U2 Online On The Horizon

U2 Website Redesign

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 15:49:00 +0000

Please visit my newly design fansite at www.onlineonthehorizon.com!

Bono on Charlie Rose

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:30:00 +0000

A discussion about philanthropy and rock music with Bono, lead singer of the band U2 and founder of the ONE Campaign

Julian Lennon Contribution to the New U2 Album

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 04:25:00 +0000

In this recent interview, Julian Lennon - a close friend of the band - discusses his possible artwork contributions to the new U2 album scheduled to be released later this year. This could involve the album cover or photos for the CD insert. Julian mentioned that he was on the road with U2 over the years. This made me recall the São Paulo show I was at during the 360° Tour, where Bono sang him Happy Birthday since he was in the crowd. In any event, check out the interview below.

This follows up an earlier interview about the use of his images for the album artwork, "I've talked to the U2 boys to ask when I can release all of these," he said. "I'd very much like to put a book together but they've asked me to hold back. They're considering using the images for their artwork on the new album. It should be out mid to late next year."

Possible Hints: Upcoming U2 Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 04:07:00 +0000

I finally received my copy of From the Ground Up: U2360° Tour Official Photobook - U2.com Music Edition. As a member of the U2.com 'club', this book/photos/CD compilation was a benefit for membership renewal. I wanted to make sure my membership was up-to-date so that I can have access to pre-sale tickets for the next tour. Considering that the next tour will be an arena tour, general admission floor tickets (assuming they'll have GA), will be harder to come-by since it's a smaller ticket allocation compared to larger number available for football stadium pitches. Lately, Bono, Edge, and Larry have been quoted about a summer or fall release of their new album. If the new album is released later this summer as the band mentioned, then ticket sales for a possible opening spring 2014 tour will commence this fall/winter.

At any rate, as I was reading From the Ground Up, I was mining for possible hints on the next tour since the book interviews the band, senior designers, and long-time stage crew members. What I found interesting was that planning for the subsequent tour usually happens at the end of a tour. According to the book's author, Dylan Jones,

"The ideas that Bono had for the next U2 tour sounded as though they had been percolating for some time, ideas that were given more credence from being discussed during his convalescence. That percolating would be ongoing," (p. 247).

U2's long-time sound engineer, Joe O'Herlihy furthers this point:

"Bono in particular tends to think about the next tour at the end of the one he's on, while everything's fresh. It's important to think about while you're doing it. The feeling you get from performing in front of thousands of people gradually wears off, so to fully understand it you need to make decisions when you're actually in the middle of it. When you're away from [the tour], you actually forget what it feels like." (p. 246).

In this case, U2 was already considering an indoor arena tour the next time around. I think everyone was quite spent after a 2.5 year outdoor tour, including the band, crew members, and traveling fans. This was reiterated by Adam:

"I think we're psychologically prepared for not playing outdoors next time. We'll do an indoor tour, but until the songs and the identity of that project come together we won't have an idea of what the production will be. We tend to go indoors after a stadium tour and we tend to strip it down, and we want to make it more about the music and less about the production. That's my instinct, anyway," (p. 239).

Moving back indoors is unsurprising considering that the band had surpassed the Rolling Stones as the biggest touring act in the world. There is no one else to beat except themselves. To try to exceed the 360° tour would be a herculean task, not to mention self-aggrandizing. Arthur Fogel, CEO of Global Touring at Live Nation provided some interesting insights:

"Personally I think the encore is going to be easier. I think that the pressure was much greater to bring this home as an ultimate success. Now that they have done it, it opens up a whole realm of possibilities in terms of what to do next. As they've gotten to the top of the mountain, they can scale back, go back to arenas, and do a different type of show. In terms of size and scale there's nothing to prove," (p. 239)

Since Live Nation was the company that organized the 360° tour, Fogel would have a grasp of the practicalities of an arena tour.

"...I think it offers up that flexibility to go to different location; to mix it up and maybe do something in a few places, rather than touring it. Having said that, there are territories in the world that the band is still to visit; they've never been to South East Asia. And so I think next time we have that opportunity to create a more flexible production that can go smaller if we want, bigger if we want. And because of the flexibility get to places that we couldn't get to on this tour because of economic realities, " (p. 239).

I have met a few U2 fans from South East Asia who traveled far and wide to catch the 360° tour (i.e. Makiko from Japan and Djundi from Indonesia). They represent the many fans in their respective countries and region who did not get a chance to see U2 on the last tour. U2 have been to Japan on past tours - Vertigo, PopMart, ZooTv-Zoomerang, Lovetown and War. Having an arena set-up would make it financially feasible to transport the concert equipment and have shows in that part of the world. It would also allow U2 to visit countries they have not played yet, like Singapore or Hong Kong as Coldplay did with their arena show during their Viva La Vida tour in 2008. In other parts of the world, like Latin America, the demand to see U2 would be quite large and could see more cities added like Guadalajara, Bogota, and Bueno Aires. However, in cities likes these and in Europe, I would imagine U2 would follow the same touring pattern as Vertigo, and revert back to a simple stadium set-up to facilitate the sheer number of fans on a football ground.

As a quick aside, I was quite pleased to read in the book that the best shows on the 360° tour were in Latin America. Having been to the São Paulo and Mexico City shows, I can attest that the mood had a more exciting vibe in the air. Considering the vast majority of these audiences did not have English as their primary language, it was quite inspiring to hear the entire stadium to sing every word to some of the songs. The participation of 70-110,000 people was thrilling. For Adam, South America was his favourite leg of the tour:

"By common consensus the best gigs of the tour were the Spanish and South American ones that had the feistiest, most expectant crowds. In those parts of the world, the audience really does come to be part of the communal event, rather than just come and 'see a show.' [...] When you go to places like South America where you might get one big show like us through every two years, they must see a concert that a lot of people turn out as a cultural event. In South America, it's like lighting gunpowder," (p. 227).

With an indoor arena tour on the horizon, what would the production look like? As mentioned earlier by Adam, the concept will not be crystallized until the album is complete. However, the macro design (i.e. stage and lighting) should already be in the works. In the lead up to 360°, the idea of an in-the-round stadium stage was conceived at the end of the Vertigo Tour:

"As the last leg of the Vertigo Tour drew to a close in Honolulu in December 2006, Bono and the band's production designer were already considering what they would do to follow it up, and what the next U2 show might look like. With the aid of some forks and some forbidden fruit, and inspired by the Theme Building at LAX, they set to work," (p. 43).

As we have seen with previous tours, U2 were always the technological innovators of stage design. "People come to U2 shows to see what the future will look like," said Willie Williams, U2's long-time set designer (p. 60). ZooTV ushered in the wide use of television screens on stage and the ubiquity of the B-Stage. PopMart took video screens to a whole new level and stretched it across the end-field of a football pitch. Williams admitted that "the Vertigo show was the first thing that I had designed that hadn't really advanced the form, whereas ZooTV and PopMart were these quantum leaps in the form of what a rock show is. And all that stuff gets immediately plagiarized by everybody else," (p. 60).

The book makes it clear that U2 not only want to conquer the box office, but to also be innovators of the concert form. "On every tour we've done, we've been the first people to use a given technology," (Bono, p. 61). As a concert goer, this makes going to U2 shows all the more interesting. According to Mark Fisher, U2's stage architect, fans may have some advanced, innovative lighting to look forward to on the next tour.

"On the Vertigo Tour we originally wanted a three dimensional cloud filled with very tiny LED pixels, but the technology wasn't ready. It became obvious it wasn't going to be tiny pixels on filaments; it was basically going to be tennis balls on washing lines. But these things exist now - I saw one in Zurich train station," (p. 64). Could these NOVA LED lights be something manufactured on a larger, customized scale for a U2 concert?

It is quite possible that existing designs can inspire and be scaled, since there is a precedent for it. After the 360° stage was conceptualized, Frederic Opsomer, a Belgium based designer (who has worked with U2 since Zoo TV), was asked to find a way to incorporate video into the claw-like structure. The book narrates the string of events between Mark Fischer and Willie Williams that led to the creation of the expandable, conic screen for the 360° tour. The collaborative approach with Chuck Hoberman and his mathematical models for expandable structures eventually led to the custom-built screen by October 2008 (p. 63). If and how U2 will use the NOVA LED lights is not known to the public. But I would not be surprised if U2 capitalized on the new technology and customize it for their concert.

Whichever stage design and lighting the bands decides to use for the next tour, there will be no shortage of demand for tickets. For me, they could perform on any makeshift stage and I'd be content. It's the music and community that is of greater importance. Nonetheless, there is something to be said about the production that can enthrall the neutral or 'average' audience member. Indeed, U2 acknowledge that their concerts presents an opportunity to reach new fans:

"Not everyone is a U2 fan, but not only do they appeal to U2 fans, but also appeal to people who don't necessarily like any other sort of music, and the people who make up the crowd at a U2 show might not normally go to another concert all year. Because each time U2 goes out on the road, they attempt to reinvent the rock experience, and each time they succeed," (p. 224).

There have been numerous times I have brought friends to their U2 concert, and knew of them as one of those radio-hit bands. But after seeing the 360° production, they claim it was the best concert they have ever seen. Hopefully, those same sentiments will be expressed next spring, when U2 ventures out with their traveling circus.

The Killers - With or Without You (Cover)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 05:30:00 +0000

A very beautiful cover of With or Without You by The Killers from last night's concert from the O2 Arena in London, England.

It is widely known that Brendan Flowers (lead singer of The Killers) is a big fan of U2 and cites them as an influence. Below is another U2 cover, If God Will Send Us His Angels, and his cameo appearance with U2 at their Las Vegas show during the 2005 Vertigo Tour to perform In A Little While (great version)!

Talk by the Designer of Bono's Laser Jacket: Moritz Waldemeyer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 05:53:00 +0000

A couple of months ago, I made a presentation to Pecha Kucha about My Adventures in General Admission. Upon reminiscing, I came across this Pecha Kucha talk by Moritz Waldemeyer - the designer of Bono's laser jacket used during the 360° tour. According to the Pecha Kucha website:

Moritz wowed us with his amazing designs — including a jacket for Bono for the latest U2 concert tour and a new coffee cum laser dancing table for Wallpaper, an exclusive here as the magazine is not out yet!

Widely recognised as one of the most innovative and exciting designers of his generation, Waldemeyer, aged 34, was born in East Germany. He moved to London thirteen years ago where he trained as an engineer at Kings College and completed his Masters degree in 2001. Since then, he has collaborated with many of the world’s top architects and fashion designers including Ron Arad, Zaha Hadid and Hussein Chalayan. His work is a fusion of technology, art, fashion and design.

U2360°: The Official Story of the Greatest Spectacle in Stadium-Rock History

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 19:16:00 +0000

According to NME.com, U2 are going to be releasing a new book about their recent 360° World Tour. It will be entitled U2360°: The Official Story of the Greatest Spectacle in Stadium-Rock History, and to be written by Dylan Jones (GQ magazine editor). The documentary book will be published by Random House and to be released for late fall 2012. According to the publisher, it will be a "land mark event":

U2360°: The Official Story of the Greatest Spectacle in Stadium-Rock History will be a land- mark music publishing event. It will contain exclusive contributions from the band, from manager Paul McGuiness, from world renowned show designer/director Willie Williams, who has worked with R.E.M., David Bowie, Laurie Anderson & many more, and from architect Mark Fisher. The book will contain exclusive photographs from tour photographer Ralph Larmann and selected behind the scenes photographs by Eoin McLoughlin (Random House, 2012).

Upon further research, this Official tour photobook is being sold under the title From The Ground Up: U2360° Tour Official Photobook. My guess is that the NME article had a preliminary title when it released its article on the web. Luckily for German fans, the book is now available for order on the German Amazon site for €39.99. For the rest of the world, McNally, Amazon, and Chapters/Indigo are taking pre-orders for this book, which will be released November 27, 2012.

In any event, for all us U2 fans, this will be a welcome early-Christmas / holiday gift! I'll be very interested to read which cities the book highlights and if it offers any new insights that we do not know about already.

New U2 Album in 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:23:00 +0000

As I mentioned in a previous post back in January 2012 about a 2013 album release, Mercury Records has confirmed that U2 will be releasing a new album next year! This is news that we've been waiting for.

Here on in, the slow drip of rumours will trickle into the public sphere. Next, barely coherent fan recordings of demos being played by Bono outside of his French summer home will emerge. We'll hear of stories from lucky fans who were picked up in Bono's Maserati as they stood outside of U2's recording studio in Dublin, and were treated with a preliminary listen to the new album.

Afterward, an album single will be leaked on the internet, and then the whole record will appear on the web a few weeks before the actual release - prompting a debate between purists (who will wait until the official release) and insatiable fans (who desire anything U2 related as soon as possible) about the merits of downloading leaked material. Then there will be the actual album release, and hopefully followed by a pre-tour starting in the fall (2013) in small and unexpected venues. Die-hard fans will begin to renew their U2.com memberships to gain access to pre-sale tickets at the same time. Details for venues and tour dates will permeate and a tour to be confirmed in the winter (2014). We will begin to draw up a tour schedule ourselves and picking out which cities to visit on the first leg of the tour and start booking accommodation and flights accordingly. Once the tour hits the ground, and we are in the GA line for that first concert, I'll look back on today, and remember the one line in that gigwise.com article which prompted this posting, "Mercury Records also confirmed new albums from Metallica, U2 and Noah and the Whale, which will all contribute towards a good year [2013] for the record label."

Those on the outside may think this is strange behaviour. For us, this is normal every four years! I can't wait for 2013...

Complete U22 360° Tracklisting (With Multicam Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 04:19:00 +0000

Thanks to Mel Vox and "In A Place Called Vertigo" for the links.

Below the ultimate tracklist that appears on the back of the double CD compilation, reserved for U2.com subscribers.

Click the name of the song, and you can watch Mel Vox's multicam video with the official audio. Enjoy!

I really enjoy this compilation disc that was released for U2.com members, in which the songs were voted on by fans! I am particularly drawn to these discs because I went to 10 / 23 of the shows that were featured on the discs. Listening to these songs brings back such strong and happy memories of the tour!

Disc ONE:

1. EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING Recorded at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, 15th May 2011.
2. THE FLY Recorded at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, 26 June 2011.
3. MYSTERIOUS WAYS Recorded at Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, 18 February, 2011.
4. MAGNIFICENT Recorded at Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, 11 September 2010.
5. UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD Recorded at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, 14 May 2011.
6. I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR Recorded at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, 13 February 2011 (with Hugh Masekela).
7. STAY (FARAWAY, SO CLOSE!) Recorded at Soldier Field, Chicago, 5 July 2011.
8. ONE TREE HILL Recorded at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, 26 November 2010.
9. BEAUTIFUL DAY Recorded at Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, 10 August 2009.
10. ELEVATION Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, 3 August 2009.
11. BAD Stadio Olimpico, Rome, 8 October 2010.

Disc TWO:

12. ALL I WANT IS YOU / LOVE RESCUE ME Recorded at Anz Stadium, Sydney, 14 December 2010.
13. THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE Recorded at Ullevi Stadion, Gothenburg, 31 July 2009.
14. ZOOROPARecorded at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, 22 June 2011.
15. CITY OF BLINDING LIGHTS Recorded at Parc Des Sports Charles-Ehrmann, Nice, 15 July 2009.
16. MLK / WALK ONRecorded at Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, 9 August 2009.
17. ONE Recorded at Hampden Park, Glasgow, 18 August 2009.
18. WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME Recorded at Stadion Slaski, Chorzow, 6 August 2009.
19. ULTRA VIOLET (LIGHT MY WAY)Recorded at Estadio Cidade De Coimbra, Coimbra, 3 October 2010.
20. WITH OR WITHOUT YOU Recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, 14 August 2009.
21. MOMENT OF SURRENDERRecorded at Subiaco Oval, Perth, 18th December 2010.
22. OUT OF CONTROL Recorded at Hippodrome De Montreal, Montreal, 9 July 2011.

BONUS:

1. UNKNOWN CALLER Recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, 14 August 2009.

Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own (Cover)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:43:00 +0000

Considering the slow movement of material coming out of U2's recording studio, we'll have to enjoy new cover versions of U2's songs. Here is Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own by Peppe Cariola, Alberto Francesco Cunsolo, and Luca Garufi.

Cello Version - With or Without You

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:04:00 +0000

Very lovely rendition of this classic song performed by Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser. Enjoy!

The Edge - The Break

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 03:44:00 +0000

Some of the research I do with the NGO I'm with is on homelessness, poverty and housing. Hearing that The Edge is involving himself on the issue made me happy. Check out the trailer below - he challenges his assumptions and tries to understand the plight of those who are dispossessed.

General Admission: Layin' It On The Line For U2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:32:00 +0000

Fellow U2 fans and GAers made a film about the dynamics and craziness associated with general admission. Here is a recent interview with Dayna and Tami about their film - General Admission: Layin' It On The Line For U2. They accurately describe what we experience in a North American GA.

Pecha Kucha 12 - U2: Adventures in General Admission

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Edmonton NextGen is a forum that connects people between the ages of 18 to 40 in order to promote a more vibrant, community-oriented city. They host several events throughout the year and Pecha Kucha is one of them. Pecha Kucha is a Japanese phrase for the sound of chit-chat. This has manifested around the world into a night for speakers giving a presentation containing only 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds, for a concise, compelling talk lasting only six minutes and forty seconds.

Last year, I spoke about 'cosmopolitanism' and how it related to my backpack travels around the Middle East and the social policy research I've done on Edmonton homelessness. This year, I spoke about something a little more fun - my U2 General Admission (GA) experiences around the world - the GA expectations, the run into the pit, being at the front, and the cultural nuances I found at various concerts around the world.

Pecha Kucha 12
City: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Date: Thursday, February 2, 2012
Time: 19:30 (Mountain Standard Time) [2:30 AM GMT, Feb. 3]
Place: Metro Cinema at the Garneau Theatre

Below are YouTube videos that compliment my presentation.

The Day Before the Show

My friend, Nick (San Francisco), was well known for his U2 GA documentaries. Here are two short videos of the day before and the day of the Anaheim, California show (June 18, 2011) to give you an idea of a typical queue was like in North America.

Meeting the Band

The evening before a show or just prior to the GA entry, there is usually a good chance to meet the band to get their autographs, take pictures, or chat with them. I was able to have a small conversation with Bono in Winnipeg about my research. North American crowds waiting to meet U2 were usually pretty well behaved and docile. In Latin America, it was a totally different feeling. I had never seen so many hysterical and passionate fans wanting to meet the band. It was infectious. As I waited outside of Estádio do Morumbi with a lot of the Brasilian fans, I started to yell out too just to fit in!

The Morning of the Show

The 12 hours leading up to the gates opening are some of the most tense moments of the queue. Nerves fray the longer we wait and a heightened sense of competitiveness lingers in the air. It's still a pretty jovial atmosphere, but all the die-hard fans know what looms ahead - the uncertainties associated with the run into the pit.

The GA Run into the Pit

This video illustrates the madness of the GA run into the pit and getting a spot along the front rail. Filmed at the June 4, 2011 Seattle, Washington concert. Sprint speed and knowledge of the field lay-out are key to the run. I was one of the first ones into the pit and enjoyed being with my friends at front row centre.

Alternatively, the GA Walk into the Pit

Mexico City, on the other hand, was an easy walk onto the field of Estadio Azteca. Here we were chanting "Olé... olé, olé, olé... U2... U2..." in the tunnel leading to the pitch. I filmed this at the May 11, 2011 show in Mexico City, Mexico.

Waiting in the Pit for U2

While we were waiting for U2 at the Mexico City show, the PA system played the well-known Ranchero / Mariachi song, "Cielto Lindo (Lovely Sweet One)." It was spine-tingling to sing this tune with 110,000 Mexicans in their massive Estadio Azteca.

Opening Acts

One of the benefits of going to these U2 shows was the opportunity to see some acts who I also liked - Snow Patrol, Muse, Elbow, Lenny Kravitz, Jay-Z, and Arcade Fire. At the Las Vegas show, we saw Black Eyed Peas, who were a lot of fun live. We threw a Philippine flag to one of the members of Black Eyed Peas - apl.de.ap (who is Filipino) - and we were so proud that he was singing with the flag of my ethnic heritage.

Turning the Stadium into an Intimate Venue

At the April 13, 2011 show in São Paulo, Brasil, U2 invited famous Samba singer Seu Jorge to perform a cover of Kraftwerk's Das Modell. Despite the fact that there were almost 100,000 people in attendance at Estádio do Morumbi that night, they were able to make it feel like an intimate club gig by turning this electro-synth-pop song into a sultry ballad. Instinctively, the Brasilian audience sang along, making it an unforgettable night in South America.

New Year's Day in Poland

The outstanding memory I have of the 360° Tour was the concert in Chorzów, Poland (August 6, 2009). Just a few days before, I was in Gdansk, Poland to visit the shipyards where Solidarność (Solidarity movement) organized and eventually toppled the Communist authoritarian regime in 1989. U2's song, New Year's Day, was inspired by Solidarność. At the concert, the U2 Poland fan club organized the audience (vis-à-vis social media and radio) so that when New Year's Day began to play, the entire field would wave red cloths and the stands would hold up white cloths, thereby turning the 75,000 seated Stadion Śląski into the Polish national flag. I quickly realized that most of the young people I was surrounded by at the front were the children who were direct beneficiaries of Solidarność; singing their hearts out that warm evening because of their freedom.

Conclusion

The last show of the 360 Tour was special because I spent it with fans who were like me and traveled the world to see U2 - GA Gypsies as I like to call us. In the end, the GA experience was more than just trying to get to the front at a concert. I often say that if the GA experience was a movie, the U2 concert itself would merely be the conclusions and end credits. Everything that happens prior to the show - traveling abroad, meeting new and old friends, relying on each other, and surviving the queue - forms the main storyline and narrative. Memories are all the more real when you get a chance to share them with others. Luckily, these U2 concerts are full of vibrant recollections because of the friends made along the way.

Martine St. Claire - Miss Sarajevo

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:44:00 +0000

Great cover. I almost forgot how amazing this song was. Simple. Beautiful.

Rolling Stone: "U2 Plot Their Future"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:43:00 +0000

In a recent Rolling Stone article, the periodical reveals its greatest hopes and fears for 2012:

"Hope: U2's 2009 album No Line On The Horizon was an extremely ambitious record that sold millions of copies all over the world. Songs like "Moment of Surrender" and "Magnificent" rank with the band's best work, but the singles failed to connect with a mass audience and by U2's standards it was a disappointment. We hope that they realize that radio is unlikely to put any song they ever write into heavy rotation; instead, they should just focus on making another great record, and then hit the road on an arena tour that drops some of the old warhorses in favor of great songs from the past. How about "Acrobat," "Drowning Man" and "Numb"? "Pride (In The Name of Love)" is a great song, but enough's enough.

Fear: U2 tends to end each decade with a commercial disappointment, and then begin the new decade with an album that's the exact opposite of their last work. The failure of Rattle and Hum gave the world Achtung Baby and the failure of the (criminally underrated) Pop led to the back-to-basics approach on All That You Can't Leave Behind. They have spent much of the last two years working with a rotating cast of producers, including Danger Mouse and RedOne. We fear their primary focus is competing with Lady Gaga on the radio. It's a fight they're going to lose. Hey Bono, don't overthink this next record. Just make it great. It'll serve you better in the long run. Remember that awful charity single "Stranded" you cut with Jay-Z and Rihanna? Never do anything like that again."

I would be surprised if U2 produce another album in 2012. I can foresee a compilation to be released, such as The Best of 2000-2010 including songs like Vertigo, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, City of Blinding Lights, Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, Mercy, and Electrical Storm. A never-before-heard song could be added too in this Best-Of. I do not know how many albums U2 has committed to producing for Live Nation, but another Best-Of album is an easy way to fulfill that mandate.

Additionally, if a brand new album was released in 2012, U2 would be expected to go on tour in 2013, only two years since the end of the 360 Tour. Judging by the pattern of gaps between the end and beginning of recent tours (Popmart [1997-1998] - Elevation [2001] - Vertigo [2005-2006] - 360 [2009-2011], U2 have averaged three to four years in between tours.

Ever since Popmart, they are not eager to release an album just for the sake of releasing it to satiate the appetite of the record and touring companies as well as fans. I reckon that U2 would rather have an album that satisfies their high standards before it is released to the critical public. While they may be sitting on a mountain of new material, I imagine U2 would prefer to refine those songs, build a cohesive album, and try to outdo their previously high standards.

Moreover, I believe Bono had said (granted, take all he says with a grain of salt) that U2 is in danger of over-exposure and need to keep a low profile for a little bit. The 360 Tour was the largest tour in history, and they may want to temper expectation for what may come next. Plus, having a larger gap than two years allows the band, the crew, and their families to re-energize after a long tour.

In my humble and limited opinion, I can see U2 having a very low profile in 2012. An occasional appearance by Bono and the Edge on TV or a fundraiser. Larry could dabble in another film and Adam enjoying his new status as a father. To keep the U2 coffers full and giving us fans our U2 fix, a Best-Of 2000-2010 to be released in the fall of 2012 in time for the holiday shopping season.

It seems more plausible if U2 releases an album in the fall of 2013 in time for the holiday season, compliment it with a promo tour that same fall, and then have a North American tour starting late spring of 2014 (when hockey season is wrapped up) and a stadium tour in Europe the same summer (when the football season is over). That would leave, at most, a four year gap between the 360 tour and the new tour. Of course, if U2 decides to release a brand new album and fires up a tour later this year, you know where to find me!

Bono - The Fly (Acoustic)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:19:00 +0000

Here is one of the bonus video's from Davis Guggenheim's U2 Documentary From the Sky Down, Bono's acoustic rendition of The Fly.

"Love... We shine like a burning star
We're falling from the sky... Tonight."

Bono - So Cruel (Acoustic)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:51:00 +0000

Easily one of my most favourite songs off of Achtung Baby, here is a video of So Cruel promoting the BluRay/DVD release of Davis Guggenheim's U2 documentary From the Sky Down.

Click icon below for this heart-breaking mp3 of the song.

Shortened lyrics in this version:

We crossed the line
Who pushed who over?
It doesn't matter to you
It matters to me
We're cut adrift
We're still floating
I'm only hanging on
To watch you go down
My love

Oh... love...
In love and war, there are no rules
Oh... love...
That said, you're so cruel

She wears my love like a see-through dress
Her lips say one thing
Her movements something else
Oh love, like a screaming flower
Love... dying every hour

You don't know if it's fear or desire
Danger the drug that takes you higher
Head of heaven, fingers in the mire

Oh...love...
To stay with you I'd be a fool
Oh...love... Sweetheart... Sweetheart...
You're so cruel

From The Sky Down DVD/Blu-Ray

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:24:00 +0000

As it was previously mentioned, From the Sky Down will be released as a stand-alone DVD and Blu-Ray disc, so you don't have to dish out a lot of money for the Super or Uber Deluxe Achtung Baby box-sets to own this documentary. From what I understand, the disc will contain extra material (Toronto press conference, photo gallery and performances of So Cruel, The Fly and Love is Blindness). You can pre-order it from Amazon and will be released on December 13, 2011. A perfect stocking stuffer for Christmas!

AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:15:00 +0000

In anticipation of Q-Magazine's upcoming October 25 issue that will include a unique new album that includes various artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Patti Smith, Depeche Mode, The Killers, Damien Rice, and Jack White who will cover songs from U2's Achtung Baby. This is in part a celebration of Q-Magazine's 25th birthday and the 20th anniversary of U2's landmark album Achtung Baby. The full track listing for AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered is as follows:

1. Nine Inch Nails - Zoo Station
2. U2 (Jacques Lu Cont Mix) - Even Better Than The Real Thing
3. Damien Rice - One
4. Patti Smith - Until The End Of The World
5. Garbage - Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
6. Depeche Mode - So Cruel
7. Snow Patrol - Mysterious Ways
8. The Fray - Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World
9. Gavin Friday - The Fly
10. The Killers - Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
11. Glasvegas - Acrobat
12. Jack White - Love Is Blindness

To order this issue of Q-Magazine with the AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered CD , visit U2.com's Official Store.

360° Tour Review: Part 4 - South Africa and Latin America

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:54:00 +0000

Fifth Leg: South Africa

Going to the Johannesburg and Cape Town shows was tempting, but they were simply too soon after Australia, so I was not able to attend. I couldn’t justify spending a heap of money after a month being in Australia, to have to travel almost 16,000 kilometers and see only two shows, and not have the available time to visit South Africa in depth as it deserved. I was starting to teach a university course at that time and I needed to accrue more vacation time for my trip to Brazil in March. Needless to say, I was still excited about the shows for our friends in South Africa and knew that it wouldn’t be long before I rejoined the tour.

By this time, my GA Guide started to gain a little more notoriety. This was a consequence of all the questions fans had been Googling over the course of the tour and finding my site as a result. Prior to the start of the 5th leg, I was contacted by Greg, a writer from South Africa, who found my GA guide and wanted to interview me to help the fans in his country understand what to expect in the queue. In his article, “The Inner Workings of the U2 360 Inner Circle,” he had exposed my guide to a wider audience, helping de-mystify the queue experience. It was good to read some responses, proving that his article was helpful. As commented by Michelle, “So all this means that it’s no use paying top price for best tickets you still won’t get best view of show as cheapass ticket holders. I won’t bother buying high priced tickets anymore, clearly low tickets holders get the best. I wish should have known but hey it’s neva too late to learn new tricks. ”

The concerts had a slight, but effective change. Instead of introducing the band with the Return of the Stingray Guitar, the crowd was treated to a funky remix of Get On Your Boots (featuring the Soweto Gospel Choir). While this song was featured during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and was rather appropriate to be played in Johannesburg and Cape Town. In Joh-berg, U2 invited legendary trumpeter Hugh Masekela to perform with them during I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. Additionally, U2 commemorated Nelson Mandela’s 21st anniversary of his first public rally after being released from Robben Island’s prison with a video montage during Pride (In The Name Of Love). It was around this time that the Arab Spring political phenomenon was starting to gather pace, particularly in the north African countries of Tunisia (18 Dec 2010), Algeria (28 Dec 2010), Egypt (25 Jan 2011), and Libya (17 Feb 2011) and the middle eastern countries of Syria (26 Jan 2011), Yemen (3 Feb 2011), and Bahrain (14 Feb 2011). Referencing these social movements and protests, the video screen flickered images of Egypt and Tunisia during Sunday Bloody Sunday, adding to montages of Iran’s Green Revolution.

On a side note, it was announced around this time that renewed U2.com membership subscriptions would be rewarded with a “new” CD called U2 Duals that featured many of the duets U2 had performed with various artists such One with Mary J. Blige and The Wanderer with Johnny Cash. Many U2 fans pointed out quite astutely that these songs were not in fact new but simply re-releases of previously recorded material available from current sources. The argument ran that for the amount of money being paid for a membership, there was little value in the CD and also from the content found in the U2.com website. Some felt that U2 fans sites had better content than that on U2.com. Others were more caustic and accused U2’s management companies for ripping off fans. Some solutions offered were a better fanclub CD similar to previous releases like Melon: Remixes for Propaganda, a free t-shirt like the U2 Go Home: Slane Castle sent out in 2008, and better online content offered through u2.com. I’m not sure if this was a direct response to the flurry of criticism, but U2 announced that they would stream the Cape Town concert live for those who were u2.com members. I was really pleased by this announcement, and felt U2 could do more of this (they continued to do so twice more on tour – Sao Paulo III and Montreal II). I was able to record the stream and post it on my website for those who were unable to listen to the concert live.

It was an amazing show. Dubbed the “Princess of Africa,” South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka performed I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and a full version of Stand By Me with U2. Prior to City of Blinding Lights, I heard a low-level beat and chime that was hard to distinguish. As it got louder, my spine tingled when I realized it was Fez – Being Born! Sure, it was only a recorded version, but it was refreshing to hear something different. I love Fez – Being Born because listening to it transports be back in time to the summer of 2008 when I visited Morocco. The lyrics parallel that journey I took to get there from Tarifa, Spain to Tangiers, Morocco: “Bay of Cadiz and ferry home / Atlantic sea, cut glass / African sun at last.” Soon after, the famous Zooropan line, “What do you want,” repeated before City of Blinding Lights changed the mood from confusion into exhilaration. Hearing this line from Zooropa was rather prescient since it wouldn’t be too long before we heard this dystopian gem two months later in Sao Paulo.

Sixth Leg: Latin America – Sao Paulo (X3) and Mexico City (X3)

The decision to go to South America came to fruition after talking to my friend Jana (Sao Paulo) at the Perth, Australia shows. However, the seed to go to the southern hemisphere was planted well before hand. After the Vertigo Tour, I wanted to expand my U2 concert experiences beyond that of North America and Europe. I was enthralled by the bootleg video of Buenos Aires and the crowd noise of Sao Paulo, especially their chanting prior to One. The U23D movie was also captivating. It was filmed in different locations – Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Melbourne (strangely enough). Seeing the intense crowds in 3D on the IMAX screen was enough to capture my imagination and set out the goal of going to that part of the world. After having seen U2 in Latin America, I can say without any hesitation, it was an unparallel and amazing concert experience, a must for any die-hard U2 fan.

Sao Paulo was supposed to be the last city on the 360° Tour, but because of Bono’s broken back and subsequent tour postponement, I arrived in Sao Paulo on April 9, 2011. My friend Cathal and Jana’s brother Antonio picked me up at the airport. I can’t tell you how excited I was to leave Edmonton’s cold and arrive in the urban heat of Brazil, let alone to be there to see U2! I landed the day of the show – uncharacteristically late – but I had to finish teaching my university course before being available to travel. I knew that people were already lining up a week ahead of time, and simply couldn’t get there any earlier. I headed to Antonio’s loft to meet up with Martijn and get ready for that evening’s show at Estadio Morumbi. The traffic can be maddening in Sao Paulo, but we got there around 1PM and was really happy to see Jana again (as I hadn’t seen her since Perth), and her friend Colleen from New Jersey but lives in Vermont now. Colleen and I would later become good friends on the tour and I owe it all to the 10,000 kilometer journey to the south.

All three of us – Martijn, Jana, and Colleen – sought out Amp who was already at Estadio Morumbi and wanted to meet up with him. I recognized Amp from several North American shows before. I first saw Amp when he made it up on stage during a hilarious With Or Without You at Madison Square Gardens in New York during the Vertigo Tour. Bono had grown frustrated at the first two women (two of the three “sisters”) who were unable to concentrate while on stage. Bono then pulled up Amp near the end of With Or Without You, much to the crowd’s delight. Although I recognized him, I didn’t really know him prior to Brazil. With all of us together, notwithstanding Nick (San Francisco) who was camped out for a week in the queue with Brazilians, we were pretty much the international contingent of fans. I didn’t see the regular faces I saw in Europe or North America. It felt quite nice to be one of the few travelling fans in Brazil.

Martijn departed to meet up with Cathal in the seats, and it was Amp and I left out of the group to find our gate and queue for general admission. When I say that Latin American U2 fans are passionate, you really need to see it to believe it. By about 2PM there were three different lines for the GA, and each line had about 8,000 to 10,000 fans each! Amp and I were astonished at how many people showed up at that time. By the time we got to the end of our line, we knew very well that we’d be at the back enjoying the show near the soundboard. When we got onto the large pitch, we found an open spot near the back along a median rail and parked ourselves on the floor for the wait before Muse came on. We were still fairly exhausted from our long trips from North America that it was easy to nap on the floor while we waited for the opening act - Muse – to come on.

I liked Muse before, but loved them after seeing their show live. They had the stadium lights off for the performance, and good light show, and songs like Uprising, Resistance, Supermassive Black Hole, Uprising, and Knights of Cydonia were absolute stadium rockers. I enjoyed their show whether I was at the back near the soundboard, or at when I was front row centre. Muse had an energy about them that is infectious when in concert regardless of where you are in the stadium. I was glad I had the privilege to have seen them on the U2360° Tour.

Before U2 came on, there was plenty of festive music being played over the PA system. When it was nearing 9PM, the sound system’s level increased (prompting the eminent arrival of U2) and the samba music was pulsating wildly through the air. Even though it did start to rain, that did not dampen anyone’s spirits. Everyone around me started singing and dancing along and I couldn’t help but join in. This was a scene you would not see in North America (except Mexico City) – a stadium full of people hypnotically grooving along to their music just before an Irish band come up on stage. Such a unique cultural experience was exactly why I wanted to travel to Latin America, to be able to see my favourite band in a completely different context. Europe prepared me to be able to appreciate such differences. Enjoying a U2 show in Scandinavia, Germany, Ireland, Spain, or Italy can contrast completely because of the crowd and cultural references made during the show. Going to Brazil took this appreciation to a different level.

Although Amp and I were at the back near the soundboard, we still had a great time at the show. We couldn’t believe we were actually there, and just enjoyed the moment. We knew we had two more concerts in Brazil, so there was no pressure to feel that the first show had to be perfect. Julian Lennon was in the crowd, and Bono led everyone to sing Happy Birthday to him. In South America, Bono started the custom of bringing a girl on stage just before Beautiful Day to recite a poem in Spanish (or in Brazil’s case, recite in Portuguese). That night, a fan was brought up and spoke some lines from a poem called 'Carinhoso’. When Bono carried this tradition forward at the started of North America, it didn’t have the same kind of romanticism or mystique when the girl(s) recite the poem in English. I found it far more alluring when a Spanish or Portuguese poem was spoken just before Beautiful Day. I loved hearing Fez-Being born being played just before City of Blinding Lights. Although it was a recorded version, it was pleasant to be taken back to memories of my trip to Morocco in 2008 through that song.

Unsurprisingly, Bono dedicated Moment of Surrender to the recent victims of a school shooting in Rio de Janeiro. It was a horrific event, but it was touching that U2 honoured their lives during the show, thereby creating a strong emotional bond with the fans by displaying the victims’ names on the screen while the song was being performed. I couldn’t help but tear up. School shootings and so tragic, especially when young children are killed, and should never happen. Over time, I’ve come to find that U2 concerts can be a highly joyous or a very cathartic event.

After the show, I was prepared to find the line and make an attempt to get to the front rails for the second show. While waiting for everyone else, Cathal and I were pretty famished and saw some street vendors selling BBQ meat. It smelled rather appetizing, and considering our hunger, we decided to spring a few Reals on the BBQ. When we bit into it, Cathal and I quizzed each other as to what the meat could be. It didn’t taste like chicken, beef, or pork. Was it the way they marinated the meat? Was it the process of BBQing that masked the taste? When Jana saw us eating the BBQ meat on the stick, she quickly asked us where we bought it. We pointed to the smokey air in the distance, and she responded, “It’s probably cat.” My stomach churned. I needed something to drink. Jana might have been joking, but she made a good point about the mystery meat. Estadio Morumbi sat beside a big slum in Sao Paulo. These were people without a lot of money selling meat on an open grill. Buying fresh chicken, beef, or pork might be expensive. I saw a few cats around Estadio Morumbi, but not a lot. I’d consider myself a foodie and cosmopolitan diner, but this was something new to me.

By the time we met up with Jana, Colleen, Martijn, and Cathal, it was pouring heavy rain. Although I had my survival bag to try to stay dry, no one else was up to camping out that night. Plus, it was hard to figure where the lines started and ended through the mist of the rain. Other Brazilian fans had tents pitched, and I was in no way prepared for such torrential rainfall. In the end, we caught a cab back to Vila Madalena – the bohemian neighbourhood where Jana and Antonio had their lofts and where we stayed. We decided to get some beer and pizza before a much needed rest. We would repeat what we did that first night, of just coming mid day and enjoy the show at the back.

For the second show, we were able to score “VIP” platform wristbands in order to enjoy the show on a raised platform at the back in order to have an unobstructed view of the stage. Don’t ask me how we got them, some secrets are better off left not said. When I thought the first show was outstanding, the second night was truly a real gem. With that evening’s show, the 360° Tour became the highest-grossing tour of all-time, surpassing the $558 million that the Rolling Stones' 'A Bigger Bang' tour garnished between 2005 and 2007. I felt privileged to be a part of that historical moment for the band.

The festive atmosphere was still in the air, and we were dancing along just before the guitar strums of Space Oddity played. The other ‘VIP’ people around us were not as enthusiastic as us, but that was understandable. They had no idea to what lengths we had gone through to see U2. Regardless, I was happy to be with Jana, Colleen, Martijn, and Amp for the show. There were two treats to this show. The first was hearing Out of Control. Out of Control had not been played the closing show of the Vertigo Tour in Honolulu - December 4, 2006. It was a real riot to hear that old song played right after Even Better Than The Real Thing. We knew things were going to go off that night.

Another major treat, and to my surprise, was the appearance of Zooropa! U2 had sound checked it several times, but similar to previous teasers like Drowning Man, I remained skeptical whether they’d play it or not. While the screen was going down after Miss Sarajevo, my ears focused in on the opening chords to hear what was to be played. Was it going to be Fez – Being Born? No. Faintly hearing the electronica-cyberpunk echoes of Edge’s 1968 Gretsch Country Gent and use of his SuperTron pickup, the song immediately registered as the much-in-demand and elusive 1993 track – Zooropa. We didn’t need any alcohol, but we were drunk over Zooropa’s re-emergence as the chords and lyrics washed us over. It had only been played three times before – August 8, 1993 (Glasgow), August 11 and 12, 1993 (London). Apparently ‘Zooropa’ trended on Twitter that night – an indication of the global following U2 has and how much we were salivating after knowing U2 dusted off this beautiful song and called us to “Dream out loud…” I was in heaven. As the show closed, Moment of Surrender was dedicated once again to the children who were murdered in Rio de Janeiro just a few days earlier. We walked away from the show elated at what we witnessed. It was my 21st show of the 360° Tour, but I still remained in awe at the spectacle and quality of performance. Inspired for the third and last show in Brazil, I was geared up to get back to my spiritual home of a U2 concert – front-row-centre.

If you haven’t been to a show in Latin America, the first thing you’ll notice is that fans will queue up for more than a week. It’s expected and part of the norm. My friend Nick had got to Sao Paulo much earlier than I did and was able to get to the line early and make it to the front. Considering the odds, waiting for the third night was far more time-effective to get to the rails. After the second show, we had three days to get ready for the third and last concert. Amp and I decided on resting the next day to recharge and prepare for a two-night stay in the queue. I had my survival bag with me to keep me dry from the elements. We were able to step away from the queue to grab food and coffee. During those two days, the rain was relentless, and we sheltered ourselves in the Starbucks that was about a 10- minute walk away from the Stadium.

At the time, I had no idea the third Sao Paulo show would be an epic one. Despite lining up for two nights, I still didn’t have a GA ticket. I walked down the queues with a sign in Portuguese asking for help with a ticket, but only the scalpers were willing to sell to me at double the face value. The morning of the show, Martijn got a call from our friend Flavia (Argentina) who said she ran into Dallas Schoo and was happy to give her and a guest a tour of the “underground” part of the stage and tickets in the Red Zone. Martijn presumed the guest invite was for him, and was willing to give me his GA ticket since he didn’t need it. It was about noon, and I was relieved I had a ticket. I was number 46 at my gate (there were two other gates for the GA). Jana and Colleen were able to get into the pit earlier and were planning on meeting us there if everything goes well.

At about 3PM, the gates opened up, and I quickly made my way through security and the ticket scan. We then had to run the entire length of the stadium hallway to the back of the field (by that time, I passed all 45 people in front of me), and then run the gauntlet of barricades to get into the pit. I made it in first among all the people lined up at the three gates and loved seeing the surprised faces of Jana and Colleen who were amazed I was first in at a Brazil show – notorious for its crazy GA entry. We saved a spot for Amp and all four of us occupied our favoured front-row- centre – mission accomplished. While waiting for Muse to come on, we noticed some people on stage. At first it was Dallas, and then around the corner, Flavia and Martijn came out and waved ecstatically at us! We were so happy everything worked out for them – for all of us really. The concert hadn’t even started, but we were already having a great time.

We were informed on Twitter and from others that that evening’s show was going to be broadcast live for members of U2.com. I was happy that a good recording would be available for that concert. One of my favourite moments was seeing legendary Samba singer Seu Jorge play Kraftwerk’s Das Model with Bono and the Edge. It made the 60,000+ Estadio Morumbi feel like a club. We sang along and drifted into its groovy hypnotic strums.

Prior to Beautiful Day, Bono brought up Jana to recite Beautiful Day in Portuguese. It was touching to see one of our friends up there again and add to the magic of the show. After Miss Sarajevo, we were hoping and anticipating that Zooropa would not be a one-off and were delighted to hear the opening chords to this dystopian song of the future. Half the time, I closed my eyes as I danced and sung to Zooropa, a real pleasure to hear and see live up close. Because the screen covers have the band, and the spotlights off, you can only see the band when you are near the front. Seeing Bono swing to the beats and the rest of the band entranced to the music makes being up front worthwhile. Up to this point, Zooropa had only been played five times in live concert history. Since Brazil, Zooropa had become my favourite song on the entire tour.

I look back at the Sao Paulo shows with extreme fondness. The friends I was with in Brazil had positive things to say about their experiences in Chile and Argentina. Without a shadow of a doubt, I will make it my mission to see U2 in those countries on the next tour to complete my South American experience. In lieu of that, I was happy to extend my Latin American journey to Mexico City, Mexico.

Having learned my lesson in Brazil, I decided on getting into Mexico City early enough to account for the long queues. I flew in to the capital on May 7, five nights before the first show in Estadio Azteca – the biggest venue on the tour that holds approximately 111,000 fans per show. I met with my friend Pat (Arkansas) the night I flew in. We had a quick dinner and decided we needed to make our way to the stadium to being lining up. Knowing I’d be there for a few days, I packed with me more than a survival bag. I had a tent and inflatable mattress to prepare for the long wait. By the time we got there, we were number 293 and 294 in the queue. Those at the front arrived ten days before the show. The security was tight, and I was pleased it was. Before entering the stadium grounds, you needed to have your ticket scanned, assigned a numbered wristband by security, have your ticket numbered according to the number on your wristband, and go through a bag check. I felt safe behind the stadium gates with security looking after us. We were able to leave for an afternoon or evening to get food or do sightseeing, but had to go through a ticket scan upon exit. We made a lot of friends in line, one of whom, Jorge (San Fran), Fer (Mexico City), and Drew (Philly), I had later become close with further on in the North American leg. Amp also made it in for the first show. The Mexican fans were a lot of fun to hang out with, and made my stay enjoyable. It was hot and hazy, but the company made the queue worthwhile.

Contrary to my visions of a wild run into the venue, we were split up into groups of one hundred escorted into the pit by security. I can see why the venue wanted to avoid a stampede. The long 300-meter corridor tunnel onto the pitch was at about a 30-degree angle. Any trips or falls in a stampede could lead to some serious injuries. Nevertheless, it was still fun to walk down the hall, chanting, “Ole, ole, ole, ole… U2… U2…” Luckily for our group, we made it to the rails far side in front of The Edge. Snow Patrol was the opening act for Mexico City. It was a spine-tingling experience to walk down the halls of Azteca, seeing all the crests of teams that played there in the past, and sing at full blast along with the Mexican fans.

I hadn’t seen Snow Patrol open for U2 since the Chicago shows in 2009 and was happy to see them live again. They rank up there for me insofar as U2 opening acts go because of their energy, attempts to get the crowd involved, and stadium rocking songs like Run, Chasing Cars, and Open Your Eyes. Gary Lightbody was a Manchester United fan, and celebrated their EPL title win by wearing a Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez Mexican national team jersey. Chicharito played for Club Deportivo Guadalajara (aka Chivas) in the Primera División de México before moving on to Manchester United. Wearing Chicharito's jersey clearly won the crowd over.

Prior to U2 coming in stage, the stadium erupted when the PA system started playing the Mariachi song Cielito Lindo. Similar to Brazil, everyone started to sing and dance to the song, adding to the local Mexican flavour of a U2 concert. I have to stress, being in this kind of festive environment is like nothing else I had experienced outside of Latin America. Added by the fact the food being sold on the floor by vendors was really inexpensive and tasty – such as soups, soft tacos, and fresh fruit with chili pepper. Moreover, the crowd in Mexico City (with the aid of the largest venue on tour) is the loudest in the world. Cathal, who had seen over 80 shows in every city on this tour and usually sits in the cheap seats, can attest that the Mexican fans scream at lung-bursting levels for the entire duration of the show and are in deed the loudest on tour. For these reasons alone, I’d be happy to go back to Mexico to be a part of this celebratory, collective mood.

The energy was electrifying amongst the crowd when U2 came out on stage. The familiar songs of Even Better Than The Real Thing, I Will Follow, and Get On Your Boots opened the show. What followed was a slight change that I really liked. Bono began by repeatedly chanting, “Uh oh oh…” Then a trance-like intro to Magnificent shimmered with the voice of Desmond Tutu reflecting on the interconnectedness of the human spirit, “None of us can be human by ourselves. I cannot believe without you. But you cannot be you without me. I know you can understand this.” For us die-hards, the smallest alteration in a set list was always welcomed because it introduced some variance, something unknown. The visual to Magnificent changed too, starting with a rotating globe showing what appears t be flight patterns between cities and a ghostly image o Desmond Tutu. It really struck a deep chord within me because it reminded me of the wide range of travels I had undertaken over the past few years as a matter of self-discovery. I cannot be who I am today without those I encountered on my journeys.

Since it was just Bono’s 51st birthday two days prior, the crowd spontaneously sang Happy Birthday just before I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. Edge continued to lead the crowd in the celebration. Prior to Beautiful Day, Bono once again invited a female fan to recite a poem. For the first night, a poem by Mexican writer Nezahualcoyotl was read aloud, which added to the anticipation of this popular song. Keeping to their political advocacy and messaging during a show, Bono referred to the hypocrisy of United States media and governments for continually talking about the drug problems associated with Mexico but conveniently failing to mention the number of guns illegally smuggled from the US that has fueled the bloodshed in Mexico. Such harsh criticism of the US never appears, obviously, when U2 tour the States, but does find a receptive audience south of the border.

After the show, we were told by security that we were not able to camp out and had to return Friday night if we wanted to begin queuing up for the Saturday concert. With that said, we returned to the hotel for much needed rest. Brad (San Fran) arrived Friday morning to meet up with us for the last two shows in Mexico City. Pat, Jorge, and myself linked up with Brad around noon Friday. Despite the calls from stadium security that we weren’t supposed to come to the venue until the evening, there were already hundreds of people queued up for the Saturday show. I ended up being number 463 in line and we were let onto the stadium grounds to pitch our tents and prepare for a day in the searing sun. Although I knew Brad from a few shows before on this tour, I didn’t get to really know him until Mexico City and since then, we’ve become good friends. We shared a lot of traveling commonalities and had the same backpacker mentality. I thought I was the ultimate minimalist when it came to the line, but Brad takes the prize. He only brought with him a small school bag with a change of clothes, a few toiletries, and his tickets. He made due with sleeping on the ground. I was impressed. Early next morning, Pat and Jorge took all our belongings back to the hotel and I just kept with me my tickets and a survival bag to sleep in later that night.

Considering the fact that we were in the 400s in the line, we were content on watching the show front-row-centre outside rails. It was my first time out there on this tour, and wasn’t a bad spot to watch the concert. There were a few treats that evening. Out of Control was played for only the second time on this tour – having last heard it in Sao Paulo. Desire made its ninth appearance on tour. The last time I heard it was the last show in 2010 in Perth on December 19. It’s a great stadium song to play, particularly in Azteca with 111,000 people chanting “Desire… Desire… Desire…” It reminded me of being back at the very first show of 360° in Barcelona with the same kind of spine-tingling sing-along to this Rattle and Hum classic. We were also treated to Stay (Faraway, So Close!), which up until that point, was only played a handful of times and was last played on September 24, 2009 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Of course, Stay had since become a regular on the set list of for the remainder of the North American leg. Observing the show along the front of the outer rails can be a real positive experience because you get to see the full spectacle of the screen and light show. As well you get to see the band up close, and can be a lot of fun during I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.

After the concert, Pat and Jorge were too tired to line up again, so it was just Brad and I remaining from the group. We ended up being numbers 70 and 71 in line. I didn’t have my tent, but at least I had my survival bag to sleep in and keep myself dry from the drizzle. Brad, the minimalist that he was, searched throughout the stadium grounds to find material to use for sleep. He found a cardboard box and some plastic bags to cover him and keep dry. We found our stash of granola bars and Gatorade to feed us for the day. We had our provisions in plastic bag and hid it under the concrete mural blocks. The Mexicans thought it was amusing, but we were happy we had something to consume after the concert and for the last day in line. The next morning, we were aching from the rough sleep and had to endure another twelve hours in the hot sun. We had no time to go back to the hotel to shower, change, and get proper food like we normally would at other concerts. We just had to push on through. I have to confess, those back-to-back concerts for Mexico City (without leaving the line at all) was the toughest queue in my life. Brad concurred, and he’s a GA veteran too. I’m glad I went through the Mexican queue experience because it made me stronger and realize the luxuries Europeans and North Americans have insofar as being to leave the line to get food and to refresh. In Mexico, it was a tale of personal perseverance.

In the end, the sacrifice paid off. We ended up being front-row-centre. Although security walked us to the pit entrance, we ran like mad inside the pit to get to the front. It was a good thing we did because the third show was special. We got New Year’s Day, which set the crowd on fire. We then got a full version of All I Want Is You, which had only been played twice earlier on tour, and then Love Rescue Me. I was lucky to have heard Love Rescue Me on the 360° Tour in Sydney and Perth, and listened to it for the third time in Mexico City. It’s rarities like these that make seeing multiple shows worthwhile. During Vertigo, much to my surprise, a female fan actually made it up on stage running and almost grabbed a hold of Bono. This was the first time I had seen such an incident in all my U2 travels, but security were remarkably fast in intercepting her before getting Bono. It all happened so quickly. Prior to Where the Streets Have No Name, Bono sung a bit of Radiohead’s High and Dry – one of my favourite songs by this alternative rock band.

At the end of the show, Brad and I were highly satisfied with our endurance and the quality of the show, but we were absolutely knackered. We met up with Cathal and got some food at La Casa de Toño. We said goodbye to Cathal afterward, went back to the hotel to link up with Pat and Jorge (they looked well rested after skipping the third Mexico City show), got ready and left for the airport for our early morning flights. There was no rest for the meek. I caught up on a little bit of sleep on the plane and eventually made it back to my home in Edmonton and then went straight to work. It was a whirlwind trip, but seeing U2 in Latin America fundamentally altered my perception, expectation, and endurance in a queue. After doing a week in the Mexican lines, the one to two day queues in the USA and Canada seemed peanuts in comparison. The U2 tour was entering its final phase of the tour, and in a strange way, I was looking forward to it ending. Since 2009 and up until Mexico City, I had seen 25 shows on four different continents on the 360° Tour, with another eight concerts to see in the US and Canada. I needed closure and enter a different phase in my life. The Vertigo Tour marked the days of my Masters degree, and the 360° Tour delineates the tail end of my PhD life. It was time to move on. The last hurrah was just around the corner.

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I will complete this series with U2 360° Tour Review: Part 5 - North America in my next blog posting.

Update Delays

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:11:00 +0000

Sorry everyone for the delay in posting my updates. I had a pretty bad soccer injury the other week. I had a tibial plateau fracture (displaced) which required surgery on my left leg (metal plate and seven screws) and week-long hospitalization. It has been pretty hard to spend time writing and concentrating due to the pain and discomfort associated with such a joint break. I'm only now getting my life together again and the blog has to wait a bit. Stay tuned.

360° Tour Review: Part 3 - Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 02:15:00 +0000

Fourth Leg: Australasia - Sydney (X2) and Perth (X2)

Having been starved of seeing U2 for most of 2010, I was excited about finally going to Australia in December – my winter and their summer. Edmonton (where I live) can get very cold during that time, and I was happy to get away for a month to somewhere much warmer. It was an extremely busy fall term, and getting some travels in there couldn't have come any sooner. It was too early for me to leave work for my vacation and make it to New Zealand for the Auckland shows, so I had to delay my trip a little bit. I had never been to Australia before and to be able to see the last four U2 shows of 2010 in Sydney and Perth made the wait worthwhile. Before flying to Sydney, I dropped by Honolulu, Hawaii to visit my cousin and her family. The two day stop over was nice to break up the long flight and a good way to decompress from a very busy autumn.

I got into Sydney on December 10, 2010 – three days before the first show. I was able to hang out with my relatives who I was to spend Christmas and New Year’s after the concerts. My aunt seemed perplexed that I needed to leave for ANZ Stadium a day before the show, and even more confused when I said that I was going to do this for two shows back-to-back, and again in Perth on the other side of the country. I informed her that I wanted to line up so I could get a good spot on the floor since it was first-come-first-serve, and that I was going to make some new friends. It’s hard to explain to others why we queue up and see multiple shows unless they’ve been to a U2 concert through the GA before. For me, it has been about the community of other traveling fans that I’m a part of, and the desire to be reconnected with them. Although I was going to the shows by myself, and had no idea who would be in the line, I was confident that there would be people I could befriend.

Thinking back on it now, I will always remember Australia for its laid back queue and easy going nature of their fans. In Europe, there were language barriers that made it more challenging to understand what was going on in the line. In North America, there seemed to be a tinge of hyper-competitiveness in the queue, making the wait even more nerve-racking. Down under, I have to admit, it was refreshing not being able to recognize too many faces. It's not that I didn't want their company, far from it. In reality, meeting brand new people was like I was starting the tour all over again, and was an opportunity to make new friends from another part of the world.

The days in Sydney were characterized by a scorching sun and relentless heat, and I actually got skin burned which was rare. We had the luxury of full washrooms with running water and hand dryers (not the usual port-a-potties). There were a lot of food stands set up, and McDonalds and Starbucks nearby, so getting a quick bite to eat was convenient. At the predictable time of 5PM, we were let into the stadium and it was a full-on run to the pit. Although I had not been to a U2 show since October 29, 2009 in Vancouver, I still remembered clear as day how to get to the pit efficiently. I was lucky to make it back to front row centre again and be at my preferred spot. As mentioned before, I like being at the front because I could take some good photos and see the band’s banter and performance without an obstructed view.

Rapper Jay-Z was the concert opener for the New Zealand / Australia leg of the tour. As mentioned previously, I grew up with rap and hip-hop and I was excited to see Jay-Z. Before coming to Australia, I watched his performance on YouTube from the Auckland show, and I was pumped to see him live. Of course, having Jay-Z as the opening act was going to split opinion among rock fans, but I appreciated his effort in getting fans ready for the show. Songs like Run the Town (“Everybody bounce, come on bounce, come on bounce…”), Empire State of the Mind, Dirt Off Your Shoulders, Big Pimpin’, Young Forever, and Numb Encore were recognizable hits that got the crowd… well, bouncing!

Although I had heard it several times from the 2010 European bootlegs, this was my first chance to hear and see the introductory song - Return of the Stingray Guitar. It was a really great opener because Bono would navigate the outer circle catwalk, which got the crowd going before the jump into Beautiful Day. Each U2 concert seems to borrow a hue of the city to help illuminate the show. Bono will always make some reference to the happenings of what is going on locally to make the show more relevant to the hometown crowd. Oprah was in Sydney to film her show, and it was unsurprising that Bono mentioned the Chicago native several times and referenced her audience who were attending the gig. Oprah seems universally loved, and the crowd went bonkers when they heard she was there.

Although the band sound checked a full version of Love Rescue Me, we had to wait another night before we heard this rare song.However, we were treated to Bad – a song that is seemingly treasured whenever it is performed – along with an add-on snippet of INXS’ Never Tear Us Apart. Bad had only been performed ten times earlier on this tour, and would only be played twice more after Sydney. It was always a treat to hear this epic song.

U2 also performed a bit of Bob Geldof’s Do They Know It’s Christmas to acknowledge the festive season and his presence in the audience. For a Canadian to be somewhere hot during December was profound, and to be at a U2 concert where there were many references to the Christmas holidays was remarkable. After Moment of Surrender, I was able to get Bono’s set list from Phil (Bono’s tech) who was surprised to see me back on tour as it had been a while. It was nice of him to pass on the set list as a souvenir of the show.

After the show, it was an easy exit and return to the queue. There were fans that did not go to the first Sydney show, but had started the line for the second one. I was number 21 – not bad compared to North American back-to-back shows where the lines are so much longer for the second night. There was no stress from having to run back to the queue and compete with others to get a high number. There was no jockeying for position as is usually the case in North American lines. After getting my number, I met up with my friends, reclaimed my pool mattress that I hid in a concrete block earlier that day, and went to sleep. It was easy to fall asleep despite the noise – sheer exhaustion has its benefits. The next day, I got ready for the show and was prepared for another memorable night.

The second Sydney concert featured a full version of All I Want Is You, which was last played at the closing show of the Vertigo Tour in Honolulu on December 9, 2006. After, U2 finally broke into Love Rescue Me. We had heard it in sound check, and was great to see this song of lamentation and doubt. Love Rescue Me had not been played live since January 10, 1990 – almost 20 years ago – during the Lovetown Tour. It was evident that the band was struggling a bit with this song, but we appreciated their effort and inclusion of such a rarity. We were also gifted with a It was no surprise to hear these Rattle and Hum gems in Australia, for it was here where the Lovetown Tour began, a continent where U2 wanted to have a change of environment before they went away and dreamed it up all again.

After the Sydney shows, I left for Perth, Western Australia for the remaining two shows of 2010. I found Perth to be a lovely ocean side city. It wasn't a massive metropolis as Sydney was, but quite the opposite. My accommodation was a five minute walk to the tram station, and another ten minute ride to the concert venue. Perth was the furthest city away from home for me (9,600 miles / 15,444 kilometers). Because Perth was the remotest city from most die-hard U2 fans I knew, there were very few people in line. I got to Subiaco Oval the morning before the show expecting to see a queue formed, but I couldn’t find anyone.

So I left to Cottosloe beach to swim and sunbath. I absolutely loved that open, expansive, quiet beach that was easily accessible by tram. While lying on the beach in the late afternoon, I got a text from my friend Cathal informing me that the line had started already. I made my way to Subiaco and was only number 10 in line.

Some friends I met in Sydney made it to Perth – Shannon (Perth), Daniel and Simon (Perth), Chris (Sydney), Kara (Adelaide), Martijn (Netherlands) Marty (UK) and Jana (Sao Paulo). Steve, Djundi, Wendy, Emily and Wayne were new friends I had made while waiting at the easy-going Perth queues, and it was good to see Jillana (one of the famous ‘Three Sisters’) there too. There was a big grocery store and many restaurants near the Oval, so getting provisions was an easy task. Although Perth can get as hot as 35°C during the day, it can get fairly cold at night because of the wind coming off the ocean. The first night I slept in the queue, I was freezing, which made it a very uncomfortable sleep. The second night, Simon was kind enough to lend me his sleeping bag as he opted to crash at home for the night. The sleeping bag saved my life! U2 friends are the best.

Speaking of friends, I had seen Jana in the Sydney queues and she made it up on stage for In A Little While for its first show. I didn’t get a chance to really chat with her until we were in the pit for Perth II. Upon chatting with my mates along the front rail, I sat down beside her and made a new friend. I was really impressed that she started a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) in Africa that worked toward reintegrating former child soldiers into society. Jana started this initiative at the grass roots level and the commitment to such a cause was something worth noting. I asked if she had spoken to Bono about this project, and she said yes, when they crossed paths at the Brisbane concert earlier in the month.

I spoke about my doctoral studies, and my work with a NGO in Edmonton that researches social policy issues like poverty reduction, homelessness, housing, health, etc. It’s amazing whenever we met people in the queue who have similar interests and becomes friends after. Colleen, another friend I met through Jana, was initially inspired to form an Amnesty International group at her school in New Jersey, went on to the field of Russian Studies, and continued to do some amazing work with Amnesty International while in the Soviet Union during the 1980s. All of my U2 friends had met as equals, as fans that are passionate for the music, but as we get to know each other, a variety of lives and backgrounds are revealed.

Getting to know Jana started a thread of new meetings that eventually wove into a network of great U2 friends. She invited all who could make the trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil for the three shows there. Martijn and I made it down to South America, and some of their friends made the trip too – Amp (NY), Flavia (Buenos Aires), Colleen (Vermont) and Nick and Brad (California - who I had known previously). I got to hang out with Amp quite a bit while in Sao Paulo, and I convinced him to come to the first Mexico City show to meet up with Pat (Arkansas). While at the Mexico queues, Pat introduced us to his friends Jorge (San Fran) and Drew (Philly) and we all hung out together.

Throughout the rest of North America, this growing group of GA gypsies met up at various cities and helped each other out with tickets, accommodation, transport, and food. By the time we reached Moncton, the majority of us were together, but had a bittersweet end to the tour. We were forming strong bonds, but the end came too soon. Before getting to know them, I often drifted comfortably on my own from show to show. Yet these were the friends I came to rely on and looked forward to throughout the last leg of 360°. These special friendships formed with this group would not have happened had I not sat down with Jana at Perth II with the invitation to come down to Brazil.

Getting back to Perth, the shows themselves were special (but weren’t they all?). The last time U2 played in Perth was on February 17, 1998 during the Popmart Tour. At Perth II, U2 played Love Rescue Me and All I Want Is You again. There was a palatable Christmas / year-end mood in the air given that the holiday was only 6 days away. Bono sang a bit of John Lennon’s Happy Christmas (War Is Over) which was an epic stadium sing-along. It was also great to hear Desire which I hadn’t heard for a while, not since Europe 2009.

The one moment that really stood out was Bono’s speech before I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, “Happy Christmas and may 2011 bring you all you want it to bring. And for all those important journeys, our prayer is that you don’t get there too quickly.” I remember tearing up as he spoke those words because it struck a deep chord within me. I was away from my family during Christmas for the first time in my life. I was literally half way around the world, and I missed them and my hometown friends dearly. Also, flashes of my past backpacking journeys in some difficult places and the challenging road of my PhD were on my mind. Bono illustrated an important point that maybe there is virtue in the struggle itself -- that the long journeys are the ones that have the greatest value. The drawback of going to so many shows is that it is easy to lose the spontaneous excitement associated with going to your first concert. However, it was a special moment like that which made the show outstanding for me.

Near the end of the show, a very loud Irish fan beside me kept yelling to Bono to sing Party Girl in lieu of the festive spirit. Bono turned to the Edge and he shrugged his shoulder and wasn’t sure. To get a decisive call, Bono looked at Larry and he scowled and wagged his head “No”. Always the diplomat, Bono didn’t ask the band to play a full version of Party Girl and instead sung an a capella version. This is very telling – you know you who wears the pants in the band – it’s Larry! Since then, I discount any pronouncements made by Bono of any new U2 albums or songs coming out. If you want the real deal, ask Larry!

It was a wonderful way to end the Australia tour and 360° in 2010. There was plenty of time after to decompress and relax at the beach, surf, and go scuba diving. I got a chance to travel to Melbourne, Sydney, and Cairns – cities I probably would not have visited for a while had it not been for the excuse to see the U2 concerts. Equally as important, I made some new friends who I was going to visit and see the shows with at the next continent I was traveling – South America.

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My 360˚ Tour Review will continue with Part 4 - South Africa and Latin America featured in my next posting.

360° Tour Review: Part 2 - North America and Tour Postponement

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 22:19:00 +0000

Second Leg: North America - Chicago (x2), Phoenix, Las Vegas, Vancouver

Less than a month later, I was back on the tour, this time in North America. I enjoy going to openers because of the chance to hear new material. The night before the opening North American show (in Chicago), we were treated to a lengthy rehearsal and heard Your Blue Room for the first time. We were excited to hear this Passengers song because it hadn’t been played live before. Chicago was also the city where the lighted microphone for the closing encore set (Ultraviolet (Light My Way) and With or Without You) was revealed on tour. It was pretty eye-catching to see this microphone / prop change between Europe and North America. Chicago was also the city where I met the band again on the tour (having met them previously in Zagreb). I had bought Cathal’s book Me & U2 earlier in the day and had that signed by Bono, Edge, and Adam when I saw them after their rehearsal at Soldier Field. Being back in the United States gave me a chance to reconnect with most of the die-hard American fans there that didn’t make it over to Europe. I also brought my good friend Chris along for his first 360˚ show. He was the one who converted me to a U2 fan in the first place, and a real joy to have him finally experience the grandness of the tour.

It was a few weeks before I returned to the tour to catch the last couple of concerts in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and the closer in Vancouver. The Phoenix show was the first real experience for me of what would later become known as the GA list system – a North American method of queue management I’ll explain later on. On a lighter note, this part of my trip was a bit of Joshua Tree pilgrimage between the Phoenix and Las Vegas shows. My friend Vik (London) and I made a journey to the Joshua Tree National Park. Although it is not the site of where U2’s actual Joshua tree is located (it’s lying in a restive state in Death Valley National Park, California), it was still a magical place to visit.

We also made a trip to the old Las Vegas strip on Fremont Street to walk in the steps of where the music video was filmed for I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. Security questioned us as to why we side-stepped into the alleyway and explained it was where U2 started their video for that chart-topping song. The guard understood our intentions and left us in peace.

The opening act for these last few shows of the North American leg was Black Eyed Peas. They garnered split opinion amongst fans, but for me, I thought they were incredibly entertaining. I had never seen an opening act have the house lights off and have their own laser show, nor seen the venue almost entirely full during their performance before Black Eyed Peas. They had a lot of radio friendly hits to play and were able to get the crowd jumping and pumped for the show. They were a nice change from Snow Patrol, and a chance to hear and see someone different on the tour. Those who did not enjoy Black Eyed Peas were most likely those who didn’t like the genre of hip-hip in the first place. I grew up with hip-hop and rap before switching over as a die-hard U2 fan, which explained why I liked Black Eyed Peas and later Jay-Z in Australia as opening acts.

Las Vegas was the first time where I was a part of the organizing team for the GA queue. I had always been an observer of queue management but never really had the appetite to run one because of the huge effort and lack of sleep involved. I was #1 in line and Vik was #2 and we took charge of the queue since we were the first ones there. One thing I had learned was that you can’t manage a queue on your own; a lot of help is required from fellow fans. Pat (Arkansas) had stepped up to the plate, as a few others. One fan worked for security and was able to provide a direct channel of communication with the venue staff, which was valuable.

Like most North American venues, Sam Boyd Stadium disallowed camping, so we instituted a roll-call system, an arrangement identical to what I went through in Phoenix. For all those who actually showed up in line (and not pre-signing friends who have yet to fly into the city), we took their names down in the GA book, assigned them a number, and asked them to come back the next day at 6AM for roll-call. The vast majority complied and when the gates opened at 7AM, we walked in accordingly with security as planned. Security were very helpful and the fans were happy that there wasn’t queue jumping. Drinking was allowed in the line and it was more of a party atmosphere in the Vegas queue – little surprise there! The show was more-or-less a dress rehearsal for the subsequent Pasadena filming, but there was certainly a carnival mood in the air. I reckon it was because there were a few celebrities in the crowd such as Coldplay and Bill Clinton, and because of this, U2 must have felt compelled to elevate their performance to entertain their peers.

Although I was offered a ticket, ride, and a place to stay, I decided to skip the Pasadena show. There were two reasons why I decided to miss the DVD gig. First, I heard there were people already queuing up even before the Las Vegas show and felt that even if I left immediately after the concert to go to California, I’d be far behind in line and may not be worth my time. I was already spoiled from being at the front row too many times, and figured that my chances were slim to repeat that in Pasadena. Second, and more importantly, two of my best friends from Winnipeg came to Las Vegas with the intent of hanging out in the city after the show as our reunion. I did not want to ditch my buddies for another concert, even if it was U2. In the end, I felt vindicated because of the ensuing chaos in the queue that occurred in Pasadena. Apparently, a pair of fans pretended to work for U2 and convinced security to recognize their line and abandon the already established queue at a different gate. There was mass confusion, accusations flew, and a mad rush to the front. My friend Stephan (Calgary) who was in the 200s later told me that he made it to the front row centre position after capitalizing on the melee in the queue. It goes to show that when there is chaos in the line, it can be a real advantage to those at the back.

The Pasadena Rose Bowl show was broadcast live on YouTube and my friends Chris, Eddsel, Daniel and I watched it from our Las Vegas hotel room. We stocked up and had a U2 party as the show was being video-fed live to the world. 10 million people watched the concert online. As the camera panned the crowd at the front of the stage and around the catwalk, I was able to identify several of my friends in the audience. Although the adrenaline was flowing in my body knowing how intense and fun it can be at the front, I was really sad that I wasn’t there to share the historic video taping with them. It was a standard, well rehearsed set list, similar to the ones played in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and eventually Vancouver. U2 wanted to play it safe and take no risks in the video sequencing, performance, and outcome. Fair enough, but I felt it lacked the spontaneity that the 2001 Slane Castle DVD had, which embodied so much raw energy and emotions – mainly because of the passing of Bono’s father Bob Hewson. Nevertheless, I still was deeply lamenting at not being there. We sung our hearts out during that YouTube broadcast until I ‘fell asleep’ from inebriation before hearing Moment of Surrender. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas… and is written in a blog.

The last show of the leg was in Vancouver. I was #1 in the line again, and got the help from my friends Chris (Winnipeg) and Bryan (Vancouver), as well as Salvi (Edmonton) to manage the queue. I learned a lot from the Las Vegas line, and implemented similar ‘rules’ in Vancouver. It was a cold two days in the line, and it was clear not many fans wanted to camp out. The venue had originally banned overnight queuing, only to change their minds and said that it wasn’t a problem. Due to the mixed signals given by BC Place, we gave people the choice to camp or not. Understandably, most decided to stay in their beds that evening because it was so cold, but would show up for roll-call the next morning at 5AM. However, there were a few of us hardy types, maybe 20 give-or-take, who did camp out and it turned out to be such a fun time. Dino and Debbie (Vancouver) brought their BBQ set up and Tri (Vancouver) was our chef. They also brought their propane heater to keep us warm throughout the night. We shared hot dogs, hamburgers, and seafood with each other. Security stayed and chatted with us the entire night – they were great company to have.

The next morning, fans arrived for the roll call, and security walked down the line with me to help cross off names from the list of people who failed to show up – luckily there weren’t very many. We continued to assign numbers to new GA arrivals up until 3PM and were in the thousands to ensure there was some order in the otherwise non-gated, non-taped-off queue. Upon the initial entry, security would not let anyone in unless they had a number. It was the best example of when there is synergy between the fans and security, and everyone was happy. Other fans shared coffee and donuts in line throughout the day, adding to the already strong communal atmosphere that I have come to value at a U2 queue. It was at that Vancouver show where I realized that the line was more than getting to the front, about also the development of friendships and community. I duly added this to my GA guide as a central tenet, and hoped others would come to experience these special moments I had in the queue.

Third-Leg: North America and Its Postponement

On October 27, 2009, the next leg of the 360° Tour (summer 2010) was announced.

June 3: Salt Lake City, UT, Rice Eccles Stadium

June 6: Anaheim, CA, Angel Stadium

June 7: Anaheim, CA, Angel Stadium
June 12: Denver, CO, Invesco Field
June 16: Oakland, CA, Oakland Coliseum
June 20: Seattle, WA, Qwest Field
June 23: Edmonton, AB, Commonwealth Stadium

June 25: Pilton, UK, Glastonbury Festival

June 27: Minneapolis, MN, TCF Bank Stadium
June 30: East Lansing, MI, Spartan Stadium
July 3: Toronto, ON, Canada, Rogers Centre
July 6: Chicago, IL, Soldier Field
July 9: Miami, FL, Land Shark Stadium
July 12: Philadelphia, PA, Lincoln Financial Field
July 16: Montreal, QC, Hippodrome de Montreal

July 17: Montreal, QC, Hippodrome de Montreal
July 19: New York, NY, New Meadowlands Stadium

As before, my friends and I coordinated our efforts in renewing and securing our various levels of U2.com presale codes (Horizon, Breathe, and Boots) for the next round of North American shows. My original plan was to go to the opener in Salt Lake City, the two Anaheim shows, Oakland, Seattle, Edmonton, Minneapolis, the two Montreal concerts, and the closer in New York – all GA. I was particularly thrilled with the news that U2 were coming to Edmonton, my adopted hometown. It was a chance to share my U2 happiness with all my Edmonton friends and for them to finally see how grand a production the 360 Tour really was. On top of that, we were also excited at the prospect of hearing new material that was rumoured to be released. Tickets were bought, flights booked, and accommodation sorted in anticipation of the upcoming leg. According to an Irish Independent article:

Paul McGuinness: "I have heard some of the stuff the guys have played and, yeah, it is great. Bono is always an optimist but he seems confident of getting a new record out by the end of the next six months. They're talking about June. By that time we will be ready to go back on tour and I think that will give it a different flavour."

Bono: "We are working away and we have a couple of yearlings in the stables that could really turn out to be thoroughbreds in the future. As a band you are always trying to work on new material and we had some unfinished material from the last album."

In a January 2010 issue of Q magazine, Bono stated, “We've been listening to material for [possible next album] Songs of Ascent. We haven't fully decided to press 'go' on that. But we're touring at the end of May and it'd be nice to have some new songs. Even if it's an EP or a single song."

Then in late May 2010, news began circulating that Bono had injured his back and that it may affect the tour dates. We weren't sure how serious it was at first. We were holding our breathes that it wasn’t too terrible of an injury, hoping that Bono was alright, and that the tour would go on, even if a few of the dates at the beginning (i.e. Salt Lake City, Anaheim, and Denver) had to be rescheduled. On May 25, 2010, an official statement by U2 cited a "severe compression of the sciatic nerve," as a serious enough injury to postpone the North American leg until further notice.

It was far worse than anyone could have imagined. Bono had suffered the compression of the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body which runs from the lower pelvis and down both legs to the feet. A slipped disc in the lower back can damage or put pressure on the nerve, resulting in severe pain. According to Dr. Muller Wohlfart who was assessing Bono at the time, “On review of his MRI scan, I realized there was a serious tear in the ligament and a herniated [slipped] disc, and that conservative treatment would not suffice. I recommended Bono have emergency spine surgery with Professor Tonn at Munich's LMU University Hospital on Friday." Professor Tonn added, “He (Bono) was already in severe pain with partial paralysis in the lower leg. The ligament surrounding the disc had an 8mm tear and during surgery we discovered fragments of the disc had traveled into the spinal canal. This surgery was the only course of treatment for full recovery and to avoid further paralysis. Bono is now much better, with complete recovery of his motor deficit. The prognosis is excellent but to obtain a sustainable result, he must now enter a period of rehabilitation." Dr. Wohlfart stressed that the next few weeks were critical in Bono’s speed of recovery, "We are treating Bono as we would treat any of our athletes and while the surgery has gone very well, the coming weeks are crucial for a return to full health. In the next days, he will start a light rehabilitation program, with increasing intensity over the next 8 weeks. In our experience, this is the minimum time," (qthemusic.com).

After hearing the news, there was a flurry of online discussion regarding the injury and consequent tour postponement. I was pretty cheerless and got a few emails of condolences from friends who knew that I was looking forward to the recommencement of the tour. It wasn’t the end of the world of course. The entire tour wasn’t cancelled, nor was the band calling it quits (which I think will be a very sad day for all of us fans when it comes). Nevertheless, the build-up, excitement, and anticipation left me deflated. The cancellation of flights was perhaps the costliest expense. There was no such thing as flight insurance to cover injured rock stars. When the North American leg was postponed, there was no word of where or when U2 would continue their tour, so I was uncertain when I would be able to enjoy the company of my U2 friends and the adventures associated with traveling.

At that time, I was not confident I could return to Europe when the tour was supposed to recommence. First, there was no guarantee that Bono would be fully fit for Europe and I didn’t want to take the chance of booking an expensive overseas flight with the possibility of cancelling again. Second, four of my friends were getting married during the months of July and August (when U2 was to be in Europe) in different cities throughout Canada and traveling back and forth to Europe would have been a stretch. When I go to Europe, I prefer to stay there for several weeks or months. In the end, I decided to skip Europe in 2010, which was unfortunate, but necessary, since I had been returning almost every year since 2003 (2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009). I’ve been very lucky to travel that continent several times, but my friends’ weddings were more important.

A month before U2 returned to Europe for the tour, it was announced that the postponed North American leg was to be rescheduled the following summer in 2011. It was going to be a very long wait for US and Canadian fans to use the tickets they bought in the fall of 2009 and to see U2 live in concert again two years later. As I will later discuss in Part 4 of this Review series, the changes to the set list will have made the wait worthwhile.

New Third-Leg: Europe and a New Tour

Despite not making it to the 2010 European tour, I followed it very closely like everyone else - starting in Turin, Italy - and loved some of the alterations U2 made to mix the set list up. Changing the introductory song Soon with the Return of the Stingray Guitar – a stadium rocker that upped the tempo when U2 entered the stadium. Beautiful Day as the first song instead of Breathe. Replacing Ultraviolet (Light My Way) with Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me. There was one acoustic performance of No Line of the Horizon (Helsinki II). There were the inclusion of new songs like North Star, Mercy, Glastonbury, Boy Falls from the Sky, and my favourite – Every Breaking Wave.

Described by Bono as a “surging anthem,” that was from their supposed new album Songs of Ascent, Every Breaking Wave was a metaphor of human struggle. That ‘struggle’ we face can be widely interpreted – a conflict within ourselves, in a relationship, or against external events – but the beauty of U2 songs is that they are malleable enough for us to infer a meaning that is important to us. The lyrics paint a picture with a dark palette of human emotion: sentiments of self-defeat, “Every gambler knows / that to lose / is what you’re really there for”, personal uncertainty and being recluse, “I don’t know if I’m that strong / to be somebody to need someone”, loneliness, “Every sailor knows that the sea / is a friend made enemy / every shipwrecked soul / knows what it is / to live without intimacy”, the desire for solitude to find answers, “I thought I heard the master’s voice / it’s hard to listen while you preach”, “accepting defeat, “The waves know / we’re on the rocks / drowning is no sin”, and brinksmanship and fear of self-destruction, “We know / the fear of winning / should we end before we begin?”

I have to admit that I tend to be drawn towards the pathos side of U2. Listening to songs like Every Breaking Wave, Moment of Surrender, If God Will Send Us His Angels, So Cruel, Love is Blindness, Acrobat, Mothers of the Disappeared, Running to Stand Still, With or Without You, Bad, and 40 can be a very cathartic experience. To me, it’s in these low moment when we can find the greatest cause for hope. There are two historical figures that I attribute for making me a student and practitioner of political / civil rights – Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. When I hear these songs, I often associate them with a famous quote that Malcolm once said in 1965 (after he had broken away from the NOI and was more open to wider civil rights movement, "It is only after the deepest darkness that the greatest light can come; it is only after extreme grief that the greatest joy can come; it is only after slavery and prison that the greatest appreciation of freedom can come." From a concert perspective, my biggest regret of missing the 2010 European leg was not being able to hear Every Breaking Wave live and to think about what Malcolm said. U2 played it only three times on tour – Helsinki II, Vienna, and in Zurich I – and I wished I was there to be with my friends and to listen to this poetic song.

A month into the European leg, on August 23, 2010, U2 announced they were going to continue their tour into New Zealand and Australia - Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, and Perth - at the end of November and all through December 2010. This was welcome news to all the fans down-under because it was not always a guarantee that U2 would travel to their part of the world on this tour. I wasn’t certain at first whether I would make the trip, but after a month, on September 18, 2010, I bought GA tickets for the two shows in Sydney and the two concerts in Perth - the last cities on the tour in 2010, and a Christmas-themed show in Perth no less! I had the means and availability to go. My new job with a social policy research firm had a very flexible vacation package and I would be able to stay in Australia for four weeks to attend the shows and enjoy their summer as a vacation. Although Australia would mark the mid-point of my 360° adventure, the trip would start a thread that would eventually weave into a strong web of U2 friends spanning four different continents.

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My 360˚ Tour Review will continue with Part 3 - Australia featured in my next posting.

360˚ Tour Review: Part 1 - Pre Tour and Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:50:00 +0000

Pre-Tour

In February 2009, I was visiting New York for a vacation with some friends. Just before departing for my trip, I had downloaded No Line On The Horizon 2 (the alternate track to the Get On Your Boots single) and had listened to that song over a hundred times while I was in New York. Unsurprisingly, that song will forever be linked to my memories of that return visit to my favourite city. The album had yet to be released, but I was looking forward to hearing their new material. Every snippet and each rumour were devoured -- waiting for the chance to hear them live again. As the weeks unfolded, a trickle of emails and phone calls with U2 friends regarding the upcoming tour began that spring. It hit a fever pitch through using our U2.com membership presale codes to buy general admission (GA) tickets for the first leg of the tour in Europe.

I remember being up at ridiculous hours (i.e. 3AM) to buy tickets for European cities like Dublin since they went on sale at 10AM Ireland time, and coordinating efforts of who was buying which tickets for cities that had multiple shows. I recall being at Oxford University for an academic conference, slipping away between sessions, logging on to the computer, and missing out on buying tickets for the Wembley shows. At that point, I wasn’t sure if I could make it to the London gigs, but hoped that my friends could help me find GAs later on. I look back at that initial period with much fondness – the anticipation, anxiety, excitement, and prospect of seeing U2 and my friends once again on tour. I had seen U2 eight times in Europe during the Vertigo Tour (London, Dublin (X3), Milan, Berlin, Oslo, and Munich), and I was yearning a return to see them again on a continent I enjoyed traveling.

The Fan Site and Guide to the GA

As a U2.com member, I was a regular contributor to the Zootopia forums – a place where I shared some insights with other fans who were equally passionate about U2 and our community. It’s very similar to Interference, but a different crowd. The folks on Zootopia, including myself, often met each other during the Vertigo Tour. I was known by some in the online community to be a provider (distributor) of U2 concert recordings, and it was neat to come across fans that were able to re-live their concert memories as a result of the recordings hosted on my fan site.

On this tour, my website evolved to something more than a warehouse of concert recordings. I started to notice that there were frequent postings and questions on Zootopia about how general admission worked, particularly from North American fans that never had a GA experience in stadiums (arenas, yes, but not bigger venues). As a result, I thought it would be fun to create an Unofficial Guide to the General Admission Queue to help answer the questions fans had. Based on my GA stadium experience in Europe on the previous tour, I tried my best to sketch out what people can expect in the GA. At first, it was a simple FAQ, expectations at different times of arrival, the number system, camera allowance, etc. My friend Cathal (Me & U2) christened the Guide as the GA Constitution. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I was happy that people found it instructive. On the tour, I became know as that guy with the blog or the Guide. Donal, a writer for atU2.com ran into me at the first Dublin show and called me ‘GA Joe’, which I think was funny, and had since stuck. Needless to say, as the tour evolved, so did the Guide. I made the point that the GA was more than attempting to secure a good spot in the pit, but also about developing friendship and a community with others. It was touching to receive many messages from fans around the world that were able to experience the same kind of kinship that I found when I’ve been in the queues.

First Leg: Europe - Barcelona (X2), Dublin (X3), Chorzow, Zagreb (X2), London(X2)

The summer of 2009 would prove to be a very memorable one. In June, I started my trip in London where I stayed for a week and to celebrate my birthday with some friends. From there we flew to Barcelona for the first two shows of the 360˚ Tour. We got there the day before and made it straight to the queue. That evening, we were treated to a full dress rehearsal outside of Barcelona's famous stadium - Nou Camp. U2 had invited about 100 workers / volunteers with the Special Olympics for a full preview of the concert. We were outside of the stadium listening in for the first time the entire sequence of the show that we were going to see the following night. It was beyond exciting because the tour did not officially start yet, but we were hearing never-before heard songs from No Line On The Horizon and a tremendous teaser - Drowning Man (which never ended up being played during the tour, but was still great to hear during the rehearsal).

It was magical to see the tour for the first time with over 90,000 screaming Catalans, and I was blown away by the sheer size of the stage, the lighting production, and the new songs on set list – particularly Unknown Caller, I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight (Redanka Remix), and Moment Of Surrender. When I first heard I'll Go Crazy from outside the stadium the day before, I wasn't such a fan because I thought it veered too much away from the original version. It wasn't until I saw the song live that I finally appreciated its performance value - it was so much fun to dance and sing along to when seen, not heard.

The second night in Barcelona was even better with the very rare inclusions of Electrical Storm and an encore performance of I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight (album version). These were the times when the hanging microphone at the start of Ultra Violet (Light My Way) was not yet lighted, but still impressive. Michael Jackson had just died, and Bono was singing snippets of Billie Jean or Man In The Mirror after Desire or Angel Of Harlem throughout the leg. The shows were even more special to be able to reunite with my European friends, particularly the Dutch crew, who I hadn’t seen since the Vertigo Tour. Snow Patrol were the opening act – a band I had come to admire since I last saw them as openers for U2 for many of the European shows during the Vertigo Tour. Songs like Run, Chasing Cars, and Open Your Eyes stood out for me. They were able to get the crowd to sing along and get pumped up for U2, which any good opening act should be doing.

After Barcelona, I took a brief hiatus from 360˚ for a three week backpacking adventure in the Middle East. I flew into the region and traveled overland from northern Iraq, on towards Turkey, into Syria, and eventually crossing over into Lebanon. It was my third time traveling this part of the world, and loved the challenge of making it from desert to sea. All the while, I was listening to the album No Line On The Horizon during that journey, and songs like White As Snow and Fez-Being born resonated with me because of their references to the Middle East.

From Beirut, I made my way back to Dublin for the three shows in Croke Park. I was there in 2005 for the Vertigo Tour, and I was determined to make it back to the north side of Dublin. I had made plans months earlier with my friend Carrie (NY) to get GA tickets for nights I and III and seats for Dublin II. I hadn’t seen her since the Vertigo Tour, but was nice to have a reunion in Dublin four years later. It was a festive, almost carnival atmosphere in what I would consider the Mecca of any U2 tour.

More than any other city that I had visited, it was amazing to see how many international fans made it to Dublin. I had a great time being with my British friends in the queue, as well as a host of American fans that made it out for this Irish celebration. There were of course many nationalities at the Dublin gigs, some as far away as Brazil having made it to the show. For example, I made friends with Marina (Brazil) at Barnacles Hostel where we were staying. We met up again when I visited Sao Paulo for the shows there. Making these connections with people around the world is one of the many benefits from going to multiple shows, especially a hub like Dublin. I reconnected with Amy and Abby (US) who I met in Oslo during the Vertigo Tour, and it was really nice to meet Amy’s four year old daughter Anwyn who was already a big U2 fan! Amy was 3-months pregnant when I first met her and Anwyn claimed that she remembered me when I was in Oslo – very sweet of her to say so!

I will return to Dublin on the next tour for many reasons. The distinct Irish feel to the show, the fan reunions, and the atmosphere after each show are not to be missed. We had Damien Dempsey, Republic of Loose, Bell X1, and The Script open the shows over those three days – all of who were Irish bands. At the first concert, Bono and the Edge performed The Auld Triangle, a traditional Irish song.

We also saw the introduction of the computerized voice narrating W.H. Auden’s poem, “Funeral Blues” right before Ultraviolet (Light My Way). Hearing Bad being performed was special because of the song’s context being set in Dublin. Bad had been performed 13 times on the 360˚ Tour, but it was particularly unique to have heard it twice in Dublin. During the last Dublin show, at the end of Moment of Surrender, it was rather appropriate for Bono to mention their local roots,"Thank you to Mount Temple Comprehensive," where it all started for them as a band. Walking back from Croke Park into the Temple Bar district for drinks in the pubs was a lot of fun, particularly seeing the many U2 cover bands playing with three different Bonos singing on stage. It was a perfect area to reunite with old U2 friends and make new ones.

After spending a few extra days in Ireland, I flew to Gdansk, in northern Poland. I wanted to relax by the Baltic Sea and visit the place where the Solidarity (Solidarność) movement began. I went to the shipyards and strolled through the museum to gain a better appreciation for the people who were instrumental in bringing down the Communist regime in Poland, and were a part of the chain of events that eventually brought down the Iron Curtain. When I made it down to Chorzow, I was amongst mostly central and eastern European fans. I didn’t see many familiar faces, but still felt like I was a part of something. When U2 started the opening chords of New Year’s Day – a song in honour of the Solidarity movement – the fans on the field held out red cloth while those in the stands waved white cloth, thereby turning Slaski Stadium into the Polish national flag. I appreciated being with the young people who directly benefitted from Solidarity and were there singing and celebrating their present-day freedom. I have heard New Year’s Day several times in the past, but given the context of being in Poland for their song, it held so much more meaning, and to this day stands out as my most special moment during the tour.

From Poland, I took a train to Zagreb for the two shows in the Croatian capital. There were two people I met who were sharing the same train berth with me – Nick and Bronwyn (San Francisco). Overhearing their conversation about U2, we started chatting and found out that we shared the same passion to travel and see U2. They had gone to several European cities to see the band as I had, and I learned quite a bit from them. Up until that point, I started to find myself more agitated about the queue experience, particularly at Dublin III and Chorzow. Although I was high up in the queue, my tickets failed to scan, and had a delayed entry. I was separated from my friends and increasingly frustrated with the experience. Nick and Bronwyn had a different philosophy. Some shows, they would arrive at the concert venue at 6PM and be happy wherever they ended up on the pitch. Other shows, they would queue the day before and make it somewhere on the rail. Perhaps it was their west-coast mentality, but I was really inspired by their relaxed attitude.

After a positive Zagreb I experience, the second show was a real test. I met a new friend Simona from Italy while waiting in the line. She just finished her PhD, and it was nice to converse with someone who understood the challenges of doing a doctoral degree. Around noon, my friend Andreas and I went to get a sandwich around the corner, but upon our return, the security kicked everyone out of the line to re-orient the gates. In the mass confusion and rush back to back to the gates, the line was jumbled up leaving everyone standing and packed in like sardines under the blazing sun. I was separated from my friends Simona, Andreas, and Lia and was angry at security’s lack of organization and empathy. Taking a step back from the situation, I realized that I defaulted back into that frustrated mood and needed to literally get away. Thinking about Nick and Bronwyn, I made the decision to leave the queue to relax, get some rest, and come later in the evening. I called out to Andreas to inform him that I was leaving and that I would see him in London – and then I left. It was a surreal experience to leave the queue.

I jumped on the tram to go back to my hostel and felt good about my decision. Upon passing the Regent Hotel, I saw a bunch of people with U2 t-shirts waiting outside the lobby. I figured that this was the time U2 would be leaving their hotel to go to Maksimir Stadium. I got off with the hope of meeting U2. 10 minutes later, Larry came out and I was able to greet him and shake his hand. Bono then appeared and was able to get him to sign the only book I had on me – Will Durant’s The Story of Philosophy. Adam subsequently came around and signed my book. I was ecstatic! This never would have happened had I not left the queue, vindicating my decision to be more relaxed and to temper my expectations. I saw some of my Italian friends, including Eleonora at the hotel, and we all decided to go back to the stadium. We got there just as the run-entry started and as I got into the inner-circle, I found Andreas who was saving me a spot at the front.

The show itself was amazing. Maksimir Stadium was a relatively smaller stadium compared to the other venues I had been to, with a little more than 60,000 people attending each show (Barcelona had over 91,000 each night, Dublin had about 81,000 per show, and Chorzow had 75,000 fans). There were many central and east European fans, as well as several Italian fans at this show (since Italy is just across the Adriatic Sea from Croatia). I didn’t have tickets but Davor (Croatia) had contacted me through my website and helped me out with GAs. Zagreb was significant because it was the most proximate city for those who lived in the Bosnia and Herzegovina region and had suffered through the Balkan wars. Alma Catal, the star of Bill Carter’s documentary Miss Sarajevo, was at the show and listening to the song Miss Sarajevo was all the more touching because of the historical significance to the region. Context matters.

I was also over-the-moon to see Simona make it up on stage to dance with Bono during Mysterious Ways. She was so good that the entire stadium started chanting her name after the song, “Simona! Simona! Simona!” It was the perfect way to end her European tour. At the end of the concert, Phil fulfilled the promise he made to me at the previous show and gave me Bono’s set list – my first of five on the tour (Zagreb II, Chicago I, Sydney I, Vancouver, and Winnipeg [Larry’s set list]). The afternoon started as a nightmare, but by the end of the night, a dream of a show materialized. Leaving the queue and calming my attitude turned out to be an valuable lesson.

After Croatia, I made it back to London for the two shows at the new Wembley Stadium. I didn’t have tickets for these shows either, but my friend Wendy (London) helped secure some GAs for me at the last minute. There were two gate entrances to Wembley, so I had to divide my time between the two to see my friends. I hung out mostly with Adrian (Leeds) and it was good to have a buddy in line to talk to during those long hours. Unlike in North American and Latin American where multi-day queues are the norm, most European shows simply required an arrival time of early in the morning to have a good spot in line.

One thing I enjoyed about seeing U2 live was their banter and story telling. Just before Stay (Faraway, So Close!), Bono’s speech was as follows:

… the man who was mixed our sounds since we were 17 years old, still mixing our sound, his name is Joe O’Herlihy, he came to this building when it was being built and Joe told me yesterday that he put one of Edges’s plectrums (guitar pick) in the foundation of the new Wembley Stadium – ‘just under the Royal Box’ he said. So the Edge is always with you, he is always with us! He is ever present!

It was a funny moment and a memory that stood out from the London shows. The London Tube was remarkable in being able to ship 80,000 people out of Wembley. Mnay cities like Edmonton or Chrozow could learn from them! After the first concert, I was able to get back to my buddy’s flat within an hour for a nap before going back in line the next morning. The police were very comedic, using U2lyrics in their instructions of how to get on the Tube easily. I was sad to say goodbye to my European and Middle Eastern adventure, the European shows, and the friends I made on this leg, but was confident that I would see them again in the future.

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My 360˚ Tour Review will continue with Part 2 - North America and Tour Postponement on my next posting.