September 17th, 2009: Toronto (show 2)

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trevster2k said:
Too late, by posting here you're already in one of the branches U2ism!
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:giggle:

Yahweh's Prayer

Our God (Part II), who art In God's Country
Hallowed be In the Name of Love
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be Gone
On Zooropa as it is in Your Blue Room
Give us our daily Crumbs from Your Table
And Freedom for My People
As we forgive those who're So Cruel
And lead us not into Desire
But Exit us from evil.

(no offence, just a joke)
 
Well, I finally feel rested enough to try to put my thoughts into words, so here goes...

I saw U2 for the first time on the Vertigo Tour (12 September, 2005) from seats that were just opposite the stage and one row up from the GA section. While I had a great time, I couldn't help but feel that the people around the ellipse and inside the ellipse were having the time of their lives. I knew that if I saw them live again, it would have to be GA or bust.

Fast forward four years. The first presale left me a mess (damn RIM employees...) but the second presale left me with a GA ticket for my sister and myself. We flew out to Toronto on the day of the first show and wandered around the venue a bit, just taking in the excitement and talking to people in the GA line. I met trevster2k, which was very cool. :) He told us where people were congregating to meet the band before soundcheck, so off we went. We didn't have much luck, despite waiting for over three hours -- a huge mob of people swarmed around Bono's car as soon as he got out of it -- but it was still pretty cool to see Edge, Larry, Paul McGuinness, and (of course) Bono drive by. I met Edge and Bono on the Vertigo Tour, so I wasn't too bummed about not meeting anyone this time.

I was still too scared about spoilers, so I didn't check Interference before I went to bed. If I had done so, I would have known that people were still getting into the inner pit after arriving at five and six o'clock... We started queuing up at seven in the morning. I thought I would be in for a long, boring wait, but it was actually loads of fun and it seemed to fly by. My GA mates were all very good people -- AOD was one of them -- and we passed the time by geeking out over the band. I also met unico (I hope everything worked out for you in the end, by the way :hug: ) and BoMac. It was nice for me, because I obviously don't have the opportunity to surround myself with hardcore U2 fans on a regular basis. Aside from trev and AOD, I only know two other people back in Newfoundland who are as into the band as I am.

The mad, gleeful rush from the gate to the field will forever remain in my memory. I love how everyone just ignored the irate security guards. We first tried for a front row rail spot on Edge's side, but then decided to head to the rail at the back of the circle. I'm glad we did that, because we got a great view of the band on the stage and an amazing view when they went out onto the ring/catwalk/whatever we're calling it this time.

9scujb.jpg


Snow Patrol weren't bad. I'm not a huge fan, but they made a decent effort to get us revved up for the show. David Bowie did a much better job, of course. I think I will now get goosebumps whenever I hear Space Oddity, much like I still get goosebumps whenever I hear Wake Up.

The opening punch of Breathe --> No Line --> Boots --> Magnificent was, well, magnificent. It felt unbelievable to be a mere twenty feet away from my favourite band while they played songs that, for me, were a major return to form. Then they launched into Mysterious Ways; I have ALWAYS wanted to hear that song played live, so I pretty much lost my mind. It was so much fun. New Year's Day was another one I've always wanted to hear, as it's pretty much the song that, eight years ago, turned me from a casual fan to a full-blown fan. We were all jumping around, singing along with the piano...it was great. Bono seemed to really appreciate the response and jumped in unison with us. Unforgettable Fire was also beautiful and an absolute thrill to hear.

I could honestly dwell on each song for at least a paragraph, but since this review is already getting a bit long, let me skip ahead to what, for me, were the major highlights:

The first was City of Blinding Lights. I always used to be the kind of person who thought that Bono's tendency to pull kids up on stage was somewhat of a lame gimmick. I take back everything I may have said about that here at Interference. It was such a touching moment when he pulled up Lucas. They stopped just in front of us...

16m4m5w.jpg


I would imagine that this boy is now a U2 fan for life.

The second major highlight was MLK --> Walk On --> One/Amazing Grace. I don't know what it is about those songs played in that particular order, but it was enough to reduce me to tears. MLK and Amazing Grace especially.

YouTube - U2 - Amazing Grace (Live In Toronto 9/17/09)

I didn't take that video, but oh Jesus, is it ever special.

Third and final major highlight: Streets. I just...I can't even describe it. It was an absolute joy seeing it on the Vertigo Tour, but this time? Being right in the thick of it? It was something that transcended joy. I can now fully understand why many people liken U2 shows to religious experiences. I'm an atheist, but fuck, I believed in God for those five minutes. When the lights came on before the first verse, and we were all jumping around insanely...that moment might honestly be one of the happiest moments of my life.

All in all, I give that show six stars out of five. Greatest concert I've ever seen, and it will be hard to top it. Perfect first-time GA experience. By the way, Muldfeld? You had better hope that you're not standing next to me at a U2 show in the future, because I jumped, danced, wept, and sang my heart out the entire time.

259zczr.jpg


More photos here: U2 360 Tour - Toronto, 17 September 2009 - a set on Flickr
 
I knew you'd see the light, GibsonGirl ;)

Just kidding...I don't think I could have written it better...sometimes what people think online changes dramatically when they experience it live for themselves. What an amazing show, truly. I too had misty eyes at the end of Amazing Grace. :hug:

By the way, who are you in that photo? Did we meet?
 
gvox said:
I knew you'd see the light, GibsonGirl ;)

Just kidding...I don't think I could have written it better...sometimes what people think online changes dramatically when they experience it live for themselves. What an amazing show, truly. I too had misty eyes at the end of Amazing Grace. :hug:

By the way, who are you in that photo? Did we meet?
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Heh. :wink:

I'm actually not in that one -- I just decided to post a photo of the outer rail, in case there were any Interferencers there who might recognise themselves. Here I am!

qqoetc.jpg


(On the right.)

We didn't meet, but I'm pretty sure I got a glimpse of you in the line.
 
GibsonGirl said:
Heh. :wink:

I'm actually not in that one -- I just decided to post a photo of the outer rail, in case there were any Interferencers there who might recognise themselves. Here I am!

qqoetc.jpg


(On the right.)

We didn't meet, but I'm pretty sure I got a glimpse of you in the line.
Click to expand...

Great shot! :) Wish we had said hello...well, next time I guess :up:
 
How do you get into the circle? do you have to have a special ticket? I have GA for BC... If I go early, what are my chances? lol Do I have to pay extra? thanks very much
 
So far in North America, as long as you're there by 6 or 7 pm, you can get in. You just need a normal GA ticket, and when you go down to the floor, go to the pit entrance and they'll let you in if there's room, it's first come, first served.
 
This was the best U2 concert I've ever seen! I was 2nd row along the stage, right behind the tallest dude in the place. :)| His hair is in almost every photo I took. The %*#(%& camera going back and forth along the stage was a pain in the ass too. I was #96 in line, got there at 4AM. I kinda literally passed out during Ultraviolet, no sleep for 36 hours, nothing to drink after I arrived at 4AM so I didn't have to pee. I started to get real hot and dizzy and before you know it I was on the ground. The security guard in front of me got me a gatorade and made me sit for a few minutes. But by the time I stood up, UV was nearly over.
 
fastmiele said:
Nice pics, were you using the 55-200 VR lens ?

I pretty much have the same set up, but I was stopped at the security check. They started to check out the focal length of my lens. Luckily I slapped on my 18-55 lens and put the 55-200 lens in my pocket. Although the Rogers pamphlet didn't say there were any restrictions on the maximum focal length. They just said no professional cameras.
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I had a D40x with the 18-200 vr lens. I dismantled everything (took the lens off, strap off, and shoved the lens in my cargo pant pocket and put the small camera body in my wife's purse. Luckily they didnt search me, but all they would have found was a lens and no camera.

Here's a another

3933034012_5477fc2dfc_b.jpg
 
warren3250 said:
I had a D40x with the 18-200 vr lens. I dismantled everything (took the lens off, strap off, and shoved the lens in my cargo pant pocket and put the small camera body in my wife's purse. Luckily they didnt search me, but all they would have found was a lens and no camera.

Here's a another

3933034012_5477fc2dfc_b.jpg
Click to expand...


very good picture. Did you intend to have the blurr on the drum stick ?

you have some interesting pointers like taking off the strap and lens.

On the other hand its a little bit risky too, if they find the camera body and ask where is the lens what are you going to say ?

That is a good lens to have, 18-200 VR, you got all the bases covered.
I kind of copied your idea and shoved my 55-200 VR in my coat pocket
Next time I will try to find cargo pants. :lol:

I got some prime lenses which would of did a knock out job but I knew I was way too far back and not willing to risk to move in and have my camera or lenses damaged.

I looked at flickr picture properties, were you using aperature priority mode ?
 
Muldfeld said:
First, I owe a huge thanks to a fan last night who, when I randomly asked a security person next to him about how to get a good spot in the GA, told me that he was only in the 5th row behind the railing and arrived around 4:30 pm or 5 pm. I followed his advice, arriving at 4:50 pm or so and was in the same spot. Thank you, good sir!

Oh, my poor feet!
The only draw back to GA, I've learned, is the intense pain to my ankles and feet. I didn't know if I could get through the night by 8 pm. It was so bad, even with 2 extra strength Advils, and the recommended dosage is just 1. Luckily I had enough room around me to, every several minutes, lift my legs and rotate my ankles. I also think that I've now forgotten the intensity of the pain. I think I went through the same thing with Radiohead last year in Montreal.

Possible DVD?
Saw cameras revolving around the stage the whole night and Bono was more explicit in his political statements than last night and thanked Universal at the end. There may just be a DVD involved.

I just wish he had used this to ask hard questions of Canada, as he did to the US and Europe when using Bullet the Blue Sky to refer to arms dealing. Canada and the US should at least question their role in Afghanistan. Bono said nothing about war, but mentioned Iran, which the US and Canada have never engaged in anything but a racist and belligerent way.

Bono thanked Harper again and I booed slightly with a thumbs down... 'cause PM Harper is an anti-Muslim, fascistic, anti-French Canadian bastard.

setlist highlights
So happy that Unforgettable Fire and Ultraviolet were played and that no one in my area knew them so they wouldn't sing along and I could actually HEAR Bono. I really love the acoustic version of "Stuck in a Moment" and was so upset I couldn't hear Bono over the din of obnoxious singers. Regarding the other songs, even though I've starved myself of U2 for 6 months or so, I could predict every note of the Joshua Tree singles, so I sadly got bored during those, even though I know that I really love those songs. Same with "One" and "Mysterious Ways."

HATE the remix version of I'll Go Crazy and Vertigo and don't care for City of Blinding Lights or Beautiful Day or Walk On or Get On Your Boots (except the "Let Me In The Sound" part)

The other new songs sound great, though. Really enjoy hearing those, which could bode well for my regard for the album in the long-term. "Breathe" is such a great opener and "Moment of Surrender" is such a cool closer, but Bono shouldn't start it with singing "Oh, oh, ooooh, ooohh, ooooh, oh". Just like on the album, he should allow the song to build more and then hit you in the face with his rough vocals: "I tied myself with wire!" Yeah, baby!

View from the GA
My view was amazing. I fluctuated between being in the 3rd row from the rail to the 5th, closer to Adam's side. Best of any concert I've ever attended, and it was due to my getting there 20 minutes or so before the gates opened and barely drinking anything all day so I didn't have to go to the washroom or feel like I was holding it in (as happened when I first saw "Lord of the Rings 1").

I gotta say that last night relied on the screen a lot and it was cool to see Bono gesticulating from afar, but seeing the guys up close was incredible. Bono looks in great shape; lucky guy still has all his hair; the rest of the band are in even better shape, as usual.

I didn't need no screen. Just an amazing view of most of the band members most of the time, especially Bono!

Dealing with people in the GA
My having a great view was also due to my asking the woman who drifted closer in front of me to please not lift her camera so high that it blocked my view. As a result, she kept it in front of her face; I'm so thankful that she did this.

This one guy who I met in line and saved a place in the GA when he went to the toilet, though, pissed me off because he kinda kept doing it. I went through hell saving his spot and he seemed like a decent guy but was pretty selfish; he was telling me how on the last tour he came late but nudged through every one to get to the front and I remarked that that wasn't nice laughingly, hoping he'd get the hint.

Anyway, so, minutes after crappy Snow Patrol finish their set and the guy leaves and asks me to save his spot, I feel this huge, fat and tall thug of a guy pressing into me, wanting to get in front. I told him I wouldn't because I'd been waiting for 3 hours and wasn't about to let him through if he hadn't been there before. I've been to too many concerts where selfish jerks come late and then push in and obstruct my view. Anyway, so the guy gets all confrontational trying to make me out to be the bad guy. It's bad enough when people save places for their friends, but this guy wasn't getting past me especially because he was tall. He accuses me of discriminating against him because of his height and how that could be okay. I said, "That's the whole point. You can see from where you are, but I won't if you go in front of me and if everybody did that, it would also push everyone who'd been standing for hours further back. It's not right. Guy won't shut up for half an hour, trying to intimidate me. The others around him were kissing his ass, but I felt much better when the shorter woman next to me reassured me that "he's a jerk." I hadn't seen him the whole 3 hours before and it was obvious he pushed his way through tons of people to get there and had no sense of shame about the whole thing.

In the past, I might have let it go and given in and had a crap time, but I stuck to my guns and I'm so happy I did because I had a great view and that thug raised his arms super high and filmed every damn thing, so I would have been doubly screwed.

I've noticed lots of tall guys with great views who feel the need to jut their arms high up to film stuff selfishly and the people behind them struggling to see. If they just said something, they might lower their arms, but we're always intimidated by those who enjoy the show a way that interferes with others' rights to do the same. We've all got to speak up.

The only other thing that bugged me was this guy behind me who sang really loudly and badly on a lot of hits, and I couldn't hear Bono. I know the band sometimes encourages it, but, if you think about it intelligently, you realize that a lot of this behavior is about being noticed. Why pay all this money and energy and time to go and listen to yourself. Why not LISTEN TO THE BAND in all the subtlety of that once in a lifetime performance?

I've noticed all those who videotape and take pictures of stuff are kinda shallow or, at least, shallow in their fandom. I remember this one young woman at a Cure show in Montreal last year who was obsessed with videotaping everything, but didn't care about the songs at all; she was disconnected and would talk to her friends and then leave for long periods of time, only to return and block the view of those behind her. I was so happy when security told her to put her camera away.

Are they really going to treasure all these crappy vids that are exactly the same on youtube or look at their crappy pictures? Even if they do, they should consider the people behind them who can't see. They were all gung ho during cheesy hits like City of Blinding Lights and great hits like Streets and With Or Without You, but were quick to get bored during the great, lesser known songs.

Your Blue Room was an example from last night, but so were the newer songs and Unforgettable Fire and Ultraviolet. I was so happy they shut up for those. The only annoying thing were these guys who talked into the first verse of Ultraviolet: "Fuck yeah!" "This is from Zooropa or, uh, Zoo TV." "blah, blah, blah". Shut up and listen or let me listen!

A revolutionary approach to making concerts about the performance.
There's this ridiculous notion in the pop rock community that listening quietly as people do in classical music concerts or at the opera is stiff and pretentious, but those who act obnoxiously at concerts, shouting "whoo" during the quiet parts of songs and singing and waving in attempts to be noticed by the band and those around them are the most forced, pretentious people of all. For them, it's all about their desires. For everyone to enjoy a show equally, we all have to exercise a bit of restraint. You don't have to prove your fandom by being loud and putting your arms up all the time. This is partly the fault of rock performers like U2 and The Cure who think people aren't having a good time unless they really prove it to them. I've never had a worse time than my first concert in 2004, when I was screaming and waving and couldn't remember a damn thing about the performance because I had exhausted myself. I had a great time tonight because I relaxed and tried to hear and watch the performance in all its subtleties. And my way of enjoying myself didn't interfere with anyone else's senses. I get the sense a lot of people at concerts would like it to be this way, but are afraid or think it's rude to fight for equal rights. We all have to do our part to make concert going more civil and actually about the performance and not some jackasses chance at getting drunk or proving they're louder than everyone else. Lipsynching can be fun, too.

Although most GAers were well behaved, I overall preferred the average person in the seats for shutting up.

Yeah, so I had a great night, all in all, though I would have preferred a less hits-driven setlist, and more political talk that actually might cause controversy among North Americans because it would actually involve us questioning our role in the world instead of just criticizing Third Worlders.
Click to expand...

ROCK OUT LIKE A MOFO IN THE GA!

Everything else, leave it in the seats.
 
Muldfeld said:
The only draw back to GA, I've learned, is the intense pain to my ankles and feet. I didn't know if I could get through the night by 8 pm. It was so bad, even with 2 extra strength Advils, and the recommended dosage is just 1.
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So heavy drinking and yelling isnt allowed in GA but abuse of medication is? you're such a hypocrite, Muldfeld!!! :wink:

Seriously man, you seem like a decent dude. You just need to relax and take GA for what it is and you'll have a much better time. Seemed like you enjoyed yourself none the less though :up: I know I did, even with a gargantuan behemoth infront of me for much of the show
 
Muldfeld said:
For everyone to enjoy a show equally, we all have to exercise a bit of restraint.
Click to expand...
Rock concert+Restraint=oxymoron

Muldfeld said:
When it comes to all these kinds of behavior, Bono is wrong in stating, as he did tonight, that “the world needs more Canadas.”
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Damn that Bono for not condemning the country he is playing in on any particular night!!! I for one am kind of happy that there's more music and less speeches this tour so far.....
 
This was my second U2 show, the first being Buenos Aires in Vertigo Tour.

It was a magnificent night. The show was great. Really unforgettable. However, I think the crowd sucks. It was a 40% drawback on the show. It might be because the contrast is very strong between these 2 kinds of audiences but I thought the Toronto audience sucks and I'm not watching a show in GA here ever again. What's the point in going in GA if you're just going to stand there like a stick and not even sing, jump, shout, etc?
I jumped the whole show, and sang every single song, and I cried during Walk On, City of Blinding Lights and ISHFWILF. People here seem to have no emotions.

Anyway. The band was great, and that's what really matters. I lined up since 8:30 am the day of the show and my number was276.
Here is the best pic I could get of the show.
P1030056.jpg


And here is a video I took of "Crazy Tonight": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMHWJIrYUlo Sorry that at the end it's shaky, but I couldn't help but jump!
Larry: :drool:
 
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