As usual, had trouble with BA's online check-in.. I had done everything I could think of to complete it, but just as well I checked that night, because it was of the opinion that I hadn't finished! Oh, and the app was, as ever, useless.. couldn't determine one way or the other whether I'd checked in at all.. so I couldn't get a useful version of the boarding pass on my phone and would have to print it out at the airport..
Managed to get up in time: had a very, very long Tube journey, during which I dozed off. The kiosk was, of course, most perturbed that I wanted to print my boarding pass. Since I'd apparently already done so! Bloody BA - more trouble than they're worth. At least they have a standard policy of checking in hand luggage now.. and the luggage tag comes out automatically sticky, which avoids the faff they had before, of peeling off one bit, then another, having to follow numbered instructions as though assembling furniture!
We were on one of the large planes, with individual screens - sadly, it was explained to us that as this was intra-EU, there would be no entertainment. Seat was comfy though, and I slept for most of the flight, apart from the takeoff and landing, which were the bumpiest I've had in years! A guy a few rows in front of me had to ask for a sick bag..
And so to Madrid, with a panoramic view of mountains as we came in to land. Highest capital city in Europe, it seems! You could feel the heat straight away, getting off the plane. Hovering around 30 degrees Celsius, today and yesterday. It took another hour to get out of the airport, what with malfunctioning e-passport gates, having to take a train to get to baggage reclaim, and having another wait there. At least they tell you on a screen when the first bags are expected to arrive.
The Metro here charges by number of stops, it seems- very sensible. And so I ultimately came to O'Donnell, the nearest to my hotel. Named for the nearby street that's named for someone of Irish descent, of course. And the station has down escalators, but not up, whosever bright idea that was!
Staying in the Novotel Madrid Center, just a block away from the concerts at the Wizink Center. Olé! I was glad I'd researched online where the entrance is- from either side, you walk down the tunnel towards the car park.
Finally got checked in around 7pm. And wow, she explained that, because they were full (read overbooked), I was getting an upgrade!
Well now. My own lounge, private balcony.. Actually, I was looking online, and the regular price of this room is about €172 pn - not so much more than I'm actually paying for a basic room. But then, the regular price of a basic room is only about €90. The price I'm paying is a concert price. For once, at least, I'm getting value for money!
By the time I'd settled in and freshened up, it was after 8. Now, the concert ticket said 9pm.. so I decided I'd better head. It's literally only a hop, skip and jump away. Finding the building, however, was a lot easier than finding my seat - I had to ask five separate people, and even they didn't seem sure! My God though, the seat was worth the trouble - nearest I've been to the stage in an age!
They got the crowd going with People Have the Power in the intro, familiar to those who saw the Innocence + Experience tour. They finally took the stage at 9.30.. and I'd suspected they'd emerge from inside the vidiwall! Still don't know how they managed to get in there unseen..
setlist
- The Blackout
- Lights of Home
- I Will Follow
- Red Flag Day
- Beautiful Day
- The Ocean
- Iris (Hold Me Close)
- Cedarwood Road
- Sunday Bloody Sunday
- Lord Of The Flies (snippet) / Until The End Of The World / Introduction (snippet) (Intermission - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me)
- Elevation
- Vertigo / Rebel Rebel (snippet)
- Even Better Than The Real Thing
- Hall of Mirrors (snippet) / Acrobat
- You're The Best Thing About Me
- Summer Of Love
- Pride (In The Name Of Love)
- Get Out Of Your Own Way
- New Year's Day
- Ode To Joy (snippet) / City Of Blinding Lights
- Women of the World (snippet) / One
- Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way
- 13 (There Is A Light)
encore(s):
Started politically, with a strong video message about state dictatorship - leading into The Blackout. And yes, when the video broke up, there they were in the wall.. Lights of Home had a beautiful display, and they returned to stage for I Will Follow. So, continuing the I+E tradition of getting us charged early!
The Ocean, rarely performed, was a lovely surprise. We then got a reprise of I+E - but out of sequence- with the Iris/Cedarwood Road/ Sunday Bloody Sunday sequence.
For Elevation, they moved to the B stage, Bono in a top hat, and it was when this segued into Vertigo that the show really took off for me. Mr. McPhisto made his reappearance at this point. I don't think I've ever heard Acrobat live before..
I never realised that Summer of Love is about refugees crossing the Mediterranean! Always too busy to think about it- well, I know better now. And the next few songs were focused on European integration, a large EU flag raised behind Bono as he decried nationalism - including from Catalonia.
Awesome concert, one of the better ones - which is saying something. Left with the last song ringing in my ears. And pretty quickly went to bed, too tired to blog.
Today, had a lazy day, and blogged slowly, forced to do so on my phone. Had a small leak in my aircon unit, which they fixed - imagine my surprise when I came downstairs to get a bite to eat and heard the sound of rushing water in the lobby. Water was pouring onto reception! Seems a theme of the day. Anyway, I ate in the hotel bar, where I had a watery wine, a decent steak - albeit accompanied by weird stuff - and a rather nice "chocolate soul", which turned out to be a mousse, covered in dark chocolate, with crunchy stuff in the middle. Now in situ, good n early, for concert #2!
I'm staying for the weekend - it makes a change from Barcelona, which is great, but I've been so often before - and having been to Madrid before and seen most of the city sights, I always wanted to go to El Escorial. Well, I am tomorrow morning.. way too early, ugh! English-language tour, with Ticketbar. And that night, I'm finally fulfilling my ambition of seeing a flamenco show in Madrid - love Flamenco! La Quimera is just up the road from the hotel - show includes a meal.
I fly back, exhausted, on Sunday. With Ryanair, carefully avoiding any of their strikes. On Monday, back with Let's Do This for Duo at Wilton's - always a great night, there. Always great company with them, too!
On Tuesday, our team was supposed to be going for drinks- cancelled yesterday, probably because of work pressure. Mind you, I might be meeting someone else that evening- watch this space!
On Wednesday, finally back with London Literary Walks for his final walk of the year. Vanity Fair, and I'm the only one has signed up for it - tsk! Damned if I'm missing this one, though.
On Thursday, I'm with my £3.60 club for the final night of Between Us, at Theatre N16. Then back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 1st, back with North London Friends for Every Day I Make Greatness Happen, at Hampstead Theatre - which I hear great things about. Nice to get a group discount, too.
And on the 2nd, another thing I've heard great things about - I'm taking myself to Eugenius, at The Other Palace. Finally, after all the praise I've heard of it.. This theatre used to be known as St. James', and is dreadful for legroom - take an aisle seat if you're at all lanky of leg!
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