Regina O'Numb
War Child
Rock's alive and well and living in Ireland.
By Chuck Myers.
Knight Ridder Newspapers.
February 27, 2004.
Like stalks of wheat bending to a gentle breeze, thousands of raised arms wave, sway and clap amid a thunderous din.
It's a breathtaking sight.
It's an awe-inspiring moment.
It is the annual rock concert at Slane Castle, County Meath, Ireland.
Each August, up to 80,000 music lovers congregate on a patch of countryside situated just below majestic Slane Castle. The landscape, which forms a natural semi-amphitheater, provides one of the more idyllic corners of the rock 'n' roll realm.
A pair of new DVDs captures the Slane concert scene in all its glory, with two of rock's biggest acts at center stage -- U2 and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
U2 Goes Home
In 1981, U2 made its Slane debut as a support act for headliner Thin Lizzy. Twenty years later, the band returned, this time as the main event.
The Irish quartet performed at Slane on consecutive Saturdays in August and September 2001. The Sept. 1 show serves up the action for the band's latest live DVD from Interscope -- the second such footage from the group's 2001 Elevation Tour.
Few bands can turn a large gathering into an intimate affair like U2, particularly when it's on home turf. Early in the set during "Out of Control," the charismatic Bono muses about how U2 got its start, and its rationale for maintaining its base in Ireland. With characteristic panache, he bellows, "These people, this is our tribe!"
Enough said.
An awareness that Slane lies not far from the Northern Ireland border underscores several moments in the show. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" becomes an emphatic plea against violence that has plagued Northern Ireland in the past. Coarse imagery gives the solemn "Wake Up Dead Man" haunting resonance. "Bullet the Blue Sky" quickly becomes a stinging indictment of the firearms trade.
At the other end of the spectrum, there's the soaring U2 that its legions know and love. Bono and his band mates, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullin Jr., are in great form, reaching their rousing crescendo on "Where the Streets Have No Name."
The camera captures the show from a full range of angles, including overhead perspectives that offer a dazzling sense of scope.
"U2 Go Home" has a more visceral, less sanitized quality than its predecessor, "Elevation 2001/U2 Live from Boston." Bono endures all kinds of tough-love abuse from the U2 partisans at Slane. He gets bonked by a beach ball and dodges an assortment of flying projectiles, including toilet paper rolls. During "All I Want Is You," a fan nails Bono with a heavy douse of water. While probably nothing new for the frontman, one begins to wonder if he receives hazardous-duty pay for his work on stage. Except for a brief note to the water tosser, Bono takes the overzealous behavior in stride.
In addition to the concert, "U2 Go Home" features a bonus track from the Slane show and a 28-minute documentary about the making of U2's fourth album, "The Unforgettable Fire," filmed, in part, at Slane Castle in 1984.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
If U2 is Ireland's favorite son, then the Red Hot Chili Peppers certainly rate as the Emerald Isle's favorite adopted child.
The American funk-rockers were among the supporting acts at U2's first Slane show in 2001. Headliners in their own right, the group more than primed the crowd for the day's main event. The raucous performance entitled the quartet to a return invite as the main event, and in 2003, they got it.
"Red Hot Chili Peppers Live at Slane" (Warner) showcases the group at its frenetic best. Frontman Anthony Kiedis bounds about with usual unbridled energy, weaving his delivery with poetic flair. John Frusciante's guitar wails gloriously into the Irish night, and he takes a turn at lead vocals on one number. Drummer Chad Smith's steady backbeat allows his rhythm partner, bassist Flea, ample room to improvise and jam throughout.
Flea is at his effervescent best at Slane. Decked out in a pajama-like skeleton outfit, he clearly revels in the venue setting. At one point he breaks into the Irish national anthem, prompting the 80,000 strong to follow his lead.
The set is replete with RHCP live showstoppers, including "By the Way," the buoyant "Universally Speaking" and crowd favorite "Give It Away."
http://www.indystar.com/articles/5/124270-8245-062.html
By Chuck Myers.
Knight Ridder Newspapers.
February 27, 2004.
Like stalks of wheat bending to a gentle breeze, thousands of raised arms wave, sway and clap amid a thunderous din.
It's a breathtaking sight.
It's an awe-inspiring moment.
It is the annual rock concert at Slane Castle, County Meath, Ireland.
Each August, up to 80,000 music lovers congregate on a patch of countryside situated just below majestic Slane Castle. The landscape, which forms a natural semi-amphitheater, provides one of the more idyllic corners of the rock 'n' roll realm.
A pair of new DVDs captures the Slane concert scene in all its glory, with two of rock's biggest acts at center stage -- U2 and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
U2 Goes Home
In 1981, U2 made its Slane debut as a support act for headliner Thin Lizzy. Twenty years later, the band returned, this time as the main event.
The Irish quartet performed at Slane on consecutive Saturdays in August and September 2001. The Sept. 1 show serves up the action for the band's latest live DVD from Interscope -- the second such footage from the group's 2001 Elevation Tour.
Few bands can turn a large gathering into an intimate affair like U2, particularly when it's on home turf. Early in the set during "Out of Control," the charismatic Bono muses about how U2 got its start, and its rationale for maintaining its base in Ireland. With characteristic panache, he bellows, "These people, this is our tribe!"
Enough said.
An awareness that Slane lies not far from the Northern Ireland border underscores several moments in the show. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" becomes an emphatic plea against violence that has plagued Northern Ireland in the past. Coarse imagery gives the solemn "Wake Up Dead Man" haunting resonance. "Bullet the Blue Sky" quickly becomes a stinging indictment of the firearms trade.
At the other end of the spectrum, there's the soaring U2 that its legions know and love. Bono and his band mates, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullin Jr., are in great form, reaching their rousing crescendo on "Where the Streets Have No Name."
The camera captures the show from a full range of angles, including overhead perspectives that offer a dazzling sense of scope.
"U2 Go Home" has a more visceral, less sanitized quality than its predecessor, "Elevation 2001/U2 Live from Boston." Bono endures all kinds of tough-love abuse from the U2 partisans at Slane. He gets bonked by a beach ball and dodges an assortment of flying projectiles, including toilet paper rolls. During "All I Want Is You," a fan nails Bono with a heavy douse of water. While probably nothing new for the frontman, one begins to wonder if he receives hazardous-duty pay for his work on stage. Except for a brief note to the water tosser, Bono takes the overzealous behavior in stride.
In addition to the concert, "U2 Go Home" features a bonus track from the Slane show and a 28-minute documentary about the making of U2's fourth album, "The Unforgettable Fire," filmed, in part, at Slane Castle in 1984.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
If U2 is Ireland's favorite son, then the Red Hot Chili Peppers certainly rate as the Emerald Isle's favorite adopted child.
The American funk-rockers were among the supporting acts at U2's first Slane show in 2001. Headliners in their own right, the group more than primed the crowd for the day's main event. The raucous performance entitled the quartet to a return invite as the main event, and in 2003, they got it.
"Red Hot Chili Peppers Live at Slane" (Warner) showcases the group at its frenetic best. Frontman Anthony Kiedis bounds about with usual unbridled energy, weaving his delivery with poetic flair. John Frusciante's guitar wails gloriously into the Irish night, and he takes a turn at lead vocals on one number. Drummer Chad Smith's steady backbeat allows his rhythm partner, bassist Flea, ample room to improvise and jam throughout.
Flea is at his effervescent best at Slane. Decked out in a pajama-like skeleton outfit, he clearly revels in the venue setting. At one point he breaks into the Irish national anthem, prompting the 80,000 strong to follow his lead.
The set is replete with RHCP live showstoppers, including "By the Way," the buoyant "Universally Speaking" and crowd favorite "Give It Away."
http://www.indystar.com/articles/5/124270-8245-062.html
