Spidey Opens Today

In their fullest comments yet about the creative clashes this winter inside “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” Bono and the Edge, of U2 — first-time Broadway composers — said they originally embraced Julie Taymor’s script and characters for the show but were wholly ill-prepared for putting her ambitious ideas onstage. They ultimately lost faith in her and quietly maneuvered to overhaul “Spider-Man,” before finally shocking Ms. Taymor, their longtime collaborator, with her ouster in March.

Bono and the Edge expressed regret at not being on site during previews in December, saying they were locked into a U2 tour of New Zealand and Australia. Most Broadway composers, both veterans and especially newcomers, are in their theaters virtually every night during previews, watching and taking notes. The Edge said they watched videos of performances from Australia yet were not in the theater again until early January, by which time the musical had become a late-night TV punch line.

They then went to work on sound design and new lyrics; despite hints and promises of new music, however, there is only one fully new song in the show, a version of which had been pitched to Ms. Taymor.

Even now, Bono and the Edge said, the musical is just 90 percent complete, with a final 10 percent of work — in their view, chiefly involving the relationship between Peter Parker and the villain, the Green Goblin — to be done this summer.

“The first time I loved ‘Spider-Man’ was two and a half weeks ago,” he admitted, but added, “Even when I was really angry about its obtuse story and some of the awful readings of the music — even then I was still saying, it was kind of magical.”

Well lets see what the reviews are.

Bono and The Edge will also be on NBC Nightly News on Tuesday with  Anchorman Brian Williams 

The Edge and Adam Chat with RS

Dre: The tour season for U2 will come to an end in an interview posted on Rolling Stone The Edge and Adam talked about the next tour and gave some ideas of what it could be like. Also within the interview we learned about the 2011 ablum.

Brian Hiatt from RS had a chance to catch up with Adam and The Edge at the Denver show. Here is some of that coversation.

Adam was asked there are a number of No Line On he Horizon songs not on the setlist so the show does feel like a NLOTH show at this point, Adam said yea its unfortunate, we would like to be playing more from the album, we did get good reviews however the fans did not catch on, think of it this way the single did not work so fans did not have a road into the album. We would have to agree however since we know a deeper U2 lies within we gave the album second and third chance.

The tour was to be over by now. The timing of the tour was nothing we could do. What happened to Bono was fairly serious and at the time he could not have gone on. He needed to be operated on now. That gave us a chance to work on material. However we have not had a chance to go back and work on a completed set. Pretty much why we will not have a record this year.

Photos from First show -

The Edge talked abit about the next tour and said that we could expect something different, the interview did go on about spiderman which seems to be a sore subject for Bono and The Edge not a project that will go down as perfect, more like it was a labor of love. Well thats alot of love.

Read more of the interview within the Rolling Stone online -

Delayed Until 2012

Irish rockers U2 have postponed the release of their latest album, due to troubles with their ‘Spider-Man’ musical. The band, who have been in the studio working on the follow-up to 2009’s “No Line On The Horizon” , now aim to have the new album out by next year.

“We had to have a meeting and look at the schedule to see if we could pick up any extra time to work on it. We just realised that we couldn’t. To be honest, everyone was a bit gutted. But it was the only sensible decision,” U2 bassist Adam Clayton  told  Rolling Stone.

Remember RedOne the producer that worked on a couple of tunes with the boys? Well, Clayton said that:

”We have to focus on what we do best, and the work we did with Danger Mouse came closest to that. In the end, the thing we did with RedOne doesn’t feel like the right fit.”

RedOne works include Lady Gaga, and Ms Lopez and Danger Mouse - So for now we wait 2012 for a new album and you can expect the full power of the marketing machine behind them.

Spidey is expected to arrive June 14th and you can bet that Bono and The Edge will be happy that its finally ready to go - The preview season was longer than most runnings on Broadway. So lets get it running

Massive, Impressive Worth the Wait

By Aidin Vaziri: It was massive. It was relentless. And, above all else, it was heartbreaking. But enough about the gnarly traffic jam outside Oakland’s Overstock.com Coliseum on Tuesday, which turned a typically easy commute to the ballpark into a panic-laced three-hour ordeal dotted with beaming red lights and a robust chorus of car horns.

The real action took place inside the stadium, where nearly 70,000 fans slowly filtered into their seats to finally catch a glimpse of U2’s big-budget 360° world tour, rescheduled from last year after the group’s front man, Bono, injured his back during rehearsals.

The singer, wearing his ever-present sunglasses in the middle of the evening, made up for the nightmare commute with a little flattery and a lot of passion.

“You guys invented the 21st century, didn’t you?” he said, surveying an eclectic audience that boasted lifelong fans, kids, unwitting contest winners, Silicon Valley glitterati and even a few real-life rock stars (Lou Reed was reportedly in the house).

Bono regaled the audience with details of a dinner the night before at San Francisco’s A16 with members of local platinum-shifters Metallica and Green Day. “Music shaped the Bay Area,” he said. “And the Bay Area shaped the world.”

Or as guitarist the Edge put it, “We talked about the most important issues of the day - the best Tequila available.”

U2, meanwhile, put on a formidable live show, with the singer breathing new life into some of the band’s most well-worn hits. Bono bellowed his way through decades-old songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Pride (In the Name of Love)” as if he were singing them for the first time.

With the Edge at his side, the front man delivered a stunning, full-throated acoustic version of “Stay (Faraway, So Close!).” He even convincingly filled in for Pavarotti on the understated operatic duet “Miss Sarajevo.”

The concert, built around a circular stage and enormous four-legged 400-ton structure known as “the Claw,” initially launched two years ago in support of the group’s indifferently received 12th studio album, “No Line on the Horizon.”

Going by the fervent reception that greeted the band at Tuesday’s concert, though, U2 didn’t lose any of its momentum during the time off, even though it failed to finish a promised follow-up release and has spent a good deal of time trying to untangle the problems with the Broadway production of “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” (finally set to open next week).

In fact, the politically charged concert was part of what has officially become the highest grossing tour of all time (and most expensive to produce thanks to the 500,000-pixel video screen).

“Thank-you for your patience,” Bono said. “Some of you were two years younger when you bought those tickets.”

Despite the focus on the special effects at the outset of the evening, the band was never swallowed up by the technology - even when they were completely enveloped by it during “Zooropa.” The Claw came to life a few times during the 2.5-hour show, spouting green smoke and shooting red lights high into the sky, but it never felt like the main attraction.

Some people in the crowd grumbled that the giant screens made it feel like watching a DVD at home - especially from the back rows. But no amount of high-definition engineering could wring out the kind of emotion the group - rounded out by bass player Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. - summoned during its mesmerizing run through “One.” That took real soul.

I have your face in an old Polaroid

Eric Shivvers:A few days a go, I was rummaging through boxes of photos at my mom’s house when I came across this image of me from college. Mom had it in a frame, which meant it was important to her.  It’s a self-portrait, capturing me during the spring of my junior year in college in 1989. Obviously, U2 was close to my heart.

I have not seen it in some years. I think I shot on a whim, either for class or to finish out a roll of film. Either way, it doesn’t matter as it captured a time of innocence in my life. I loved those years on campus at the University of Iowa. The highlight was seeing U2 play live when they stopped in Iowa City on the Joshua Tree tour. The four Irishmen were supposed to perform at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, but they didn’t. Rumor was they wanted to set-up their outdoor stage but were not allowed to. Instead, they came to our campus, much to our delight. 

I always wanted to sit in Carver-Hawkeye arena where I sat for that show on October 20th, 1987. Three years ago, I had that opportunity when my wife sent me packing to work on my memoir, I’m a Fan: How I married U2 into my life without going to the altar, at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. She had no idea she was sending me back to the place where the fandom took hold. She has always felt there was another person in our relationship. Yes, it is U2 and this time I was going back to work on a book and visit a familiar space. 

I’m not sure how many people can walk into an empty arena and sit for a few minutes in a space where their life changed. Luckily, I had that opportunity and I lived in the moment again. It was helpful, as I wanted the reader of my book to understand the excitement, the anxieties and the immense distance, from my seats in section JJ row 25, to the stage that night. The passion I had to create a flag and hoist it on a concrete column behind us, letting U2 know from the farthest seat sat their biggest fan, only to have it taken away. 

 

The innocence found in this picture is what I wanted for the book. The not knowing where the world would take me next, but the knowledge that U2 would always be with me is the crux of the story. It is something all of us fans can identify with as we have so passionately followed them throughout our lives. Sometimes, we cannot answer why we are fans. Inside, we just know we are and that is okay.

Eric’s Book can be found here -

I’m a Fan: How I married U2 into my life without going to the altar

Oakland Review: U2 is Bigger NOT Better !

Well the first review is in - While we await for Memphis Mullen’s review we have Jim’s review. Now Remember everyone has a point of view.

By Jim Harrington: One has to wonder whether U2 gets the irony of opening its shows with the tune “Even Better Than the Real Thing.”

For that’s really the issue that’s up for debate on their gigantic, record-setting 360 Tour, which finally touched down on Tuesday night — nearly a year later than originally scheduled — at Overstock.com Coliseum in Oakland.

Is watching U2 perform on giant video screens, on a mammoth stage that makes it hard to pay attention to the actual musicians, even better than the plain old concert experience?

I guess it depends on what one is looking for. The sheer magnitude of the production — by far, the largest ever in rock ‘n’ roll history — is breathtaking. The four-legged “Claw” stage, which each leg able to support 125 tons, is 157 feet tall and 200 feet wide. The in-the-round stage is designed so that every fan in the stadium — totaling some 69,000 in Oakland — can, at least in theory, see what’s happening onstage. Thus, the 360 name.

But the apparatus is also a huge distraction, one that even made the band seem quite unnecessary at times. If you weren’t in the first few rows, you might as well have been watching a DVD on the big screens. Sure, that’s true, to some degree, of most stadium shows — but never before to the extent witnessed on this 360 Tour.

Not that fans are arguing. This 2 ½-hour Oakland show — originally scheduled for last June, but postponed when Bono injured his back — was the 94th of a 110-date sold-out trek that already ranks as the top-grossing tour of all time.

There were a number of highlights on Tuesday night, just not anywhere near as many as found during the local stops on the band’s two previous tours, 2001’s Elevation and 2005-06’s “Vertigo.” Those previous treks played arenas, and the intimacy of the settings did more for the music than any “Claw” ever could.

U2, however, wouldn’t make us wait long for the night’s first highlight, following up the 1991 “Achtung Baby” track “Even Better Than the Real Thing” with a powerful version of “I Will Follow,” the early single from the 1980 debut “Boy” that still stands as the band’s best anthem.

Then the Irish quartet, which consists of vocalist Bono, guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr., would quickly let the momentum slip away as it delved into the new album for a lukewarm “Get on Your Boots” and a version of “Magnificent” that was anything but.

The band recovered nicely as it moved back to the juicier part of its songbook for the “Achtung” offerings “Mysterious Ways” and “Until the End of the World,” as well as the uplifting “Elevation,” from 2000’s great “All That You Can’t Leave Behind.”

Yet, the whole affair felt overly rehearsed and rote. That’s part of the deal with these big stage productions, which leave little wiggle room for veering off the set list or ad-libbing in any form. It still shouldn’t “feel” that way. But it mostly felt so choreographed, from the song selection (which closely mirrored other shows on this leg of the tour) to the stage banter.

There was, however, a handful of refreshing exceptions to that rule. The first came when band members discussed how they’d spent the previous night partying with Metallica and Green Day.

“We talked about the most important issues of the day — the best tequila available,” the Edge said of the meeting of rock greats. “I remember at least the first hour. The rest is kind of fuzzy.”

The second was an impromptu version of “Perfect Day,” the sensational song by Lou Reed, who was reportedly in the audience. And, most significantly, Bono did take the time to recognize that this crowd had to wait so long to finally be able to see this show.

“Thank you for your patience,” he said. “Some of you were two years younger when you bought those tickets.”

The delay didn’t affect the performance. The band sounded strong through much of the evening, continuing through such fan favorites as “Beautiful Day,” “Pride (In the Name of Love)” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.” Bono was a powerful frontman — proving one more time that he’s the best in the business at playing up to the camera — and the Edge had the guitar effects humming as usual, while Clayton and Mullen, Jr. again formed one of rock’s most potent rhythm sections.

And that fact only made it harder to accept the “Claw.” The band sounded so good that I wanted to actually watch them, yet my attention was continually drawn up to the giant video screens and to the four-legged monster of a stage

Follow Today #U2360OAK

Are you in Oakland today ? Attending the show ? Standing in GA line today ? Look around for Memphis Mullen today - Ask for some U2 Swag

U2TOUFANS followers have access to the U2 streams as it happens - You can up load your images, videos and even chat with fellow U2 fans.

The twitter stream today  #U2360OAK

Today open another window and follow along, join your friends following the show online.

 

Road Trip to Cali

In this mornings paper we saw this article that listed the road trip play list for Cali fans attending both shows and we began to wonder ? What would your play list look like. Its a travel day for most today so the news is lite, yea the stage is under way and since we are 24 hours way, its pretty much built. So take a look, maybe a listen and share your thoughts.  Here is Carla Meyer’s selection (Shes from the “The Bee”paper)

“Elevation”: This ebullient track kicks the listener instantly into show mode. For extra urgency, try to find the version from the “Live at Slane Castle” CD. It makes the energetic recorded version sound wan.

•“Mysterious Ways”: Bluesy but also technological forward-thinking for its time, it keeps the party spirit afloat.

• “Vertigo”: Catchy in a slightly irritating way, it shows U2 has a flair for hooks even minus soaring guitars.

• “Moment of Surrender”: Knowing this song from the band’s most recent album, 2009’s “No Line on the Horizon” determines the difference between tepid clapping and sincere whooping at its start. This one deserves a whoop. Midtempo, highly percussive and showcasing gutsy vocals by Bono, it’s the loveliest song ever to allude to an ATM robbery.

• “Get on Your Boots”: Atop a psychedelic, distorted guitar, Bono talk-sings “Subterranean Homesick Blues” style and claims, “I don’t want to talk about wars between nations.” It’s kind of goofy.

• “Magnificent”: The lyrics are bland but the jangly guitars offer a reasonable facsimile of early-1980s U2. This song concludes the obligatory new-music portion of our playlist.

• “All I Want Is You”: Bono’s voice is at its breathiest and sexiest.

• “I Will Follow”: An almost perfect ’80s-specific song, mixing straightforward guitar with new wave cadences and stylized vocals and a bridge showing off Adam Clayton’s bass and reminding us U2 is more than Bono and The Edge.

• “Scarlet”: A showcase for Larry Mullen Jr.’s drums, this is more interlude than song, punctuated by Bono’s cries of “Rejoice.”

• “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses”: Feedback, guitar crunch, Bono falsetto and an irresistible yearning vibe.

• “One”: Ouch, love hurts.

• “So Cruel”: This song makes “Wild Horses” and “One” sound upbeat.

• “Helter Skelter”: This live track off 1988’s “Rattle & Hum” shows U2’s appreciation for their elders.

• “Where the Streets Have No Name”: “Still building and buurrrning down love!” Thus starts our crescendo-packed final section.

• “With or Without You”: Dramatic and angsty for youngsters, and perhaps even more resonant for people who have been married a long time.

• “(Pride) In the Name of Love”: This tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. is big, historically minded and just … Bono.

• “Sunday Bloody Sunday”: A call for the end of violence in Northern Ireland, with an added romance-in-strife vibe, it never grows old. You must sing this song forever, Bono.

• “New Year’s Day”: A tale of lovers riven by outside forces, this song is genuinely epic, its sound encapsulating Ireland, the British Isles, heather, Heathcliff and New Year’s Day hangovers. Enjoy the show!

 

U2 360 in Seattle – It’s All About Larry

Larry Mullen Jr / U2TOURFANS 2009/ 2011Seattle Memphis Mullen: The U2 360 show in Seattle was better than the shows in Denver and Salt Lake City. Even though it was the same set list, the audience was much more into it, the band was having a blast and actually seemed a little more into as well, Lenny Kravitz was a better opening act than The Fray, and oh yeah I talked with Bono before the show about Larry and Larry shook my hand as he was leaving the show. 

Being so tired from walking around Seattle sight seeing the day before, I decided to stay in my hotel room and conserve my energy until it was time to go to Qwest Field. To further save energy, we took a cab to the stadium even though it is just under a mile away. We got to the stadium at 3:00, got in the GA line just long enough to get our wristbands and then walked around to wait for U2 to arrive. Our friends told us Larry had just went it, so I was a little disappointed – but they were wrong.

After meeting a few people I’ve been chatting with on Twitter and giving out some U2TourFans stickers, we saw the flashing lights of the police escort and black SUVs. Edge, Bono, Larry and Adam drove into Qwest Field right in front of us. We looked down the long driveway and saw Bono get out and head back toward us. He hopped on the back of the policeman’s motorcycle and in seconds was talking with us.

My friend, Jenny, and I were in our ‘Larry Mullen Band’ shirts as usual. I shouted, “Is Larry ever coming out to greet the fans?” Bono responded, “He only likes you. I love you.” Then Bono went on to say, “You like that kind of cold stare” (referring to Larry).

Before Bono was about to leave, he asked the small crowd of about 30 people, “Where are the Larry Mullen people?” I shouted, ‘Right here!” and pushed my way toward Bono. He read my shirt as if to make sure I was the ‘Larry Mullen Band’ girl he had been talking to earlier. Then Bono asked, “Do you have a message I can deliver?” I said, “Yes, tell Larry to come out in Oakland since he didn’t come out here.” He said, “OK.” I then went on to tell him that I would be at all the US shows, but I don’t think he heard me. Bono then asked my name and repeated it back to me, “Deena.” When he got in his golf cart to go back, I saw him write something down, so we’ll see what happens in Oakland on Tuesday.

We got in the GA line and had about an hour wait in the hot Seattle sun before we were let into Qwest Field. While waiting we got to hear the sound check. I was quite excited to hear The Fly, but disappointed it wasn’t included in the set list later. Once inside, we got a nice spot in the inner circle on Adam’s side – a great view for Lenny Kravitz.

Lenny was a great opening act, a lot better than The Fray. He didn’t take the stage until 7:30 and only played 45 minutes, but played the four songs I know – It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over, American Woman, Fly Away, and Are You Gonna Go My Way. Lenny had these great female backup singers that reminded me of Elvis’ Sweet Inspirations. Lenny also did karate moves that reminded me of Elvis. Could Lenny be a fan of The King?

After Lenny Kravitz’ performance, we went over to Edge’s side and stood behind the stage to wait for U2 to enter. It was odd getting our neck’s stamped (instead of our hands) for re-entry to the inner circle. Security kicked us off the rail where we were waiting for U2 to enter, claiming the fire marshall wanted that space cleared. So instead of having us lined up along the rail like we were, they had us lined up horizontally sort of blocking the way to the inner circle. Not sure how that wasn’t a fire hazard.

But as soon as U2 came out of that tunnel, security couldn’t hold us back and we were again on the rail. Larry came by and smiled at me, and I think he may have waved – of course I was screaming his name and wearing my Larry Mullen Band shirt.

We decided to stay on Edge’s side for the show, and it was a good decision. We had a great view of the show. It was side view, but we could see everything. At the end of Vertigo, we went behind the stage to wait for Larry and his conga to start his walk for I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight. He again smiled at me as I screamed his name and jumped up and down - actually I think he’s laughing at me, but I’ll take it.

For Moment of Surrender, we moved behind the stage to wait for U2 to leave. Instead of standing by the stairs at the stage where we could have gotten a good picture, we waited back toward where the tunnel is. As Larry was walking out, Jenny shouted, “Larry!” He smiled and made a b line for us. He shook Jenny’s hand and then mine – still smiling. I thanked him. But this does not excuse Larry from coming out in Oakland on Tuesday to meet me.

Hello Seattle !

When U2 climbs onstage tonightl at Qwest Field, many in the crowd will have waited almost two years for the show. The U2 “360 Degree” Qwest date was originally scheduled for May 2010 and tickets first went on sale in November 2009. But when Bono injured his back and needed emergency surgery, the Seattle date was postponed for a year. Memphis Mullen is expected to be in the GA line early and will have some U2 swag for some fans.

Bono is back to leaping and jumping again, and the delay in the end might prove lucky. During the past year, U2 has honed its show, added a few songs and integrated video of the Arab spring revolt into a moving “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Reviews of this leg — the seventh of the tour — are stellar. “Fresh and edgy as ever,” proclaimed The Salt Lake Tribune. “Lives up to image, hype,” raved The Denver Post.

The staging for “360 Degree” includes a 164-foot-high steel support rig, nicknamed “The Claw.” If that sounds like an expensive stage prop to haul around — it requires 120 trucks to transport — U2 can afford it: Even with a break for Bono’s rehabilitation, the “360 Degree” show has become the highest-grossing tour in concert history, surpassing the Rolling Stones’ “Bigger Bang

Bono and Brule

Nick Walker /U2TOURFANS 2011When Bono wrote the song “Walk On,” he probably wasn’t foreshadowing wandering the streets of Canada at the mercy of a passers-by.

But that’s where the legendary U2 singer found himself Tuesday, stuck on the side of the road near Vancouver, his thumb extended in hopes of catching a lift. His chariot arrived in the form of a ride that brought him to his destination and turned the self-described rugby player on to Canada’s favorite sport.

“I like ice hockey, because people who play ice hockey are the kind of people who pick up hitchhikers,” Bono told a concert crowd Wednesday in Edmonton, Alberta, as seen in a video posted on YouTube. “I know this from personal experience.”

Bono and his assistant were out for a walk when, according to numerous reports, it started to rain. The U2 frontman/hitchhiker said that Edmonter Oilers player Gilbert Brule and his girlfriend were driving in a truck when they spotted the forlorn traveler.

Kelsey Nichols told CNN affiliate CTV, that she didn’t believe her boyfriend, Brule, that the hitchhiker was Bono. “I said no, we’re not picking up a hitchhiker. We’re going to die,” she said later, with a smile. “There’s no way.”

But Nichols, who was driving, changed her mind and turned around. According to the Edmonton Sun, the couple had set out for a local park to walk their German shepherd — a dog that eventually shared space in the back of the truck with the singer and his assistant.

Nick Walker /U2TOURFANS 2011“He was very cool,” Bono said of Brule, describing him as a “very modest man.” “He said, ‘Where do you want to go?’ And I said, ‘Just take me to where The Edge is’” — a reference to U2’s well-known guitarist.

During his Edmonton show Wednesday, Bono said that he had decided “that I now want to be Gilbert Brule,” a five-year NHL veteran center who scored seven goals in 41 games last season with the Oilers.

He then went on to cast his bandmates as other members of the Oilers’ franchise, dating to its 1980s heyday as a juggernaut on ice.

The lead singer decreed that Larry Mullen, U2’s drummer, would be Mark Messier, who won five Stanley Cups with Edmonton and another with the New York Rangers. Bassist Adam Clayton was dubbed Grant Fuhr, in honor of the famed ex-Oilers’ goalie. As to The Edge — who was born as David Evans — “he’s kind of the Great One,” Bono decided in casting him as nine-time league MVP, Wayne Gretzky.

Brule, who flew from Vancouver to Edmonton so he could go backstage at Wednesday’s concert, told CTV that he was “star struck” upon meeting the rock star and taking him to Horseshoe Bay.

“I couldn’t believe he said that,” said Brule of Bono’s gushing praise. “That was insane — I think I want to be him.”

The Concert of the Decade

@ Nick Walker 2011 EDMONTON – 65 Thousand fans agree that U2 is just amazing.  Someone would call them a miracle and others just plain amazing will do.  The boys (as we like to refer to them) had a busy week. Their marketing machine was in full swing, this week they traveled by plane direct to the show – day of show – like true rock stars. Some fans have called the Edmonton show “The concert of the decade” which we would have to say that title was taken by the Brazil show a couple of months back.  

Its been since 1997 when their last appearance was here. U2 remains timeless – 35 years of hits, moods, and tests of the holy sprit. U2 fans are not like other fans, oh sure we have heard that before about other fan bases, however the truth is that U2 fans dig deep and have passion for life, and love of people beyond space and time.  

The stage is so massive it sets the tone for a intimate show

@ Nick Walker 2011 Bono was a loose and gangly presence, striding around the enormous spiraling catwalks and moving bridges over a sea of lucky fans in the inner circle as he serenaded the audience. He urged us early, “Come on, City of Champions!” Nice he got Edmonton’s nickname right this time. He talked about rugby, about “ice hockey,” which also seemed go over well with the crowd. He played with his melodies, pumped as much drama into his performance as he could – fully aware that all his flamboyant rock star moves could be taken as ironic. It doesn’t excuse excess, but it sure makes it a lot more fun.

Bono of course knows how to work his audience with a few references to Canada and even a well scripted invite of a female from the audience to recite the lyriices of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” Bono was in the zone, ready bring the passion and power to all those that waited to see them 

U2 band took the stage around sunset to open with Even Better Than the Real Thing. Read into that what you want. The Edge’s distinctive chiming guitar led the way in I Will Follow, sounding as fresh as it did when it came out in 1980. Mysterious Ways brought the energy to an even higher level, something that would happen repeatedly throughout the night: Beautiful Day, Pride (In the Name of Love), Vertigo, each song much more than a mere song, but a stadium anthem that invites the mass singalongs that again are thrilling in themselves, just to be there. To elevate, as it were, rock songs into such grand and grandiose statements would seem absurd from anyone but U2.

Fourteen years since their last appearance in Edmonton, Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry have almost perfected the stadium rock experience. They’re not ashamed to make it as big as they possibly can – because that’s what we expect from these guys.

65K Real U2 Fans Arrive

@ Nick Walke 2011 r Edmonton — It was a beautiful day for an outdoor rock spectacle, with an estimated 65,000 fans revelling in another magnificent U2 set — filled with jangly guitars, booming bass lines and Bono’s heartfelt tales of peace, love and Gilbert Brule.

Under a partly cloudy Wednesday sky, and a 50-metre alien crustacean known as the claw or spaceship, Bono and his boys took fans to new heights of excess, excitement and hockey hysteria at Commonwealth Stadium — 14 years after the band’s last visit to Edmonton.

(Truth be told, the excess started hours before their 9:09 p.m. start time — with a police escort from the airport to the venue for a quick sound check.)

If you’ve been keeping track of the U2’s current 360 tour, you’ll know the first few songs didn’t differ much from their usual set list — starting with Even Better Than The Real Thing, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent and Mysterious Ways — five songs from three different decades of their career.

In a way, watching the Irish rockers on their giant screen was almost better than trying to see the real things on a puny stage in the middle of a huge football stadium, especially for those fans standing on the field. Bono and his bandmates looked larger than life on their circular screen, and so did the entire scope of the show, thanks to camera angles which incorporated the breadth of the almost sold-out stadium.

“Welcome to the 325 tour,” Bono quipped, making a dig at Commonwealth’s seatless south end.

Late morning, May 21, 2010, word shot around the world of his emergency back surgery and U2’s need to postpone a series of shows, including a stop in Edmonton.

Bono reportedly came close to losing the ability to walk, but his recovery looks complete — as he crouched under his microphone, shimmied, and swaggered around the stage, which featured an outer circular rim and two moving bridges. After hurling a bunch of white roses into the crowd during Until The End of The World, he treated fans to a story about hitchhiking in Vancouver and getting a lift from none other than Oiler Gilbert Brule and his girlfriend. The tale then prompted Bono to compare each one of his bandmates as to a former Oiler.

The Edge, or “Wayne Gretzky” on guitar, stickhandled his way through explosive anthems (Elevation, Beautiful Day) and touching ballads (All I Want Is You). Stoic bassist Adam Clayton, or “the Grant Fuhr of the band,” backstopped with steady and sensual bass lines, while drummer Larry Mullen Jr., or “the Mark Messier” of U2, was suave yet feisty behind his kit.

Unlike the band’s show in Winnipeg, where the city’s name was spelled with only n (and Manitoba was referred to as a state) on the band’s giant screen, there were no such gaffes in Ed- or rather Edge-monton. Instead, fans were treated to such happy pre-show facts as the number of suicides this year (422,982) and the number of days until the end of oil (15,535).

U2, of course, need a lot of the liquid to power their beast of a tour, yet the Irish rockers try to compensate for their materialistic ways by supporting social and political campaigns, such as Amnesty International, Make Poverty History and Product RED AIDS.

Fans celebrated the latter two efforts by bringing red and white balloons to the show, which provided a bit of distraction for a few minutes after the opening act, The Fray, left the stage.

As expected, Bono dedicated the last song of the night, Moment of Surrender, to the survivors of the Slave Lake fire, as thousands of cellphones lit the stadium in a warm glow.

“I have some people here from Slave Lake I’d like to dedicate my song to,” he said. “Whoever it is you want to hold in your hearts, hold them in your heart.”

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

U2 Arrives, Plane awaits

The boys from Ireland arrived to Edmonton’s International Airport around 4pm today – No fans to greet the band – most fans already at stadium awaiting their arrival. The private 360 plane taxied right up to several black SUVs and a couple of police cars awaiting to escort them direct to the Stadium – The plane will be on stand by, fueled and ready. The boys may be doing a “runner” which means play and go. No stay over, no after party just hit the cars and off to the plane. 

 Gates opened at 5:20 pm local time and U2 should be taking the stage about 9:00pm local time. We of course will be streaming the set list on our site.

What time is it Edmonton ?

Eager fans of the Irish rock band U2 tried to earn themselves a close-up view of the band by lining up outside Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium a full day before Wednesday’s show.

Joe Ahorro of Edmonton was the first person in line. Ahorro has seen the band at least 47 times on four different continents and believes the wait is worth it. You get to see a lot of the interaction between the band members. You see them talk to each other, make jokes with each other. You see them make their little mistakes and there’s just a lot more energy with the fans at the front, I find.”

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GA Line Starts in Edmonton

Fans have already begun to stand in line. The wait is half the fun. Soon the boys from Ireland will be upon us said one local fan, its been a long time coming.  Fans are on high alert for U2 staking out the Fairmont Hotel, watching the weather, planning the day before the be show that everything is in order.

The Concert of the Decade !

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50K Winnipeg U2 Fans Rocked !

Some 50,000 people packed Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday for the much-anticipated concert by Irish rock band U2. Check out the updated setlist.

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. stopped in the city as part of their 360-degree world tour.

The unseasonably chilly May evening didn’t deter fans, who cheered, danced and sang along. 

Bono certainly earned his share of that accolade. Sauntering and bounding around his $35 million playground, the black leather-clad singer was the consummate frontman, energizing the crowd with every rock-star gesture, coaxing them to sing along with every soaring chorus — and winning them over by dismissing the unseasonably cool and breezy conditions.

“We don’t feel the cold in Winnipeg,” he assured us. “You’re Canadian; we’re Irish.”

While Bono was the obvious focal point of the night, the rest of the band weren’t playing second fiddle. White-haired (and white-suited) Adam Clayton, like all great bassists, was a study in understated cool, casually strolling and posing while unspooling thick, propulsive lines.

Guitarist The Edge — sporting his trademark skullcap and goatee — was only slightly more animated, focusing his concentration on picking his chiming guitar lines, manipulating them with his vast array of effects and handling backup vocal chores through his headset mic.

And drummer Larry Mullen Jr. — bundled up in a scarf and sweater as he thwacked away on his rotating drum riser — was more Ringo or Charlie than Neil Peart, but efficiently effective at his role: Holding down the centre of the sound (and the centre of the stage) so Bono and Edge can roam where they want and still find their way back.

Winnipegger Paul Martens, who lined up for nearly two days to grab a prime spot on the floor, counted Sunday’s show as his fifth U2 concert.

“I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a band that is able to connect with their audience quite like U2 does, and in such a massive setting as this as well. Yet they seem to somehow bring it down to an intimate level,” he said.

The last time U2 played in Winnipeg was in 1997, at the stadium as part of its PopMart tour.

For the second encore, Bono came out swinging on a microphone that was set inside a glowing red ring and suspended from the rigging. At any other show, it would have been a highlight; here it was only the third or fourth-coolest moment of the night.

Not that anybody complained about it — nor about the fact they skipped their usual closer Moment of Surrender (maybe the group weren’t quite as immune to the cold as they maintained; it was pretty nippy by that point).

By the time they wrapped with With or Without You, they’d supplied 130 minutes of the most powerful, passionate and stylishly presented rock this city has seen for some time. Or is likely to see for some time.

1000 New Tickets Released Today

It turned into a “beautiful day” for dozens of star struck U2 fans in Winnipeg Friday. Crowds of fans and onlookers gathered outside the Burton Cummings Theatre for a chance to meet the famous rockers, who said they’re happy to be back in Manitoba for the first time in 15 years.

“You know Winnipeg, we need to spend more time to get to know the place,” said legendary U2 rock star Bono. “We get to know the people, but we don’t get to know the place, it’s funny.”

“I got to hug him and take a picture with bono and he shook my hand,” said Jadeen Sinclair, who was shaking with excitement. “All I had was my beginner’s license,” said Liam Gillen. “So I had him sign it.”

The band showed up to shoot part of a documentary inside the legendary venue. But they took several minutes to mingle with fans and sign autographs.

“What a sweet man to stop,” said Tara Gouzecky. “He could have gone right in there but he stopped and I’m glad he did.”

Meanwhile, the tour released 1,000 more tickets for todays show at the Canad Inns Stadium Saturday afternoon and offered the media a sneak peak of their set. A huge 360-degree stage is set up close to the centre of the Canad Inns Stadium, and a four-legged steel structure holds a massive speaker system and cylindrical video screen that hovers above the performance area. ( Click the link belong to get to the tickets)

U2 tickets at TicketsNow

Bono and crew will perform in front of tens of thousands of fans at Canad Inns Stadium Sunday as part of their 360 Degree Tour. The band hasn’t played in Winnipeg since 1997.

Wake up Winnipeg U2 has Arrived

Sleeping on sidewalks awaiting the arrival of today. It does not matter what country or time zone die-hard U2 fans sleep out (camp out) In Winnipeg they have been lining up for 2 days, sleeping on sidewalks just to have that premium spot for today’ show. 

Canada’s GA line team walks the line with a sharpie and marks the fans as they await today. The first person in line is Tri Cao “I’m all excited” screams Tri ! l

It does not matter if its your first time or your 25th time, every show is an experience that is worth the wait. Winnipeg was not on the tour stop last year, however they made the cut this year simply because of the need to fill in more dates to recover from last years hold pattern. 150 trucks and 200 people arrived 6 days ago and will be gone in 3 days. 

“One of the original ideas of this show was make the stage so big the stadium actually feels small,” said Tour Director Craig Evans.

U2 Tickets from TicketsNow.com

Evans says every one of the 50 thousand ticketholders will have the best seat in the house, including the crew who was hired to work the show.

“It’s neat. This doesn’t happen all the time, once in a life time,” said local crew member Kelly Morris. “The biggest stage in the world, yeah, it’s awesome.

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