7 November 2006 Brisbane QSAC Stadium

[dsmith2904]

Please post all reviews of the November 7th Brisbane show here.

 

[ruffian]

A friend of mine just emailed from Brisbane and said I could post his review of the show here. I didn't see the show, so these are not MY opinions. The friend who sent it has been seeing U2 since the 80's and went to lots of shows last year, so an interesting basis for comparison. Here goes:

I can easily describe their performance in one word: Rusty. They fucked up so many transitions. Came to a complete stop after SBS and Larry had to count them into Bullet. Bono's voice wasn't on, either. The crowd was also not nearly what we have come to expect. Only one Wow! after Streets, and that was from memory. Bono spent all of his time on the Adam runway. I got a rail spot about halfway back on the outside of Edge's side. Got there at 9:50 and was 426, someone told me, which sounds about right. Got a bit sunburned, which is fine. Setup outside was great. London-style zig-zag barricades set up to wait in. Lots of security personnel. Worked just great until the very last step, when they let us in, then it all fell apart. lol. Doors open, GO! Shirts are the same design but different dates. Some have all the dates, some Australia only. $45AUD. Kanye has a slightly different set up than last time and the reception for him was relatively quiet, too. The funniest part for me was at the end when the local guy next to me who had only seen them once before in his life turned to me and said "That was a bit rusty, wasn't it?" lol. Luckily not one person asked me what I thought of it, altho I heard some say it was awesome, so there is no way I would have rained on their parade. It was still a good show by all accounts, but by our standards it is the worst I have seen them play since the opener in Vegas in '97.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I think 'rusty' would have been expected by most.

 

[ruffian]

I guess...but I was a little surprised nonetheless. They've had lots of studio time, and quite a few rehearsals in Australia. But I'd also imagine that fans who have waited so long for a show don't care much if they had a few missteps.

I'm hoping this means they'll really be hitting their stride by NZ

 

[bono_man]

There was the odd mistake but you are fucking kidding yourself.

It was a top show and U2 were 'on' emotionally, if maybe a little bit 'off' musically.

Great show for the first show of the tour. I do expect them to go up a few more notches by the 2nd Sydney show.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

The 2nd & particularly the 3rd Sydney show should be amazing. I got given a free ticket to the 3rd show yesterday, was only going to the first. Now that I've got it and know I'm going to two, I can't believe I didn't buy one in the first place. WTF was I thinking? Can't wait.

 

[bgmckinney]

Hi all... here’s a quick rundown on last night. I was going to wait until I had more time to write, but after seeing ruffian’s friend’s review, I wanted to put another point of view out there. Ruffian, I don’t mean that as criticism in any way
I was about five rows back from the catwalk on Edge’s side. This was my fifth gig since ‘97 - and the best. The boys were fantastic. This was the show I’d been waiting to see.

From where I stood, Bono sounded top-notch. At that distance from the stage the sound can be a bit muddy, so perhaps I missed something, but I’d say he hasn’t sounded this good since ZooTV - certainly no better at any point on Vertigo. His tone was deep and rich, with an intact falsetto, and a powerful scream. The nasally timbre that has weakened some performances on and off since Elevation was completely absent. I remember noticing particularly the verses on Miss Sarajevo, which were delivered in a low, almost growling register that was chilling to hear. I was a little disappointed by With or Without You - my Vertigo Tour standard for that song is Twickenham, 19-6 - but no show delivers perfect reditions of every song. And it still sounded pretty damn good.
I’ve actuallly never seen Bono look and sound more like he was enjoying himself. He moved about the stage with more grace than is usual these days - I blame the tight jackets and the clumsy shoes - and he spun about with his arms held wide at the beginning of Angel of Harlem, just caught up in the joy of the moment, like a blissed-out fan.
It’s true the band fumbled a bit on some of the transitions, but I think that to expect any band *not* to sound a bit rusty after seven months off the road would be unfair. There was an awkward pause in the SBS/Bullet segue, but I thought it had to do with the fact that Bono was still singing and the band didn’t want to cut him off. At any rate, I don’t think anybody really cared. After the show I texted a co-worker up in the nosebleed section to ask if he had enjoyed himself, and he wrote back: “F**king awesome man. Best night of my life.” I suspect that sentiment was echoed by quite a few people around QSAC.
One note about the lighting - this doesn’t really have anything to do with this show in particular, but I wanted to mention it. From my angle, the spotlights and smoke machines worked an eerie magic. I will always remember Adam strolling down the catwalk during the into to LPOE, silhouetted against the red-orange glow, pausing for just a moment to pluck those two heartbeat notes and then walking on with that unmistakeable saunter of his. Just gorgeous. It was like seeing the world through the eyes of the cinematographer on Rattle and Hum.

As a ps, if any of you are worried about having to stand through an hour of Kanye West, he’s actually quite good. I was not looking forward to his set but I really enjoyed it.

 

[imogen]

I just cannot agree with your friend, ruffian in any way at all.

I don't need the band to sound like they are on an album, I personally think it is those "mistakes" that make the concert worth going to.

I cannot in any way agree with Bono being off - I thought he hit every note and was completely on form.

It was completely awesome and I don't know how anyone that said it wasn't was at the same concert as me!

 

[drifter269]

I agree with bgmckinney. I loved the show, and yeah there were mistakes but there were just a million other good points we can talk about instead. Bono was on fire. HE didnt stop all night and the joy stamped on his face was priceless. Awesome night. A friend of mine who wasnt a U2 fan came along and was literally blown away. I'm headed to another 4 shows around Australia, and I can only hope they will be as good as what I saw in Brisbane. Top show

 

[bgmckinney]

Not that it matters too much, but I just went back and listened to the recording, and the break between SBS and BTBS is due to the fact that Bono went forward to thank the parents of the child he had brought up on stage during the bridge.

 

[trayzee]

Saw the show Tuesday Night and was fantastic, loved how they changed the set of songs for this leg of the tour and show actually sentimally reminded me of Zoo Tv and Elevation tour.
(With the background themes etc)
Loved how they had J howard up there on the screens and I was actually dreading the "MPH" speech but he was short and sweet with it.

Everyone was up and dancing by the 5th song (seeing a 60ish bloke dancin in the aisles was great.+ beach balls beeing thrown my way gave this show a feeling of unity

Loved the performance of Miss Sarajeo ( singing opera unreal!!)
Kite was fantastic and the releasing of a Kite .

Loved it when they sung Saints and was hoping for "Walk On" to be performed.

Personally I feel we would not have got a show with such energey and passion , if they had carried on the tour in March. Sure the show would have been good, Im glad they had the break.
Thought the mic was a little odd, but you are bound to have a few glitchs,
thats why being at the 1st show is sometimes the best.

If i had to complain it would have been about the security and seating, bloody shambles, considering I was there for a top price seat and they couldnt seat me , until seconds before the lads hit the stage . I was p****off with that. and i was there early,
and no bag checks either, if someone had wanted to do something really stupid , they could have wiped the place out.

Brilliant, Brilliant show and Im sure it will just get better & better.

How I envy you all in Sydney and Melbourne.
Have a brilliant time all!

 

[neilm]

Sorry Ruffian, to remain polite as I know it wasn't your comments, your friends review completely goes against every other I've heard and read, both from fans, media and whoever else. It really is, to be fair, a very incorrect and poor version of events.

There were, I believe three small things....

1. Edge's guitar cutting out for a few seconds in one song (sorry can't remember which)

2. Slight mistake at the start of Walk On with Bono I believe missing his queue but got straight back into it. (I'm a muso hence picking this one up although it may have been missed by some others)

3. The transition from SBS to Bullet - but that was due to Bono thanking the parents of the child brought up onto stage during SBS.

None of those are what you would call horrendous fuck ups or 'loads of transitions.'

The transition between SBS & Bullet has been screwed up worse than that previously on the Vertigo Tour and there have been a lot worse mistakes than the ones that happened at Brisbane (if you can even call them mistakes).

Also, Bono's voice not being on? Definately hearing something different to what I heard. He was in fantastic voice.

I too have been going to see the band live since the mid eighties and I've seen them play some magnificent shows and I've also seen a few what you might class as stinkers too, all across the UK & Europe and now Oz. Call me a biased fan if you like but I tell it as I see it and last night was far from a stinker and they looked and sounded far from rusty. My view is that the Brisbane show will be a tough one to beat for the overall energy and high standard of performance. That's not to say they won't match it, but it'll be fun watching 'em try!!

Moving on, I've heard that the version of Kite with the Didge was a Brisbane only thing.....anyone heard this same rumour?

 

[kaz666]

for christ sake these are rock and roll shows, just enjoy or shut up and dont spoil it for fans outside the u.s where the fans are flooded with shows

 

[kaz666]

sorry to sound a bit off but it is so annoying when i would love to be at these shows and i hear people saying they are dissapointed with what they have seen, the fans in the u.s are very lucky, two legs of the tour over a 100 shows we are not all that lucky,

 

[ruffian]

for christ sake these are rock and roll shows, just enjoy or shut up and dont spoil it for fans outside the u.s where the fans are flooded with shows

First, thanks to most of you for not shooting the messenger I wasn't at the show, have no idea what I'd have thought if I had been there.

kaz666, this thread is for reviews of the band, for better or worse. if reading a negative review somehow spoils the show for fans who disagree, then it would best never to read anything in the media others disagreed with his review but were really polite about it--you could be, too.

I'm thrilled about seeing the shows in NZ and Hawaii--they could play the same set list over and over, make a million mistakes, and be a total musical disaster--I'd still be happy. I think my friend had a great time--just offering his two cents.

 

[Chizip]

A friend of mine just emailed from Brisbane and said I could post his review of the show here. I didn't see the show, so these are not MY opinions. The friend who sent it has been seeing U2 since the 80's and went to lots of shows last year, so an interesting basis for comparison. Here goes:

I can easily describe their performance in one word: Rusty. They fucked up so many transitions. Came to a complete stop after SBS and Larry had to count them into Bullet. Bono's voice wasn't on, either. The crowd was also not nearly what we have come to expect. Only one Wow! after Streets, and that was from memory. Bono spent all of his time on the Adam runway. I got a rail spot about halfway back on the outside of Edge's side. Got there at 9:50 and was 426, someone told me, which sounds about right. Got a bit sunburned, which is fine. Setup outside was great. London-style zig-zag barricades set up to wait in. Lots of security personnel. Worked just great until the very last step, when they let us in, then it all fell apart. lol. Doors open, GO! Shirts are the same design but different dates. Some have all the dates, some Australia only. $45AUD. Kanye has a slightly different set up than last time and the reception for him was relatively quiet, too. The funniest part for me was at the end when the local guy next to me who had only seen them once before in his life turned to me and said "That was a bit rusty, wasn't it?" lol. Luckily not one person asked me what I thought of it, altho I heard some say it was awesome, so there is no way I would have rained on their parade. It was still a good show by all accounts, but by our standards it is the worst I have seen them play since the opener in Vegas in '97.

 

[prisz25]

Saw the show Tuesday Night and was fantastic, loved how they changed the set of songs for this leg of the tour and show actually sentimally reminded me of Zoo Tv and Elevation tour.
(With the background themes etc)
Loved how they had J howard up there on the screens and I was actually dreading the "MPH" speech but he was short and sweet with it.

Everyone was up and dancing by the 5th song (seeing a 60ish bloke dancin in the aisles was great.+ beach balls beeing thrown my way gave this show a feeling of unity

Loved the performance of Miss Sarajeo ( singing opera unreal!!)
Kite was fantastic and the releasing of a Kite .

Loved it when they sung Saints and was hoping for "Walk On" to be performed.

Personally I feel we would not have got a show with such energey and passion , if they had carried on the tour in March. Sure the show would have been good, Im glad they had the break.
Thought the mic was a little odd, but you are bound to have a few glitchs,
thats why being at the 1st show is sometimes the best.

If i had to complain it would have been about the security and seating, bloody shambles, considering I was there for a top price seat and they couldnt seat me , until seconds before the lads hit the stage . I was p****off with that. and i was there early,
and no bag checks either, if someone had wanted to do something really stupid , they could have wiped the place out.

Brilliant, Brilliant show and Im sure it will just get better & better.

How I envy you all in Sydney and Melbourne.
Have a brilliant time all!

SOUNDS AMAZING!!!! Congratulations to all who saw it!

 

[cass]

well I barely wish to waste my time here with such horrid words displayed at the top of both these pages. It is someone's opinion and I respect their right to have one that is different to mine
but man I have just returned home from 6 of the most extraordinary days of my life. From start to finish I have met so many wonderful caring people, a high percentage of them Irish btw ( icing on my happy cake, one of them said I have a "beautiful voice" singing U2 songs on the bus, a Mercedes bus. another of my little dreams come true. I'd have preferred a sportscar , but a bus will do for now). Now to me that is a compliment of the highest order coming from an Irishman. So many new friends, maybe people I'll never ever see again, but the memory is precious.

Anyway, I had the time of my life and I owe it all to U2. Their music has seen me through thick and thin, extreme joy and extreme sorrow. Not once have they ever let me down. They lives have exceeded my wildest dreams...and it's not over yet!!!
Oi, why couldn't the Melbourne Cup have been run over a few more metres? I had Poprock for a win and I had Delta Blues in in the trifecta **blames Raf for Dolphin Jo...possibly maybe better)

As for the concert in Brisbane on Tuesday night, "more than words" except for welcoming them to my home, if for an ever so brief period of time.

Cooooooooooooooooooooooo-eeeeeeee

Come ye back
Please

 

[cass]

PS: Bono did it again!! The storm-bringer.
When I first saw the in 1995, a huge electrical storm brewed up and the little town near to where i live ( 4 hours from brisbane) was annihilated by a tornado. Mr Hewson still owes me a church.

Hub now tells me there was a series of electrical storms here on Tuesday night. Fortunately no where near as violent as the '95 one.

You are a powerful man Bono and so is your band. I do believe someone up there likes you four. I know I do.

on the road again

Bono at my friend's house

a new friend at Bono's temporary house

 

[ruffian]

 

[kaz666]

actually i think i was polite, just hate seeing such negativity alot of people would love to be at these shows, sorry if i offended you personally but i am entitled to my say like everyone else, the majority of people liked the show and had only good things to say didnt they?

 

[kaz666]

actually you are right lol, it just makes my blood boil when i read bad reviews, i will have to stop raising to the bait. anyway if i offended you i apologize. kaz666

 

[U2Man]

 

[ruffian]

 

[ruffian]

actually you are right lol, it just makes my blood boil when i read bad reviews, i will have to stop raising to the bait. anyway if i offended you i apologize. kaz666

i really don't mind disagreement! it's just that a bad review isn't "bait." It's just another opinion.

 

[kaz666]

well like i said certainley didnt mean to offend anyone and i was gracious enough to apologize to you twice, if somebody had done that to me then i would have had the decency to accept their apology, you obviousley didnt want to do that, also may i explain that here in England even though we speak the same language, sometimes words are used to different effect ie 'rise to the bait' obviousley one of them, likewise 'shut up and enjoy the shows' is such an off the cuff remark can,t believe somebody would take an offence to that anyway. giving apologys like i did and accepting not or otherwise is universally the same. i certainley wont waste anymore time over this matter.

 

[drccds]

It was my email to Ruffian that she posted and you all reacted to. I have no problems with what was said after it. I am a long time fan and after returning from the shows I have now seen them 70 times and that is the only perspective I can comment on it from. I stand by everything I said in my email. I would say that email was also sent to someone that has seen them many, many times and so I knew she would understand what I was talking about. As for the rest of you I can only say this: That was a rusty show and all the subsequent shows point that out. They were a noticeable improvement. I would never say the Brisbane show or any other show was 'bad' and I didn't say it was. U2 are a great band and they have a great show. All they need to do is come out and play it and it will never be bad. I said they sounded rusty and messed up quite a few times. They did. That didn't ruin the show for me or anyone else. There are subtleties that make certain shows stand out as better or worse only within that standard. I hope this clears this up for some, at least.