October 29, 2015 – London
This was the third of six shows in London. I arrived late (around 14:30) in the queue because I had come down from Liverpool after spending two days there to see the team I support, Liverpool Football Club, play in the League Cup against Bournemouth. I didn’t want to jump the line and re-connect with my friends at the front since that went against my ethos of line etiquette. Being further back (about 250th in line) gave me a chance to meet new fans and see a different perspective. The other night a cover band called U2 Tribe performed at The Pipeline for U2Start’s London fan party. When I arrived late in the queue, funny enough, the person next to me was a really nice fella named David from England who was the guitarist from U2 Tribe. He told some interesting stories of what it was like to be in a U2 cover band and the shows he’s attended in the past. I also met another fan named Määrä from Sweden who was excited to see her first U2 concert of this tour. It was moments like these that make the GA worthwhile. I still ended up on the catwalk rail, closer to the e-stage, so some of my pictures still worked out.
The show itself was perhaps the best out of all the London concerts. We got Gloria, New Year’s Day, Bad/Gloria, and People Have the Power (guest appearance with Patti Smith). This was the best closer of the tour, in my opinion. We had an idea that Patti would make an appearance at one of these concerts since she was in town for her own gigs. You have to remember, at the start of the show, everyone is singing the chorus ‘People have the power’, pumped up for U2 to belt into Miracle (Of Joey Ramone). To have Patti lead the closer with her song was electric. The same adrenaline rush that started the show streamed through our veins at the end of the concert. The spontaneity and change was welcome and hope this happens again.
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