HelloAngel
ONE love, blood, life
[SIMG]http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265cardiff-sml.jpg[/SIMG]
By Chris Prince
200.07
First things first, Wednesday was quite literally the culmination of the last five years of my U2 fandom, my first concert in GA at a U2 show, and I was determined to make the most of it.
With this ethos in mind, we arrived at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff just before 11 am. As expected, many other fans were already gathered and the atmosphere was similar to an extended family picnic; fans talking amongst themselves in various groups, reading books or newspapers, even playing board games scattered across the floor. Someone was even resourceful enough to bring a set of speakers to accompany their personal stereo, providing the faint background music of the U2 back catalog to what would be a thoroughly U2-filled day.
At around 12:30 pm we were treated to the soundcheck. As our gate (gate six for those who were there) was situated at the south of the stadium, opposite to where the stage was set up, we were lucky enough to be in the position to catch a glimpse through the fencing of the band rigorously going through its procedures. Beginning with tiny snippets of "Gloria" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," this was eventually followed by several full run-throughs of "City of Blinding Lights," "Love and Peace or Else" and finishing with "Vertigo." Needless to say, this certainly gave our camp an inevitable buzz of excitement; an air of anticipation and excitement was rapidly building up.
After a few more hours of waiting, and a cameo appearance on BBC Wales, the gates opened to eager fans at 4 pm and I, along with many others, couldn't help but sprint for the coveted front pit section. I was lucky enough to be one of the first few hundred inside and so, with a mixture of shock and awe, staked out a spot right up against the barrier on the left side of the left B-stage, exactly what I'd hoped for.
It has to be said at this stage that the Millennium Stadium is an absolutely fantastic venue, with top of the range facilities catering to all the requirements as far as concert goer's needs are, and with the roof closed over us it was neither too hot nor too cold. Perfect conditions, one might say.
After starting about 15 minutes late, first support act Starsailor gave the audience a fine performance, with singer James Walsh eager to interact with the crowd. After performing hits including "Four to the Floor" and "Alcoholic" he even admitted to the now-buzzing crowd the days when he used to "stand on the couch watching the old U2 videos, and pretend to be Bono." Haven't we all done that at one point or another, James?
The second support act of the night, the in-vogue Las Vegas outfit The Killers, drew rapturous applause upon its arrival to the stage and gave an incredibly confident performance, even if singer Brandon Flowers wasn't as talkative as Walsh before him. Still, the band managed to wow the audience with a magnificent display, performing eight of the 11 tracks from its critically acclaimed debut album "Hot Fuss," including the likes of megahit "Mr. Brightside" and "Smile Like you Mean It."
Starsailor was great, The Killers was magnificent, yet for my grasp of the English language I simply cannot think of a superlative to describe U2's performance that night. To the sound of "Wake Up" by The Arcade Fire the band strolled on stage, waving to 60,000 adoring fans before kicking into a rip-roaring set.
As it has done for all shows on the European leg, "Vertigo" opened the set, every lyric being sung word-for-word by the audience (which seemed to be the trend for all songs in the set Wednesday) and introducing the masses to a vivacious and adrenaline pumped first section of the set. "I Will Follow" continued the up-tempo start to the show. "The Electric Co." was, well, electric with Edge taking his first trip down the left-side concourse, followed by Bono, who seemed eager to soak his guitarist with a bottle of water he had picked up from the stage. "Elevation" was one of the pinnacle moments of the show as it had everyone bouncing around the floor, all woo-hooing' in unison. It was quite a surreal moment.
The duo comprising of "New Year's Day" (introducing "local boy" The Edge) and "Beautiful Day" followed to yet more rapturous applause before the band broke into "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." The closing of the stadium roof prior to the start of the show had a great affect on the acoustics of the stadium and it really began to show at this point--the call and response between Bono and the audience echoing around the stadium and giving a great effect as the sound bounced around. "All I Want Is You" made a rare appearance next (I say rare but I've been lucky enough to experience this gem at both of the shows I've been to), much of the delighted audience erupting into a huge roar, recognising this classic after the first few unmistakeable notes.
From here up until the encore the setlist was pretty much standard for those who have been following the band's setlist as it has been touring Europe. "City Of Blinding Lights" was an exemplary performance, followed by "Miracle Drug" (especially for the nurses). "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" was dedicated to both Bono's late father and his friend Ken and provided one of the more emotional moments of the night. "Love and Peace or Else," "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Bullet the Blue Sky" changed the mood again, the latter another high point of the night with Edge's guitar playing filling the stadium with an electric yet, at times, eerie buzz. Disaster was averted during this song when Bono, after blindfolding himself with a ‘coexist' headband, almost walked right of the stage when trying to fumble his way over to the microphone stand before being guided to where he wanted to be by a fortunately placed roadie.
"Running to Stand Still" was dedicated to Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi, with snippets of "Happy Birthday" and "Walk On" at the end of the song. The declaration of human rights that followed was well-received by the Cardiff audience before the band burst into a rendition of "Pride (In the Name of Love)," a song that seemed to have the entire floor bouncing up and down with excitement. This mood was only heightened when the band followed through into "Where the Streets Have no Name." Here the video wall behind the band produced a spectacular effect with the flags of various African nations streaming down the wall while Bono strolled down the catwalk amongst his hyperactive audience. Two members of the audience holding a "Make Poverty History" banner were brought up on the B-stage before "One" and stayed there for the remainder of the song. Bono invited the stadium at this time to light up their phones and the response produced a uniquely beautiful atmosphere, even though the stadium roof was closed over us, it still seemed like we were outside under the clear night sky, surrounded by stars flashing by from every direction. Memories of ZooTV were rekindled as the band went into "Unchained Melody" straight after "One," Bono's decision to let the crowd sing this classic for him after he began the first few lines produced a surprising result as the audience opted to sing the original version of the song, managing to reach all the high notes and causing each member of the band to crack a smile as Bono closed the song before the enthusiastic audience decided to give the boys from Dublin an encore of their own.
"Zoo Station" began the encore and despite being temporarily blinded by the smoke being emitted from the stage, I still had time to marvel the fantastic visuals being produced by the video wall, which continued all the way into "The Fly." "With or Without You" was a special song for me as for a long time it has been one of my favourite U2 songs and, needless to say, I would've been disappointed if I was unable to have heard this fantastic ballad live at some point during the tour. My wish was granted and the band ground out a delicate performance with Bono bringing up a shell-shocked member of the audience on stage to dance with him for a few moments towards the end of the song. Thus ended the first encore, leaving the audience singing the refrain from "40," "How long to sing this song?" Although many people had begun leaving the stadium figuring this was the end of U2's set, there was still more to come.
This was proven with the ear splitting first few notes of "All Because of You" which had the audience on the floor thoroughly moshing to the rocked-out tune. The band then slowed down for an acoustic "Yahweh," again the video wall didn't disappoint providing some excellent visuals to accompany the song. For the final number to complete the encore the band cranked up the volume and the tempo one last time with a second rendition of "Vertigo," leaving everyone involved on an adrenaline-induced high from what was a truly spectacular performance.
So, was my 16-hour round cramped coach trip from Hull to Cardiff and back worth it? Were the numerous hours of queuing, not to mention the many lost hours of sleep on an inadequate, cheap hotel bed worth it? Let's just say that although my mini odyssey of U2 shows has ended for the time being, my intensity for the love of this band has only just begun on a new level I never thought possible. Until next time.
Photos courtesy of Chris Prince
By Chris Prince
200.07
First things first, Wednesday was quite literally the culmination of the last five years of my U2 fandom, my first concert in GA at a U2 show, and I was determined to make the most of it.
With this ethos in mind, we arrived at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff just before 11 am. As expected, many other fans were already gathered and the atmosphere was similar to an extended family picnic; fans talking amongst themselves in various groups, reading books or newspapers, even playing board games scattered across the floor. Someone was even resourceful enough to bring a set of speakers to accompany their personal stereo, providing the faint background music of the U2 back catalog to what would be a thoroughly U2-filled day.
At around 12:30 pm we were treated to the soundcheck. As our gate (gate six for those who were there) was situated at the south of the stadium, opposite to where the stage was set up, we were lucky enough to be in the position to catch a glimpse through the fencing of the band rigorously going through its procedures. Beginning with tiny snippets of "Gloria" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," this was eventually followed by several full run-throughs of "City of Blinding Lights," "Love and Peace or Else" and finishing with "Vertigo." Needless to say, this certainly gave our camp an inevitable buzz of excitement; an air of anticipation and excitement was rapidly building up.
After a few more hours of waiting, and a cameo appearance on BBC Wales, the gates opened to eager fans at 4 pm and I, along with many others, couldn't help but sprint for the coveted front pit section. I was lucky enough to be one of the first few hundred inside and so, with a mixture of shock and awe, staked out a spot right up against the barrier on the left side of the left B-stage, exactly what I'd hoped for.
It has to be said at this stage that the Millennium Stadium is an absolutely fantastic venue, with top of the range facilities catering to all the requirements as far as concert goer's needs are, and with the roof closed over us it was neither too hot nor too cold. Perfect conditions, one might say.
After starting about 15 minutes late, first support act Starsailor gave the audience a fine performance, with singer James Walsh eager to interact with the crowd. After performing hits including "Four to the Floor" and "Alcoholic" he even admitted to the now-buzzing crowd the days when he used to "stand on the couch watching the old U2 videos, and pretend to be Bono." Haven't we all done that at one point or another, James?
The second support act of the night, the in-vogue Las Vegas outfit The Killers, drew rapturous applause upon its arrival to the stage and gave an incredibly confident performance, even if singer Brandon Flowers wasn't as talkative as Walsh before him. Still, the band managed to wow the audience with a magnificent display, performing eight of the 11 tracks from its critically acclaimed debut album "Hot Fuss," including the likes of megahit "Mr. Brightside" and "Smile Like you Mean It."
Starsailor was great, The Killers was magnificent, yet for my grasp of the English language I simply cannot think of a superlative to describe U2's performance that night. To the sound of "Wake Up" by The Arcade Fire the band strolled on stage, waving to 60,000 adoring fans before kicking into a rip-roaring set.
As it has done for all shows on the European leg, "Vertigo" opened the set, every lyric being sung word-for-word by the audience (which seemed to be the trend for all songs in the set Wednesday) and introducing the masses to a vivacious and adrenaline pumped first section of the set. "I Will Follow" continued the up-tempo start to the show. "The Electric Co." was, well, electric with Edge taking his first trip down the left-side concourse, followed by Bono, who seemed eager to soak his guitarist with a bottle of water he had picked up from the stage. "Elevation" was one of the pinnacle moments of the show as it had everyone bouncing around the floor, all woo-hooing' in unison. It was quite a surreal moment.
The duo comprising of "New Year's Day" (introducing "local boy" The Edge) and "Beautiful Day" followed to yet more rapturous applause before the band broke into "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." The closing of the stadium roof prior to the start of the show had a great affect on the acoustics of the stadium and it really began to show at this point--the call and response between Bono and the audience echoing around the stadium and giving a great effect as the sound bounced around. "All I Want Is You" made a rare appearance next (I say rare but I've been lucky enough to experience this gem at both of the shows I've been to), much of the delighted audience erupting into a huge roar, recognising this classic after the first few unmistakeable notes.
From here up until the encore the setlist was pretty much standard for those who have been following the band's setlist as it has been touring Europe. "City Of Blinding Lights" was an exemplary performance, followed by "Miracle Drug" (especially for the nurses). "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" was dedicated to both Bono's late father and his friend Ken and provided one of the more emotional moments of the night. "Love and Peace or Else," "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Bullet the Blue Sky" changed the mood again, the latter another high point of the night with Edge's guitar playing filling the stadium with an electric yet, at times, eerie buzz. Disaster was averted during this song when Bono, after blindfolding himself with a ‘coexist' headband, almost walked right of the stage when trying to fumble his way over to the microphone stand before being guided to where he wanted to be by a fortunately placed roadie.
"Running to Stand Still" was dedicated to Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi, with snippets of "Happy Birthday" and "Walk On" at the end of the song. The declaration of human rights that followed was well-received by the Cardiff audience before the band burst into a rendition of "Pride (In the Name of Love)," a song that seemed to have the entire floor bouncing up and down with excitement. This mood was only heightened when the band followed through into "Where the Streets Have no Name." Here the video wall behind the band produced a spectacular effect with the flags of various African nations streaming down the wall while Bono strolled down the catwalk amongst his hyperactive audience. Two members of the audience holding a "Make Poverty History" banner were brought up on the B-stage before "One" and stayed there for the remainder of the song. Bono invited the stadium at this time to light up their phones and the response produced a uniquely beautiful atmosphere, even though the stadium roof was closed over us, it still seemed like we were outside under the clear night sky, surrounded by stars flashing by from every direction. Memories of ZooTV were rekindled as the band went into "Unchained Melody" straight after "One," Bono's decision to let the crowd sing this classic for him after he began the first few lines produced a surprising result as the audience opted to sing the original version of the song, managing to reach all the high notes and causing each member of the band to crack a smile as Bono closed the song before the enthusiastic audience decided to give the boys from Dublin an encore of their own.
"Zoo Station" began the encore and despite being temporarily blinded by the smoke being emitted from the stage, I still had time to marvel the fantastic visuals being produced by the video wall, which continued all the way into "The Fly." "With or Without You" was a special song for me as for a long time it has been one of my favourite U2 songs and, needless to say, I would've been disappointed if I was unable to have heard this fantastic ballad live at some point during the tour. My wish was granted and the band ground out a delicate performance with Bono bringing up a shell-shocked member of the audience on stage to dance with him for a few moments towards the end of the song. Thus ended the first encore, leaving the audience singing the refrain from "40," "How long to sing this song?" Although many people had begun leaving the stadium figuring this was the end of U2's set, there was still more to come.
This was proven with the ear splitting first few notes of "All Because of You" which had the audience on the floor thoroughly moshing to the rocked-out tune. The band then slowed down for an acoustic "Yahweh," again the video wall didn't disappoint providing some excellent visuals to accompany the song. For the final number to complete the encore the band cranked up the volume and the tempo one last time with a second rendition of "Vertigo," leaving everyone involved on an adrenaline-induced high from what was a truly spectacular performance.
So, was my 16-hour round cramped coach trip from Hull to Cardiff and back worth it? Were the numerous hours of queuing, not to mention the many lost hours of sleep on an inadequate, cheap hotel bed worth it? Let's just say that although my mini odyssey of U2 shows has ended for the time being, my intensity for the love of this band has only just begun on a new level I never thought possible. Until next time.
Photos courtesy of Chris Prince
Sounds like a wonderful pilgrimage
