Another rocking night with the 'sexy people' of Boston.
From the moment the confetti started falling across a shimmering stage for City of Blinding Lights, the second show in Boston was evidently going to be a another great night.
'Sexy people' was how Bono described the audience as the band played an ecstatic version of Elevation. 'I believe in you... and you believe in The Edge!' The ecstacy went up a gear with a thrilling rendition of Gloria leading into a rap about the first time the band came to America, more than a quarter of a century before.
Way down in the front row of the elipse, straining to touch the stage were fans who had come from Canada, from Texas, from the UK and even someone from Auckland in New Zealand. Then there was 'Tattoo Boy', as Bono called him the other night, when he pulled him up on stage for Beautiful Day - with 'Edge' and 'U2' tatooed on his arms. Tonight he was barely able to believe that for the second time in two nights his number had come up and he was in the elipse again. 'There's nothing like a U2 concert,' he told a camera crew filming for U2.Com. 'There is just nothing in the world that can compare to it.'
Bono mentioned local bands Aerosmith and The Cars - Steven Tyler and actress daughter Liv were at the show tonight - in rehearsing U2's long friendship with Boston, Mass and talked of the smart people around here who believe in the future. 'There are people round the corner working on a cure for cancer. This is our prayer for them..this is Miracle Drug.'
The day before Bono had been in Washington meeting with Condoleeza Rice and other political players in the run up to the
G8 meetings in July - tonight was an indication of how long he has been this beat. Introducing Pride In The Name of Love and the sequence of songs where the band highlight 'human rights' for the poorest countries of Africa, Bono thanked two special guests at the show - former Vice President Al Gore and former Clinton Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. Both 'opened doors' on the Drop the Debt Campaign.
'For Dr King, not just an America dream, not just a European dream, not just an Asian dream but also an African dream... a dream where everyone is equal under the eyes of God...Everyone... this is our moment to do what's right.. the journey of equality goes on.'
No surprises that the '
cellphone moment' was lump in the throat time again and before you knew it we were in to the visually dazzling new treatment for The Fly, a thunderous interpretation of Until The End of the World and an 18,000-strong choir with a pitch perfect version of With or Without You.
And then as if from nowhere - it seemed like the singer had forgotten to tell the rest of the band his plan - U2 were Out Of Control again, even though it took two starts while the musicians realised where the singer was taking the set list. And there was still Original of the Species and Bad to come!
Here's the set list in full.
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Elevation
Gloria
The Ocean
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love and Peace or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still
Pride In The Name of Love
Where The Streets have No Name
One
The Fly
Until The End of the World
With Or Without You
Out of Control
All Because of You
Original of the Species
Bad