The tour is over (for now), so from the shows you attended/watched/listen to, what were your highlights?
Overall for me, UTEOTW has always been great live, but this tour it is an absolute monster. Also, I love the new arrangement of Sunday Bloody Sunday.
As for the actual shows I attended, I got Bad one night, and Gloria and All I Want Is You the next. Also, Bono stopped on the catwalk and sang the last "Oh-oh-oh-oh"s from WOWY right in front of me at my last show. My favorite song, so yay me.
I sadly only got to see 1 show, Chicago 5, July 2nd. I got "Gloria", "California", "Ordinary Love", "Bad" and "40" for the rotational parts, so I was really happy about that. It was my 11th U2 show since 1997, and it ranks in my top 2 (Elevation Tour in Columbus will probably always be my favorite).
Please come back next year... I promise I'll go to more than 1 show!!!
Seeing the tour opener was really fun, since everything was fresh, exciting, and a surprise. The second night was just a fucking fun show.
A semi-spontaneous trip to Phoenix ended up being a highlight of my year. I got to hang out with some great friends, and ran into so many people I knew at the shows. And of course the shows were both so fun.
And then hey, I saw two Dublin shows. That second show, with my surprise rail spot? Holy shit. Hard to top that as a way to end the year.
I enjoyed my one show that I attended (MSG 3) and was fortunate to be there the night Jimmy Fallon and the Roots joined U2 on stage. Plus, it was my gf's first U2 show as well.
Didn't go to any shows, but my favorite moment had to be them bringing back "The Ocean/11 O Clock Tick Tock", even if it was just for one show. One of my favorite live U2 combos.
It was also great that the "Electric Co." and was a regular and "Gloria" a semi-regular. Plus, "2 Hearts" being resurrected for a couple appearances was pretty sweet. But an even better resurrection was "October", which was played every night of the 2nd leg.
I wish they played even more early stuff, but it was great to see how much they brought back. I wish "An Cat Dubh/Into The Heart" would've made it past rehearsals, but still a great tour.
My favorite memory this tour was catching Bono's water bottle on opening night. That was just a cool moment. The GA line for Vancouver 1 was awesome, I met people who I stay in contact with, which was amazing just because they were strangers who I happened to meet because we both love the same band, which is pretty weird when you think about it. I'm just so glad I got to go to the first 2 nights of the tour. This past year has been incredibly difficult with being sick with ulcerative colitis, being pretty much addicted to painkillers, and having to get four surgeries. I was really depressed in May having to prep for a surgery and having a temporary ileostomy, which destroyed my self-esteem. Seeing those two shows really made me feel a lot better and made me forget about everything I was going through. I just love this band so much
The overall tour experience has been great. Went only to 2 Berlin shows, but the atmosphere was fantastic and the visual effects on this tour are simply stunning.
The new songs with all the new technology were a highlight for me aswell
Also elevation at london 1 was epic. Now im one of these that thought elevation should have been put to bed but at this gig it was so good live. The crowd and the band were well up for it
Went to 2 Barcelona shows only, but both were brilliant.
- The Miracle: not their best tune, but as an opener worked really well
- Raised by Wolves and Cedarwood Road
- Until the End of the World - best rendition of this song so far. Always top, but this time is even better (than the real thing)
- Even Better Than The Real Thing - kicking ass, it was the first time I saw it live in this arrangement
- Bullet the Blue Sky
- One
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. Didn't get to the arena more than 1h30 before the show and I always able to get fantastic spots. The first night very close to the rail, the second night a little less but also because I wanted to see the screen better.
I really hope they keep at least the majority of this concept for the next leg/tour.
In terms of shows, there was a steady increase. Amsterdam 4 was my first show but I didn't really like the experience so much, partly due to my spot at the e-stage which I just don't enjoy as much. Then on to Berlin with Zoo Station. On to phantastic shows in Cologne, especially the second night. On to Glasgow, even better than Cologne. On to 4 shows in Dublin, with the last one being just through the roof phantastic. And of course a dream come true seeing U2 in their home town!
In terms of songs:
- Bullet: what a f*cking great song on this tour. Wayyy better than the album version. Love it!
- The changing 2nd song (Electric Co, Out of Control, Gloria). Love all of them! What an energy!
- Raised by Wolves: way better live than I expected. Love the beginning
- Surprisingly I like the short acoustic set
- Zooropa snippet: oh my god, how I love this song! And leading into Streets, it's amazing!
- WOWY: heard a thousand times, but it still grabs me
- Bad / 40: without words, so beautiful, and what an energy in the crowd!
But outside of this, what makes U2 shows special to me are the people. And that includes fans / friends I meet and spend time with in the GA line, it includes those small interactions with the band, and it includes the fun talks and little attentions by the crew and staff. U2 is so much more than just a band, just the music
-Meeting awesome friends (old and new) in Amsterdam and in London.
Thanks to them I had a wonderful time before, during and after the shows,
and most of them just show you the best side of the U2 community.
We shared rail spots and U2feels, we ate and drank together, lacked sleep together, and more.
-The setlists where awesome this tour. I got Bad/40 twice this tour, Party Girl, Electric Co, Gloria, Two Hearts, a funky version of Magnificent.
-The fact that it indeed doesn't matter what time you enter the arena. Great spots everywhere if you know where to go.
-Accidentally ending up on the VIP deck without the tags.
-Meeting Edge and Bono this tour after my miserable experience of trying to do so last tour.
This time I was actually talking with them and we actually touched and took pics.
-Catching one of the paper planes Bono throws during Bullet.
So far, I never really get anything from the bands I see live. When it comes to picks or set lists etc... But this time in London that kind of changed. Lol.
Bono is throwing these little paper planes during Bullet... Well he was right in front of our little grouplet and threw the plane out, it went straight up to the ceiling, and took a vertical dive down to us. Now I gave up hope on catching stuff since forever. So I didn't even bother and just wrapped my arms around me bracing for all the people pusing and shoving me around since they are taller etc.
Then to my surprise, Bono looks at me and gestures at my arm, and the plane ended up between my two (folded) arms. My jaw pretty much drops to the concrete and Bono makes another dramatic gesture at me with his arms, and I had a fucking setlist. Pretty amazing.
-U2 sticking to the new album very very well and finally obviously being very proud of them too. Cedarwood, Iris, Invisible, RBW, Volcano where highlights for me.
-Band enjoying themselves on stage. Edge en Bono together are a given, they always have fun , Adam being all smiles and getting on his knees, Edge too with his poweryoga/hendrix type of stuff during Elevation and mysterious ways. and we catch Larry smiling and being funny all the time this tour.
-U2 CREW being so genoerous, relaxed and professional. Again and again.
-Guest performances by Noel G , Patti and EODM (sorry zucherro)
-Virtual reality bus, even though I missed out on it its a pretty awesome idea.
-Tour doc and broadcast on HBO (which will hopefully surface soon)
Chicago : amazing gigs and incredible friends. izzy, dave, Todd
New York 5-8 : wow, what can i say ? Everyone at Tir Na nog after night 8
Cutting room : One of the highlights of my life . Vik, Martin, Kev yippie,
Amsterdam 3-4: stunning, especially night 4 . Magnificent
London 5-6: great shows. Amazing friends again
Glasgow 1-2: glasgow 2 was so special Truly emotional night.
Dublin 3-4: brilliant shows. Great friends from all over the world.
To all those who helped make this one of the best years of my life, I truly thank you
Here's to doing it all again sometime soon.
I got to Phoenix 1 & 2. Both shows were great but Phoenix 1 had the U2 magic that they can only create. Being on the floor both nights (closets I've ever been) was awesome.
Seeing Bad performed night 1 with tears coming down was my highlight!!
Boston #1 was my favorite Show, from Bad through Streets was a pretty amazing run of "warhorses" that sounded absolutely over the top - I'm not sure but of all the shows this one the crowd was just amazing, top 10 show if not as high as 6 or 7.
Edge at Boston #1 was just dancing and going off all by himself on the E stage, not sure if anyone else saw this but I've never seen him (or anyone else in the whole band for that matter) just go this crazy, it had the lower side of the arena going crazy.
Very happy to go to two shows in LA. (3 and 4) The first night we were SO CLOSE to the main stage, I couldn't believe it. Was so neat to be so close to my favorite band in the world, and I just lost myself in the moment.
LA 4 was undoubtedly a better show, and I had a vantage point from the stands where I could admire the entire screen and stage setup, which was neat in it's own right. Got to hear When Love Comes to Town, All I Want Is You, and 40. My brother and I were so freaking pumped they played 40... fun times.
And as far as shows I didn't get to attend... the amount of times they played Bad, Zoo Station, and of course the last two shows in Paris were incredible to follow.
Boston #1 was my favorite Show, from Bad through Streets was a pretty amazing run of "warhorses" that sounded absolutely over the top - I'm not sure but of all the shows this one the crowd was just amazing, top 10 show if not as high as 6 or 7.
Edge at Boston #1 was just dancing and going off all by himself on the E stage, not sure if anyone else saw this but I've never seen him (or anyone else in the whole band for that matter) just go this crazy, it had the lower side of the arena going crazy.
Aw yeah. He did that on COBL on some nights. Just going bonkers jumping and spinning around. Loved it too. I don't knkw what they put in his drinks this tour but it must be great.
Also. Then playing zoo station and miracle drug where indeed fantastic.
High-fived edge at the end of a set in DC in 2001, touched bono's finger during a song last tour, but the best experience thus far is taking my 16-year-old daughter to her first concert, PHX 1...nosebleed seats and all, but the best time we've ever had
My son yells at Bono,"Hey Bono I have a letter for Larry Mullen"!
The highlight of this tour was taking my 8 year old son to his first U2 concert. I was lucky enough to buy 4 GA tickets for Chicago Night 3. I traded two of my tickets for two GA tickets for the following night Chicago 4!
In summary my son had Bono deliver a handwritten letter to Mr. Larry. We know he got the letter, because mid concert after Lucifer's Hand when walking back to his main drum kit, he stopped and handed my son the drum sticks he just used! At the end of Chicago night 4, when walking off the stage he stopped and said bye to my son. Was an amazing father son rock'n'roll road trip.
) in Amsterdam and in London. 
