War

I had originally posted this review a few years ago under the Loreley Amphitheatre gig for Aug. 20th 1983 as there was no mention of this gig on U2.com! So, here goes again.... Phoenix park, Dublin, Sunday, 14th August 1983. What an introduction to live music! 17 years old, Leaving Cert results acquired 72 hours previously and attending my first ever concert. A blistering hot summer day. There with my best friend, his girlfriend and my date, a girl called Carole Coleman, who later went on to sort out George W. Bush! We got the bus from the city and walked through Phoenix park in the early afternoon sunshine, the distant sound of the music getting closer with every step. Suddenly we were there. It was.......... even now, I still can't find the words to describe it.........the sound, the heat, the feeling.......... I bought the first of many U2 T-Shirts that day, probably an unnoficial one and we shared cans of flat Fanta and melting Twix bars. There are photographs and a ticket stub too and they will be found. Following sets by Big Country, Eurythmics and Simple Minds, Dave Fanning introduced U2, who ran onstage and launched into 'Out Of Control' as the late summer sunshine faded. It was as if we were engulfed in a wave of.........something - and I still can't describe what it was. I remember 'Surrender', 'October', 'I Will Follow', A Day Without Me', Gloria, 'Party Girl', Bono dancing with his dad, singing Happy Birthday to The Edge, 'New Year's Day', 'The Electric Co.' and '40'. We got seperated from my friend and his girlfriend towards the end, but it didn't matter. Annie Lennox joined the band onstage for the last song '40', and I'll never forget walking back towards the city in the darkness, everyone singing 'How long to sing this song' late into the night. We all met up again at a bus stop and made our way home. I've seen U2 many times since then of course, but the memories of that day will stay with me forever. Brendan McGee