by Carl Strehlkow

U2, Thursday 16th November, 2006. AAMI Stadium- (alias Football Park), Turner Drive. West Lakes.

Support Act- Kanye West

Accompanied with- nil (but there are several people from the gym and else where who went to this gig)

More then 60, 000 people attended, in slightly chilly conditions, making this the biggest concert ever to hit Adelaide. The Irish rock group is one of the great stadium acts. The greatest show on Earth. Or so they say. The stage was enormous with the speakers and a gigantic shimmering television screen that must have been at least five stories tall made their production second to none. Now one thing you can say about U2 is with so many well recognized songs the world over as The Beatles, ABBA (not that I like ABBA) and perhaps the Rolling Stones, no matter what they don’t play, what they do does make you feel you got your monies worth. You shouldn’t feel disappointed. It was an amazing show. The trouble was that one with a audience that huge, the atmosphere should have been absolutely electric. Sadly, for the majority of the time, it felt absolutely dead. This wasn’t the bands fault. Bono, no doubt tried, but to no avail. May be many who did go were going to a concert for the first time. This should have made them more excited. And songs such as Vertigo and Elevation alone should have been enough to have them eating out of his hands. I even admit, being a concert veteran, this even eventually rubbed off one me. But, just for a moment with the opening bars of the 1980’s classics Where the Streets have No Name and Pride. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. These could have been better highlights. With the song One, Bono got everyone to light their mobile phones before requesting them to send text messages for one of his many noble causes. He is very much a human rights activist. Weather or not he should be using these concerts as avenues for his beliefs, it is better messages of love then messages, rather then of hate. This was best done with Miss Sarajevo, utilizing the giant screen with several articles from the Untied Nations declaration of human rights scrolling down. Or was that Up? But for the encores, Zoo Station, with Bono singing wearing a Russian hat, putting his face right up to the camera was great. I should also mention Bono dragged an eleven year old on stage during Sunday Bloody Sunday. With or Without You was also great. And the song Kite with an actual kite ties to balloons was the perfect concert closer. All the members are great with The Edge’s great guitar work to Adam Clayton on bass and the drummer Larry Mullen. U2 are a rarity that the four original members are still together after thirty years. I have no doubt all there had a good time. But most were surprisingly restrained. Aside from a flare, no wonder the police said the U2 fans were well behaved. Maybe after a couple of decades, U2 are so use to these stadium gigs. But I will give them the benefit of the doubt. I will have good memories of this concert.

Rating- 9.5/10

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