We went to see U2 live last night. I've always wanted to because I love their early songs, especially With or Without You. My Beloved thought it was great. I was disappointed because the sounds levels were all wrong for me and I found it hard to appreciate their music in the onslaught of sound. They seemed to have focussed more on the special effects, which were impressive, than on the music.
The supporting band Elbow, on the other hand, were wonderful. Warm, low-key and purely enjoyable. They had violinists on stage for their last song.
12 COMMENTS:
I hadn't you pegged for a stadium concert fan...
I'm not and I think that was the problem. The last pop concert I went to was Emerson, Lake and Palmer when I was 16 and I didn't enjoy that at all.
The thing is that I've seen the video of U2 Live at Red Rock and always wished I could have been there. Well, seeing U2 live can now be ticked off my list of things to do.
I went to see them when their only hits were Sunday Bloody Sunday and Gloria. I didn't even like them, but I went to chum a friend. I wasn't converted, although the performance was great. It was in an old theatre, their second-biggest concert ever at the time. At one point Bono started climbing the speakers. Bouncers emerged from everywhere, with their arms out, desperate to catch their meal ticket should he fall! He didn't!
Elbow FTW...
McK, I'm quite envious! I suspect that their early days was the right time to go and see them.
Richard, yes indeed!
I think you are right that a U2 concert these days is more of a visual spectacular. I expect that -given what people pay for their tickets and any bumpf they get at the concert - they try to make it as all-consuming an experience as possible. Perhaps they should think about doing a more intimate gig. I had a listen to Elbow and I really liked them. I can see why they were the high-light of the concert for you.
I much prefer more intimate settings. The most enjoyable music I've heard in the last few years was the opera Cosi Fan Tutte in Venice - it was in one of those halls that's about the size of a large school hall.
The old U2 was something new and special. They feel stale to me now, like they are imitating themselves. Being Irish American, I was sooooo damn proud of them in the 80's with the Celt sounds infecting rock with a killer ass blend of the old and the new.
Now...not so much. Plus, for God's sake Bono, lose those loser-assed big pink specs. And get off yer high horse.
Anyway, glad you concerted, FH. We Boomers rock. We simply do.
ELP when you were 16? Were you dragged along against your will?
The best gig I ever went to was Hawkwind in 1990. A friend of mine was part of the accompanying avant-garde dance troupe (yes), and though they never got to pirouette in the end because the stage was so small, we did at least get in free.
The audience were mostly in wheelchairs (and I do not exagerrate) (much), having crashed and burned so many times on their hard rock choppers (missus) in the 70s.
For most of the gig, Hawkwind played behind a huge gauze and were completely shrouded by shadow. The gauze lifted only for the final song, revealing that Hawkwind, too, were a bunch of metal-pinned crutch-wielding cripples — a proper 'silver machine'.
Plus, they were sh*te.
Robin, I agree. They were amazing when they started but now not so much. Bono looked like he was on something: full of energy and slightly manic but I didn't feel the same connection with the audience as Elbow had.
Whirl, ELP was so wasted on me. I feel bad looking back. If only my boyfriend had found someone to go with who would have appreciated it! I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. We only went out for about six weeks, too.
The Hawkwind concert sounds surreal.
Sorry to hear you did not enjoy the overall sound of it. I can relate to a concert being so fixed on sound effects, rather than the actual music. Tends to happen quite often now, which is a shame as I think you don't need any sound effects anyway. It tends to disrupt the actual music playing. I am happy that you were there nonetheless, and you got given this experience. A friend of mine, was in that same concert too! :) (This is the one in the UK, right?)
It wasn't a wasted evening by any means. For a start, I would never have heard of Elbow if I hadn't gone to that concert and I did enjoy watching them.
I hadn't realised I didn't say that it was at Wembley stadium. I'd love to go and hear Coldplay there but we're on holiday.
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