First, I owe a huge thanks to a fan last night who, when I randomly asked a security person next to him about how to get a good spot in the GA, told me that he was only in the 5th row behind the railing and arrived around 4:30 pm or 5 pm. I followed his advice, arriving at 4:50 pm or so and was in the same spot. Thank you, good sir!
Oh, my poor feet!
The only draw back to GA, I've learned, is the intense pain to my ankles and feet. I didn't know if I could get through the night by 8 pm. It was so bad, even with 2 extra strength Advils, and the recommended dosage is just 1. Luckily I had enough room around me to, every several minutes, lift my legs and rotate my ankles. I also think that I've now forgotten the intensity of the pain. I think I went through the same thing with Radiohead last year in Montreal.
Possible DVD?
Saw cameras revolving around the stage the whole night and Bono was more explicit in his political statements than last night and thanked Universal at the end. There may just be a DVD involved.
I just wish he had used this to ask hard questions of Canada, as he did to the US and Europe when using Bullet the Blue Sky to refer to arms dealing. Canada and the US should at least question their role in Afghanistan. Bono said nothing about war, but mentioned Iran, which the US and Canada have never engaged in anything but a racist and belligerent way.
Bono thanked Harper again and I booed slightly with a thumbs down... 'cause PM Harper is an anti-Muslim, fascistic, anti-French Canadian bastard.
setlist highlights
So happy that Unforgettable Fire and Ultraviolet were played and that no one in my area knew them so they wouldn't sing along and I could actually HEAR Bono. I really love the acoustic version of "Stuck in a Moment" and was so upset I couldn't hear Bono over the din of obnoxious singers. Regarding the other songs, even though I've starved myself of U2 for 6 months or so, I could predict every note of the Joshua Tree singles, so I sadly got bored during those, even though I know that I really love those songs. Same with "One" and "Mysterious Ways."
HATE the remix version of I'll Go Crazy and Vertigo and don't care for City of Blinding Lights or Beautiful Day or Walk On or Get On Your Boots (except the "Let Me In The Sound" part)
The other new songs sound great, though. Really enjoy hearing those, which could bode well for my regard for the album in the long-term. "Breathe" is such a great opener and "Moment of Surrender" is such a cool closer, but Bono shouldn't start it with singing "Oh, oh, ooooh, ooohh, ooooh, oh". Just like on the album, he should allow the song to build more and then hit you in the face with his rough vocals: "I tied myself with wire!" Yeah, baby!
View from the GA
My view was amazing. I fluctuated between being in the 3rd row from the rail to the 5th, closer to Adam's side. Best of any concert I've ever attended, and it was due to my getting there 20 minutes or so before the gates opened and barely drinking anything all day so I didn't have to go to the washroom or feel like I was holding it in (as happened when I first saw "Lord of the Rings 1").
I gotta say that last night relied on the screen a lot and it was cool to see Bono gesticulating from afar, but seeing the guys up close was incredible. Bono looks in great shape; lucky guy still has all his hair; the rest of the band are in even better shape, as usual.
I didn't need no screen. Just an amazing view of most of the band members most of the time, especially Bono!
Dealing with people in the GA
My having a great view was also due to my asking the woman who drifted closer in front of me to please not lift her camera so high that it blocked my view. As a result, she kept it in front of her face; I'm so thankful that she did this.
This one guy who I met in line and saved a place in the GA when he went to the toilet, though, pissed me off because he kinda kept doing it. I went through hell saving his spot and he seemed like a decent guy but was pretty selfish; he was telling me how on the last tour he came late but nudged through every one to get to the front and I remarked that that wasn't nice laughingly, hoping he'd get the hint.
Anyway, so, minutes after crappy Snow Patrol finish their set and the guy leaves and asks me to save his spot, I feel this huge, fat and tall thug of a guy pressing into me, wanting to get in front. I told him I wouldn't because I'd been waiting for 3 hours and wasn't about to let him through if he hadn't been there before. I've been to too many concerts where selfish jerks come late and then push in and obstruct my view. Anyway, so the guy gets all confrontational trying to make me out to be the bad guy. It's bad enough when people save places for their friends, but this guy wasn't getting past me especially because he was tall. He accuses me of discriminating against him because of his height and how that could be okay. I said, "That's the whole point. You can see from where you are, but I won't if you go in front of me and if everybody did that, it would also push everyone who'd been standing for hours further back. It's not right. Guy won't shut up for half an hour, trying to intimidate me. The others around him were kissing his ass, but I felt much better when the shorter woman next to me reassured me that "he's a jerk." I hadn't seen him the whole 3 hours before and it was obvious he pushed his way through tons of people to get there and had no sense of shame about the whole thing.
In the past, I might have let it go and given in and had a crap time, but I stuck to my guns and I'm so happy I did because I had a great view and that thug raised his arms super high and filmed every damn thing, so I would have been doubly screwed.
I've noticed lots of tall guys with great views who feel the need to jut their arms high up to film stuff selfishly and the people behind them struggling to see. If they just said something, they might lower their arms, but we're always intimidated by those who enjoy the show a way that interferes with others' rights to do the same. We've all got to speak up.
The only other thing that bugged me was this guy behind me who sang really loudly and badly on a lot of hits, and I couldn't hear Bono. I know the band sometimes encourages it, but, if you think about it intelligently, you realize that a lot of this behavior is about being noticed. Why pay all this money and energy and time to go and listen to yourself. Why not LISTEN TO THE BAND in all the subtlety of that once in a lifetime performance?
I've noticed all those who videotape and take pictures of stuff are kinda shallow or, at least, shallow in their fandom. I remember this one young woman at a Cure show in Montreal last year who was obsessed with videotaping everything, but didn't care about the songs at all; she was disconnected and would talk to her friends and then leave for long periods of time, only to return and block the view of those behind her. I was so happy when security told her to put her camera away.
Are they really going to treasure all these crappy vids that are exactly the same on youtube or look at their crappy pictures? Even if they do, they should consider the people behind them who can't see. They were all gung ho during cheesy hits like City of Blinding Lights and great hits like Streets and With Or Without You, but were quick to get bored during the great, lesser known songs.
Your Blue Room was an example from last night, but so were the newer songs and Unforgettable Fire and Ultraviolet. I was so happy they shut up for those. The only annoying thing were these guys who talked into the first verse of Ultraviolet: "Fuck yeah!" "This is from Zooropa or, uh, Zoo TV." "blah, blah, blah". Shut up and listen or let me listen!
A revolutionary approach to making concerts about the performance.
There's this ridiculous notion in the pop rock community that listening quietly as people do in classical music concerts or at the opera is stiff and pretentious, but those who act obnoxiously at concerts, shouting "whoo" during the quiet parts of songs and singing and waving in attempts to be noticed by the band and those around them are the most forced, pretentious people of all. For them, it's all about their desires. For everyone to enjoy a show equally, we all have to exercise a bit of restraint. You don't have to prove your fandom by being loud and putting your arms up all the time. This is partly the fault of rock performers like U2 and The Cure who think people aren't having a good time unless they really prove it to them. I've never had a worse time than my first concert in 2004, when I was screaming and waving and couldn't remember a damn thing about the performance because I had exhausted myself. I had a great time tonight because I relaxed and tried to hear and watch the performance in all its subtleties. And my way of enjoying myself didn't interfere with anyone else's senses. I get the sense a lot of people at concerts would like it to be this way, but are afraid or think it's rude to fight for equal rights. We all have to do our part to make concert going more civil and actually about the performance and not some jackasses chance at getting drunk or proving they're louder than everyone else. Lipsynching can be fun, too.
Although most GAers were well behaved, I overall preferred the average person in the seats for shutting up.
Yeah, so I had a great night, all in all, though I would have preferred a less hits-driven setlist, and more political talk that actually might cause controversy among North Americans because it would actually involve us questioning our role in the world instead of just criticizing Third Worlders.
Oh, my poor feet!
The only draw back to GA, I've learned, is the intense pain to my ankles and feet. I didn't know if I could get through the night by 8 pm. It was so bad, even with 2 extra strength Advils, and the recommended dosage is just 1. Luckily I had enough room around me to, every several minutes, lift my legs and rotate my ankles. I also think that I've now forgotten the intensity of the pain. I think I went through the same thing with Radiohead last year in Montreal.
Possible DVD?
Saw cameras revolving around the stage the whole night and Bono was more explicit in his political statements than last night and thanked Universal at the end. There may just be a DVD involved.
I just wish he had used this to ask hard questions of Canada, as he did to the US and Europe when using Bullet the Blue Sky to refer to arms dealing. Canada and the US should at least question their role in Afghanistan. Bono said nothing about war, but mentioned Iran, which the US and Canada have never engaged in anything but a racist and belligerent way.
Bono thanked Harper again and I booed slightly with a thumbs down... 'cause PM Harper is an anti-Muslim, fascistic, anti-French Canadian bastard.
setlist highlights
So happy that Unforgettable Fire and Ultraviolet were played and that no one in my area knew them so they wouldn't sing along and I could actually HEAR Bono. I really love the acoustic version of "Stuck in a Moment" and was so upset I couldn't hear Bono over the din of obnoxious singers. Regarding the other songs, even though I've starved myself of U2 for 6 months or so, I could predict every note of the Joshua Tree singles, so I sadly got bored during those, even though I know that I really love those songs. Same with "One" and "Mysterious Ways."
HATE the remix version of I'll Go Crazy and Vertigo and don't care for City of Blinding Lights or Beautiful Day or Walk On or Get On Your Boots (except the "Let Me In The Sound" part)
The other new songs sound great, though. Really enjoy hearing those, which could bode well for my regard for the album in the long-term. "Breathe" is such a great opener and "Moment of Surrender" is such a cool closer, but Bono shouldn't start it with singing "Oh, oh, ooooh, ooohh, ooooh, oh". Just like on the album, he should allow the song to build more and then hit you in the face with his rough vocals: "I tied myself with wire!" Yeah, baby!
View from the GA
My view was amazing. I fluctuated between being in the 3rd row from the rail to the 5th, closer to Adam's side. Best of any concert I've ever attended, and it was due to my getting there 20 minutes or so before the gates opened and barely drinking anything all day so I didn't have to go to the washroom or feel like I was holding it in (as happened when I first saw "Lord of the Rings 1").
I gotta say that last night relied on the screen a lot and it was cool to see Bono gesticulating from afar, but seeing the guys up close was incredible. Bono looks in great shape; lucky guy still has all his hair; the rest of the band are in even better shape, as usual.
I didn't need no screen. Just an amazing view of most of the band members most of the time, especially Bono!
Dealing with people in the GA
My having a great view was also due to my asking the woman who drifted closer in front of me to please not lift her camera so high that it blocked my view. As a result, she kept it in front of her face; I'm so thankful that she did this.
This one guy who I met in line and saved a place in the GA when he went to the toilet, though, pissed me off because he kinda kept doing it. I went through hell saving his spot and he seemed like a decent guy but was pretty selfish; he was telling me how on the last tour he came late but nudged through every one to get to the front and I remarked that that wasn't nice laughingly, hoping he'd get the hint.
Anyway, so, minutes after crappy Snow Patrol finish their set and the guy leaves and asks me to save his spot, I feel this huge, fat and tall thug of a guy pressing into me, wanting to get in front. I told him I wouldn't because I'd been waiting for 3 hours and wasn't about to let him through if he hadn't been there before. I've been to too many concerts where selfish jerks come late and then push in and obstruct my view. Anyway, so the guy gets all confrontational trying to make me out to be the bad guy. It's bad enough when people save places for their friends, but this guy wasn't getting past me especially because he was tall. He accuses me of discriminating against him because of his height and how that could be okay. I said, "That's the whole point. You can see from where you are, but I won't if you go in front of me and if everybody did that, it would also push everyone who'd been standing for hours further back. It's not right. Guy won't shut up for half an hour, trying to intimidate me. The others around him were kissing his ass, but I felt much better when the shorter woman next to me reassured me that "he's a jerk." I hadn't seen him the whole 3 hours before and it was obvious he pushed his way through tons of people to get there and had no sense of shame about the whole thing.
In the past, I might have let it go and given in and had a crap time, but I stuck to my guns and I'm so happy I did because I had a great view and that thug raised his arms super high and filmed every damn thing, so I would have been doubly screwed.
I've noticed lots of tall guys with great views who feel the need to jut their arms high up to film stuff selfishly and the people behind them struggling to see. If they just said something, they might lower their arms, but we're always intimidated by those who enjoy the show a way that interferes with others' rights to do the same. We've all got to speak up.
The only other thing that bugged me was this guy behind me who sang really loudly and badly on a lot of hits, and I couldn't hear Bono. I know the band sometimes encourages it, but, if you think about it intelligently, you realize that a lot of this behavior is about being noticed. Why pay all this money and energy and time to go and listen to yourself. Why not LISTEN TO THE BAND in all the subtlety of that once in a lifetime performance?
I've noticed all those who videotape and take pictures of stuff are kinda shallow or, at least, shallow in their fandom. I remember this one young woman at a Cure show in Montreal last year who was obsessed with videotaping everything, but didn't care about the songs at all; she was disconnected and would talk to her friends and then leave for long periods of time, only to return and block the view of those behind her. I was so happy when security told her to put her camera away.
Are they really going to treasure all these crappy vids that are exactly the same on youtube or look at their crappy pictures? Even if they do, they should consider the people behind them who can't see. They were all gung ho during cheesy hits like City of Blinding Lights and great hits like Streets and With Or Without You, but were quick to get bored during the great, lesser known songs.
Your Blue Room was an example from last night, but so were the newer songs and Unforgettable Fire and Ultraviolet. I was so happy they shut up for those. The only annoying thing were these guys who talked into the first verse of Ultraviolet: "Fuck yeah!" "This is from Zooropa or, uh, Zoo TV." "blah, blah, blah". Shut up and listen or let me listen!
A revolutionary approach to making concerts about the performance.
There's this ridiculous notion in the pop rock community that listening quietly as people do in classical music concerts or at the opera is stiff and pretentious, but those who act obnoxiously at concerts, shouting "whoo" during the quiet parts of songs and singing and waving in attempts to be noticed by the band and those around them are the most forced, pretentious people of all. For them, it's all about their desires. For everyone to enjoy a show equally, we all have to exercise a bit of restraint. You don't have to prove your fandom by being loud and putting your arms up all the time. This is partly the fault of rock performers like U2 and The Cure who think people aren't having a good time unless they really prove it to them. I've never had a worse time than my first concert in 2004, when I was screaming and waving and couldn't remember a damn thing about the performance because I had exhausted myself. I had a great time tonight because I relaxed and tried to hear and watch the performance in all its subtleties. And my way of enjoying myself didn't interfere with anyone else's senses. I get the sense a lot of people at concerts would like it to be this way, but are afraid or think it's rude to fight for equal rights. We all have to do our part to make concert going more civil and actually about the performance and not some jackasses chance at getting drunk or proving they're louder than everyone else. Lipsynching can be fun, too.
Although most GAers were well behaved, I overall preferred the average person in the seats for shutting up.
Yeah, so I had a great night, all in all, though I would have preferred a less hits-driven setlist, and more political talk that actually might cause controversy among North Americans because it would actually involve us questioning our role in the world instead of just criticizing Third Worlders.
He'll never forget it. Wow, I cried a bit.
but got a really great onethat I'll post as soon as I can.
