Bono Still Breathes Fire
May 17, 2011 · Print This Article
The last leg of the 360 tour got off to a roaring start this past weekend in Mexico City. Huge, exuberant crowds were met with career-spanning, varied setlists as U2 sits poised to conclude its global tour of stadiums with a strong-showing this summer.
Among his many pithy (& often funny) observations frequently posted in the Interference fan forum, traveling author Cathal McCarron has also noticed a new Bono that looks an awful lot like the old Bono.
Throughout the shows in Mexico City, the forever verbose frontman has spoken out against gun violence related to the drug war that plagues our neighbors to the south.
Just as “Bullet The Blue Sky” was recontextualized on the Elevation tour as a statement against handgun violence in the US, Bono has become suddenly quite outspoken about guns traveling south to Mexico from the USA. Commenting on this issue at the third of three Mexico shows, McCarron writes:
“Bono is more like a world statesman these days, working the political lobbying system and indulging the attendant schmoozing to further his causes, than the rebellious firebrand of yore. There was an attention-grabbing hark back to tours when ye olde Bono often tub-thumped during tunes, when he let loose a passionate mini-rant during Pride about how there only seems to be news about drugs being smuggled from Mexico to the USA, and no news about guns being smuggled from the USA to Mexico.”
“I don’t remember seeing that side of Bono on any other show on this tour. It’s usually just thanks, compliments, ramping up the party atmosphere, piss-taking the band, or routine speeches about Aung San Suu Kyi at shows these days. The firebrand still breathes fire, and it was great to see. And it created the peak moment in last night’s show during Pride, when the response from the audience was staggeringly raucous, both in cheering Bono’s point, and in singing the end of the song.”
Fans in the US are fired up to finally see this tour again and will greet Bono’s fire soon, as the last leg of 360 winds its way across the continent in the coming months. –Andrew William Smith, Editor
Photos by u2rulesmyworld
May 14, 2011 Setlist
Even Better Than The Real Thing
Out Of Control
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
Until The End Of The World / Strangers In The Night (snippet) / New York, New York (snippet)
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Stand By Me
Desire
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Beautiful Day
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Crazy Tonight / Discothèque (snippet) / Mofo (snippet) / Please (snippet)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone (snippet)
Encore(s):
One
Amazing Grace (snippet) / Where The Streets Have No Name
Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender
May 15, 2011 Setlist
Even Better Than The Real Thing
New Year’s Day
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
Until The End Of The World
All I Want Is You / Worried Blues (snippet)
Love Rescue Me
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet)
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo / Teenage Kicks (snippet)
Crazy Tonight / Discothèque (snippet) / Please (snippet)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone (snippet)
Encore(s):
One
Play Me (snippet) / Where The Streets Have No Name
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender
poor Bono, his breath must be terrible!