Rock News
U2's Aussie Tour Explodes Post by: CK 2 December, 2010 - 2:28 AM
It was the first gig of U2's Aussie leg of the U2360 world tour and we were there in force to welcome the lads to Etihad stadium in Melbourne.
As fans filled Etihad Stadium to see the biggest rock show ever they were presented with the massive "Claw" that Bono refers to as the "space ship".
It's as much as work of art as it is a concert rig and Show Director Willie Williams has suggested that it might continue to exist in some form after the tour ends.
After the initial awe was tempered by the first few sips of beer eyes started to look nervously upwards.
There had been rain forecast and so massive is U2's stage structure that the roof of Etihad couldn't be closed. There was a bit of light drizzle just after Jay Z but that was it.
Luck was in, the night was perfect and the ponchos were put away.
As you can see in this video supplied by the band's record company they were in fine form and the crowd was totally transfixed from the moment U2 stepped onto stage
All the action was projected onto the massive circular video screen that wraps around the under belly of the claw.
The video features on the screen either of the live action, pre-packaged video or a blend of both are amazingly well done and could almost have a show on their own.
The screen's party trick was revealed during the "City Of Burning Lights" where it expanded it's honeycomb structure to drop and touch the stage, turning it into a dazzling sculpture that is so much a part of this amazing tour.
Check out the claw in full flight here:
It wasn't all tech wizardry though. Bono's voice is in amazing form. After his back injury he focused on his voice for the concert thinking he may not be able to move as well, but it hasn't been a concern, he moves around the set like a twenty year old.
During the Italian lines of "Miss Sarajevo" Bono made the hairs on the back of our necks stand up, receiving a massive ovation from the crowd mid song.
So too at the end of "One", during which Bono played an emerald green guitar, the crowd was inspired to join in a brief version of "Amazing Grace".
Frequently through the show Bono would finish songs with brief cover versions, you can see them noted in the set list below.
During "Sunday Bloody Sunday" a version of Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up" was blended into the middle and helped along by an appearance by Jay Z under a bright green claw.
After "Sunday Bloody Sunday" Jay Z left the stage with a "Welcome home Aung San Suu Kyi."
Which led Bono into a tribute to Aung San Suu Kyi with a spine tingling version of "Scarlet" complete with a video package of Aung San Suu Kyi, recently released from house arrest in Burma.
There were light fun moments too, Bono pulling a girl out of the crowd during "In A Little While" and serenading her while lying on the stage staring up at the stars.
Triple M Announcer Gavin Miller was also there and said: "Never in my life have I seen a band grab an entire stadium by the balls the way U2 did tonight.
"The setlist was pretty near perfect. An awesome feat of technology, imagination and sheer scale. You MUST see it on Friday night if you don't have tickets yet."
Setlist:
Return Of The Stingray Guitar
Beautiful Day finished with a brief cover of Here Comes The Sun
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways finished with a brief cover of My Sweet Lord
Elevation
Until The End Of The World finished with a brief Anthem
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Mercy (New Song)
Bad
In A Little While
Miss Sarajevo
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo with a brief Highway To Hell and Devil Inside
Funky Town, Crazy Tonight, Relax and Two Tribes medley
Sunday Bloody Sunday with Get Up Stand Up and an appearance by Jay Z
Scarlet
Walk On with a brief You'll Never Walk Alone
Encore:
One finished with a stirring Amazing Grace sing along.
Where The Streets Have No Name with a brief All You Need Is Love
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender
Leave your comment
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phil says
Does u2 know how to play small gigs ? Give me Midnight oil any day
Posted Thursday 2 December, 2010 9:11 AM -
Mara says
I was there last night. The most incredible performance that I never saw. The music and stage were perfection, but the 360 degree stage was actually more like the 220 degree stage (it's at one end of the ground rather than in the middle as it was made to be) and was only about a metre off the floor so consequently caught only the smallest glimpses of the chaps. Yes, we were watching the world's most amazing big screen but with zero band interaction were reduced to watching music videos all night. I ain't that short and it wasn't just me, there were guys around us sitting on their mates' shoulders (something you don't see every day) and the chap next to me would hold his girlfriend up like a child every half hour or so to have a look. Staring at the backs of heads all night was really depressing. How they could spend so much money on a set and have it so low?
Posted Thursday 2 December, 2010 9:23 AM -
Kellie says
The show was amazing, I was there in line from 10am & got right at the front of the stage. U2 were awesome (as usual) the stage was Magnificent, and when Bono sang Miss Sarajevo it gave me goose bumps, it was a fantastic show & I wish I could go again on Friday :( thankyou guys for an AWESOME Show U2 ROCK..!!!!
Posted Thursday 2 December, 2010 11:15 AM -
Brigit says
My daughter and I were there last night. We stood a metre away from the stage. We had lined up in Melbournes drenching rain, had aching feet , smelt so much b/o and were squashed most of the night but without a doubt we would do it all over again in a heartbeat. It was the most amazing night we've ever experienced. God bless U2 and let them keeping rocking for many more years to come.
Posted Thursday 2 December, 2010 12:03 PM -
Evelyn Stathoulis says
Brilliant show. This was the fifth time I've seen them, and their live performances just keep getting better and better.
The night was magical, the 'claw' was magnificent and the music was awesome. Left the stadium feeling on top of the world.
Absolutely love them and look forward to their next album and tour.
Posted Thursday 2 December, 2010 5:21 PM -
Danial says
Absolutely amazing... Better than 2006 and can't wait for another new album and tour.
I'm sure "the edge" used 4532 different guitars during the night. Bono's vocals where simply amazing.
BTW - they also play "going to go crazy, if i don't go crazy tonight". Never liked that song much until seeing it live, only disappointment was they didnt play "Pride", "Desire" & "No line in the horizon".
Posted Thursday 2 December, 2010 6:44 PM -
Qerim says
I was there, having seen the same concert in London last year. The show was better than it was in London; it felt more polished and the band was clearly more comfortable on stage with the new stuff.
Having said that, it was the older stuff that completely blew my mind. Ms Sarajevo, Walk Away, Until The End Of The World... Awesome concert, awesome band, awesome night.
Posted Thursday 2 December, 2010 8:09 PM -
Helter Skelter says
3/10 for the U2 concert. No passion, no sincerity, no heart, uninspiring, cringeworthy, embarrassing, awkward. A huge fail. Time to call it a day fellas?
Bono lost the crowd early on during an odd monologue where he tried to tell us just how special Melbourne is, mumbling a few names of people even he seemed to forget in the hope that the crowd would respond with rapt approval. Instead the crowd just seemed unmoved by this cheap attempt at trying to connect with an audience that for the most part seemed indifferent.
Bono's repeated attempts to involve the crowd in extended spiritual we are one "kum bye yah" type extended sing-a-longs, microphone pointed towards the crowd, just failed miserably, with the band and Bono literally just having to prematurely terminate the song because it just wasn't happening, creating an awkward silence on stage and in the stadium. It was uncomfortable just witnessing this.
Bono even just seemed to give up on trying to sing "With or Without You" properly out of spite (or was it self pity?). (it's on Youtube but audio quality is poor). The concert ended on such a flat sombre note to weak applause, that Bono actually said "Don't forget us".
Posted Thursday 2 December, 2010 9:13 PM -
Elissa says
Best U2 Concert ever! Visual & Sound quality were incredible. The LED Screen fascinating, and choice of songs were very popular with the crowd. Worth every cent. Loved it.!
Posted Friday 3 December, 2010 12:39 AM -
mary says
what time does u2 come on stage & what time do they finish? we have reserve seats. What time does jay z perform as my kids want to see him also.
Posted Friday 3 December, 2010 11:48 AM
