - "Miss Sarajevo" with Bono even supplying the italian lyrics written for Pavarotti. We raised our phones in unison, a sea of twinkling lights to rival a beautiful night sky, to declare our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, read out to us as they scrolled across the light wall. Then, if the Telstra Dome Roof hadnt already been opened, it may have been in trouble as they Jammed out "Pride" and "Where the streets have no names" with all singing along, dedicated to the downtrodden of our world, and the third world nations in africa. With our hearts now fully opened to whatever Bono had to say, he pleaded with us to get behind 'Make Poverty History' before closing the set with the beautiful, haunting "One".
The first encore opened with another mulitmedia big screen display, a giant slot machine of images scrolling through buildings, churches, concerts, people, before landing on images of Peter Garrett and John Howard (I wonder what that message was?) and then U2 roared back on to stage with "The Fly" acompanied by a full Zoo tv display of words - harsh, searching and unsure questions and statements - culminating with one word, one idea - Love. 'We can always go back to the beginning' we were told.
The end of the second encore was perhaps the most beautiful and personal moment of the whole evening. As they played "Kite" we all sang along
'Who's to say where the wind will take you, Who's to say what it is will break youI don't know, which way the wind will blow, Who's to know when the time has come around, Don't want to see you cry I know that this is not goodbye' and watched, fascinated, as a kite rose from the stage. Bono stepped forward and grasped the string, and holding it with the fascination of a child, looked up and sand purely to the beautiful bird that was the kite. Then, with a combination of regret and eagerness that we all felt, he set fire to the string and set the kite free, flying through the sky out of the stadium. As the band accepted applause from a grateful crowd, my eyes lingered on the Kite rising. Second star from the right and straight on til morning.
The Setlist:
City of blinding lights
Vertigo
Elevation
I will follow
New Years Day
Beautiful day
Stuck in a moment
Angel of Harlem
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Love and peace or else
Sunday bloody Sunday
Bullet the blue sky
Miss Sarajevo
Pride (In the name of love)
Where the streets have no name
One
1st Encore
The Fly
Mysterious ways
With or without you
2nd Encore
The Saints are coming
Desire
Kite
2 hours and 15 minutes, well worth the 100 bucks, the 6 hour wait, and putting up with Kanye West.
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2 comments:
Yeah, this is the Al whose name you yelled out as we were all streaming out of the stadium. :)
Where were you located on Saturday? I was about 3 metres to the left of the right-hand b-stage. :) Awesome! Got there by lining up from 10am, worth it, but I could barely stand up by the end of it.
I went back Sunday night, rocking up at 7pm, and got a position much further back, beside the left-hand sound-desk. Couldn't do the all-day line-up again...
Yeah, nice taste in movies too (Fight Club).
We jumped in line at about 3. We didnt make the inner area, but got ourselves on the fence even with the right part of the b stage.
It was so great! Did you hear that they recorded the whole thing and are releasing it on DVD! Best memento ever.
Catch ya round mate.
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