by Jonathan U2BassAce

Bad news....time of your life news!!!!!

Well Phoenix number 1 was my 5th show of the tour and 12th overall. I decided to cordinate business travel plans with the Phoenix stop on the tour because I noticed you could get GA tickets in the secondary market there for about $20 over face value as compared to $250 to $350 in SoCal.

Well I had bought two tickets and then somehow lost 1 of them!! Uggghh So I ended up last minute having to buy another pair to replace the one ticket. "thank god" Well we get to the arena later than planned and hit the U2.com line at about 7:45. My friend get's scanned to go to the Bomb Shelter...no dice....take my ticket...same story...then I ask them "hey I have this wasted ticket can I scan it please" they say no problem...to our amazment it's a winner!!!!! We are heading to the Bomb Shelter!!!!!

Walk into the BS about 5 mintues before Kings open their set and are amazed that the side of the BS in front of Edge is pretty empty. We set up shop about two people behind the railing. Well after Kings finishes their set one row leaves and we are one person from the rail. Then as the time ticks off for U2 the front row shifts some making room for us to belly up to the rail! FRONT ROW RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE EDGE!!! What band could you show up to 5 minutes before the opening band and in a GA situation end up in the front row. NONE!! Thank you U2!!!

We are soooo jazzed have the camera ready and actually kinda enjoyed the Kings set. It seems the Arizona crowd in the BS is really giving them a good reception, especially as compared to the California crowds. They are stoked and it shows.

Well off to U2.....but before that I have to throw major props to one the Arizona crowd, very cool people, very respectful, and two the Glendale arena..in my opinion the best venue to date!! On the floor they have staff selling beer and they have a tunnel entrance with it's own bathroom. You never have to leave the floor for anything. Well laid out and relatively great sound too! Beautiful place!

This being my 5th show of the tour and from my 3rd distinct vantage point I was amazed how pumped I was. Even hours before the show I had goose bumbs and was jumping with anticipation. Let me say U2 did not dissapoint! This was the show of the tour!! Bono's voice was strong after a multi day layoff and the band was as comfortable as I have seen all tour. The set list rocked and the crowd went off!!!

The boys spent a tour record amount of time on and around the outer eclipse! Mutiple times out there and even taking the whole band to the edge for Yahweh. With Larry barely "if not a little late" making it out there in time for the start of the song and Bono making light of it! LOL

Being sooo close for this show was a hightlight of my U2 fan life. Just watching the Edge work his way through the songs one after the other was amazing. To see the concentration in his face as he plays the very complicated task of being the mission control for U2. He definitely speaks with his guitar and not his emotions. Just a true scientist at work. This became apparent when his wireless system went out more than once. The worse being before Sunday Bloody Sunday when Larry kicked into the drum cadence and Edge locked in twith the guitar only to have no sound. Out comes Dallas with a backup cord...nothing.....Larry keeps the beat going extending it out......2nd back up cord seems like forever but only about 20 seconds total, I am even nervous for them, this is all unfolding right in front of me....2nd back up is plugged in by Dallas....bam didn't miss a beat hit the opening cords and we were off again.....what a veterean band...they didn't even flinch!!

Who is this new Rock St*r Bass God?!?!? Adam has become Bono's right hand. Adam has not only broken out of his shell but has torn it down!! He spent more time on Edge's side of the stage and the Eclipse then the Edge himself. Acknowledging the crowd personally. Huge smile on his face as he worked around and made eye contact. Taking the Rock Star Bass God pose and just killing it on bass! And who's idea was it to play Yahweh from the Eclipse?? Adam's!!! As I saw him speak into Bono's ear and then Bono's nod before they gathered for the treck to the tip! No more camping out to Larry's left all night the man is now a true showman!!! Major props to Adam!!

As I said the set list was perfect...I love the LAPOE opener and that night I think they added at least one extra song to the set as the show lasted 2:10 minutes or so. As compared to the normal 2 hour to the minute set of past shows.

The boys are having a blast and it shows. Being so close you could see the smiles from all of them. The nods to each other the acknowledgments the true love for getting to do waht they do best and having the knowledge that they are just killing it and the crowd is going wild! Arizona definetly brought the best out of them and U2 responded with their best show of the tour!!

Boys play rock and roll!! Tonight was a 9.5 out of 10!!

I have some really great pictures I hope you enjoy them!

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