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U2 Keep It Crazy For Second Barcelona Show : U2 Interference - U2 Fans, Pop Culture Webzine, & More
After one day off, U2 returned for the second night of the 360 tour in Barcelona on July 2. Fans everywhere wondered whether the show would differ from the inaugural gig. Would the setlist change in length, order, or variety? How might the band build from the first show’s success without getting stagnant?
Around 10pm local time, the band took the stage following “Space Oddity” by David Bowie. Before the extended intro to “Breathe” (replete Larry’s riveting drums and Adam’s inviting bass), before we hear Bono change the date in the song’s lyrics, another song plays over the PA. The wild speculation by fans over the source of this track is intriguing, with many suggesting it is an unreleased tune from a forthcoming album to be released between legs of the tour, much like Zooropa in 1993.
After the gig opened with the same set of songs from the new record that we heard on opening night, Bono once again thanked the people of Barcelona before “Beautiful Day.” The singer sounded genuinely grateful when he “thanked the neighborhood” for letting them “make a joyful noise” for the days preceding opening night.
This appreciation, though, may not be enough to mute the formal noise complaints filed against the band. Various sources are reporting that “authorities might fine U2 for rocking too long and loudly during rehearsals for their latest world tour, the city council said yesterday.”
When “Beautiful Day” ended with a snippet from the Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun,” the sought after setlist changes and surprises were soon to follow. Trading “Angel of Harlem” as the Michael Jackson tribute of the night for “Desire,” Bono also chose a new Jackson snippet to share, belting the chorus of “Billie Jean.”
Apparently, one good surprise deserves another, so the tour debut of “Party Girl” came next. Barely into in the song, Bono brought a party girl called Melissa onstage to hoist the singer high and then share a bottle of champagne. The story has it that he remembered her from joining him in the spotlight at a previous show on a previous tour. It appears some girls have all the luck.
The innovations continued with the first-ever performance of “Electrical Storm,” a 2002 single released with the The Best of 1990-2000 compilation. While the single never penetrated the US charts, it did well in the rest of the world. Hardcore fans call these moments “U2 history,” and the reaction among the faithful was universally enthusiastic. Perhaps the summer weather had something to do with the choice. In the song, Bono sings, “It’s hot as hell, honey, in this room/Sure hope the weather will break soon/The air is heavy, heavy as a truck/Need the rain to wash away our bad luck.”
BonotooPhoto by Albert Gea from daylife.com
Already creating all kinds of buzz from the kick-off concert, the wild remix of “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” returned once again, late in the set before the classic anthem “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Rocking the djembe and strutting his stuff on the walkways, Larry Mullen secured this version as the shake-your-stuff-and-dance-in-the-aisles highlight of the night. Because, as Bono announced, they were filming a video for this track, perhaps playing it once just simply was not enough. The so-called “normal” mix of the highly-memorable hit reappeared in the encore between “With or Without You” and “Moment of Surrender.”
After botching the classic late-set singalong on opening night, U2 redeemed the standard “One” in more ways than one. Since this track usually followed Bono’s longest sermons of the night on the Vertigo tour, fans never know how long he might rap before Edge’s familiar riffs take us by the heartstrings. The band nailed the track without a mixup, and Bono speechified while the loud crowd assailed him with wails. But he kept the talk short and sweet, his rap dripping about love for his bandmates, his best friends, his brothers. Instead of the usual evangelism about this cause or that, Bono pledged to change the world inside our heads. For lifelong followers of U2, the change inside ourselves that this music brings is one crazy cause we all can agree upon.