U2 in Sydney after 8 Years!! 10.11.06

OK.... wow!!
What a screen... the whole end of the Telstra Stadium from roof height to stage covered in vertical strings of globes [that I'd read about and seen on DVD over the last 12 months] making up a low pixel projection screen with flash animations, live camera shots, colours and loads more... then four big screens and U2 signature stadium sound!!

BUT none of this could dwarf the four piece rock band who've risen through the 80s and drew a crowd of old and young to Homebush last night!! What an a amazing spectacle having waited since March for these shows!!

I will write a full review in coming days...
lets face it I have to wait until Monday because I'm going again...
this time standing room only!!

In the meantime here are some shots from the imate!!

A brief beginning would be that between 'not the best seats in the house' and a disjointed playlist I didn't find this to be the transcendent experience that was ZOO TV, PopMart and particularly Lovetown!! YET with standout tracks that I simply 'was peaking' from hearing live I came away happy but not ecstatic or speechless the way I was eight years ago!!

Hearing 'Beautiful Day', 'Walk On', 'Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own' and 'Yahweh' live was the closest I came to "top marks" for the lads. "One" was the absolute highlight for me and "Pride:In the Name of Love" slid beautifully into my favourite all time U2 song "Where the Streets Have No Name"
... BUT for me the brackets from different eras broke up the flow of the experience and left me feeling like a spectator at times!!

We sat where the speaking echoed so apart from seeing the DVD and occasional moments I have few clues what Bono said...

I was impressed by the 'Coldplay like' squeeze in of Kylie lyrics and the refrain from 'Never Tear Us Apart' as a brief reflection on mate Michael Hutchence... ask anyone about the tribute song last tour when the heavens paused poring rain down and the sky turned pink just at that moment!!

We were in the new seats for the rectangular configuration of the playing field and they were 2 metres lower than I expected and the sound tent added a barrier to the speaker tower I knew would block a portion of our view... we survived that after the whole bay infront of us took up the offer to move to a balcony [risky move]... there was some frustration in that at $200 a pop!!

The big screen certainly helped.... images of John Howard and Peter Garrett were a winner, along with Kylie and the indigenous art [plus didge player for 'Kite' as an odd but interesting show closer]. Including indigenous focus for Aussies into the 'Make Poverty History' theme was a clever and appropriate part of the show.
Did you see your name on screen by texting the MPH number???

"...I know that this is not goodbye!"