by Andy

Better than expected, but far from great.

I saw U2 many times since 1992 and while they certainly still are a great live band yesterday's show was very average for their high standards.

I have to admit that their output since Achtung Baby has very rarely grown on me despite trying and so the first 4 songs were a big letdown as they are simply not up to the standard you'd expect from a band of U2's quality. The sound at Wembley wasn't very good either, at least at the start. it improved somewhat mid way, but at times was just shocking, especially during with or without you.

I sat on the upper tier facing the stage from the only side they actually used. I felt really sorry for the people on the side and especially the ones at the back. 360 degrees my arse, more like 110. The stage set looked good, but again U2 have set such high standards over the years that compared to the Zoo TV and Pop tours it was a bit lame.

And while some people might argue i am stuck in the past, i clearly wasn't the only one, because as soon as they started their "proper" set from around a Beautiful Day onwards, the crowd was a lot more noisy. I can see why people who only saw U2 on recent tours thought it was amazing as it certainly wasn't a bad show, but overall it was nothing more than average.....

pretty average setlist (no real gems or surprises), average sound, average production (especially with the people in the back in mind).

i have seen a lot better u2 shows, i have had a much better sound at other wembley gigs, and i certainly feel that £ 65 was not exactly cheap for what was offered.

Andy, London

BTW... Elbow were really excellent, despite the usual issues with being a support band

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