Tonight was my 21st and last 360 gig of this year, as tomorrow night I’m defecting to see my 1st Muse gig of this year, which clashes with U2’s final show. Some friends in the GA queue today were teasing me about being a traitor, but I’m gonna be wearing a U2 T-shirt, and I’ll be infiltrating the Muse ranks to evangelise about the bigger and better rock group across town.
It’s a massive weekend in Perth: two U2 shows, a Muse gig and the Ashes (the jolly big cricket contest between England and Australia). Bono told the crowd that Muse were in the house tonight. They now know exactly what they’re up against in the battle of the bands tomorrow, they’re gonna have to put in an almighty performance to challenge their friendly rivals.
And it was another mighty performance from U2 in front of a noisy, enthusiastic Saturday night audience. I’ve heard very many Irish accents all over Perth in the last few days; there are plenty of us around these parts. And there were loads of Irish in the crowd tonight, with a higher than usual concentration of Irish football, rugby and Gaelic jerseys being worn, and tricolours draped over shoulders.
The biggest roar of the night was when Bono told the crowd that we all shared passion, high-mindedness and a desire to beat the Brits. Bono’s lead-ins and timing for these hilarious little asides is perfect (although he immediately confused the anti-pom crowd a little bit after by revealing that the Edge uses a British passport. ‘We can’t boo the Edge!’)
The band intros were all on a cricket theme which completely passed me by except for Adam as Shane Waugh. Bono told the crowd that he was David Boon. I asked Aussie Mick after the gig who David Boon is, and Mick replied “a short, fat Tasmanian”. So there you go. The fact his surname is an anagram of Bono is probably just a bonus. The crowd instantly began a chant of “BOONY! BOONY!” Bono had wonderfully scooped yet another 50,000 happy people into the palm of his microphoned hand.
The second biggest roar, and one of the biggest singalong jumparound songs for the fans around me in the seats behind the stage, was for Sunday Bloody Sunday. Not my favourite song in the setlist, but last night’s version was a raw roof-raiser.
North Star was very lovely. I haven't heard it outside the concerts, and it's really grown on me.
Bono himself sounded a bit raspy at times, he had a few little wobbles from the incredibly high standards that he’s been hitting all this year, although the vast majority of his singing was still magnificent. Speaking of which, that’s the song of this year’s tour for me, everything about it is just chunkingly scrumptious.
There was a slightly modified and longer ‘Is there a time for asking questions?’ intermission segue from Miss Sarajevo into City Of Blinding Lights, including Edge’s old “What do you want?” question from Zooropa. Given the different intro I thought and hoped for a few seconds that they may actually play Zooropa, but it was yet another tease. (Actually, Dallas had soundchecked the guitar line for an old Achtung Baby classic earlier in the day.)
There was a slightly longer rock-out close to Vertigo, with Bono conducting the band into drawing it out. More heavy, hard songs like that would be very nice. The stadium choir for Amazing Grace was spine-tinglingly beautiful, and Streets had the people in the stands bouncing (unlike in Melbourne 2 and Sydney 2).
It was yet another triumphant U2 gig down under, to add to the collection. It’s been a fantastic tour leg in New Zealand and Australia. U2 have put on many incredible, intense and enjoyable shows. (They’ve only been let down by the occasional sound problem, and some difficult-to-stir audiences.) But their base standard for the gigs has been very high.
I felt quite emotional and drawn after the tour-ending shows in Vancouver last year and in Rome this year, but I left tonight’s show feeling lifted, lucky and happy. And sure South Africa is just two months away …
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It’s a massive weekend in Perth: two U2 shows, a Muse gig and the Ashes (the jolly big cricket contest between England and Australia). Bono told the crowd that Muse were in the house tonight. They now know exactly what they’re up against in the battle of the bands tomorrow, they’re gonna have to put in an almighty performance to challenge their friendly rivals.
And it was another mighty performance from U2 in front of a noisy, enthusiastic Saturday night audience. I’ve heard very many Irish accents all over Perth in the last few days; there are plenty of us around these parts. And there were loads of Irish in the crowd tonight, with a higher than usual concentration of Irish football, rugby and Gaelic jerseys being worn, and tricolours draped over shoulders.
The biggest roar of the night was when Bono told the crowd that we all shared passion, high-mindedness and a desire to beat the Brits. Bono’s lead-ins and timing for these hilarious little asides is perfect (although he immediately confused the anti-pom crowd a little bit after by revealing that the Edge uses a British passport. ‘We can’t boo the Edge!’)
The band intros were all on a cricket theme which completely passed me by except for Adam as Shane Waugh. Bono told the crowd that he was David Boon. I asked Aussie Mick after the gig who David Boon is, and Mick replied “a short, fat Tasmanian”. So there you go. The fact his surname is an anagram of Bono is probably just a bonus. The crowd instantly began a chant of “BOONY! BOONY!” Bono had wonderfully scooped yet another 50,000 happy people into the palm of his microphoned hand.
The second biggest roar, and one of the biggest singalong jumparound songs for the fans around me in the seats behind the stage, was for Sunday Bloody Sunday. Not my favourite song in the setlist, but last night’s version was a raw roof-raiser.
North Star was very lovely. I haven't heard it outside the concerts, and it's really grown on me.
Bono himself sounded a bit raspy at times, he had a few little wobbles from the incredibly high standards that he’s been hitting all this year, although the vast majority of his singing was still magnificent. Speaking of which, that’s the song of this year’s tour for me, everything about it is just chunkingly scrumptious.
There was a slightly modified and longer ‘Is there a time for asking questions?’ intermission segue from Miss Sarajevo into City Of Blinding Lights, including Edge’s old “What do you want?” question from Zooropa. Given the different intro I thought and hoped for a few seconds that they may actually play Zooropa, but it was yet another tease. (Actually, Dallas had soundchecked the guitar line for an old Achtung Baby classic earlier in the day.)
There was a slightly longer rock-out close to Vertigo, with Bono conducting the band into drawing it out. More heavy, hard songs like that would be very nice. The stadium choir for Amazing Grace was spine-tinglingly beautiful, and Streets had the people in the stands bouncing (unlike in Melbourne 2 and Sydney 2).
It was yet another triumphant U2 gig down under, to add to the collection. It’s been a fantastic tour leg in New Zealand and Australia. U2 have put on many incredible, intense and enjoyable shows. (They’ve only been let down by the occasional sound problem, and some difficult-to-stir audiences.) But their base standard for the gigs has been very high.
I felt quite emotional and drawn after the tour-ending shows in Vancouver last year and in Rome this year, but I left tonight’s show feeling lifted, lucky and happy. And sure South Africa is just two months away …
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Might have to buy a copy.
did that come accross? But i try to be so secretive about it! 
