The BBC began its first television broadcast on 2nd November 1936. Britain got its second TV channel, BBC2, on 20th April 1964. That was almost thirty years of single setlist telly. I think I may have felt the same deep excitement of creative possibility at last night’s show in Anaheim that people may have felt when BBC2 launched. For an exhilaratingly delicious time during the first hour of the show, anything seemed possible. And despite being formed of mostly the same rerun songs just rearranged into a different order, the sheer elation and emotional effect was far in excess of the musical causes.
Bono said in Seattle two weeks ago that being able and allowed to begin again is an important element of the U2 philosophy. I wish they’d do it in their concerts far more often. The first hour of the show last night was almost as exciting as the first shows in Barcelona in 2009, and in Turin in 2010. But then, gigs can’t help but become exciting when the usual encore comes at the start.
There had been lots of speculation amongst fans during the last few days over what changes, if any, U2 would make to the setlist for Anaheim 2, after the stulpifying lack of variation at the preceding seven shows. I was being cynical, believing they’d swap in New Year’s Day for I Will Follow, and perhaps Angel of Harlem (the shows were in Angel Stadium) for Stay, and leave it at that.
Well, I got that one wrong.
Only one song actually received its 360 tour premiere last night (although three more had their first plays since Mexico). But it was a twangy, twisted, exhilarating belter, with Larry giving his poor drumkit its biggest battering yet. I was out in the spacious area behind Edge’s Red Zone with my lovely new Mexican-American buddy Jovita. She’s seen several shows so far this year, including in Mexico City. After Even Better Than The Real Thing, she turned to me and said “The moment of truth ...” We both waited. I expected to see Edge walk up to his piano for New Year’s Day. When he didn’t, I then expected to hear Adam and Larry start Out Of Control. When they didn’t, I had my first exciting “Wow!
TWO TV channels!” moment. I recognised The Fly immediately from the first chord, as it had been rehearsed several times before both concerts. Jovita didn’t click it at first, then suddenly turned to me with a huge grin, “THE FLY!” I couldn’t help but give her a happy hug.
The band were all pumped up with adrenalin by something. Cod psychology theories abounded afterwards last night. I became Cathal Jung. I speculated that the band were full of nervous energy from playing a new setlist outside their familiar, safe, same-old 360 routine: “Where are we? What? WHAT?! Can’t be! That’s the encore! What the feck?! Larry, help!”
I theorised that perhaps U2 gigs these days really become dazzlingly alive when the band are full of that nervous energy. By making the setlist more familiar and comfortable for themselves, they could end up making the show a bit duller and less dramatic for their fans – certainly for the hardcore eejits who travel to multiple shows.
Every single one of the dozens of nutjob itinerant U2 fans I caught up with after the show were positively beaming, zipping about and raving about “best” this and “favourite” that. Several of the fans who had travelled to many shows during the entire tour had their (theoretical) last show last night. They all still have time to get tempted to return for more, and they probably will if U2 can keep playing shows like last night’s. The cynically easy point to make was that there should be more than a little of the collective euphoria everyone felt last night after every concert. After all, the BBC have dozens of channels these days.
Another piece of wild speculation was that the show was a Glastonbury rehearsal. I imagined the band huddled together for a Braveheart pre-gig pep talk from Larry: “Right lads! COME ON!
THIS is Glastonbury! Tonight! Let’s do it! Let’s have these bastards! COME ON!” They’ll completely destroy Glasto if they just maintain the same energy and intensity.
My usual method for these little gig yarns is to make a mental note during the show of anything novel, different, exciting or whatever, and make a bulletpoint list in a Word file after. It’s easy with a familiar setlist. My memory had no chance of keeping up last night, especially with Bono. It looked like Bono had been studying the ‘Lenny Kravitz Guide to Cheerleading a Stadium Concert’. Lenny had worked hard to successfully get the entire stadium on its feet, dancing and clapping. Bono was continually making even more of his usual quips, asides, and piss-taking the band (e.g. Larry is to play a Chrysler in the new Transformers, Edge would be a very sensitive Malibu neighbour who would take your trash out). However he also tried Lenny’s trick of focusing on individual sides of the stadium to whip them up, but he’s a bit out of practice at that trick as it didn’t work so well. (And I hope to God he doesn’t try that at Glasto ...)
U2 are clearly still a big Saturday night out in LA. I walked around and across the back of the field from behind the Red Zone on Adam’s side to Edge’s side before the show. Everyone was looking at everyone to see if anyone was someone. Unfortunately for them I was no-one. I’m a bit of a people watcher anyway, but last night far, far more people returned my eye contact than usual. And they very often held it too, clearly trying to work out if this scruffy, lanky, scraggly beardy chap with the chiselled, rock star looks was your man from the Kings Of Leon. Then they looked away quickly, probably cos they saw Cindy Crawford going in the opposite direction. (Cindy didn’t recognise me either, but then I’m a bit hairier than
our last ‘U2 LA’ date.)
But the beautiful party people were out in designer droves. They sure know how to enjoy themselves, and to express their enjoyment. Many were very merrily drunk. It was easily the best atmosphere yet at the shows in the States and Canada. Almost unbelievably, the stadium was
literally,
structurally, bouncing. And I swear this is not Hollywood hyperbole. During I Will Follow (which was easily the bestest ever I Will Follow), and again during Vertigo, the small overhanging middle tier of seats in front of the executive boxes, was rocking up and down. It actually looked a little worryingly unstable. I’ve used the phrase metaphorically countless times, but I’ve never actually seen a stadium physically bounce during a show. (I took some video, but haven’t checked it yet. I hope it comes out clear enough to view the movement.)
Gosh, too many words already. BBC3 at Baltimore please!
Random observations:
- I had some texts just after gates opened that the GA entry was again a huge mess-up. Happily everyone was distracted from complaining afterwards (except for one friend whose elderly mum got injured in the rush and didn’t receive any attention for too long).
- No nostalgic Joshua Tree video during Streets, nor Berlin video during One. Instead, One had coloured images of bison running across the screen.
- The video team had a very lovely little new setlist flub. Someone pressed the button for the Magnificent video (when it wasn’t on the setlist), then realised their mistake and switched it off again.
- There was a very fun disco going on in the spaces behind the Red Zone during Crazy Tonight.
- No special video or text effects for The Fly – yet.
- I thought I heard some new melodic intro to City Of Blinding Lights, but no-one else I asked remembered hearing it.
- Bono asked for flowers during an even more intense, extended UTEOTW. Sam brought some out to Bono on the bridge. Bono grabbed Sam for a very brief but funny dance. Edge seemed to be riffing more during the “ring those bells” part of UTEOTW too.
- Edge played a bit longer at the end of Moment Of Surrender as Bono read a poem.
- I’ve just been bribed with a $500 American Airlines voucher to wait from 3pm to 11pm for my flight from Los Angeles to DC! Sorta makes up a little bit of the losses from last year - yay! Maybe I can get from Pittsburgh to Moncton now. I think it must be because
the Claw's mommy is parked outside the LAX terminal 
For everyone I know who died in the last 9 months, which has been too many people...
