by Dave Hooper

OK, so I said I would do a review for the 3rd Dublin show. Well this was my fourth show of the Vertigo Tour, the previous two Dublin shows and the Glasgow show. Will write reviews for them all. But the 3rd Dublin show was by far the best one. Well I was off work for the Glasgow show and the first two Dublin shows. Thanks to my boss who told to get moving to Croke park at 2pm and thankfully I scored a pit pass. All my friends had seat tickets so I was the only one with a standing ticket and decided to go for broke and get into the elpise. It was worth it. From the opening theme of Vertigo and Bono counting in Irish, the gig was on. All Because of You followed, the elipse going mental and then GLORIA!!! Brillant, for the fans with all the records this is a brillant tour. Larry singing Elevation! All the crowd singing WOOHOO. And then An Cat Dubh and into the Heart.......At that moment i sent a text to my mate saying "I've Died and Gone to Heaven" Brillant song to hear the old stuff is brillant it is very unexpected. Bono dedicated into the heart to the childrens hostipal in Dublin and brought a girl of 7 or 8 on stage. He asked her for her name, which was Ciara and replied "I'm Paul, but people call me Bono, You are beautiful" and the guys played into Beautiful Day. It was followed by I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For, when Bono kept on going to introduce the next song only for the Croke Park crowd to keep singing "I still Havent Found What Im Looking For". Original of the Species came next a gem from HTDAAB. It was great to hear this live, seemed to be picked on the spot as Edge took out a sheet as he went to the piano and a big panic with Dallas as Edge headed for the piano. Bono sang all of species on the B stage and stayed there for BAD. Then I sent another message to my mate "BAD! I really am in Heaven" Bono added Dirty Old Town, this really was a Hometown gig and i was so exicited I was losing my voice!! The brillant City of Blinding Lights followed with the Crowd Roaring "OH YOU LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL TONIGHT" Miracle Durg was dedicated to Christopher Nolan who was in the Croke Park crowd and for the first time in the four nights I though the Band Nailed it. Sometimes rocked..Bono really hit the high notes. Love and Peace is the best live Song on the new album and watching from the elipse it was fablous, you dont know which way to turn! Its still funny to see Bono play drums. Sunday Bloody Sunday happend in Croke Park, the terrace were the stage is mounted on is named after the orignal bloody Sunday "HILL 16" as 16 people died on Bloody Sunday. Bono made a reference to how British solider commited murder that day 80 years ago and are still commiting the same things in Iraq today. Bullet the Blue Sky, with Please, Hands that built America and Johnny Comes Marching Home thrown in for good measure. Running to Stand Still a song about Ballymun, which is being pulled down, as Bono sang..."I SEE SEVEN TOWERS..SIX!" in reference to the changing Ballymun Sky line. Pride the crowd is estatic and then the we hit the clowds as everyone goes wild for the Brillant Streets. ONE what can you say and it was done Zoo TV style with Unchained Melody dedicated to Dublin. Then it was Encore number 1...How they decided to bring Zoo TV back is beyond me, but it is another gem pulled from the back catalogue. Followed by the FLY...Brillant nothing else, "LETTERS BECOME WORDS, WORDS BECOME SENTENCES, SENTENCES BECOME LIES" Brillant! With Or WithOut You is this the best song ever written??? OK then I went dont do YAHWEH(as its over then!!), do Until the End of the World or something for a change instead we got, UNO, DOS, TROIS, CATORICE..im thinking Shit, but what the HEY, one last time...Im giving it loads to Vertigo for the EIGHTH time in a Week. The END flashes up on the screen the Band walk off, waves and good nights from the guys. I think "come on, its worth a try", the other 80,000 think the same...We all Roar "HOW LONG TO SING THIS SONG" and it works, Bono and Edge stroll out again, Edges guitar doesnt work probably so Bono stops, waits for Dallas and starts again...take these Shoes....YAHWEH is fablous I love that song, I think the live verision is sad, I think its a song of saying goodbye. Then 40! Nothing else to say, this time it is good night Dublin as Bono leaves the stage, leaving his rosary beads on the mic, Adam drops the guitar and waves goodbye, Edge slows down the bass and heads off stage as he waves good night to Croke Park...Larry stops drumming the crowd cheer then Larry does his solo...finally he stops heads to the top of the stage and waves goodbye.....only a few miles down the road is mount temple were that man started all this off!

That was it 11.45PM on June 27th...Brillant probably the best gig I was ever at. I started following U2 in June 1995, 10 years Later Im a way bigger fan and the CROKE PARK 3 show proved why I should be such a fan! What a band.

To Paraphase Bono at Slane two... I had one of those days, the ones that you dont deserve, but Im Keeping IT!!

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