Wow, I was in a hurry to write a review of the concert, while the topic about it had been opened!
Very glad to see that people from the whole world are curious and anxious about the first concert in Russia. Well, I'll try to describe my feelings of it as minutely as I can (sorry, I didn't have an opportunity to make photos: I have only one to the theme and one with Bono and Dmitryi Medvedev talking).
Came in the stadium several minutes to the warm-up. The level of the security was so high: we had to go through over three cordons!
But I don't mind about it.
I found my places, and after several minutes, during which I had time to watch the stage and people coming (the stadium was full in the correlation of 5/8 by this time and of 7/8 by the beginning of U2's performing - I'm saying that against the expections that Luzhniki wouldn't gather much people for the concert
), on the stage came "Snow Patrol" (they was in time - 19:30) - the backdrop in green and blue colors with the signature "Now "Snow Patrol"" on the screen signaled us about it. I must say that I don't know this band much, I knew before yesterday only one song, "Chasing cars", which I didn't like much, so as the modern rock. But now I convinced again that I shouldn't miss the warm-ups, because you always can't know if this will be great or not, moreover, you can like it and have been got interested in it. To the theme: I liked the performance of the band (so did the public, I suppose by the applauses), every song was great, even "Chasing cars". The frontman was polite and told many good things to us all, such as that he had always wanted to go to Russia, also, he said some words in Russian (in English transcription: "Dobryi vecher, Moskva!"
), at the same time being charismatic. I hope I'll have a bootleg of their performing, also want them to see live again.
While waiting for U2, music was played, that seemed to me a bit strange: I recognized only one song, "Space Oddity" by David Bowie (one of people who came to the concert was in a T-shirt with David
), and by this song U2 came on the stage. Before this, people on the stands made a kind of "wave" (I was surprised!), which you can see in sport competitions and championships, and people in the fan zone just waved their hands. There was a whole scream like U2 were already in the stage, but only at fifth or sixth time those screams were in time.
U2 came on the stage when the rain had been falling for a minute (to run ahead, I'll say to you that this rain went on until the end of the show; that's was my luck to be in a sector where the rain didn't come, only some drops). But we all didn't mind about it, though the technicians had to set up some "umbrellas" for the band not to get the equipment wet and people from the fan zone had to get their umbrellas up (and Bono did the same in some song): I saw at least three flags: Russian, British (I suppose that it's one man's whose speech in English I heard during going to my place in the stadium and who was noticed by "Snow Patrol"'s frontman with kind of pleasure) and Irish with "U2" signature on it.
I can't remember at all only the first song (weird, isn't it?), even didn't understand if Bono sang on it or not. I listened before the concert only to "North star" and "Glastonbury" which, to my little disappointment, weren't in the setlist. Also, there weren't "No line...", "Unknown caller" (why such few songs from the latest album are being played in the second part of the tour?
), "The unforgettable fire", which I was waited for most of all, especially because of the vision of the screen stretching down and being looked like a fire torch. But there were surprises those were waiting for us (I feel like I knew that they would be for Russia!
).
"Beautiful day", while the rain was falling down. Strange, but, anyway, great! Bono sang something about rain (some non-U2 song, I suppose). All the members of the band were by this time wet, but I saw they felt great pleasure to play in Moscow (it seemed to me that Adam was merry most of all). I saw this on the screen, and I saw this in binocular, which I borrowed from my friends (I could have more impressions because of this kind of magic). To say about the songs, all of them were great: "Vertigo" (song-bomb, as I name it), "Get on your boots", "Until the end...", "Mysterious ways" (such beautiful and, sorry, sexy backdrop), "Magnificent". The remix of "I'll go crazy.../Discotheque" was brilliant, much better that the original version of the first song, the second favourite song from the concert for me. Even "In a little while" touched me, though I don't like this song very much. Really sounds like something having a connection with cosmos (live broadcast with the cosmonauts was too, though I don't remember it right). Bono sang great Pavarotti part in "Miss Sarajevo", the song which sounded great in the cosmos theme. The part of "Sunday bloody Sunday" with words "You've got to stand up, Stand up for your rights" during Edge played guitar riff sounded like a thunderstorm in time of the war, while the sky became red (who said about Red Rocks concert?
), though the lightning of the stage was green, impressed me very much. I laughed at the video that was showed before "Ultraviolet" where two men were in cosmos while the stage-starship flied not far from them and one of them had a question what it was. Of course, such a strange and interesting jacket on Bono while he sang "Ultraviolet" (I could be glad even if instead of this song "Hold me..." was, though I like both of them) and "With or without you" On the songs "Walk on", "One" and "Moment of surrender" (my favourite song from the concert) I cried, because they were so touching, so as their main meaning.
The main impression I got from the whole atmosphere of the show. Stage, that looks not good in the daylight, but turns in a kind of spaceship in the evening, the highest part of this construction that can look as a beacon, can give such a light that you have a vision like you're in cosmos among the stars. U2 had a great effort (and successful, I must admit) to create this atmosphere. People rated this all in a highest point. The parts of the stage: big screen, a "path" for running in a circle, two bridges which can go - all of this was in the theme. I wish the authors of the stage could receive an award like "The best stage design" or like that.
I liked the way Bono played role of frontman. He talked much about Russia, its way of being. Of course, how can Bono be without his sense of humour? He told us that Larry was in the karaoke-bar (I know how Larry sings and I like it, that's a pity he couldn't do that in the concert), Edge was being with the cosmonauts, and Bono himself sang with Cossack choir and met with Russian president Dmitriy Medvedev, whom he thanked very much. He dedicated to Russia two songs: "I still haven't found..." (which sounded great, so, that I messed it with "Bad" of U2) for Russia way of living and "Moment of surrender" for firemen who had much work with rescuing people from fires of incredibly and tragically hot summer in this year and who is still living or died in the work. He can make suitable speech when it's time to do so, for what I like Bono. But most of all I remembered the phrase of Bono about Moscow: "I know why we didn't go there so long... It's too cheerful - sorry if I took not suitable word, I'm not good at translating to do it right - here!"
All the things the band was saying was being translated and the text was showed on the screen at the same time when the band was talking.
The most impressing part of the concert in Moscow was, I think, the playing "Knocking on the heaven's door" of Bob Dylan by U2 and Russian musician Yuri Shevchuk, the frontman of Russian rock band "DDT" (I know that not many people know who is it, but I just can't pass this fact by!). I'm not fan of Yuri, but I was glad to see him with Bono, interesting that both of them have some common - they both are active people in the social deals and have many songs on social themes. Again, I'm glad that you know about this surprising performance.
When "Moment of surrender" ended, U2 thanked Russia again (I suppose they liked the public and I hope they will be here again). Then we went back in our houses, where we must have written about one of the greatest moments ever that no one can leave behind.
