Just got back from Cardiff a couple hours ago. Exhausted... and my hearing is not quite back to normal yet.
This was my first concert ever, not just first U2 concert. It was a kinda bad start, since I was on my own, next to the catwalk, surrounded by die-hard, moshing, screeching Killers fans. Surrounded by smokers and had about a dozen hyperventilative fits. Got yanked out by medics.
But a great concert nonetheless. I didn't have a clue who the Killers were, so felt a little out of place in the die-hard Killers fans quarter. But U2 were great, so I can't complain too much. No Mysterious Ways though
Got up at 7am, got into Cardiff at 9am, got tickets at 11am and joined queue at 12. Got right at the front, so got into enclosure no problem. The waiting outside was great, we organised shifts so we could sprint to Starbucks and back one at a time for lattes and bathroom breaks.
I only got almost squished once, which was great because I'm pretty darn easy to squish. I was caught in the mad rush for the enclosed area, which I'm grateful for or I'd never have got in.
As I said, I was right up next to the catwalk so I got great close-up views of Bono when he walked round, and Edge came by a few times and stomped for us (he stomps heck of a lot...). Adam came right down to the end of the stage and played a bit, he has a great smile... Larry was obviously rather confined to the center of the stage, unless he wore his drums on his back like one of those one-man bands and carried them round... he should try that out next time. He needs more interaction; he's too cute to waste back there. Bono has the cutest little dances... he kept jumping around and doing little skips early on.
No photos, not for sharing at least. I got a great pic of Edge, who I now adore more than ever... but I didn't have a phone or a digital so I didn't get zoom pics or anything. Just some decent keepsake images.
I never actually got excited at all... I half-wished it was all over by the time the Killers were playing. My feet were dead and everyone sat on the floor so I couldn't move in case I tripped over them. (Just noticed I still have the remains of my harp stamp on my hand... I kept my ticket as well, obviously.) I guess I've been watching U2 so intently for three months in videos, on TV, and seeing the pics so that seeing them right next to me is no different now.
Did they play Zoo Station? It's one of my favorites, but I guess I just didn't recognise it. I don't recognise half their songs, I hear a few titles in the songs so I knew a couple more by the end. COBL was v. flashy, it's another of my favorites. Vertigo was great of course, the evil Killers fans were also v. enthusiastic so I was able to jump like a mad thing without feeling out of place.
Can't wait to go to another show.