'Moncton, Hub City, where you gonna take us tonight?'
Moncton in Atlantic Canada, the end of U2360°, the most successful concert tour of all time.
Two years after opening up in Barcelona in June, 2009 tonight the band played their final show in a record-breaking tour of 110 concerts in 30 countries across 5 continents. It's been some ride and the fact it had rained all day and was moist underfoot here in Moncton was not going to stop anyone in this 75,000-strong audience making this a night to remember.
A breathtaking flyover from the Canadian Airforce set the scene before the show along with powerful opening sets from Carney and the one and only Arcade Fire.
'Extraordinary band, give it up for Carney,' said Bono, after Get On Your Boots. 'I don't know if there's vocabulary in English or French to describe Arcade Fire. They asked to play here as they have a relationship with you guys. They're not like a band, more like a miraculous event, carnival of chaos...'
Six songs in and Moncton had put the 360° spaceship into orbit for one final trip: 'This is the best time we could be having anywhere,' explained Bono, adding that the band wanted to make the most of the fact that this is the end of the tour. 'Eighteen babies, two marriages in the crew, eight separations... over 7 million served!'
And the best thing about this remarkable structure they've played under night after night ? It has no roof, 'but that's because it won't rain - right?'
On bass guitar tonight, we had Adam Clayton. On drums, 'the man who gave us our first job', Larry Mullen. On guitar? 'People like to remind us that without Edge we'd be nothing... but without us, he'd still be in his room twiddling knobs.'
And at the microphone: 'My name is Bono, I'm a work in progress...'
'I have climbed highest mountains
I have run through the fields...'
The end of 'Still Haven't Found' segued into The Ballad of Springhill while the lyrics of 'Stay' were customised for the occasion.
'110 shows, strangely it feels like home
Glad my wife is here tonight, not a night to be alone
Just a bang and a clatter, as 360 leaves town...'
The night, like this tour, raced by. Special thanks to Live Nation, Universal Music, Principle Management and the unrivalled 360 Crew gave way to Moment of Surrender which was not to be the final song of the tour.
' We're a band from Dublin, Ireland. We're called U2..'
Out of Control, the band's first single, was an inspired way to bring things to a close.
'A higher than high here, out on the Atlantic Coast
Larry Mullen, Adam Clayton, Bono, The Edge... still... out of control.'
But there was one final piece of inspiration, marrying this legendary tour to the band's earliest tours. A bottle of champagne was found for Bono to uncork and the band left this audience, singing with so many others, as the night came to an end.
'How long to sing this song
How long to sing this song ...'
Bono, Edge and Adam waited at the back of the stage for Larry to end '40' and once he did, he took the mike at the front of the stage; 'We'll miss you guys, Goodnight!'
With that the four members of U2, arms around each other, took a final bow and the U2360° spaceship was gone.
SET LIST
Even Better Than The Real ThingThe Fly
Mysterious Ways
Until The End Of The World
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Beautiful Day
Elevation
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Discotheque
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On
ENCORE
OneWhere The Streets Have No Name
ENCORE 2
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill MeWith Or Without You
Moment Of Surrender
Out Of Control
40
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