U2

Rogers Centre
Toronto, Ontario
September 16, 2009

Review: Declan 'Ace' Goodall
Photos: Declan 'Ace' Goodall & Vince Desando

And so it was... I have been following the new U2/360 Tour with great interest since the first European show in Barcelona, Spain right through to the last one in Scotland, and watching the set list for all the song changes, not a lot of changes from show to show, but the fans let the band know through web site which songs they thought were missing in action, and the bands adds and removes them accordingly..... Ah! The power of the internet and real time communication.

Listening to all the songs they’re playing for this tour in the car and party room to prep myself for being their in person Wednesday night at the Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario was the only way to go to really enjoy the whole experience, and that’s the word I will use to describe this show ...... it was a Rock n' Roll Experience as in like …is there anybody out there?

Ok so lets get down to business..... I get to the Rogers Centre at 4 o’ clock in the afternoon with the sun shining brightly. Perfect temperature. I walk across the road to where the band would arrive to drive under the venue. Five minutes later I was shaking hands and photographing Bono who stopped his SUV to sign for the fans who were waiting for a glimpse of the band He looked great! The Edge drove in first but never stopped, and we didn't see the other guys from U2 either.

Can the day get any better than that? …Maybe! I mean I do have a ticket and a pocket full of cash to party with, so that's not bad either. I hung around the venue to check out all the festivities, taking in the great food and music that was pumping out of the radio station and television van that was playing U2 videos. The bars around the venue were packed with fans priming for the show. T-shirt and program vendors doing their thing, and pretty girls everywhere. Oh yeah it can get better!

If you have never been to the Rogers Center In Toronto, it is the home to Major League Baseball team the Toronto Blue Jays. It is a big venue with a retractable roof that was opened up for U2 for only the second time in it's concert history. The last time the roof was opened up was in 2003 for Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, and because the week had been so good weather wise and there was no forecast of rain, the roof was going to be open for the fans who did not get tickets to party around the venue with U2... set up my lawn chair boys. Ok forget about the lawn chair, we got tickets, and we want beers, so we better get in there and take care of business.

When you walk into the Rogers Centre with the roof open it’s a real treat with the vacuum the outside air creates. You look down from the top and see the monster U2/360 stage, and you just have to get down on the field and see the 150 feet tall star ship stage with the four monster hydraulic legs and a 54 tonne 360 video screen up close. .... WOW! No wonder it takes so many tractor trailers to put the show together ahead of each city for days in advance. It’s a giant construction site with concert lights.

So we’re in the venue with 58,000 U2 fans from all over the world who were treated to a great opening act from Belfast N. Ireland called Snow Patrol. They played their hits "Crack the Shutter Open" , and "Chasing Cars" with lead singer Gary Lightbody sounding great. They played for a little less than an hour, then it was time for the Lish Rockers from Dublin Ireland to take us to Mars. And so they did cranking out David Bowie's "Space Oddity" over the PA system to get their party started.. anybody got some Wild Wood Flower? Spark ‘em up boys! We're ready to fly.

And so one by one each member of U2 came out one at a time to the roar of the crowd, with the biggest roar for Bono, Irelands own political envoy to the rest of world. He goes right into “Breath” from the new album "No Line On The Horizon", an album I have come to love very quickly. They have been playing seven songs off this album at each show, and tonight would be no different.

The light and sound show was like a 70's Pink Floyd Experience x 100. Sid Barrett would have loved the experience, but since he couldn't there, I did it for him... Ground control to Major Tom check ignition countdown on, if everything plateaus here I can handle it. Oh what great colors this party has... Wish You Were Here!

My main man The Edge was right on the money note for note, and Bono's voice was INCREDIBLE. The sound was also all around us and the 58,000 voices were singing each song word for word. Welcome to the world of U2. Bono gave it his all, running around the outer stage connected by two revolving bridges to get closer to the fans and giving them great photo opportunities. He ran around the whole outside stage, and collapsed to show us that it ain't easy, it takes the breath away, and the crowd loved the antics of Ireland’s greatest export since Guinness... another round of Guinness please!

Since the roof of the venue was open that was another treat on top of everything else. You could see the CN Tower (the second tallest structure in the world) against the evening skyline, with its own light show of colors that accented U2's own light colors. I just had to photograph it for the review as it looked like it was part of the show.

Imagine the people in the outside glass elevator of the tower looking down into the concert from up there, now there’s a photograph! Send one over to me if you took one... Please!

The songs kept getting better and better, and you knew somewhere in the night, you were going to hear the opening chords of "Where the Streets Have No Name" coming from the Edges guitar. With a cool slant on the opening from Bono that led into it, the place went wild. That guitar sound has to go down in rock and roll history as one of the best known sounds by any band ever! That and the intro for "In The Name of Love ".

Each member of the band took turns crossing the bridges to treat the fans. Larry Mullin even came over playing a hand held drum keeping rhythm. The Edge and Bono hooked up on the bridge on Edge’s side, and Adam hooked up with the Edge on the same side as well. The seats behind the stage actually got a great view of all this action minus the obstruction of the four giant hydraulic legs. A shot from behind the stage would have been killer for this review, but you can't just sit anywhere in the Rogers Centre. Your hand is stamped to say you’re on the floor, and not the seats, along with plenty of security asking for your ticket if you leave for another keg of beer. So we didn't move around for shots like we do at other venues.

By this time I'm looking for the beer cart girl, then I remember that was on the weekend, and you have to leave the artificial turf surface to get a $10 beer ...DOH! But I just don’t want to miss a thing. Its like leaving your date in the back seat of the drive in to get a hot dog, common sense says it ain't gonna happen, I just cant go, how long would I be in line, and what songs would I miss? So I just got over it and fought the thirst off, this is U2 and I don’t want to miss a thing.

Time has now moved into the hour closest to midnight, and U2 said goodbye after "Streets" but we knew they would be back. So they did come back to the cheers of the fans who waited months for this day and boom... right into "Ultraviolet", "With or Without You", and the closer "Moment of Surrender". Where did the time go to? The band took the front of the stage to say thank you Toronto and thank you Canada for all you do for the rest of world, in fact if I am not wrong I thought Bono said at one point during the show Canada was his home away from home and that he would be back for the only other show on this 360 Tour Oct 28 in Vancouver at BC Place Stadium.

As the band was leaving everyone was standing, and as they disappeared behind the stage the lights came on and the PA system took over again pumping out the tunes saluting the crowds leaving the venue to fill up the bars and talk about their favourite band on the planet… U2.

SETLIST:

Breathe
No Line on the Horizon
Get on Your Boots
Magnificent
Beautiful Day
Still Haven't Found
Elevation
Your Blue Room
Unknown Caller
Until the End of the World
Stay
Unforgettable Fire
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight Remix
Sunday Bloody Sunday
MLK
Walk On
One
Streets
Ultraviolet
With or Without You
Moment of Surrender

10th Row, Skydome. Only way to ever see a show in that horrible ass venue. It's just way too big and the sound is fucked in there. It's a baseball field. Nothing more. Nothing less. Only ever saw one other concert there and will NEVER step foot into that joint ever again unless the band is amazing and the ticket is free. This one was free.

Popmart had to be the most overproduced show I've ever seen. Made KISS look like they were holding something back in the CHEESE department. Don't get me wrong, I think U2 is an amazing band musically. They've written some REALLY great tunes and they are great performers. BUT.... there's that butt... they really melted the whole fuckin jar of CHEESE WHIZ and dumped it on us this time.

From the giant half a golden arch to the humongous glitter ball, it was just dripping in cheap processed SHIT. I was really disgusted in that they must have been thinking "what are the things that make those fucking Americans line up with money in their hands" Hmmmmm.. McDonald's.... Disco is making a comeback... giant TV's.... They really just rolled our whole culture up into a ball and threw it at us. Clever if you live in a trailer and don't quite get it. Pompous and arrogant as fuck if you have a free standing house and you DO get it.

I'd go see them in a better venue next time. They have too many good songs to count. Hope they back off on the cheese though, it just clogs arteries.

U2 Official Web Site

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