Book Tour: Stories of Surrender

For last night, I booked at Conway Hall, for a concert called Sing Like a Vagabond - Shouts and Cries of Victorian London. Tickets were free, but you did have to book.

Of course, when something is free and I'm going on my own, you know my plans can change.. Well now, I did think it funny that the one free, solo, and therefore changeable, event that I was going to this week.. coincided with Bono's stopover in London (at the Palladium) on his book tour; he's promoting his autobiography, Surrender. Which, of course, I have already - plus the audiobook. Couldn't resist, given that Bono himself narrates it. Anyway, tickets for his live appearances went on sale a month ago. Could I get one?! Not a hope - Dublin sold out in five seconds, London in seven, I hear. (They are smaller venues than usual for U2 concerts - not that U2 is actually playing on this tour, he has a few stand-in musicians.)

But lately, there have been ticket drops.. so I checked when I woke on Sunday. And would you credit it, London was advertising about eight tickets.. literally shaking, I booked the closest I could get to the stage - Stalls, Row M. Had the wrong password for my Ticketmaster (TM) account, of course.. but managed it, in the end. (At this stage, only the London one is convenient.) And then - I wept tears of joy and relief. Goes to show - never give up. Oh, and the ticket comes with a free copy of the book.. Lordy, at this stage I'll be gifting everyone a copy for Christmas!

Well, I kept an eye on the chat forums on u2.com - people were worried about their tickets being delivered, but mine came through to my phone in good time - on Monday, as I recall. Mind you, I could foresee a problem - for security reasons, they couldn't be screenshotted (heh). Which meant you had to access them live on the night. And even if you kept the TM app open, if you hadn't accessed it for a while, it went back to the main page, and you had to reload the ticket. And my internet connectivity isn't great in that part of town.. Now, they do advise that you should add it to your Google Wallet in the event of losing internet. So I downloaded that and clicked the button on the ticket that says "Add to Google Wallet". Nothing. I tried and tried, but although my Google Wallet said something had been added, I could not access it from there. They do say something about just holding your Wallet to the scanner, so perhaps it would've been ok - weird interface though, if so.

Well, that was all I could do. As the event drew nearer, I headed off for something to eat - again, I could catch a bus from near O' Neill's, so ate there, ordering at the bar again. And checked the TM app, just to have everything ready. Just as well I did - the damn thing had logged me out! I had had to change my password, so had to look it up - now, I wouldn't have fancied doing that at the theatre, tight for time and in the pouring rain.. so I got the ticket out again, which, as I say, was all I could do. Speaking of rain, it had been forecast - but it was only as I left the pub that I saw it had started. Not torrential, but persistent.

It continued to rain on me pretty persistently while I waited for the #73 - which didn't come at anything like the time Google Maps predicted. 10 mins I was stood there, getting wet - no sign at all of the alternative option, the #390. Anyway, I finally managed to get on the #73 - which was packed. Hate getting buses in the rain - they're crammed, stuffy, everyone damp. Downstairs was completely full, so I ended up upstairs - right at the front. Not that I could see anything, the windows were all steamed up.. not a hope now of arriving at 6.30 either, which was the time stated on the ticket, although I knew from the forums that the event never starts before 8 or so. Which tallies with my experience of U2 as well.

The bus terminated just a short walk from the theatre - yay. So it didn't take me long to get down there. Where - it was chaotic. Pretty much the whole place had sold out, remember - although there were still last-minute tickets at the box office if you were around, and moved quickly - the UK is great for that. Only a few, mind. Well anyway, the venue had sensibly divided the crowd into several queues, depending on where you were sitting - all the queues were really long, I might add. I asked one of the ushers for the Stalls queue - she pointed to the one snaking down Little Argyll Street. So off I went.. and walked, and walked, to get to the end.

Rainy Night in Soho, indeed! It was Biblical. And it poured on us for 15 minutes before we even got around the corner, and could see the theatre:

The queue snaked across the road - which made it interesting for any hapless drivers that braved it! And so finally, after 25 minutes in the pouring rain, we approached the theatre.. where a nice man in a hood was taking note of people's seat numbers, which he scribbled on PostIts, and handed to us! Very handy, I have to say - we weren't allowed phones inside, you see, so this was in case we couldn't remember where we were sitting. He worked for Yondr, the company that was handling the phones. Well, wouldn't you know it, just as he'd taken down the number, the internet died on my phone! Cue me waving it around frantically as I approached the ladies with the scanners - managed to get it working again, and had to retrieve my ticket again. Knew it'd happen. Anyway, it just worked in time - I got scanned, they told us to turn off our phones as soon as that was done, and the Yondr people were right behind them, with nice, fleecy pouches to drop our phones into. Which fastened with electronic tags, much the same as you get attached to clothes in shops. And which I carried around with me from then on.

Inside, I headed for the Stalls - passed a little kiosk, but someone said there was a bigger bar inside, so in I went. And that's where merchandising was. So I started with that queue, spent my money, then got a drink at the bar - not having to queue, by virtue of heading down to the far end! Took me a while to find the entrance to the auditorium - I'd never been in the Stalls here, before! Remembered my seat number, thank you - and she directed me to the side. And oh, I was lovely and close.. I mean, I know it was Row M, but this was closer than I've been at most concerts. I mean, Bono was actually a few inches tall, when he came on stage! As the American-sounding lady beside me remarked to her companion - ah, if only she could take a picture. Mind you, I believe some people got around the phone ban - probably snuck in extra phones. Not that I saw any myself.

We were to be particularly vexed at the phone ban when we started to see people we recognised. And you'll never guess who the first was.. a chap in black, in a baseball cap and glasses, was chatting to friends or whatever, in the next section over, row right in front of me. It was the Italians sitting on the other side of the Americans who noticed him first.. and damnit, they'd brought their books and I hadn't! Well, it'd only have got soaked anyway. So, off they went with their books and a pen.. Grr. And when they came back, one of them was so chuffed - as he said to someone in English, when he told Bono he was Italian, he autographed it in Italian for him..

Speaking of books, someone in front of me spent the time before the show busily reading his copy. As that lady sat beside me remarked - I wonder whether he'll get it finished before the show starts!

I wonder where the VIP section was - there obviously was one, because the other VIPs all arrived at roughly the same time. Oh man, we had fun.. first we saw Bob Geldof and Paul McGuinness arrive together - they were sat somewhere in front of me, and came down the aisle next to where I was. Then a huge cheer went up, and we all jumped to our feet - was it Bono? Nope, Noel Gallagher had just arrived, and threw his arms up in the air, as if the crowd were there for him. Cheeky beggar. He arrived with Ali (Bono's wife), mind - they didn't sit together though; he was in the centre section, she was three rows in front of me. Not the closest I've been to her, mind - she was right in front of me at a U2 concert, some years back.. Ah man, it was worth being in the Stalls! People we didn't actually see, but who were also namechecked as being there, either by Bono or on the U2 forums, include his and Ali's elder daughter, Jordan, Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, who gave U2 their first record deal, and producer Brian Eno, who's worked with them. And as the guy behind me remarked, jeez, when Bono comes on stage, he'll have to beg for attention - everybody's turned the other way!

We were all turned the right way by the time he did come on. As several people on the U2 forums have wondered - what can you say about this? We were speechless afterwards. An excellent Guardian review says it well - this wasn't a concert, although it had songs. Mostly, the songs were snippets, reworked versions. He came on to City of Blinding Lights - I remember this swiftly became my favourite U2 song when I heard it. Until they brought out even better ones! Next was an acoustic version of Vertigo. And oh, his description of writing what was to become U2's first single.. even in an abbreviated version, I Will Follow exploded into the room. I remember once hearing that Noel Gallagher was really jealous of U2's back catalogue.. he must have felt that last night..

We didn't stand, mind, except when he came on, and for a standing ovation at the end. But some of us sang along for every song.. But it's not all music. As people on U2 Conference have said, these shows are very faithful to the book. And mostly, it focuses on Bono's relationship with his father. I loved the scenes he acted out from the Sorrento Lounge, part of Finnegan's pub in Dalkey, Bono's local - he used to meet his father there, apparently. And we get a lovely insight into their relationship through the chats he describes. Oh, and he's a terrific mimic. What gets me, mind, is when people are surprised how funny he is - they obviously haven't been paying attention. Wait for the anecdotes about his father meeting Princess Diana - or the stories about Pavarotti. Absolutely hilarious. You don't have to try to get to the tour for them - read the book! Listen to the audiobook!

He gives his father the last word too - one of his favourite songs, it seems, was Torna a Surriento. And wow, if Bono doesn't give us the unaccompanied version, belting it out with gusto - I never realised his voice was so strong! Well, watch this space - I hear a rumour that last night's show was filmed.. we might see it made available yet..

Got our pouches opened on the way out, retrieved our phones, returned the pouches, and made our separate ways home - once we figured out our exit from the back alley we were disgorged into! Oh, and by the time I finally made it home - it was pouring on me again. My coat is literally soaked through - thank goodness I'm wearing completely different clothes today.. Anyway, I wanted to give this post due care and attention, and it ran too late to do that last night.

Tonight, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at the Coliseum, for a performance of Yeomen of the Guard, by Gilbert & Sullivan. And knowing the steepness of the steps in the Balcony - and the irregularity - and what with my stairs phobia - I've done my best to get a seat at the side, so I can use the handrail to get down. Oh, and an aisle seat, what with the restricted legroom.. So, a very musical week.

Then I'm back to Ireland again. On Saturday, UL is hosting a PhD reunion, with a tour of the campus and, crucially, free lunch. And I'll be using the occasion to catch up with an old friend and, hopefully, find out what finally prompted him to quit lecturing at last, more than 10 years after I did, considering he was bullied even worse than I was! The event is in one of the newer buildings, which I looked up on the campus map - and shared with my friend. Not easy to find - I had to Google it!

Planning a film on Sunday.. and coming up is Aisha, just releasing this weekend, which centres on a young woman in Direct Provision (Ireland's asylum processing system). Looks like a hard watch, focusing as it does on a severely criticised system, which can see asylum seekers stuck for years in limbo, while their claims are processed..

Certainly headed to a film on Monday - I wanted to see Triangle of Sadness last month, in the BFI Film Festival, but it was sold out. Well, it's made it to the mainstream - and now that the listings are (partially) out, I'm going to see it on Monday in the Vue Islington, which is the closest venue to me. It's a comedy in which Woody Harrelson is a cruise ship captain, cynically presiding over a group of scathingly depicted rich folk - and then they get shipwrecked on a desert island. Oh dear, how shall they fare?! ;-) Cheaper if you buy online, so I did.

On Tuesday, I'm with UITCS again, for a double-bill at the Park Theatre. Part of the Make Mine a Double series, where you get a discount for booking two or more. Next week sees a comedy double - Anything With a Pulse, about dating, and Pickle, a Jewish comedy.

Wednesday - oh dear, I'm just not sure. There are a few things coming up that I'm iffy about.. at the moment, I'm leaning towards Chess Community Wednesdays, with the London Chess Community. But I booked with them twice before and cancelled, so am reluctant to do it again - watch this space.

Next Thursday, I'm back with TAC for Haunting Julia, at The Questors Theatre, a new one to me. A ghost story, goodee! Written by Alan Ayckbourn.

On the 25th, back with the Crick Crack Club for The Beast in Me, by Daniel Morden. At King's Place. Fantastic!

On the 26th, I have my Christmas get-together with Helen! We're planning a Christmas bonanza - first to the Magical Ice Kingdom at Winter Wonderland, where we must also have a stroll around the Christmas markets, and get some alcoholic hot chocolate. Then food - then we're on a Tootbus night-time open-top bus tour. As booked on Wowcher.

And on the 27th, I'm back with Discover London, for a walk entitled Secrets of the Riverside Part 1: Tower Bridge to London Bridge. These events are good - I'm delighted to be back on one!