U2's Vertigo Tour
T, K, D & I went to U2 last night.
When I landed in Ireland, the first place I went to was The U2 Wall. I got lost, but a really nice taxi driver took me and refused to accept payment. God, I loved Ireland.
If unfamiliar with The U2 Wall, here’s a small blip: ” The U2 Wall is located down an alley way near the docksides on the south side of the Liffey. Marked only with a small plaque, the grafitti covered crumbling walls mark the now vacant Windmill Lane Studios where U2 recorded their early albums in the late 1970s”. My addition to The Wall was: ”You began as the call to one generation and have since become the voice of all that followed. Thank you.”
I hadn’t known what I was going to write, and the fact that I got lost gave me a little more time to think…
Last we saw U2 was during their Elevation Tour, the final night they performed in Montreal. That show was insane because for nearly 60% of it, no one could hear Bono because the crowd was singing so loud. He kept removing his earplugs and laughing.
When he was later asked which of the venues was the loudest and craziest, he said it was the night they played the last show in Montreal. We couldn’t speak for days after that show…
Anyway. Arcade Fire (whose name I originally misheard as 'Our Gay Fire') opened, and although I like the punk edge of their music, I am curious as to how they got together, and what their jam sessions are like. Watch them perform, and you’ll understand my curiosity. They’re a local Montreal band worth catching, and they’re opening again tonight and Monday (in Montreal).
When the lights went down, in preparation for U2’s entrance and we were watching the stage waiting for them to come out, I actually felt as though I were going to explode. The sound was deafening, in anticipation of their arrival and the energy within the Centre was absolutely electric.
Within our section, I was one of five other people on my feet nearly the entire time. At certain points, T & K would stand up…but it was predominantly me, and it was great! At one point, though, I almost climbed over the chairs in front of me to join the other four who were equally rocking out, but they were a little weird.
It’s a U2 concert…how can people remain seated?
The visual of the concert was pure funk. The experience left me teetering between: Feeling as though I were inside of an arcade that had crashed into a lava lamp and / or standing inside one light that’s part of a light show in a Japanese disco. Either one was super cool.
Apart from the regular brilliant performances of Mysterious Ways, Where the Streets Have No Name and Sunday Bloody Sunday, there were a few others which stood out…
I have to say that Original of the Species and A Man and a Woman possess some of U2’s top lyrical content and are reminiscent of their work on Achtung Baby. Listening to their performance live was incredible.
They did a spectacular rendition of One with a lot more guitar, making it sound more bluesy. It’s always been a lazy / lounge song for me, but listening to them perform it the way they did, I was forced to sit down, close my eyes and get lost in the guitar.
The ending of the show was equally unique, with each one of them leaving individually and their screen images fading out. Bono left first, then Adam, the Edge and finally Larry. While Larry was the last one on stage, he pounded out the craziest beats and the crowd went wild. Pardon me while I gush here for a moment; Larry Mullen Jr will always be a fox. He’ll be 78 years old, and a fox. He has the world’s best upper body, and his forearms are. Just. Perfect.
As much as I love Bono, Larry is the definitive of cool. Probably because his controlled exterior looks like it's always on the edge of exploding wide open. But it never does.
After coming home, I couldn’t help but think about the wonder of it. These four boys from Dublin who started as a little punk band and who are, now, to me and so many others, the quintessential band of several generations the world over.
Stadiums in almost every part of this tiny globe erupt when these four men come on stage.
And when all is said and done, they go home to be dads and husbands.
Wow.
When I landed in Ireland, the first place I went to was The U2 Wall. I got lost, but a really nice taxi driver took me and refused to accept payment. God, I loved Ireland.
If unfamiliar with The U2 Wall, here’s a small blip: ” The U2 Wall is located down an alley way near the docksides on the south side of the Liffey. Marked only with a small plaque, the grafitti covered crumbling walls mark the now vacant Windmill Lane Studios where U2 recorded their early albums in the late 1970s”. My addition to The Wall was: ”You began as the call to one generation and have since become the voice of all that followed. Thank you.”
I hadn’t known what I was going to write, and the fact that I got lost gave me a little more time to think…
Last we saw U2 was during their Elevation Tour, the final night they performed in Montreal. That show was insane because for nearly 60% of it, no one could hear Bono because the crowd was singing so loud. He kept removing his earplugs and laughing.
When he was later asked which of the venues was the loudest and craziest, he said it was the night they played the last show in Montreal. We couldn’t speak for days after that show…
Anyway. Arcade Fire (whose name I originally misheard as 'Our Gay Fire') opened, and although I like the punk edge of their music, I am curious as to how they got together, and what their jam sessions are like. Watch them perform, and you’ll understand my curiosity. They’re a local Montreal band worth catching, and they’re opening again tonight and Monday (in Montreal).
When the lights went down, in preparation for U2’s entrance and we were watching the stage waiting for them to come out, I actually felt as though I were going to explode. The sound was deafening, in anticipation of their arrival and the energy within the Centre was absolutely electric.
Within our section, I was one of five other people on my feet nearly the entire time. At certain points, T & K would stand up…but it was predominantly me, and it was great! At one point, though, I almost climbed over the chairs in front of me to join the other four who were equally rocking out, but they were a little weird.
It’s a U2 concert…how can people remain seated?
The visual of the concert was pure funk. The experience left me teetering between: Feeling as though I were inside of an arcade that had crashed into a lava lamp and / or standing inside one light that’s part of a light show in a Japanese disco. Either one was super cool.
Apart from the regular brilliant performances of Mysterious Ways, Where the Streets Have No Name and Sunday Bloody Sunday, there were a few others which stood out…
I have to say that Original of the Species and A Man and a Woman possess some of U2’s top lyrical content and are reminiscent of their work on Achtung Baby. Listening to their performance live was incredible.
They did a spectacular rendition of One with a lot more guitar, making it sound more bluesy. It’s always been a lazy / lounge song for me, but listening to them perform it the way they did, I was forced to sit down, close my eyes and get lost in the guitar.
The ending of the show was equally unique, with each one of them leaving individually and their screen images fading out. Bono left first, then Adam, the Edge and finally Larry. While Larry was the last one on stage, he pounded out the craziest beats and the crowd went wild. Pardon me while I gush here for a moment; Larry Mullen Jr will always be a fox. He’ll be 78 years old, and a fox. He has the world’s best upper body, and his forearms are. Just. Perfect.
As much as I love Bono, Larry is the definitive of cool. Probably because his controlled exterior looks like it's always on the edge of exploding wide open. But it never does.
After coming home, I couldn’t help but think about the wonder of it. These four boys from Dublin who started as a little punk band and who are, now, to me and so many others, the quintessential band of several generations the world over.
Stadiums in almost every part of this tiny globe erupt when these four men come on stage.
And when all is said and done, they go home to be dads and husbands.
Wow.
posted by just a girl at 1:28 PM
4 Comments:
Nice review! I'm still thinking about the show!
...and I agree, Larry Mullen Jnr is a fox! I think he might need a haircut though...it's getting a bit mullet-esque! haha
:-) Patti
I can't believe you went to see U2. Do you like Bono?
cool review. i love u2. i like what you wrote for your u2 wall inscription.
peace
Patti! LOL!! That's what my best friend and I were saying. As soon as we saw him, we were all "What's up with his hair?"
Mayhaps he is trying to give himself some more volume, in the way of height??
I too am still thinking about the show. And I don't know if you like them, but DEPECHE MODE was in Montreal on Sunday night and I found out on Monday morning. Doesn't that completely suck?!
I shake my fist at the idiotic promoter.
t -- Yes, I totally love U2. And yes, I did go to see them. Are you posing a trick question?
C -- Thanks for thiking it cool :) It was a pleasure to write on that wall, with a pen that was refusing to cooperate. It was freezing and I was annoyed and it took me about 30 minutes to write it.
And I am certain the rain washed it off later that day...but I did it, anyway.
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