1. In this new series we will be regularly interviewing fans during the tour to ask them about their personal experiences. Today we have an interview with CMIPalaeo, who attended the Boston show on 25 June. It was his first U2 show!

    " I sang every word all night long"

    Boston was your first U2 show. What are your feelings after attending the show?
    After my first U2 show, my mind was blown! I had an incredible night. Seeing the show in person is so much more intense and emotional than streaming online, as exciting as that can be. I knew I’d get very emotional but I was not quite prepared for just how intense that would be. New Year’s Day, Streets, and The Little Things had me full-on crying and shaking. I was amazed by the performance. I sang every word all night long. It was beyond great to feel this release and ascent, right there with the band.

    You were standing in the venue. How was the spot? Any problems with GA line?
    I didn’t end up with the spot I was initially envisioning but that was perhaps a better thing. I had wanted to be right near the tree stage. I went with my mother, and after waiting outside all day, she suggested we should stand in front of the railing at the lighting rig so we could lean against that, as there were already about two rows of people around the tree stage. So we weren’t terribly close to the stage but we could see the entire screen really, really well, and we were in such a place that we weren’t TOO buried in the crowd and could get a steady breeze. It turned out being a good spot, and we were next to some really nice people! I wish I could say the GA entry was an easy process but it was frankly pretty frustrating. This wasn’t just my first U2 show but my first concert of any sort, so I had no real familiarity with the GA process. There was a fan-organised queue with wristbands and numbers, then the venue’s organization which had nothing to do with that, and everyone got a bit confused and frustrated. Ultimately though we got in on the floor and that was all that mattered in the end!

    Did you like the stage and how it contributed to the whole show experience?
    The stage was BRILLIANT. I wasn’t close enough to get a terrific view of the band themselves though we could see them clearly enough. But our position was maybe the best in the whole GA floor for taking in the screen. It really can’t be overstated what an amazing view that was. Streets and Exit had by far the best visuals, but the whole show was breathtaking. Miss Sarajevo surprised me because of how emotional it got me. Seeing the flag with Omaima’s face on it being passed around, with the Pavarotti vocals and the refugee children standing in the shape of a heart — that was a moment when I could hear everyone’s breath catch. I was no exception. During Exit, I think I was one of the only people jumping around and going wild — just about everybody else was totally entranced by those hypnotic, crazy visuals!


    Are there any ways in which you think the band could improve the setlist?
    I’ve complained a bit about the setlist listening online. Being there, I have no real complaints about the show. However, I was a tiny bit disappointed not to have gotten A Sort of Homecoming. Additionally, having both Elevation and Vertigo felt a tad strange; they could just do Vertigo, but complain as I may about Elevation, seeing people in the crowd dancing, bopping, and pumping their fists, and seeing how much fun the band had playing it, I understand why it sticks around. It really is a good stadium song, though I’ve gotta say Vertigo is even stronger! My mom said she thought that Vertigo was going to close the show; I think it does work exceptionally well as a closer.

    What are your thoughts about "The Little Things That Give You Away"? Do you think that it is a good closing song?
    The Little Things That Give You Away is an amazing song. It’s simply astounding. I loved it opening night and I love it even more now. For most people in the crowd, it was a new song, so there wasn’t a big singalong or anything — I was standing kind of in the middle of GA with my hands in the air, heavily sobbing like some sort of lunatic, and singing my heart out to it. Some people seemed to have drifted away and not cared about it but I think a lot of the crowd were pretty taken with it. I think it worked really well as a closing song, it was an intense and emotional tour-de-force — ’the end is not coming, it’s not coming, the end is here.’ On the other hand, though, I Will Follow, Out of Control, Vertigo, or of course “40” right after it really would be excellent too. As it stands, I LOVED closing with The Little Things, though I think it lost some people.

    Are you planning to go to more shows?
    I’d love going to more shows but I just don’t think it’s going to be possible on this tour. Here’s hoping though… it’s an amazing show and I’d love to see it again! One of the best experiences of my life, certainly.

    Thanks Matthew!
  2. Fantastic interview Matthew, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
  3. Thanks Paul! Seeing the band in person certainly blows away all expectations, doesn't it... I saw some people complained about the Boston show and crowd but I didn't get any of that! Seemed like everybody had a blast, and I surely didn't see people going on beer runs or tuning out during TJT Side 2!
  4. Originally posted by CMIPalaeo:Thanks Paul! Seeing the band in person certainly blows away all expectations, doesn't it... I saw some people complained about the Boston show and crowd but I didn't get any of that! Seemed like everybody had a blast, and I surely didn't see people going on beer runs or tuning out during TJT Side 2!
    Seeing them certainly does blow away expectations
  5. Great interview. I was there in the seats, club level, and I saw no apathy in my section. Everyone stood for a vast majority of the show, cheering and dancing. Very few left before TLTTGYA which I enjoyed greatly as a closer.
  6. Glad to hear of U2 fans 1st concert experience !!! It's an experience no word's can describe it! that's' for sure!!!