by Hannah Burns

How could I ever forget this night? This being my first U2 show I had no idea that it would change my world.
Taking the TTC from Etobicoke with my friend Jeahny we thought that we would just pick up a couple of tickets in front of Massey Hall. After getting off at the Dundas street station and walking the half block in the wet slush that we Torontarians would like to call snow, my feet were freezing. Two or three times over the next 90 minutes we tried to negotiate a fair price of $50 bucks with Goliath sized scalper who, in 1984 was asking $250 dollars for a $14.50 concert ticket.
At one point, this little kid who was going to the show with his mom hollared at the guy for overcharging. At this challange Goliath prepared to stomp the little imp who posed no threat to his own giant.
With one final attempt Jeahny, captain of the cheerleading squad and myself, general loudmouth, hollared "WHO'S SELLING TICKETS?"
With this last attempt two girls turned to us and asked us what we'd give them. Jeahny had fifty but I only had $47.00 after buying my concert smokes. The girls accepted the cash and said that they had won the tickets on Q107 and had no idea who this band U2 was.
To J and I this was blasphemous. Oh well... better for us. I wonder if those girls ever regretted giving up their beautiful 7th row seats.
When we walked in the lights were already down and the Waterboys were playing with a complete horn section. They alone were amazing. However, I was unprepared to receive what happened later.
Bono had us engaged from the moment he walked on stage. We were all standing on the arms of our seats, jumpig up and down and yet none of us were hurt. Yes, Bono did tell us to be quiet. Actually he said "SHUT UP, We're not the beatles or the Bay city rollers." Being only 15 I didn't get the Bay City Rollers part but the crowd fell silent and Jeahny and I seized our chance to get pretty boys attention... we yelled, "1 2 3 LARRY!!!" Well, if I wasn't already undone then that toatlly undid me., Larry turned to us and smiled and waved. That was it, done, baked, finito.
For me, I can't tell you about how tight they were, I can tell you that I was in shock when Edge actually sang October, alone on the stage. I can't tell you how many encores there were, but I can tell you that the images behind the stage, painted by Hiroshima/Nagasaki survivors although I didn't understand them, they resonated in my spirit. And I can tell you that for the first time in my life singing a song based on an ancient psalm of King David struck me and for the first time in years this melancholy teenager felt alive.

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