A bit of U2 magic in Montreal last night, I've never seen so many fans on stage what an experience, great to see the band literally getting up close to fans, I missed that on the last tour. Can't wait for October when I'll be seeing them live!
Showing posts with label Bono. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bono. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Songs of Innocence - My Thoughts
Well I've finally made myself sit down and write about U2's latest album, just six months after it's release lol! Not sure why I haven't written properly about it until now - it's certainly not because I don't like it. I'm not going to do a song by song review, there's no point now and I will not be writing a deep analysis either. I'm just going to write about what the album means to me.
Firstly, Songs of Innocence was a long time coming, over five years, which, even for the slow working U2, was a record. I must admit, though I've been a fan for over thirty years I didn't hold out much hope for this album. The band's last few albums, though good, were nothing outstanding, nothing that excited or surprised me and I honestly thought, that's it, they're in their 50's now and they have had an amazing career but they have lost that spark, that creativity. I hated to admit it to myself, but after all these years of being a fan, I was drifting away and not over-excited at the thought of a new album, I needed a U2 injection, a boost to bring me back to the fold.
The first surprise was the way it was released, we knew that we would see an album soon, but there it was, at the launch of the iPhone 6, free in your Cloud waiting to be downloaded, Songs of Innocence! Of course there were a lot of people who were "outraged" at this intrusion of their phones, But people didn't have to download it did they? I got a new HTC not that long ago and in my music there were various songs I didn't put there, I just deleted them, no big deal. But of course, the U2/Bono haters had to jump up and down about it.
Now I'm not into the corporate side of U2 that's developed over the last fifteen or so years, in fact I really dislike that side of them. I admired them when they were not into all that. But, like it or not U2 is a business as well as a great band, that's the reality and this PR stunt really got them and Songs of Innocence into the headlines, something they probably needed as they had been absent from the scene for so long. I think in some ways it may have backfired a little as many people were talking more about the so-called phone intrusion rather than the actual music on the album. But that aside U2 were back in the spotlight.
So this surprise release got me all excited, and, once I'd figured out how to download it, I listened to it. And I listened again. For me it wasn't instantly an amazing album, but, for the first time in many years, here was a U2 album where the music surprised and excited me, it was not safe or predictable, it was, different, very different and had me both questioning and feeling a buzz inside which is always a good sign!
I quickly realised this was the album I'd wanted U2 to make for a very long time, it's an album about their own roots and influences in Ireland. They've explored other influences in their career but never the things that from their early pre-fame days formed them in who they are as people and a band. I've always felt that, besides their talent, two things make U2 special, the fact that they the best of friends and that they are Irish (or in the case of Adam and Edge grew up in Ireland) being Irish is a big part of what makes this band great. So for me it was only natural that they would one day explore that in their music.
The albums looks at both musical influences The Miracle of Joey Ramone (The Ramones) and This is Where You Can Reach Me Now (The Clash) and more personal songs such as Iris about Bono's mother who died when he was 14, and Cedarwood Road, the street where Bono grew up, and the beautiful, melodic Song for Someone about Bono's childhood sweetheart Ali who he is still married to now. Iris especially is heart-breakingly personal and incredibly moving. I have always admired artists are able to open their heart and soul to the audience like this.
The lyrics (credited to both Bono and Edge) are some of the most honest and soul-baring I've seen from U2 and are some of the best written for many years. I've always been a fan for whom the lyrics are as important as the music and over the last few releases I felt that the lyrics were often lacking, but with this album they are up to the best U2 standard once more.
As a fan of 32 years, I feel Songs of Innocence is very much an album for longtime fans like myself. We are of a similar age, and really understand where the songs are coming from, many of us have lived through similar experiences. And we used to buy our U2 albums as 12 inch LPs, (as per SOI cover) no Internet or downloads then! There is a tour starting a a couple of months and these songs will change and develop as always on tour, so looking forward to hearing them live.
Finally, there is a rumoured follow-up album called Songs of Experience which will be a look at their experiences later in their career. To me, and many others, it feels like these two albums are a lead up to the end of U2. It's telling their story in music, and, to me, it would be a good way to say goodbye. The band are in their mid-50's now and you have to be realistic about how much longer they can go on. They will have been together for 40 years next year, and still producing good music, what an achievement - and it also would be a good time to bow out. But who knows!
Is Songs of Innocence a great U2 album on a par with The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby? I don't think so, but it is a great creative, honest piece of music from a band that still has something to say. It is also the album that brought me back into the U2 fold, even now U2 can surprise me!
Firstly, Songs of Innocence was a long time coming, over five years, which, even for the slow working U2, was a record. I must admit, though I've been a fan for over thirty years I didn't hold out much hope for this album. The band's last few albums, though good, were nothing outstanding, nothing that excited or surprised me and I honestly thought, that's it, they're in their 50's now and they have had an amazing career but they have lost that spark, that creativity. I hated to admit it to myself, but after all these years of being a fan, I was drifting away and not over-excited at the thought of a new album, I needed a U2 injection, a boost to bring me back to the fold.
Now I'm not into the corporate side of U2 that's developed over the last fifteen or so years, in fact I really dislike that side of them. I admired them when they were not into all that. But, like it or not U2 is a business as well as a great band, that's the reality and this PR stunt really got them and Songs of Innocence into the headlines, something they probably needed as they had been absent from the scene for so long. I think in some ways it may have backfired a little as many people were talking more about the so-called phone intrusion rather than the actual music on the album. But that aside U2 were back in the spotlight.
So this surprise release got me all excited, and, once I'd figured out how to download it, I listened to it. And I listened again. For me it wasn't instantly an amazing album, but, for the first time in many years, here was a U2 album where the music surprised and excited me, it was not safe or predictable, it was, different, very different and had me both questioning and feeling a buzz inside which is always a good sign!
I quickly realised this was the album I'd wanted U2 to make for a very long time, it's an album about their own roots and influences in Ireland. They've explored other influences in their career but never the things that from their early pre-fame days formed them in who they are as people and a band. I've always felt that, besides their talent, two things make U2 special, the fact that they the best of friends and that they are Irish (or in the case of Adam and Edge grew up in Ireland) being Irish is a big part of what makes this band great. So for me it was only natural that they would one day explore that in their music.
The albums looks at both musical influences The Miracle of Joey Ramone (The Ramones) and This is Where You Can Reach Me Now (The Clash) and more personal songs such as Iris about Bono's mother who died when he was 14, and Cedarwood Road, the street where Bono grew up, and the beautiful, melodic Song for Someone about Bono's childhood sweetheart Ali who he is still married to now. Iris especially is heart-breakingly personal and incredibly moving. I have always admired artists are able to open their heart and soul to the audience like this.
The lyrics (credited to both Bono and Edge) are some of the most honest and soul-baring I've seen from U2 and are some of the best written for many years. I've always been a fan for whom the lyrics are as important as the music and over the last few releases I felt that the lyrics were often lacking, but with this album they are up to the best U2 standard once more.
As a fan of 32 years, I feel Songs of Innocence is very much an album for longtime fans like myself. We are of a similar age, and really understand where the songs are coming from, many of us have lived through similar experiences. And we used to buy our U2 albums as 12 inch LPs, (as per SOI cover) no Internet or downloads then! There is a tour starting a a couple of months and these songs will change and develop as always on tour, so looking forward to hearing them live.
Finally, there is a rumoured follow-up album called Songs of Experience which will be a look at their experiences later in their career. To me, and many others, it feels like these two albums are a lead up to the end of U2. It's telling their story in music, and, to me, it would be a good way to say goodbye. The band are in their mid-50's now and you have to be realistic about how much longer they can go on. They will have been together for 40 years next year, and still producing good music, what an achievement - and it also would be a good time to bow out. But who knows!
Is Songs of Innocence a great U2 album on a par with The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby? I don't think so, but it is a great creative, honest piece of music from a band that still has something to say. It is also the album that brought me back into the U2 fold, even now U2 can surprise me!
Friday, 7 November 2014
Songs of Innocence is Here!
Well there is a new U2 album out! In fact it's been out for two months and I still haven't got round to doing a review. I don't really know why, well yes, maybe I do know why. I love this album and its content took me by surprise, it's a step back to the early days of the band member's lives, or more specifically Bono's life. There are wonderful songs and the lyrics are back to some of the best ever written. It is a deep and very personal album.
The album is also a grower and that's another reason I haven't done a review yet. It has changed and developed over the weeks in my mind. Now I feel I'm almost at a point to do a review, so expect a post here soon!
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
2010 Germany - Hannover, The Aliens Have Landed
All photos in this post are (c) Christine Moeller. Thanks again Chris for letting me use them.
August 12th 2010
We treated ourselves to a taxi to get to the stadium, it actually turned out to be cheaper than if we had gone on the train and it was so much easier.
We waited where we thought the band would enter the stadium once more. Again they arrived with a police escort, this time with sirens blasting! I counted the luxury car convoy and got 14, but I'm sure I missed a few as I was also trying to see through the blacked out windows. So no meetings again, during the 360 Tour U2 have definitely been
more distant which is a shame, but then again a meeting is a bonus, they don't have to meet and greet fans.
We had good seats 11 rows up the lower tier on Edge's side (we always seem to end up on his side). We got talking to a girl who was sitting beside us, she had come by herself from Berlin and this was her first U2 concert.
The show followed the same set as Frankfurt, but the atmosphere was very up, Bono was in one of his jokey, fun moods. At one point he started talking in an alien-like voice saying that they come from a "Little green planet called Ireland". Then went on saying they had crash landed their space ship and needed to be re-built by German doctors and nurses. He kept laughing and saying sorry but he couldn't stop himself, still speaking in alien tones he told us one of the nurses was at the concert and it was her who stamped made in Germany on his arse. He introduced Edge as R2D2, Adam as Princess Leia and Larry as Darth Vader. I've never seen Larry laugh so much as when he heard that! Bono introduced himself as "The big hairy one". It was just so funny, I've never laughed so much at a U2 concert. Some of the general concert goers there must have thought what a strange accent he has! Maybe he's on too many painkillers??
Glastonbury seemed more defined and it was easier to hear the lyrics as the sound was clearer than at Frankfurt. The ending to me sounded rather Vertigo-like. "It's getting better," Bono said, "You don't mind us experimenting on you?" By now he'd dropped the alien accent . The song didn't get as good a reception here as it had in Frankfurt.
We had bought cheap binoculars at the stadium and they were great. Now I can't remember the song but there's a point where Bono is on the bridge on our side and turns to walk back to the stage, well in complete unison Debbi and I raised our binoculars to view a tasty back view of Bono. We looked at each other and laughed out loud! Great minds.
Streets was a uplifting as ever it's always mind-blowing to look round the crowd when this song is being performed, so many people singing, clapping, dancing in unison, it's certainly a special tune. At the end of the song when they were preparing to leave the stage before the encore, Edge playfully threw a punch at Bono, who jumped back and laughed.
Frankfurt and Hannover had exactly the same set lists yet the shows felt very different. The crowd were more receptive and enthusiastic in Frankfurt. Bono was more ebullient and downright funny in Hannover and his mood transferred onto the crowd it was a real party gig.
During the Frankfurt gig I kept thinking Bono's even smaller than usual and couldn't work out why he looked different. Then at Hannover I noticed that he had relatively normal shoes on, quite high heels, but fairly normal soles. Maybe he had to wear those very thick soled shoes for his back problems rather than vanity.
Bono seemed back to his old self fitness wise, though Deb and I both noticed that once he winced and froze for a second when he was taking a big step up. He also didn't run at all or get his leg over the bridge as he used to do. He must have worked very hard to get well enough to do the tour, bless him.
August 12th 2010
We waited where we thought the band would enter the stadium once more. Again they arrived with a police escort, this time with sirens blasting! I counted the luxury car convoy and got 14, but I'm sure I missed a few as I was also trying to see through the blacked out windows. So no meetings again, during the 360 Tour U2 have definitely been
more distant which is a shame, but then again a meeting is a bonus, they don't have to meet and greet fans.
We had good seats 11 rows up the lower tier on Edge's side (we always seem to end up on his side). We got talking to a girl who was sitting beside us, she had come by herself from Berlin and this was her first U2 concert.
They opened the same way with Stingray and Bono doing a circuit of the catwalk doing his funny, clumsy "dance". I just love it, such fun! Still don't know what Bono shouts out every now and then, but he did finish with, "Achtung baby!" though.
Glastonbury seemed more defined and it was easier to hear the lyrics as the sound was clearer than at Frankfurt. The ending to me sounded rather Vertigo-like. "It's getting better," Bono said, "You don't mind us experimenting on you?" By now he'd dropped the alien accent
The original video to The Unforgettable Fire was there again I was pleased to see, it just works so well. What an amazing song that is and the band were just very young men when they created it. Bono said something in German before the song, and even to me it sounded
terrible - my German friends confirmed that Bono's German is lousy
and they found it very hard to understand.
terrible - my German friends confirmed that Bono's German is lousy
and they found it very hard to understand
At the end of City of Blinding Lights Bono got a girl out of the audience and they walked, arms around each other, along the catwalk. He took so long about it that he was late getting ready for Vertigo! The band kept repeating the opening music and eventually Bono got in place saying, "Sorry, I was just giving her Spanish lessons - uno, dos, tres, catorce!" This is the first 360 show that I have been at wher he hs got someone out of the audience. I'd missed that because for me and most fans it is part of a U2 show, when Bono gets someone on stage we all feel like we are up there.
Crazy was more "evil" in Hannover, I think that was what I was missing in Frankfurt, the menace and rawness and that was there tonight. Loved him yelling out "RRRRRRRiot!"
We had bought cheap binoculars at the stadium and they were great. Now I can't remember the song but there's a point where Bono is on the bridge on our side and turns to walk back to the stage, well in complete unison Debbi and I raised our binoculars to view a tasty back view of Bono. We looked at each other and laughed out loud! Great minds.
Streets was a uplifting as ever it's always mind-blowing to look round the crowd when this song is being performed, so many people singing, clapping, dancing in unison, it's certainly a special tune. At the end of the song when they were preparing to leave the stage before the encore, Edge playfully threw a punch at Bono, who jumped back and laughed.
After the encore Bono mentioned that Paul McGuinness was born in Hannover "About 125 years ago." He then went on to lead the audience in a rendition of Happy Birthday for the band's "Friend and mentor" Wim Wenders who was going to turn 55 in a couple of days.
Then Bono continued, "I would like to...to" we could tell that he was distracted by something, he continued, "Just fix that speaker." He then gave the speaker three hefty kicks before saying, "There it is!" with some satisfaction.
He then went on to dedicate Moment of Surrender to Robert Enke, a Hannover footballer who committed suicide last year. The lights went onto Larry, he stood up and was wearing the local football team's jersey, this really seemed to strike a chord with the crowd and I actually found the song very moving that night.
So that marked the end of 360 2010 for my friends and me. The girl from Berlin was radiant, smiling from ear to ear, she'd loved her first U2 concert. I thought I'd be feeling sad that it was all over, but it had been such a fun, uplifting concert that we all left feeling animated and happy!
Frankfurt and Hannover had exactly the same set lists yet the shows felt very different. The crowd were more receptive and enthusiastic in Frankfurt. Bono was more ebullient and downright funny in Hannover and his mood transferred onto the crowd it was a real party gig.During the Frankfurt gig I kept thinking Bono's even smaller than usual and couldn't work out why he looked different. Then at Hannover I noticed that he had relatively normal shoes on, quite high heels, but fairly normal soles. Maybe he had to wear those very thick soled shoes for his back problems rather than vanity.
Bono seemed back to his old self fitness wise, though Deb and I both noticed that once he winced and froze for a second when he was taking a big step up. He also didn't run at all or get his leg over the bridge as he used to do. He must have worked very hard to get well enough to do the tour, bless him.
We got the train back to the centre of Hannover and once back at our hotel opened the wine and nibbles and chatted about the gig. We had our now traditional after the last show U2 quiz, it was close but Julie won. It took us ages to come back down too earth after the gig and it was getting light by time we went to bed!
Now we are already tentatively planning our next leg of U2 360, 2011 in Canada. I think that we will see a very different show next year (but I hope Bono keep wearing those trousers!)
Thursday, 9 February 2012
2010 August - Frankfurt, He's Back and it's Showtime!
All photos in this post are (c) Christine Moeller. Thanks Chris or letting me use some of your amazing photos!
10th August
Show day, we were all excited and headed off to the stadium in the afternoon. The Commerzbank Arena is situated beside a forest and you have to walk through it to get to the stadium, it really is a lovely setting. We waited for the band to arrive, it was a very hot day but luckily where we were in the shade of the forest and even had log seats to rest on. We got talking to other fans which helped pass the time. One of the security people told one of the German fans that U2 would arrive at the airport at 4.30pm and then come to the stadium. That seemed to be true as at around 5.40pm security was increased, we were told to stay where we were and if Bono wound down the car window we could go across. A convoy of cars headed by two police outriders arrived, and sped into the stadium. I've never seen U2 arrive in such a convoy, it was impossible to see into the cars and no one wound down a window and anyway it would have been difficult to stop a the convoy would have been backed up the road. Of course it was too soon to have a band sound check which was a shame, I always enjoy listening to them. Ahh well, c'est la vie!
We went into the stadium and had something to eat sitting in the lovely sunshine. We went to our seats, great ones at the front on a small tier inbetween the upper and power tiers on Edge's side. Kasabian were the support, they were ok.
The Claw and stage all looked the same to me, though I've heard some people saying they thought the catwalk was smaller. It must have been difficult to erect as there was a kind of capsule suspended high up in the middle of the stadium which was held in place by horizontal cables. One of the Claw legs was very close to the capsule and the "spike" had to be placed between the cables, it must have been a logistic nightmare, no wonder it was already nearly built on the Saturday that we arrived in Frankfurt.
I'm not going to review the concert song by song, I'll just write about aspects of it that stood out for me.
As before, Space Oddity opened the gig, but the band's entry was different, they all walked on together from behind the stage and then went straight into Return of the Stingray Guitar (typical long-winded U2 song title LOL!) I really liked the tune, which was mainly instrumental. Bono was doing a circuit of the catwalk during it, throwing funny Zoo-like poses. It was humourous and yet also very touching as it was almost like Bono was showing us he was all better after his operation and we, the audience, were celebrating that with him and sending him our love. It felt very powerful and I felt very emotional myself, we nearly lost him as a performer and I was so glad to see Bono cavorting around the catwalk in his own clumsy, inimitable way.
The next song was Beautiful Day, followed by a generally very "up" rockin' set. I really missed No Line on the Horizon, don't know why they dropped it, it was well received live last year. I had purposely not listened to Glastonbury on the Net so this was my first experience of it, and boy did I like it, a real rocker! I'm so glad U2 were brave enough to play new music live, it was a new U2 experience for me and a very good one. It was very well received by the crowd too.
Bono thanked the German doctors and nurses who treated him recently and said he now had "Made in Germany" stamped on his arse! He likened U2 to German cars, Edge was a Mercedes Benz, Adam a BMW and Larry a Trabant.
General comments - Frankfurt had a great audience, very responsive, there were times when the whole field and much of the stands was leaping about, wonderful atmosphere. There were a couple of minor technical hitches and the sound wasn't the best I've heard. And finally, I must say that those tight leather trousers of Bono's make me glad that I'm a woman and can appreciate how they cling to his delightful arse, thighs and other bits, fabulous!
10th August
Show day, we were all excited and headed off to the stadium in the afternoon. The Commerzbank Arena is situated beside a forest and you have to walk through it to get to the stadium, it really is a lovely setting. We waited for the band to arrive, it was a very hot day but luckily where we were in the shade of the forest and even had log seats to rest on. We got talking to other fans which helped pass the time. One of the security people told one of the German fans that U2 would arrive at the airport at 4.30pm and then come to the stadium. That seemed to be true as at around 5.40pm security was increased, we were told to stay where we were and if Bono wound down the car window we could go across. A convoy of cars headed by two police outriders arrived, and sped into the stadium. I've never seen U2 arrive in such a convoy, it was impossible to see into the cars and no one wound down a window and anyway it would have been difficult to stop a the convoy would have been backed up the road. Of course it was too soon to have a band sound check which was a shame, I always enjoy listening to them. Ahh well, c'est la vie!
The Claw and stage all looked the same to me, though I've heard some people saying they thought the catwalk was smaller. It must have been difficult to erect as there was a kind of capsule suspended high up in the middle of the stadium which was held in place by horizontal cables. One of the Claw legs was very close to the capsule and the "spike" had to be placed between the cables, it must have been a logistic nightmare, no wonder it was already nearly built on the Saturday that we arrived in Frankfurt.
I'm not going to review the concert song by song, I'll just write about aspects of it that stood out for me.
As before, Space Oddity opened the gig, but the band's entry was different, they all walked on together from behind the stage and then went straight into Return of the Stingray Guitar (typical long-winded U2 song title LOL!) I really liked the tune, which was mainly instrumental. Bono was doing a circuit of the catwalk during it, throwing funny Zoo-like poses. It was humourous and yet also very touching as it was almost like Bono was showing us he was all better after his operation and we, the audience, were celebrating that with him and sending him our love. It felt very powerful and I felt very emotional myself, we nearly lost him as a performer and I was so glad to see Bono cavorting around the catwalk in his own clumsy, inimitable way
The next song was Beautiful Day, followed by a generally very "up" rockin' set. I really missed No Line on the Horizon, don't know why they dropped it, it was well received live last year. I had purposely not listened to Glastonbury on the Net so this was my first experience of it, and boy did I like it, a real rocker! I'm so glad U2 were brave enough to play new music live, it was a new U2 experience for me and a very good one. It was very well received by the crowd too.
Bono thanked the German doctors and nurses who treated him recently and said he now had "Made in Germany" stamped on his arse! He likened U2 to German cars, Edge was a Mercedes Benz, Adam a BMW and Larry a Trabant.
Miss Sarajevo was brilliant, I am still stunned by how Bono can sing opera like that! The audience clapped and cheered as he gave everything he had, a spine tingling moment.
The video for The Unforgettable Fire had been changed. It was more colourful and very pretty, but it didn't have the same link with the music. The Crazy remix seemed a bit different, the chorus was more upfront, it seemed more refined, and though I liked it, I preferred last year's rawer version.
Walk On and the masks are gone! Yay! Instead the people carried lanterns with the Amnesty International symbol on the front to highlight their Free Burma Campaign. In my opinion this worked well and it touched me much more than the creepy masks.
Hold Me, Touch Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me replaced Ultraviolet in the encore. The steering wheel was now lit up in red, which was much better. Now I'd been disappointed to hear Ultraviolet had been dropped, but I loved HMTMKMKM! It was performed in a very theatrical way, Bono looked menacing, the red of the steering wheel reflected in his glasses added to the overall effect. I'd forgotten that I really liked this song live much more than on CD. Loved when Bono sat on the wheel and swung on it, he'll be on a trapeze next!
With Or Without You was simply stunning. The show finished, as last year, with Moment of Surrender, (dedicated to those who lot their lives in the terrible crush at the recent Love Parade in Germany) and I still feel it doesn't work well as a closing song. I felt that night if the show had finished with With or Without You it would have been perfect.
General comments - Frankfurt had a great audience, very responsive, there were times when the whole field and much of the stands was leaping about, wonderful atmosphere. There were a couple of minor technical hitches and the sound wasn't the best I've heard. And finally, I must say that those tight leather trousers of Bono's make me glad that I'm a woman and can appreciate how they cling to his delightful arse, thighs and other bits, fabulous!
Friday, 23 September 2011
2010 June - U2 360 at the Rose Bowl DVD Review
I had pre-ordered the Deluxe version of the 360 at the Rose Bowl DVD and was surprised to see it pop through my letter box yesterday! So last night I sat down with a glass of red wine and watched disc one. I was a bit worried what I would think about it as I had not been that impressed by the hour long highlights shown on Sky TV earlier in the week. I haven't mentioned every song and my review is my initial impressions, I haven't sat and thought about it, it's just the impressions and feelings I got while watching.
Get On Your Boots starts the show, I realise that I really don't like this song very much now, it seems kind of clumsy. Magnificent was next - this is a song that definitely should start the show, it's perfect for that. The audience was a bit subdued to say the least and Bono worked hard to motivate them and shouted, "Get off your fat asses." LOL!
Beautiful Day was well received and Bono added at bit of God's Country at the end which was a nice touch. Again Bono worked hard to get the audience going in Mysterious Ways. He introduced the band, Larry was U2's James Dean, Adam, Rhett Butler - "Suave, sophisticated, frequently gone with the wind", a reference to Adam's problem with wind . Edge was a "Visitor from outer space" who boldly goes where no other guitar player goes, "Mr Spock to us, the Edge to you." He described himself as a mixture between Arnie Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, which besides the lack of height I didn't really get.
Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For was a special moment, as often happens the audience took over the singing, I think that was the point the crowd finally got into the concert. I got that warm, fuzzy feeling I often get a U2 concerts when something special is happening that is beyond the music. Why does this song affect people so? I think it's because it touches a nerve deep within, across all borders, we are all searching for something, we are all striving, so can relate to this song.
Bono called out "Buzz Aldrin's in the house, the second man to walk on the moon." 2009 was the 40th anniversary of the first men on the moon.
Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of was lovely, a quiet acoustic version - there was a funny interchange between Bono and Edge at the beginning.
Next was No Line on the Horizon and seeing this confirmed it is definitely my favourite song from the last album. energetic, a bit raw round the edges, I love when Bono just blasts out a song like that. Love the bit where the band come crashing in again at "Traffic cop...." fab.Elevation was another the audience liked, but it is not one of my favourite U2 songs. Liked the bit Bono put on the end, females fans will enjoy it LOL!
I really enjoyed In a Little While though it is not a favourite song of mine. There were views of the earth from space and the International Space Station on the claw screens which worked really well with the song. At the end Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne recited some lines of the song, which again was very appropriate with lyrics such as "A man takes a rocket ship into the skies." Nice.
The Unforgettable Fire was wonderful. The claw lit up beautifully, complimenting the music well. Once more I marvelled at the talent of such young men in the early 1980's writing such a fabulous, complicated and mature song, Bono mentioned Stephen Gateley, who had recently died, as "A beautiful spirit, a bright shining spark."
There were some great aerial shots of the claw and stadium during City of Blinding Lights, again it worked really well with the song.
Vertigo rocked, the screen "spinning" manically at the end. Crazy (I can't bothered to write out the full title of the song, it's too long!) came across well, the sound cranked up on my headphones was much better than on the TV programme the other day. I still love this version of the song, in fact I like it better than the album version. Bono gave some clapping lessons - and said they had a "Cuban beat going."
One was another of those moments, it's a song that brings people together, performed wonderfully, throughout the concert I thought Bono's voice was excellent.
Streets was dramatic, the stadium was lit up and all you could see was a mass of people having ball. One camera shot was from behind the band members who had gathered together- Bono standing astride two monitors - it gave the viewer an idea of what it was like for the band to look out over that sea of people, amazing.
Ultraviolet was slightly different to the European version, the screen intro differed, though it was still orange, no poem, just the Zoo baby speaking. The "steering wheel" was illuminated with red lights with a white light at the centre that shone onto Bono's face. I found that much better, as sometimes UV was too dark at shows I saw last year. His laser suit sent of beams of red light for ages, he must have been plugged in for along time!
With or Without You, what can I say? Arguably the best song U2 have ever written, again at a very young age. The steering wheel was now lit up blue. I love how Bono works with this song, he always seems to bring something new to it. At the end he took off his "suit of lights" (fame?) put it on a clothes hanger and hung it from the wheel and it was lifted up and disappeared into the claw.
The closing song was Moment of Surrender. I still feel this song is not a good finale to a show. I know U2 nearly always have a lowkey ending to their gigs, but they are also uplifting. I find Moment of Surrender quite depressing, almost dirge-like and not the best way to end a show.
All in all I enjoyed the DVD, the band played and sang well and seemed to be enjoying themselves. The sound was good via my headphones. The whole show flowed well and there was some good use of the claw to compliment the songs. It brought back great memories for me of the shows I saw last year, I found I often had that smile on my face that I get when watching U2. I haven't watched the other disc yet, I hope to do that soon.
I must admit I was also very aware of Bono and what he does physically in a show, and I will be very surprised if he will be recovered enough to be able to do the European leg of this year's tour. He has to heal, stregthen his muscles, then get fit for a tour, I doubt it can be done. Though I suppose it might be possible to move the dates back a few weeks. I might be wrong, I hope I am, but I wouldn't want Bono to injure himself further for the sake of a tour.
Over the past few months my relationship with U2 has been a bit strained at times for various reasons. But I think the rocky patch is passing. I was surprised by how concerned I was by Bono's health problems, it was almost like a friend was unwell. And watching the DVD made me realise how good U2 are at their job too. All they have to do now is bring out a special album, and the present circumstances give them a good opportunity to do just that.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
2009 - July, 360 in Nice
Going to the South of France had been on my wish list for a very long time. When my friends and I saw U2 were playing a gig in Nice we decided to combine seeing our first U2 360 Tour gig with a holiday in the Riviera. We stayed in a truly French apartment close to Nice's Old Town and Port. We quickly fell in love with this gorgeous area, the views, food, joie de vivre, no wonder this area has been a favourite of the rich for decades.
The stadium U2 were playing was quite a distance from our apartment so we treated ourselves to a taxi. Our taxi driver, Jean Marc, (who we got to know quite well over the week as he ferried us about the city) said, "Good luck" when he dropped us off at the Charles Ehrmann Stade des Sports as it was an extra hot day in Nice. Being from the far north of England I'm not very good in very hot weather so I had been careful to drink lots of water and had my can of Magicool in my bag - thank heavens for that stuff, it really makes a difference .
It was 3.30pm and it was still very warm and l was worried I wouldn't be able to cope with the 30 degree heat. But fate was on our side and a few clouds started drifting across the sky cooling the temperatures just enough to make them bearable.
We could see The Claw, (or La Griffe as it was called in French), towering above the stadium, it looked a strange creation indeed. The stadium is situated in the north west of the city and flanked to the north by mountains and impressive cliffs, such a beautiful backdrop for the gig.
At 5.30pm the doors opened, and to my despair (but not surprise) the Magicool was taken off us - the security woman laughed as we had one last spray before discarding the tin. We were in the very cheap non-reserved seating, which really was only large concrete steps, you sat on one step and put your feet on the next. We chose seats that soon would be in shadow and were to the right of the stage. It was quite a good position and we had unobstructed views, except for a leg of The Claw. It certainly is a massive structure and on first sight in real life and daylight isn't exactly pleasing on the eye.
Time passed and gradually our bums got numb from sitting on the hard concrete. We got up shuffled about, sat down, got up again..... no wonder these seats had been cheap! The music being played was rather boring, a lot of it I didn't know which would not have gone amiss playing in a lift.
At 8pm Snow Patrol came on and instantly we realised what a great sound system lay within The Claw, it was crystal clear. I love Snow Patrol, I really like Gary Lightbody's voice and think they have written some fantastic songs including the classic Chasing Cars. They played a wonderful set of mainly their most well-known songs. Run gets to me every time, I could feel the emotion build up in me, I simply love that song. The band went down well with the audience too which was good to see.
9pm came and went, bums got number, but the rest of our bodies cooled down a little as the sun dipped lower in the sky. We speculated on what U2's entrance would be like. A helicopter was flying very low overhead and we joked that maybe they would parachute down and each slide down a leg of The Claw!
Finally at 9.30pm David Bowie's Space Oddity boomed out (one of the few decent songs played) and we knew this just had to be the start, and it was. Larry came out and played the drums and the band exploded into Breathe. It worked well live and was an ok starter, though I think Magnificent would have been much better to start the show. The sound was the best I'd heard at a U2 concert and Bono was in good voice. He also looked very slim, where were those thighs and bum??!
Next was my favourite from the album No Line On The Horizon. I dialled my friend Dawn's number on my mobile and she was able to listen and enjoy it many hundreds of miles away in Scotland, the wonders of the modern world! The performance was stunning. The Claw almost seemed to come alive during the performances, puffing smoke, lights creating different effects, 360 video screen had very clear pictures of the band and videos and even stretched out at times. The Claw is definitely more impressive at night with all the lighting effects.
Loved Magnificent, those opening notes are so distinctive and it went down extremely well with the crowd.
Desire was followed by snippets of two Michael Jackson songs in tribute, the last of which was Don't Stop Until You Get Enough. Bono repeated the last line over and over his voice getting softer each time until it was a whisper. I thought that was very effective, signifying how Michael slipped away from this life.
Stuck In A Moment.... was next dedicated to, "Another Michael". It was really good to hear this song again and it was performed so well.
Next was Unknown Caller complete with karaoke-like lyrics on the screen. I didn't like that and I don't like that song any better now I've heard it live either.
The screen then had a metamorphosis and lengthened downwards until it was just above the bands' heads, it was like The Claw was coming alive, I almost expected it to start kicking out its legs to the beat next! Impressive.
A real treat came next, The Unforgettable Fire. And it was excellent, the video screens echoed the song with swirling reds and Bono remembered all the words (which can't be said of some other songs at this gig!). It made me realise just what a complicated, mature song that is both musically and lyrically, such an achievement for the then (1984) very young band.
A more recent tune was next in the set, City Of Blinding Lights, and the expanded screen created beautiful effects to go with this song and everyone was singing along to the "ooooohs". Great fun.
At first I didn't recognise I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight as it was so different from the album version, much more dancey. I'm not sure whether I liked it or not. Part of me was disappointed because I really like the album version, but part of me liked the risk the band were taking by doing this version. I needed time for this one.
Zzzzzz for me next, Sunday Bloody Sunday and Pride. "I'm so sick of it!" But having said that the crowd erupted when both were played, they are crowd pleasers and U2 are almost trapped into playing them. But I do wish they would be brave enough to drop more of these songs they play at almost ever concert.
There wasn't a lot of talking from Bono but he did talk at this point about Aung Sang Suu Kyi. Oh no, I thought, please don't say put on the masks..... He didn't, instead people who obviously had been picked form the crowd came out onto the walkway with masks on sticks in front of their faces and stood there as Bono sang Walk On. All the sticks were the same so they had obviously been given the masks to use by crew members. It worked quite well, better than the other idea, (maybe U2 had seen the opinions on the Net?) though sometimes you could see where Aung Sang Suu Kyi's eyes had been removed so the person could see to walk and that looked a bit weird. I didn't see anyone in the crowd put on a mask.
A heartfelt speech from Desmond Tutu about Africa was a prelude to One after which the band left the stage.
The encore started with fabulous Ultraviolet sung by Bono using a microphone that looked like a small steering wheel suspended from high within The Claw. He used the mic as a prop almost swinging on it and swinging it back and fore and catching it. I can see him missing one day and getting hit in the face! It was absolutely wonderful to hear that song again, very, very underplayed over the years. It is very strong live.
With Or Without You (Bono got no one on stage) followed by Moment Of Surrender close. It is a powerful song but I really think it is not the best song to finish a concert with.
And so that was the end of our first 360 show. The show is a barrage of music and vision, and we felt a bit over-awed at first and didn't say much. I had been very skeptical about The Claw, I really feel shows are about the music, emotion and communication not "effects". The Claw's "effects" are spectacular, stellar and even beautiful at times, most bands would be drowned by it. Though at times it was close, I think the band by their sheer power, pulled it off. It was lovely to hear some rarely played songs again, though I would have been happy for there to be more rather than some of the over-played regulars. Maybe that will happen in time.
So we walked out into the balmy night of Nice, cicadas "singing" in the early hours (the show finished at 11.45pm). We risked the portaloos which were scary but not as scary as some I've been in! We now had sore feet from all the standing, the arses had improved a little, dust and grit stuck to our sweaty, sunscreen covered bodies, we were hungry and thirsty, but happy, U2 had delivered.
Already battalions of cleaning trucks and men with witches broom-like brushes were starting the big clean up. Dozens and dozens of coaches had whisked away the people from right beside the venue into the city centre, excellent organisation. The crowd had been great, good mannered, enthusiastic and we didn't see one person drunk, the Brits could learn a thing or two on that last point! We walked up the road to the police station where we had arranged to meet Jean-Marc to take us home. As reliable as ever he soon arrived and whisked us off across the city, we hoped we didn't smell too rank in the confines of the taxi after our strenuous day. We arrived at our apartment at 2am. Jean-Marc joked Bono was waiting for us inside - he'd brought him in his taxi earlier.
Showers, then we had a pizza, followed by meringues Chantilly from a fab patisserie up the road (the best meringues I've ever had!) washed down by Moet champagne. We felt human again and the concert adrenalin was still flowing, we chatted until 5am when we thought that maybe we should go to bed.......
The stadium U2 were playing was quite a distance from our apartment so we treated ourselves to a taxi. Our taxi driver, Jean Marc, (who we got to know quite well over the week as he ferried us about the city) said, "Good luck" when he dropped us off at the Charles Ehrmann Stade des Sports as it was an extra hot day in Nice. Being from the far north of England I'm not very good in very hot weather so I had been careful to drink lots of water and had my can of Magicool in my bag - thank heavens for that stuff, it really makes a difference .
We could see The Claw, (or La Griffe as it was called in French), towering above the stadium, it looked a strange creation indeed. The stadium is situated in the north west of the city and flanked to the north by mountains and impressive cliffs, such a beautiful backdrop for the gig.
At 5.30pm the doors opened, and to my despair (but not surprise) the Magicool was taken off us - the security woman laughed as we had one last spray before discarding the tin. We were in the very cheap non-reserved seating, which really was only large concrete steps, you sat on one step and put your feet on the next. We chose seats that soon would be in shadow and were to the right of the stage. It was quite a good position and we had unobstructed views, except for a leg of The Claw. It certainly is a massive structure and on first sight in real life and daylight isn't exactly pleasing on the eye.
Time passed and gradually our bums got numb from sitting on the hard concrete. We got up shuffled about, sat down, got up again..... no wonder these seats had been cheap! The music being played was rather boring, a lot of it I didn't know which would not have gone amiss playing in a lift.
At 8pm Snow Patrol came on and instantly we realised what a great sound system lay within The Claw, it was crystal clear. I love Snow Patrol, I really like Gary Lightbody's voice and think they have written some fantastic songs including the classic Chasing Cars. They played a wonderful set of mainly their most well-known songs. Run gets to me every time, I could feel the emotion build up in me, I simply love that song. The band went down well with the audience too which was good to see.
Finally at 9.30pm David Bowie's Space Oddity boomed out (one of the few decent songs played) and we knew this just had to be the start, and it was. Larry came out and played the drums and the band exploded into Breathe. It worked well live and was an ok starter, though I think Magnificent would have been much better to start the show. The sound was the best I'd heard at a U2 concert and Bono was in good voice. He also looked very slim, where were those thighs and bum??!
Next was my favourite from the album No Line On The Horizon. I dialled my friend Dawn's number on my mobile and she was able to listen and enjoy it many hundreds of miles away in Scotland, the wonders of the modern world! The performance was stunning. The Claw almost seemed to come alive during the performances, puffing smoke, lights creating different effects, 360 video screen had very clear pictures of the band and videos and even stretched out at times. The Claw is definitely more impressive at night with all the lighting effects.
Loved Magnificent, those opening notes are so distinctive and it went down extremely well with the crowd.
Desire was followed by snippets of two Michael Jackson songs in tribute, the last of which was Don't Stop Until You Get Enough. Bono repeated the last line over and over his voice getting softer each time until it was a whisper. I thought that was very effective, signifying how Michael slipped away from this life.
Stuck In A Moment.... was next dedicated to, "Another Michael". It was really good to hear this song again and it was performed so well.
Next was Unknown Caller complete with karaoke-like lyrics on the screen. I didn't like that and I don't like that song any better now I've heard it live either.
The screen then had a metamorphosis and lengthened downwards until it was just above the bands' heads, it was like The Claw was coming alive, I almost expected it to start kicking out its legs to the beat next! Impressive.
A real treat came next, The Unforgettable Fire. And it was excellent, the video screens echoed the song with swirling reds and Bono remembered all the words (which can't be said of some other songs at this gig!). It made me realise just what a complicated, mature song that is both musically and lyrically, such an achievement for the then (1984) very young band.
A more recent tune was next in the set, City Of Blinding Lights, and the expanded screen created beautiful effects to go with this song and everyone was singing along to the "ooooohs". Great fun.
At first I didn't recognise I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight as it was so different from the album version, much more dancey. I'm not sure whether I liked it or not. Part of me was disappointed because I really like the album version, but part of me liked the risk the band were taking by doing this version. I needed time for this one.
Zzzzzz for me next, Sunday Bloody Sunday and Pride. "I'm so sick of it!" But having said that the crowd erupted when both were played, they are crowd pleasers and U2 are almost trapped into playing them. But I do wish they would be brave enough to drop more of these songs they play at almost ever concert.
There wasn't a lot of talking from Bono but he did talk at this point about Aung Sang Suu Kyi. Oh no, I thought, please don't say put on the masks..... He didn't, instead people who obviously had been picked form the crowd came out onto the walkway with masks on sticks in front of their faces and stood there as Bono sang Walk On. All the sticks were the same so they had obviously been given the masks to use by crew members. It worked quite well, better than the other idea, (maybe U2 had seen the opinions on the Net?) though sometimes you could see where Aung Sang Suu Kyi's eyes had been removed so the person could see to walk and that looked a bit weird. I didn't see anyone in the crowd put on a mask.
A heartfelt speech from Desmond Tutu about Africa was a prelude to One after which the band left the stage.
The encore started with fabulous Ultraviolet sung by Bono using a microphone that looked like a small steering wheel suspended from high within The Claw. He used the mic as a prop almost swinging on it and swinging it back and fore and catching it. I can see him missing one day and getting hit in the face! It was absolutely wonderful to hear that song again, very, very underplayed over the years. It is very strong live.
With Or Without You (Bono got no one on stage) followed by Moment Of Surrender close. It is a powerful song but I really think it is not the best song to finish a concert with.
And so that was the end of our first 360 show. The show is a barrage of music and vision, and we felt a bit over-awed at first and didn't say much. I had been very skeptical about The Claw, I really feel shows are about the music, emotion and communication not "effects". The Claw's "effects" are spectacular, stellar and even beautiful at times, most bands would be drowned by it. Though at times it was close, I think the band by their sheer power, pulled it off. It was lovely to hear some rarely played songs again, though I would have been happy for there to be more rather than some of the over-played regulars. Maybe that will happen in time.
So we walked out into the balmy night of Nice, cicadas "singing" in the early hours (the show finished at 11.45pm). We risked the portaloos which were scary but not as scary as some I've been in! We now had sore feet from all the standing, the arses had improved a little, dust and grit stuck to our sweaty, sunscreen covered bodies, we were hungry and thirsty, but happy, U2 had delivered.
Already battalions of cleaning trucks and men with witches broom-like brushes were starting the big clean up. Dozens and dozens of coaches had whisked away the people from right beside the venue into the city centre, excellent organisation. The crowd had been great, good mannered, enthusiastic and we didn't see one person drunk, the Brits could learn a thing or two on that last point! We walked up the road to the police station where we had arranged to meet Jean-Marc to take us home. As reliable as ever he soon arrived and whisked us off across the city, we hoped we didn't smell too rank in the confines of the taxi after our strenuous day. We arrived at our apartment at 2am. Jean-Marc joked Bono was waiting for us inside - he'd brought him in his taxi earlier.
Showers, then we had a pizza, followed by meringues Chantilly from a fab patisserie up the road (the best meringues I've ever had!) washed down by Moet champagne. We felt human again and the concert adrenalin was still flowing, we chatted until 5am when we thought that maybe we should go to bed.......
Saturday, 10 July 2010
2007 - November, "Bleedin' rock stars"
Debbi and I had a short break in Dublin in November. We treated ourselves to a one night stay in the Garden Terrace Suite at the Clarence, much cheaper than the Penthouse but nowhere near as grand! The other two days we stayed at Bewley's which was as nice as usual, it's always a good place to stay.
We went down to Hanover Quay on our last full day in Dublin, and luckily we managed to get parked right opposite the studio. There were a couple of girls and two young men already waiting at the studio. The second stroke of luck was that all the signs that the band were there or coming were there so we waited.
Shortly after we got there Adam arrived and stopped to talk, both Debbi and I got good photos taken with him and were able to have a little chat. Debbi told him she wasn't too well and he asked why and she said about overdoing it the previous night, he asked where she'd been and she replied the Clarence. I then asked how the recording of the album was going, and after a short pause he said, with a hint of frustration. "Well, we haven't really started on it yet!" Not what we were wanting to hear! At this point a young man came and asked for an autograph and shortly afterwards Adam went into the studio. The men left after that.
Edge and Larry arrived shortly afterwards but didn't stop, three down one to go, Bono. It was dry and not cold so it wasn't unpleasant waiting and there is always something to watch at HQ. The area has changed beyond recognition, each time we come there are new blocks of offices or apartments, shops and restaurants. Grimy Misery Hill, noisy, dusty Kilsaran Concrete, the garage with the German Shepherd guard dog up the road all gone. And soon HQ will be gone too and it will be the end of an era for us, I feel a little sad about that.
A courier van drew up outside the studio and the driver asked us what we were waiting for and Debbi said "a bus", he laughed and said that this was a very "odd street". Around this time the two girls left, so now it was just Debbi and I left waiting.
I had my usually very reliable "feeling" that we'd meet Bono but time was passing and there was no sign of him. Then luck smiled on us for the third time - at about 3.30pm Bono arrived in a taxi, he waved to us as it pulled up outside the studio. He got out and after saying goodbye to someone who was in the taxi with him he came across to us. At this point I got that familiar, surreal feeling, as I watched him walking towards us. Unusually he wasn't wearing his glasses which was nice, he stopped in front of us and greeted us in his usual way,
"Hi how are you?"
We said we were ok and Debbi said,
"Fancy meeting you here",
Bono smiled and then he leaned forward and kissed Debbi and said he liked her hair (she's had part of it dyed dark pink), then he leaned over to me and kissed me. We both noticed he had no aftershave on. He was just about to say something when Debbi jumped in and said.
"Can we just say something to you," immediately she had his attention, he looked at her intently, waiting for what was coming next. She continued to thank him for what he did for us when we were in the penthouse in May. I added that it made our stay there just perfect.
"Did you stay up really late?" he asked.
"We stayed up all night!" I replied, Bono was very impressed with that and with a gesture said,
"YES, great stuff!"
He obviously approved! Debbi continued saying that we'd really enjoyed every minute there, going in the hot tub, drinking champagne..... Bono smiled as he listened. Then she said,
"Actually we were at the Clarence last night, but not in the penthouse".
"I should think not," he said emphatically, "what do you think you are, bleedin' rock stars?!"
We all laughed, he is so funny. Then Bono said he would have to go as he was an hour late, so we said our goodbyes and then he disappeared into the studio. It had been a very short but sweet meeting. We had so wanted to be able to thank him personally on behalf of ourselves and our friends Dianne and Julie, for his kindness in May. We had left a thank you note at the studio in May but we never knew if he got it of course. So we were so pleased to be able to thank him in person and we were lucky to have been the only fans there when he arrived. It was great to have a kiss from him too! He really is so sweet. I'd like to say he looked well, but he looked very tired and drawn. Later we found out that he had already been to a meeting of Irish Hunger Taskforce in Cork earlier that day. He really needs to slow down a bit.
We went to our car and were sitting getting ourselves sorted when four young and very beautiful Italian girls appeared from nowhere and came over to us. They asked if Bono was in the studio we told them he was and that he had arrived just a few minutes earlier. The girls were ecstatic, apparently Bono had told them yesterday that he would see them for autographs and photos at 6pm today. The girls were so excited, shouting repeated thanks yous and blowing kisses to us over and over as they walked away. I'd have loved to have been there when they met Bono!
That meeting was a lovely ending to our short Dublin trip and it felt like we had been able to make a perfect ending also for our May Penthouse trip by giving our thanks to the B-man.
Sunday, 13 June 2010
2007 - May, Bono at HQ and the Clarence Penthouse
Sorry for the long gap since my last post, I just seem to have been so busy with other writing and life in general. But now I'm determined to continue updating this blog regularly until I'm up to the present day, then I'll update it when there are any U2 happenings in my life. Below is one of the most marvellous U2 experiences I've had!
All our trips to Dublin are special, but this week long 2007 trip was more special than usual, we were staying in a rented apartment – but for one night we were going to stay in the Penthouse at the Clarence Hotel – we’d saved for two and a half years for it! Debbi, Dianne, Julie and I were at last back in Dublin for this holiday of a lifetime. It was good to meet up with my friends again; we always just seem to pick up from where we left off when we get back together.
On Tuesday lunchtime we went down to U2’s studio in the docklands. How it is changing there, the gritty griminess and character being replaced by large, anonymous glass and steel buildings. Even the Kilsaran concrete yard was now closed and the famous bench gone. I’m not sure about all the changes in Dublin, so many wonderful old buildings have gone, I feel they should have done more renovation and so kept some of the city’s unique character alive within the new.
We had no idea whether U2 were at the studio, but not long after we got there Adam arrived. We had a short chat and took photos; as usual he was a real gentleman. About an hour later Bono arrived too and not long after parking his car in the garage appeared at the studio door. He made no attempt to come across the road and was clearly waiting for us to come to him so we did. He looked really well and suits the short hair; also its more natural colour is much better for his pale Irish complexion.
He was chatty and asked us various questions including what we had been doing so far on our holiday, we told him about our trip to Brittas Bay the previous day and he said he loved it there. We all got autographs and photos taken with him. We hadn't been sure whether to tell him about our stay the penthouse at the Clarence later that week. Debbi quietly asked me. "Shall we tell him?" H heard and said. "Tell me what?" His eyes going back and for between our faces. Don't know why but I quietly said to Deb ."Ok." (As if he wouldn't hear me!) Debbi then shared our plans with him. Bono asked what we were celebrating and we told him it was a special birthday for Dianne. He was too much of a gentleman to ask how old she w
ould be, I jokingly told him she was 30! To which Diann said. "It's a long time since I've been 30!" I added that we'd be saving to do this for ages as I didn't want him to think we were rich fans who could do something like that whenever we wanted. He said we'd love it in the penthouse, and after wishing Dianne a happy birthday and saying goodbye he went back into the studio. It’s always so good to meet Bono, he has the ability to make everyone around him feel special and important and we were certainly full of smiles as we left Hanover Quay that day!
A couple of days later and it was our big day at penthouse at the Clarence Hotel; I was wide at 6.30am, very unusual for me! We spent the morning getting ready, we looked like different people in our lovely clothes, we felt like different people too.
The limo was a bit late, the chauffeur couldn’t find us! After I gave directions over the phone he was soon there. It was a white stretch limo, black leather seats, yet let down by plastic glasses for the “champagne” which tasted more like Cava to me. It was all rather over the top for my liking, but still, it was special and that was what this day was all about. We sat inside watching a U2 DVD and drinking champagne as the driver took us on a tour of the city. I really just wanted to get to the Clarence!
When we did get to the hotel we were treated like royalty and shown round the ground floor of the hotel (as if we'd never been there before) before getting into the lift up to the penthouse. We were so excited it was hard to remain calm!
The staff member showed us around the two floors of the duplex penthouse before leaving us on our own. It was then we could let go and just explore.
The penthouse was fantastic, much bigger than it looks on photos and everything of the highest quality. We had welcome cocktails waiting for us as arranged, but there was also a bottle of champagne in a very expensive looking Alessi cooler on ice with 4 glasses which wasn't part of the deal. We checked with reception and were told it was complimentary, so we popped the cork, the champagne was wonderful!
We spent the after just enjoying the penthouse. On the lower level was a sitting room, dining room, two bathrooms, a kitchen and two bedrooms. Along the entire front of this was a balcony overlooking the River Liffey and Dublin. The upper level was reached by a stylish oak and stainless steel spiral staircase. This level was open plan at one end a seated area the other end had a baby grand piano and a very well stocked (and expensive) bar. There was a balcony at the back where the hot tub was. There was also a small balcony at the other end of the loft that gave you a lovely view onto the city.
We relaxed in the hot tub with our champagne, we chatted as we watched DVDs on the huge TV. We could hardly believe that after over two and a half years of saving we were finally in the penthouse.
In the early evening we started getting ready to go down to the Tea Room for our meal. We had bought special outfits and I must say we looked so glamorous – we barely recognised each other!
At 8pm we went down for dinner, we were greeted by a lady who said, “You are looking very beautiful tonight ladies” and we were shown to our table. There was an envelope on the table that the waiter handed to Debbi. She opened it and for a few seconds just stared at it. We all guessed what it was even before she read it out and then passed it round it said "Happy Birthday, love Bono”. Before we had a chance to say anything the sommelier was there pouring champagne. Debbi asked if it was from Bono and we were told yes. We were so surprised and touched that he'd done this we were nearly crying! For a while we were speechless (which doesn't happen often) and it was a while before we got ourselves together and were able to look at the menu and order (which also doesn't often happen!!)
The meal was wonderful, excellent quality and service. We'd planned to have a very special expensive bottle of wine with our meal so we still had that too. It turned out that we didn't have to pay for that either, all our drinks that night (including the champagne that had been waiting for us on our arrival at the penthouse) were on Bono. Even now I can hardly believe he did this for us, going to the penthouse was exciting enough, but for Bono to do this made it perfect, it was so thoughtful and kind of him.
After finishing the wine in the Study we went back up to the penthouse. We stayed up all night chatting, drinking wine, having a laugh, making a video and watching DVDs, we didn't want to miss a minute of our stay by sleeping. Sometimes we went out onto one of the balconies to look at the lovely view of the lights of Dublin at night. It felt like we were in another world high above those lights and, really, we were. We were in the rarified world of the rich and famous, sampling their lifestyle for 24 hours and we were loving it!
We watched a beautiful dawn break over the city from the balcony which signalled that our stay in the penthouse was nearly over. I felt sad that it was coming to an end, yet I also felt lucky. Lucky that I could afford to do something like this - even if it meant a lot of saving. Lucky to have three special friends in Debbi, Dianne and Julie to share this with. And lucky to be a fan of Bono, whose thoughtful kindness made our stay at the penthouse at the Clarence Hotel absolutely perfect.
On Tuesday lunchtime we went down to U2’s studio in the docklands. How it is changing there, the gritty griminess and character being replaced by large, anonymous glass and steel buildings. Even the Kilsaran concrete yard was now closed and the famous bench gone. I’m not sure about all the changes in Dublin, so many wonderful old buildings have gone, I feel they should have done more renovation and so kept some of the city’s unique character alive within the new.
We had no idea whether U2 were at the studio, but not long after we got there Adam arrived. We had a short chat and took photos; as usual he was a real gentleman. About an hour later Bono arrived too and not long after parking his car in the garage appeared at the studio door. He made no attempt to come across the road and was clearly waiting for us to come to him so we did. He looked really well and suits the short hair; also its more natural colour is much better for his pale Irish complexion.
He was chatty and asked us various questions including what we had been doing so far on our holiday, we told him about our trip to Brittas Bay the previous day and he said he loved it there. We all got autographs and photos taken with him. We hadn't been sure whether to tell him about our stay the penthouse at the Clarence later that week. Debbi quietly asked me. "Shall we tell him?" H heard and said. "Tell me what?" His eyes going back and for between our faces. Don't know why but I quietly said to Deb ."Ok." (As if he wouldn't hear me!) Debbi then shared our plans with him. Bono asked what we were celebrating and we told him it was a special birthday for Dianne. He was too much of a gentleman to ask how old she w
ould be, I jokingly told him she was 30! To which Diann said. "It's a long time since I've been 30!" I added that we'd be saving to do this for ages as I didn't want him to think we were rich fans who could do something like that whenever we wanted. He said we'd love it in the penthouse, and after wishing Dianne a happy birthday and saying goodbye he went back into the studio. It’s always so good to meet Bono, he has the ability to make everyone around him feel special and important and we were certainly full of smiles as we left Hanover Quay that day!A couple of days later and it was our big day at penthouse at the Clarence Hotel; I was wide at 6.30am, very unusual for me! We spent the morning getting ready, we looked like different people in our lovely clothes, we felt like different people too.
The limo was a bit late, the chauffeur couldn’t find us! After I gave directions over the phone he was soon there. It was a white stretch limo, black leather seats, yet let down by plastic glasses for the “champagne” which tasted more like Cava to me. It was all rather over the top for my liking, but still, it was special and that was what this day was all about. We sat inside watching a U2 DVD and drinking champagne as the driver took us on a tour of the city. I really just wanted to get to the Clarence!
When we did get to the hotel we were treated like royalty and shown round the ground floor of the hotel (as if we'd never been there before) before getting into the lift up to the penthouse. We were so excited it was hard to remain calm!
The staff member showed us around the two floors of the duplex penthouse before leaving us on our own. It was then we could let go and just explore.The penthouse was fantastic, much bigger than it looks on photos and everything of the highest quality. We had welcome cocktails waiting for us as arranged, but there was also a bottle of champagne in a very expensive looking Alessi cooler on ice with 4 glasses which wasn't part of the deal. We checked with reception and were told it was complimentary, so we popped the cork, the champagne was wonderful!
We spent the after just enjoying the penthouse. On the lower level was a sitting room, dining room, two bathrooms, a kitchen and two bedrooms. Along the entire front of this was a balcony overlooking the River Liffey and Dublin. The upper level was reached by a stylish oak and stainless steel spiral staircase. This level was open plan at one end a seated area the other end had a baby grand piano and a very well stocked (and expensive) bar. There was a balcony at the back where the hot tub was. There was also a small balcony at the other end of the loft that gave you a lovely view onto the city.
We relaxed in the hot tub with our champagne, we chatted as we watched DVDs on the huge TV. We could hardly believe that after over two and a half years of saving we were finally in the penthouse.
In the early evening we started getting ready to go down to the Tea Room for our meal. We had bought special outfits and I must say we looked so glamorous – we barely recognised each other!
At 8pm we went down for dinner, we were greeted by a lady who said, “You are looking very beautiful tonight ladies” and we were shown to our table. There was an envelope on the table that the waiter handed to Debbi. She opened it and for a few seconds just stared at it. We all guessed what it was even before she read it out and then passed it round it said "Happy Birthday, love Bono”. Before we had a chance to say anything the sommelier was there pouring champagne. Debbi asked if it was from Bono and we were told yes. We were so surprised and touched that he'd done this we were nearly crying! For a while we were speechless (which doesn't happen often) and it was a while before we got ourselves together and were able to look at the menu and order (which also doesn't often happen!!)
The meal was wonderful, excellent quality and service. We'd planned to have a very special expensive bottle of wine with our meal so we still had that too. It turned out that we didn't have to pay for that either, all our drinks that night (including the champagne that had been waiting for us on our arrival at the penthouse) were on Bono. Even now I can hardly believe he did this for us, going to the penthouse was exciting enough, but for Bono to do this made it perfect, it was so thoughtful and kind of him.
After finishing the wine in the Study we went back up to the penthouse. We stayed up all night chatting, drinking wine, having a laugh, making a video and watching DVDs, we didn't want to miss a minute of our stay by sleeping. Sometimes we went out onto one of the balconies to look at the lovely view of the lights of Dublin at night. It felt like we were in another world high above those lights and, really, we were. We were in the rarified world of the rich and famous, sampling their lifestyle for 24 hours and we were loving it!
We watched a beautiful dawn break over the city from the balcony which signalled that our stay in the penthouse was nearly over. I felt sad that it was coming to an end, yet I also felt lucky. Lucky that I could afford to do something like this - even if it meant a lot of saving. Lucky to have three special friends in Debbi, Dianne and Julie to share this with. And lucky to be a fan of Bono, whose thoughtful kindness made our stay at the penthouse at the Clarence Hotel absolutely perfect.
Friday, 16 October 2009
2005 October - Vertigo Tour Boston 2
Another beautiful warm and sunny day in Boston, apparently the weather was much warmer than usual for the time of year. We went to Banknorth Gardens and waited by the back entrance, there were about 40 fans in all I would say. We saw Larry arrive, h
e waved. Then Adam whose car went up the ramp and then came back down again backwards! LOL! He got out of the car and signed for fans, he was charming.
Then before we knew here was Edge sauntering down the
ramp and he too was so friendly and signed lots of articles for fans, who were by this time quite excited.
Finally Bono arrived. His car stopped at the bottom of the ramp and his minder asked everyone to stand back on the kerb which they did. Bono methodically worked his way along the line of fans on the other side of the road first, chatting, signing, posing for photos - one with a fans young son (ages about 4 or 5) who couldn't wait to get out of Bono's arms back to his father's! As he got to the end of that side a Duck Tour came past , it was funny to see the recognition dawning on people's faces when they realised it was Bono there in the street, he gave them a wave.
He then came across to our side of the road, he glanced up at us as he was signing our stuff, recognised us and kind of doubled back giving a wink, he asked Julie. "How is everyone?" Then to me he smiled and said. "You've picked the good weather!" I replied. "Yes it's lovely." And that was my interaction with Bono, you meet a world famous rock star and you talk about the weather! But then in Ireland and the UK we talk about the weather a lot as it's so changeable! Dianne asked whether they would be playing Bad and Bono replied that he didn't know, they hadn't decided yet.
We went to a nearby bar called The Ruby Room and had cocktails and something to eat before returnin
g to the arena for the gig. Our seats were very good, in the first block on Edge's side.
The set was very similar to last night's, except that they did Crumbs and an acoustic Stuck. We were close enough to see that Bono was reading the lyrics to Stuck from a sheet of paper on the floor! It was a good show and we couldn't have asked for better seats.
So that was it, our last Vertigo Tour show, it had been a great tour once more, I loved all the travelling, places, people, shows we saw. Roll on the next tour!
We only had one more full day in lovely Boston. We went to Boston Common which was lovely and then onto the Cheers bar (really called the Bull and Finch). The entrance was just like on the TV but inside it was different, still it was nice to see as I loved that TV series. We had the obligatory photo taken outside of course!
We went to the Prudential Tour and took the lift up to the 50th floor to see the amazing views over the city. It was still warm and sunny and visibility was fabulous. The river meandering to the sea, the city spread out before us, it was noticeable there was lots of green in the city and that the downtown area was compact.
That evening we went back to the Prudential to have a meal at the Top of the Hub restaurant on the 52nd floor and had a fabulous meal with that gorgeous view. It was our farewell to Boston treat to ourselves and was worth every penny. I love Boston, and hope I will be able to come back one day.
(Edge and Adam photos by Dianne Beeaff)
e waved. Then Adam whose car went up the ramp and then came back down again backwards! LOL! He got out of the car and signed for fans, he was charming.Then before we knew here was Edge sauntering down the
ramp and he too was so friendly and signed lots of articles for fans, who were by this time quite excited.Finally Bono arrived. His car stopped at the bottom of the ramp and his minder asked everyone to stand back on the kerb which they did. Bono methodically worked his way along the line of fans on the other side of the road first, chatting, signing, posing for photos - one with a fans young son (ages about 4 or 5) who couldn't wait to get out of Bono's arms back to his father's! As he got to the end of that side a Duck Tour came past , it was funny to see the recognition dawning on people's faces when they realised it was Bono there in the street, he gave them a wave.
He then came across to our side of the road, he glanced up at us as he was signing our stuff, recognised us and kind of doubled back giving a wink, he asked Julie. "How is everyone?" Then to me he smiled and said. "You've picked the good weather!" I replied. "Yes it's lovely." And that was my interaction with Bono, you meet a world famous rock star and you talk about the weather! But then in Ireland and the UK we talk about the weather a lot as it's so changeable! Dianne asked whether they would be playing Bad and Bono replied that he didn't know, they hadn't decided yet.
We went to a nearby bar called The Ruby Room and had cocktails and something to eat before returnin
g to the arena for the gig. Our seats were very good, in the first block on Edge's side.The set was very similar to last night's, except that they did Crumbs and an acoustic Stuck. We were close enough to see that Bono was reading the lyrics to Stuck from a sheet of paper on the floor! It was a good show and we couldn't have asked for better seats.
So that was it, our last Vertigo Tour show, it had been a great tour once more, I loved all the travelling, places, people, shows we saw. Roll on the next tour!
We only had one more full day in lovely Boston. We went to Boston Common which was lovely and then onto the Cheers bar (really called the Bull and Finch). The entrance was just like on the TV but inside it was different, still it was nice to see as I loved that TV series. We had the obligatory photo taken outside of course!
We went to the Prudential Tour and took the lift up to the 50th floor to see the amazing views over the city. It was still warm and sunny and visibility was fabulous. The river meandering to the sea, the city spread out before us, it was noticeable there was lots of green in the city and that the downtown area was compact.
That evening we went back to the Prudential to have a meal at the Top of the Hub restaurant on the 52nd floor and had a fabulous meal with that gorgeous view. It was our farewell to Boston treat to ourselves and was worth every penny. I love Boston, and hope I will be able to come back one day.
(Edge and Adam photos by Dianne Beeaff)
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
2005 October - Vertigo Tour Boston 1
At the end of September Julie and I flew over to Boston for a week's holiday combined with two U2 shows. This was to be my first visit to Boston and I didn't really know what to expect, most of my visits to the US so far had been to the West. We had a relatively short flight (compared to the longer haul ones to the west of the country). The approach to Boston was lovely very green and lots of little islands in a blue sea.
We spent the first few days sightseeing and went on the famous "Duck" tour, our duck was called Molly Molasses and our guides proper job was a doctor and she called herself Dr Quack! LOL! The city was lovely, old and new mixed together, lots of green areas and parks and of course the ocean. The ducks are amphibious vehicles and Molly slipped into the Charles River and from there we got fabulous views of the city. The duck trip was very informative (did you know there are 81 Dunkin Donut outlets in Boston?!) and also fun.
We visited Quincy Market, Fanieul Hall, lots of shops, Boston Common and lots more, there is so much to see in the city that we did not get anywhere near to seeing it all.
On 2nd October Dianne joined us, it was good to see her again. Next day was our first U2 gig. It was at Banknorth Garden just a short walk from our hotel. I had to pick up the tickets, no problem there and we were also given wristbands and told to come back at 5pm and get into line according to our numbers. Very organised, and it meant we were free to go off and do our own thing. We decided to have a meal at a nearby restaurant before going back to the arena to wait for the band arriving. They arrived very late and did not stop - later we found out that they were late because their plane had been delayed.
Once in the arena we couldn't find any space on the barrier, and as we are both quite short we decided to stand at the sound desk where there was a little platform. It turned out to be a great place. Keane were the support band and I really enjoyed their set and they went down very well with the crowd.
U2 came on just before 9pm, the stage looked small compared with the European stadium gigs but I much prefer arenas. They started with City of Blinding Lights with the "curtain" of glistening lights around them, it looked very beautiful. The set was much like the shows we'd seen already. Miss Sarajevo was stunning when Bono sang the operatic Pavarotti part, his voice just filled the place, I could hardly believe it was him! The audience clapped and cheered. It's kind of like Bono is still trying to prove himself to his now deceased father by singing the opera he loved so much. There was a really lovely acoustic encore of The First Time and Wild Horses. They finished with 40 which was a much better ending than the high energy repeated Vertigo they did in the European shows we saw, U2 should always finish gigs low-key, that's their way and it works.
We hung around at the back for a while afterwards, the only band member we met was Larry who was very pleasant, he shook hands with people, signed autographs and even posed for photos!
I really enjoyed the show, though I always find American shows are not as exciting as European ones, or maybe it's just me. We walked the short way to our hotel and drank wine, ate nibbles and discussed the show before going to bed.
New and old in Boston
We stepped out of the plane into warm sunshine and luckily that's how it stayed for us for the entire week! Our hotel was lovely though the room was very small. I quickly decided I really liked Boston. It had a leisurely pace and for the first time on a visit to America I felt it had a history in the city. Most American cities are so new (to a European anyway!) that for me they don't have a sense of a past, but Boston did have that and I liked that.We spent the first few days sightseeing and went on the famous "Duck" tour, our duck was called Molly Molasses and our guides proper job was a doctor and she called herself Dr Quack! LOL! The city was lovely, old and new mixed together, lots of green areas and parks and of course the ocean. The ducks are amphibious vehicles and Molly slipped into the Charles River and from there we got fabulous views of the city. The duck trip was very informative (did you know there are 81 Dunkin Donut outlets in Boston?!) and also fun.
We visited Quincy Market, Fanieul Hall, lots of shops, Boston Common and lots more, there is so much to see in the city that we did not get anywhere near to seeing it all.
On 2nd October Dianne joined us, it was good to see her again. Next day was our first U2 gig. It was at Banknorth Garden just a short walk from our hotel. I had to pick up the tickets, no problem there and we were also given wristbands and told to come back at 5pm and get into line according to our numbers. Very organised, and it meant we were free to go off and do our own thing. We decided to have a meal at a nearby restaurant before going back to the arena to wait for the band arriving. They arrived very late and did not stop - later we found out that they were late because their plane had been delayed.
Once in the arena we couldn't find any space on the barrier, and as we are both quite short we decided to stand at the sound desk where there was a little platform. It turned out to be a great place. Keane were the support band and I really enjoyed their set and they went down very well with the crowd.
U2 came on just before 9pm, the stage looked small compared with the European stadium gigs but I much prefer arenas. They started with City of Blinding Lights with the "curtain" of glistening lights around them, it looked very beautiful. The set was much like the shows we'd seen already. Miss Sarajevo was stunning when Bono sang the operatic Pavarotti part, his voice just filled the place, I could hardly believe it was him! The audience clapped and cheered. It's kind of like Bono is still trying to prove himself to his now deceased father by singing the opera he loved so much. There was a really lovely acoustic encore of The First Time and Wild Horses. They finished with 40 which was a much better ending than the high energy repeated Vertigo they did in the European shows we saw, U2 should always finish gigs low-key, that's their way and it works.
We hung around at the back for a while afterwards, the only band member we met was Larry who was very pleasant, he shook hands with people, signed autographs and even posed for photos!
I really enjoyed the show, though I always find American shows are not as exciting as European ones, or maybe it's just me. We walked the short way to our hotel and drank wine, ate nibbles and discussed the show before going to bed.
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