by Brad B

After what was the worst handled, most un-U2 spirit GA line fiasco that has taken place in any experienced U2 fans memory, last night's show was truly a phenomenal evening in an amazing majestic venue which looked like being in Barcelona's Camp Nou.

First the line fiasco needs to be recorded in detail for history so that true U2 fans are aware of and make sure never happens again. As with nearly every other city where a big U2 show takes place, hardcore committed U2 fans began arriving the day before the show (in fact, one individual arrived Wednesday) to camp out in line overnight, Over the course of the day over 400 people arrived, were numbered and received wristbands in an orderly respectful manner as always. At 7pm, security met with the fans who had worked hard to manage this process throughout the day and told them that security would honor this process and gave "no being on property overnight" instructions for everyone to leave the property and return at 7am Sunday to a specified parking lot area from where the line would be walked to the Field entrance gate at 8am per the published venue statement that the property would open up at 8am. Several amazing fans volunteered to stay up all night to continue giving numbers to anyone who arrived and pass on the information from security on returning at 7am. That's where any measure of integrity and respect ended. Despite security's statement, a new set of people started arriving on property at 5am led by two girls who had printed fake U2 laminates and lied to the new morning security they were official U2 representatives. The new security person on property let them form the line. When the people who had waited all day Saturday arrived at 7am as told, they found a line/mob of over 200+ people who had manipulated security and said "#@$%# you" to the 400+ already numbered linesitters who had arrived a day before them because they were there "first" (the gall to make that self-righteous statement was amazing) and that they had the "official" line. Anyway, instead of doing anything to find a reasonable compromise (i.e. merging the lines) the mob just kept saying "@#@#% you" with security's backing until might made right. It was opposite everything real U2 fans are supposed to represent: fairness, community, respect, intelligence, justice and soul. A sad sad, ugly day in U2 fan lore with a set of selfish, could care less about the U2 community fans and incompetent security all the way through to the dangerous, human crash at the entrance gate when the turnstiles opened. With this recorded let's hope this isn't the future of how the U2 fan community is going to work.

Now the show. An amazing night beginning with a blistering set by the Black Eyed Peas highlighted by what might have been the single greatest opening song moment (leave side the whole Pearl Jam set in Hawaii) in the U2 show history when Slash from Guns and Roses came out on stage to play "Sweet Child O' Mine with the Peas with Fergie channeling Axl Rose into the Rose Bowl. The gig just went off from that point to the highest of levels and never came down. After Rocco gave the crowd a motivational "the world will be watching so sing loud" pep talk, U2 came out on fire. Bono's voice was great and he went after the notes with a passion that only the best nights bring out in him. The tracks off NLOTH have turned into truly amazing live, audience involved songs whose freshness to a large measure exposes a little bit of age and tiredness in songs such as SBS and WOWY ... not to say those songs still aren't great live but that 20-25 years can take a toll on a song's energy and relevance. The night started on fire and stayed on fire until the last Moments of Surrender to the magic of a great night. It will be one that, thanks to the DVD shooting, will be able to be relived in the years to come. Thanks to all U2 fans who truly believe that "here's where we gotta be, love and community" and overcame the obstacles of Sunday morning to create the joy of Sunday night. See you all soon.

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