I bought my U2 concert tickets off Ebay in the Spring of 2005. That’s because early on I had read where all of their North American concerts had sold out within days of their announcement, including the show for Atlanta on Saturday, November 19th. I didn’t want to miss this tour!
In the late 90’s, (The Pop-Mart Tour – U2 Tour) , I had tickets to see the band perform in Raleigh but the road show ran out of money and they cancelled the show. That’s why I hurried to the Net and swallowed hard before issuing a purchase that to many was way over the top.
Ticket prices started at $50, but were easily selling for five times that by mid-summer. The best experience (I thought) would be to see the band on the floor and there was a slim chance I could make it into “the ellipse,” a smaller inner ring right in front of the stage.
U2 has always been one of my favorite bands. With a legacy of great music extending more than thirty years, I couldn’t wait to see ‘The Beatles’ of my generation and the fact I had a handful of friends willing to go on this pilgrimage made the trip even more exciting.
We left Kingsport early Saturday morning and traced our way from Asheville down Highway 11 in South Carolina and I-85 into Atlanta and had rooms on the 37th floor of the Marriott Marquee. The trip down was Ok, but I still have to question what’s the deal with Boiled Peanuts on South Carolina highways? Every 10 miles you’ll see an open trailer with a man or woman stirring a big steaming kettle offering boiled peanuts by the bag. Does anyone really care for soggy peanuts? I’m still puzzled.
We arrived at the Marriott late in the afternoon and waited for our friends to arrive. After a shower and a few drinks, we took a limo to the show and stood outside the Phipps Arena for about 30 minutes. The line was long and anxious, but when we entered the lower floor they scanned our tickets for random winners to get inside the ‘Ellipse’ – a small inner stage within the ‘B-Stage’ where fans could get up close and personal. We weren’t lucky tonight.
Nevertheless, we made our way onto the floor about 30 feet from the perimeter of the outer stage – around the middle of the auditorium on the floor. I was relieved to see the big-screens (four of them), but knew it was gonna be tight tonight, so we got a few gin and tonics and claimed our space.
Gavin Rossdale’s band Institute opened the show and their performance was good. His new songs and Bush originals were memorable and even more modern the U2 songs we knew. Everyone’s attention span was polite, but we weren’t there to see Gavin.
By the time the techs had reset the stage for U2, the crowd stirred to a roar. A 1-80 around the stage when the lights went out and everyone was on their feet. No empty seats and people of all ages standing as Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam respectfully walked to the stage.
Sci-Fi Author, William Gibson wrote an article in Wired a few months ago about the Vertigo tour, so I was ready for the confetti from the ceiling. From there it was a night of ‘shock and awe,’ strained ankles from looking over the heads of those in front of me and continued fascination with this 4-piece rock band and their chemistry and purpose.
City of Blinding Lights from Vertigo was the first opener after the confetti. The band was playing on an open stage with sound and lights perched high above the stage and throughout the set, one thing was surprising from all of the other shows I’ve attended. There were many moments when the people singing the songs were much louder than the band.
The band continued to build a show that was a balanced with artful technology including a LED curtain that looked like large wafers showing bright colors and several animated screens. From 5 story faces to planes and bombs, this screen was an excellent compliment to the bands live discography.
Alot of folks give Bono a hard time for preaching, but he delivers a message and despite the criticism, it’s an important one. Sometime in the middle of the show, he introduced their current “One Campaign” and encouraged everyone to become a part of this mission to stamp out poverty.
Bono’s most memorable stage prop was a headband he placed around his head during the performance with an Islamic Crescent Moon, the Star of David and the Christian Cross. He pointed to each symbol and delivered a one word philosophical comment that we should all ‘COEXIST. He also went on to say…“Jesus, Jew, Mohammed—all true. Jesus, Jew, Mohammed—all true.”
I don’t mind the preaching from Bono. He delivers a powerful and effective dose of philanthropy and syncretic cooperation that our word thirsts for, but I’m sure his posture on stage probably offended his most ardent Christian supporters, but at the least it was timely and fashionable too. The November 2005 edition of Rolling Stone carried this image into its pages too.
The band was flawless. My friend Tom Bettini refers to Adam Clayton as having one of the easiest jobs in show business and that may be true. His single note bass lines are easy to play and doesn’t require much effort, but his steady and predictable foundation welds a great landscape for Larry Mullens who has a primal rock back-beat that is part of the U2 sound and what more can be said by The Edge? He’s not a thrasher or a poser for that matter, but his ‘zen-like’ stature with the band is the source of the soundscape and his and guitar tones and effects are the symphonic structure that makes this band’s music so epic.
As good as the other players are, the undeniable force and ringleader for the band and the U2 personna is Bono. I’ve never seen a more charismatic and enduring performer. His voice – impeccable. His expression and stage antics thrilling and his posture with the band and our culture legendary. The audience of U2 may seem to stir with messianic compassion for this rock star, but I truly believe his consistent effort and unapologetic causes earn him the greatest of accolades.
There wasn’t one missed note, one missed pitch or shortcoming in the entire performance and other than a ‘Happy Birthday’ to Ted Turner (who was in the audience), the motive was clear, delivering the best rock and roll performance ever and they accomplished that. Another intriguing concert experience was the number of cell phones/cell cameras in the auditorium that night. Bono even had everyone hold up their cell phones with their screens on and what I remember from the lighters of the 70s, 80s and 90s has now been replaced by the bright blue screens in the auditorium this night. Quite a surreal spectacle indeed.
I don’t have to think about it. This show was the best rock concert I’ve ever attended. The concert experience was euphoric and the mass adoration of this band and their musical legacy doesn’t seem to falter. Bono was humble and admitted to the audience they have a lot more to give and I believe it and look forward to another experience with the guys in the future. After two encores, the crowd was thankful and what began with such fanfare was all over as soon as the lights came back on in the area.
Other than the concert, there were a couple of other unique memories about this show. Although I was 400 miles away from home, I was surprised to run into Billy Dixon at the bar and on the floor, Gary Hartley and his daughters were watching the show about 15 feet in front me and a friend of mine from Nashville, Ernie Gray was also at the show that night.
The show was over around 11.30 and we caught the limo back to the hotel and grabbed a late night bite at some smoky Irish bar, but as excited as we were, we were exhausted and back at the hotel sometime after 2.
This concert was without a doubt, the best live rock experience of my lifetime. The band and their music was spellbinding and my appreciate of their place in the universe even more magnified. I will probably not get floor tickets for major events anymore. The price that I paid for the tickets were more than I wanted to pay, but the experience is something I’ll long remember.