All Along The Watchtower from R & H movie

[follower]

This weekend while watching the Rattle and Hum DVD I thought about the subject of this post. I already have the VHS but I rented the DVD to premiere my brand new DVD player, my anticipated Chrismas present, essencial device to play my anticipated birthday present, which will be the Elevation Boston DVD, of course

Thank God and Universal Brasil, the Elevation DVD will be released here this month, now I need some extra money, LOL

Okay, now back to my original idea. While watching All Along The Watchtower, still my fave song cover by U2, my attention was grabbed by the audience. So many people on that area of San Francisco watching U2 performance that actually I thought if there would be any fellow interferencer there on that day or if you know someone who got to be there. If so, how was it? Was there some advert about the performance or it was all of a sudden? How about the media coverage? And did they play other songs as well? Do you like that performance?
So many questions, LOL. Thanks for reading.

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"To me a rock and roll concert is 3-D, it?s a physical thing - it?s rhythm for the body. It?s a mental thing in that it should be intellectually challenging. But it?s also a spiritual thing, because it?s a community, it?s people agreeing on something, even if it?s only for an hour and a half." (Bono, as quoted in the book U2 The Road to Pop)

 

[U2SJ]

Hey Follower- I can answer some of the questions!
Well, I remember that day as if were yesterday, because, I was in high school, and my friend and I both wanted to go soooo bad, but we were scared to cut school. What idiots we were. I remember calling my Mom and asking (again what a fool I was) and she said that she would kill me if I cut. So, it has been a huge joke ever since with my Mom, because that showed me that you only live once, and you MUST take advantage of rare opportunities like that, when they come up. Because looking back, it kills me that I knew about it, and it was only 45 minutes away and we definitely could have gone! And yes, I am sure my Mom wouldn't have killed me, and I still would've graduated from high school, right? But I missed one of the rarest, coolest U2 events EVER! After I graduated and went to Italy, I had the opportunity to go to Bologna and Naples a few years later, and I remember thinking about my missing the Embarcadero thing, and thats one of the reasons I traveled by train 22 hours to go see them!
I have the bootleg video, it's a horrible copy, but there are lots of good parts! I have to go watch it again, there is one part where Bono goes OFF on a fan in the crowd, anyone seen that? I'll go watch and tell ya what he said later, if noone else knows- I remember when I watched it I was kinda shocked!
Anyways, AWESOME performance, and I will never forget missing it.
Actually, my neighbor was there and he said it was a total trip cuz everyone was in their suits and stuff...
Oh and they played atleast 6 songs...
*U2SJ goes to dig out video*

 

[follower]

Originally posted by U2SJ:
you only live once, and you MUST take advantage of rare opportunities like that, when they come up.

True. That?s what moved me to face everyone and everything to attend U2?s 20 min showcase in Rio last year, more than 2 hours flying from where I live...

Thanks for all the info you provided U2SJ, I?m looking forward reading more from you on the issue, be sure. I wonder which were the other songs they performed...

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"To me a rock and roll concert is 3-D, it?s a physical thing - it?s rhythm for the body. It?s a mental thing in that it should be intellectually challenging. But it?s also a spiritual thing, because it?s a community, it?s people agreeing on something, even if it?s only for an hour and a half." (Bono, as quoted in the book U2 The Road to Pop)

 

[U2SJ]

Follower! You have NO idea what you just started, I got the tape in NOW! My hubby had never seen it and is enjoying it! (And he has been very sick of my U2 thing lately

) so this is good! Gotta go back to watch, but so far
All Along The Watchtower
Sunday Bloody Sunday (Major Bono rant to follow, I rewound 3 times to get it for ya!) Maybe I should just send you a copy, its crap quality though, really!)
Out of Control
People Get Ready
A Trip Thru Your Wires (yum, Bono w. harmonica on now!)
this is fun! Thanks for reminding me, I had only ever watched it once!

 

[U2SJ]

Silver and Gold!! Great version! Damnit, see I should have gone. arghhhhh. My hubby just told me I was a fool not to go too. lol
This was an awesome show!!

 

[U2SJ]

Helter Skelter (Bono really into it, running around stage like usual)
Help (?)
Pride
BTW, the Bono writing all over the Embarcadero didn't actually happen during All Along the Watchtower, it really happened during Pride! It just cracks me up every time, he is so proud of himself, all smiles and bows for the crowd! that's classic!
So during Sunday Bloody Sunday, it was hard to understand but he sees a sign in the crowd andhe sais something like "2 letters - SF and U2, does that mean (couldn't understand) orthe Irish Republican army, if it does I don't knoe how you can stand your stomach for writing that sign this week, you bastards, left those 11 dead and 55 wounded ... well, Fuck freedom! (really loud)
Its quite intense, for broad daylight. . lol

Anyways, awesome show, anyone there in person?

 

[STING2]

The sign the guy was holding up SF & U2, meant San Fransisco and U2. I have a bootleg video of this show too, and for a bootleg, I consider it good quality, not great, but good. Great show!

 

[U2SJ]

Sting- I know! But go watch, what the hell is he rambling on about after he points out the sign?

 

[STING2]

Remember Rattle and Hum movie and Sunday Bloody Sunday speach. The town was Eniskilin(spelling) Northern Ireland, and during the month of October or November, the IRA bombed a parade there killing many people. So that is what Bono is raging about. He though the sign was an IRA sign.

 

[KJ]

I thought that was hilarious when he freaked out over the sign. I was thinking, "Jesus, you're IN San Francisco...you're not seeing the connection?". But I guess that a lot of bands lose track of what cities they're in. Maybe that's what happened.

 

[EPandAmerica]

Yes Bono spazzzed out on the SF + U2 sign! (what a dweeb

) He thought SF meant Sean Finn (sp?) of the IRA. Poor fan, that would just suck to be yelled at because of your sign. Although I LMAO at that point in the concert, I still feel really bad for the fan.

 

[follower]

I wanna thank you all for the info, I have not enough time to comment about it right now, gotta go back to work, but I?ll be back later on. Thanks guys

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"To me a rock and roll concert is 3-D, it?s a physical thing - it?s rhythm for the body. It?s a mental thing in that it should be intellectually challenging. But it?s also a spiritual thing, because it?s a community, it?s people agreeing on something, even if it?s only for an hour and a half." (Bono, as quoted in the book U2 The Road to Pop)

 

[camiloj]

I ALMOST was there but I was a corporate fool instead!

I grew up in the East SF Bay Area and did not move to LA until 1992 (just in time to catch ZOO TV at Dodger Stadium on Larry's birthday).

I remember the day of the R&H show very well. Some radio stations announced the lunch time concert. I didnt hear about it myself, I was already at work, my first office job out of high school and I was already at work. Someone called me and told me U2 was going to play at Justin Herman Plaza at 12 Noon. I said "NO WAY!". I already had tickets for BOTH their performances at the Oakland Coliseum, and I was kind of new on the job and felt that I'd get in trouble if I left work. It was also 10:30 when I got the call, and although San Francisco was about 35 minutes away from me (I was in Walnut Creek), I thought I still wouldnt make it if there was bad traffic or it would be impossible to find parking, I was low on cash...

WHAT A FOOL I WAS!!!!

I saw it on the news that night, the Mayor Diane Feinstein had Bono cited (one of the few things I do disagree with her about!) for vandalism!!! And I just watched the footage with my jaw wide open.

The really neat cool thing is that U2 had this set design on their stage for the tour and they flew the guy that made the sculpture that was spraypainted in all the way from whereever, I think Canada.

And they had him come on stage and spray paint their backdrop. It was very cool and symbolic and quite CLASSIC 80s U2!

Ah, those spontaneous crazy things were soooo cool, you really didnt know what was going to happen at a concert or in the city of a concert!

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Camilo Arenivar

Email: U2LA2000@hotmail.com

AOL Instant Message: nohocamilo

Yahoo Messenger: u2la2000

http://www.U2LA.com

 

[U2SJ]

U2LA- YES! I remember when they painted the backdrop, that was SO cool! That was my 1st U2 show, the one that blew my mind, and made me into the U2 fan that I am today!
I have the video bootleg of that too, it's pretty funny to watch, he goes on and on about Feinstein and how graffiti is a work of art!

 

[follower]

U2SJ, U2LA, everybody here, thanks, you rock

U2SJ, I noticed that the movie was edited, I mean, the bit about the graffiti thing, it had to be during another song, because while singing All Along the Watchtower Bono has a hat and his hair in a ponytail, and his vest is butonned, then while he?s painting or writing over that Embarcadero place, his hair is no longer in a ponytail and he looks more untidy. Then during the final bits of the same song, All Along the Watchtower, we can see that his apperance is exactly the same from the beginning of the song. Magic? No, bad edition, LOL

So they played almost a full concert there! I had no idea they played so many songs. That must have been a remarkable day for the San Francisco and Bay area fans. Too bad you weren?t there, but you have the video, I bet it helps.

Btw, San Francisco is one of those cities I really want to visit some day. Who knows?

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"To me a rock and roll concert is 3-D, it?s a physical thing - it?s rhythm for the body. It?s a mental thing in that it should be intellectually challenging. But it?s also a spiritual thing, because it?s a community, it?s people agreeing on something, even if it?s only for an hour and a half." (Bono, as quoted in the book U2 The Road to Pop)

 

[follower]

I was re-reading this thread and I have a comment about the problem with the SF & U2 sign, which I assume Bono thought it was related to Sinn Fein, IRA's political voice, as far as I know. I didn't know about the incident you gently described above, but it reminded me of another one I read in the book Bono on His Own Words, from the same era, I think, I don't have the book here right now to check it out. But it goes like this, Bono was signing some autographs when someone gave him a folded paper which he promptly started to sign when he decided to unfold the paper and he found out that it was a motion or petition in favour of IRA, somebody tried to deceive him. So maybe he was feeling a little bit paranoid at that time and of course angry about the bombing on Enniskilen.

Just my R$ 0,05...or US$ 0,02

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"To me a rock and roll concert is 3-D, it?s a physical thing - it?s rhythm for the body. It?s a mental thing in that it should be intellectually challenging. But it?s also a spiritual thing, because it?s a community, it?s people agreeing on something, even if it?s only for an hour and a half." (Bono, as quoted in the book U2 The Road to Pop)