U23D Review

How to recapture the spirit and the passion of the world’s biggest rock band in concert during the leg of their ‘Vertigo’ tour in South America in early 2006? To convey all the different emotions experienced, ranging from joy to sheer pride, would be virtually impossible, but I’m going to try my best to capture the 80 minutes I got to spend in the company of THE band that has captured my imagination.

When U23D was released in South Africa on 22nd Feb, I lived in a small town that didn’t have Imax 3D theatres … they are all based in the bigger cities – Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town. Of course I was very disappointed not to be able to see the movie as I’ve read most of the international critics and fan reviews, and were very excited to finally see U2 ‘live in concert’ – they’ve only toured SA once – in ‘98 when they brought us the PopMart tour.

I moved back to ‘civilization’ at the beginning of May, and lo and behold … U23D was still showing due to popular demand! I immediately made arrangements with 2 of my friends to see the movie at the end of May. And then it started … the countdown to our ‘date’ with the 4 Irishmen of rock music!

Friday the 30th of May finally arrived and I decided to wear ‘Vertigo’ tour colours – black and red of course! All dressed up, nervous and excited, the 3 of us left for the movies, more than ready to see our icons on stage. We bought our tickets and decided to have a light dinner before it was time for the movie to start.

We put on our 3D glasses (and so NOT our finest fashion moment!) and walked into the theatre to take our seats. We chatted nervously, and my young 15-year old U2 protégée, Ashleigh, tried to explain what I could expect as she’d seen the movie on its release. I don’t think ANYTHING could prepare me for what was install for me … and I can honestly say it was a moment I would probably NEVER forget.

The concert started with ‘Vertigo’ and almost immediately I was transported away to the stadium, and be a part of the very enthusiastic South American audience. Bono’s energy is unrivalled, and no other frontman can capture the hearts and imaginations of his fans.

The up-close-and-personal vantage point was absolutely brilliant! I felt as if I was standing next to Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry as they did the thing they do best … giving us, as U2 fans, the time of our lives. I have to confess that there were times when I ducked when Adam and Edge really got into playing their guitars.

Edge came alive, and maybe it was because of the enthusiasm of the crowd. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him enjoy playing the guitar as much as I’ve seen it during this movie. Although the man is serious about his playing, I can’t help getting the impression that the stage is Edge’s playground … on tour, the stage gives him the permission if you like, to come out and play … and boy! Does he ever!!

For a change, there was quite a bit of focus on the ‘understated’ member of U2 … I’m referring to Adam Clayton, bassist player extraordinaire. I loved to watch the knowing smile playing around his lips, as if he’d discovered the secret of the Universe and not willing to share it with us just yet. He got to hog the spotlight for a few minutes, getting close to the audience, really showing the fans exactly why he is such an integral part of U2’s sound. And now I can understand a comment Bono made during the recording of the ‘Elevation’ concert in Boston in 2001 … he said that Adam’s instrument (the bass) holds mysterious powers over womenfolk.

I do however have to complain about the fact that U2’s drummer was sadly neglected during the recording of this particular concert. I have to object that Larry was only shown on very few occasions, and even then, if you blinked an eye, you missed him. I did notice the glass of orange juice (I think!) seen next to his drum kit. As the one member that do not particularly like the spotlight, I really expected to see a bit more of him in action … and lets face it ladies, the man is seriously HOT!

What to say about Bono, the world’s most famous frontman, on and off stage? A few times I wanted to reach out and just touch him … it seemed so easy to do! During ‘Sunday, Bloody Sunday’, when he sang the lyrics, ‘wipe your tears away’, there was a close-up of his face and he reached out his hand towards the audience … and yes, we all reached out to touch the hand … and have a moment we’d never forget.

‘Where the streets have no name’, for me personally, is the BEST U2 song live. The intro … Edge’s almost-haunting guitar notes … my body’s always covered in goose bumps when I hear this song, and on most occasions, I have a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes …and I experienced exactly the same emotions when I watched the movie version, with the South American countries’ flags as backdrop (like they did in the US with the African flags) … mind blowing! I can only agree with another U2 fan who compared the live version of ‘Streets’ as ‘the closest we’ll ever get being in the presence of God’ … amen to that!

A moment where Bono looked so vulnerable during a performance was when he sang the song he wrote for his father, ‘Sometimes you can’t make it on your own’ from ‘How to dismantle an atomic bomb’. He introduced the song dedicated to his ‘Padre’ and started singing … and if ever there was a moment I’d like to give him a hug, it was while he sang that song. He wore no glasses then and the longing in his eyes could be seen quite clearly … talk about being ‘open’ and not scared to show your emotions to thousands of complete strangers …

‘Bullet the blue sky’ is a song that’s been showcased on almost all their tours, and with each tour, Bono comes up with a new and innovative idea to maximise the powerful lyrics to make an impact. He looked angry and fed-up as he paced the stage, like a caged tiger, just waiting for the escape route. The blindfolded frontman got his message across … exploding smoke bomb and all … with impact I have to add.

‘With or without you’ is another U2 song that stood the test of time, and hearing my favourite U2 song of all time, sung in the presence of an equally passionate crowd, was something to behold.

Another song that stood out, was ‘Miss Sarajevo’ and Bono singing Luciano Pavarotti’s whole Italian part … he stands in front of the microphone, his hands folded and his eyes closed, losing himself in the song with a quiet passion and conviction … and I’m not ashamed to say that I had a tough time keeping the tears at bay.

Before concluding, I feel I have to add how different it was to watch U2 in concert without the screaming and interruption of the audience. Don’t get me wrong … I know we all behave differently when we see our favourite artist in concert, and I have to applaud the South American audiences that allowed us to hear the songs … having watched a couple of U2’s concert DVD’s (especially the ones filmed in the US), there is nothing as annoying as a section of the audience making such a racket that you can’t hear the song or lyrics properly … and yes, even if you’ve heard the songs countless times on your mp3 player or iPod. The South American fans thoroughly enjoyed themselves, singing with to every song with so much passion, and I’m sure Bono and ‘The Boys’ appreciated that.

And then … it was all over … 80 minutes have sped by rapidly, and the last song WOWY, announced the end of their performance. It was over much too quickly of course, and I could’ve happily sat there and watch another hour or two … but I guess the old saying remains true … ‘all good things come to an end.’


I have only two complaints here (excluding the scarce footage of Larry Mullen) and they are:

The distance between the band and their audience – now I do know the reason for this, especially in this performance, was because the concert was filmed. But I can’t help remembering Bono’s words from virtually the inception of the band; “I don’t trust a performer who’s content with the distance between him and the audience.” (Think ‘Live Aid 1985’ during his performance of ‘Bad’ what a brilliant example – probably one of my all-time favourites) I have to wonder if Bono felt any frustration at being so removed from his audience during the filming … did he also felt something important was amiss?

The one song I really, really missed during this performance was of course the song they started the ‘Vertigo’ tour with … ‘City of blinding lights’. This song to me is the promise of what was to come … and I must be honest, this song’s exclusion from the movie left me a little deflated.

Do I recommend this movie? A resounding YES! Would I see it again if I were given the opportunity? YES! U23D is a must-see for fans and non-believers alike … the introduction as to WHY U2 is hailed as ‘the biggest and best rock band in the world’ is something you’d never forget. And for some of us who’d never had the opportunity to see them live, this is a very good indication of what you can expect. In my humble opinion … U2 is and will always be relevant … they are the true pioneers of rock music. 150 million plus (and still counting) album sales is proof of that.