by Ben

I'm thinking of a word to best describe this night. A nice juicy adjective that encapsulates the whole event and represents the sheer impact Bono and his pals had on me..........and the best I can come up with is WOW. Just.. WOW.

I've now been to 3 U2 concerts; one in Sydney in 2006 and the most recent one in London last year on the same tour. So yes, I may have already seen 'the Claw' in person but let me tell you, a year away from it is more than enough time to allow you to feel the same level of excitement as you did when you first saw it. It's certainly not something you see every day.

Despite the obvious attention the production design attracts, it wasn't just what happened inside the stadium that made the show what it was, but rather the slow simmering buzz of increasing anticipation throughout the day which added to the excitement of the whole concert. I joined the already 100 strong line of hardcore U2 fans at 10am and spent 6 hours in the company of some new friends who made the time fly by. Being in my hometown made me feel more relaxed than I have ever been at a U2 concert overseas or interstate, and is probably one of a few reasons why I was able to enjoy the experience that bit more than times before. The gates were opened at 4:30pm and by that stage people had understandably become very restless and anxious to get themselves a good spot inside. As you entered, the sheer sight of the huge imposing Claw stage was once again a sight to behold. You can see it once, but you never really get used to it. It's like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. If you'd have plonked a stage like this into a stadium just 20 years ago, I wouldn't be surprised if people literally thought aliens had in fact landed on earth. Knowing that it was just a mad creation of Bono and his crew, I opted not to run away from it but towards it and got myself a great position up against the railing on the outer of the circle stage. Time to rock!!

Jay-Z was something different – I would never have gone out of my way to see one of his concerts put it that way, but he did a good job at exciting the audience and his star power was evident to see. By the time his act had finished and the sun had gone down I waited in anticipation for David Bowie’s song to come blasting through the speakers. I find it such a fitting song for the show opener. As U2 came on stage to Return of the Stingray Guitar it was party time. The Perth crowd really got into it and the inner circle of fans were especially in the mood for a good time which was great to see. Much had been made of U2’s last visit to Perth in 98 when the lower bowl underneath the stage was set up to be all seated and the tickets were picked up by mainly wealthy jewellery rattlers who sat down all concert. I was too young to have seen any of this, but I knew of it and was proud to see Perth put on a proper reception for the best band on earth this time! You could tell during the concert that Bono was genuinely delighted with the crowd response for a lot of the songs. I was also doing my best to make a good impression by singing, jumping up and down and rocking to the music all night. It was a lot of energy spent, but almost effortless. U2 were in such fine form.

Highlights for me would have to be Until the End of the World (just a flat out rocking tune), City of Blinding Lights, Walk On and Streets (as always). Also the proximity I had to all four band members as they came down the circle stage was unbelievably cool. To idolize Bono, the Edge, Larry and Adam for all these years and to once again see them so close up was surreal. You don’t want to take your eyes off them for a second when they’re that close. It’s like a dream because very soon they will be gone and all you’re left with is memories. And I have lots of memories! This concert was easily the best of the three I have seen and will stick in my mind for life. I’m also very proud of the Perth fans for letting loose and having a bit of fun, which is exactly what you should always do at a U2 concert! My ears are still ringing 2 days later but I wouldn’t care if I was temporarily deaf from it all – it was totally worth it.

Thanks again U2! Perth was lucky to get you guys back again! Hopefully we see the band back here soon..

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