HelloAngel
ONE love, blood, life
By Gavin J. Dow
2005.09
From the start of its 22-song set Wednesday night in Milwaukee, U2 was on fire.
It certainly seemed like a special night for U2 and the Milwaukee fans, many of whom had waited outside in the rain for hours prior to the opening of the arena. Perhaps it was two favorable items in Wednesday's news (the IRA's announcement that it had disarmed fully and the debt-cancellation OKd by the IMF and World Bank—more on these later), or perhaps it was the unusually energetic crowd. In either case, it meant that the band was at the top of its game.
The show opened with the one-two punch of “City Of Blinding Lights” and “Vertigo.” This has been the opening combination on the majority of North American shows on this tour and U2 has it down cold. Accompanied by the full voice of the crowd during portions of each song ("Oh ... you ... look ... so beautiful tonight!" in “City” and the "Hola!" call-back of “Vertigo”), Bono's voice was powerful and on target. With drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton providing an unbeatable backbeat, The Edge powered through the two songs off of 2004's “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” like it was the band's first anniversary instead of its 29th. The difference, of course, is that The Edge didn't have all those nifty guitar effects to play with back in the late '70s.
After the popular and rousing “Elevation,” U2 played two songs off of its first album, “Boy.” The first one, “The Electric Co.,” has become a staple rocker of the Vertigo Tour, and rightfully so. The second song, “The Ocean,” was somewhat of a downer but offered Bono the opportunity to talk about the band getting together for the first time, on September 25, 1976. This duo was followed by fan favorite “I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For,” a fitting choice. One thing U2 has done fairly consistently over the years is continue reaching forward, always expanding the scope of its music, and resisting the temptation to stick with what made it "Rock's Hottest Ticket" in Time Magazine way back in 1987.
Demonstrating the strength of its catalog, U2 then played four post-2000 numbers. First up was a very strong rendition of “Beautiful Day,” off of 2000's “All That You Can't Leave Behind.” Following were a trio of songs from “Bomb.” The first two were slow songs—“Miracle Drug” and “Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own.” The former was surprisingly strong and the latter almost as passionate as it gets. Both songs are signature U2. Bono then announced that the IMF and World Bank had agreed to drop the debt of several third-world countries at the end of “Miracle Drug” (which is “a song for the future,” according to Bono's introduction to it). The third song, “Love and Peace or Else,” was a dirty rocker that contrasted drastically with the first two. While Bono joined Larry, who was banging on a drum at the tip of the elliptical walkway that extended into the middle of the floor, The Edge and Adam were able to show off their top-notch skills in what is essentially their song—to anyone who was watching.
One of the most stirring renditions in recent memory of the band's famous “Sunday Bloody Sunday” followed. When Bono was given an Irish flag by a fan, he proudly held it up. He explained that in years past, he would not have felt comfortable with the flag because of what he said were referred to as the "troubles in Ireland." He went on to inform the audience that the Provisional IRA had announced that all of its arms had been decommissioned. It was a very powerful moment for the band, as it provided a very distinct sense of closure when compared to another performance of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” from 1987, immortalized in the movie “Rattle and Hum,” in which Bono proclaimed (among other things), "Fuck the revolution." Bono then finished the song with the flag wrapped around his microphone.
Following “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was another war-themed song, “Bullet the Blue Sky.” “Bullet” saw the band getting back on script, with Bono assuming the pose of a blindfolded prisoner of war, a move that becomes more cringe-worthy every time one sees it. Even so, the song was furious and loud, the way it's supposed to be. Careful listeners were able to hear three snippets: besides the usual lines from “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and U2's own “The Hands That Built America,” Bono sang one line from “Please,” which was the night’s only representation of the band's maligned masterpiece, “Pop.” “Bullet was followed by The Passengers’ “Miss Sarajevo,” from a 1995 collaboration with longtime producer and friend Brian Eno. While the song originally featured Luciano Pavarotti, Bono attempted his lines with mixed success; enough to keep concertgoers from cringing, while not approaching the level of the famed tenor.
Rounding off the main set were three hits that were used to push Bono's One Campaign and general African theme. “Pride (In the Name of Love)” sounded almost as good as it ever has live, with massive audience participation. This was followed by the beloved classic “Where the Streets Have no Name,” which served as the climax of the show. The crowd's roar was deafening by the end of the song, causing Bono to stop on the catwalk and stare at the crown with genuine wonder as the song wound down. It was a rare wow moment for one of rock's most accomplished frontmen. The main set was finished off by “One,” under a sea of cell-phone lights—“a 21st century moment,” according to Bono.
The encore opened with a change of pace: The Edge and Bono appeared and played “The First Time,” from 1993's “Zooropa,” for the second time in U2 history. The acoustic-plus-voice theme continued with a beautiful rendition of “Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” which featured a rare mistake by U2, when Bono and The Edge mixed signals, requiring a restart of the song to everyone's general amusement. The band finished the first encore with a pretty good version of the ever-popular “With or Without You,” which saw the requisite girl-on-stage-with-Bono, as well as a return of the enormously loud crowd participation.
The second encore was off to a rocking start by “All Because Of You,” a song that I maintain should be played directly after “Vertigo,” but worked pretty well this time around. The fast pace was quickly discontinued with an acoustic version of “Yahweh,” which the band still insists on playing over far-superior songs. However, it provided another light moment when Bono came in early with his vocals, resulting in an amused grimace by The Edge. After a laugh by the band, they got back on track on played the song. The last song of the night was the glorious "40,” complete with the traditional switching of instruments between The Edge and Adam (the story goes that Adam missed the recording of "40,” and so feels that The Edge, who supplied the bass line for the song originally, should also play it live) and the one-at-a-time exits." Finally left on stage alone at the end of the night was the 29-year-old band's originator, Larry, providing a fitting end to a very happy birthday for U2.
2005.09
From the start of its 22-song set Wednesday night in Milwaukee, U2 was on fire.
It certainly seemed like a special night for U2 and the Milwaukee fans, many of whom had waited outside in the rain for hours prior to the opening of the arena. Perhaps it was two favorable items in Wednesday's news (the IRA's announcement that it had disarmed fully and the debt-cancellation OKd by the IMF and World Bank—more on these later), or perhaps it was the unusually energetic crowd. In either case, it meant that the band was at the top of its game.
The show opened with the one-two punch of “City Of Blinding Lights” and “Vertigo.” This has been the opening combination on the majority of North American shows on this tour and U2 has it down cold. Accompanied by the full voice of the crowd during portions of each song ("Oh ... you ... look ... so beautiful tonight!" in “City” and the "Hola!" call-back of “Vertigo”), Bono's voice was powerful and on target. With drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton providing an unbeatable backbeat, The Edge powered through the two songs off of 2004's “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” like it was the band's first anniversary instead of its 29th. The difference, of course, is that The Edge didn't have all those nifty guitar effects to play with back in the late '70s.
After the popular and rousing “Elevation,” U2 played two songs off of its first album, “Boy.” The first one, “The Electric Co.,” has become a staple rocker of the Vertigo Tour, and rightfully so. The second song, “The Ocean,” was somewhat of a downer but offered Bono the opportunity to talk about the band getting together for the first time, on September 25, 1976. This duo was followed by fan favorite “I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For,” a fitting choice. One thing U2 has done fairly consistently over the years is continue reaching forward, always expanding the scope of its music, and resisting the temptation to stick with what made it "Rock's Hottest Ticket" in Time Magazine way back in 1987.
Demonstrating the strength of its catalog, U2 then played four post-2000 numbers. First up was a very strong rendition of “Beautiful Day,” off of 2000's “All That You Can't Leave Behind.” Following were a trio of songs from “Bomb.” The first two were slow songs—“Miracle Drug” and “Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own.” The former was surprisingly strong and the latter almost as passionate as it gets. Both songs are signature U2. Bono then announced that the IMF and World Bank had agreed to drop the debt of several third-world countries at the end of “Miracle Drug” (which is “a song for the future,” according to Bono's introduction to it). The third song, “Love and Peace or Else,” was a dirty rocker that contrasted drastically with the first two. While Bono joined Larry, who was banging on a drum at the tip of the elliptical walkway that extended into the middle of the floor, The Edge and Adam were able to show off their top-notch skills in what is essentially their song—to anyone who was watching.
One of the most stirring renditions in recent memory of the band's famous “Sunday Bloody Sunday” followed. When Bono was given an Irish flag by a fan, he proudly held it up. He explained that in years past, he would not have felt comfortable with the flag because of what he said were referred to as the "troubles in Ireland." He went on to inform the audience that the Provisional IRA had announced that all of its arms had been decommissioned. It was a very powerful moment for the band, as it provided a very distinct sense of closure when compared to another performance of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” from 1987, immortalized in the movie “Rattle and Hum,” in which Bono proclaimed (among other things), "Fuck the revolution." Bono then finished the song with the flag wrapped around his microphone.
Following “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was another war-themed song, “Bullet the Blue Sky.” “Bullet” saw the band getting back on script, with Bono assuming the pose of a blindfolded prisoner of war, a move that becomes more cringe-worthy every time one sees it. Even so, the song was furious and loud, the way it's supposed to be. Careful listeners were able to hear three snippets: besides the usual lines from “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and U2's own “The Hands That Built America,” Bono sang one line from “Please,” which was the night’s only representation of the band's maligned masterpiece, “Pop.” “Bullet was followed by The Passengers’ “Miss Sarajevo,” from a 1995 collaboration with longtime producer and friend Brian Eno. While the song originally featured Luciano Pavarotti, Bono attempted his lines with mixed success; enough to keep concertgoers from cringing, while not approaching the level of the famed tenor.
Rounding off the main set were three hits that were used to push Bono's One Campaign and general African theme. “Pride (In the Name of Love)” sounded almost as good as it ever has live, with massive audience participation. This was followed by the beloved classic “Where the Streets Have no Name,” which served as the climax of the show. The crowd's roar was deafening by the end of the song, causing Bono to stop on the catwalk and stare at the crown with genuine wonder as the song wound down. It was a rare wow moment for one of rock's most accomplished frontmen. The main set was finished off by “One,” under a sea of cell-phone lights—“a 21st century moment,” according to Bono.
The encore opened with a change of pace: The Edge and Bono appeared and played “The First Time,” from 1993's “Zooropa,” for the second time in U2 history. The acoustic-plus-voice theme continued with a beautiful rendition of “Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” which featured a rare mistake by U2, when Bono and The Edge mixed signals, requiring a restart of the song to everyone's general amusement. The band finished the first encore with a pretty good version of the ever-popular “With or Without You,” which saw the requisite girl-on-stage-with-Bono, as well as a return of the enormously loud crowd participation.
The second encore was off to a rocking start by “All Because Of You,” a song that I maintain should be played directly after “Vertigo,” but worked pretty well this time around. The fast pace was quickly discontinued with an acoustic version of “Yahweh,” which the band still insists on playing over far-superior songs. However, it provided another light moment when Bono came in early with his vocals, resulting in an amused grimace by The Edge. After a laugh by the band, they got back on track on played the song. The last song of the night was the glorious "40,” complete with the traditional switching of instruments between The Edge and Adam (the story goes that Adam missed the recording of "40,” and so feels that The Edge, who supplied the bass line for the song originally, should also play it live) and the one-at-a-time exits." Finally left on stage alone at the end of the night was the 29-year-old band's originator, Larry, providing a fitting end to a very happy birthday for U2.
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