Having battled their way through airport style security, a crowd of twenty-odd thousand, give or take a few, patiently wait for four boys from the north side, as Patti Smith's 'People Have The Power' plays loudly over the PA. Are they ready to be swept off their feet? You bet…
Looked at from ground level, there seem to be endless tiers of seats in the venue, reaching higher and higher, up towards the roof. The floor itself is split into North and South, and divided by two stages, with a long, elevated walkway which connects one to the other.
Emerging from under the seats, and walking through the crowd onto the stage, Bono pauses a moment and raises a fist towards the screaming fans who surround him in all directions, before leading his cohorts into the opening chords of 'The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)’, which reverberate through the arena. The New Jersey punk icon, who forged his rock 'n' roll aesthetic in CBGBs in this very city, is very much present, in spirit at least.
Basking in the glow of red lights, it's as big and dramatic an opener as you could hope for. 'Gloria' follows – Bono's voice piercing through above all else. Evoking the ghosts of U2’s early post-punk rise, it is truly haunting, and feels like a moment U2 fans have been waiting years for.
Immediately, a strange dichotomy is evident: "The Innocence + Experience Tour" sees a band performing new songs and old – and yet the new ones, drive deep into a past that predates their earliest output.
A stage split in two; an arena split in two; a performance split in two. And yet it all hangs together. In truth, I have no idea really how they meant the innocence and experience elements to be divided but thematically it works. There's something close to a narrative structure, which embraces the breadth of their work – and which also allows the audience to marvel at the quality and diversity of the band's songwriting down the years.
Early in the first part of the set, the unique – and at times incredibly beautiful – production is central. Bono begins by talking about the origins of the band, the cathartic nature of songwriting and the effect of losing his mother at a young age, before dedicating the gorgeous ‘Iris' to her. A collection of old home movies of his mother, Iris, play on the large screens above the walkway. As he sings, a set of stairs descend and Bono climbs between the screens. The screens are transparent enough, that he remains visible to the crowd. Poignantly, he can be seen reaching out to touch his mother – but she remains forever just out of reach.
Similarly, 'Cedarwood Road', during which the audience is taken on a journey with Bono across that North Dublin street, is like a trip down the memory lane of 1970s Ireland. That and an acoustic version of ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ are the other standout moments from the first half of the set.
During the interval, the screen displays images from the Berlin Wall, as The Fly provides the background noise, before a series of provocative messages flash across the screens.
The second half of the set really kicks into gear when Bono invites a Japanese woman dressed beautifully in traditional Japanese garb to the stage, to dance with him as he performs 'Mysterious Ways'. It's not the first time he's done it of course – it’s a routine that U2 goes all the way back to McGonagle’s during the Jingle Balls residency way back in the day – but Bono's ability to make the individual seem so special, so important, means it's much more than just a gimmick.
As you watch them dance, you feel the connection so clearly, It's almost as if he's dancing intimately with everyone in the audience. The lady in question remains on stage to film the band performing 'Elevation'. She's filming on an iPhone and the feed is streaming live on U2.com to fans all over the world. Steeped in a traditional sense of the importance of romance it may be, but it is also a very 21st century moment!
As she steps off the stage, she's replaced by Manhattan native Lady Gaga, who sits down at the piano to duet with Bono on the wonderful 'Ordinary Love', confirming to those who might have doubted she has a set of pipes to rival the very best.
Her exit leaves space at the piano for The Edge to launch into a stripped-back version of 'Every Breaking Wave', which is, for me at least, the moment that will live longest in the memory. I'd wager that the woman beside me, who was brought to tears by the second verse, would agree. This is powerful, mesmerisingly beautiful and emotionally true
From here on in, it's hit after U2 hit: 'Bullet The Blue Sky', ‘Pride’ and 'Beautiful Day’ are rifled through in style, before 'With or Without You' ends the set on an emotional high.
The encore screams New York, with 'City Of Blinding Lights' and 'Where The Streets Have No Name’ – both, in their way, can be interpreted as fitting tributes to the city, which after Dublin might well be regarded as U2's second spiritual home. A celebratory version of 'One' provides a final communal experience as Bono lets the sold-out auditorium provide lead vocals for two thirds of the song, before segueing into a snatch of The Beatles’ classic 'All You Need is Love' for the finale.
As the music fades, a band stands triumphant. Having seen shows on every U2 tour over the past 20 years, I can honestly say this was the most intimate it's ever felt. The irony is that by digging so powerfully into their past, U2 as a band have never felt more relevant, nor seemed more important, than they do today.
All together now…