by Matt Hewison

From the moment you walked into the MEN, you knew something special was about to begin. The venue was perfect and as the optimism grew and the Mexican Wave made its way around the arena, the wait and the trauma of gaining tickets was going to be worth it. Unlike the previous tours this was so intimate and personal, you felt the boys were in your front room almost.

The grand entrances had gone, this was just a straightforward walk onto the stage and play the songs. The concert had a certain rawness, it was just four men, three chords and the truth. The music was incredible, with all the razzamatazz that came with ZOO TV and POPMART you forget just how good U2 are musically, both as individuals and as a collective. The songs from ATYCLB sounded great with Bono's tribute to his Dad before Kite, being a memorable moment. The anthems of yesteryear all sounded as good as ever with Streets been my favorite song of the concert. Bono as usual prowled and struted around the heart and despite sounded quite "hoarsey" when he spoke, blasted the songs out with great power. This was my sixth U2 concert and certainly the best yet, the two hours flew by and you just did'nt want it to end. If I had to say anything negative about the night, it would be that Kelis was'nt good enough and that they did not play Pride.

A night that I will never forget and if the goal is Elevation, U2 certainly scored tonight.

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