> Reviews > Reviews 2005 > U2

Review by Rob.

Adam Clayton - "That Colin Bell Stand is in the wrong place"

I first saw U2 in 1987 on the Joshua Tree tour. Then they played a straight up stadium show with little in the way of gimmicks. They compensated by playing a series of awesome songs and it was a great show. I saw them again in 2000 at Earls Court, and again they played a similar kind of toned down show. In between this of course they played 2 mammoth tours Zoo TV and Popmart which changed the way stadium shows were done forever. Now they are back playing in stadiums again and we wondered which version of U2 would tour this time.

The answer was sort of an in between show. There was no phoning the local pizza place (just as well as they would never arrive through the Manchester traffic) and, thank fuck, no giant lemon. However there were some remnants of their mid 90s blowouts. U2 Cam featured 4 giant video screens which followed each member around. A tough ask for the cameraman following Bono, but a piece of piss for the one tracking Larry. Add in a spectacular light show and some mobile phone participation and you had a nicely presented effort. Pity it was a bit too bright to see the best of the lights. Bet it would be ace indoors though. We will return to the set list soon but it would be rude not to mention the support so here goes.

Idlewild are a fine band in the epic mode of Big Country, REM, and todays headliners. They may still have to do a classic album but I hope they have one in them. However today they suffer from an almost total lack of concern from the audience who are only here to see U2. This is a common problem at shows like this and I'm sure the band would rather be at a festival. They played some songs from the new album which is fine, but i wanted to hear the ones from the Remote Part. They obliged with an excellent Live in a Hiding Place, and wound up with American English, their one classic song. It sounded great here,pity it was wasted on 90% of the crowd.

Athlete have been given the important second on the bill slot when in theory the majority of the audience are in and attentive. It is usually a good slot. This audience were more interested in the mobile beer sellers though. Mind you they didn't miss much. Their albums are a nice listen, especially Vehicles and Animals, but live they are dull dull dull man. I think the only kind of support act who would have gone down well would have been an in your face guitar band, someone like Interpol or Lost Prophets.

Did I mention the weather? Well it was nice, warm and very bright. It was into this sunlight that U2 emerged kicking off with new single Vertigo and everyone is going wild. The one thing about U2 is that they have several songs that are irresistible to a large stadium crowd and this is now enrolled as one of those. Then a surprise Electric Co. their first single released in 1980 is dusted down. The edge seems delighted to play this again and he's off down the ramp to play his solo, at least I think he is as seeing is difficult from the halfway line. Still I prefer to be on the pitch than in the sterile seats. Elevation gets mass whoos from the audience, some of them even in tune. Its a great song from an underrated album, as is Beautiful Day, played early tonight. In between they play New Years Day. Its a special song for me because its this single that got me turned on to them in 1983. I still play the War album, even though its nowhere near their best.

So far little effects but this changes with an awesome light backdrop for the appropriately titles City of Blinding Lights. Its possibly the best song on their new album and its excellent tonight. Then for Sometimes You Cant Make It, Bono is featured singing to a ghost like figure, meant to symbolise his departed father. Its quite a moving moment. From here on things take a bit of a dip for 2 reasons. Firstly not really the bands fault the sound is very crumby and its probably due to the back set of speakers or the acoustics of the venue. Secondly Bono gets his political head on and we are told all about Live8, Bush Blair and the Iraq war. Its all a bit Panorama and there's too much of it for a rock n roll show. Look I don't mind a plug or a subtle reminder to help make fair trade and the likes but it was too much in the audience's face here. He was preaching to the converted with me and others around me anyway.

The good news is that in between we get Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky and my favourite U2 song Running to Stand Still. Its anti drug message is still powerful, with songs like this Bono doesn't need to say anything. Then its the home run and Pride and Where the Streets are unloaded and everyone goes nuts again. The final song is One where the aforementioned mobiles are held up instead of lighters. Its a sign of the times thing, though the song is as great as ever.

There's encores of course including a fantastic With or Without You and some stuff from Achtung Baby, mostly overlooked tonight. Finally an emotive Yahweh and a reprise of Vertigo bring the show to a close. Its a good show but to sum up I reckon it would have been better indoors where it could have been awesome. They still set the benchmark for this kind of show though.

Just a final thought about the stadium too, its very nice and reasonably easy to get to and leave and all that, but I was very disappointed to find the Colin Bell Stand is at the side of the pitch....

All Pics courtesy of www.u2-vertigo-tour.com