U2 wraps up 2009 with Vancouver show

U2 still running high off their Rose Bowl show came in to Vancouver for the last stop of 2009. Yes more dates have been announced as we said earlier we can expect to see this tour roll thru 2011. (just a guess on 2011). The crowds packed the ferry to capacity as the crossed over to see the world’s largest tour.  U2 knows how to keep the show current and fresh with their ever-evolving set list mixing in tracks off their latest album which I confess took some time to slip into my U2 rotation mix. As they has said early on this was going to be different. However after a couple of listens and a couple of shows, this could be possibility be their finest work.  

The stage — a sprawling entity dubbed “The Claw” — acted as Bono’s pulpit.

Head thrown back and arms open wide; he lifted the adoring crowd, even if just for a moment, out of the stadium’s concrete confines with the sheer power of his voice.

And the audience was ready to receive his word.

They were ready, fists raised and hearts pounding, to go forth unto Vancouver’s streets and spread the gospel according to U2: one love, one heart. 

We will skip telling you that the set change for this tour was a bit longer than most in the past; however it’s clearly due to the size of the stage and the amount of gear that has to come on and off the stage. We have photos that suggest that it takes the band about10 minutes per show to reach the stage. Sometimes they begin the walk as early as 15 minutes. 

 The show kicks off at 9:00PM local time as most twitter fans on the east coast have retried for the night. However you have a small group of dedicated twitter U2 fans that tweet every show, every song and Vancouver’s show was no different.

Kicking off the show with a trio of tracks from their latest release, No Line On the Horizon: Breathe, the decidedly un-U2-like Get On Your Boots and Magnificent. Bono, clad in traditional all-black and patented sunglasses, is basking in stadium love and has already covered more square footage than any of the Peas. (which was to be expected the opening act is never allowed to use all of the stage)

“Where are we going on the SkyTrain? Millennium Line. Expo Line. Canada Line.”

The reference to Vancouver’s public transit system sent the crowd into a frenzy and was one of the very few surprises of the night for anyone who has been following the band’s much-publicized tour – in particular, Sunday night’s live web cast of their Los Angeles concert which featured an identical set list and some of the same word-for-word on-stage banter from Bono.

The show took off when Bono launched into Mysterious Ways, strutting across the enormous catwalk – and the crowd was on its feet.

What we have always said from the beginning of this tour was “City of Blinding Lights” fits so well with this stage is as if the two were made or each other. Every tour stop Bono drags someone on stage to walk with him as he sings about the youth he misses, the beauty in side of me, as if we did not know that each show the person selected was pre-selected. The only difference tonight was that it was a little girl.

Back to our twitter fans, we all seem to have differences on the encore set. Tonight everything matched up, due mostly to this was pretty much the same set list from the last 4 shows.

The main set end around 10:30pm with the standard Sunday Bloody Sunday and Walk On/You’ll Never Walk Alone. BC Place came alive once more for “Where the Streets Have No Name” most will agree one of their best songs that never won a VMA award.

The encore was three songs, Ultraviolet which gives Bono the chance to drive a glowing red steering wheel dangling from above. Next “With or Without You” the wheel turns blue at this point. Closing out 2009 with Moment of Surrender, not before Bono asks “Let’s turn this place into the Milky Way” and as true fans do, they followed.

A couple of notable shout outs to Liam Neeson and football great Warren Moon in attendance, guitarist The Edge’s mother (“our very first crew member,” said Bono) and Bill and Melinda Gates. Bono led the crowd in a rendition of Happy Birthday for Mr. Gates, who celebrated his 54th birthday at the concert.

The sound was inconsistent, not surprising for this venue. But if anyone can sound good at BC Place, it’s U2.

U2 never let on that they just finished playing to 95,000 people and millions watching online. The energy was high and Bono’s voice was fine for the most part, of course in play back we will hear some stress points.

Closing out the show, Bono said” this was the best crew we’ve ever worked with” and while we can’t help but remember all the other crew members tonight was for this crew. Let of pats on the back for the set designer and big hugs for all the band mates.

 “It’s getting very emotional around here,” Bono said toward the end of the show.

It was, indeed.

Now on to Germany for a free concert at the Wall.  

 

We want to thank all our twitter followers, the U2 Twitter writers group.(with most we shared information back and forth, learning how to play in the sand box better)

To our photog Dave Long to whom made this tour light up for us and millions of fans

To our Youtube Channel team, you guys did a great job after some bumps early.

Our hosting provider, which at times we know we shocked you, we shocked ourselves.

Most of all we want to thank you the FAN for this wonderful experience.

Cheers, we will see you in 2010

U2's fourth album: The Unforgettable Fire

This ain’t mere genius, this is rock ‘n’ roll…’ (Kerrang, October 1984)

U2’s fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire, has been remastered and will be released by Mercury Records on 26th October.

This special edition marks 25 years since the album’s original release in October 1984. Recorded at Slane Castle, Ireland, The Unforgettable Fire was the first U2 album to be produced by Brian Eno and Danny Lanois, and spawned two top 10 UK singles - ‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’ and ‘The Unforgettable Fire’.

Special formats of The Unforgettable Fire will also feature bonus audio material, including two previously unheard tracks from the Slane Castle sessions: ‘Yoshino Blossom’, and ‘Disappearing Act’ (a track which the band recently completed), and a DVD including music videos, a documentary and unreleased live footage from the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope Tour in 1986.

The Unforgettable Fire has been remastered from the original audio tapes, with direction from The Edge and the album will be available in four formats:

* Limited Edition Box Set: containing 2 CDs (remastered album and bonus audio CD), a DVD with live footage, documentary and videos, a 56 page hardback book with liner notes by The Edge, Brian Eno, Danny Lanois, Bert Van de Kamp and Niall Stokes, and 5 photographic prints

* Deluxe Edition: containing 2 CDs, the remastered album, and the bonus audio CD which features B-sides and previously unreleased material, a 36 page booklet with liner notes by The Edge, Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Bert Van de Kamp

* CD format: featuring the remastered album

* 12” vinyl format: 16 page booklet with liner notes by Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Bert Van de Kamp

The Unforgettable Fire track listing is as follows: A Sort of Homecoming, Pride (In The Name Of Love), Wire, The Unforgettable Fire, Promenade, 4th Of July, Bad, Indian Summer Sky, Elvis Presley and America, MLK.

72,000 as One

“U2 fans found what they were looking for”

“With U2, 72,000 beat as 1”

U2’s ‘Magnificent’ Tampa performance”

 

The venue does matter. Looking back at all the great shows one main ingredient has to be the venue, and Tampa does not disappoint the boys from Ireland. U2 arrived in Tampa with all the hoopla focused on the large stage. Friday night’s show at Raymond James Stadium which considered to be toned down from previous productions however never call it small.     

The high-definition video screen, the major element in the band’s stated effort to bring the show closer to even the cheap seats, was the main attraction tech-wise. The enormous structure looming over the stage looked impressive all lit up, as at the beginning of “Where the Streets Have No Name,” but mostly faded into the background. Which is as it should be, because all the big-budget toys in the world can’t save a show this size from a second-rate band. And Friday’s show was first-rate.

The Edge’s arsenal of guitar effects gave the sound the heft it needed for the stadium setting. Bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen locked in tight, showing the benefits of 30 years of playing together. U2 may be the only band alive whose songs make more sense being played in front of more than 72,000 people. On the record, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” communicates restlessness and dissatisfaction. With thousands of voices singing along with U2 frontman Bono, it became a song about endless possibilities.

Songs of more recent vintage, such as “City of Blinding Lights” and “Beautiful Day” have that same quality. Friday, both exploded, as if U2’s last two scaled-down, arena tours hadn’t been big enough to house the songs.

Selections from this year’s “No Line on the Horizon” took on new life live as well. The band brought out the punkish simplicity of the title track to good effect, while “Get On Your Boots” became the rave-up it just missed being on disc.

The show’s latter portion focused more on social and political concerns, with photos from this year’s Iranian protests accompanying “Sunday, Bloody Sunday.” “Walk On” was dedicated to imprisoned Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

But in the end it was U2 that made the biggest impression — four musicians who wanted to be the biggest band in the world and succeeded.

Bono left the stage saying “Don’t forget about us” Which in the end seemed kind off for a band that just made the biggest impression on the bay area. You never forget your first, your last and most often the best so Bono I would said you have nothing to worry about.

A closing touch was the “One” campaign kiss photos featuring the muisc of Elton John’s Rocket Man. The night was complete, the stage hands, crew arrived with one swoop and off we go to the next city.

Sources: wide release

Yet another questionable review

U2’s show at FedEx Field Tueday night was an awkward, sometimes shapeless, frequently thrilling mix of new of and old. Perhaps in deference to the formidable Bono-quaciousness of prior U2 gigs in this town, where the Nobel Prize nominee has effectively become a part-time resident, U2 gave us a lunch-special version of the menu. It was among the shortest shows of the globetrotting U2 360 tour so far, whittling the tally of tunes from the six-month-old, still-not-platinum No Line on the Horizon to five and offering no additional classics in their place.

Martin Locraft 2009 Hey, Bono had a lot of guest-listers to thank: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Eunice Shriver. Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Sen. Pat Leahy, whom Bono dubbed “the John Wayne of D.C.!” Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Nancy Pelosi (reprise).

But despite Bono’s self-deprecating critique and his C-SPAN name-dropping, he and his three lifelong bandmates sounded stellar. For the last 12 years, you’ve never been able to bank that Bono’s ill-cared-for Vox would make the gig. Last night, he was supple and powerful, especially during the first hour. He cracked horribly during the brief “Amazing Grace” that bridged “One” (introduced via video-message by Desmond Tutu!) and the reliable gig-saver, “Where the Streets Have No Name.” But some songs benefit from a vulnerable singer.

Since you didn’t ask, we also got the tour’s most baffling inclusion, “Your Blue Room,” its final verse recited by a cosmonaut aboard the International Space Station. Oh, you can’t hum that one? It’s an ambient interlude from the 1995 album of soundtracks for imaginary movies that U2 and Brian Eno — oh, forget it. Getting a big crowd to sit still for the new stuff is a fight for every band with a large, beloved back catalogue. Adding a sleepy tune from a 14-year-old side project to the mix borders on the perverse.

Despite passing over some warhorses that have hardly missed a show in decades prior to this tour (“Pride,” “Bullet the Blue Sky”) the concert swam on the back of U2’s still-mighty anthems. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” continues to find solace in the search. Adam Clayton’s clear-cutting bassline for “New Year’s Day” sent a jolt through the audience. And “Streets” remains a stadium-rock aria that U2 will, and should, be playing ‘til their plane goes down.

Martin Locraft 2009Hearing tens of thousands of voices joined in some of the most iconic rock songs of the past three decades is a visceral thrill, no question. But is it art?

Well, time was. U2’s prior U.S. stadium roadshows, 1992’s ZOO TV and 1997’s PopMart, were self-aware and satirical in ways no shows of that scale had been. The first was brilliant right out the gate; the second was more of a grower. But both had ideas to sell that were at least as big as their outsized productions.

The 360 Tour is grand pageantry with a groovy soundtrack, but it lacks a governing theme to make it more. U2 shows are preachier now than they ever were in the ’80s, but their ’90s humor is missing, and missed. After three months on the road, they’re still struggling to integrate their new tunes, shuffling them in the set or skipping them outright: Last night, they dropped No Line’s driving title track for the first time. Meanwhile, “Breathe” has the universal embrace that U2 has always aimed for, but stiffs in its role as the show-opener. These guys used to know how to make an entrance, too.

After waiting out the opening trio, the crowd came alive for a buoyant “Mysterious Ways,” as Bono implored us all to “shake your fat ass!” Maybe that’s why U2, now all in their late 40s, are touring beneath that scary, crawly battlebot: It’s slimming!

Actually, the sci-fi stage, which cradles a telescoping, 360-degree video-lattice in its four steel legs like an insect’s egg-sack, seems more suited to the my-boner-is-mightier-than-the-noble-Battlestar-Galactica vibe of opening act Muse. (Or “The Muse,” Bono called them. He’s the singer in the U2s.) When U2 played beneath a giant golden arch in ‘97 to skewer consumer culture, that made sense. So did the heart-shaped stage they built in 2001, when they wanted to reassure us that their decade-long dalliance with irony and pretend-decadence and drum machines was over.

Only it’s not over, not entirely, and thank God. One of last night’s best performances was “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight,” rearranged for the clubs to put Clayton’s hypnotic bassline up front. The performance got scowling percussionist Larry Mullen Jr. on his feet to orbit the stage’s outer ramps with a bodhran.

Then U2 shifted into an Irianian-themed “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” for which a turban-wearing fan clambered on stage to wave an American flag and share Bono’s mic for one verse — an apparently spontaneous occurrence, and stirring, unless you’ve a heart of stone. Disco to life-and-death in mere seconds. What other band could get away with it? Who else would try?

Later, Bono sent out “One” to anyone who’s lost a loved one to AIDS. And to Nancy Pelosi (again!). And to former President Bush. And to the Congress. Of the United States. Of America.

We get it, Bono: You’ve got phone numbers other pop stars, and most elected officials, don’t. But there oughtta to be a cap on the number of people to whom you can dedicate one song. Even “One.”

If there was, you might have time to play a few more. Like “Bad!” Or “Until the End of the World.” Maybe even something from the criminally underrrated Zooropa album.

Yeah, I know. But you played “Your Blue Room,” so I assume anything is possible. And anyway, isn’t that what you’ve always encouraged us to believe?

 Did you attend the show ? What are your comments ? What did you think ? How do you feel about the short set?

Space ship landed on FedEx Field

The space ship landed on FedEx Field and Dublins Boys proved that big is what they are about. The bigger the set the bigger the show.

In fact, if you ask lead singer Bono, the foursome has transcended band status altogether.

“The nation state that is U2 is a global force — yet, a democracy,” he told the crowd last night.

Of course it is, Bono. Now, you put those light purple shades back on and sing us another song.

Because when U2 wants to rock, U2 rocks; “Beautiful Day” was about as epic as epic gets — until they played the even bigger, bolder “Where The Streets Have No Name.”

For most the show seemed excessive, surreal.

APIThe round stage sat underneath this giant, futuristic, four-pronged claw. Directly above the stage was a circular video screen which expanded vertically and contracted again several times over the course of the night. A couple mechanized ladders let the band members walk out to a narrow outer platform that ringed the stage.

There was Bono, clad in all black, preening and preaching about global democracy and the fight against AIDs while standing in the middle of this evil-looking artifice. All the posturing and technological wizardry aside, U2 put on one of the best rock shows you’ll see today.

The genius of The Edge is that even though he blankets his guitar work in reverb, echo and delay, he still sounds organic. Whether plucked or strummed, his notes rang out and filled FedEx Field like few guitarists could.

U2’s two-and-a-half hour show was heavy on songs from their latest album, “No Line on the Horizon,” which is one of their least commercially successful efforts yet. Though the single “Get On Your Boots” is far from being one of U2’s best, live, it had spunk. And “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” worked much better recast as a disco tune.

The night’s most poignant moments came when the band dipped a little deeper into its songbook. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr.’s snare cracked like gunshots on “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” and bassist Adam Clayton’s notes were thick and fuzzy on “New Years Day.”

Here’s a technical question: When the video screen crept downward to form a cylinder just a few feet above the band members’ heads, could the folks on the top tiers see the musicians? No - not unless you looked at the screen.

Bono tossed out teases of songs such as “Blackbird” and “Stand By Me” sporadically through the set, and sang a verse of “Amazing Grace” near the end of the show. U2GIGS always posts the snips on their set list postings. We elect to keep it to a straight official song list.

APIHere is where we differ many people said that they heard two encores however really it was only one. However if you followed the show last night on tweeter, you will get a couple of different set list views. Note that U2.com reports only 1 encore. So we reviewed and re-set ours as well.

Bono emerged wearing a jacket that emitted miniature laser-like beams of red light, and sang into a glowing microphone that hung from the rafters. He spoke-sang his way through most of “With or Without You,” and closed out the night with the slow ballad “Moment of Surrender.” That last song drug on for too long — a poor choice to wrap up an otherwise bombastic show.

I am not sure why Bono elected to scream out “Don’t forget about us, now” Of course your fans wall remember, how could they forget the biggest show of all time.  

Onward the Band goes and the steel trucks roll down I95 heading South.

 

Tributes, Political Movers, D.C Reviews

A moving night in Washington with tributes to the late Eunice Shriver and Teddy Kennedy and respect going out to political movers and shakers in DC … more than a few of whom seem to be here.

During Beautiful Day Bono remembered ‘the beautiful Eunice Shriver’, describing her as his mentor and it was another special moment when New Years Day was dedicated to Teddy Kennedy. ‘For a peaceful Ireland we salute you Teddy…’ That nearly brought the house down.

In the stadium tonight we spotted Nanci Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives and broadcaster George Stephanopoulos, as well as African leaders like Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director of the World Bank. And in keeping with the DC vibe, Bono restyled the band introducing Larry as the man who wrote U2’s constitution, Adam, the Minister of Culture, Edge, ‘the leader of my free world’ and musing that he himself might be Majority Leader… ‘verbal, elegant but tough when I need to be.’

A kid called Andy arrived on stage at the end of Unforgettable Fire and accepted the invitation to stroll around the stage for City of Blinding Lights. ‘Larry Mullen wants to go crazy, Larry Mullen is crazy…’ sang Bono as the drummer took the djemba for his own nightly walk around the stage, on a track which is without doubt one of the highlights of the show.

Can’t fail to mention The Most Stylish Man in Rock, looking particularly dapper tonight, a sparkly red guitar strap standing out on a very fine new jacket. Set list, as you can see below, got another shake-up. Were you there? Tell us what it was like and post your photos.

U2 larger than life at Giants Stadium

By Jay Lustig/The Star-Ledger

September 24, 2009, 1:57AM

Editor Note: We removed the set list from this orginal story because we have it posted.

Fall officially began on Tuesday. But U2 kept the summer vibe going on Wednesday, with a stellar Giants Stadium concert on an unseasonably warm night.

It was the biggest concert in the stadium’s history. More than 82,000 tickets were sold, and though an attendance figure was not immediately available, it didn’t look like there were many empty seats.

It also had, probably, the tallest stage set: a towering structure with lights and video screens suspended over the band. The stage could be seen from all sides, which made it possible for tickets to be sold in every seated section of the venue, as well as much of the floor.

A second Giants Stadium show is scheduled for Thursday.

Wednesday’s setlist mixed classics like “New Year’s Day,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “With Or Without You” and “One” with newer hits, tracks from the band’s March album “No Line On the Horizon,” and occasional surprises.

In honor of Bruce Springsteen’s 60th birthday, which the Boss celebrated on Wednesday, the band performed a loose version of his “She’s the One” — with frontman Bono changing the title phrase to “he’s the one” — and segued from it to “Desire,” which has the same Bo Diddley beat. Bono also urged the crowd to sing along, during “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” by saying, “Sing it for the Boss.”

In honor of Quincy Jones, who was in attendance, Bono sang a portion of the Michael Jackson hit “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” (which Jones produced) during “Beautiful Day.”

While the stage was daunting and some of the special effects on the video screens were dazzling, musically it was a no-nonsense show — one great song after another, played with precision and power by four rock masters.

The always outspoken Bono occasionally spoke about political issues, and “Walk On” became a tribute to Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, who was elected prime minister in 1990, but was prevented from taking power by a military junta, and is currently living under house arrest. At the end of the song, approximately 70 volunteers walked onto the stage, holding photos of her over their faces.

Giants Stadium Meets Giants of Rock

About five months and three weeks shy of St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish rock band U2 is set to perform two concerts at Giants Stadium, with a massive stage and blizzard of lights complementing a raw sound that borders on rock ‘n’ roll religion.

U2 is scheduled to perform at the home of the Giants and Jets football teams in northern New Jersey tonight and Thursday. And Hudson Valley fans of the Dublin-based band have plenty to say about this ensemble’s new album, legacy and live performances.

U2TOURFANS File Photo “What I love about U2, besides their incredible musical talent, is the fact that they are rock stars with soul. They’re all high school friends who came together through their love of music. They’re not manufactured by a big music producer, they didn’t answer an ad in the paper, they came together as friends who enjoyed playing music and remain friends to this day.That’s what it means to have soul. They’re family men who realize family (in whatever sense you believe that to be) is more important than money or any of the luxuries that come with it.

“If all the fame and fortune went away, they’d be just as happy - that’s soul.

“They understand their fans are the ones who have gotten them where they are today, not their music. They thank their fans for blessing them with the life they’ve gotten to live - that’s soul.

“They are the only ones who can sell out stadiums across the globe, and can unite thousands of people though music. They know, in those crowds, there are friends and foes. They know if enemies can share one commonality, they could become friends - that’s soul.

Need to Know:

Weather:  Expected Rain tonight ( light )

Parking: No comments or issues on tailgating have been posted

Trains: All trains in and out are expected to be fully loaded

Tickets: Yes you can still get tickets on STUBHUB (We do not endorse)

Directions:
View Larger Map

Camera/Videos:  Remember the band has no offical comment. However you run the risk of some secuirty staffer trying to stop you. Remember if its small its good.

Twitter:  We will along with about 20 other people twitter the show.

 Photos/Videos:  We have a video drop box.