fredag 22 Jul 2011, 0:34
I was really looking forward to this show because it was postponed from last summer when Bono hurt his back and had to get surgery; a year is a long time to wait for a show! The last time I saw U2 was at the old Giants Stadium in Sept. 2009. I enjoyed that show, but this one blew that one out of the water!
Of course, I must start at the beginning. Took the train there again like last time. I figured that it would take long to get out of there, but since I was going from work in the city, it was the easiest way. I met my brother in Penn Station and we took the 3:30 to Secaucus Junction to get the first train out to The New Meadowlands, the 4:00. We did this because once again I bought the VIP packages. I did this more for the seat than the "extras" that came with the ticket, but I'll talk about those too. Last time I was impressed with the food setup that came with the VIP package, but this time it wasn't that good. More about that in a bit.
The letter that came with the tickets said that we should show up early. The party was supposed to start at 5:00 and last until 7. We were told in the letter that we would get a special entrance into the arena. We got there a little before 4:30 and asked if there was a special line for VIP package holders. We got the answer "I don't know, it's just a line." Great. It was searing hot under the sun and we didn't get into the 5:00 party until 5:30! They opened the gates late and we had to wait for security check, etc. One of the employees told my brother that marketing doesn't talk to security, so "the people running the party were probably in there wondering why nobody was in there yet." Isn't that grand?
Before we got on line though, I took this photo - take that U2 haters!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6023/5962452412_d2f1e43501.jpg
While on the line in the searing sun, a reporter from News 12 came up to my brother and I (I don't know why these types always come up to me) and wanted to interview us about the train trip. I couldn't stand watching myself on it, and I think you can only see the video if you subscribe to certain cable providers, but you can see it
here.
So we finally get in to the party and get a table. It was easier getting a table this time than last time. They gave us this VIP laminate:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/QueenB8271/IMG_0556.jpg?t=1311301406
A program:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/QueenB8271/IMG_0555.jpg?t=1311301462
And a keychain:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/QueenB8271/IMG_0560.jpg?t=1311302073
I thought that was better than the ugly men's travel bag they gave us last time.
By the time I was able to get on line for food, the line was LONG. I was kind of fed up after waiting in line the whole time outside. When I got to the front of the line, there was a choice of sliced filet or sausage sliders and fries. The fries looked like they were the frozen kind. There were two more stations to my left, with what looked like shrimp, some Italian food, and pizza, but if you wanted to see that you had to wait on a *separate* line for each of those stations. I was done waiting on lines, so I just took a couple of filet sliders, some fries I could have made at home, and sat down. They did have Mrs. Field's cookies for dessert - those are always good!
While we were eating, they had a drawing for someone to win a backstage tour. It wasn't me, LOL.
At one of the bars at the VIP party they had this ice sculpture, which I thought was pretty cool:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6139/5961898797_2c2dfb5c63_z.jpg
After eating, we decided to go out and look at the merch that was for sale. Nothing for me, but my brother bought a cool t-shirt.
The place where they held the party was set up so we could go right to our seats from it, which I thought was pretty cool. What made the VIP worth it was that we had access to that area throughout the show - which meant we had good bathroom access that was close by! They also gave us free water bottles all night.
We went out to our seats at almost 7. Of course I had to take my obligatory pre-show claw photo:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5962452942_98a68f5b10_z.jpg
And the audience photo:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5962453336_ab07c4f8ac_z.jpg
The New Meadowlands is actually a very nice arena - with padded seats! But those don't work too well when everyone is sweaty! Nice touch with cup holders on the back of each seat. Maybe that will prevent spilled beer?
Interpol didn't come on until 7:45. I'm only familiar with 1 or 2 of their songs, but they were good.
According to Setlist.fm, this was their setlist:
Success
Say Hello To The Angels
Narc
The Heinrich Maneuver
C'mere
Barricade
Lights
Obstacle 1
Evil
Slow Hands
Here are a couple of photos I took:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5961899635_5c37e190e0_z.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/5962453962_830a783676_z.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6025/5962454234_c52d7e191e_z.jpg
I also took a short video of "The Heinrich Maneuver":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ3joKq4D-U
This was up in the arena after Interpol was through:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5961900607_b1ed3d9e84_z.jpg
Between Interpol and U2, out came the U2 Fancam, which I think is pretty cool. The camera takes a panoramic 360-degree view of the stadium, and when it's posted online you can zoom in, find yourself, and get a snapshot. The Fancam for last night's show isn't up on the U2 website yet, but be warned that when I saw it come around to where I was sitting I acted like a tool. God knows what the picture looks like.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6015/5961900895_bc4743ee8f_z.jpg
U2 came on about 9:20. I have to say, although it was VERY hot at the stadium, the guys in U2 looked even hotter. And Bono grew some hair back! YAY!! (Yes, I'm into the hair, LOL.)
They opened with "Even Better Than The Real Thing" which I thought was great. Although I saw the show with the claw in Sept. 2009, I was still in awe of it when the show started. The whole combination of lights, video, and the moving set was just amazing and coordinated perfectly.
A lot of the songs were from the '90's, which I loved - it reminded me of college and my first U2 show, the "Achtung Baby" tour! Here's the setlist:
Even Better Than the Real Thing
The Fly
Mysterious Ways
Until the End of the World
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Beautiful Day
Elevation
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight/Discotheque
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On
Encore 1:
One
Hallelujah
Where the Streets Have No Name
Encore 2:
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With or Without You
Moment of Surrender
Out of Control
Overall, I was VERY impressed by this show - liked it even better than the Sept. 2009 show! Loved all of it but "Stay" and the "Crazy" Remix were definitely highlights for me. I heard a buzz amongst the people who were sitting around me that Bruce Springsteen was in the audience. U2tours.com confirmed that he was there along with Patti Scialfa. Turns out that Salman Rushdie was there too. Near the end of the show, Bono asked someone to pass up a sign they were holding. It said "FOR CLARENCE." Bono held up the sign and dedicated "Moment of Surrender" to Clarence Clemons. It was very touching.
Bono also dedicated "Beautiful Day" to Gabrielle Giffords. Before and during the song, there was video of her husband Mark Kelly from outer space, which was very cool. He spoke some of the lyrics to the songs. Bono also sang a bit of Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer" at one point, which was very cool as well.
The show ended at almost midnight! I didn't think the show would be that long, but it was amazing. They work very hard, and to be honest, I don't know how they did it in that heat! (Open shirts abound was the only benefit, LOL!) The show was about 2 1/2 hours, and I heard that it might have been the longest show of the whole tour!
I'm happy to report that there weren't really any assholes sitting around me at this show, which usually pisses me off. Well, no assholes but ONE - because there HAS to always be ONE, right?
A girl behind me was dancing over-zealously I guess, and she tapped me on my head twice - it was very light, and she apologized both times. But then, near the end of the show, she WHACKED me on the top of my head HARD. It felt like a deliberate smack! So I said OWWWWWWW really loud, and turned around ready to go for her throat - she was all "oh I'm so sorry, omg, blah blah blah" and I said CONTROL YOURSELF ALREADY, IT'S ENOUGH. And that was displaying a LOT of self-control on my part - because I really wanted to bash her head in - repeatedly!!
Aside from that, there was another epic fail. In the middle of taking video of "Sunday Bloody Sunday," my camera stopped working and it said "Memory Card Full." WHAT??? OMG THAT NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!!! Usually I never use up the full memory card. I take lots of photos, but when I take video it's rarely the full song. So I took my brother's camera and finished what I started. Today I took all of the photos off the memory card and put it back in, and it STILL said "Memory Card Full." So I guess the card busted on me right in the middle of business! Argh. I'll get a new one, but I think I'm due for a new camera soon anyway.
Taking photos was rough. My 20x zoom couldn't focus well in a lot of the lights, and some of the videos are blurry/grainy, but I did my best. Also, I received an email from one of the producers of NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams today. They wanted to use 8 seconds of my "Mysterious Ways" video in the first story of the 6:30 PM show about the heat wave, but they had to cut it for time. Oh well.
Here are some of the photos:
Bono & The Edge in the mist:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6131/5961903261_f7be14e7ec_z.jpg
Bono:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6016/5961903791_5275a0f3ce_z.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6015/5962458240_8128e89731_z.jpg
Bono on the big screen!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6137/5961904937_baf69f39e5_z.jpg
The Edge and Adam Clayton, and a cut-off Bono:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6131/5961905297_588a7e1c46_z.jpg
Adam Clayton - I think his pants have sparkles!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6023/5962459900_3ee3ccd05b_z.jpg
Bono & The Edge:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6023/5961908241_1ddebfcb0b_z.jpg
Bono:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6018/5962462960_e24a9c9e1a_z.jpg
Crazy Faces!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/5962464480_508e98c04e_z.jpg
Hot weather = open shirts . . .
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5961911729_470c7ee4a0_z.jpg
Adam & The Edge
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6142/5962465704_383c95878c_z.jpg
Larry Mullen Jr. (This may be my favorite, I just wish it was sharper):
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/5961912609_11729626c4_z.jpg
If you'd like to see all of the photos, go here.
Here are the videos I took:
Mysterious Ways:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsWokPqBzcg
I Will Follow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ04lhhnSes
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2oL6lHqznc
Stay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68xrWCAtufI
Beautiful Day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUrekQxwgKs
Elevation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB6HWh19Mxk
Pride (In The Name of Love):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgC9iR9KlI8
I'll Go Crazy (Remix):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Cvzj89oTQ
Walk On:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO6FDQCeQJY
One (My brother took this one):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BI1QKPgi90
Out of Control:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpoWGohgqeY
Overall, I loved this show! More of the hits were played than in 2009 and I think that's what the audience wanted. When we went back outside to get the train at around midnight, there were TONS of people waiting, but it was done in a more orderly fashion - only a certain amount was let through at a time. The sign said that 12:40 was the last train, but I found that hard to believe because of the amount of people there. We got back to Penn Station in time for the 1:37 AM train (good thing, because the next one was at 3:10 AM) and I walked in the door around 3. It's already the next evening (or early Friday morning) and I'm still wrecked! I guess that means it was a good show!
If you would like to see some other reviews (some of these include really good photos and/or video, much better than mine), here they are:
Rolling Stone:
U2 Revisit The Nineties at Epic New Jersey Show
Daily News:
U2 Comes Full Circle on New Jersey Leg of 360 Tour