A few days have passed and I would like to comment on my experiences going to São Paulo to see U2 (while listening to the audio of the first concert)
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My friends, my daughter and I arrived in São Paulo on Sunday Feb 19th, two hours after U2 themselves and their crew had arrived at the same airport. We were still inside the plane when my daughter found the Vertigo Air We went crazy, LOL. There in the airport we met other crazy nuts like us, people coming from Amazônia in the opposite side of the country, and others from Rio and Brasília. We had never met before but all of us had something in common besides the U2 t-shirts we were wearing: a big smile in our faces. We decided to seek for the Vertigo Air in order to take some pics, and we found the plane near the window of the McDonalds´s. Then we got to know that Bono had a Big Mac there and gave autographs to the attendants .
We went to our hotel and later on we headed to the fans get-together at Shopping Morumbi. There was a pocket show by U2 Brasil, that´s the best local cover band, and two books about U2 were released, one being the first written about the band in Brazil (the writer is my friend, and got to know that Bono received a copy, he was taken a pic holding the book, so cool!) , and the other the portuguese version of Steve Stockman´s book Walk On. It was amazing to be able to meet so many fans from all over the country there.
After that we went for some "basic stalking", LOL. Bono and Larry were supposed to give a live interview to the most viewed TV show in Brazil, Fantástico, from Globo TV. We were there when they left the hotel, but I didn´t manage to see them. The place were packed, and there was some screaming and histeria, LOL. Bono got out of the car, waved to the crowd, pics were taken, but he didn´t stayed much longer. After that we went back to our hotel and watched their interview. The hotel was packed with U2 fans from several cities, and one could hear, in the corridors of the hotel, people cheering and clapping inside the rooms while they were on TV, LOL
Okay, now it´s show time. We had stands tickets, the 10 of us. We got in line at 7:50 am, the gates were expected to open at 3 pm. It was a sunny, beautiful and warm day. We spent those 7 hours chatting with people from all over the country, and even from abroad. Then we entered the stadium and got some very nice spots in the balcony of the stands, right in line with the b-stages. We could see only half of that huge screen though.
The opening act was Franz Ferdinand, and they were okay, my daughter loved it . Another half hour break and then Arcade Fire´s Wake Up started playing, and everybody there stood in and started singing along. Soon U2 would be there, and we couldn´t wait a bit longer, our hearts were about to explode. So they came, the first chords of City of Blinding Lights and our dream was about to become true.
The whole concert was awesome, really. Bono talked a lot in portuguese, making efforts to communicate with that massive crowd and some other millions watching on TV throughout a country of 185 millions people. It´s impossible to choose a best moment, a best performance, for everything was so perfect, everyone in peace, love floating in the air, you know...
I can´t say I cried, actually I could hold my tears most of time, even so a few rolled down my face during I Stil Haven´t Found, Sometimes and Miss Sarajevo. Bono´s voice were in top form, Edge was jumping up and down while playing Elevation, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride (never saw him doing that before), Adam was sporting his best smile throughout the show, and Larry was concentrated as usual, holding his emotion.
Bono was soaked in sweat, and he joked with Edge in the beginning of Stuck in a Moment, touching him and saying "no sweat", the he touched himself and said "sweat" and then "who´s working for who here?", After that he said "para o meu pai" (for my father) before singing Sometimes and the crowd cheered and comforted him. During Bullet the Blue Sky, a blind-folded Bono hurt his hand while trying to lit that firework they use now in the b-stage. It hurt me seeing him feeling pain, licking the blood on his finger, then singing Johhny Comes Marching Home.
A 13 year-old boy was pulled up on stage in the end of Miss Sarajevo, to "try" to sing the line "this is the time". The expression in the face of the boy is priceless, unique, really. Then the stadium exploded with Pride and Streets, amazing thing to see (you must check this concert in video, believe me). The cell phones during One were something else as well.
Then the ZOO encore, with Zoo Station, The Fly and Mysterious Ways, set everyone in fire there. There was a bit of David Bowie´s Jean Genie before The Fly, with Bono playing his guitar, alone actually, LOL. A girl were pulled up on stage in the end of Mysterious Ways and stayed there during With or Without You. Bono sang the song on his knees, holding the girl, and she had some fun with his hair, LOL. The crowd went nuts when he kissed her.
Then the last encore, with that beauty that is Original of the Species and Catherine Owens stunning images on screen. And finally "40", a classic chanting to close a perfect, blessed night for all 75 thousand people there, plus those 4 irishmen we love so much. Unforgettable, definitely.
MT