I was excited about having seats, as I didn't fully appreciate the stage and its setup and lighting on Wednesday, and also the sound didn't seem all that clear, so I thought maybe seats up on the third level would solve that problem.
I haven't shut up about the
gig I went to in 2006 since that night, and I should mention that I had seats on the third level for that gig, side-on to the stage. So even though I was in GA on Wednesday that 06 was still better... for a multitude of personal reasons.
I'll say straight up that this gig was absolutely FANTASTIC, but my enjoyment of it was severely hampered by the people around me. But I'll get to that soon.
Not having to spend half a day at Etihad was a nice change, so I caught the train into Southern Cross to meet a friend at 5. There was a cute girl a few seats ahead of me on the train wearing a U2 shirt, but I didn't end up speaking to her.
I got to the Loco Bar, this cool, relaxed, white bar at Southern Cross Station and noticed they stocked my favourite beer,
so I had and watched Australia get spanked in the cricket on a glitchy digital TV. I sat for about half an hour by myself, using the iphone to give the illusion i was busy, or something, listening to the music they were playing, which was all 00s U2.
Scriha rocked up about 540 or so, as his train was late, and we talked about last night's gig and I told him how unlucky he was not to have heard MLK (it's got personal significance for him). He probably didn't need to hear that... Swaney and a few of his mates rocked up about 10 minutes later and we had a beer or two as we shot the breeze and chewed the fat before taking off over the footbridge to Etihad about 6pm. We bid adieu to Swaney and co., as they had GA tickets.
When we finally got to our seats we were just blown away by the view:
, and yes, there was just three minutes and 44 seconds until hova graced the stage.
I thought Jay-Z was even better than on Wednesday. He was a bit chattier (even taking off his Ray-Bans at one point, Scriha and I both commented later on how small his eyes looked) and also added Hard Knock Life to the set, just before Encore. To our left, maybe aisle 48 or so, there were a bunch of skinny white teenagers jumping around, and they seemed to know most of the words. Scriha overheard one of them in the toilet say, "that's the best 40 bucks i ever spent!" and then apparently they went home.
I listened closely to the people around me after Jay-Z finished. Most sat there unmoved, with one couple commenting, "he was very loud".
The seats began to fill quicker as the clock took to the video screen. Now a two-show veteran, it was interesting watching people as they randomly realised the clock was running fast. There were two blank seats behind me and Scriha which had me happy, as it meant i would not be obstructing anyone's view, but alas, they arrived soon before Space Oddity began. One man, must have been one of the road crew, ran out fist pumping and a few people cheered until they realised it wasn't Bono. Tonight I was one of the many cheering as the band walked from the behind the stage to begin Stingray and I immediately noticed that the sound was much clearer. I figured this was because I was further away and not within a few metres of a ton of speakers. I was up on my feet already but I was tapped on the back for the first time just before the song ended. I sat down and then jumped up again as Beautiful Day started, but after a minute or so I was told to sit down again. ]
Scriha's "maybe favourite" U2 song is New Year's Day and I love it too, so I was hoping they'd swap it with IWF like they had on other shows this tour. and my GOD, if there was ever a "warhorse" that deserves every-night status it's this one. The bass at the start is so heavy and I jumped in the air as Bono sang "yeaaaaaaaaahhhh ohhhhh hooooo". But as sure as the sun rises each day, I was tapped on the back and told to sit down.
The reaction to Elevation again seemed lathargic, but UTETOW sounded even better than it did the night before. I was one of about three or four people in the vicinity who was up for this song, I must have looked like a complete fool to these people, shredding guitar, fistpumping and jumping as the song came to a cacophonic close.
Acoustic Stuck was next, which was a horrendous replacement for Mercy, but it gave me a chance to get my breath back. I've always been a big Stuck fan, but I sat comfortably during this one.
Pride is surely the most complained-about live song on this forum. Many people have wished it never to return, saying it's hugely inferior to the album version. Maybe it is, but you'd think Edge just screeching feedback for four minutes if you believe what you read on here. I think it's terrific live so again I was on my feet, and stunned by the almost non-reaction from the crowd as the song began. It was one of the bigger moments of the 06 show so I thought I wouldn't be alone in jumping to my feet. Scriha is a bit shier than me but he was up for moments as well. He commented that the girl Bono took on stage for IALW was "pretty hot" and I couldn't help but agree.
Bono again nailed the opera part in Sarajevo, and again I was one of the few on my feet as he sang it. The reaction wasn't as strong as the night before.
I began to get really annoyed when the outstanding double whammy of
and Vertigo still didn't get the majority of the seated crowd on their feet, and lost my patience when during the Crazy Tonight remix I was tapped more forcefully on the back and told, "can you sit down! we can't see anything". I was furious and so I looked around for a place where Scriha and I could stand in peace. After the show I thought about it and I guess I could see where these people were coming from... many were older than I and were content to sit down (I'm sure they still enjoyed it) but why should I be made to feel bad? Why should my enjoyment of the show be tempered? Scriha and I moved to the aisle after Crazy Tonight, right up to fence, where we were promptly roared at by a fat bloke to move, filthy that he had to get out of his seat. We found a spot just in front of two seats where there were no seats, and remained there for the rest of the show. The two women behind us stood up for 90% of the time from that point onwards, and didn't annoy us when we stood for the next 30 minutes, thankfully.
No Jay-Z for Sunday Bloody Sunday, which sounded better than on Wednesday I thought, and Scarlet and Walk On fell a bit flatter too it seemed. I wondered how many people out of 60,000 knew "reeeeejoooooooooooooooooice" was Scarlet.
Scriha and I laughed at Tutu's enthusiasm and then One began. THIS was the moment where annoyance turned into frustration. Probably 80% of the area I was in remained seated during One (again missing "do you hear us coming lord") but I was actually shattered when Streets began. It's so fucking magical, and yet probably about 60-70% of the people in my area were STILL SITTING when the song finished. I can understand sitting for the quieter songs, songs you don't know. I don't understand but can see how some people will sit for the majority of the show. But there are moments at live shows where the occasion just calls for you to rise out of your seats, also known as, Where the Streets Have No Name. And yet as I looked around many people remained seated, unmoved, as if they were watching a movie. I'd almost lost control of my body and got a few smiles of support from those around me standing up. So I couldn't enjoy Streets as much because of the crowd. There was no reaction from Bono similar to Wednesday night, so far as I could tell.
~
I was hoping they'd swap HMTM with Ultraviolet and I screamed really quite loudly when Bono began, "sometimes i feel like i don't know..." and I realised that I was pretty much the only uber-fan in the section. No one knew the song and a few gave me weird looks and laughed at my reaction. Thankfully I had ceased to care and I was blown away by Ultraviolet. It was simply phenomenal, what a song to bring back into the setlist after 15 years. WOWY and MOS were both shorter as the crowd wasn't as receptive, with no continuation of MOS' "oh oh ohs", as hard as Scriha and I tried.
We thanked the women behind us for letting us stand, not caring what their reply was, "these people don't know how to have a good time!!" Scriha replied.
I got numerous texts after the show proclaiming it to be possibly the best gig they'd ever been to (and these were from serious, multi-show fans) so I was disappointed because though I agreed the band was on fire and it maybe it was a better show than Wednesday, i didn't enjoy myself anywhere near as much thanks to the crowd.
I don't know. I guess I'm just different to these people. I can't sit down at a concert. I'm just very happy that my final 360 show is on Wednesday night in Brisbane, with cousins who are fans, whom I don't see often, in GA, because I don't want my last memory to a poor crowd.
Scriha and I disucssed songs we hate and the tennis on the way home and then I was asleep not long after going to bed with a big day ahead at Steresonic, a house music festival, the next day. Strange combination indeed.
Was second row from the centre of the stage... it was just pure awesomeness!! Loved the fact that the issues I had with sound on Wednesday night completely disappeared last night. Bono sounded fantastic, and the band looked like they were having a great time. Oh... and Bono swung over me during Ultraviolet!!! No 'Bad' though... 
. Then during Elevation i think i took my eyes off the stage for the first time, looked behind me and everyone was sitting down? seriously barely moving I thought they were a heap of mannequins! 
(except the Richmond bit!) 
