Julie, Debbi and I attended The Meteor awards in Dublin in early March, U2 were receiving awards so we were really looking forward to it and hoping the band would play a song or two. We'd bought quite expensive VIP tickets and got all dressed up to look the part.
As we crossed the East Link bridge Walk On was playing on the taxi radio, so fitting! We were dropped off at the back of the Point Depot. There was a special entrance for the VIP guests, complete with red carpet, though I must say the waiting photographers put their camera down as we approached LOL!
We were given wristbands and went up the escalators to the champagne and wine reception. It was all quite low-key really and I didn't recognise anyone there.
We went to our seats which were quite good and opposite the real VIPs. We saw Paul McGuinness arrive and noted that there were four empty seats beside him.
The opening act was a band called Kila, and as the lights went down U2 took their seats to a big cheer and applause. As the people in that area were getting up and down to go for awards etc there was always dim lighting on which meant we had a good view of U2 opposite us.
Patrick Keilty presented the show which included Enrique Iglesias, the Cranberries, Gabrielle, Six, Westlife. But I must say we spent most of the time watching U2! Bono talked a lot and couldn't sit still for long. People kept coming up to him (he had an aisle seat) and talked or asked for autographs and he always responded to them. It was nice just to watch him, what patience he has. How strange it must be to know so many eyes are upon you, that you are never anonymous.
U2 were nominated for seven awards and won them all, so they had many visits to the main stage. When Walk On won the Best Song category Adam thanked Daniel Lanois as he had saved the song being dropped during recording.
Bono spoke about the Slane concerts and thanked the crowd for keeping him going when all he could see in the audience was his father's face. He admitted it was still a difficult time for him, his honesty about his grief was really moving.
We fully expected the band to play at some point during the show but they didn't. We were very disappointed, as I'm sure were a lot of people.
It took us ages to find the buses that were taking up to the after-show party at Cafe en Seine. It was a wickedly cold night and the wind whipping up the Liffey from the Irish Sea chilled me to the bone. I had high heels on and not being used to them my feet were starting to ache and I was so glad when we found the bus!
Another red carpet awaited us at Cafe en Seine Flanked on either side by two 14 foot inflatable "waiters". Beyond was a heaving mass of people, queues for everything, nowhere to sit, music so loud you couldn't speak, my idea of hell! On top of that my feet were now agonisingly painful, all I wanted a seat.
The place itself was amazing, Debbi had been before but it was my first visit. Massive golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, there were palms everywhere, two floors of galleries with balconies, the floors were tiled with Victorian tiles, very beautiful.
We got our food and found some backstairs to sit down on to eat it as it was a proper meal not finger food that you could wander round with. anyway my feet were glad of the rest!
The only people we recognised were Stephen Gately and Craig Doyle, of course the A-lister party was elsewhere. Gradually the place emptied a bit and we found seats which was much better. We were determined to make the most of the night and stayed until 3am before getting a taxi back to our hotel. I was so relieved to get those damn high heels off!
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