15 years since the Sarajevo concert

[vivaSA]

15 years ago I attended the best concert ever. Can't believe it was that long ago.
Thank you Bono, the Edge, Larry, Adam.

U2 MISS SARAJEVO - Missing Sarajevo (Part 2 of 2) - YouTube

U2 CNN coverage Sarajevo part 2 with B roll and concert footage - YouTube

 

[bono_man2002]

Man I wish I knew where my Sarajevo bootleg was right now.

 

[U2girl]

I remember it being transmitted on the radio...the last legendary U2 show ?

 

[digitize]

Legendary indeed. That was an amazing event.

 

[Galeongirl]

Must've been incredible to have witnessed this live!

 

[prbiker15]

Viva Sarajevo! Fuck the past, kiss the future!

15 years already. Would have loved to been there.

 

[corianderstem]

Oh wow, how cool you were there! Great concert, despite* Bono's vocal troubles.




* or maybe partly because of, thanks to the audience participation to make up for his issues

 

[MissSarajevo]

It was one of best days of my life for so many reasons. I wonder if Sarajevo will ever get to see another U2 concert...

 

[corianderstem]

'Music Is Beyond Politics': When U2 Went to Bosnia in 1997 - Ashley Fetters - The Atlantic

 

[digitize]

This is always pretty amazing to listen to:

U2 - Pride (In the name of Love) Sarajevo - YouTube

Bono's voice was at its nadir, and Edge's soared overhead. All of this was an incredible juxtaposition... a city trying to emerge from vile warfare, a tour where light materialism was made fun of and turned dark, but that always seemed to try to find broken hope, and Bono's voice struggling but Edge and the crowd taking up his role beautifully. Somehow it all fits.

 

[djerdap]

O lijepa, o draga, o slatka slobodo.

I really hope there is going to be another Sarajevo concert. So I can go and see it.

 

[dazzledbylight]

thanks for the article cori

I watched parts of the Olympics in Sarajevo. It hurt to see the stadium etc being damaged in the war.
i listened to alot of NPR/WNYC radio covering the seige of Sarajevo- the struggles it's people had.

So later when I heard U2 were going to be playing there i got weepy - a distraction, an uplfting set of hours..... a catharsis.

 

[An Cat Gav]

O lijepa, o draga, o slatka slobodo.

I really hope there is going to be another Sarajevo concert. So I can go and see it.

It's a big shame they haven't been back, I'm sure they want to.

Great great gig, I think I still have the bootleg tape somewhere. bono losing his voice only seemed to add to the show's greatness!

 

[vivaSA]

thanks for the article cori

I watched parts of the Olympics in Sarajevo. It hurt to see the stadium etc being damaged in the war.
i listened to alot of NPR/WNYC radio covering the seige of Sarajevo- the struggles it's people had.

So later when I heard U2 were going to be playing there i got weepy - a distraction, an uplfting set of hours..... a catharsis.

I now live in a building overlooking the Olympic stadium. I sure hope that the stadium will witness more historic events such as these.

 

[vivaSA]

Here are some of the most important parts of concert's transcript.

...Viva Sarajevo!
Fuck the past!
Kiss the future
Viva Sarajevo
VIVA...

"Svirati u Sarajevu je vas poklon nama."
("Playing in Sarajevo is your gift to us.")

...My voice is gone
But your voices are strong
I'm gonna ask you to carry me
Like you carried each other
In these weeks months and years
Sing with me
This song
I have cli-imbed
Highest Mountain
I have ru-un
Through the fields
Only to be
With youuu...

...Thank you for
Thank you for your
Kindness
Your generosity in coming to see our show
And.. I promise not to kiss your ass but kick it, but now it might have to be a bit of a tickle [Coughs]...

...Our country is a little like your country
This is a
We come from Ireland
[Segue to first verse]
Come from Ireland
When our people get off their knees soon...

...Thank you for coming
Bill Carter Thank you...

...We have a song that we've never played before
Uhm
Live
Uhm
As a band
Anyway you might know this one
[Miss Sarajevo with Brian Eno]...

...Sarajevo
This song was written for you
Hope you like it!

...My voice wasn't here, but it's better to be here than anywhere else in the world tonight...

and THE BEST ONE

...Bosnia Herzegovina
I don't have to tell you
To be united is a great thing
But to respect difference
May be an even greater thing
So for the city of the future!
Sarajevo!
City of the future!
Sarajevo!
City of the future!
[Outro]
Here us coming lord
Here us call
Here us knocking
Knocking for your love
Here us scratching Lord
Here us crawl
Here us scratching Lord
Then we crawl
Oooh hhoooo
Wooo hooo
Yeah

 

[vivaSA]

This is always pretty amazing to listen to:

U2 - Pride (In the name of Love) Sarajevo - YouTube

Bono's voice was at its nadir, and Edge's soared overhead. All of this was an incredible juxtaposition... a city trying to emerge from vile warfare, a tour where light materialism was made fun of and turned dark, but that always seemed to try to find broken hope, and Bono's voice struggling but Edge and the crowd taking up his role beautifully. Somehow it all fits.

the video continues here

U2 Kosevo 1997_Svirati u Sarajevu je vaš poklon nama....wmv - YouTube

 

[God Part III]

I actually visited the stadium this summer, as a part of my ongoing U2-sightseeing-in-the-world tour.

It's an incredible concert, my most precious U2 library file.

 

[brooklynmike]

This was an incredible, emotional show with the circumstances and the way it played out. i remember taping it from the radio with JJ Jackson as the host. I still have it somewhere.

I was especially pumped because it was the first time I got my hands on a good quality, live copy of Mofo, Gone, Lnoe, Please, Discotheque, If You Wear That Velvet Dress and Wake Up Dead Man.

 

[dazzledbylight]

I now live in a building overlooking the Olympic stadium. I sure hope that the stadium will witness more historic events such as these.

oh wow.
and amen!

Here are some of the most important parts of concert's transcript.

...Viva Sarajevo!
Fuck the past!
Kiss the future
Viva Sarajevo
VIVA...

"Svirati u Sarajevu je vas poklon nama."
("Playing in Sarajevo is your gift to us.")

...My voice is gone
But your voices are strong
I'm gonna ask you to carry me
Like you carried each other
In these weeks months and years
Sing with me
This song
I have cli-imbed
Highest Mountain
I have ru-un
Through the fields
Only to be
With youuu...

...Thank you for
Thank you for your
Kindness
Your generosity in coming to see our show
And.. I promise not to kiss your ass but kick it, but now it might have to be a bit of a tickle [Coughs]...

...Our country is a little like your country
This is a
We come from Ireland
[Segue to first verse]
Come from Ireland
When our people get off their knees soon...

...Thank you for coming
Bill Carter Thank you...

...We have a song that we've never played before
Uhm
Live
Uhm
As a band
Anyway you might know this one
[Miss Sarajevo with Brian Eno]...

...Sarajevo
This song was written for you
Hope you like it!

...My voice wasn't here, but it's better to be here than anywhere else in the world tonight...

and THE BEST ONE

...Bosnia Herzegovina
I don't have to tell you
To be united is a great thing
But to respect difference
May be an even greater thing
So for the city of the future!
Sarajevo!
City of the future!
Sarajevo!
City of the future!
[Outro]
Here us coming lord
Here us call
Here us knocking
Knocking for your love
Here us scratching Lord
Here us crawl
Here us scratching Lord
Then we crawl
Oooh hhoooo
Wooo hooo
Yeah

I've never heard the show so thank you for sharing this, vivaSA

wipes a tear.
I love the internet