by Alin (aka Party Girl Man)

My name is Alin (or Party Girl Man as I’ve come to be known) and, yes, I am the guy who got the incredible opportunity to play Party Girl on stage with U2 in Pittsburgh. It’s one of those things in life that can’t quite be described with words, but I’ll try.

First, though, I want to say that it was the most amazing show I’ve ever been to (besides the obvious reason for my personally feeling that way). It was only the second time I’ve seen U2 (first time was in Cleveland on the Elevation tour). It just amazes me how they all put over 100% into the performance from opening to closing, seemingly every night.

I’ve been thinking of trying to get on stage to play with U2 since the Elevation tour when I read a few reviews of fans who had done so. So my plan was to get as close to the stage as possible and hold up a sign stating my desire. And that’s what I did. We got in line at about 11am (#153) and endured the rain and cold with everyone else (thanks to Jackie, Todd, Jim, and Jen!) for the whole day. And it was certainly worth it! We didn’t get into the ellipse, but were able to get on the rail just right of the center tip. I wanted to just enjoy the show for the first few songs, so I waited until about the middle of the main set to display my sign. I don’t think Bono saw it the first few times he came by. The critical moment was right after he finished banging on the drums at the end of Love and Peace. He was right in front of me and so I put the sign up after the song ended and he looked straight at me and mouthed, “You’re mine”, then turned and walked back to the stage to start Sunday Bloody Sunday. It was about at this point that I began freaking out. Up until that moment I really didn’t think it was going to happen- it was just one of those dreams that you have but realize probably will go unfulfilled. It was a bit difficult to concentrate on the rest of the show (since I was feverishly going over the chords and the solo in my head over and over). But I just tried to stay calm and enjoy the show and if it happened I would have to rely on instinct more than anything. So when Bono and Edge were playing Stuck in a Moment at the tip of the ellipse I flashed my sign again as Bono was looking my way. Right after that he said something into Edge’s ear, which I suspect may have been about his plans to get a fan on stage to play Party Girl next. And then after they finished Stuck in a Moment, Bono said into the microphone, “Where’s the guy who wants to play Party Girl? Where’s my Party Girl Man?” From that point on it’s pretty much a blur. Bono was looking for me in the wrong spot and for what seemed like an eternity I was struggling to get up on the rail (despite the security guard trying to push me back down). Then Bono spotted me and the guards were now helping me get on the stage. As Bono put his arm around my shoulder and walked me around to the main stage, I vaguely remember him asking my name and if I could really play the song. Since my mind was racing I don’t remember this, but have been told, that he announced my name and said something like, “Edge, we’ve got a live one.” When on the stage someone handed me a guitar and pick and told me to stand next to Bono. So that’s what I did. Then as Bono approached the microphone he asked me if I wanted to sing it also, to which I quickly replied, “No thanks, that’s your job.” I may have thought about it if I hadn’t been standing in the rain all day and just finished screaming my head off for 2 hours, but I really didn’t want to make a fool of myself in front of thousands of people and ruin the show for everyone. So I just started strumming as Bono and Edge stood next to me to see if I could really do it. After one measure of the chords they gave an approving nod and I think Bono said something like, “I think this is gonna work!” into the microphone. Before I knew it we were up to the solo and I went right into it. The problem was that I couldn’t hear myself playing it, so I messed it up a bit. Bono could see that I couldn’t hear it (or maybe he couldn’t hear it either) and so he put his microphone up to my guitar. The rest of the song went by in what seemed to me like a few seconds. All I was thinking was, “I can’t believe this is happening! Don’t screw it up! Just have fun and enjoy the moment!” So that’s what I did and it was one of the best moments of my life. The song that I’ve been practicing for a few months (ok, so it’s only 3 chords- but I really didn’t want to mess it up) just flowed out of the undoubtedly most expensive guitar I’ve ever played and it felt like I was part of the band, if even for a moment. I wasn’t expecting the champagne (Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin), and it just added to the enjoyment. Bono sprayed me and the crowd with it and then handed it to me as I gave him the guitar back. Bono hugged me and he and Edge congratulated me. Edge shook my hand and handed me his guitar pick. As I jogged back to my spot outside the ellipse I received the biggest cheer of my life from an awesome crowd, and I can’t describe how enormous that felt.

I can’t thank Bono, Edge, Larry, and Adam enough for giving me this unbelievable opportunity. Bono and Edge were so gracious, kind, and supportive. Spontaneous and yet professional at the same time- I saw up front why they are the biggest band in the world and why so many people are drawn to their music. And I thank the best crowd I’ve ever seen for a great show and for the support. It was wonderful meeting so many of you after the show. I hope “Party Girl” added to your enjoyment of the show, as it certainly did to mine.

I’m desperately looking for photos, audio, and video of Party Girl (and the rest of the show). If you have any or know where I can go to find some please send a message to alinbota [at] gmail [dot] com.

See you in Cleveland!

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