1. In this series we will be regularly interviewing fans during the tour to ask them about their personal experiences. Today we have an interview with U2start member Angelo, or NoodlesU2. Angelo is well known for starting the fan initiative #U2Request, to request songs for U2 to play during their tour. He just visited his first show this tour, the second show in Turin, so time for us to catch up with him on his experiences and to look back (and forward) on #U2Request.

    "I can say that for me this was surely one of the best U2 shows I saw in my life"

    First of all, how was your first I nnocence and Experience show? How do you feel?
    My first #U2ieTour show was for me unforgettable! Waiting to see U2 since 5 years, I was so emotionated since many days before! Unfortunately I missed at last minute the first show of 4th September for family reasons, but me and my wife managed to go to the 5 Sept one!
    I can say that for me was surely one of the best shows I saw in my life of U2 (my first show was in 1993) for some reasons:
    The Band was in a great form, the performance was perfect to me, spontaneous and passionate, and Bono moreover was so much excited and determinated on stage, as usually he does,moreover in I taly.
    Seeing them indoor was the first time for me, and even if I knew everything of the show (following the tour in US with coverages, videos etc), I can say it really impressed me as I never see anything until 5!
    Visuals, audio, the Band at few meters from me it really impressed me everything!
    I love the visuals on this tour and at the show of Saturday, every visuals is linked to every song with a direct relation, for me I can say #U2ieTour is really concept tour, going from I nnocence to Experience. And the Band on stage performed really feeling the passage from I nnocence to Experience, the first part is really impressive, as the second one plus the Meerkat moment, where on saturday Bono and everyone we had really much fun and excitement.
    So I can say, I am much happy cos I saw one of the best U2 shows of my life, I am really speechless yet!

    Can you describe your day a bit for us, how was the queuing, meeting other fans and did you secure a good spot in the end?
    I can say that everything was really quiet and good, I was a bit scared by past I talian shows where queueing wasn't easy!
    We arrived around 5 pm, retired our tickets and went to the queue, but it was really relaxing standing one hour! No pressures, no pushes, nothing like in the past!
    I was happy cos I managed to meet many friends, old and new ones, moreover the ones that I just know by Twitter and Facebook! I managed to meet many friends, enjoying the queue; as I met many friends inside the GA, where another happy thing for me was that, again, there were not thousands of people, I Always have bad memories of Pit or GA in stadiums!
    Again, it was much relaxing, we met many friends inside, we were in front of "e"stage but we could move easily in opposite direction when the Band was at the center. I could see Bono at 4 meters, as The Edge, Adam, Larry, my friend nothing is better in life to see my 4 best friends so close!
    The only thing I don't appreciate much is: where is the sense to stand more than 2 hours with a cellphone, a tablet or whatever, taking 1000 pics or videos and don't enjoy the show? Moreover, often was hard to see Bono between mobiles!
    I took some pics, my wife too, filmed a couple of songs, but that's ok! I mean, if you are a simple fan, as I am, and you are not at the show for film or making pics for some website, camon enjoy the show..Be in The Moment as say Bono! Don't be 2 hours with mobile in your hand, without looking Bono directly, taking selfies and whatever!!
    To meet fans and friends while being at a U2 concert is the most beautiful emotion to me; The Band of my life and so many friends knew thanks to U2!

    Did you like the setlist changes compared to the first leg, with October and the Zooropa-segue?
    I really liked the setlist changes compared to the first leg I was sure that the show was oriented on Europe, as was on the US during first leg, but I was really impressed about the changes, and the arguments in them!
    Musically, the transition from October to Pride is really powerful, impressive, well performed. October Bullet Zooropa Streets Pride. I was so delighted to hear all the transition, each song on it was really wonderful! As I said #U2ieTour is a concept tour, and this part is truly Experience part of the show, at the actual days, where crisis war and refugees are taking Europe union in difficulty. U2 focus perfectly on the moment, and their message #refugeeswelcome and what do you want? an Europe with open heart are the correct answers to solve the problems, and to live Always with solidarity and respect of people in troubles.
    Musically was perfect, October was a gem and I am glad they are playing some old rare gems, Bullet is at a top level as was in ZooTv and Zooropa, with is actual rendition is really wonderful. Stand up for U2 for rebuilding the show, focusing on Europe crisis, and performing musically in an awesome way all those songs.
    Of course I was much happy also they added the #shinelikestars coda to With Or Without You!

    Going back to April, earlier this year, tell us a bit on #U2Request, how did you came up with the idea and was it what you expected?
    The idea of #U2Request came up with the mission to celebrate U2, moreover after the release of Songs of I nnocence and the accident of Bono, due of that U2 couldn't promote at their best the #U2ieTour. We thought this : asking in one specific day U2 to play rare or never played songs, with the support of fans and websites of all the entire U2Community, hoping in the support of Media, U2Management, people linked to U2 etc.. the world could have listened to our voices, and for one day U2 could have had a great spot: fans united celebrating U2 waiting for the #U2ieTour starting!
    And so happened! You can see all the story here : http://zootopia.u2.com/articles.html/_/zoonews/the-story-of-u2request-the-day-u2-fans-got-e-r30
    Let me say again thanks to all the Fans, Websites, Media, Famous People etc supporting again that awesome, unique, without logos or symbols called #U2Request on 14th of April, and thanks to Everyone supporting again #U2Request on 1st of September (we thought to organize a new, quick, #U2Request, to give some light again on the tour upcoming in Europe).
    For me #U2Request will represent for all my life an unforgettable story where so many fans, websites etc joined in the name of U2! Creating that spirit of carrying each other that our U2 wish Always to happen. A strong fans community is important to support the Band, we can see indeed in this tour so many shares, streams etc and everyone support each other.

    How do you feel about U2 not playing any of the top-10 #U2Request songs this tour?
    As I said above,the mission of #U2Request was to celebrate U2, their history (rich of great songs, famous or not) and give light to the U2 Community and the #U2ieTour upcoming. So I (we) are not disappointed if U2 play or not the most requested songs; they can play what they prefer, for us will be Always the best decision, we love U2 and all their discography of course if one day they would play Acrobat or Exit or A Sort Of Homecoming etc we will go on foot under Bono's house and there will be on knees jokes..but can you imagine how much feedback would have been on Media and Social if they play some of those top #U2Request songs? (as happened with I n God's Country, Two Hearts Beat as One etc)

    Thanks for this interview, for thinking to me, it was really an honour to speak with a so glorious website! Thanks for your great work you do everyday for all of us!
    Angelo @Noodles105.
  2. Great interview! Thanks for sharing, Angelo! And thanks for getting #U2Request started!