by Ned

After the expected setlist of the first show, I had some well-based misgivings about going to the second, thinking I was in for more of the same...

Couldn't have been more wrong. They blew the entire stadium away. The setlist, their performance, the crowd's attitude, everything seemed to eclipse the previous night...

When the synth intro to 'Bad' (my all-time favourite song) started up, I could feel tears forming in my eyes, and they gave it what I honestly feel is their best performance since the one captured for Rattle and Hum; the extended ending ensuring my adrenal glands were left bone dry before the concert was even half way through.

Until the End of the World, City of Blinding Lights, Where the Streets Have No Name and Beautiful Day were the standouts from their well trodden setlist configuration. The second highligh of the night came at the start of the second encore; just when I thought they'd break into Ultraviolet (one of my least favourite U2 songs), the vicious distortion and eerie whammy that signals "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" rang out, and the crowd went ballistic.

I'm only 20, and have seen U2 three times, and a smattering of other bands (Australia is not exactly spoilt for choice) and can honestly say that this concert not only ensured that I didn't just feel like I went to U2 gig (like the first night), but I had the U2 experience that they try so hard to maintain with constant stage reinvention...

5 Stars, and I can eventually die a happy man, having waited 12 years to hear "Bad" live.

Return to previous page | Post a Review of this show!