I’m still reeling. I’m pinching myself looking at those photos, looking at videos on YouTube, wondering did I just dream I was there. I think I established over the past week on the blog that I’m not a U2 fanatic, not a die-hard lover of the lads (shoot I didn’t think their latest album was any good so I didn’t buy it!) but I am a fan of their music & their shows & my did Friday’s gig satisfy that.

While a healthy helping of the new album was dished out, a good selection of older songs including four from The Unforgettable Fire album made for a tasty setlist, in my opinion. For someone who didn’t warm enough to the new album to go add it to my record collection, I was quite impressed when I heard the songs live & could yet make the purchase! Personal highlights included really lovely semi-acoustic (if that’s a term!) renderings of ‘Desire‘ & ‘Stuck in a Moment‘, ‘Where The Streets Have No Name‘, ‘The Unforgettable Fire‘ & ‘With or Without You‘. Yet again I was hit with the realisation of just how big their back catalogue is & how many different setlists you could come up with for a 2 hour set. Not sure if that makes it easier or more challenging but it’s a credit to them either way!

The stage was a phenomenal sight – at times it looked like some kind of robotic crustacean that would start walking down the pitch at any given second, other times like some kind of crazy, sci-fi temple with the spire of mirrorballs pointing way up into the night sky. The vortex-like 360 degree screen was pretty breath-taking stuff, not quite PopMart now but bloody big & used to great effect! Bono’s LED-enhanced rig-out for Ultraviolet was pretty awesome, if a little Christmas-y

As with the last time, I left the place buzzing. Exhausted but buzzing. Hard to believe another 4 years has passed by. And it could well be another 4 before I get the chance to do it again if ever so I’m going to do my best to get another round in before they leave town. One of the most enjoyable & memorable events in a long time – well done guys, long may you do what you do & I think the 3 live U2 newbies I had with me would agree.

Lots of lovely videos on YouTube, setlists from Friday & Saturday here. Pix.ie has a great range of photos from the gig too. If you’re going Monday night, have a blast – fingers crossed I’ll be there too

*Note on the photos I took – none of them have been touched up or anything of the sort, they didn’t need it, the set was so fantastically photogenic! If only every subject was as easy…

U2 in town

Gav just tweeted the finished stage – I think the moody clouds suit it!

U2 360 stage at Croke Park

Robin got some amazing shots from the air, see them all here.

U2 stage at Croke Park from the air

Bootlegs from their last tour dates at Croke Park and Slane ’81 are available to download via Swear I’m not Paul.

@360FromTheEdge is posting some interesting photos via Twitter…

Edge's guitars

Stage roof

I’m just giddy with excitement for tonight’s gig. To everyone who’s going, hope you have a fantastic time

U2 360 in Barcelona - from u2.com

Getting there

If you’ve never been to Croke Park, it’s in Drumcondra which is north Dublin city centre almost halfway between the city centre and the airport. It’s serviced well by buses & trains & only a short hop from town.

Bus
The following buses pass through Drumcondra. Jump out at the stop as close to the railway bridge corssing the road as possible. Bus routes from the city centre to Drumcondra Rd: 3, 11/a/b/c, 13/a, 16/a, 33/b, 41/a/b/c, 40/a/b/c/d. Others that get you nearby are on this map.

Train
Drumcondra train station is on the Maynooth/Longford/Sligo line. Check www.irishrail.ie for timetables.

Walk
It’s only 15mins from O’Connell St, here’s the route I’d suggest – http://short.ie/walktocroker

Preparation

Time
Gates open at 6pm, first band is due on at 6.30 with U2 due on around 9pm. I’d hazard a guess it’ll be all done and dusted by 11/11.30 at the latest. If you want a decent standing spot, get there early. If you’re seated well then allow yourself about 30mins from arriving in Drumcondra to getting into your seat in the stadium.

What to wear/bring with you
It will more than likely rain at some point so bring layers & waterproofs, even if you’re seated – Croker is quite open & quite windy! Leave the umbrellas at home as they won’t be allowed in. I’d imagine bag searches will happen so try keep luggage to a minimum.

Have an awesome time. See you round there on the Friday

I love the intro to this song – from the organ strains to Edge’s signature sound arpeggios building up to those first lines “I want to run, I want to hide, I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside…” – gorgeous. While walking home during the week I got goosebumps while listening to it. It’s one of the lasting memories I have from the last time I saw them in Croker – the buzz around Croke Park as that riff rang out and the crowd just roaring out that first line. Just fantastic.

Where The Streets Have No Name – live at Slane Castle.

Will I sleep tonight? Probably not. Croker here I come

U2 - POP

While Achtung Baby remains my favourite U2 album, 1997′s Pop comes in at a very close second. I’ve heard U2 describe it as something like ‘their greatest unfinished piece of work’ and I agree entirely.

I think some of their best work is on that album from lyrics to riffs & beats to the gorgeous artwork.

Mofo – Live in Mexico

The accompanying PopMart tour was one of the most elaborate and iconic stadium shows to tour the world featuring a huge LED screen, a 100ft high golden arch and a huge mirrorball lemon. Similar to the previous Zoo TV tour, the lavish set & imagery were all parth of a theme designed to poke fun at consumerism, materialism & popular culture.

Gone – Live in Mexico

U2 brought the PopMart tour to Sarajevo becoming the first major band to play there after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina following a series of controversial satellite links to aid workers there during their Zoo TV tour.

Do You Feel Loved – Live in Las Vegas

The show was recorded in Mexico City in 1997 and was re-relased on DVD in 2007. If just for the spectacle alone, it’s worth a watch. I can still remember the first time I saw the video for Discotheque on TV & just loving the sound they were creating. I was in my last year of primary school at the time & remember wishing I had an older brother or sister to take me along on the bus trip to Dublin for the concert. I had to settle for watching the PopMart video once it was released & I watched it so often that it eventually wore out! Here’s hoping for one or two Pop classics this weekend in Croke Park

Discotheque – official video

360 stage at Croke Park, taken by @gavreilly

First off, props to Gav for TwitPic-ing progress on the 360 stage construction that’s going on up at Croker – looking epic!

Today I’m picking out another song from Achtung Baby today, which is my favourite U2 album by a mile. When rooting around on YouTube for a video, I learned that the ‘single version’ was quite different and not nearly as raw & punchy as the original. According to U2.com, the single released was the ‘Temple Bar Edit‘. Recorded after a night in Dorans or The Mezz eh lads?

So forgive the visuals and enjoy the sounds, a compromise worthwhile I think you’ll agree

Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (album cut)

One Saturday night while walking towards the taxi rank on O’Connell St, we were singing our way through the U2 catalogue (as you do) and when we tried to start ‘Mysterious Ways’ we got in a pickle over what the first line was. So we decided to ask the highly approachable pair of young Gardai outside the GPO to see if they could help. It went something like this…

Jen: “I’m sorry but we were wondering if you could help us? We’re trying to remember the first line of a U2 song.”

Gardai: “Oh right.”

Jen: “Yeah, ‘Mysterious Ways’ – we can’t remember the first line.”

Gardai: “Oh geez that’s a tough one now. Tell you what if you hang on there for a minute Johnny will be able to answer that one, he’s mad into U2. He’s just gone to the shop for sweets & will be back over in a minute.”

And sure enough, Johnny did arrive back from the shop & did supply us with the line “Johnny, take a walk with your sister the moon”. So we thanked him & continued on our way singing & dancing to the taxi rank & thinking “only in Ireland”.

So from the fabulous Achtung Baby, here’s Mysterious Ways. Happy Birthday Jen & fair play Johnny

It’s a cover of the 60′s classic ‘Everlasting Love‘ which has been covered by many over the years from Carl Carlton to Gloria Estefan to Jamie Cullum. It appeared as a b-side to the single ‘All I Want Is You’ in 1989 alongside what I think is a dodgy interpretation of ‘Unchained Melody’. As modern covers of this song go, I think this is my favourite.

U2 – Everlasting Love

…for the one I love.

So for the next week I’m going to post some of my favourite U2 songs and give a little insight into why I chose each one. Apologies to non-fans or Bono-bashers, might want to tune out for a little while

The Fly: Live in Boston

This recording was part of the Elevation tour DVD shot in Boston in 2001. I remember seeing it on TV. I don’t know what I was doing at the time that I didn’t have time to sit down and watch it but I distinctly remember stopping in my tracks at hearing the beautiful opening bars of this song, set in a lower pitch than the original recording. Magic.