It’s been a long time coming but here it is, the innocence and experience tour hits the road and the road hits back. U2 2015, and we were there and when I say we what I mean is Rolling Stone and when I say were there what I mean is Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. Me? I was actually at the Shelby Lynne gig.
So what did I miss? “As the band took the stage to a deafening roar from the sold-out crowd, they launched into “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)” under a single light bulb suspended from the ceiling, meant to evoke Bono’s childhood bedroom.” Er, I love U2 live even if I can’t much take em on record but really… to evoke his childhood this way is to provoke nausea in most people. I get it though, it is like Smallville and wee little Bono is the Superboy dreaming of saving the world.
A quick look at the setlist sees exactly what you might expect, the new album plus choice cuts. Kinda fun switching from the newbie to Boy and then Bomb… kinda virtigineous in itself. Plus, lookie here, two of my favorites: “Even Better Than The Real Thing” and “Sweetest Thing”. This hits me as a pretty well though out setlist.
But wait, there’s more… “The journey back continued with “Cedarwood Road,” another Songs of Innocence tune about Bono’s early years. For this one, the singer climbed between two sets of LED screens in the center of the arena and appeared to be actually walking down the street where he grew up.”
As Noel recently put it, “they take this shit seriously”.
“The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)”
“Out of Control”
“Vertigo”
“I Will Follow”
“Iris (Hold Me Close)”
“Cedarwood Road”
“Song for Someone”
“Sunday Bloody Sunday”
“Raised by Wolves”
“Until the End of the World”
“Invisible”
“Even Better Than the Real Thing”
“Mysterious Ways”
“Desire”
“Sweetest Thing”
“Every Breaking Wave”
“Bullet The Blue Sky”
“Pride (In the Name of Love)”
“The Troubles”
“With or Without You”
—
“City of Blinding Lights”
“Beautiful Day”
“Where the Streets Have No Name”
“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”
