by Owen Prince

Wow, wow, wow!

Saturday night was my first U2 concert. My first in person, live in the flesh moments with these four musical magicians! I may have had to have waited near on a year but damn it was worth it!

However, the day started at 9am when my fiancé and I arrived outside Telstra dome and took up our position in the second holding area on the right of gate 7. We had this brilliant little three piece group in there playing U2 songs, Radiohead songs and taking requests (much respect and thanks for that fellas!). The best bit was that we could see through the exit gates and into the stadium and were able to spend the day watching the finishing touches, sound checks etc taking place.

When The Edge first hit the stage my heart began to race. Those notes were like honey melting in my ears!! Then when the full compliment of four U2 fellas sound checked One Tree Hill, Original of the Species and Walk On I nearly went into frenzy! Original is my fave track on HTDAAB and I would have been more than happy if they played it!

The run down along the field when we got in was madness but it was all worth it. Standing as we were right near the steps up to the B Stage where Bono arrived and where Larry played Love and Peace or Else was a vantage point nobody could be unhappy with.

Both my fiancé and I were rather sun burnt and sore by the time the lights dimmed and Wake Up kicked in but the pain went away when Bono ran past us and up the steps for his grand entrance! City of Blinding Lights was certainly what Telstra Dome had become.

Paul “F***ing” McCartney indeed when Sgt Peppers wound its way into Beautiful Day. What a great moment of Bono exuberance that was!

From the heart warming when Stuck in a Moment was dedicated to Michael Hutchence “We’re still missing him” and the obvious rawness of the connection with his Dad Bob for Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own, Bono was at the top of his game. What a range, what power, what shear energy that man creates and is as a being.

Also, just wanted to make mention of the brilliant Apocalypse Now referencing during Bullet the Blue Sky, with the flare and the whole ambiance it created. Brilliant, it told such a powerful story!!

Now as for Mr Adam Clayton, that was a fair old flirt he was having with the blonde and her friends in front of me. He kept wondering down, hitting his porn star pose and smiling that wicked “come hither” smile. Oh that bass is sex isn’t it!!

I was a tad annoyed we didn’t get Zoo Station because I was too young to go to Zoo TV but Mysterious Ways sure as heck rocked the Kasbah! (Like my reference to a song Bono referenced through the night?).

Encore two was just a blast. The Saints Are Coming and Desire just got us higher and higher but Kite (the song I have long held dear and promised will be my funeral song cause it says it all) was the clincher, the song that just topped it all off.

I told myself there would not be any tears on Saturday night, and I nearly lost it during Pride, but come One I was gone. A blubbering mess. Not out of anything other than pure bliss and joy at a dream come true and the greatest night of music I have heard.

Thank you U2. Thank you to a brilliant Melbourne crowd and thank you to all those around me who helped make our night even better!

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