December 8, 2010 - Suncorp Stadium - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

[mrnathan15]

It's a good point you make Andrew, many of the younger fans are indeed confused by the 'older' songs they don't know. It seemed to me that a lot of the GA section was either made up of younger fans that mostly just knew songs from he last decade, or 'older' fans that had listened to them growing up, but weren't up with the songs from HTDAAB onwards, especially NLOTH stuff, they were focused on the older stuff.

Personally I'm 18 so I'm more 'catching up' on the bands career instead of growing with it, but it seems a few on here are younger fans that obviously are very into them and that's good to see!

 

[AndrewCowley]

I reckon people will most love the songs that were their 'entry point' into U2. For the older fans that is of course the 80's songs. For others, like many I have chatted to in the GA lines in the past week or so, that is ATYCLB and beyond. For the 2nd Brisbane show I met up with a guy who wasn't even born when AB came out. That floored me. Wow.

Yes he will catch up and get into the 80's stuff. But it won't move him like the newer stuff which was his entry path into the band.

Reality check: The setlist can't be all things to all people. I don't mind the ATYCLB heaviness. Do wish though that NLOTH, Breathe and UC were still present, even if only in rotation.

To me, Walk On for instance sounds better than ever. Elevation and Vertigo are incredible. Those songs define U2's stadium sound. Mega huge. Pride does not do that to be honest. Nor does NYD. Both great songs, but different.

 

[mrnathan15]

Walk On, despite how much it got dismissed on here this tour, after seeing it live I have to say it has some massive power live! Love it!

 

[AndrewCowley]

Walk On, despite how much it got dismissed on here this tour, after seeing it live I have to say it has some massive power live! Love it!

Yeah, with you on that. I do think them leaving the stage after it is a bit weird though.

 

[mrnathan15]

Yeah it can sometimes seem a bit of an abrupt exit, but I do like how the amnesty (?) campaigners leave their lamp things around the outer circle, it looks so awesome when the lights do down!

 

[Emmerald]

Walk On, despite how much it got dismissed on here this tour, after seeing it live I have to say it has some massive power live! Love it!

Agreed! This and Scarlet really got me too. I spent the last month in Myanmar/Burma so it brought back memories of watching bbc world news with the hotel staff in Mandalay who just kept excitedly repeating "Our leader is free!", "Our leader is free!" to anyone who would listen

 

[mrnathan15]

Agreed! This and Scarlet really got me too. I spent the last month in Myanmar/Burma so it brought back memories of watching bbc world news with the hotel staff in Mandalay who just kept excitedly repeating "Our leader is free!", "Our leader is free!" to anyone who would listen

Great story! And yeah Scarlet is a really great intro, it's so full of joy, perfect for the theme they have been going with for Walk On. Especially when the crowd joins in with singing during scarlet, unlike in Brisbane where I looked like a total idiot doing it alone in my area

 

[cathalmc]

Agreed! This and Scarlet really got me too. I spent the last month in Myanmar/Burma so it brought back memories of watching bbc world news with the hotel staff in Mandalay who just kept excitedly repeating "Our leader is free!", "Our leader is free!" to anyone who would listen

Amazing!

 

[Saracene]

Walk On, despite how much it got dismissed on here this tour, after seeing it live I have to say it has some massive power live! Love it!

I've always loved the song, but I felt that it came off strangely flat at all three recent U2 concerts I've been to. That the band walks offstage afterwards didn't help either.

 

[Jim]

i was in the stands for this show and I have to say it was the lamest audience I've seen in 20 shows over 20 years.. the pitch looked bumping but the stand I was in was unbelievably dull .. I'm going to get in the thick of it at Sydney tomorrow!

 

[ChargedVT]

i was in the stands for this show and I have to say it was the lamest audience I've seen in 20 shows over 20 years.. the pitch looked bumping but the stand I was in was unbelievably dull .. I'm going to get in the thick of it at Sydney tomorrow!

Having already seen this show in Melbourne from fairly close in GA, I was also up in the stands for this first show in Brisbane, to see what the show was like from a bit further away. Even from here you were still looking UP at the stage. But anyway, despite the show being very good and tight, the crowd in my section were fairly sedate. I was surrounded by a group of late-teen girls, an old couple and some dudes that kept going for beers every ten minutes. Being in the end seat of the aisle, I simply got up and stood on the stairs and rocked the fuck out while most of the people around me didn't. The seats are that close together that you have to stand up to let someone get past, and the drunk guys were getting people to do this every five minutes, was getting annoying. It's a different atmosphere up there, you feel less involved in the show.
There were some moments though that brought my area alive. At the start of Streets, I looked around and EVERYONE (and I mean EVERYONE) in my block of seats were on their feet. It was staggering, an amazing moment. That song never fails. Ever.

 

[cobl04]

EXCEPT IN THE CHEAP SEATS AT MELBOURNE II

Clf

 

[airwalk74]

Yeah it can sometimes seem a bit of an abrupt exit, but I do like how the amnesty (?) campaigners leave their lamp things around the outer circle, it looks so awesome when the lights do down!

Yeah they are a mix of campaigners who have been volunteering outside during the show...amnesty, free burma and one in Australia. I ended up onstage 3 times...so if anyone has photos or vids from during Walk On at Melbs 2 Perth 1 and 2...please drop me a line