Just got the Popmart DVD

[An Cat Gav]

Last Night One Earth and MOFO are the best things on that DVD. Big shame tha Miami wasn't on it as it was much better live than on Pop.

 

[cobl04]

Gone is blistering.

The ending was the most awesome/freakish thing. Ever. Not just U2 ever, pretty much ever. People were beside themselves. I can only imagine what Bono was thinking.

what happened?

 

[Earnie Shavers]

what happened?

Well, it was a crazy hot and humid summer day, one of those days you just know is going to end with a storm, feel it in the air all afternoon. By the time the concert rolled around, it had sprinkled a couple of times, and there was lighter rain on a couple of occasions during the show, so what happened at the end wasn’t totally bizarre or unexpected, but the timing was freaky…

This was a couple of months after Michael Hutchence had died, in a hotel about 5 minutes down the road from the stadium. His family and friends (and INXS members) were all at the gig, at the mixing desk. Bono had been saying all week in the media that they were in ‘Hutch’s house’ and that he wanted to blow the roof off the Sydney show ‘for Hutch’, and that because he was touring and couldn’t make it here for the funeral, he felt like he personally hadn’t had closure or a chance to say goodbye – he wanted the show to be that for him.

He made reference to him a lot during the show, and then right at the end of the last encore, he made his way out to the end of the b-stage, and spoke for a couple of minutes about Hutchence, pretty much just directly addressing those friends/family/bandmates out at the mixing desk – Bono’s little eulogy, voice wavering and everything. At this point, you could hear a pin drop. Up on the screen came the big ‘Warhol-ed’ pictures of Hutchence, and MLK begins. What we didn’t know in that stadium was that one huge storm was rolling across eastern Sydney. As Bono gets into the whole thunder clouds and rain of MLK, suddenly this storm cracks right over the stadium. Thunder, lightning, and absolutely bucketing, really pelting, tropical style rain. Thunder occasionally booming over the band, with that little window of sky you see above the stadium flashing white over and over. Bono barely gets through MLK, by the end of it he was just kneeling, facing up to the sky. The rain just did not let up. There’s just an extended silence there for a moment in between songs, Bono not making any immediate effort to get back to the main stage, where he needed to be to pretend to play guitar during One.

He eventually gets up, gets back and they start One, the Hutchence pictures merging into the Keith Haring animation – but the storm is still cracking all around – so Bono asks for all the lights to be switched off. Stage, screen, everything off. You could only see the little green exit signs scattered around the the place. The band are only under the faintest of spotlights, even from right down the front you could barely see them. So we’re all in complete darkness, singing along to One, occasionally punctured by a huge boom of thunder and flash of white over the stadium. Brilliant. Then Never Tear Us Apart came over the PA, and the house lights came back up. No-one made for the exits, the whole place just stood still and sang along. During which, the rain suddenly stops, storm passes, as if the house lights coming up were dawn or something. Crazy!

 

[mad1]

wow! that was great to read!!!!!!!

spooky but great!

 

[cobl04]

i tingled just reading that... sounds phenomenal. great writing

 

[Purplereign]

Were you at Siddeney? Awesome, wasn't it?

The ending was the most awesome/freakish thing. Ever. Not just U2 ever, pretty much ever. People were beside themselves. I can only imagine what Bono was thinking.

. . . and you captured it beautifully . . .and filing out after the show to the strains of Never Tear Us Apart is something that still sends shivers up my spine

i tingled just reading that... sounds phenomenal. great writing

dittoz . . .

 

[blueeyedgirl]

I will always remember what sounded like every person in the stadium singing to Never Tear Us Apart. And when Bono yelled for the lights to be turned off. We stood there, faces upturned, staring at the lightning in the sky above us (and getting absolutely soaked).

 

[cobl04]

if i could wave a magic wand

 

[blueeyedgirl]

Well I was at that concert with the ex-hubby and another couple who are also separated/getting divorced. Can I borrow your magic wand?

 

[Earnie Shavers]

From where I was standing - literally the front row, right hand side - everyone had one eye on the lightning, and one eye on that massive lightning rod cocktail stick right next to us. What a way to die. "Well, he was standing too close to a 60ft cocktail stick, lightning struck the car-sized olive at the top of it..."

Remember some guy climbed to the very top of the lighting tower halfway down the field? He got all the way up the top, took his shirt off and started waving it around. The whole thing was quite violently shaking.

The best bit of that tour was the totally scattered interview Bono (in a leather and leopard skin get up) gave to Angela Bishop the following night at the Mardi Gras. I used to have it somewhere on VHS, and have been hoping it somehow randomly pops up on youtube one day. I'd love to just drop it into any of those 'U2 and drugs' threads that seem to appear every few months. She could not hold his attention, and he was giving the most random answers to questions (which she generally had to repeat). She asked him what he thought of the costumes and floats, and he slurred "They look like pasta". Dude. Slow down. Long night ahead. That spliced with shots of Larry drinking pink beer, surrounded my trannies... gold.

 

[Purplereign]

I will always remember what sounded like every person in the stadium singing to Never Tear Us Apart. And when Bono yelled for the lights to be turned off. We stood there, faces upturned, staring at the lightning in the sky above us (and getting absolutely soaked).

*happysigh* ( cept I was being shoved out by the cranky hublet who's arm was sore from me belting it and screaming 'ohmagodifrickin'lovethissonglovethisbandthisisthebestnightofmylife' all night and was a little less than impressed with the wetness factor )

if i could wave a magic wand

yes please . . . I'd take you and blueeyedgirl over the cranky hublet any day of the week

Well I was at that concert with the ex-hubby and another couple who are also separated/getting divorced. Can I borrow your magic wand?

 

[blueeyedgirl]

OMG, I remember that Mardi Gras interview!!! Us four were watching the Mardi Gras special on the Sunday night absolutely pissing ourselves watching Bono being totally ratfaced (we ourselves had gone out Saturday to watch the parade, then spent the rest of the night to ungodly o'clock at some indie club off William Street also getting ratfaced, thankfully no video exists ) Then the Monday or Tuesday, we went to see Oasis at the Ent Cent.

The next day, we climbed on the plane to go home

 

[blueeyedgirl]

*happysigh* ( cept I was being shoved out by the cranky hublet who's arm was sore from me belting it and screaming 'ohmagodifrickin'lovethissonglovethisbandthisisthebestnightofmylife'

How did you know that's what I was doing (and maybe still do...)

*happysigh* ( yes please . . . I'd take you and blueeyedgirl over the cranky hublet any day of the week

 

[Purplereign]

How did you know that's what I was doing (and maybe still do...)

he he he ~ he's already stocking up on arm protectors for the next tour (I am very graciously allowing him to accompany me to the first night (seated) but he has firm instructions not to sing, dance, touch me, look at me or in anyway comport himself in a manner that would distract me from the business in hand ( me, a nightmare . . . naaaaaaah) , but second night, red zone . . . no sireeeeeeee bob . . . )


/ on topic

adore Miss Sarajevo and Gone on this one (may have already mentioned the Gone factor, but really, it is such a magnificent rendition that it would be criminal not mentioning it again)

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Well, it was a crazy hot and humid summer day, one of those days you just know is going to end with a storm, feel it in the air all afternoon. By the time the concert rolled around, it had sprinkled a couple of times, and there was lighter rain on a couple of occasions during the show, so what happened at the end wasn’t totally bizarre or unexpected, but the timing was freaky…

This was a couple of months after Michael Hutchence had died, in a hotel about 5 minutes down the road from the stadium. His family and friends (and INXS members) were all at the gig, at the mixing desk. Bono had been saying all week in the media that they were in ‘Hutch’s house’ and that he wanted to blow the roof off the Sydney show ‘for Hutch’, and that because he was touring and couldn’t make it here for the funeral, he felt like he personally hadn’t had closure or a chance to say goodbye – he wanted the show to be that for him.

He made reference to him a lot during the show, and then right at the end of the last encore, he made his way out to the end of the b-stage, and spoke for a couple of minutes about Hutchence, pretty much just directly addressing those friends/family/bandmates out at the mixing desk – Bono’s little eulogy, voice wavering and everything. At this point, you could hear a pin drop. Up on the screen came the big ‘Warhol-ed’ pictures of Hutchence, and MLK begins. What we didn’t know in that stadium was that one huge storm was rolling across eastern Sydney. As Bono gets into the whole thunder clouds and rain of MLK, suddenly this storm cracks right over the stadium. Thunder, lightning, and absolutely bucketing, really pelting, tropical style rain. Thunder occasionally booming over the band, with that little window of sky you see above the stadium flashing white over and over. Bono barely gets through MLK, by the end of it he was just kneeling, facing up to the sky. The rain just did not let up. There’s just an extended silence there for a moment in between songs, Bono not making any immediate effort to get back to the main stage, where he needed to be to pretend to play guitar during One.

He eventually gets up, gets back and they start One, the Hutchence pictures merging into the Keith Haring animation – but the storm is still cracking all around – so Bono asks for all the lights to be switched off. Stage, screen, everything off. You could only see the little green exit signs scattered around the the place. The band are only under the faintest of spotlights, even from right down the front you could barely see them. So we’re all in complete darkness, singing along to One, occasionally punctured by a huge boom of thunder and flash of white over the stadium. Brilliant. Then Never Tear Us Apart came over the PA, and the house lights came back up. No-one made for the exits, the whole place just stood still and sang along. During which, the rain suddenly stops, storm passes, as if the house lights coming up were dawn or something. Crazy!

Wow, amazing recollection Earnie. I guess that's what U2 live is all about.

 

[TheEdge25]

So that was an amazing DVD.

You all were right, Please > Streets was an amazing segue. I loved With Or Without You on this DVD

Absolutely adored the unplugged set of Desire, Staring at The Sun, and Sunday Bloody Sunday.

Mofo was just perfect, as were Gone and Last Night On Earth. <--- Especially enjoyed watching that one live, as it's one of my favorite songs.

Discotheque was awesome as well!! Loved how Edge kept playing those Discotheque guitar riffs while Bono started the next song and once he got to, "If you wear that velvet dress", the rest of the band kicks in.

HMTMKMKM was awesome, as usual. That song kicks so much ass.

Loved Mysterious Ways > One, that was a great transition.

All in all, I think this now might be my favorite U2 concert DVD. I'm going to watch it again!

 

[nirniva]

Well, it was a crazy hot and humid summer day, one of those days you just know is going to end with a storm, feel it in the air all afternoon. By the time the concert rolled around, it had sprinkled a couple of times, and there was lighter rain on a couple of occasions during the show, so what happened at the end wasn’t totally bizarre or unexpected, but the timing was freaky…

This was a couple of months after Michael Hutchence had died, in a hotel about 5 minutes down the road from the stadium. His family and friends (and INXS members) were all at the gig, at the mixing desk. Bono had been saying all week in the media that they were in ‘Hutch’s house’ and that he wanted to blow the roof off the Sydney show ‘for Hutch’, and that because he was touring and couldn’t make it here for the funeral, he felt like he personally hadn’t had closure or a chance to say goodbye – he wanted the show to be that for him.

He made reference to him a lot during the show, and then right at the end of the last encore, he made his way out to the end of the b-stage, and spoke for a couple of minutes about Hutchence, pretty much just directly addressing those friends/family/bandmates out at the mixing desk – Bono’s little eulogy, voice wavering and everything. At this point, you could hear a pin drop. Up on the screen came the big ‘Warhol-ed’ pictures of Hutchence, and MLK begins. What we didn’t know in that stadium was that one huge storm was rolling across eastern Sydney. As Bono gets into the whole thunder clouds and rain of MLK, suddenly this storm cracks right over the stadium. Thunder, lightning, and absolutely bucketing, really pelting, tropical style rain. Thunder occasionally booming over the band, with that little window of sky you see above the stadium flashing white over and over. Bono barely gets through MLK, by the end of it he was just kneeling, facing up to the sky. The rain just did not let up. There’s just an extended silence there for a moment in between songs, Bono not making any immediate effort to get back to the main stage, where he needed to be to pretend to play guitar during One.

He eventually gets up, gets back and they start One, the Hutchence pictures merging into the Keith Haring animation – but the storm is still cracking all around – so Bono asks for all the lights to be switched off. Stage, screen, everything off. You could only see the little green exit signs scattered around the the place. The band are only under the faintest of spotlights, even from right down the front you could barely see them. So we’re all in complete darkness, singing along to One, occasionally punctured by a huge boom of thunder and flash of white over the stadium. Brilliant. Then Never Tear Us Apart came over the PA, and the house lights came back up. No-one made for the exits, the whole place just stood still and sang along. During which, the rain suddenly stops, storm passes, as if the house lights coming up were dawn or something. Crazy!

*sniff*
There's something in my eye, I swear...

 

[cobl04]

i wanna see that interview! wish Bono would do that these days then i wouldn't have to put up with shit Rove interviews!

he he he ~ he's already stocking up on arm protectors for the next tour (I am very graciously allowing him to accompany me to the first night (seated) but he has firm instructions not to sing, dance, touch me, look at me or in anyway comport himself in a manner that would distract me from the business in hand ( me, a nightmare . . . naaaaaaah) , but second night, red zone . . . no sireeeeeeee bob . . . )

Remember some guy climbed to the very top of the lighting tower halfway down the field? He got all the way up the top, took his shirt off and started waving it around. The whole thing was quite violently shaking.

some bloke did that at Sound Relief last year when Midnight Oil were on. the security guards look so pathetic, standing there waving their arms

 

[trevgreg]

Last Night on Earth on there is amazing. Watched not too long ago, and even the staples like Mysterious Ways, UTEOTW, and One sounded really good.

I think at some point in the show some guy dressed up as the devil and made it onstage with Bono.

MacPhisto???

 

[mad1]

The only thing that twinkles my baps about this concert is the way its not as sharp looking as Zoo. does anyone know what I mean? the camera. I cant get what Im trying to say here, can anyone else? you know, its softer image, not sharper......?

maybe the DVD is better!

 

[cobl04]

twinkles my baps

 

[nielsgov]

Great dvd. For me the highlight is Please-Streets. Absolutley breathtaking.

 

[Zoo360]

The encores are incredible.

 

[MikeyJB]

Mysterious Ways is absolutely unbeatable on the Popmart DVD, I didn't think any version could beat the Slane version but it just about does. Makes you realise how painfully neutured the current version is.

 

[corianderstem]

I still think the ZooTV version of Mysterious Ways is the unbeatable one.

 

[Purplereign]

twinkles my baps

mad1 . . . that is the saying of the week *steals* . . .

I still think the ZooTV version of Mysterious Ways is the unbeatable one.

. . . but I hafta say there isn't much on ZooTV, in my biased mind at least, that can really be bested . . . but I don't think POP is given nearly enough lerve, cuz it's a gem too

 

[TheEdge25]

Anyone happen to have a GIF of Edge's little dance during the solo in Mysterious Ways? When Bono says, "Do something funky The Edge" and then he does that dance? LOVED IT

 

[bonocomet]

Anyone happen to have a GIF of Edge's little dance during the solo in Mysterious Ways? When Bono says, "Do something funky The Edge" and then he does that dance? LOVED IT

My kid made one for me years ago... lemme go look.

 

[bonocomet]

Was it this part?

 

[bonocomet]

Bonus gifs