Seems like the U2’s prayer for an epic evening of rock n roll at Marvel Stadium on Friday night was granted…
After negotiating an early finish at work (so the boy and I could line up and get a good spot for his first ever U2 gig ) we found ourselves rubbing shoulders with number 39 from the ardent ‘first 500’ queue and just metres from the band on the B stage… with the added bonus of clear sight lines to that impressive screen.
Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds played a cracking 45 minute intro set that included a good selection from the albums – including the new single ‘Wandering Star’ that only came out yesterday.
Noel closed out his set with five Oasis classics and after ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ baited the audience with ‘Well… how do you follow that then?’
The answer?… with a Beatles cover of course!
Holy Mountain
It’s a Beautiful World
This Is the Place
Rattling Rose
Black Star Dancing
Wandering Star
Little by Little
Stop Crying Your Heart Out
Wonderwall
Don’t Look Back in Anger
All You Need Is Love
It was apparent that U2 were on a mission to deliver a memorable performance and blitzed from the opening drum crack of Sunday Bloody Sunday… right through to the finale (‘One’ of course) which the crowd fervently sang in the dark, just to the glow of thousands of phones.
The roof of Marvel was open to begin with and when the rain finally came, it added a dramatic cinematic quality to the performance… Larry’s automated clear market umbrella that periscoped up and out over his kit mid-song brought a wry smile from punters.
Of course, being so close to the band is a popular spot and as was to be expected, there was minimal sway space… but in the main, the crowd were good natured and looking out for each other… just where we were standing, security and medics were requested on 5 separate occasions over the course of the gig… to help out people near us who had passed out.
But something that really pleased me was that a handful of really tall guys up near the front conceded their prime spots to step back a couple of feet and allow tiny punters who were jammed up behind them and couldn’t see, come in front of them. Always great when common sense prevails. It certainly made their evenings!
Perhaps it was just my emotions running a little high – being Toby’s first U2 gig and all, but the performance seemed to have a certain air of ‘finality’ to it. There certainly wasn’t the obligatory ‘see you next time’ and the prevailing sentiment of the evening was gratitude and well wishes for the future.
Whatever comes to pass, I was just thrilled that the boys really turned it on for us and that my lad got to see the band on a great night performing at the top of their game…
and, best of all, Toby now has a favourite. He loved Larry Mullen Jnr and thought his drumming fantastic.
And like a chip off the old block, the boy left the stadium with a copy of the setlist! A superb first U2 experience. ❤
On another happy note, old mate Daz, a bonafide U2 tragic that I’ve known for eons, fulfilled a lifelong quest and met another of his heroes, Adam Clayton, back at the hotel before the gig, having the opportunity for a quick chat and a few quick signatures… so was on cloud nine by the time we finally crossed paths on the arena. Couldn’t have been happier for him.
Huge thanks also to my mate Simon James Messenger who sorted my pal Steve Trotter and his son Sam out with last minute GA tix. They were ecstatic to have caught such a brilliant show.
