U2 iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour: O2 Arena, London
Bono boogieing (Image: U2start / Flickr)
I have been counting down the days to U2’s iNNOCENCE+ eXPERIENCE tour since I bought the tickets back in February. My father and I are big fans, and we thought it might be our last chance catching U2 in concert. So, on the 29th of October, I finally crossed “see U2 live” off my bucket list. Now that I have, please allow me to tell you a little bit about it.
Have you ever been to the O2 arena in London? The first thing that struck me when I walked in was how enormous it is. Picture the Quidditch World Cup stadium: that’s honestly how it felt (if you don’t know what that is, who are you and which rock have you been living under?). I just couldn’t believe that a single band could fill out such a huge space, for six nights in a row in the same city. The second thing I noticed was the age range of the crowd – or rather lack of. Let’s just say I felt young… Seeing all those 40 and 50-year-olds jamming out, like they would have back in the 80s, was honestly great. My dad was having the time of his life and so was I.
The Edge (Image: U2start / Flickr)
Apart from performing new tracks from Songs of Innocence, they also played old classics such as ‘New Year’s Day’, ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, ‘Beautiful Day’, ‘Mysterious Ways’ and ‘Pride (In the name of love)’. (And yes, Songs of Innocence was that album which was uploaded to your iTunes library without asking for your opinion. You were blessed with the genius of U2 for free, so stop complaining and enjoy the ride through the land of perfect music and perfect lyrics.)
For years, U2 have used their music as a tool to support uncountable great causes and charities, encouraging the creation of a global community empowered by mutual aid. Tonight was no different
I know I might be subjective because of my love for this particular band, but for 50-something-year-old guys they were honestly killing it. Bono was bouncing around the (super big) stage and The Edge was rocking out on the guitar, as usual. There was a gargantuan screen splitting the arena in two; the visual effects were astounding. U2 hired astrophotographer, time-lapse artist, and photography world satirist Jeff Frost to do the job. He was told to work with the tour’s theme, the “neutral net of humanity”, and it was an astounding success. Between touching footage of war and destruction, animated drawings and powerful statements, the entirety of it was nothing short of spectacular.
Image: Nour Chehab
The visual/sound effects complimented the show, making the already astonishing musical performance a delight to all of your senses. I had goosebumps throughout the night: the emotion evoked in the audience was almost tangible. That was mostly due to the fact that U2 dedicated almost every song to a cause, from the Syrian crisis to the battle against AIDS. Bono’s speeches were powerful and impassioned; the messages and images on the screen complimenting the music very well. Overall, it was an inspiring experience for everybody in the audience. The band certainly didn’t disappoint when it came to their reputation as humanitarians and messengers of peace. For years, U2 have used their music as a tool to support uncountable great causes and charities, encouraging the creation of a global community empowered by mutual aid. Tonight was no different.
Image: U2start / Flickr
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