The 2 year wait is over... U2

So I bought these VIP passes for Tex two years ago. I have never bought passes like this before. We new there was a pre-party before the show but had no idea that is would be a full on Buffet for dinner and open bar. Dinner was chicken, Salmon, salad, and mashed potatoes and it was really good!

Lenny Kravits opened for U2

And the wait is over!

360 Tour

The set list ran as follows:

- Even Better Than The Real Thing
- I Will Follow
- Get On Your Boots
- Magnificent (Remix Version)
- Mysterious Ways
- Elevation
- Until The End Of The World
- All I Want Is You
- Stay (Faraway, So Close!) (acoustic version)
- Beautiful Day
- Pride (In The Name Of Love)
- Miss Sarajevo
- Zooropa
- City Of Blinding Lights
- Vertigo
- I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (remix version, inc. Discothèque)
- Sunday Bloody Sunday
- Scarlet
- Walk On

There was then a short interval, in which the band went off stage and a message from Aung San Suu Kyi played on the big screens. U2 returned pretty quickly, so it wasn't a true encore... just a drinks break.

- One
- Where The Streets Have No Name

The band then left briefly again, while a curious animation about alien visitors played. And then:

- Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
- With Or Without You
- Moment of Surrender

A bit of U2 Live

By the time Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen took to the stage at Qwest Field on Saturday June 4, 2011, Seattle was more than ready for their show. It was a tour stop that had been scheduled to happen on June 20, 2010, but after Bono's sudden back injury in Munich the show was postponed for almost a year. There aren't many bands that could keep a city on hold for year - but as U2 proved on Saturday, they were more than worth the wait.

Fans of Lenny Kravitz were also treated to a rare and energetic show by the retro-infused New Yorker, but there's was no doubting who we'd all gathered to see. While 'American Woman' and 'Are You Gonna Go My Way' blasted out from the impressive claw-like stage structure, the U2 faithful lined up to buy tour T-shirts and other merchandise from the plentiful sales stands. Kravitz put his heart and soul into it, but the party was only just getting started.

It's worth spending a moment on the 360 Tour's 'Claw' stage, because it truly is a unique, and incredible, addition to their touring armory. If you haven't already seen it, you can check it out in the photo to the left - this is a giant structure of metal, canvas, and banks of electronics, but even more impressive than its sheer bulk is the viewing and listening experience it provides. The sound was crisp and clear despite Qwest Field's vast size, and the video screens ensured that everyone in the arena had a front-row view. When it comes to live arena shows it has no equal, and we can only hope that some of its technology eventually trickles down to other touring bands.

Enough about the tour gadgetry, though - let's talk about the music. You can find a full setlist for U2's Qwest Field show here, and a quick glance over it will tell you that they pulled out all the stops. To paraphrase Frank Sinatra: highlights, they've had a few. Show opener 'Even Better Than The Real Thing' was suitably anthemic from the outset, but if anything the tunes got even bigger and better as the night went on, especially once darkness fell and the Claw's enormous banks of lights could be put to use.

'Elevation' (video left) proved to be a raucous crowd favorite, as Bono hurled himself into the chorus from one of the pair of bridges attached to the stage, but the set had its touching, quieter moments too, from 'Miss Sarajevo' to 'All I Want Is You'. Bono and The Edge teamed up for a stripped-back version of 'Stay (Faraway, So Close)' as well, shortly before the band turned 'I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight' into a frenzied club-style drum jam, blending it almost seamlessly with sections from 'Discotheque'. The combination of familiar and new felt just right, as the light show and video screens ensured that the intensity never let up.

If there was one small complaint, it was that some of the songs echoed awkwardly around the stadium, making it hard to pick out The Edge's guitar work - the older songs in particular seemed to suffer from this, suggesting that they've simplified their sound in more recent years to make it better suited to big arenas. This kind of echoing is almost inevitable in stadiums, however, and it was remarkable that it wasn't even more of an issue. Clearly those big banks of speakers on the Claw really do make a difference.

For those U2 fans who had been holding onto their tickets for over a year, the Qwest Field show was a fitting reward for their patience. Seattle was lucky enough to host one of the best live shows we've seen in over a decade - and even the weather played along, providing clear blue skies and a warm evening. You can't help wondering how long we'll have to wait to see its like again.

Can I Just say this was one of the best shows I have ever seen, Tex and I had a fabulous time!