by David Quinn

After queuing since 8am and still being crushed by latecoming fans who seemed intent on ignoring the valiant attempt of some organised fans to inject some order into the proceedings (nice try guys : guy in the green fleece (number 65): get a grip and show some respect!), this gig will for me go down as one of the most emotional I have enountered. Bono looked to be extremely emotional when singing every song that contained any references to life/death, and from where we were standing (2 people back in the heart)he appeared to start weeping 3 or four times : Bono : we feel your pain and hope you'll do alright.

After being pelted with drumsticks during Kelis's performance (just put your broken sticks down drummer, no need to chuck them in the crowd!! (though my flatmate caught the first one with ninjistic prowess!)), the fear was intensified when Bono almost decapitated a guy right in front of me when he booted his Mic stand into the heart (need to keep a lid on it mate!),

Emotional and spiritual, it felt like we were seeing Bono at his most raw and vulnerable. What a show.

And the technical problems : It seemed that Bono forgot the words to the first verse (as he seemed to do all night), then tried to start again, assuming that the techs would stop or re-set the pre-programmed synths playing in the background. They didn't so when he started on the second verse, the synths went to the chorus, making it sound out of tune and leaving Edge and Adam not knowing whether to follow the synth or follow Bono. After continually trying to signal to the techs, he ran to a point behind the edge where a tech must have been situated, and audibly screamed at him to "stop that f**king thing!". The thing stopped. Instantly.

Most heart-felt version of One i've heard : he was really battering his guitar as he seemed to be doing all night.

Raw, emotional, spiritual : thanks for a great show and performance Bono : the crowd (and, it has to be said, the rest of the band) looked kinda scared the whole way through (esp. at the end of Bullet the Blue Sky : What was that Rant all about!!).

We will pray for your father, and hope that he is happy upstairs with the big man.
d

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