Concert: U2, 3 Arena (#3)

Not boring, my life! I had a deadline today, then first thing this morning discovered that my tasklist had increased to the point where it was debatable whether I'd get it all done before I had to leave, at lunchtime! No wonder - of all things - I practically forgot to bring the concert tickets as I was leaving.. Well, with a bit of luck, a pinch of faith and a whole chunk of effort, I managed to finish everything urgent, and get myself out of the office 10 minutes earlier than on Monday. I'd checked in last night, and got the boarding passes printed too, but when I went to book the Gatwick Express, the website wasn't playing along, and I hadn't time to argue with it - I'd just have to get a ticket at the station.

At least the Tube came straight away, and I arrived at Victoria in no time. There was a horrendous queue for the ticket machines, but it was quite fast-moving, and it took me no more than five minutes to get to the end. Mind you, having them at both sides of a partition you can't see over doesn't seem, to me, to be the best design! Then the machine - which was card only - wouldn't accept mine, and I had to start again. Second time lucky - not so much with the price, though. If you're going from Victoria to Gatwick, they will only sell you the ticket that includes the Gatwick Express, even though I had no intention of taking it. And, of course, not only is it the most expensive option, but more expensive to buy at the station than online. I had no choice, though..

I was just slightly earlier than on Monday, and the same Gatwick Express was cancelled again, which meant I was looking to catch the same stopping service I did on Monday - a fairly fast one though, with only two stops before Gatwick. I located the platform.. and then the barrier wouldn't accept my ticket. I finally had to go through the gate with a staff member on it. Anyway, I made my train and could relax a little.

Same routine at the airport, of course - today, I bought Maltesers for lunch. And on the plane, I had a seat in the exit row again! I guess it's because I book late - they sell those seats for more, so they'll be the last ones they give away for free. A couple of passengers in the exit row tried to dodge the no-baggage-at-the-seat regulation, hiding their things as the first checks were made, but Ryanair staff are canny - after they'd relaxed, and brought their things out again, a final check was done and they were found out. Hee-hee..

I can't bring shampoo with me - they don't do Head & Shoulders in small enough bottles to bring as hand luggage, and I don't pay for checked luggage. But it's the only one I can use, because of my sensitive scalp. So I searched - unsuccessfully - for it in Dublin airport. Actually, now that I think of it, I should have tried for it after security in Gatwick - but I hardly had any time. So I just mooched off to my bus, remembering to buy a return this time! And it was a crammed bus this evening. I noted how Dublin bus are making a real effort with customer service, employing people whose only function is to find passengers in need of help, and provide it. So they'll sell you a ticket so you don't have to figure out the machine, and they'll take your bag from you onboard. Terrific idea.

I got off at the same stop as before, into a biting wind. It was a relief to get to the hotel. And my new room is three floors higher than the last, and - of course - extremely similar. Notable differences: the telly is wall-mounted rather than on the desk, there's a balcony (which is a nice idea, except that it overlooks the street), and.. get this.. I think the bed is softer! I'm really looking forward to trying that out, shortly.

I wanted to eat at the hotel, but didn't want the palaver of the restaurant - they do bar food, and I said I'd try that on my way to the 3 Arena. When I saw how busy the bar was, however, I decided just to have a burger at the venue, and set off, back into the biting wind. And indeed, the burger was very nice. And then I took my seat.

Aw man, what a terrific seat!

I was second row from the front of the seated section! (I was jealous of the front row until I discovered they weren't allowed to stand, being at the edge of the balcony.) And an aisle seat, yet! Best seat of the tour, guaranteed, being also in the smallest venue. And this close to the front, I figured I wouldn't be bothered by vexatious people wanting me to sit - and I was right.. (yippee! it makes such a difference.)

Nobody got stuck tonight, being lifted into the rigging.. at one point, I looked behind me and saw someone the spit of Enda Kenny. And in due course, I hopped to my feet to welcome Bono onstage, in the company of most of my row. Spare a thought, however, for those poor, poor people - I really felt for them - in the row in front of me, who'd shelled out a fortune for tickets, got what seemed to be the best row.. and disastrously, couldn't stand! You could see they were itching to, but the ushers were on it, and watching them from every staircase..

Setlist:

SET 1

The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)
Gloria
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
Elevation
New Year's Day
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
Bad
One

I really felt for the ushers, during the blistering opening four numbers. They couldn't easily get to the middle of the row to make people sit down, and it must have been so hard for the audience in that row to stay sitting. Tonight was Gloria's turn as second song, and it occurred to me - man, I really want the dvd to be shot on a night that they included Gloria. Being so close to the floor, as I've said before, you really feel close to the energy - and it was phenomenal. People have also remarked that this was the loudest crowd of the tour. Actually, it's quite hard to choose between tonight and last Tuesday as the best show of the tour.

At the paper drop during Until the End of the World, I came my closest yet to getting a piece - one landed on the lap of the woman beside me! Darn it.. During Mysterious Ways, the girl pulled onstage, whose name caused some confusion but who was, for my money, visibly the most delighted yet to be there!, turned out to be from Toronto (well, the maple leaf t-shirt gave her away as Canadian):

And after the Meerkat-ing was done, we got a beautiful surprise in the form of New Year's Day - I pick this as my favourite moment from tonight. And after that, you couldn't shut the crowd up! "Olé, olé, olé, olé.." They had to have a pause before going into the quiet duo of Every breaking Wave and October. And when they went into Bullet the Blue Sky, not only did the crowd know the rhythm of the clap, but I have never heard it echo so loudly through the venue as it did tonight..

Lordy, it was fun to watch the ushers try to keep people in the front row of the balcony seated during Where the Streets Have No Name! It was like one of those games where you keep banging something to keep it down, and it pops up somewhere else. As soon as their backs were turned, someone else was up. The fellow on the aisle seat opposite me, in the front row, was hilarious - he did manage to stay standing for about half of that song, and for the remainder of the show he (charmingly) harassed both the user, and his wife (sitting beside him and trying to get him to stay seated). I felt his pain.

Another surprise during the encore - Bad, two nights in a row! Seems the guy it - and Raised by Wolves - were written about was in the house tonight. Not the only notable - Bono's wife was there, as usual, and his brother - not so usually. And towards the end, Bono namechecked.. Enda Kenny! Yes, that was him, and as I looked back he was smiling and acknowledging the attention he was getting. (And I had a better seat than he did, hah! So much for being Taoiseach..) The usual crowd-pleaser, One, closed this amazing show among amazing shows, and Bono let us sing most of it.

On the way out, somebody remarked to me that it doesn't get better than that. I hesitated, and he amended his view, saying "Well, yes it could - tomorrow!" Yes indeed, last U2 show of the year (for me) - it'll be interesting to see how it pans out. And whether they'll do Bad, three nights in a row! Returning to the hotel, I was excited to try the vending machine down the hall from my room, with wine, soft drinks, water, and snacks. Except it didn't work, bummer. At least the ice machine does, so I can have cold tap water - I didn't fancy going all the way back down to the bar.

Assuming I survive all this excitement, I'm headed back to London on Sunday, and collecting my keys at an as-yet-undetermined time. On Monday, I'm headed to The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, at Trafalgar Studios. Stars Gemma Chan, Gary Kemp, John Macmillan, and Jon Simm. And the good old London Dramatic Art group has tickets (well, one left now!) for cheaper than I can get them anywhere else! Premium, front row seats too. Excellent - and I'll be glad to meet them again, it's been months! Finally (for now), on Tuesday I'm joining the Kensington Classical Music group, who have the cheapest tickets I can find for a performance of the pianist, Lang Lang, with the  Philharmonia, at the Royal Festival Hall. Features my two favourite classical composers - Mozart and Beethoven.

But it'll be sad, not to have any more definite U2 dates to look forward to.. :-(