Seats: General Admission – Front Row Centre
There was an obvious festive mood in the air, and was cued by Bono singing a bit of John Lennon’s ‘Happy Christmas (War Is Over)’. Everyone sang along, and I loved it. To make the night even more special the band sang a trio of Rattle and Hum songs – All I Want Is You, Love Rescue Me, and Desire! Desire was a very pleasant surprise, taking me back to that Barcelona show when the stadium would sing along that anthem of a song. I lost it before the start of ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ when Bono soliloquized, “For all those important journeys, our prayer is that you don’t get there too quickly,” suggesting that there is virtue in the search itself. I then thought of my family, who I was spending Christmas away from for the first time in my life. The song touched me at a deep level, where my faith, family, and friends are at my core. U2 has that effect on me (and most of us for that matter). I have to admit, I go to so many shows, that coming across that special effect has become more rare. Perhaps it’s a function of knowing what to expect in the setlist, so that’s why it’s a rare thing to experience a spontaneous moment that sparks that special effect I yearn for.
The loud fan beside Kara was yelling to Bono to sing ‘Party Girl’ just after ‘With Or Without You’ finished. Uncomfortably, Bono acknowledged the fan, turned to the Edge who shrugged an I don’t know, it’s up to you look. Bono then turned to Larry who immediately wagged his head no. It’s clear who wears the pants in the band – it’s Larry! As a compromise (and perhaps because he’s not as familiar with the lyrics at that moment), he sang a few lines from Party Girl, with the rest of the crowd filling in the words. It was indeed a festive concert, with only 6 days before Christmas.
