boriel
The Fly
i know you want details, but i dont want to write a novella either, so i'll give it a go.
went down to GM Place (Vancouver) March 19th and saw no-one, not even other fans, so left and walked about 4 miles taking three rolls of pics (i'm a budding artist/photographer). Got tired, headed back to GM Place and took one more walk around. Hear loud music. Put my ear to the glass and heard (i think) Gloria and then it stopped. Went to a better window, listened again and heard One..it was the band. I know this cause i could hear the vocals (barely) and they were different than whats on the cd recording. It only went one verse, then suddenly sounded like Streets have no Name then quit. Walked down the outside stairs to the ground level and saw about 5 young girls standing watching two black cars and a bunch of security guys all standing around with head sets and walkie talkies. I kept walking. It was raining, my bag with my camera was getting wet by now, and my feet were killing me. I walked a block to our transit system (rail train) and paid the fare, went up to the platform and waited for the next one to arrive. I looked over at GM Place again, and to this day dont know why i walked back over there. My feet just took me. By then, there were about 15 people standing waiting and one fellow told me that Bono had come out and spoken with fans the night before, and that they were off to the airport to go to Los Angeles tonight. I waited. Got soaked. Hair dripping, water into my eyes soaked. And cold. The cars suddenly backed into the bay doors of the stadium, and the doors closed again.
A security guard came over and told us that they were going to move the barricades, and if we all lined up side by side single file, Bono would drive out, get out of the car and meet us one by one. No time for pics or autographs he warned. We lined up very calmly and quickly. The doors opened up, both cars came out and then Bono was out of the vehicle and greeting the first fans.
I realized that he was taking too long with each fan - great for us all, but his 'handler' looked like he was getting impatient, and i had visions of Bono being whisked back into the car before getting to me in line, so i took all my 'stuff' out to be ready to hand it to him in a flash
my stuff - I had my camera around my neck, inside my open coat to protect it from the rain. I also had an envelope with letters and photos in it for all the guys which was getting damp, and something else for Bono, and not enough hands to hold it all.
While i was waiting for Bono to come closer, Edge got out of the car. He stopped, looked at us all lined up, looked back and Bono and the look on his face was funny. It was like "aw man, we're going to be late for our plane'. He looked over, saw me and made a bee-line straight for me. He stood about 2 ft away from me and just stared, said nothing. I said nothing, and held out the envelope. He took it, said nothing, and read the four names on it then looked at me again while putting it inside his coat. We just looked at each other saying nothing. It was weird. I stuck my hand out and he shook my hand and i said 'thank you'. He smiled abit and turned and walked away. I tried to get pics but all i got was the back of his head
By this time Bono was standing in front of me. I was surprised at his size - not just his height, but he looks slimmer, his face looks slimmer, his nose looked sharper. His eyes are very very intense and like Edge, focus on you and only you while he is talking to you. I held out the item for him and asked if he had one yet. He looked at it and his eyes widened, and he said 'no, no i dont. Where did you get it?' I told him and he had my hand in both his hands to look closer at it. 'Good for you' he said. I pushed it more definitely into his hand and he took it and gripped it like it was going to be stolen or something He took my hand again and shook my hand, first like a normal handshake and then like ...well, like a biker or a hip hop buddy would do..more like clenching the fist in your fist. He smiled one more time and moved on. Then i took pics!
if anyone wants pics, you'll have to let me know and i'll post them. (but you''ll have to tell this babyface how to do that...hyperlink? direct imbedding pic into thread? not sure how to accomplish that but i take directions fabulously)
this is getting long...so real quick - impressions:
Edge - more to him than meets the eye. Shrewd man, quick thinker, sizes you up in a hurry. Possibly shy, more likely not wanting to get dragged into the whole 'star' thing. Still smiles for the fans though and takes the time to be seen
Bono-i dont think he's shy. I think because he is so soft spoken he might be thought of that way, but i think he loves people. He's intense but a quiet intense - but i think he can be in your face too (with politicians hehe). I also think that he has a quirky sense of humor (a practical joker perhaps?).
both men had a glow to them. They looked their age, yes, but they didnt have harsh edges (not even Edge LOL) They wont ever look as bad as Keith Richard for example. They seem comfortable in their own skin, and i'm pretty sure (with Bono at any rate) that what we all saw was the real Bono.
went down to GM Place (Vancouver) March 19th and saw no-one, not even other fans, so left and walked about 4 miles taking three rolls of pics (i'm a budding artist/photographer). Got tired, headed back to GM Place and took one more walk around. Hear loud music. Put my ear to the glass and heard (i think) Gloria and then it stopped. Went to a better window, listened again and heard One..it was the band. I know this cause i could hear the vocals (barely) and they were different than whats on the cd recording. It only went one verse, then suddenly sounded like Streets have no Name then quit. Walked down the outside stairs to the ground level and saw about 5 young girls standing watching two black cars and a bunch of security guys all standing around with head sets and walkie talkies. I kept walking. It was raining, my bag with my camera was getting wet by now, and my feet were killing me. I walked a block to our transit system (rail train) and paid the fare, went up to the platform and waited for the next one to arrive. I looked over at GM Place again, and to this day dont know why i walked back over there. My feet just took me. By then, there were about 15 people standing waiting and one fellow told me that Bono had come out and spoken with fans the night before, and that they were off to the airport to go to Los Angeles tonight. I waited. Got soaked. Hair dripping, water into my eyes soaked. And cold. The cars suddenly backed into the bay doors of the stadium, and the doors closed again.
A security guard came over and told us that they were going to move the barricades, and if we all lined up side by side single file, Bono would drive out, get out of the car and meet us one by one. No time for pics or autographs he warned. We lined up very calmly and quickly. The doors opened up, both cars came out and then Bono was out of the vehicle and greeting the first fans.
I realized that he was taking too long with each fan - great for us all, but his 'handler' looked like he was getting impatient, and i had visions of Bono being whisked back into the car before getting to me in line, so i took all my 'stuff' out to be ready to hand it to him in a flash
my stuff - I had my camera around my neck, inside my open coat to protect it from the rain. I also had an envelope with letters and photos in it for all the guys which was getting damp, and something else for Bono, and not enough hands to hold it all.
While i was waiting for Bono to come closer, Edge got out of the car. He stopped, looked at us all lined up, looked back and Bono and the look on his face was funny. It was like "aw man, we're going to be late for our plane'. He looked over, saw me and made a bee-line straight for me. He stood about 2 ft away from me and just stared, said nothing. I said nothing, and held out the envelope. He took it, said nothing, and read the four names on it then looked at me again while putting it inside his coat. We just looked at each other saying nothing. It was weird. I stuck my hand out and he shook my hand and i said 'thank you'. He smiled abit and turned and walked away. I tried to get pics but all i got was the back of his head
By this time Bono was standing in front of me. I was surprised at his size - not just his height, but he looks slimmer, his face looks slimmer, his nose looked sharper. His eyes are very very intense and like Edge, focus on you and only you while he is talking to you. I held out the item for him and asked if he had one yet. He looked at it and his eyes widened, and he said 'no, no i dont. Where did you get it?' I told him and he had my hand in both his hands to look closer at it. 'Good for you' he said. I pushed it more definitely into his hand and he took it and gripped it like it was going to be stolen or something
He took my hand again and shook my hand, first like a normal handshake and then like ...well, like a biker or a hip hop buddy would do..more like clenching the fist in your fist. He smiled one more time and moved on. Then i took pics! if anyone wants pics, you'll have to let me know and i'll post them. (but you''ll have to tell this babyface how to do that...hyperlink? direct imbedding pic into thread? not sure how to accomplish that but i take directions fabulously)
this is getting long...so real quick - impressions:
Edge - more to him than meets the eye. Shrewd man, quick thinker, sizes you up in a hurry. Possibly shy, more likely not wanting to get dragged into the whole 'star' thing. Still smiles for the fans though and takes the time to be seen
Bono-i dont think he's shy. I think because he is so soft spoken he might be thought of that way, but i think he loves people. He's intense but a quiet intense - but i think he can be in your face too (with politicians hehe). I also think that he has a quirky sense of humor (a practical joker perhaps?).
both men had a glow to them. They looked their age, yes, but they didnt have harsh edges (not even Edge LOL) They wont ever look as bad as Keith Richard for example. They seem comfortable in their own skin, and i'm pretty sure (with Bono at any rate) that what we all saw was the real Bono.
I'm soooo jealous.
