ON THE ROAD WITH U2 – My Musical Journey

Inspired first by Hunter Week’s documentary 10MPH, then Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, and my whole life by U2, I decided to write my U2 tours memoir called On the Road with U2. 10MPH was about these guys who left their secure corporate jobs to follow their passion of making documentaries. Similarly in Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert writes about how she took a year off from her life to take a pilgrimage for self-awareness through adventures she had always wanted to take. Hunter Weeks inspired me to pursue my passion and Elizabeth Gilbert inspired me to write about it.

In January, I gathered all my journals since mid 1997 and began writing about my adventures on the U2 tours I have been on from ZooTv to 360. This summer I will continue to write about the U2 360 tour while I’m on a 2 ½ month road trip across America to all 16 US shows. It’s more than just the U2 concerts. It is about the people I meet and the places I see along the way.

I have met so many amazing people by going on U2 tours. I met Tasha, who is now one of my best friends, in the GA line in Pittsburgh on the Elevation tour in 2001. In fact, I made a lot of friends on the Elevation tour. We still keep touch and meet up every few years on the U2 tours. And now through twitter, facebook, my blog and U2TourFans, I have met lots of new U2 fans that I cannot wait to meet in person at the U2 concerts this summer.

My love for U2 has brought me to many great places. The best was Dublin, Ireland. I spent a summer in Dublin studying at Trinity College in 1998. U2 wasn’t playing a concert in Dublin, but I became interested in Ireland because U2 are from there. I went to Las Vegas, my second favorite city, two times because U2 played there on the Vertigo and 360 tours. I have been to Vegas two other times, but U2 playing there gave me a reason to go two more times. I had always wanted to go to Chicago and see a Cubs game at Wrigley and U2 gave me the excuse to go. U2 opened their 360 North American tour with two shows at Soldier Field in Chicago. I went to both shows, and I finally got to Wrigley. I love Chicago now. I went back again for Lollapalooza, and I’m going back twice this year – for U2 in July and for Lollapalooza in August.

I have had some great experiences with U2 over the years on the various tours. The first time I met Bono was in 1992 at Giants Stadium the afternoon of the opening of the ZooTv Outside Broadcast tour. He liked the ‘One’ shirt I had made. He autographed a book I had, but I noticed he was spelling my name wrong, so I corrected him. Then he put his head on my shoulder and arms around my waist as we posed for a great picture. A few weeks later in Philadelphia we were let inside the stadium for the sound check. I had three great moments with Larry on the Elevation Tour in 2001: he gave me his drumstick at the end of the show in Jersey, I finally met him and he hugged me in Baltimore, and he gave me his champagne bottle during his 40^th birthday concert in Providence.

I have seen 59 fantastic U2 concerts since 1992, each special in the their own way. This summer I will see 16 more U2 concerts as I drive across America to all the US shows while writing about my adventures On the Road with U2.



U2’s Last show in Sao Paulo

Last Night (Wednesday 4/13/2011) was the last of three shows for U2’s 306 Tour.  The show started at 21:43 with “Even Better Than The Real Thing” followed up with “I Will Follow” The show lasted about 2hours.

Fans around the world got a special treat, U2 was broadcasted across a couple of different approved sources and of course a couple non-approved one.

Bono remembered the children again killed in the massacre at Relaengo last week. The tribute, which was already made during the first show as, they played Moment of Surrender.

Bono was a bit chatty with the fans, and that did not seem to hide the fact this stop has taken a toll on his voice. Often asking for a little help to get thru some songs, and the crowd surely jumped right in. What the fans did notice is that he mixed some Spanish with Portuguese to converse with them, the crowds did not seem to mind.

Bono said “In Brazil and South America, we saw that we are here to listen and see you. Usually we sing to the public. But here you are singing for us. Usually we do a show for the public. But here, you are making a show for us. ” The reward came soon after when the band amended the track “I Still have not Found What I’m looking for,” which was sung by the chorus of fans.

Ten minutes later, the Irish singer Seu Jorge called to the stage - rolling back the language and referring to a musician in Rio as “Saint George”. The pair did a duet of voice and guitar of the song “The Model”, the German band Kraftwerk. In an interview with the G1 this afternoon, Seu Jorge said that it was he who suggested the band.

After the moment of collective ecstasy, Bono talked about the political activist from Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi, who was twenty years under house arrest and dedicated the song to her.

The show also had the tracks “In the name of love,” “Beautiful Day”, “One,” “Vertigo” and “Zooropa” - the latter had already appeared on Sunday and had never been performed in its entirety by the band alive. “Get on your boots” also appeared, dedicated to Ronaldo.

Towards the end of the show, before “Where the Streets Have No Name”, Bono made the venture into Portuguese, quoting the phrase used in advertising Lula - “I am Brazilian and never give up.” Soon after, gave “good night, Brazil, adios, South America,” and thanked the governor of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, “by giving the stadium” and “help us bring our dream to you.”

The show ended at 23h54 with “Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me,” “With or without you” and “Moment Of Surrender.”

The song ended, Bono earned his final tribute to the public and thanked the 89 000 spectators for the success of the band’s career. “” Thanks for giving us a great life, “the singer said, aware of how it got there.



U2 Live from Sao Paulo Tonight

Bono / U2 360 Tour / File Photo

U2 tour makes its last stop tonight in Sao Paulo, which sold out wherever he goes, gets live broadcast today from 21.30.The last U2 concert in the capital may be accompanied by real-time audio, the band’s official website, the u2.com.

Follow via twitter #U2360BRA

The first show was held in the state capital on Saturday. On stage at Morumbi, the group released the intro to “Train of Eleven” and later paid tribute to murdered children in school by Wellington Menezes Tasso da Silveira, Realengo, in Rio de Janeiro.

On Sunday, the homage was repeated, but the Brazilian music repertoire was chosen for the “My Girl. “

With the second show in the city, the Irish broke the record for the most lucrative tour of music history, with sales of $ 558 million. Until then, the title belonged to the British Rolling Stones.

In addition to Sao Paulo, the transmission of audio from tonight’s show will come to Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela

I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR

Memphis Mullen: My top five favorite U2 songs are I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Luminous Times, Gone, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, and Heartland. To me songs are wonderful because of their lyrics – and the drums. A good lyric touches my soul, gives me chills, and makes the song for me.

My favorite U2 song is I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, off The Joshua Tree. It was my first favorite U2 song and what solidified me as a U2 fan, along with Larry Mullen Jr. With or Without You introduced me to U2, but it was I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For that made me a fan. And 24 years later, I still have not found what I am looking for. But I like the journey, the quest for what truly makes me happy. Every time I hear I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For in concert, it brings tears to my eyes. Luckily I have heard it on every tour I have been to. Besides being a fantastic, spiritual and uplifting song, I Still Haven’t Found is an amazing video – my favorite. It captures U2 during The Joshua Tree era in Las Vegas, my 2^nd favorite city

Luminous Times, a b-side off The Joshua Tree, is the song that gives me chills every time I hear it, even though I have listened to it over and over again the past 24 years. The lyrics are so passionate and the way Bono sings them is so heart wrenching. I absolutely love it! My favorite part of Luminous Times, the part that really gets to me is,

            ‘I love you ‘cause I need to

            Not because I need you

            I love you ‘cause I understand

            That God has give me your hand

            He holds me in a tiny fist

            And still I need your kiss

            Hold on to love’

U2 have never played Luminous Times in concert. When I met Bono on the ZooTv tour, I told him how much I loved Luminous Times and asked if they would ever play it in concert. Bono answered me by saying they were thinking of putting out a b-sides album. (Huh? That’s not what I asked.) Then before the 360 tour began, Edge mentioned that they were thinking of playing some b-sides that they had never played before like Luminous Times.

Gone, off Pop, has one of my all-time favorite lyrics. The lyrics are true, which is why I really identify with this song. My favorite part of is,

            ‘You’re taking steps that make you feel dizzy

            Then you learn to like the way it feels

            You hurt yourself you hurt your lover

            Then you discover

            What you thought was freedom is just greed’

U2 really rock out with Gone in concert. Luckily I went to Popmart and Elevation, so I have heard it in concert. A great moment was on the Elevation tour in Pittsburgh on May 6, 2001 when I scared my new friend Tasha (whom I had just met in the GA line that day) and her sister by screaming SO loud when U2 started playing Gone. I don’t think either of them will ever forget Gone.

Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, off Achtung Baby, means a lot to me. It is a very emotional and angry song that breaks my heart. In fact, I made my first love sit down and listen to the lyrics as I read them to him after he had broken up with me. If I could have written a song about us, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horse would be it. These are some of my favorite lyrics, 

            ‘You’re dangerous ‘cause you’re honest

            You’re dangerous, you don’t know what you want …

            Well, you tell me things I know you’re not supposed to

            Then you leave me just out of reach …

            Well you lied to me ‘cause I asked you to …

            The doors you open

            I just can’t close …

            Don’t turn around, and don’t look back

            Come on now love, don’t you look back!’

I was fortunate enough to go to ZooTv, so I have heard Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses in concert. And I also heard it once on the Vertigo tour and twice on the Elevation tour.

Heartland, off Rattle and Hum, is more about the feel of the song for me, rather than its lyrics. I honestly think I like it so much because it was playing in Rattle and Hum when U2 visited Graceland – combining my 2 passions, Elvis and U2. My front license plate on my car is U2HRTLD. U2 have never played Heartland in concert. When I met Bono on that same day on the ZooTv tour, I also told him how much I loved Heartland. He agreed it was a great song, but moved onto the next person before I could ask him about playing it in concert.

Hopefully I will find what I’m looking for this summer while On the Road with U2 driving across America to all 16 US shows. I’ll be the one crying during I Still Haven’t Found What Found What I’m Looking For and screaming if U2 plays Gone or Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses and passed out on the floor if they play Luminous Times or Heartland.



The Greatest Show in The World

U2 concert is the greatest show on Earth, says critic

The U2 concert is the greatest show on Earth. It is worthwhile to ensure the entrance and run to see Bono of U2 to run the show on Brazilian stage. Who says it is the Alexander Column in Petillo blog affiliates of Rede Globo. “It’s two hours of celebration and fellowship. Can you exorcise, believe, forget it. Putting out. After all, for it was that rock concerts were invented, “says the blogger.

The praise for Bono are not few. “Bono is the greatest frontman in the world. Every step, look, gesture, and speech are rated, great - without exaggeration, the extent to thrill, entertain, make everyone feel at home there. “ On show in Sao Paulo, U2 recalled meeting with Dilma and paid homage to victims of Rio de Janeiro.

The matter came quickly to the U2 Trending Topics Twitter Brazil. And the compliments are constant: “the best rock show I’ve ever seen. There is nothing equal to U2. Whether in technology, sound, emotion, Bono and U2 gives concert worth the same ticket. Come back more often to Brazil” Summarized Esteban Cardoso, internet Campos do Jordao.

THE JOSHUA TREE

Memphis Mullen - My favorite album is Joshua Tree. It is the album that introduced me to U2 when I was a freshman in high school in 1987. My first memory of being a U2 fan is hearing With or Without You. I remember it was the fan favorite video on MTV in 1987.

But what really hooked me, besides Larry Mullen Jr., was I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. I remember blaring it from my boom box as I walked down the beach in Ocean City, Maryland. Coincidently, Larry is on the cover of the single for I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, which I have as a poster framed on a wall in my bedroom.

Besides I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, other favorites of mine off The Joshua Tree are Red Hill Mining Town, Running to Stand Still, Trip Through Your Wires, In God’s Country, and b-sides Luminous Times, Walk to the Water, Deep in the Heart and Spanish Eyes. I love the b-sides of The Joshua Tree as much as, if not more than, the songs that made it onto the album. I’ve only heard three of my favorite Joshua Tree songs in concert because I did not go to the Joshua Tree tour because my mom thought 14 was too young to go to a concert.

Even though I had all of U2’s albums, Joshua Tree was what I listened to constantly from 1987-1991 - along with Rattle and Hum, which I love almost as much because to me it is Joshua Tree part 2. The Joshua Tree was also all I watched for five years. I taped everything off MTV – the documentaries, the videos, the concerts, the award show appearances, and the interviews. My favorite is the documentary Outside It’s America – I know it by heart.

The Joshua Tree is truly a part of me. I think because it was my first U2 album and all I listened to and watched for five years. It’s just so ingrained in me. Its songs are second nature to me. Like being home, they are comforting.

This summer while I am On the Road with U2 driving to all 16 US shows, I am going to make the pilgrimage to The Joshua Tree. For 24 years, I have wanted to visit the actual Joshua Tree and the places U2 were filmed for the cover of my favorite album.



Want to hear U2 Live from Sao Paulo

Bono /U2360 Tour Several reports are coming that Wednesda’s show from Sao Paulo will be broadcast live on radio by Brazillan station Oi FM, 

The band bid farewell to South America this Wednesday with a live audio webcast of the third show from Sao Paulo.

The show will be free on the web and terrestrial radio in South America and worldwide to U2.com subscribers.

U2 fans across South America can follow the U2360° show from  Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo via Terra u2.sonora.terra.com.br and also on radio in Brazil on OiFM.

Quote from U2.com - 

‘U2 have had a great time in South America - they’ve played fantastic sold out concerts in Santiago, Buenos Aires and here in Sao Paulo. This webcast and live radio broadcast in Brazil gives U2 fans who couldn’t get a ticket, the chance to hear a great show.’ said U2 Manager, Paul McGuinness.
 
The live broadcast will begin on u2.sonora.terra.com.br and OiFM at 9:30pm. Terra’s live stream will be broadcast into Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.  U2.com subscribers logging in on the night  will also have access to the webcast.
 
Following last night’s  second show at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo, U2360° broke the record held by the Rolling Stones’ Bigger Bang Tour for the most successful tour ever.  With 26 shows remaining before the tour finishes in Canada on July 30, U2360° will also set a new record for ticket sales, with the final figure to be in excess of 7 million tickets sold.
 
Terra will broadcast the concert audio directly from the stadium, with digital quality, during a special edition of  Sonora Live, sponsored by Intel.

‘The U2 Sonora Live Special will be a milestone in the history of Sonora, broadcasting live and for free to all South America,’ says Terra Media Vice President, Sandra Pecis.  

Country specific landing pages for webcast:
AR: u2.sonora.terra.com.ar
BR: u2.sonora.terra.com.br
CL: u2.sonora.terra.cl
CO: u2.sonora.terra.com.co
PE: u2.terra.com.pe
VE: u2.terra.com.ve
EC: u2.terra.com.ec

The live broadcast will begin at 9:30 pm local time in Sao Paulo

THE LARRY MULLEN BAND

Memphis Mullen: This summer I am doing something I have always wanted to do. I am following U2 around the country driving to all 16 US shows. I have been to multiple shows on every tour since ZooTv, but I have never packed up my car and left my house for over two months to go to every U2 show in America – and then wrote a book about it.

I have been a U2 fan for 24 years. I was a freshman in high school when The Joshua Tree was released in 1987. I remember hearing With or Without You and realizing it was by the same band that sang that song Pride I had heard a few years earlier. Luckily a classmate had a picture of U2 because at the age of 14 it is VERY important what the band that you might be interested in looks like. Out of the four guys, one was stood out. His name was Larry Mullen Jr., and I have been in love with him ever since.

Besides being gorgeous, Larry is my favorite member of U2 because he is very matter of fact, no nonsense, and always says exactly what he is feeling. I admire that about him. He loves Elvis Presley, and I have loved Elvis since I was five. My favorite part of Rattle and Hum, is when U2 visits Graceland and Larry talks about how much he loved the Elvis movies. The first time I saw a Sun Studio tee  shirt was on Larry in Rattle and Hum. And now I live in Memphis, just two miles from Sun Studio and seven miles from Graceland.

I have had a few personal encounters with Larry Mullen over the years on various tours. The first time I saw Larry in person and not on stage was at Giants Stadium on August 12, 1992 before the opening of the ZooTv Outside Broadcast Tour. A bunch of us fans were waiting outside the stadium in the afternoon before the show, and Larry drove by us on his motorcycle. He did not stop, but he did wave. I got a picture and then ran away screaming – he just has that affect on me. That night in concert Larry came to the front of the stage and sang Dirty Old Town as only he can. I was so excited that my friend Jonathan tried to hold me back, so I hit him to get him off of me and he fell off his chair.

During Popmart, the only time I saw Larry outside of the shows was in Philadelphia on June 8, 1997 walking from the bus into the stadium. I do have a HitMan shirt though – like the one he wore in concert.

On the Elevation tour, I had three fantastic encounters with Larry, including the only time I have ever met him. But before any of those, a Larry Mullen Band shirt was thrown onto the stage in Philadelphia on June 11, 2001. Larry placed it on his drum kit where it stayed for the rest of the show. I found out later that Paola had thrown this shirt on stage. It was her birthday, she is a huge Larry fan and had made the shirt for him. Because I took pictures of this and posted them online, Paola, Jenny, Tasha and I became friends. Paola made us all Larry Mullen Band shirts, which I wear to every U2 show. I just made three replicas so I don’t have to wash the same one over and over.

On June 21, 2001 in New Jersey at the end of the show, Larry walked to the front of the stage, leaned over, looked into my eyes and handed me his drumstick. I cried. I clutched that drumstick as I walked out of the arena. It is now in a glass case on my shelf.

On October 19, 2001 in my hometown of Baltimore, I finally met Larry Mullen Jr. This was the first time U2 had played Baltimore, so when they arrived for sound check Larry, Bono, Edge and Adam walked out to meet us fans waiting outside the arena. When Larry walked over to me I said, ‘I don’t have anything for you to sign, so can I have a hug?’ Larry looked at me a little strange, then smiled and said yes. After Larry hugged me, I thanked him. Tasha hugged me and then I cried like a baby. I was so overcome with emotion. I had been waiting to meet Larry for 14 years!

On October 31, 2001 in Providence for Larry’s 40^th birthday, Larry walked to the front of the stage in the middle of the show, leaned over, and gave me his champagne bottle. I had slept out all night in 30 degree temperatures, so I could be up front for Larry’s 40^th birthday celebration concert. I made a huge birthday card that everyone in the GA line signed, and I had brought him a tee shirt with Elvis riding a motorcycle on it. I was of course wearing my Larry Mullen Band shirt, and so were my friends Tasha and Paola. After Stuck in a Moment, Larry’s 40^th birthday celebration began. We sang Happy Birthday to Larry. A birthday cake was brought out, and Larry pretended to throw it out into the audience. Larry took the microphone and came to the front to talk while Bono sat behind the drums. Larry said, “Bono can’t play drums. It took me 40 years to get up front. I’m glad I’m spending my birthday with 18,000 of my closest friends. I feel like I could borrow money from you.” Then Bono asked for a bottle of champagne, which he shook up a la ZooTV and sprayed the audience. Edge took a swig, then Larry drank and continued to drink for the next few songs. After Kite, Larry got off the drums and made a B line for me.

I got my card and shirt in hand so I could give it to him, but that’s not why he was there. He gave me the champagne bottle – with champagne still in it. I drank some and shared it with Paola and Tasha. Larry wanted to share his birthday with ME! He wanted ME to have a drink on his birthday. I was SO excited I didn’t even know they played Wild Honey. I thought it was Staring at the Sun. I didn’t really come around until Please. After Pride, Larry came back over to me so I could give him the birthday card and Elvis shirt. I said, ‘Thank you. Happy Birthday.’ He smiled and said, ‘Thank You.’ He looked into my eyes, just like he had in Jersey. Later on, Bono noticed our shirts, shook his head and smiled. I hugged my champagne bottle while walking out of the arena. It is now on my shelf next to Larry’s drumstick from Jersey.

I did not have any encounters with Larry during the Vertigo tour, except when I would jump up and down screaming when he sang ‘RELEASE’ during Love and Peace or Else. I may have gotten a nod.

On the 360 Tour in 2009, Larry gave me a few waves, smiles and nods during the shows when he saw me in my Larry Mullen Band shirt jumping up and down screaming his name. Of course no one else was behind the stage waiting for him to walk down with his conga during I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight. 

Because of Larry Mullen, there is U2. He started the band with a note on the school bulletin board. And for a few minutes, the band was known as The Larry Mullen Band. Because of Larry Mullen, I got into U2. I heard With or Without You, saw a picture of U2 and noticed Larry, and my passion for U2 quickly grew. Because of Larry Mullen, I met many of my friends. I met Paola and Jenny from that Larry Mullen Band shirt that was thrown on stage, and then we all met each other’s friends and so on.

This summer I will be On the Road with U2 at all 16 US shows. I will be the one in the Larry Mullen Band shirt behind the stage during Sunday Bloody Sunday watching Larry. It’s all about Drums!

Sponsorships avialable -