December 11, 2006

12.09.06 Honolulu, Hawaii

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, I Will Follow, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - In A Little While, Beautiful Day - Sgt. Pepper's - Blackbird, Angel of Harlem, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, The First Time, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, Window In the Skies, The Saints Are Coming (with Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day), Rockin' In the Free World (with Pearl Jam), All I Want Is You

Local Review:

U2 ends Vertigo tour at Aloha Stadium

by Derek Paiva, Honolulu Advertiser

"We can be as one tonight."

A full 342 days after his band's concert was officially announced, Bono finally sang those words to a near sellout Aloha Stadium crowd as U2's long and winding Vertigo tour came to a monumental close last night.

Over two-and-a-half-hours and 24 U2 classics, the lead vocalist of America's favorite rock band from Dublin sang to, preached to and occasionally reached into the masses trying to to move them spiritually, politically and emotionally.

A concert equally as entertaining as it was massive in scale and execution? Definitely. A rock show perhaps a bit too tightly choreographed in the theatrics and special effects department? Kind of.

But such grand-scale proceedings were nothing unexpected from a band long proficient in moving stadiums with the exacting professionalism of brain surgeons at the top of their skills.

A crawl of every date on the Vertigo tour on a towering stage-length LED wall of light behind them, U2 slowly emerged from the shadows to begin the show. Guitarist the Edge offered subtle riffing, with drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton building tight rhythm.

And finally, there was Bono — appearing from the shadows on one of two long audience-extending catwalks, waving an American flag and kicking things off with the soaring "City of Blinding Lights." Dressed entirely in black with his now signature wraparound sunglasses snug, he wasted little time leading U2 through an entirely satisfying run through its illustrious song catalogue.

"Vertigo," "Elevation" and "I Will Follow" kept the crowd's energy up early on. After launching a sea of clapping hands on the stadium floor, Bono urged the gathered to "Take it to church now" by singing along to "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."

Rock solid as always, Clayton, Mullen and the Edge got deserved audience props whenever they took a solo or ambled down the catwalks into the crowd. (Each barely said a word the entire show). But it was clear from his first note and response to every word or act that followed that Bono held the bulk of the crowd's attention and affections.

A shout out to O'ahu's North Shore and a slight change of a "Beautiful Day" lyric to "Honolulu right in front of you," by Bono? Roars. Switching an "Angel of Harlem" verse to "New York like a Christmas tree/Tonight Honolulu belongs to me" accompanied by a wide smile? Even louder roars.

Other highlights early on:

# Bono blowing a soulful harp on "Angel of Harlem" on one catwalk while the Edge jammed on the other.

# The band allowing a very excited fan plucked from the crowd to play keys on "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses."

# A hushed reading of the rarely heard live fan favorite "The First Time" with little more than Bono on vocals and the Edge on acoustic guitar, and a warm embrace by the two at song's end.

Through it all, U2's innovative and massive wall of light LED screen and two raised video screens delivered animations, visuals of the band and other images to the farthest corners of Aloha Stadium, creating a surprising intimacy in the huge venue.

"Love and Peace or Else" effectively launched a seven-song suite of politically-charged U2 faves bridged by the politics of Bono. Donning a headband with symbols representing Christianity, Islam and Judaism partially spelling out the word "coexist," Bono dedicated "Sunday Bloody Sunday" to U.S. military personnel. He finished with his now ritual hoisting of a little child from the crowd on stage to chant the song's "No more!" coda.

"Bullet the Blue Sky" ended with Bono crawling down one of the catwalks blindfolded by his "coexist" headband, finally lighting a bright red flare — the only moment in the set and show that came uncomfortably close to unfortunate political parody.

Thankfully, the band redeemed itself with an inspired finish of "Pride (In the Name of Love)," "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "One," rounding out the main set. Prior to "One," Bono asked the crowd to hold their mobile phones aloft and text the Make Poverty History organization. Their freshly added names were later scrolled on the stage's giant LED screen.

U2 offered a couple of apologies during the evening for the show's postponement. (The final 10 concerts of the Vertigo tour, including the Honolulu finale's original April date, had been postponed due to an illness in the Edge's immediate family.)

"Thank you for giving us a second chance," said Bono to the crowd, a few songs into the concert. "Thank you for hanging around."

The crowd roared that it was all OK. Bono then turned to the Edge and thanked him for staying strong.

"For a carbon-based life form, this cat can play," said Bono.

A first encore that featured crowd favorites "The Fly," "Mysterious Ways" and "With or Without You" preceded a second encore that finally brought the concert its first wonderfully little-rehearsed suprises.

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong appeared on stage at Bono's request to accompany U2 on guitar and vocals for both band's hit "The Saints Are Coming." Welcomed back after Pearl Jam's incendiary hourlong opening set, vocalist Eddie Vedder and guitarist Mike McReady rocked with Bono & Co. on a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World."

The spectacle of Bono and Vedder sharing a spontaneous dance on stage and McReady and the Edge trading soaring solos even had Kid Rock nodding his head and Anthrax's Scott Ian air guitaring with friends in a field level sound booth.

Done co-leading a stadium-wide "We love the Edge!" chant with Vedder, Bono broke from script and motioned the band for one more song. With just Bono, the Edge, Mullen and Clayton on stage, U2 ended its Honolulu visit quietly with the lovely "Rattle and Hum" ballad "All I Want Is You."

The song slowly coming to an end, each member disappeared from the stage with a wave. First Bono, then Clayton, then a final note from the Edge, until Mullen, bringing his beats slowly to a close, was the only soul left on stage.

"Thank you for waiting," he said, clearly moved. "See you soon."

No group hugs or bows for U2 at the end of another long road trip. They were ready to go home.

Posted by Jonathan at 03:24 PM | Comments (0)

December 06, 2006

12.04.06 Tokyo, Japan

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Out of Control, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - In a Little While, Beautiful Day, Angel of Harlem, The First Time, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Bad, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, The Saints Are Coming, Window In the Skies, Vertigo

Posted by Jonathan at 05:49 PM | Comments (0)

December 01, 2006

11.30.06 Tokyo, Japan

City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until the End Of The World, New Year's Day, Beautiful Day - Blackbird, Angel of Harlem, The First Time (acoustic), Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, One Tree Hill, Sunday Bloody Sunday - Rock The Casbah, Bullet The Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With Or Without You, Window in the Skies, Desire, All I Want Is You

Posted by Jonathan at 07:43 AM | Comments (0)

November 30, 2006

11.29.06 Tokyo, Japan

City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo - She Loves You, Elevation, I Will Follow, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day - Sgt. Pepper's, Window In The Skies, Walk On (acoustic), Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Bad - 40, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, The Saints are Coming, Angel of Harlem, One Tree Hill

Posted by Jonathan at 07:42 AM | Comments (0)

November 26, 2006

11.25.06 Auckland, New Zealand

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until The End of the World, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - In A Little While, Beautiful Day - Blackbird, Angel of Harlem, Walk On (acoustic), Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Bad, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, The Saints are Coming, Desire, One Tree Hill

Posted by Jonathan at 08:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 25, 2006

11.24.06 Auckland, New Zealand

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, I Will Follow, New Year's Day, Beautiful Day - Sgt. Pepper's - Here Comes the Sun, One Tree Hill, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own - One Tree Hill, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, The Saints Are Coming, Angel of Harlem, Kite

Media Review:

U2, Kanye West, at Mt Smart Stadium

by Russell Baillie, New Zealand Herald

They might have not played here for 13 years, postponed for another 8 months and then got delayed coming on stage because of the rain which cleared on cue (thanks to the man upstairs, possibly).

But U2 more than made up for their tardiness with a riveting, affecting and boldly passionate show before the first of two sold-out Mt Smart stadium crowds.

It was one which neatly binded the songs of their 21st century albums to their breakthrough days of the 80s, leaving their often confusing, intervening decade largely untouched. That worked a treat, whether it was leaping back in time to early single I Will Follow or causing happy pandemonium - complete with a visual message about the plight of Africa - during The Streets Have No Name.

It was a show to remind that whatever you think of Bono and his campaigning ways, the man sure can sing - among the night's most affecting highlights was his ode to his late father Bob, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own. While later in Miss Sarajevo he easily ascended the original's Pavarotti bit.

And he and band figured out some canny ways of connecting to their NZ fans. There were rewritten lines in Beautiful Day referencing the long of the long white cloud and aroha. That was followed by One Tree Hill with a tribute to late Kiwi U2 crew member Greg Carroll who inspired what is still a grand song, while the light show glowed with koru patterns. And one of the other lyrics songs that Bono magpied into U2's lyrics was Four Seasons in One Day, though there were snatches of the Beatles, the Clash and others throughout.

Also sampling up a storm was opening act hip-hop megastar Kanye West who did his best in his early set battling against the elements and a certain lack of projection into the arena. But he departed grateful, saying it had been the warmest welcome he had got on his U2 excursion Down Under.

The U2 set did hit its own damp patch mid set with Bono's bit of blindfolded political street theatre out on the extended ramps in the aftermath Bullet the Blue Sky. But the performance soon regained an energy which sustained and inspired all the way through to the encores.

For the most part, it was a performance that managed to do the impossible of a stadium show - marry real emotional punch to extravagant gesture.

Brilliant.

Posted by Jonathan at 04:13 AM | Comments (0)

November 20, 2006

11.19.06 Melbourne, Australia

City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo - Beds are Burning, Elevation, Until The End Of The World, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day - Blackbird, Angel Of Harlem, The First Time, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace Or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where The Streets Have No Name, One - Unchained Melody. Encore: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, The Saints Are Coming, Party Girl, Kite, Bad - 40

Posted by Jonathan at 07:16 PM | Comments (0)

November 18, 2006

11.18.06 Melbourne, Australia

City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, I Will Follow, New Year's Day, Beautiful Day - Sgt. Pepper's - Here Comes the Sun, Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Angel of Harlem, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love And Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where The Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You - Love Will Tear Us Apart, The Saints Are Coming, Desire, Kite

Posted by Jonathan at 07:13 PM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2006

11.16.06 Adelaide, Australia

ity of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, I Will Follow, New Year's Day, Beautiful Day - Sgt. Pepper's - Here Comes the Sun, Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Angel of Harlem, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, With or Without You, The Saints are Coming, Desire, Kite

Posted by Jonathan at 07:11 PM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2006

11.13.06 Sydney, Australia

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, I Will Follow, New Year's Day, Beautiful Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Angel of Harlem, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where The Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Until the End of the World, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, The Saints Are Coming, Party Girl, Kite

Posted by Jonathan at 05:05 AM | Comments (0)

November 12, 2006

11.11.06 Sydney, Australia

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until the End of the World, New Year's Day, Beautiful Day - Sgt. Pepper's - Blackbird, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - In a Little While, Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, With or Without You - Love Will Tear Us Apart, The Saints are Coming, Desire, Kite

Posted by Jonathan at 03:01 PM | Comments (0)

November 11, 2006

11.10.06 Sydney, Australia

City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until The End Of The World, New Year's Day, Beautiful Day - Here Comes the Sun, Yahweh, Walk On, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, With or Without You - Love Will Tear Us Apart, The Saints Are Coming, Angel of Harlem, Kite

Posted by Jonathan at 02:59 PM | Comments (0)

November 08, 2006

11.07.06 Brisbane, Australia

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until the End of the World, New Year's Day, Beautiful Day, Yahweh, Walk On, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, With or Without You, The Saints Are Coming, Angel of Harlem, Kite

Media Review: The Australian

City sees blinding light as U2 better late than ever

by Iain Shedden

DRESSED in black, shrouded in white light, Bono made his late, dramatic entrance on to an Australian stage last night.

Entering to the sounds of Arcade Fire's song Wake Up, Bono emerged from a ramp in the middle of the audience at Queensland's Sport and Athletics Centre in Brisbane and led U2 into their first song on Australian soil for eight years, City of Blinding Light.

Covering every metre of the massive stage, Bono then inspired a 50,000-strong singalong of the group's hit Vertigo before once again disappearing into the audience.

It was the start of a well-received two-hour performance by the Irish superstars that included a parade of hits spanning their entire career, including Elevation, Until the End of the World and New Year's Day.

Eight months after it was first scheduled, U2 finally got the Australian leg of its Vertigo world tour under way.

The crowd heard Bono and his three colleagues - The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen - power through a catalogue of hits including Pride (In the Name of Love), Where the Streets Have No Name and Beautiful Day.

The group was backed by a 25m-high wall of light and an assortment of screens beaming images of the band to all points of the vast arena. U2 have spent the past week in Australia, relaxing on the Gold Coast and rehearsing at the Brisbane venue for their first band shows since March.

Before the show, the four members were given a send-off by fans at their Gold Coast hotel with Bono kissing babies and the rest of the band signing autographs, some of them on female fans' Melbourne Cup day frocks.

The band then flew by helicopter from the Gold Coast to the venue. Tickets for last night's show were snapped up in less than a day when they went on sale last year.

However, the tour, scheduled for March, was postponed due to an illness in the family of guitarist The Edge.

Last night's show was also the biggest in Brisbane since U2 last played on their Popmart tour in February 1998 and the Elton John-Billy Joel show the following month. Bono said before the show that U2 wanted to give Australian audiences something that hadn't been seen anywhere else on the tour, to make amends for the postponement of the dates and for the fact that they hadn't played in Australia for eight years.

Earlier in the evening, American hip-hop superstar Kanye West opened the show and entertained with a dance-heavy set that included his hits Touch The Sky and Gold Digger.

Posted by Jonathan at 05:58 PM | Comments (0)

March 03, 2006

03.02.06 Buenos Aires, Argentina

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until the End of the World, New Year's Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day, The First Time (acoustic), Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, Mothers of the Disappeared, Original of the Species, All I Want Is You

Posted by Jonathan at 01:56 AM | Comments (15)

March 02, 2006

03.01.06 Buenos Aires, Argentina

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until the End of the World, New Year's Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day, The First Time (acoustic), Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, Fast Carts, Yahweh, All I Want Is You, Love Is Blindness

Photos by Natacha Pisarenko (AP) and Marcos Brindicci (Reuters):

Posted by Jonathan at 03:31 AM | Comments (2)

February 27, 2006

02.26.06 Santiago, Chile

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until the End of the World, New Year's Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day, The First Time (acoustic), Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, Mothers of the Disappeared (acoustic), Yahweh, All I Want Is You

Posted by Jonathan at 11:04 PM | Comments (7)

February 22, 2006

02.21.06 Sao Paulo, Brazil

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until the End of the World, New Year's Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day, The First Time (acoustic), Desire, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, Yahweh, All I Want Is You - Love Rescue Me

Posted by Jonathan at 01:27 PM | Comments (9)

02.20.06 Sao Paulo, Brazil

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until the End of the World, New Year's Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day, Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of (acoustic), Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, All Because of You, Norwegian Wood, Original of the Species, 40

Photos by Victor R. Caivano (AP) and Rickey Rogers (Reuters):

Posted by Jonathan at 01:24 PM | Comments (4)

February 17, 2006

02.16.06 Mexico City, Mexico

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Until the End of the World, New Year's Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day - Cielito Lindo, Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of (acoustic), Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, Fast Cars, Original of the Species, 40

Posted by Jonathan at 01:22 AM | Comments (1)

February 16, 2006

02.15.06 Mexico City, Mexico

City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Mysterious Ways, Until the End of the World, New Year's Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day / Cielito Lindo, Norwegian Wood, Original of the Species, Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky / Hands That Build America / When Johnny Comes Marching, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One / Unchained Melody. Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, With or Without You, All Because of You, Yahweh, 40

Photos by Eduardo Verdugo (AP) and Andrew Winning (Reuters):

Posted by Jonathan at 04:17 AM | Comments (2)

February 13, 2006

02.12.06 Monterrey, Mexico

Vertigo, I Will Follow, The Electric Co., Elevation, Beautiful Day - She's a Rainbow, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, City of Blinding Lights, Original of the Species, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Bad - Cielito Lindo, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One. Encore: Until the End of the World, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, Yahweh, Vertigo

Photos by Juan Manuel Villasenor (AP):

Posted by Jonathan at 03:53 AM | Comments (4)