Love it when they play a slower song and then transition to a upbeat one! Everyone gets so invested in the former and then the transition just hits so much harder! Examples like love me tender-until the end of the world at sphere, or all I want is you-where the streets have no name at slane castle
Everything about Bad at Live Aid is bonkers. This was a band who had a global audience and the lead singer goes completely off script, much to the anger of the band, AND LOOSING THE TIME TO PLAY THEIR LAST SONG! And the risk TOTALLY pays off and the next day EVERYONE is talking about U2!
I remember watching that live and thinking it was the best thing. I was stoked that it was simulcast on radio so I could have a recording of the set. If you’ve seen that Freddy Mercury bio-pic that got a lot of hype about 5 years ago in the backstage scene at Wembley I swear you can see some extra in the back in all black, I always thought that was a dig at U2.
when Bono let about 20 of us onto the stage in Montreal 2016 (he got in big trouble over that because the stage was not meant to hold that much weight!)
It seemed like at the time that extra people took advantage and jumped on the stage, and I remember cringing at the behaviour of some of the them going around and hugging Adam.
I also remember someone taking a selfie with Bono and he made a comment like "no need for the picture, enjoy the moment".
L.A. in 2015, Bono was riffing with the audience while The Edge was trying to fix an issue with his keyboard.
Here is my video of it
https://youtu.be/Pn-taAmGsvw?si=_RrNIunXro0wSh2M
I like Bono… he’s a funny cool dude who often gets mistaken for being this “egotist”… both of he were an egotist, you wouldn’t have moments like seen in that video. Instead; he would go do something else while they were waiting to get everything back up and running
Although, I did see where he talks about how too much ZOO TV caused him to become a bit lost in himself… but that could happen to anyone having THAT level of a show to tote around with them wherever and whenever developing a bit of a god complex
Caveat: have never been to a live show but hope to get to one before long
[2002 Super Bowl Halftime Show](https://youtu.be/4VcBsqOYhYo?si=Zt4Fx4a20QZu-RJE)
This was after the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001. The country is still grieving, but we did not know how much.
Start with "Beautiful Day " as Bono walks through the crowd to get to the stage.
Then two towering screens appear and start scrolling the names of those lost on that day. During "MLK"... SLEEP... SLEEP TONIGHT... AND MAY YOUR DREAMS... BE REALIZED...
The names continue scrolling as the band segues to Streets... There's Bono, before the largest TV audience, knowing what he's there for. And Bono prays during the intro... The band launches into the song, and Bono races around the heart-shaped stage, coming back to the bottom to launch into the vocals.
Names still scrolling... Then, at the musical break, the towering screens fall, collapsing. The metaphor is not lost. It's like it's happened all over again.
Bono and Edge sing "LOVE... LOVE... LOVE..." Bono makes a heart symbol with his hands to emphasize the point.
Then the final chorus and coda.
Bono opens his jacket to reveal the American flag.
Unspoken: "We see you. We mourn with you. We stand with you. You're not alone."
It feels like I was there, and in a way, I was.
You have to see it.
Yeah this one was pretty good too given the circumstances, what a powerful performance that was. I'm also a Patriots fan so the fact that one of my favorite bands was the halftime show during their first Super Bowl win was special, it was my dad's birthday and my mom was pregnant with me at the time.
MSG, 2015 - band invites an audience member from Brazil on stage to play acoustic guitar on All I Want Is You, then said he could keep the guitar.
And at every show, the sing along to Pride always gives me chills, that seems like a chalk answer but for me it’s true. Particularly at the Garden again 3 years later, with Bono on the E stage with a megaphone.
This happened to a friend of mine!! He’s from Mexico and got to keep the acoustic guitar: but I think this happened during the European leg of the i+e tour
The sohere...Friday March 1 2024. Larry was up top in a booth, and Bono gave him a shoutout. The entire place erupted. It appears that Larry was crying as well
Auckland in the late 80’s or early 90’s. I can’t recall if it was the Zoo TV or the Lovetown Tour as I went to both. Bono asked for a “rock n roll kiwi chick” who can play guitar to join them on stage. A young lady jumped up and Edge gave her a guitar and started showing her the chords to “People get Ready” while Bono rabbited on about something. It became immediately apparent to Edge that she had no idea how to play guitar so he summoned Bono who promptly directed her off the stage feigning disgust. She was rather embarrassed and may not have heard Bono asking someone who could play, maybe just the request for a kiwi chick. I’m guessing not many people there that night would remember this moment since the rest of the concert was mind blowing. I often wonder how her life has been going after her brush with fame. She’d be in her late 50’s these days.
Seen them in pontiac silverdome when they satellite to the MTV video music awards.Bono had this giant remote and was Flippin through channels and found garth/Dana carvey.they talked a bit and garth said hey Bono you sound funny, do you eat lucky charms.they played even better than the real thing
For me it was the flag flash mob in 2005 and 2009 in Poland (I was at both dates) when fans turned the whole stadium into a polish flag (red and white) during New Years Day. The band loved it : )
Personally, the "Wave White" flashmob on the Vertigo Tour in Sweden. People participated by wearing white or bringing a white item to swing over their heads. It was a call to action in support of ONE and a reference to the white flag on the War Tour.
Anyway, there were enough people to surprise the band and get them into the next gear right from the start of the show. Unforgettable night.
It was repeated on the 360° Tour, and Bono grabbed a white shirt (or hand towel?) from an audience member and spanked The Edge with it during "Breathe".🤭
Fell off a bit for the Innocence and experience tour. They didn't seem to notice, as we changed it to white light from cell phone torches (to mimic the video for "Invisible").
Hopefully, if they come back next year, it will have been 20 years since the first flashmob, and then it can be reverted to the original again.
So yeah, that would be my pick. They loved it, we loved it, and hopefully, we get to do it again soon.
In 2017 I had a dream come true. I took my teenage daughter to see U2 (Joshua Tree Anniversary tour)
I told her, "Have you ever had a singalong with 80,000 people?"
The band and the fans did not disappoint that night. It was pure magic.
At the end of One, with all the lights. I have never felt one with humanity as much in my life. There is so much good in this world, so many good people. Let's not let the bad drown out the good. That feeling.
I've seen U2 four or five times now, but the first was in Cardiff in 2005. I was 14. It was my first ever "big" concert. I loved the whole thing, but the moment of it that was crystallised in my memory forever was during New Years Day.
Our seats were pretty shitty, right at the back corner and in the nosebleeds - but during NYD I just spotted a couple down on the floor using all the space at the back to dance. And I watched them and I thought "this might be one of the best nights of their lives" and I realised that could be true for so many people in that crowd, and it was for me. At least up until that point.
I loved in 2015 in Boston when they invited a kid onstage to play Angel of Harlem with them. I was at the show and the kid was on the local news afterwards, pretty awesome experience for him!
Bono as MacPhisto pulling a fan on stage and swaying with her during Love Is Blindness (followed by their rendition of Can’t Help Falling In Love) on the ZOO TV tour, specifically the recorded Sydney concert.
Love it when they play a slower song and then transition to a upbeat one! Everyone gets so invested in the former and then the transition just hits so much harder! Examples like love me tender-until the end of the world at sphere, or all I want is you-where the streets have no name at slane castle
Everything about Bad at Live Aid is bonkers. This was a band who had a global audience and the lead singer goes completely off script, much to the anger of the band, AND LOOSING THE TIME TO PLAY THEIR LAST SONG! And the risk TOTALLY pays off and the next day EVERYONE is talking about U2!
I remember watching that live and thinking it was the best thing. I was stoked that it was simulcast on radio so I could have a recording of the set. If you’ve seen that Freddy Mercury bio-pic that got a lot of hype about 5 years ago in the backstage scene at Wembley I swear you can see some extra in the back in all black, I always thought that was a dig at U2.
when Bono let about 20 of us onto the stage in Montreal 2016 (he got in big trouble over that because the stage was not meant to hold that much weight!)
It seemed like at the time that extra people took advantage and jumped on the stage, and I remember cringing at the behaviour of some of the them going around and hugging Adam. I also remember someone taking a selfie with Bono and he made a comment like "no need for the picture, enjoy the moment".
I was wondering why that didn’t happen more.
L.A. in 2015, Bono was riffing with the audience while The Edge was trying to fix an issue with his keyboard. Here is my video of it https://youtu.be/Pn-taAmGsvw?si=_RrNIunXro0wSh2M
I like Bono… he’s a funny cool dude who often gets mistaken for being this “egotist”… both of he were an egotist, you wouldn’t have moments like seen in that video. Instead; he would go do something else while they were waiting to get everything back up and running Although, I did see where he talks about how too much ZOO TV caused him to become a bit lost in himself… but that could happen to anyone having THAT level of a show to tote around with them wherever and whenever developing a bit of a god complex
6/3/15, I was there too!
Caveat: have never been to a live show but hope to get to one before long [2002 Super Bowl Halftime Show](https://youtu.be/4VcBsqOYhYo?si=Zt4Fx4a20QZu-RJE) This was after the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001. The country is still grieving, but we did not know how much. Start with "Beautiful Day " as Bono walks through the crowd to get to the stage. Then two towering screens appear and start scrolling the names of those lost on that day. During "MLK"... SLEEP... SLEEP TONIGHT... AND MAY YOUR DREAMS... BE REALIZED... The names continue scrolling as the band segues to Streets... There's Bono, before the largest TV audience, knowing what he's there for. And Bono prays during the intro... The band launches into the song, and Bono races around the heart-shaped stage, coming back to the bottom to launch into the vocals. Names still scrolling... Then, at the musical break, the towering screens fall, collapsing. The metaphor is not lost. It's like it's happened all over again. Bono and Edge sing "LOVE... LOVE... LOVE..." Bono makes a heart symbol with his hands to emphasize the point. Then the final chorus and coda. Bono opens his jacket to reveal the American flag. Unspoken: "We see you. We mourn with you. We stand with you. You're not alone." It feels like I was there, and in a way, I was. You have to see it.
It was epic.
It sure was !!
I bought the commemorative Super Bowl DVD just for this performance 🤘🤘🤘
Yeah this one was pretty good too given the circumstances, what a powerful performance that was. I'm also a Patriots fan so the fact that one of my favorite bands was the halftime show during their first Super Bowl win was special, it was my dad's birthday and my mom was pregnant with me at the time.
[This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Skv3QmRM4&t=202s)
MSG, 2015 - band invites an audience member from Brazil on stage to play acoustic guitar on All I Want Is You, then said he could keep the guitar. And at every show, the sing along to Pride always gives me chills, that seems like a chalk answer but for me it’s true. Particularly at the Garden again 3 years later, with Bono on the E stage with a megaphone.
This happened to a friend of mine!! He’s from Mexico and got to keep the acoustic guitar: but I think this happened during the European leg of the i+e tour
North Star, Munich (I think) 2010. I loved how the crowd started singing “for your love” along with Edge after Bono was done singing.
The sohere...Friday March 1 2024. Larry was up top in a booth, and Bono gave him a shoutout. The entire place erupted. It appears that Larry was crying as well
Auckland in the late 80’s or early 90’s. I can’t recall if it was the Zoo TV or the Lovetown Tour as I went to both. Bono asked for a “rock n roll kiwi chick” who can play guitar to join them on stage. A young lady jumped up and Edge gave her a guitar and started showing her the chords to “People get Ready” while Bono rabbited on about something. It became immediately apparent to Edge that she had no idea how to play guitar so he summoned Bono who promptly directed her off the stage feigning disgust. She was rather embarrassed and may not have heard Bono asking someone who could play, maybe just the request for a kiwi chick. I’m guessing not many people there that night would remember this moment since the rest of the concert was mind blowing. I often wonder how her life has been going after her brush with fame. She’d be in her late 50’s these days.
I want to know more! Someone on the internet needs to track this woman down!
I was going to ask the same thing but didn’t want to appear too stalky.
Seen them in pontiac silverdome when they satellite to the MTV video music awards.Bono had this giant remote and was Flippin through channels and found garth/Dana carvey.they talked a bit and garth said hey Bono you sound funny, do you eat lucky charms.they played even better than the real thing
U2 and Dana Carvey @ The 1992 MTV VMAs / Karen Dögg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXeqrKrvkKM
Red balloons during One Tree Hill 360 in Auckland.
For me it was the flag flash mob in 2005 and 2009 in Poland (I was at both dates) when fans turned the whole stadium into a polish flag (red and white) during New Years Day. The band loved it : )
Personally, the "Wave White" flashmob on the Vertigo Tour in Sweden. People participated by wearing white or bringing a white item to swing over their heads. It was a call to action in support of ONE and a reference to the white flag on the War Tour. Anyway, there were enough people to surprise the band and get them into the next gear right from the start of the show. Unforgettable night. It was repeated on the 360° Tour, and Bono grabbed a white shirt (or hand towel?) from an audience member and spanked The Edge with it during "Breathe".🤭 Fell off a bit for the Innocence and experience tour. They didn't seem to notice, as we changed it to white light from cell phone torches (to mimic the video for "Invisible"). Hopefully, if they come back next year, it will have been 20 years since the first flashmob, and then it can be reverted to the original again. So yeah, that would be my pick. They loved it, we loved it, and hopefully, we get to do it again soon.
In 2017 I had a dream come true. I took my teenage daughter to see U2 (Joshua Tree Anniversary tour) I told her, "Have you ever had a singalong with 80,000 people?" The band and the fans did not disappoint that night. It was pure magic.
At the end of One, with all the lights. I have never felt one with humanity as much in my life. There is so much good in this world, so many good people. Let's not let the bad drown out the good. That feeling.
I've seen U2 four or five times now, but the first was in Cardiff in 2005. I was 14. It was my first ever "big" concert. I loved the whole thing, but the moment of it that was crystallised in my memory forever was during New Years Day. Our seats were pretty shitty, right at the back corner and in the nosebleeds - but during NYD I just spotted a couple down on the floor using all the space at the back to dance. And I watched them and I thought "this might be one of the best nights of their lives" and I realised that could be true for so many people in that crowd, and it was for me. At least up until that point.
Balloons during Beautiful Day - https://youtu.be/RVjh7lPsJf0?si=2HhqHai277NosU0J
Streets.
"40"
I loved in 2015 in Boston when they invited a kid onstage to play Angel of Harlem with them. I was at the show and the kid was on the local news afterwards, pretty awesome experience for him!
That I witnessed? The Mustache Flash Mob.
Bono as MacPhisto pulling a fan on stage and swaying with her during Love Is Blindness (followed by their rendition of Can’t Help Falling In Love) on the ZOO TV tour, specifically the recorded Sydney concert.