by Steve C

This was my first of 3 Popmart shows, and my 3rd tour to date. I drove down from Minneapolis to see both Memphis and U2.

The bad news is that this was easily the weakest U2 show I've seen so far. I had heard about technical problems with the show on these early dates and unfortunately, the stories were true of this show as well.

Most of that is related to problems with the giant screen and even more so the problems with the sound. Nobody around me could hear Bono singing very well due to faulty PA. That problem was solved about 1/3 into the show, but the mood had been set by that time. Of course Bono having a problem with his throat didn't help and as hard as the audience tried to help them out, the show never fully recovered. The problems the band had with their material weren't that big a deal, but it didn't help either.

Performance-wise, I think that the kareoke break, while kind of amusing, simply doesn't work. And while I like the new album a lot, some of the songs just don't work as well live as they do on the album. The best of the new live songs are also, in my opinion, the best new songs on Pop: Gone and Please.

The good news is that even on their less than great nights, U2 is better than 99% of the bands I've ever seen. That screen, when working is amazing and it really does help make a stadium show work, brings it to life and creates a visual component that a simple stage and bank of speakers cannot.

Overall, I had a great time and Memphis was great as well.

Return to previous page | Post a Review of this show!