U2 360 Live at ANZ Olympic Stadium Sydney 14th December

"Wow... wow!!" said Bono part way through tonights second Sydney 360 concert which is really hard for me to compare to last night! They were just such different experiences!!
Last night Rah, Andrew, Ros and I [and many familiar faces I saw trooping in to the Stadium] enjoyed the concert from the stands where tonight [or more correctly today] it was Darren and I lining up with GA Standing Arena tickets. I again did some laps at Homebush Aquatic Centre in the middle of the day and met Darren around 3pm to wait in the shade until the line filled out a little. At 5.30pm we speed walked down through the stadium and onto the playing surface, to the right of the 'Claw' stage and around and under the outer circle so we were in the pit between the outer and inner circles with our backs to the rail and able to see the band side on in full view, a matter of metres away... briliant and yet surreal under such a spectacular electronic extravaganza!!

Tonight was different because of:
- different song order and choices
- watching from under the massive screen
- standing as close as I would on a good night at Newcastle Workers
- able to see band members walking the circle behind us so they are basically 1 metre away

Again the 'good news' was front and centre in this show with standards sung full of emotion and those pauses listening to the audience chime in were brief and appreciative rather than a sign the band were sick of repeating the song. Indeed I watched Adam Clayton playing tonight and he was loving it...
'New Years Day' replaced 'I Will Follow' in the running order [in fact I liked the flow of last night better] But 'Love Rescue Me' sung as an old time gospel song was a great companion to 'Amazing Grace.' Bono didn't get as many lyrics mixed up tonight and 'With or Without You' was hauntingly moving.
U2s great gift is to take old songs and reinvent them for current times. Great examples include: Bullet the Blue Sky; Sunday Bloody Sunday; and in New Zealand the offering of 'One Tree Hill' and 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' as lament and a chance to sing out your grief at the Pike River Mine disaster.
'One' has had that focus at this and the last tour, with Desmond Tutu's taped intro and invitation to join the list of those who have tried to make the world a better place.
What I love about a live U2 show is how it connects me with my past stories and experiences and also calls me to act differently in the future. They are inspiring and timely reminders. I thought tonight about the brilliant 'Lovetown' concert in 1989 at he Ent Cent, Zoo TV, PopMart and more... as Bono relived those times and even joked about the night Adam missed a show after drinking too much... I fondly recalled a simpler less busy time...
I know U2 are recording [and working on their 'Spiderman' Broadway musical but I am not at all sure they'll return to Australia... I hope so, but if not 'Wow!!'