Concert: U2, O2 London (#4)

So, I ended the week with another U2 concert! I swung by home first - I wanted to shop on the way home, for the weekend, and certainly couldn't take it to the concert with me. But from experience, I knew I had plenty of time.

So I headed out at about 6.40. Got the District Line to Earl's Court, where I had to change.. but when I alighted on the platform, I noticed something odd. All the Eastbound trains on the indicator board were predicted to arrive at the same platform, whereas there are two platforms. And none but the next to go had a definite destination. Uh-oh, I thought, there's a problem. Unable to get internet access on my phone to check - Earl's Court is bad for it - I said sod this, and bolted for the Piccadilly Line, to reprise the journey of the night before.

I managed to get a seat for the journey to Green Park. Again, that long hike to the Jubilee Line - in stifling heat, just like the day before. I passed a couple of people who were complaining about the same thing. Hottest station in London? Anyway, I got there eventually, and crammed into the sardine can of a Jubilee Line train. I was so glad when we finally got there - I was feeling quite travel sick, with the cramped conditions and stuffiness; there is air conditioning, but try breathing it when every way you turn, there's another body pressed up against you.

On the previous occasions I've taken this line, I've taken it from Westminster, which is handy for getting on at the front of the train. Which means you disembark right by the up escalator to the exit. Unfortunately, I hadn't managed that on this occasion, which means I was taking the stairs. Ah well.. made my way through the crowds, heading for Water Margin again - the Chinese buffet. I was determined to get something to eat this time! and I left the Tube station at about 7:15, which meant I should have time.

Arriving there, I gave my drink order and went to get some food. My drink hadn't arrived by the time I got back, which is unusual for here, where the service is generally pretty quick. But the place was pretty busy, and they didn't take too long. I had a second helping, as usual, and plenty of their delicious prawn crackers. The lights went out at about 8 for a minute or so.. anyway, by the time I finished my second course I was becoming conscious of the time, and wasn't really that interested in dessert, so I paid and left.

For this concert, I'd booked my ticket with the official O2 ticketing website, AXS, which meant they gave me the option of Print at Home - generally the handiest, with less worry about losing the ticket. Careful though, you do have to remember to print them out - they don't take phone copies. A cursory bag check (my mints were well hidden under my wallet), my ticket was scanned and I was in - no queues, this late (it was about 8.15). The now underworked ushers were keen for something to do, so I got more directions than I needed to my seat.

I was in Row L this time.. lots of steps to climb down. But OMG it was worth it! AXS had a much better selection of tickets, and I was so much closer to the stage than I had been at any previous show, this tour! Lovely.. I'd have taken a shot to make you jealous, but my phone battery had died again. Anyway, they decided to start just a teensy bit earlier, this time -  I'd only got properly settled in my seat when People Have the Power blared out: helluva dramatic start, I must say! I think it was about 8:25..

It was funny to see the confusion on the faces of the people sat beside me, as I both jumped to my feet for this song, and pointed my gaze fixedly on the REAR of the room. Take the hint guys.. anyway, it didn't take too long for Bono to appear and the whole audience to jump up. And I have to hand it to them - this was far and away the most active audience yet this tour. Not only good singers, but extremely.. bouncy! The people on the floor positively looked like they were on a trampoline..

Setlist:

SET 1

The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)
The Electric Co.
Vertigo
I Will Follow
Iris (Hold Me Close)
Cedarwood Road
Song for Someone
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Raised By Wolves
Until The End Of The World

SET 2

Invisible
Even Better Than The Real Thing
Mysterious Ways
Desire
All I Want Is You
Every Breaking Wave
October
Bullet The Blue Sky
Zooropa
Where The Streets Have No Name
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
With Or Without You

ENCORE

City Of Blinding Lights
Beautiful Day
One

The girl pulled onstage for Mysterious Ways was Claire. Bono made a thing about asking her whether she was from Co. Clare, and saying she must come there with them sometime. Funnily enough, that's where I'm from. And funnier still, the guy behind me gave a big whoop at this point - I didn't pick up an Irish accent though, and I don't think he was from there. Anyway, Claire - from Gloucester - did the filming of the next song (a bit shakily, she couldn't stop hopping up and down), but I'm not entirely sure it went on Meerkat, as for once, no comments were displayed onscreen. Actually, checking the website today, I see it seems to have technical problems - maybe that was it.

A European first followed - All I Want Is You, dedicated to Bono's wife in an emotional prologue, where he described her as an incredible wife, sister, mother.. He even took off his glasses for this one, in an evident show of intimacy. I think the emotion carried into the next song, because he fluffed the lines for Every Breaking Wave. Ah, Bono.. irritated, he restarted. Lucky he now has the weekend to recover - he must be getting as tired as I have been!

Nobody famous came onstage last night, but a few were namechecked as being in the audience (mentioned by virtue of being Red campaigners, as we were told). Damien Hirst, Javier Bardem, Matt Damon. Well, Javier did a cracking turn onstage in Barcelona, so his duty is done - I guess the others weren't so inclined. ;-)

After another incredible show, with another incredible audience, we actually finished a bit earlier: still after the scheduled time, but before 11, at about 5 to. Which was nice, given that I was coming out of Exit H, at the far side. Again, it took me about half an hour to get to the Tube from here.. where we ran into merry Hallowe'en revellers..  and again, I practiced my usual trick of, when I come down the stairs to the platform, turning back on myself - the section of platform in that direction is deserted in comparison. More people seem to be cottoning on to this now, and there were quite a few in that direction last night, but I still had no trouble getting a seat, near the front of the train. I did muse how unusual it is, finding the journey home from a concert easier than the journey there!

There was a Wimbledon train waiting when I arrived on the platform at Westminster, and I dashed on. And made for an end seat, until I saw someone had been sick all over it, and it had splashed onto the seat beside. Luckily, I could safely sit on the seat beside that, and I did - it didn't really smell, and my paper blocked the view. Still, I was glad to get off. Too tired to blog though.. it was 12:05am by the time I got in.

This morning, I was supposed to have a flat viewing, but the guy never got back to me with the address, and when I asked him again for it yesterday, he texted back "Myp". WTF?! Answers on a postcard please if you can figure that out. Anyway, no tragedy - I did get a lie-in as a result.

This being Hallowe'en, I wanted something scary.. ooh, it's nice to have a weekend in London for a change! So I'm headed on a ghost walk this evening. First time I'll have been with Ken's Events since I joined. It's the second of the night - the first was already full when I looked. Oddly, although the event page says there's a maximum of 25 per group, there are 33 places on each - maybe they're running simultaneous ones.