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U2 - Twickenham Rugby Club
I’m not the worlds biggest U2 fan, in fact, i think Bono’s a bit of a cock these days. However i didn’t turn down free tickets to their Twickenham stadium gig last Saturday. U2 have been around long enough to have been everyone’s favouite band at some point in life. They have written and recorded some great anthems. This was going to be classic, stadium rock.
It turned out to be the hottest day of the year which was slightly annoying as it meant all the beer in the whole of Twickenham was warm. I’d not been to Twickenham before, not for music or sport so it was quite exciting to be going to such a huge people gathering facility. Our seats were a little to the top right so the view of the stage wasn’t brilliant but you could get the general idea of what was going on. And besides, its a stadium gig, you knew what it was going to look like before you arrived. A ‘bigger-than-last-time’ screen behind the band with smaller screens to the sides. A huge bank of monitors painted in U2 the red and black and some walkways leading into the crowd for that up-close-and-
personal bit with the fan club people at the front.
The warm-up was Athlete. I didn’t see it, but i heard it, again. Its a shame when radio stations make you hate a band you should like. I’ve got a suggestion for one of those wires he keeps harking on about.
U2 opened with ‘Vertigo’. Loud guitars, deep bass, thumping kick drum and Bono’s unique voice just about cutting above the yell of the crowd. Big, bright flashing lights and everyone was jumping in time with the beat and singing along.
They followed ‘Vertigo’ with ‘I will follow’ and ‘Electric Co.’, then regressed a few years and suddenly the whole stadium was singing along to classic tracks such as ‘I still haven’t found what i’m looking for’ and ‘All I want is you’.
‘Beautiful Day’ was fantastic in the evening sunshine. Its a song that should be listened to as loud as possible and i think we were pretty much there. Bono’s voice would enter the top of your head, trickle down your spine and shake your senses free from your body. There were some fairly awe inspiring moments and hearing Bono (plus the 50,000 others in the room) screaming the words ‘Touch me, take me to that higher place’ made you ask yourself – where could be higher than this right now?
Seeing U2 live in such a huge place really makes you appreciate ‘The Edge’ and his defining role in the band. The opening guitar sound to songs such as ‘All I Want Is You’, ‘Pride (In the name of love)’ and ‘Where the streets have no name’ remind you of his originality, the uniquness of that guitar sound and how it can throw you back in years.
- U2
- Twickenham Rugby Club (18 June, 2005)
- Category: Live
- Support: Athlete
- Reviewed by: Brown
- Published on: 22 Jun 2005
- Comments: 2
- Beat Surrender Rating:
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Bono used the gig to voice his opinions about Africa, world debt and the Make Poverty History campaign. All that was accompanied by random words and flags on the big screen and a number to text your name to and it would be passed on to Tony Blair. A bandana with the words ‘Co-exist’ on his forehead made me think that it was a good time to head off for a piss but lets be honest, he’s a man with a message and he’s been doing it for years. In that respect, its a sincere message he’s putting over and you have to have a little respect for him for doing so. Maybe he’s not just trying to swell his bank account after all, although tickets at £80 were taking the piss a little.
So, definately a great gig, but glad i didn’t pay for it. I think it would have been just as special to have been outside the stadium during ‘I still havn’t found what i’m looking for’ to hear the crowd and feel the feeling of that moment. Spine tingling excellence. If i was the sort of person to spotaneously burst into tears then i would have done so during that song and hopefully the locals appreciated it as a change to the usual ‘Swing low…’
Johnny Vaughan (just to my left) was well into it, trying to take a picture with his phone. Chris Moyles smoked tabs throughout in a no-smoking arena (tsk) and for the second night in a row i had a close encounter with Chris Evens, i think he’s stalking me.
Feeling on a bit of a high after the gig i was firmly planted back to the earth when the crammed train carriage on the way home was buzzing with talk of who got evicted from Celebrtiy Love Island. Sigh…
Over breakfast the following morning i recieved a text message from Bono himself (at least that’s what my phone told me) thanking me for my voiced opinion and promising to pass my sentiments onto Tony Blair. Like he actually gives a shit…
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Comment Permalink | oli said:
I went to the zooropa concert when I was a kid. Crazyness, I think it affected me.
Comment Permalink | Small Beer said:
That explains a lot Oli ;)
£80 a ticket!? Someone’s having a laugh there.
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