Concert: U2, Palau Sant Jordi (#4)

#4 of 4. This was U2's last night in Spain.. and I was there! Got up nice and late - it was quite breezy today, so I took an overshirt with me: coat still not required, of course. I headed into Placa de Catalunya, figuring I'd take it from there. Google Maps was kind enough to inform me that my handiest route there was to take either the L94 or L95 bus, which headed to just off the square. And I put my ticket in the right way around, for once. :-)

I was somewhat concerned that the LCD display showing the stop names was practically illegible - both on the outward and return journeys, the text was in a watery yellow that blended nicely into the black background. But as we passed a stop on the way in, I noticed the departure board, which said that the destination of my bus was, in fact, Placa de Catalunya. Lovely - the terminus.

I got off and wondered where to go for brunch - my first priority. A quick look around didn't reveal much, and I didn't want to spend too long looking - I was too hungry. I finally decided that the huge department store, El Corté Inglés, might be my best bet - they surely had a café, and it would surely be both reasonably priced and have fairly standard dishes, so no translation problems.

It turned out I had to go all the way to the ninth floor.. where they have a restaurant, which I considered, but the people in front of me exchanged some words with a waiter and left, and it looked very much as though they needed to have reserved. Instead, I queued for the more casual café - still with table service, but no tablecloths, no glasses or cutlery left on the tables, and paper placemats and boxes of napkins.

I didn't really have to queue for long, despite how busy the place was. I was shown to a table that hadn't been cleared yet, and there was some confusion as the waiter who came to clear it thought I wouldn't have been sat at a table that wasn't ready, and I must have skipped the queue and taken the table of my own accord! Luckily, the maitre d' who had seated me came along after a moment to reassure her..

Despite the busyness, service was decently quick. I dithered between the chicken, which sounded tastier, and the beef escalope with spaghetti and chips, which sounded more filling, and which my hunger chose. Same brunch as Tuesday, in fact! And a glass of wine. And it was very nice. The chips were actually terrific - you know how good chips can taste, but rarely do? These were such chips. Now, the elderly ladies beside me sent back their paella for some reason, to be exchanged for steak - but there are definitely things this place does rather well. For dessert - by which time things had calmed down a bit - I, of course, had the "death by chocolate" (I can rarely resist that), which in this case was a chocolate sponge slice with chocolate filling and dark chocolate beads on top. And it was sooo good.. I'd definitely go back there for that alone!

On the way out, I had a browse around. They have the most terrific Hallowe'en selection, and I just couldn't resist..

Once I finally found the exit, I was in the mood for capturing some of the sights: some photos here. By this time, it was too hot to be bothered exploring any more, and I waited in the shade, in a cool breeze, for the bus back to the hotel. Still, it was a relief when it came, and again when the aircon started. I recognised my stop from the buildings we passed - the indicator board was useless again.

After a relaxing afternoon, which featured another nap, I headed out. I must be getting fit - the walk didn't knock as much out of me this evening! Bought a t-shirt that had caught my eye yesterday..

..and took my seat. Which involved another awkward climb down rows and rows of steps with no handrail, and me muttering to myself to distract myself from being terrified. Just like Tuesday, in fact, as I was in the same row - yesterday, I was in a higher one, nearer the entrance.

So, I was in the front row of my section. This time, however, it was towards the back - more so than last night. Again, I needn't have worried - this is why I come to places like Barcelona for concerts - the crowds are amazing. Even the people with the worst angle in the house - directly facing the side of the vidi-wall, so they can't see a thing on it - were whoopin' and hollerin'. Don't feel too bad for them though - they do get a smaller, dedicated screen, at right angles to the vidi-wall, showing footage of both stages and the vidi-wall. From where I was sitting, I had a good view of both screens. And I noticed that Bono spent much of his time on the "e" stage singing directly to the people at the back.

This crowd trumps even the crowds of the last two nights, by virtue of being the FIRST crowd I've seen so far on this tour to get a Mexican Wave going all the way around the stands, more than once. Three times, in fact, before the powers-that-be turned down the lights and distracted an excitable crowd by tricking them into thinking something was imminent. In fact, it's becoming something of a hobby of mine to watch the crowd's reaction to something they weren't expecting to happen. It seems that the word has gone around that when the band say goodbye, they don't mean it, there's more to come - but it was nice to see that several things in the concert still surprised them. And they STILL don't know that the band don't come on until People Have the Power starts to play.. and even then, not immediately..

Tonight's 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
Desire
Spanish Eyes
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
40

Once they'd started, I noticed something I hadn't noticed before on this tour - as usual, the further away you are, the more of the spectacle you get to see. Being too close has its disadvantages. People with seats at the back, take heart. Now, a funny thing happened to me tonight - I'm finding that, the more of these concerts I go to, the more into them I'm getting. In fact, for the first four songs, I lost it completely tonight.. For their second song, they cycle among three - Gloria, The Electric Co., and Out of Control. (You can safely watch these videos on YouTube, they don't give away too much. And man, have I enjoyed watching them!) For my money, Gloria holds the crown, among these three, of Best Live Song. I always loved seeing it live, and I'm stoked that it's such a regular on this tour - doesn't usually happen! Again, Mrs. Bono was in the house, as mentioned by Bono at the start of Song For Someone, written for her.

Now, the pattern thus far has been that, for Mysterious Ways, Bono brings a girl onstage to dance with him, then she films the band doing a number, which is streamed live on Meerkat. Sometimes, they bring a guy up from the audience to play guitar on that number. Well, Bono was in a mischievous mood tonight, and ever the champion of equal opportunities, he brought up a girl to play guitar, and a guy to dance with. The guy wore one of those glittery cowboy hats and a feather boa, and threw some real shapes. Until his irate wife appeared onstage, ordering him to get down! He complied, after making sure she got a shot of him with each member of the band. Bono got her to do the Meerkat stream - half of which came out upside-down! Then he had a chat with her. "Are you local? Are you from Barcelona?" "I'm from Spain." "What's your name?" "Penélope"..

"So, that would be.. his Bardem-ness?" teased Bono. Yes, these were Penélope Cruz (in a wig) and her husband, Javier Bardem, who - I guess - stayed for the after-show party. Turns out they're enthusiastic supporters of the Red campaign. We may not have had the tv crews there tonight like last night, but what a show they missed! And then Bono sang Spanish Eyes, for Penélope of course. About time - I was wondering whether he'd ever get around to it in this, the only Spanish city on their tour!

Tonight, it was October that moved me to tears. And it seems that rounding off the show with Bad and 40 is a staple for the last night in any city. What a night! What a week! What a city! Truly memorable. Oh, but I can't wait for the tour to hit London, on the 25th (you know I'll be there..)

Back to London tomorrow. I have a long wait, what with check-out at 12 and the flight not until 6.20, but it's in T1, which should be more endurable. And it comes into Heathrow, which makes it much easier to get home. On Monday, I'm back with the Crick Crack Storytelling Club, in the Soho Theatre again, for an interesting-sounding evening called The Heart of a Hero, apparently with an Egyptian storyteller. And on Tuesday, I'm back with the World Music Meetup, for Varlden's Band, in Rich Mix. Long time no see this group!

Concert: U2, Palau Sant Jordi (#3)

Woo-hoo, back in Barcelona! I flew with BA today, which meant a slightly later flight and a later time to be there by - but the times were close enough that I just followed my previous schedule. Except this time, I knew exactly what I was doing, so it was that bit less stressful. I checked in online yesterday, and got a lovely window seat, near the front:

 

And had a gorgeous, cloudless view most of the way. And, being BA, free wine..

 

Landing was also easier, in T1, which looks far better stocked than T2. (Great, I'm flying out of there, too!) And this is where the bus terminus is, so I got a seat.. and I think I have been putting my travel card in the machine the wrong way, oops.. well, I won't be using the full value of it anyway, I daresay. Anyhoo, better informed now, I alighted at the stop after Placa Europa, and made my way to the hotel - same as before. I see they don't extend their breakfast times at weekends - well, it doesn't affect me, and anyway, they already allow till 11.

 

I wanted to do nothing more than crash for the afternoon - I did log on though, noting that the same login did me from my stay a couple of days ago; it lasts a week. I was peckish, so had a reasonably priced bar of chocolate from the minibar - they evidently don't check the expiry dates, it was clearly out of date. I don't mind that, but there are those that would - they should be more careful.

 

After a short nap, I headed down to the bar for a quick dinner, sharing the lift with fellow U2-goers; the hotel seems packed with them, this time. I ordered my usual croquettes - didn't feel like anything major, although it's not as oppressively hot as last time, and there's a nice cool breeze. And I ordered a glass of wine. Well, I thought they'd never come - they didn't bring the wine till after the food arrived, and I was still waiting for a knife and fork - I think they'd misplaced the napkins. Still, it came in time, and I ate it in time. They were quick enough to bring the bill, at least..

 

I'd toyed with the idea of ordering a taxi, but seeing the crowd of people outside, and the steady stream of people leaving for the concert, I figured, if I ordered one, someone would steal it! So, I just started out a bit earlier, determined to pace myself. I also had several Glacier Fruits on the climb, which did help - I knew exactly where I was going, and how long it would take to get there, so was more relaxed.

 

As I approached the entrance queue, I spotted a merchandising stand I hadn't seen before - and which included those elusive programmes, which I hadn't been able to see on Tuesday! Excellent, and I bought one. And spied a new Cedarwood Road t-shirt, which I must investigate tomorrow - I figured I was carrying enough. [SPOILER ALERT - Don't click the Cedarwood Road link if you are going to a U2 concert but haven't seen one yet this year; if you watch this video, you'll spoil some of the surprise.]

 

I was seated at the other side tonight, and towards the "back" - relative to the "i" stage. But I was to find that there's no such thing as being at the back, at these concerts - the room is too small for that, you don't miss anything, and the crowd was the most enthusiastic yet! Funnily enough, I felt more at home - I'm so used to seeing the band as dots at the other end of the venue, whereas I've been seated so close, so often on this tour. I'm spoiled, actually..

 

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
Elevation
Volcano
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

 

..with, of course, The Fly at the "intermission" between sets. [SPOILER ALERT - Again, don't watch the video if you are headed to a U2 show this year but haven't seen this set-up yet..]

 

Apparently, Mrs. Bono was in the house, as he pointed out before singing Song For Someone, written for her. The girl he pulled out of the crowd to film them during Elevation couldn't stop bouncing to the music, to the annoyance of certain online watchers on Meerkat.. Again, you could tell he was moved by the crowd's reaction tonight - he didn't give away any clothing; instead, he, em, crowsurfed during Volcano! (Always with a bouncer holding onto at least one foot, mind..)

 

Every Breaking Wave was dedicated to "Penelope and Javier".. Cruz & Bardem? It moved me to tears, and I wasn't the only one touched - the couple beside me weren't familiar with it, and asked me the name, and the woman in front of me, wrapped in a Mexican flag (there were a couple of those in the house) gave a little bow of homage at the end of it.

 

A terrific night. And I wasn't even completely exhausted when I got back! I only drank one of the bottles of water in the minibar - let's see whether it gets replaced.

 

I might head towards town tomorrow, if the weather stays cool. What's nice about the flight back, on Sunday - apart from it being BA, and from T1, is that it's to Heathrow! which makes it much easier to get home.

 

On Monday, I'm back with the Crick Crack Storytelling Club, in the Soho Theatre again, for an interesting-sounding evening called The Heart of a Hero, apparently with an Egyptian storyteller. And on Tuesday, I'm back with the World Music Meetup, for Varlden's Band, in Rich Mix. Long time no see this group!



Play: People, Places, and Things

People, Places, and Things was the show for tonight, booked at some stage when I had a bit of time to look ahead. And a good job too, as it booked out some time ago. It's running at the National - more specifically, the Dorfman Theatre around the side, which is the only constituent theatre in the building that I've been late to because I just couldn't find it!

My luck was in this evening, as a train to town approached just as I was approaching the steps down to the platform! This train proceeded to crawl through the first few stops, stopping between them as well - just as well I was early. It sped up once we got to town, leaving me 15 minutes to get to the theatre.

Oh, but I'm out of practice at climbing the steps to that bridge - not even my exertions on Montjuic helped. Anyway, I wheezed my way across, and over to the National. The Dorfman's entrance is actually on the left hand side as you come from the river - not the main entrance. I panted my way inside, noting that it's been completely refurbished since I was here last, and, not seeing a box office, made my way to the bar. Where I collected my ticket just as the bell went for people to enter. Just in time then, and a 45-minute journey altogether. Do NOT believe the Tube signs that tell you how long it'll take to get to Embankment (where I alighted)..

As they say on the website, the seating in this theatre is completely configurable, to the extent that they don't publish seating plans, as the configuration changes for every show. I knew I was in the pit (floor level), and it turned out I was in the front row! (I booked so long ago, I'd forgotten.) Not only that, but I was right beside one of the ramps leading from the stage. Couldn't have been closer to the action unless I was a performer. Actually, there are two front rows, as it's (kind of) played in the round - with side walls. Curiously, while the stage was at about lap height for our row, I noticed that it was at chest height for the front row on the other side..

There's a warning, as you go in, about strobe lighting, and about complete blackouts. And these blackouts occur at the beginning of both the first and second half. Kudos to the actors for finding their way in the dark. Anyhoo, the name of the play is significant.. people, places, and things are the words that recovering addicts have to avoid - people, places, and things that encourage their addiction. Because this is a play about an actress (so you never quite know what part she's playing) who ends up in rehab, for drink and drug addiction.

Wow, so far, so depressing, right? Wrong! This is frequently hilarious, and the wittiest play I've seen in a while. She is not going down without a fight, and she rigorously opposes the somewhat straight-laced regime of the rehab clinic. Her hallucinations, as she goes through detox, are cleverly - and scarily - represented on stage. And the lead actor is incredible, her performance raw and believable. I think she had at least one friend in my row - she kept looking over there during the standing ovation at the end.

Brilliantly written, brilliantly acted. No wonder it sold out - and do see it if you get a chance! I see the London Dramatic Arts group saw it last weekend.. I'm in good company!

Well now, I'm past my bedtime, given that I'm back to Barcelona in the morning.. (whee!). Really, really looking forward to that, having done a decent amount in my one day at work this week.. Back for the last two U2 concerts in Spain this year, and expecting one helluva party.. and I have some walking ahead of me, eh? At least I'm flying with BA.. into Terminal 1, and back to Heathrow, T3. And you know what? I might splash out on a taxi to go to the concerts.. I'm capable of walking back down the hill.. the alternative is to head around the other side and take the funicular, and that sounds like too much effort, tomorrow at least.

On Monday, I'm back with the Crick Crack Storytelling Club, in the Soho Theatre again, for an interesting-sounding evening called The Heart of a Hero, apparently with an Egyptian storyteller. And on Tuesday, I'm back with the World Music Meetup, for Varlden's Band, in Rich Mix. Long time no see this group!

BCN T2C

Good job I did most of my packing last night - well, there wasn't much anyway - because I woke just after 11 today, and checkout was at 12. I made it down there by 11.40.. which isn't a record for me, but it has been quite a while since I exhibited such speed.

Intending to take the 46 back to the airport, I figured the stop would be across the road, roughly directly opposite where I got off on the opposite trip. And so it proved. And after a few minutes, the bus appeared. My ticket did its usual thing of making the machine flash red and give an angry beep, and the driver did the usual thing of ignoring it completely. So that's ok. And off we sailed to the airport - a much more comfortable journey than last time, given that I got a seat!

My boarding pass helpfully stated - quite clearly - that I was to depart from Terminal 2C this time, instead of 2B. And I knew the bus stopped there - in fact, the one I took to town on Monday had advertised it as a stop, although no-one had used it. So, when we pulled away from 2B, and the next stop was advertised as 2C, I pressed the stop button to get the driver to - you know - stop. Well, he didn't. Or at any of the next few stops - for which I was thankful, since they were right away from the terminal buildings, and it was typically hot! No, not until we got to Terminal 1 - the end of the line, where I gratefully hopped off.

The airport shuttle bus, which runs between terminals, had been in front of us, and I figured that was my best bet now. Where was the stop, though? After a couple of minutes, one passed me, and I followed it to the stop and hopped on. And off we sped, all the way back to 2B. Where everyone got off except me, and I gratefully took a seat - it had been too crowded before. And.. the driver said I had to get off! So the upshot is, NO, they don't go to 2C - I wasn't the only one walking from 2B to 2C, which took me about 15 minutes - not pleasant in the heat.

Barcelona, Terminal 2C has the distinction of being one of the s***tiest airport terminals I've had the displeasure of travelling though - even worse than Heathrow T5. I was through security fast enough - which was a shame, as there is virtually nothing there. There's one place to eat. There are vending machines for drinks. There are toilets - downstairs, with no lift. There is a small Duty Free shop, with little selection (and where they short-changed me, but I was too pissed-off to complain). There is a newsagent's, with a piddling souvenir corner. There is a boutique.

That's it. There is no bar. There are no facilities for children. I hadn't eaten yet, so headed to the one place I could get food, where I bought a sandwich and a drink, and thought the chocolate cake looked good, so had a slice of that too. They have this crazy system whereby you order at the till, then you have to feed your money into a machine on the other side of it, which gives you change. Took my brunch to the counter overlooking the runways - only budget airlines use this "terminal", mainly Easyjet. I soon discovered that the bread in my sandwich was stale, although the filling was good. And the outer edge of the cake was stale too. Funny then, that one of their slogans reads "As fresh as a smile"..

And there I sat for the afternoon - I'd arrived early for my flight, foolishly. They only give you half an hour's free WiFi. When they finally announced the gate number for my flight, I flew down there - where I discovered another eatery. But it was too late - we were already boarding. Well, theoretically - they had this daft system where they blocked our section of the queue off with tape, even when practically everyone else had boarded. Well, honestly, Easyjet staff have never seemed that bright, to me.

I was in the second row from the back, but the flight was ok, after a bumpy take-off. Thankfully, because I was seated beside a very nervous (and very vocal) flier. At the other end, thanks to someone pointing out to me that yes, I did have a chip in my passport, I tried out the automatic passport check for the first time - and it was easy! Kewl - that's a lot of queueing time saved. Speaking of which, whom did I see in the queue behind me but Dame Helen Mirren.. in a lovely outfit, I must say. I guess she was coming in for the London Film Festival.

My return home was much affected by, apparently, a broken-down train on the line, which delayed my train from Gatwick. So, just as well I hadn't booked to go to anything tonight - I wouldn't have made it. I'm headed to People, Places and Things at the National tomorrow. Good job I booked early - apparently they're completely sold out now. The London Dramatic Arts group is off there on Saturday, so we can compare notes! On Friday, I'm back to Barcelona for the last two U2 concerts in Spain this year.. and I have some walking ahead of me, eh? At least I'm flying with BA.. into Terminal 1, and back to Heathrow, T3. And you know what? I might splash out on a taxi to go to the concerts.. I'm capable of walking back down the hill..

On Monday, I'm back with the Crick Crack Storytelling Club, in the Soho Theatre again, for an interesting-sounding evening called The Heart of a Hero, apparently with an Egyptian storyteller. And on Tuesday, I'm back with the World Music Meetup, for Varlden's Band, in Rich Mix. Long time no see this group!

Concert: U2, Palau Sant Jordi (#2)

#2 for U2, #1 for me, in Barcelona. This is the only venue I'm going to where I didn't manage a ticket for every show. But honestly, 19 in one year is enough, 3 in Barcelona is enough for this year. And I was exhausted yesterday, and slept really well last night.

Not having to get up for breakfast - since they charge for it, and it's as much of a rip-off as any other hotel - I rose late and started the day with a bath. What a luxury - I haven't had one for years, I can't afford them in London with the price of water. And then I strolled off for brunch. I knew there was a shopping centre right across the road, and figured that would be as good a place as any. And once I stepped outside the door into the heat, I knew I didn't want to venture any further.

I had to walk right around to find the entrance, and it turns out to be a very new (many units not yet open), and very swanky centre:

After some more exploration, I did find the eateries, and chose Canas y Tapas for the simple reason that (a) it had an English-language menu and (b) it had tables available. Sadly, when she brought me the menu, it was not in English. But luckily, there were a couple of understandable options on the special, €12 menu, and I had those - espagueti Carbonara is pretty easy, and escalope de ternera.. I know that much (ternera is beef). It's not like I know no Spanish.. but in Barcelona, most things aren't in Spanish, they're in Catalan, which is that bit different. Actually, I'd have liked croquettes, but couldn't figure out the different fillings..

I also ordered wine (my second day with wine for breakfast!), which came in a dinky glass bottle, carafe-size. The spaghetti was lovely - lighter than you might expect, and didn't fill me up. And the beef escalope wasn't half as dry as that one I had in Malbun last year - how they managed to dessicate anything that much, I cannot say! No, this was all very pleasant - the only problem being the sun beating on my back. They do have sun coverings overhead, but you can never escape it completely - and they had no space inside. When I'd finished, it did take her forever to bring the bill, but then they were very busy. And was I ever pleased to discover that the wine was included in the €12! You'd never see that back home..

I wanted to get out of the sun, so declined a dessert there and investigated the ice cream parlour across the path. Where I was intrigued by the sorbet range, and chose the lemon and mint one, which she made on the spot - lemon and lime ice cream, a slice of lemon, a sprig of mint, and ice cubes all going in a blender. And it was delicious.. until I got about halfway down and it turned to sludge, which I could no longer suck through the straw. I soldiered on until I'd had about 2/3 of it, then gave up and made my way slowly back to the hotel, in the heat. Went online in the bar, to discover the hotel had replied to a review I'd made of them, saying they were sorry, but there must have been a misunderstanding at check-in.. WiFi is free throughout the hotel! Hmm.. not so much at check-in, but it says on the website, and in the in-room directory, that WiFi is charged for in the rooms. Wish they'd get their story straight.

I had a nap, had some more croquettes in the bar (found them very salty) and headed out, map in hand, to climb the mountain to the concert. For the Palau Sant Jordi is at the top of Montjuic. I chose the closest hotel I could find, and Google Maps said it was a half-hour walk. There was certainly no confusion about my route until I was on Carrer del Foc, where all the turn-offs turned out to be car parks, and you do indeed keep climbing straight ahead. Speaking of climbing.. yes, it's a steady climb (although not steep) all the way up Carrer del Foc. For about 15 minutes, it took me - added to the time it took to get to that road, that makes 40 minutes total. I am not fit, lemme tell you! Walking on the flat - fine. Climbing for 15 minutes.. I saw my life flash before my eyes. A French woman that passed remarked to her companion that this was her cardio for the week.. (you're close to the French border here, and there were plenty of French at the concert).

Actually, it seemed as though most people had never been there before, and as they passed me (I was moving slowest), I was asked for directions a number of times, in a number of languages. Fat chance they had, I hadn't a clue. "Straight on and it's on the left" was as much as I knew. We did eventually make it, and were then clueless as to where the entrance to this large building was situated. Walking around the perimeter, we came across crowds of people coming from the other direction, hence from town, and we eventually came to the entrance lanes - mostly devoid of people at this late stage, about 20 minutes before (official) start time. I picked the nearest lane, and hoped I was right. The two girls in front of me asked the steward whether they were in the right line for the floor (standing) and when he said they were, they squealed in delight and scurried forward. To the amusement of the people behind me - they hadn't looked like teeny-boppers, dressed as they were in smart clothes and high heels..

The steward at the next division was just anxious to know whether people had seats or were standing, and I had to assure him a few times that I was sure I had a seat. So I got a line all to myself, and was in quickly. Crowded, crowded.. I had a quick look at the merchandising, but didn't see anything new - and no programme stands! There was a handy map of the different sectors, so I knew to continue to the end, and found my place without too much difficulty. And oh, what a fantastic seat.. front row, right to the side of the "i" stage:

I was sat just above Red Zone, as it happened, which is much better located than it was in Amsterdam, and borders the stage. I still maintain, though, that it's no advantage for this set-up, where the band moves throughout the whole floor area.

Well, Barcelona absolutely trumps Amsterdam for crowd enthusiasm! It was like someone spiked their coffee.. like someone put a bomb under them. They were electric! Someone screamed at one point (over-excited) and my whole section jumped to its feet. Bono developed a habit of saying "wow!" throughout the concert, and frequently stood back and let us sing the songs.

Speaking of which, here's the setlist (and how handy it is that it's reproduced now on u2.com)..

SET 1

The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)
Out Of Control
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
Angel Of Harlem
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
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

It was so cool - there was a particularly hyper guy, just to the right of me, who went crazy for every single song. So nice to see someone getting their money's worth.. Interesting, for this concert, was how, when Bono was saying something, a translation was provided on the vidi-wall. Thoughtful..

The "interval" between Sets 1 & 2 was, again, filled with the drum version of The Fly - the evocative words again displayed on the "wall", but this time in Spanish. The girl pulled from the audience for Mysterious Ways turned out to be French too.. oh, and if you want to watch that bit of each concert they put on Meerkat, look for pages on the U2 website referencing future concerts; they put a link to Meerkat there, so you can sign up to watch on the night.

Somebody got pulled up again to play guitar on Angel of Harlem - and turned out to be living in Dublin! Again, he got to keep the guitar - minus the strap! And a third person got pulled up to sing on City of Blinding Lights. In fact, Bono led him down the catwalk, gave him his sunglasses and jacket to put on, and waved bye-bye, sending him into the darkness. He spent the rest of the concert without them, and the other chap wasn't seen again. As someone remarked, it's the first time in 20 years we've seen Bono (in concert) without his glasses! And I did feel that little bit closer to him. I think it was deliberate - I do think he was moved by the sheer force of emotion in tonight's audience, and wanted to connect. Lordy, the next two will be incredible at this rate. If this was a Tuesday night crowd..!

I was absolutely wrecked by the time I got back to the hotel, despite the downward walk back. Drained the minibar of water, and am looking forward to my bed. I fly back tomorrow, late afternoon, and am headed to People, Places and Things at the National on Thursday. Good job I booked early - apparently they're completely sold out now. The London Dramatic Arts group is off there on Saturday, so we can compare notes! On Friday, I'm here for the last two U2 concerts in Spain this year.. and I have some walking ahead of me, eh?

On Monday, I'm back with the Crick Crack Storytelling Club, in the Soho Theatre again, for an interesting-sounding evening called The Heart of a Hero, apparently with an Egyptian storyteller. And on Tuesday, I'm back with the World Music Meetup, for Varlden's Band, in Rich Mix. Long time no see this group!

AC Hotel Som by Marriott

Buenas tardes da Barcelona.. so, after no small amount of stress last week, I finally made it! Given that I'm so close to Clapham Junction, and there's a train from there to Gatwick, I said I'd check it out. And sure enough, it's slightly faster (from where I am) and somewhat cheaper than the Gatwick Express. So I booked to come that way today.

There was something of a last-minute hitch, in the form of a slight emergency at work - which I found out about via my mobile's connection to my work email. But it didn't delay me, and I made the train I had intended to, to Clapham.. which wasn't delayed.. and I made the train I had intended to, to Gatwick. Now, some confusion arose from the constant announcements about the train splitting, and to make sure you were in the correct part. And from the indicator board, I got the impression that I should be in the front half - and there I was, at the last carriage. So I sprinted forward, and then worried for most of the rest of the journey whether I was in the right bit. As it turned out, the split didn't even happen until after Gatwick - which should have been made clearer, earlier. Anyway, all's well that ends well, as I got there.

By the time I got to the airport - and had a very long queue through security - the flight was already boarding. So much for going to the toilet.. so much for getting breakfast. At least I had an aisle seat.. I couldn't believe how long it took for the seatbelt sign to go off, but when it did, I made a dash for the toilet. And got back just as the trolley had passed my seat. Bless him, the steward noticed me and asked me whether I'd like anything, and so my breakfast consisted of a ham & cheese melt and a small bottle of white. Which were both very welcome.. and let me reiterate how potent alcohol is at high altitudes.

It's hot, Hot, HOT in Barcelona. You could feel it the minute we got off the plane. Passport control wasn't a problem - I now know there's a chip on my passport, so I could go through the automated check if I wanted, but the regular queue was moving so swiftly that I decided to stay there, rather than risking confusion at the machines. And so I was in the main terminal building, searching for where to buy a T-10. I'd done my homework, and knew this was the best value for me, since I didn't intend to do that much travelling - just a 10-journey ticket, discounted over the regular price.

I searched.. I found the tourist office, walked to the end, thought the ticket vendor might be outside, and did find the actual bus stop that way. But you can't buy special tickets on the bus itself, so back in I went, finally joining the queue for tourist information. In a hotter environment than I've been used to. Before too long, I was asking the friendly girl where to buy a T-10. And she was telling me to go all the way back to the end, up the stairs and across the bridge to the railway station.

Boy, I'm glad I checked - I'd definitely have doubted myself otherwise. And holy ****, that bridge was hot! No aircon - just a few open windows. The air felt familiar - I'd forgotten that Spanish heat. It's been too long. The broken escalators (in both directions) at the other end provided some fitness training, and I ended up queueing at the ticket machines. Where it was very easy to buy a T-10: 1-zone by default, which is all you need unless you're planning to go cross-country. Even the airport is in Zone 1.

Back across the sweltering bridge, and I was now ready to go to the bus stop. I knew I needed the 46, which runs straight into town along the Avinguda de la Granvía, which my hotel -the AC Hotel Soms by Marriott - was just off of. I'd just missed one, so joined the queue - at least there was a nice breeze. When it finally came, it was fairly packed, and there were a lot of us joining. Now, I'd watched what the guy in front of me did with his T-10.. and was fairly sure I'd done the same. So it was a surprise when the machine flashed red and gave an angry beep. The (Catalán) message said something about it being invalid. But there was such a crowd.. and I didn't want to hold them up.. and the driver didn't notice.. so I kind of got a journey for free. Really, I don't know what happened with it..

I stood, so as to be on the right hand side, where the hotel would be - I had looked it up on Streetview, so was fairly confident I'd recognise it. The driver whipped us along at a fair pace - it meant I was practically toppled off my feet whenever we went around a bend, but it also meant that I got to my stop in about 20 minutes, beating the Google Maps estimate. Interestingly, Google Maps and the official bus route website disagreed on the stop names - both agreed that the bus would pass through Placa de Europa, and it was the second stop after that - but I was curious to see who would win on stop names. The winner was.. Google Maps! Mind you, as I saw us speed past my hotel, I figured the stop before (Física) would have done me better. But never mind.

It was good to get off the bus - but I was now out in the sweltering heat and sun. Fortunately, I was under five minutes' walk away. The hotel is more tall than wide, built around a central lift shaft, and inside it's dark and cool. Which is good, as it took some time to check me in. My room was blissfully tempting - unfortunately, you have to pay to access WiFi in your room, so I had to come back down to the (24-hour) bar to get it for free. CNN is on the telly, with the sound down, and there's a selection of Spanish newspapers. They have these dinky little electronic devices on the tables, with a button you can press to call the waiter, another to pay the bill, another to cancel. But I thought I'd head out to eat.

It was around 6, and I was starving. Headed off in a likely direction - spotted the path I need to take to the concert tomorrow, but was too hungry to follow it, although I was tempted. I passed a bakery (breakfast! They charge at this hotel, and it's never worth it) and a small supermarket (snacks!). And when I passed the second closed restaurant, it occurred to me that I was too damn early to eat - it'd be early anywhere, but here they don't typically go out to eat until 10pm. So I headed back, thinking I'd tide myself over with something from the supermarket. But then I passed a bar that was serving burgers - and thought one would be nice - and then I got sense, and realised that the hotel also serves burgers. 24 hours! So I came back.

I settled myself with my laptop, and pressed the waiter call button. He came at the second time of asking. I ordered a burger - but they also have a few tapas, and I ordered the ham & cheese croquettes, which I love. And a glass of wine (one-size):

The croquettes were absolutely delicious! But they were huge, and there were lots of them, and I hadn't finished by the time my burger arrived. What the hey, I moved the two remaining onto that plate (well, slab). The burger itself - 100% beef - was fine, if a bit lacking in taste, but the accompanying cheese was gorgeous. The wine was only €2.90 a glass, so I had two. And finished with a chocolate fondant. And decadently charged it to my room.

Honestly, I'm exhausted, and rather glad I don't have a ticket for tonight's concert. Roll on tomorrow's though - and I'm dying to see the route there - I can walk in half an hour. Oh, and there's a massive shopping centre just down the road if I get the urge. Handily, I'm here for the last two concerts too, on Friday and Saturday, so I'll know the drill.


Meantime, I fly back on Wednesday, and am headed to People, Places and Things at the National on Thursday. Good job I booked early - apparently they're completely sold out now. The London Dramatic Arts group is off there on Saturday, so we can compare notes! On Friday, I'm here for the last two U2 concerts in Spain this year..

On Monday, I'm back with the Crick Crack Storytelling Club, in the Soho Theatre again, for an interesting-sounding evening called The Heart of a Hero, apparently with an Egyptian storyteller. And on Tuesday, I'm back with the World Music Meetup, for Varlden's Band, in Rich Mix. Long time no see this group!

Play: Agamemnon & Concert: Talent Unlimited Showcase

Yes, I know, I know.. I've been very quiet of late. Well, I ended up not going to the cinema on Monday - I wasn't in the mood unless it was something really attractive, and it wasn't. So I stayed in. Then I was in Guildford on Tuesday, and I haven't been in the habit of going out on such days - although that'll have to change in the New Year, when the London office closes (shock, horror!). Yes, that's what's been causing all the consternation at work that I've hinted at. So they want us all to move to the Guildford office. Now, I had a serious think, and I wanted to give up neither the job (which I love) nor, of course, London. But after some consultation, it seems I may be able to work from home part of the week. Which would make things much better. Watch this space..

Yesterday, I'd booked for Agamemnon, in the Bunker Trilogy, with the London European Club. So I dragged myself all the way to Stratford again, leaving straight from the office because it just takes so long. At least there wasn't a rugby match there that night. I made Earl's Court in time for one of those trains that sit at the platform for ages, then changed at Westminster for the Jubilee Line, as usual. O Lordy.. it wasn't nearly as crowded as the last time, but it was still uncomfortably so. One of the busier lines, it was crowded enough the whole way that I felt slightly travel-sick in the stuffy environment, all the way till two stops before the end, when I finally got a seat.

I was so glad to get off. Made my way to the Arts Centre, said hi - and "be back in a minute" - to my fellow group members, who were sitting at a table in the café, and ordered myself a glass of wine. Large. I was still worried about affairs at work, and needed this more than I needed the dinner I hadn't had time to get. They served it to me in a plastic container so I could take it in, and indeed, it wasn't long before we were called to take our seats. Blasé after the last time, and knowing our way, we sauntered in after some minutes.

Same bunker - we sat at the other side this time, which allowed us to see the staging that had previously been behind us. They use smoke to create an atmosphere.. it was thicker this time, but never fear, it doesn't cause breathing difficulties. Well, as I explained to my fellow group member, seated beside me, this play is based on the Greek legend. And I recounted as much of it as I could remember, from that production of The Oresteia that I saw at Trafalgar Studios.

This production has the same cast as Morgana. Unlike that play, however, no original character names are used in this - in fact, no names at all. But it is the story of a man who heads off to war, leaving his wife behind, who doesn't understand.. and ends up falling for his cousin. And simmering passions come to a head..

I found this more accessible than Morgana. That was also an excellent production, but Agamemnon forms a more familiar story. Again, the sheer proximity of the performers gives a more intense experience, and the acting is excellent. As a recent reviewer remarked, it's notable how universal these stories are.. in this case, transmuted to the First World War. Highly recommended.. runs until Saturday, on which day tickets are limited.

Afterwards, we stopped by Pizza Express again, and had nibbles and drinks. I was intrigued by their honeycomb dessert.. so naturally had it.. and yes, it is as good as it sounds! Some convivial chat accompanied the nibbles. Home too late to blog, naturally.

Tonight, I had won a free ticket to the Talent Unlimited Showcase, courtesy of a new Meetup group I joined - Kensington Classical Music. The organiser asked several questions, and it seems I was the only one to answer the one that won me the ticket! Well, I was glad to have it. Mind you, for some reason I was sure it was in Cadogan Hall - but no, St. James', Piccadilly. A little further from home, but never mind - I went straight from the office again, and made it just in time. The correct exit from Piccadilly Station was easy to find - Exit 3 (South Piccadilly) is the one you want, and it's directly opposite as you come off the Piccadilly Line.

There was a little confusion at the box office - the group organiser was otherwise engaged, and the box office person knew nothing about me. My name was on the list of people who were supposed to get a ticket, but she asked me whether I'd paid already. Well, no, but.. she gave me the ticket, in a slightly confused manner. And I agreed to pay £1 for the programme.

Took a seat over the side - I subsequently saw the organiser at the other side, but I don't know anyone from this group very well, so just stayed where I was. This was a concert of music students - very talented ones. You know, the baffling ones.. one was just 17, and you do wonder simply that they are so good. We were treated to a fabulous - and quite long - concert, featuring many famous composers, and some not so much. And at the end, a treat not mentioned on the programme - a soprano came on to sing several popular numbers, classical and from musicals. Fabulous stuff - and I got it for free! By the end though, I was hungry and didn't fancy going to the pub with the others, so just slunk home.

Back to Ireland tomorrow for the weekend, and on Monday I'm off to Barcelona! for a U2 concert the next day - they are playing on the 5th too, but I couldn't get a ticket. :-( Mind you, I'm damn lucky to get there - I completely forgot to book the time off work, only realised yesterday, and but for having the Best Boss in the World Ever, I wouldn't be going at all. I fly back on the 7th, and on the 8th I'm off to see People, Places and Things at the National. Good job I booked early - apparently they're completely sold out now. The London Dramatic Arts group is off there on Saturday, so we can compare notes! On the 9th, I'm back to Barcelona for another couple of U2 concerts..

On Monday 12th, I'm back with the Crick Crack Storytelling Club, in the Soho Theatre again, for an interesting-sounding evening called The Heart of a Hero, apparently with an Egyptian storyteller. And the following day, I'm back with the World Music Meetup, for Varlden's Band, in Rich Mix. Long time no see this group!