Pre-War

Wow good old Leisureland. I spent so many hours there as a kid playing video games, playing on the bumper cars and big super slide as well as the great playground they had. Or getting up to mischief in the many old abandoned homes next to it. or even going to the swimming pool with my family. But I remember this night. As a 10 year old I had no money for tickets but a couple of friends and I managed to sneak in for free late in the show. I just remember it was dark and loud and smokey. I had no idea who U2 were then but in the next few years latched on to them and by Joshua Tree time I was a massive fan. My wardrobe consisted of a blue shirt, a red shirt, and 14 U2 Tee shirts! What a dork!

The second time I had seen U2 in Leisureland. A wet west of Ireland night, got soaked on the way there as I desperately tied to keep the cassette inlay card from October dry. I managed to squeeze up to the 2nd row in front of the Edge. Electric night, heard my first preview of the songs from War……stand out song was Sunday bloody Sunday, the song still takes me back to that moment every time I hear it. And the magical fiddle playing of Steve Wickam. Managed to meet the band afterwards. Bono asked the few of us there what we thought of their new lighting rig!! (It was slightly scaled down versus the 360 rig!!) The signed inlay card is still a prized possession….