Noel Gallagher (Oasis) and his High Flying Birds opened up the evening of U2’s second run of dates (First run was 2017) showcasing their career and ground breaking 5th album “The Joshua Tree” which was initially dropped on 9 March 1987. This was the first show of the Australian leg of the tour.
Noel and the Birds played a vibrant set with Noel often smartarsing the audience (in good humour) and if you closed your eyes you could think it was Liam. ☺ Towards the end of their set Noel happily announced “only another 14 songs until U2” – and closed off with a spray of Oasis covers – including cracking versions of “Don’t Look back in anger” and “Wonderwall”. ‘Triffic!
Bono as MacPhisto in a dark suit? Keith Hewson conjuring up a new methodology for the UN? Somewhere on Planet earth tonight Bono had an intervention in the shape of a date with some close friends playing music in a stadium in Brisbane/ Australia/ Oceania . Larry wanders on stage towards one of two drum kits right out at the end of the runway stage into the crowd – Adam follows – the Edge bounces out like a jackrabbit and Bono the impresario ringmaster saunters up to the band and kicks off.
The band open with “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day” from the album “WAR” and it’s like they never left. The years peel away and the gems and mesmerising emotional crackle of the Joshua Tree is here in all its fractured glory. Earlier in the day I had a serious unexpected emotional trauma and the songs washed over me like an evangelical emotional wave totally uplifting and cleansing the soul. Thanks Universe – this was all designed to happen at once.
U2 released the “No Line on the Horizon” album on 27 February 2009 – album 12. I listened to it solidly for 3 months in my car always hearing something new. By track 4 they have already started sampling themselves from the previous 3 tracks – real Magick!! At that time (and still) I believe this album was the closest U2 came to topping “The Joshua Tree”. It has a similar emotional unearthly pull like a heart energy connection with the band and their music. Quite interestingly the band played not one song from this album tonight ☺
From the opening of “ Where the Streets have no Name” – ricocheting in a continuous loop around the world - to the closing Gospel up spirited balm of “Angel of Harlem” ( which Bono dedicates to BB King) U2 re-present all the songs from “The Joshua Tree” almost pitch perfect. There are a few minor sound issues but the show marches on. The band has a massive 1040 video panels making up a 200 X 45 foot screen behind it – constantly streaming specially reshot film footage and still pictures of the country area around “the Joshua tree” area in USA in all its raw beauty. This screen both dwarfs the band and then makes them become giants. The biggest Screen in the Southern Hemisphere and a stand-alone feature – still – U2’s strength is its music and the music eclipses the industrial light and shade chicanery.
The Band complete the set of “The Joshua Tree” and take a bow. They play another 8 songs.
“Elevation” and “Vertigo” had the crowd dancing and bouncing from age from 6 to about 80. ☺
“Beautiful Day” was joyous n tingling and the band closed with “One” with the whole audience singing along.
What separates U2 from all other bands is the real heartfelt emotion from Bono to the audience – from his heart centre into the crowd and the raw emotion in his voice as it sails over and through the music. He reads the audience perfectly and connects to it. I have seen U2 3 times and felt the same connection each time. Bono (part leprechaun/ part selkie) transmits at a level of spirit and emotion that it’s just not possible to imitate or fake. The band are connected to him like soul family. It all organically works as a mystical juggernaut in perfect symphony. This is why U2 almost 40 years later are still packing out stadiums. It’s a feeling and connection you can’t clone or replicate. Make sure you go and see U2 on this tour in 2019. You may not see them again.
By Donald Gunn