Page 7 - Irish Examiner USA

artsexaminer 7

city, so it felt very much like a Greg Carroll. Greg died tragi- into their standard set list of
sort of home coming for them. cally in a motorcycle accident in songs from The Joshua Tree IRISH
The fact they stayed in Dublin. The song One Tree album and concluded the first
Melbourne a further four days Hill and the album the Joshua part of the gig with, to my
after they finished their concert Tree are dedicated to him. amazement and delirious joy, EXAMINER
here suggests they feel comfort- Once the songs from The my favorite track, Desire. It was
able about spending downtime Joshua Tree were complete it the first time they played this
here and the city with its cos- was time to move to that classic song live in over two years. |
mopolitan feel allows them to American song written for the The encore set kicked off
escape the grind of day to day legendary singer Billie Holliday, with the track Elevation and
touring if only for a while. Angel of Harlem. was followed by Beautiful Day. November
The Melbourne gig kicked The encore followed with The odd moment of the night
off with Sunday Bloody the band playing classic hits like was when they changed things
Sunday, I Will Follow and New Elevation and Beautiful Day. up a bit and decided on the fly 27th,
Year’s Day. It was then fol- The audience was projecting a to play Every Breaking Wave
lowed up by those two classic feeling they did not want this catching The Edge off guard 2019
anthems off the Unforgettable night to end. The gig finished who needed to change guitars
Fire album Bad and Pride in the off with the greatest U2 song of as the one, he had was out of
name of Love. all time, One. tune.
Melbourne lapped up these Bono asked for all the lights Bono during this time told
classics, the fans lit up their to be turned off and that was the story of how his father was
torches on their phones for Bad the que for the audience to then an opera singer and used to
creating an almost candle lit for the last time turn on their watch him as he put on his
atmosphere which was very mobile phone torches. The make up before each perform-
haunting. songs finished with a projection ance and how thankful he was
As the rain came down and of the Australian flag on the that he had him in his life even
the roof was closed on the foot- screen behind them. A truly if he didn’t tell that enough
ball stadium the audience then magical way of closing out one when he was alive.
sang in one voice almost the of the greatest concerts of all The band dedicated the per-
entire version of Pride while time held in Melbourne. formance of the song
The Edge played the classic gui- The tour for me then moved Ultraviolet Light to the women
tar rift. onto Sydney. The first night’s who have pioneered key issues
The band then kicked off the concert in Sydney just hap- in history. Imagines of women
section of the gig everyone paid pened to fall on the 22nd such as the Suffragettes,
to see, the band starting to sing Anniversary of the death of Melinda Gates and Cathy
were filmed, directed and pro- and stadiums that are being songs from The Joshua Tree both Bono’s good friend and Freeman were projected on the
duced by the legendary Dutch built today. album set. the legendary lead singer of screen as the band played.
photographer Anton Corbijin. So, what were the three con- This was kicked off with that INXS Michael Hutchence. This The band concluded their
U2’s sound is mixed by that certs that I attended in giant screen projecting a red gig had the makings of being a performance with the song
legendary Irish sound engineer Melbourne and Sydney like? background with the famous very emotional and special One. The song was once
Joe O’Herilhy. It is hard to Well, in a sentence I think silhouette of the Joshua tree in night for all the fans that attend- against played in the dark with
image that Joe started his career that after all these years U2 front of it with the four mem- ed and indeed it was. nothing but the torch lights
all those years ago provided have finally found what they bers of the band standing in The classic songs Bad and from the crowd’s mobile
sound mixing for the show- are looking for! U2 are the band front of the stage creating a Stuck in a Moment were both phones light up the stadium. As
bands that toured around that is the closest to my heart. black shadow of themselves dedicated to Michael. Bono the song concluded the
Ireland and of course the leg- Their music was what I grew against the screen. provided an insight into his Australian flag was again pro-
endary Irish guitarist Rory up on. Being from Irish parents As the band worked their relationship with Michael. He jected onto the screen.
Gallagher. Even after 50 years they were the band that was way through each of the tracks said Michael may have been a With this concert ending
in the industry Joe is still devel- hard to ignore. off the album, songs such as man with troubles but his spirt came the end of my tour. I had
oping the cutting-edge live The Melbourne gig was very One Tree Hill were dedicated was something to behold. the privilege of meeting Bono
sound experience for not just much a home coming for them. to the ex-member of the U2 Imagines of Michael through- in Melbourne and catching up
U2 but for many other bands Bono has family that live in the road crew the New Zealander out his career were projected with my good mate Joe was
onto the screen during the song definitely a highlight. A note to
Stuck in a Moment and the Paddy, Joe say Hello and hopes
crowd cheered as each new you are doing well!
image was shown. I know from the past that
The show followed a similar whatever U2 move to from
pattern to what was performed here will be very different from
in Melbourne with the crowd what they have done in the
roaring their approval of the past! I know in my heart now if
band even if they had to queue I am to see U2 live again a trip
for hours in the rain to enter the to America or Europe will
stadium. probably be the only way I’ll be
The band’s last gig in Sydney able to do it.
can be best described as being It’s hard to imagine that in
an old fashioned U2 rock’n’roll another ten years the band
gig. It reminded me of the ones members will be entering their
you would have seen at the mid to late 60s… Aghhh I am
Dandelion Market back in not getting that old!!!!!
Dublin in the late 70s. I just want to thank Brandon
The band played through all from Live Nation for the tickets
their classic hits including Bad to the show.
and Pride. They then moved Until next time. C